Since it was summer time, and since Spike had finished college he pretty much stayed with Buffy all summer. He had things to do in the fall but that seemed like light years away.
His friends understood and was so happy to see him finally happy.
Before they left, Spike had assured them that Drusilla was away in Prague all summer and wouldn’t even realized his absence. That also meant that nothing could be done about her one way or another.
So Spike had settled into a nice relationship with Buffy. With Buffy working lesser hours, they got to go for walks in the parks, went to see the special community movie shown on the wall in the high school, got to go to parties and dances and anything else they could. A local bowling alley had opened up the last month he was there and Buffy and Spike had joined a league and got really good at bowling spending every other day there having fun.
Buffy was in heaven while Spike worried about what would happen in 2 weeks when he had to go back to Sunnydale.
Buffy didn’t seem to think about that at all and seemed to talk as though they would be together forever. She hummed as she worked, she danced as she walked, she dreamed in the quiet and planned in the noise. She was so in love and things were perfect.
William loved her too and it showed. He showered her with presents and made love to her every night no fail. He took her to every special place he could and made love to her everywhere.
People thought they were the best in love couple they have ever seen and called them The Love Duo. Things were great but soon Xander and Daniel showed up at the diner.
Buffy took their order and William slid in next to Daniel to talk to them both.
She couldn’t help over hearing part of the conversation as she wiped the tables. All she was able to hear was Xander saying, “What will you do when you have to return to Sunnydale in a few weeks. You have to be there when it is set up to open. It’s important!”
She heard William mutter a reply and then heard Daniel answer, “Have you told her yet?”
She heard silence and then saw William shake his head and answer, “Well I’ll just have to break up with her and she’ll have to understand. We are two different people with two different goals. I’m a college graduate now. Have to be serious about my future. Can’t be giving her presents every other day that she will never appreciate now can I?”
Buffy ran into the kitchen not hearing the next statement that Spike made, “Besides I love Buffy now, Drusilla will just have to understand that.” Both guys nodded their heads while Buffy planned her get away.
Based on what Spike had said, he would be leaving in two days to return back to Sunnydale but would return over the holidays if not sooner to see her.
He apologized he didn’t tell her before but he said he couldn’t bring himself to do so since they were having such a great time and didn’t want her to feel bad or hurt while they were spending as much time as possible together.
Buffy’s heart was broken but she would be strong for William’s sake.
William kissed her goodbye and gave her his cell phone number telling her to call it tonight so he could tell her he got home okay.
After Buffy promised she would knowing she wouldn’t, she watched him get into his car with his friends and Xander drove him away and out of her life for good.
Buffy gave Cassie her two weeks notice lying to the girl and saying she was moving in with William to LA.
Cassie assured her two weeks was not necessary and since she was so excited for her and instead of two weeks, Buffy got her stuff together and pretended to be happy that she was leaving.
In reality, she was crushed and heart broken. She had returned to crying herself to bed every night and barely even smiling at the diner.
Her friends noticed it but they figured she was on the phone with William all the time and was busy making plans for a wedding and a place to live. Little did they know she was falling apart inside.
In under two days, the day came for Buffy to leave Smile Town.
As the taxi she had called drove her out of town, she blew a kiss to the town whispering softly so the driver wouldn’t hear, “You gave me what I needed and even what I didn’t. I can’t stay anymore but I’m thankful for the time we had together.”
It was as much to William as it had been for Smile Town.
She just couldn’t take living in a town where everything reminded her of William so she had decided to head back to L.A. and try her luck there again.
Being 19, she would have better luck finding a job this time around that was respectable and after having Cassie for a reference as well as a few other peoples’ numbers in that town, she was sure her references would be high and with 4 years experience under her belt, things would go better. She was sure of it.
After staying in a hotel for a week, things looked bad. She had been searching and searching for a job but finding none. Her money was getting lower and her heart was heavy and she was half starving herself only eating one meal a day if she was lucky. Something had to change.
That day she bumped into someone she thought would change her life forever.
She looked up at the guy and noticed he had gentle brown eyes and an angelic face. She said, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
The man said, “No I’m sorry. Where are you headed? Can I get you something? It’s the least I can do for almost running you over.”
Buffy shrugged and said, “I’m just heading back to the hotel. You can get me a drink if you want in the bar on the lower floor.”
The man followed Buffy into the little hotel and wasn’t impressed. He shook his head taking her elbow and said, “You are staying here?’
Buffy nodded, “I was looking for a job and a place to stay but I haven’t had any luck. Everyone else is doing the same I guess.”
The man said, “I’m Angel and I run a club down the end of the street. Nothing fancy but a nice dance club. I’m looking for a bartender. Can you handle it?”
Buffy thought for a minute trying to remember her limited experience and said, “I can try. I need to be shown the heavy drinks. I can do the normal ones. I worked as a waitress and had to pull the easier drinks. The one using hard liquor I couldn’t.”
Angel nodded and said, “Get your stuff, check out of this dump and meet me here.” He handed her his card, “You can stay with me until we find you a place. I have a second bedroom.” Buffy nodded very grateful and did just as he told her.