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Author's Chapter Notes:
while i was writing this one up i suddenly had this feeling that this story is perhaps going to be significantly longer than i had planned. so i hope you're all up for a hopefully exhilarating ride of spuffyness :)
i also wanted to say thanks for the comments i've received so far! they mean a lot :) p. xx
‘Here you go, best wishes, Will. From me and Buffy.’

Liam placed his birthday presents on the table next to the humongous plate of pancakes. William’s eyes grew wide at the four packages before him,

‘Um Liam…you do remember me telling you not to get me anything right?’

‘Ah! You know me, tend not to listen to the ridiculous things people say. Besides, you’ve done so much for us this past year, helping out with Buffy and everything. And I should probably go and wake her up…it’s pretty much lunchtime.’

‘Oh leave her for a while longer, stuck my head in an hour ago, she’s out cold. But thanks man. You really didn’t have to.’

‘Yeah, well, birthday shopping with that girl’s a nightmare; to be avoided at all costs. Anyway, you should go ahead and open those three. Probably best to leave that one so that you can open it with her; I’m sure she’d want that.’

William sat staring ahead at his best friend, a dozen thoughts whirling through his guilt-ridden mind. Once again he was faced with Liam’s generosity, granted he’d keep his kiss with Buffy within his trove of inner most secrets, but the least he could do was tell him that he’d revealed his story to his daughter. The story they had agreed to tell her together almost 15 years ago.

Liam put a forkful of pancake and berries into his mouth,

‘Go ahead, open them!’

He reached for the card which balanced precariously on the pyramid of presents, recognising Buffy’s bubbly cursive.



To the bestest, most dearest and fake-blondest William in the whole wide world,

Happy Happy Birthday!

Thank you so much for helping me out with school and everything this year; I'll owe you forever! Dad and I both hope that you'll have a fantabulous and excitement filled birthday and that you'll enjoy your presents!

Love you lots, Buffy & Liam xoxo.


He gave Liam a smile as he placed her card to one side and pulled the nearest parcel to him. Removing the wrapping paper he let out a laugh as a box of hair bleach revealed itself and he ran a hand through his chemically induced blonde curls with growing dark roots.

‘You know Buffy when it comes to appearances!’ Liam chuckled when he lifted a cup of coffee to his lips and indicated to the pile of presents, ‘You’ll love the one under that.’

Opening the wrapping, William instantly recognised the glaring font which covered the box which encased his next present.

‘Passions: Complete Seasons. Aw man, you know me too well.’

‘Now with that next small one…we’re not encouraging you or anything. But we both now how you like to play around with it when you’re bored.’

With a look of confusion and curiosity William retrieved a velvet box from the gift bag, opening it to reveal a slick, silver Zippo lighter. Smile spreading across his face, he ran the tip of his finger across the delicate engraving which read,

Pratt of the Summers.

Looking up at Liam, the two friends let out a burst of laughter sharing their little family joke; a steady thumping down the stairs alerting them to Buffy’s approach. Walking somewhat unstably she pushed her wavy locks from her face and crossed her arms, pout in full force.

‘Buffy.’

‘As if you opened them without me!’

‘Afternoon to you too princess, don’t worry, we left the most important one.’

Liam offered his arms towards his daughter who sat herself down in his lap, snuggling up to her father much like she had in the early hours of the morning. Trying to hold back a yawn she said quietly,

‘I’ll have it you don’t want it.’

That in mind, William picked up the widest and largest of all his gifts. He felt a raised ridge along the sides. His lips parted in utter pleasant surprise at the picture which lay beneath the wrapping paper and a protective sheet of glass.

‘Where did you find this?’

In the photo, a younger William lay napping on the Summers’ living room couch, resting against his chest, a ten-year old Buffy. One of his hands rested protectively on her back, she hugged his other arm, a contented smile playing across her features. A soft beam of sunlight filtered through the curtain behind them, adding a warm glow to the captured scene.

‘I was just going through this box of stuff when I found all these old negatives. They’re heaps more, but this was my favourite so I went and got it printed. I did extra touch ups and everything!’ she added with a proud but tired grin.

‘I love it, pet. Thank you.’

Feeling his brotherly instincts take over, he offered his arms to her. He and Liam shared a smile of mutual understanding as he stroked Buffy’s hair and hugged her. When she heard her father rise from the table and head to the kitchen, she turned in William’s arms and looked down at the photograph on the table. Then, more to herself than to the man whose lap she occupied she whispered,

‘I wish things could be that simple again.’

~

Standing side by side in the kitchen, the two men prepared a simple meal which would be William’s birthday dinner. Exhausted from the frivolities of the previous night, they prepared the ingredients in a companionable silence until they were shaken by splash which signaled Buffy’s dive into the pool. Watching her through the kitchen window, he thought for a moment before turning to Liam and clearing his throat,

‘I uh…had a talk with Buffy last night.’

‘Oh yeah, I saw you. Just before midnight I saw you both outside.’

Midnight? Startled and fearful that their moment had been observed, William tried to hide his shock, failing to hear that Liam had continued talking.

‘So what did you talk about? Will?’

‘Well, I told her…I told her…about me. My story, I’m sorry I know that we’d agreed to tell her together. But she just brought it up and she got kind of…angry that I wouldn’t say anything. So I…told her…?’

Expression openly displaying his concern, William quickly relaxed when Liam simply shrugged and went back to violently stuffing a chicken, a smile playing on his lips.

‘Nah, don’t be sorry, I knew that agreement’d never hold up. Not with Buffy being…as persuasive as she is. She’d waited long enough anyhow. How’d you explain it all at the end? How’d she react?’


At the end we kind of made out then she walked away like nothing had happened.


‘It upset her…she cried a bit. But I’d explained my situation to her and everything. Actually she took it all pretty well.’


‘Yeah, that’s Buffy alright, always the adult…but the little girl at the same time. It’s pretty impressive. You know, when she was two years old, three…I always used to think about her being a teenager and having pimply hormone-controlled boyfriends and all those types of dramas. And then I’d have nightmares about having to give her the talk about the ‘birds and the bees’ you know? But she’s so…independent. Detached almost, sometimes I wonder if Darla was stil—if she’d be the same. I’m worried university’ll take her further away from me.’

‘She chose UCLA didn’t she? She loves it here at home with you more than you know. And you know how much she wanted to go over to New York. There’s a lot in her that you should be so proud of…’

He trailed off, mesmerized as he watched Buffy climb out of the pool, her body gracefully folded over as she bent to retrieve her towel. His gaze followed the rivets of water droplets which travelled down her neck, chest and in the dip of her navel before vanishing in the waistband of the bottom piece of her bikini. Gulping, he turned from the window and went to take a large mouthful of his drink.

One minute he looked at her like his baby sister and the next she was his baby…baby. God he was lost.

~

to be continued...





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