"William." His uncle turned.
"What are you--?"
"Let's take this to the hallway, shall we? Your mother's still asleep." Taking his nephew by the arm, Ethan pushed the door open and gently shoved the boy into the hall. "It was my understanding that you visited at a certain time every day."
"I do. Well, most days I do, but I was-- Wait-- No-- what are you doing here?" William said. "Were you just going to visit my mother and never even see Jenny?"
Ethan shrugged, ruefully. "That was the plan. However, the plan's buggered now, I suppose."
William whispered angrily, "She thinks you're dead!"
Ethan ignored William's accusation, clapping his hand on his nephew's shoulder and walking him down the hall to an empty room. "Right. Well, it is good to see you, boy. How's she running, anyway?" At William's confusion, Ethan clarified. "Not your aunt. My baby. Are you taking good care of her?" He pushed William into the vacant room and shut the door firmly.
"Yes, yes, of course. I'm--" William shook his head, finding it hard to believe the man they'd all thought likely to be dead was standing in front of him. "She's fine."
"Good!" He patted the boy's shoulder again. "Now, regarding whether you've seen me…"
William stared at him, horrified. "I have seen you."
"No, you haven't."
"I have. I can't lie about that. Not to Jenny."
The older man stepped back and contemplated his nephew. "I'm very serious, William. You can't talk to anyone about seeing me here. I received word about your mother and had to come, but I hadn't planned on seeing anyone but Anne. "
"No, of course not. Why bother to contact your wife? Your wife who's been --"
Ethan chuckled. "My wife knows whom she married." He shrugged again. "Well, by now she should, certainly. Whether she's still happy with her choice is something you'd have to ask her yourself. However," he leaned closer to William, "how do you think I knew about your mother?"
William backed away. It was true that Jenny hadn't seemed all that grief stricken at her missing husband. He’d never come across her crying in a quiet room, as he'd found his mother several times after his father's death. "She knows you're fine?"
"Wish I could stay and chat all this out, but alas, I haven't the time." Ethan paused. "Suffice it to say I had a little financial disagreement with my partners and the partnership's dissolved. But that's none of your concern. What is your concern is that I'm going to move your mother to a hospital in L.A." He waved a hand to still the protests rising to William's lips. "I have an…acquaintance there whom I've known since college. He's in cancer research now and well regarded by his peers. Some of his patients refer to him as a magician." Turning to stare out the window, he said, "Had either your mother or my delightful wife told me about your mother's illness earlier, I would have sent Anne to him much, much sooner."
William broke in, "Can this doctor really help her?"
Ethan turned. "I don't know. But he's performed some apparent miracles in the past and your mother's case, from what I understand, isn't completely devoid of hope."
Anxiety clouded William's features again as he asked, "How much is this doctor? I don't know if Jenny told you but--"
Ethan waved the question away. "That's also not your concern. My disagreement was…profitable, shall we say." He smirked.
William took a few steps towards the door. "I need to go pack. Do you have the address where we'll be staying?"
"You're not going."
William whipped around to face him. "What?"
"You're not going." Ethan repeated. "You're staying here with Jenny. It's been discussed and decided."
Furious, William said through gritted teeth, "Not discussed or decided by me. I'm going. I'm not leaving her with strangers."
"You haven't got a choice. She can go and have a chance or stay and die," Ethan said coldly. "Regardless of which, you will remain here."
"You're a right bastard to talk about her like that." William spat. "And it sounds as though you're a criminal as well. Why should I trust you?"
"She's my sister," Ethan said bluntly. "Also, you're a minor. You have no say in this. I really must leave soon, so let's go and say hello to your mother. Try not to trouble her with unpleasantness. Act like a man, William, not a spoiled boy. This is best for everyone."
William bit back a fierce retort about Ethan's definition of manhood versus his own and followed his uncle out the door.
Anne held her son's hand, her frail fingers enclosed firmly in his warm grasp, but her eyes were on her brother. "I can't wait to hear the whole story on this one, Ethan," she said dryly.
"No need for that, at present. I'm a bit pressed for time." Ethan quickly explained about his plan to transfer her to L.A.
William bent over her and whispered in her ear, uncaring whether his uncle thought him rude.
"Mum, is this what you want to do? Do you trust him?"
Anne regarded her incorrigible brother and responded aloud, allaying her son's concerns. "He wouldn't lie to me about something like this. If he wants me to go, it's because he believes it will help."
"So, it's yes?" Ethan said impatiently, allowing his sister's small dig at him to pass unacknowledged.
"It's yes. Thank you, Ethan." Anne responded softly.
He was already on his way out the door. "I'll make the arrangements," he said, and left.
Anne looked into her son's worried eyes. "It's worth trying, William." She squeezed his hand lightly. "You'll be fine here with Jenny."
"It's not me I'm worried about," William said, his frustration evident. Not wanting to look at her, he stared at the rumpled bedcovers, "I don't understand why I can't go with you."
Anne stiffened and her voice took on a no-nonsense tone. "You'll stay here. You'll go to school." She lifted his chin gently with her other hand and made him look at her, repeating what she'd said the week prior. "You'll call me every day and Jenny will tell you everything she knows as soon as she knows it." At his rebellious look, she persisted, softer now, "And this will allow me to focus on getting well, because I'll know that I don't have to worry about you." She stroked his cheek.
"But we were in the middle--" he protested, weakly, gesturing at the book forgotten on the nightstand. "You'll be bored." And alone, he added silently.
"You can read it to me over the phone, William." She smiled. "I'll miss you too, you know."
"Yeah." He mumbled and stood up as she let her hand fall away from his face. "I'll do what you want, of course. Got to get to work now."
Anne's smile widened. Her son was so rarely a typical, belligerent teenager, that it amused her to see the stereotypically sulky expression on his face as he left. He'd get over it and see that it was for the best in the end. She felt better than she had in days. Even the tiniest bit of hope could prove to be miraculous medicine indeed.
When William got home from work that evening, he saw Jenny sitting on the couch in the living room with a glass of wine. Dropping his bag, he made his way over to stand in front of her. He said nothing, merely looked at her and waited.
Jenny sighed, taking another sip before she responded to his accusing gaze. Then she said, "The car is yours to keep. You've been taking good care of it. You can use it to visit your mother in L.A. on the weekends." Her finger traced the rim of the glass. "Let me know if you need gas money." Finally, she met his eyes, but said nothing more.
William found he didn't know what to say either. In the end, he left his questions unspoken, merely muttering, "thanks," as he turned and headed up the stairs, leaving her alone.
"No, that would never happen!" Tara giggled at Willow's teasing.
William was only half paying attention. He'd just gotten to school after seeing his mother off and hadn't been participating much in the conversation, locked in his own thoughts.
He was now watching Buffy progress through the lunch line. She slid the tray along the rails, pausing at each station, but in the end, she’d chosen only a lone yogurt and a diet soda. The faint, half smile on his lips disappeared as he saw Finn come up behind her and seemingly volunteer to carry her tray to their table.
Watching another bloke cheerfully hit on the girl he wanted for his own was torturous, but he couldn't look away. So he saw her shake her head, smiling at the git though, how could she smile like that at the big… William's train of thought derailed. She'd evidently refused Riley's help, then paused a moment after handing her money to the cashier and was now headed straight at William.
His brain froze and he didn't even manage a smile as she stopped and directed her question to the table.
"Mind if I sit with you guys?"
He saw Willow's surprised look as she offered a chair and made brief introductions. Buffy said hello and sat across from him, opening her soda and yogurt. Then she smiled at him.
"So your Mom's in L.A. now?" Buffy asked, flipping her ponytail out of her face and dropping to the mats to sit.
He sat beside her, "Yeah. Hopefully, this new doctor will be able to help her. I don't know."
"I'll bet you'll miss her," Buffy said sympathetically, "but you can visit, right? And it's good, right?"
"Yeah, it's good," William said, flopping onto his back, tired. "I asked Mr. Crawford for Saturday off. I can drive up then."
"That'll be nice." She must've noticed the anxiety in his voice, because she switched topics quickly, "I wish I could drive!" She laughed. "It'd be so much easier than the stupid bus!"
He smiled. "Not sure the roads would be safe if you had your license, pet! I've seen you drive!"
She hit his shoulder then, pouting. "I'm not that bad. I got us there, right? All I need is a few more lessons with a good teacher who doesn't scream like Mom or shout like Dad and I'll be just fine."
He caught the gleam in her eye as she looked speculatively at him. "Oh, no." He shook his head emphatically. "I like my car. What is it with you?" He laughed, teasing her. "You want me to teach you everything, don't you?"
He noticed the strange look on her face and stilled, his laughter dying. "What?"
Edging closer to him, she laughed nervously. "Maybe I do." Then she leaned over him and pressed her lips against his in a tentative kiss.