Buffy awoke to find William still fast asleep beside her. His arm was wrapped possessively around her waist and his face was buried in the crook of her neck. She rolled on to her side carefully so she wouldn’t wake him and then she nearly kissed him. It was such a natural gesture that her lips were only millimeters from his when she realized what she was about to do and pulled back. She stared at him, shocked by what she had almost done. He’d just looked so sweet with his hair messy and his shirt half-undone. The thought that she could lose even the memory of him tore at her heart. She leaned down, pressed a kiss to his forehead and got out of bed.
Twenty minutes later, wearing a fresh dress and a headband, she stood in the library and called out to Willow. Her cheeks flushed when she found her. “I need to talk to Aphrodite.”
Willow’s eyes widened almost comically. “No.” She shook her head. “That’s a big no. Does William know you are saying things like that?”
“I know you could help me do it, Willow. If you wanted to, you could do it.”
“I don’t know what you’ve been hearing, but I’m just a nanny with an overgrown charge.”
“Right. But you could tell me how to talk to her.”
Willow turned and started to walk away. “You don’t even know what you’re asking, Buffy.”
Buffy reached out and grasped her shoulder. “Please. Please. It’s the only chance I’ve got. You’re the only one who could help me.”
The redhead turned slowly and studied her. “Help you get what…exactly?”
“Him. William.”
She shook her head. “You already have him. He’s loved you since the moment he saw you sleeping off the spell Angelus cast when he brought you here.”
“I know.” She nodded. “But I can’t have him yet. Love shouldn’t bring this much pain to others. It should be celebrated, but none of my people will get to do that. Please, Willow. Tell me how to talk to Aphrodite.” Buffy could see her wavering. She pressed forward. “I know you want him to be happy. You have to know that I want that to. I love him. I love him more than I thought anyone could ever love anything. Help me.”
Willow sighed and nodded. “It’s dangerous. She can do anything she wants, Buffy. You have to understand that fairness is not scale that she is concerned with.”
Buffy nodded and hugged her impulsively. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
“Buffy!” Willow’s face was serious.
“I understand, Willow. Really I do.”
She shook her head. “You couldn’t possibly. Come on. We have work to do.”
Willow spoke for an hour, hurriedly explaining history and etiquette and offering the few tidbits of advice she had. “I know that times have changed. Gods are a distant concept for you. You need to get past that. Now. You need to understand that the only way in which a god or goddess is perfect is that they are. It’s that simple. Whatever She says is right. If She refuses to speak with you it’s because you aren’t worthy. If She does speak with you then you are still not worthy but She is kind. Most importantly, She has already given you an inconceivable gift. Love Her for it. I’m not telling you to pretend to love Her, you understand? I’m telling you to love Her.”
When she couldn’t think of anything else to say, she collected candles and took Buffy to Aphrodite’s lower temple. She begged her one last time to reconsider and then hugged her. “Please be careful. Know that everything you say and do will reflect on William as you are his.”
Buffy nodded, lit the candles and prayed to a goddess she’d thought myth only days earlier. Within moments she found herself in cool and expansive space. She dropped to her knees as Willow had instructed and placed her forehead on the floor. She tried to shake the feelings of injustice and even foolishness that swept through her. William was well worth a little embarrassment. Her clothes had changed and though the feel of it was startling, she wasn’t surprised. Willow had explained that she could easily be expected to make her case without any clothing at all. She glanced at the toga she was wearing and considered herself lucky.
She heard footsteps, knew someone else was in the room and struggled to hold her tongue. Willow had made it clear that she couldn’t talk unless she was invited to.
Aphrodite made her wait a while. Finally she sat on a large chaise in the center of the room. “I suppose you sought an audience in order to thank me for the gift I’ve given you.”
Buffy nodded. “Yes. It is a wonderful gift.” She blushed and stammered out, “goddess,” a few seconds later.
“Love is the highest honor, don’t you agree?”
“Yes, I do. Love is…love is why I must ask you for a favor, goddess.”
Aphrodite’s voice was cold. “You seek a favor?”
“Yes, goddess.”
“Do you not think I have already given you a greater gift than you deserve?”
“I do, goddess. I think exactly that. I only seek to become worthy of the gift you offer.”
“Stand up.”
Buffy rose slowly and smiled at the beautiful woman sitting in front of her. She gasped slightly as Aphrodite stood up and began to pace, her long one shouldered gown flowing around her like water, her hair falling in honey colored waves that nearly met the floor.
She looked at her with a single brow arched. “You are very bold, girl. Surely you were told not to study me with your eyes in such a fashion.”
Buffy blushed and lowered her eyes. “I’m sorry, goddess. I am still not used to all of this.”
“Do you enjoy looking at me?”
“You’re beautiful.”
“Simply beautiful?” Aphrodite stopped in front of her and lifted her chin.
Buffy frowned. “Is there a better word?”
The goddess laughed. “I cannot decide yet if I like you. Tell me about this favor you seek.”
“I want to go to William with a free heart. I need to know that the people who love me at home won’t suffer because I’m gone. Could you do that? Could you make them know that I am safe and happy so that they can be happy too?”
Aphrodite scowled. “I am a goddess, child. If I wish that to be true it will be.”
“Please, goddess.”
“I have already given you a gift. I won’t simply hand you another. Tell me what you offer in exchange for what you ask.”
Buffy shrugged. “I have no idea what I can offer that would be worthy of a goddess or of the great thing I ask.”
“Well that’s true enough.” Aphrodite studied her carefully. “You’re rather pretty, aren’t you?”
“If you say so.”
The goddess groaned. “I despise false modesty and true modesty is even worse. You’re pretty and you must know it.”
“Yes.”
“Would you give it up?”
Buffy shivered at her cool tone. “I don’t understand.”
“I wouldn’t make you repulsive, just…plain. Will you accept those terms for the favor you seek?”
“Yes.” She didn’t hesitate although her stomach churned at the thought. She couldn’t help but wonder if William would be disappointed. He’d told her that he could have loved someone who wasn’t pretty, but would he end up wishing for the girl she’d been when they’d met. She squared her shoulders and pushed away the terrifying thought. William was too good for her lack of faith.
Aphrodite’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re certain? You didn’t even need to consider the suggestion?”
Buffy nodded. “It’s a small thing to give for what I’d get in return.”
“You understand that he will still be beautiful and surrounded always by others who are?”
“I do.”
The goddess laughed. “I assume you’ve seen him undressed.”
Blushing, Buffy nodded. “I have.”
Aphrodite grinned. “That was my contribution.”
Buffy’s mouth open and closed twice. “Nice contribution.”
“You accept my terms.”
“Yes.”
“Good. Now I know that you deserve him. I’ll not take your looks because he deserves to have something pretty to care for. Instead, I have a task for you.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
This one should be a new one for everyone. Let me know what you think. :)