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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks for the nice reviews, guys.
I honestly didn't think this fic would get very far, but with a little encouragement I've continued with it.
Dinner at the Giles', should be interesting.
Chapter Five.

Elizabeth got into Wesley's horse drawn car late after school had finished. He apparently had to work late at the library and couldn't pick her up any earlier. Soon after they had started off on the road, Elizabeth had fallen asleep, primly propped up against Wesley's shoulder. Wesley smiled down at his charge, children he was sure, weren't really his thing but something about this one softened his heart. Someone else in particular did, too, but that brought a blush to his cheeks just to think about it.

When they arrived back at the house, Wesley gently nudged Elizabeth awake and notified her that they would be having dinner at Giles' house and that she should dress nicely. Wesley didn't mention that the two men had chuckled between themselves about how Wesley's niece twice removed, or however he was related to her and Rupert's son would find themselves together at some stage.

Elizabeth, smiling to herself, walked into the house and headed for her room. Ruth was stoking the small fire in the corner and she looked up at grinned at Elizabeth. "Hello Miss Elizabeth, did you have a good day with your studies?"

Elizabeth nodded absently as she inspected each of the dresses in her trunk. She had to look nice, she wouldn't admit to herself why exactly. She kept telling herself it was just to help make Wesley look presentable, but she knew just as well as Ruth did, who was now watching her with an unhidden amusement that this wasn't the reason she wanted to look pretty.

Finally, brandishing the dress she wanted to wear the most, she pulled it out and held it up to herself. It was a light blue with a modest broach attached to the collar. It had just the right amount of frills and ribbons without being too formal. Ruth nodded and giggled at Elizabeth's choice and was ushered out in a flurry so Elizabeth could put it on in silence.

A good while later, when Elizabeth was satisfied with the way she looked, she went outside into the hallway for Ruth's inspection.

"You look beautiful, Miss Elizabeth. I'm sure William will appreciate the effort you've put in." Ruth said with a wink.

Elizabeth blushed as Ruth scurried away to clean up Elizabeth's trunk of dresses. She tried to stammer an answer but ended up getting flustered and stamping
her boot on the hard wood floor. She started grumbling, "Pff. She doesn't know what she's talking about. Silly girl." Elizabeth scurried down the hall to meet Wesley, cheeks burning red. She fluttered her hands over here cheeks to take away the blush and ended up bumping straight into Wesley himself.

"Oh dear! Sorry, Elizabeth but you really must watch where you're.. fluttering." he said kindly.

"Oh yes, I'm sorry. I was worlds away!"

"Well, we must leave now, Elizabeth. I was just coming to collect you. You do look lovely tonight, if may say so." Wesley really did think she looked great, he couldn't say whether she had done it to make him look good, or to impress William.

A few minutes later, Wesley and Elizabeth were on their way to the Giles' house for tea and conversation.

By the time they arrived at the Giles' house, Elizabeth was beside herself with nerves. Did she look silly? Could she have done with less primping?

Wesley helped her out of the carriage and walked her up to the front door. The house was pleasant and quite.. large? How on Earth could a librarian afford that? Perhaps his wife gave him a large dowry when they were married, Elizabeth reasoned with herself.

Wesley knocked on the door and Rupert Giles threw the door open with enthusiasm, "Oh thank God," Elizabeth gasped and hid her face, she was quite religious when she felt like it. Rupert threw Elizabeth an apologetic but annoyed glance and she calmed down. "William's driving me up the wall, Wesley. I am so glad you arrived when you did, his questions were beginning to become rather awkward, to say the least."

Rupert ushered the pair inside and brought them into the sitting room for drinks. Anne was flitting around handing out orders this way and that, and William was torturing the family cat with a makeshift slingshot he had put together just recently. As soon as William noticed Elizabeth, his breath caught in his throat and his eyes began to twinkle more. Looking down sheepishly at his childish device, he threw it under a nearby couch and grinned.

Wesley and Rupert exchanged glances and smiled knowingly, settling themselves down for another one of their long, men only conversations. Anne studied
Elizabeth over the rim of her glass, narrowing her eyes and sniffing every now and then. There was something about this girl, she just had to know everything about her. The local women were already gossiping, and she just HAD to have the lead news about her before all of them got to it.

The Giles' servant came in announcing that dinner was ready, and the party transferred to the dining room. William continued to glance at Elizabeth slyly and Anne continued to fidget in her seat. She just had to know something. When desert was being served, Anne decided her chance would be now, seeing as Elizabeth was currently happily eating her ice-cream.

"Ahem," Anne cleared her throat and looked towards Elizabeth expectantly. Elizabeth, who had felt a set of eyes on her looked up and noticed Anne waiting for her to say something. "If I may ask this, and I shall, Elizabeth, how did your parents die?"

Elizabeth, who had a spoonful of ice-cream in her mouth choked most un lady-like and dropped her spoon.

"Good grief!" exclaimed Rupert, "Must you have so little tact?"

Anne made a shushing motion at her husband with her hand, ignoring him and continuing to wait for an answer from her guest.

"Well, I uhh. It was a terrible accident, you see." Elizabeth looked at Wesley, silently begging him for help but he sent his own plea back that there was no getting out of this.

"Yes, yes, I know. Everyone knows. We just don't know how." Anne said impatiently.

William glanced sympathetically at Elizabeth, he knew how tough his mother could be on some people. "They.. they were.. umm. Killed by.. an enemy of my father's business." Elizabeth said quickly and looked down, tears shining in her eyes.

"Oh, how scandalous!" cried Anne and clapped her hands together excitedly. Anne noticed her husband glaring at her and added, "and very, very terrible."

Elizabeth plonked her napkin on the table and rushed out of the room, and out of the house. She made it to the side of the carriage before she collapsed on the ground and began to sob. She hadn't grieved once for her parents' death outside of her fashion choices, and as much as they filandered around, she still loved them. They were never cruel to her.

Back inside the three adults were argueing amongst each other, Anne's voice rising higher than the two the men were speaking with. William frowned, realised
he wasn't needed to defend her honour as two men were already doing so and ran outside to find his Elizabeth. Well, not his, but he'd like her to be. Someday.
He found her sobbing uncontrollably next to the carriage and he felt his heart ache a little bit. He might be a bit of a git to everyone at school but he never enjoyed seeing a girl cry.

Kneeling down beside her, he attempted to tap into his other, sensitive half of him to try to comfort Elizabeth. Pulling her gently into his arms, he let her cry it out then picked her up carefully, placing her inside the carriage.

Elizabeth tried to protest, but it was rather comforting and she'd rather not have to move at all. She didn't know if she could face talking to anyone right now. She had been so humiliated because of William's mother and didn't think she could ever show her face anywhere ever again. She knew she'd be the talk of the gossip group in no time, if only for a short time and this made her feel quite awful.

William whispered, "We all grieve sometimes, pet." and closed the carriage door. Elizabeth smiled in spite of herself, feeling comforted knowing that boys cry too, and drifted off to sleep while waiting for Wesley.

Wesley found William waiting patiently by the door of the carriage and he smiled gratefully at William. "Thank you, you're not so bad when you're not being a complete bother."

William chuckled and his eyes twinkled mischieviously. "Few people are worth the bother being good to." He said as he jumped away in his usual fashion, disappearing off into the night.

Smiling, Wesley hopped in across from Elizabeth and they drove off back to the comfort of home.





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