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“You did what?” Joyce asked, hands on her hips and looking at Buffy in disbelief.

Buffy flinched. “I nearly attacked—“

Joyce waved her hand, “I heard you the first time. What the hell were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t?”

“Obviously not. Do you know the trouble you could have gotten into if you’d hit her? Do you realize the sceneyou made?”

Buffy’s bottom lip quivered and her eyes welled up in tears. “I’m sorry! I know it wasn’t the brightest of moves, but Daddy . . . “ she broke off, crying her heart out.

Joyce gathered her in her arms in the next instant. “Honey, it’s okay. We’re all under stress. Did you get any sleep at all?”

Buffy pulled back, wiping at her eyes. “You mean last night?”

Joyce nodded.

“Some, not really.”

“Even with William here?”

Buffy started at that, her eyes widening. “Mom, I – we—didn’t – “

“Buffy,” Joyce said calmly, placing a gentle hand on her daughter’s arm. “It’s okay. I’ve known for a while so finding out was not a big surprise for me.”

“How did you--?” Buffy asked curiously, cocking her head to the side.

Joyce shrugged and grinned secretively, “A mother knows these things.”

“Did Dad call you and tell you anything yesterday? God, it was just yesterday? I feel like I’ve lived a week in twenty four hours.”

“No, honey, he didn’t. He probably knew I’d support your relationship with William and didn’t want to hear it from me. In fact, I’d mentioned it in passing once, as a joke really, and he’d balked at the idea.”

“Mom, why does he hate the idea so much?”

Joyce sighed and perched herself on the arm of the couch. “You’re his little girl. He hates the idea of you growing up so fast. Hates the idea that anything could get in the way of you becoming the powerful attorney he wants you to be and well, the age difference I know must irk him. I admit it irked me a bit at first. But I know William well enough to know he’s a good man that wouldn’t hurt you for anything. I can see it in him, Buffy. He adores you.”

Buffy bit her lip and looked down at the ground, fidgeting slightly, “Yeah, well.”

“Don’t let what happened to your father stop you from being with William, Buffy. It wasn’t your fault.”

“I should have told him,” Buffy said in a small voice. “I should have told him. Eased him into it somehow. He shouldn’t have had to find out the way he did.”

“And you believe it was this Drusilla woman that sent him the pictures?”

Buffy nodded adamantly. “Yes. She has more than just the crush Dad thinks she has. She’s obsessed with him. She tries to make me look bad at every turn, she’s hated me from day one. She would spit shine William’s shoes if he wanted. She’s . . . pathetic. Then there’s Harmony. Yesterday when I arrived at the office she asked how my weekend was.”

Joyce gave her a funny look. “And that’s odd?”

“Yes, coming from Harmony it’s odd. She only pays enough attention to me to look at me as if I’m a walking disease and it was the way she asked. She had this knowing smile as if she knew something. I immediately thought something was up and that she knew about William and I. That maybe she’d seen us or knew we were together. And she’s the only one besides William that Drusilla will talk to. Nicely.”

“Then how do you know it wasn’t Harmony?”

Buffy shook her head, “She has nothing to gain from it. Drusilla has my reputation to ruin and Dad laying down the law on us seeing each other to gain from it. She has getting William all to herself to gain from sending Dad those pictures.”

“Honey, how do you think William is going to get Drusilla to admit what she did? I mean, if what you say is true and Dru is in fact obsessed with William, wouldn’t she do anything to hold on to him?”

“Yes, but, Drusilla is so thoroughly against upsetting William in any way. She’d rather jump out a building than do wrong by William. Her jealousy over my involvement with William drove her to have us followed, but I’m counting on her obsessive need to please William to make her admit what she did.”

“That’s counting on a lot, Buffy. Perhaps we should count our blessings that your father is out of the woods and focus on keeping him there instead of starting war. I do think William should by all means fire her, but a settlement and a lawsuit, I just don’t know,” Joyce shook her head. “There’s enough to worry about with your father’s health.”

Buffy shook her head. “No. She set out to ruin lives and Dad got caught in it—“

“Buffy, a heart attack could have happened at any time.”

“I don’t care,” Buffy said firmly.

Joyce sighed. “You’re as stubborn as your father, you know that?”

Buffy smiled then, a real genuine smile. It’d felt so long since she’d done that. “Thank you.”

Joyce laughed, “I should have known you’d take that as a compliment.”

Buffy smiled and shrugged. “So much of me is just like him. No wonder he and I can argue so well.”

Joyce nodded, “And you still will too. The important thing is to make sure from here on out you still let each other know that you love each other now and again.”

Buffy’s eyes welled up in tears again and the thought passed through her mind that she was an emotional wreck. “When I was in the ambulance with him, I kept telling him I loved him. I was so afraid he would . . . and not know.”

“He knows, honey. He does. But it goes to show you how important it is to let your loved ones know you love them, isn’t it?”

Buffy nodded, “Absolutely right. And speaking of loved ones, shouldn’t we go see Dad now?”

Joyce watched her for a minute and Buffy said “Mom?”

Joyce nodded, “Yes, you’re right. Didn’t William mention he wanted to come?”

Buffy nodded as she went to grab her jacket, “Yeah, we can call him from the car.”

******************************************************

“You ever just feel like you’ve been hit by a bus?” Buffy asked William as they walked together to the cafeteria, leaving Joyce and Hank to some time alone.

William reached out and grabbed her hands, entwining his fingers with hers and kissing the back of her hand. “I think I’m familiar with that emotion.”

“You had a nap though, didn’t you?”

He grinned, “I did.”

“I might not be going to class again tomorrow,” she sighed and pulled her hand out of his grasp as they entered the cafeteria. Heading for the refreshments, she spoke to him over her shoulder. “So, um, I wanted to ask . . . “

“If you can come home with me?” he said hopefully, yet in a teasing manner. “And sleep in my bed?”

She laughed airily, “Angel and Wesley . . . they’re not um, upset with you for . . . us?”

William shook his head and grabbed a plastic creamer and handed it to Buffy. “Not upset. Angel was actually quite oblivious, but Wesley said he knew the whole time. ”

“So did my mother apparently.” She blushed as she poured in the cream and grabbed two Splenda’s, tearing them open and pouring them in. “We should have been more careful. Though I guess after today if he hadn’t known, my outburst would have clued him in.”

“No, if he didn’t know, then Hank’s heart attack would have tipped him off.”

Buffy flinched at that and nodded. “Yeah, everyone knows now huh?”

“Do you care?” he asked huskily and leaned in, nibbling lightly on her ear. “The important players know now.”

“I guess I only care at this point if it’s hurt your career in any way.”

His eyes lit up in awe and kissed her hard and quick. “No, it hasn’t, but thanks for caring.”

“What can I say? I’m a giver,” and she giggled.

“So will you come home with me tonight?”

“Will, I’m really tired—“

“Buffy,” he said sternly, “I just want to hold you. I don’t want anything from you than just to have you next to me in my bed.” His tone softened, “You comfort me, you help me sleep.”

She laughed lightly, “You have serious problems if you think I’m comforting. I’m a train wreck,” and she moved around him, heading back to her father.

William watched her go, wondering if he was imagining it or if she was slowly slipping through his fingers.





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