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Arm in arm, the blonde duo made their way up to the nightclub's open air balcony, the quiet, dark, secluded venue ideal for narrative which was about to be revealed. On stepping outside, they felt the chilly night breeze hit them immediately. As they made their way to a little corner of the balcony, William removed his jacket to drape around Buffy's shoulders. Standing behind her, he casually wrapped his arms around her waist, shielding her from the cold. Buffy leaned back into his chest. While a significant portion of her felt completely comfortable and comforted by his embrace, the emerging woman in her couldn't help but revel in the, albeit unintentional, intimacy of their position. She sighed in content and closed her eyes. He spoke in a deep, transfixing voice,

‘From the beginning?'

‘Yes Mr. Pratt, from the beginning.'

~

‘England, it would have just turned1975. My father; he died.'

Buffy's eyes opened wide at this. It was the first time she'd heard of his either of his parents; for some reason she'd never really paid them much thought. She placed a hand over his which rested clasped against her abdomen and spoke softly,

‘So young, you were just four.'

He shifted at her touch, finding it soothing as he delved deep into his past and encountered memories which he had worked so hard to stop from resurfacing. He found it easier than he had thought it would be; maybe it was because he was doing it of his own free will. Then again, maybe it was because he was doing it for her.

‘Well, later on I learnt that "died" was just codeword for "ran off with another woman". So that just left the three of us.'

‘Three?'

‘Yeah pet. Me, Mother and big brother; seventeen at the time, never understood the age difference between us. Had an older sister too come think of it, but she'd gone off to work before the old man buggered off. She and I never met,' he scoffed then added, ‘We'd all figured we'd never see her again.'

Buffy turned her head to him and looked up, ‘What were their names? Your brother and sister.'

‘Edward and Rosie. Don't remember much after that though. I turned six and Edward ran off too. Huh. And then there were two. I guess I should have told you before...but this isn't the happiest of stories...sure you want me to keep going luv?'

‘Mm-hm, keep going. Don't stop.'

‘Right...well, she was something, my mother. She was...uh, everything a mother should be. Looked out for me, kept me out of trouble...taught me things- the hard way, but it was always for the best. Always felt that I hadn't done enough to deserve her; she was a nice lady. So it was just the two of us, until I was fifteen. I never expected her to just stay alone, you know? I tried to look after her as best I could, but I was young. There was only so much I could do. But until then, it'd been like a perfect life with just us. Still, I'd always thought she should've had someone who'd look after her like she should have been looked after.'

William looked down at the petite blonde resting in his arms. She deserves someone who'd look after her like she ought to be looked after. He watched as the wind blew a wisp of hair across the exposed skin of her upper chest and took in the contented expression on her delicate features. So trusting. He was shaken from his thoughts when he heard her whisper,

‘Did she find someone?'

‘Lawson, don't even know how they met. He was like how our life had been till he came into it; perfect. On the outside at least. But God he was rough; first rate son of a bitch. Mother never knew the worst of it of course. He hid it completely, just like the smooth bastard he was.'

Leaning against his chest, Buffy felt it immediately when William's heart beat began to race in anger at the thought of this Lawson. She tried subtly to calm him, stroking the skin on the back of his hand with her thumb. For a split second she considered suggesting that he stop, but the pure tension and venom in his voice told her to do otherwise; she'd never heard him like this before. So open. So trusting. He'd stop himself if he felt he was revealing too much, right?

‘Few months later he'd moved in with us. The "perfect partner" neighbours had called him, even I have to agree; he was good to her. He'd always been indifferent with me, until about six months later. He picked me up from school on a Friday I remember. I'd just turned 16 and he told me he'd show me the world. And it was a world. Gangs, drugs, fights, illegal trading of all sorts, women. Everything you could possibly do underground...he showed me.'

‘I don't- I don't understand. When you say he "showed" you, you don't mean...you didn't actually...he didn't make you do those things, did he? Didn't you tell your mother?'

William looked down at Buffy with a small, regretful smile on his lips; he took one hand out from under hers and placed it down again covering hers,

‘I'm sorry luv, I guess this is why I'd never been too keen to tell you all this. Afraid it might...change the way you see me. The things I'd done.'

‘Why would this change anything, Will? It's not like you went out and looked to get involved in these things-‘

At this he turned his head, breaking their shared gaze and spoke softly,

‘The things I would do.'

Neither of them knew how long the pause that followed lasted before William spoke again in a low and unusually dangerous tone,

‘Now, are you sure you want me to keep going?'

Buffy looked out into twinkling, light-decorated skyline before them; she didn't like where this was going, but-

‘Yes.'

~

‘He made me promise not to tell; threatened me, beatings and such. He said he'd do her something horrible if I told anyone. Couldn't let that happen, so I kept my mouth shut. He was a part of an underground ring that organised fights, called themselves The Immortals. These fights, hundreds and thousands of dollars passed through those doors every night of every week. There was so much money. The people who watched them and made the bets, and even the guys who fought, they were involved in drugs, weapons; it was all connected. The fight clubs were just where they hung out together.'

‘You mean like...Brad Pitt Fight Club? I never could picture people doing that in real life.'

Looking down at her again, he chuckled,‘Something like that, just... a bit worse. They did animal fights too; dogs, snakes, cock fights.'

‘Wait, I'm still lost. You said they had money, right? If this guy was so loaded, why did he need to get involved with your family?'

‘Cover story, pet. He was pretty high ranking among The Immortals. The gang had a history, been active for years. From what I learnt, the big seats had been passed down; always to the oldest child; didn't matter if it was girl or boy. Kept it all in the family, that's why they'd called themselves Immortals; been able to keep out of the authorities' mitts for generations. But, being so old, they'd obviously made a name for themselves and gotten more careless as time passed. Police and investigators, they started narrowing in. He didn't have his own family, so it was easy to find another life, a respectable one where he could disguise himself to hide his...nighttime...activities. Mother and I, we were just the perfect double life for him. An abandoned woman for him to rescue...'

Buffy nodded in understanding,‘And a son, who could take his place.'

‘Right. So I went with him; to the fights, met guys from other gangs. He made arrangements with them for me to help out with deals, heists, cover ups. During that time, that's when I became Spike. Made quite the name for myself too...but it was just to protect her. Couple of years passed, and his alter ego started to make a show at home. At first it was just grabbing, pushin' her around. I took him aside, told him he was outta line, to back off. Then the bruises got darker, more obvious. He'd done it as punishment, so I got back at him, all those years hanging round the mobs...they'd changed me.'

A shiver ran through her spine and she grasped one of his hands in a reflex. She bit her bottom lip, trying to calm her breathing. It was fear.

‘I'd learnt things. So I screwed up some of his deals. Gave people different information, told his enemies how to play him over, even roughed up some guys...just to make sure he'd suffer. Round about that time, I find out that he'd got himself some other woman half his age on the side. I figured I'd make her my next target, take her from him. When I saw her, I knew there was something...We were in a club, she saw me first. She came onto me. Christ, we were shameless. I think about the things we would ha-'

William heard his voice crack with emotion and he struggled feeling his breath grow labored. He'd planned just to tell her the vaguest outline, get it all over and done with. But everything was spilling out. This would change everything; she'd never look at him the same way. She'd be disgusted, he just knew it. But at the same time, he felt it was right; telling her these things, like she had a right to know.

‘Will? It's okay. You don't have to- if it's too hard for you to say.'

Suddenly, as if from far away, he heard himself speak, ‘She had this tattoo. It was an ‘R' in that olden day English calligraphy.'

‘R?'

‘Rosie, Buff. My sister.'

~

Buffy felt her throat close,‘Wha- what happened then?'

‘Remember, when you were younger, you always used to ask me how I got the scar on my eyebrow?'

‘Yeah, you told me you were careless with a kitchen knife,' she let out a little chuckle towards the end, ‘I never believed you.'

‘Hmm, well it was partly true. Just not in the way you might think.' Buffy turned to look up at him again, a questioning expression on her features which encouraged him to continue.

‘I-uh...Lawson, a few days after, I took him into one of the backrooms of the fight club. I threatened him. Told him to pack off- to leave my mother and my sister. See, somehow in those years I'd managed to make a reputation for myself among the gangs with carrying out jobs. I'd met all the big heads, got to know them. In that world you can do anything if you've got no enemies. Anyway, I had him against a wall...managed to scar him pretty bad at least, probably would have killed him but we were interrupted. He grabbed the knife and managed to give to me this.'

He paused, unsure of what next to tell her.

‘It wasn't long after that I met your dad. In hospital actually, he was uh...visiting a friend who introduced him to your mum. Huh, hospitals...'

William broke off, suddenly recalling the memory of eighteen years ago when he'd first held Buffy. And here they were, all those years later. She was in his arms again. It was strange, how these things happened. Then he noticed those beautiful emerald eyes looking up at time. He remembered when she'd first opened her eyes as a baby.

Buffy shook his arm gently,‘And then?...Will? William? What about hospitals?'

‘Huh? Oh, sorry pet. Memory lane, you know how it is. Um, well that was when Mother was in hospital. I didn't know why she'd been admitted, but when I arrived at the hospital I saw him. That bastard at her bedside, it was just appearances for him. We kinda roughed it out in the car park after, huh, sent him right back inside to intensive care. But it was when I was visiting Mother, I went every day for three months and during that time was when I got to know your dad. We'd see each other down at the cafeteria, twice a week for two and a half months; and we just started talking. He was only a humble legal clerk back then, but a good man I could tell. About a month in, he told me he'd seen me...that day in the car park. And he told me...he said, he knew it wasn't his business but that I should look after myself. If not for myself, then for Mother. Even when I think about it now, I don't know why I listened to him. It just felt right. I started cleaning up my act...eased out of the fight scene and hadn't seen Lawson for a good few weeks. Everything was on the up.'

As if he'd suddenly caught up with himself, William realised the juncture he had reached in his story and he felt his embrace around Buffy tightening protectively. Good things didn't happen to the women in his story. His mother, Rosie, even Darla. They always ended up hurt or dea- he clenched his jaw. No. He exhaled. He always finished things, he'd finish the story.

‘Then she died. I was lost, no purpose. No reason to look after myself. So I went back to the one thing I knew, it was like I'd never been away. I made more deals and money in those months than I'd done in those first few years all put together. Then one night in a club, he was back. He'd found out about how I'd sabotaged so many of his jobs. We fought, of course. I didn't know she'd been there-she pushed him away, tried to help me stand up. She looked so much like Mother in that moment, Rosie. She said she was sorry. I told her to get to safety, then she fell into my arms. I could feel... on my hands...her bl-he'd slashed at her back. I heard someone yell for an ambulance, they took her from me. Didn't want to let her go, she told me she loved me, she said she was sorry.'

Buffy bit her bottom lip, she could feel the lump building in her throat, tears welling in her eyes. It was all so much. His story had touched her, and he had revealed so much about himself such a small length of time. She was overwhelmed.

‘Next thing I know, you dad's sitting next to my hospital bed. All the mistakes that I realised I've made hurt more than the broken ribs, broken arm... he visits every day, offers me a place to stay. A chance to start ov-'

All of a sudden he felt her small body shake violently in a shudder and he heard her release an uneven breath.

‘Buffy? Are you-'

She dropped her head, her body heaving with a sob. Brow furrowed he reached to turn her face to meet his and caught his breath at her teary eyes. When a single tear spilled onto her cheek he knew he'd never seen anything more beautiful. Buffy felt her lips part as she struggled to breathe normally, she felt her heart race as she caught a glimpse of his tongue dart out to moisten his lips.

Realizing that he'd tenderly brushed away her tears, she repeated his action and gasped when his gaze fell to her lips. The blonde duo felt the tension crackling between them like a bomb seconds from detonating. It exploded and they reach out to taste the forbidden. Buffy was surprised hearing her own gentle moan reach her ears before she realised in pure satisfaction that Will has done the same, his tongue swiping the seam of her lips before brushing against hers. The protective grip he had around her waist pulled at her heart. A burst of flames erupted from the tops of the water towers which lined the river bank before them. Midnight. And as if realizing the great, big boundary lined with neon signs flashing ‘DO NOT CROSS', which they had gone and crossed, they broke apart.

Buffy stepped shakily out his embrace, her hand raised to her mouth in a lustful shock. She quickly went to make her way back inside when she saw William close his eyes and turn away with a look of sadness, confusion and desire on his handsome features. Turning back to him, she called to him quietly but clearly,

‘Will?'

He jumped at this but turned anxious to see her reaction.

‘Happy Birthday.'

~

to be continued...





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