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William sat staring out his office window the next morning, mulling over his conversation with Buffy the night before.

He felt like a bloody git for having scared her off the way he did. He shook his head, and here he thought he'd tamed his 'intensity'. Ha! Well, he justified, he'd always been an intense sort of man. Though, he understood where she was coming from. He remembered the first time he'd fallen in love. It was fast and knocked him clear on his ass. He remembered being scared - mostly of losing Isabel -but he'd charged ahead. The way he did with everything.

He also knew that what he felt for Buffy far surpassed when he'd felt for Isabel, his first love. Buffy was the One. He'd been drawn to her like no other and he knew it was by her side he was meant to be.

He just had to make sure she got that; felt the same way about him. But he couldn't make her feel that way. He had to do what he promised to do last night. Give her time.

Even if he was more afraid than ever to lose her. He just had to keep on his promise not to smother her. To give her time. After all good things come to those who wait and he had waited a long time for Buffy to come in his life and now he just had to wait for her to stay there. He'd meant it when he said he wanted her forever. Forever and beyond.

He knew loving someone so young was dangerous. Most women her age didn't have the maturity or presence of mind to handle a very adult relationship of the caliber he planned to engage in with Buffy. His girl was rare, however. She had maturity that most her age didn't and she had presence of mind - even if she currently felt she was lacking in it. So he'd give her the time she needed, for if that was what she needed to make sure that he was it for the rest of her life, then so be it.

"May I speak with you?"

He spun in his chair and was surprised to see Drusilla standing there, dressed all in black, her hair pulled tight in a bun and looking as demure as anything. She looked . . . pinched tight, it was the only way to describe how prim and proper she appeared. She was staring at the floor.

"You called out," William said in way of greeting and sat in his chair, unmoving and expressionless.

"I did," she said, still looking down.

"And yet here you are."

She looked up at him, "May I close the door and speak with you in private William?"

She was devoid of makeup and looking extremely pale. He nodded and sat back, wondering what she was up to.

As soon as the door was open, she was across the room and kneeling before him, balling her eyes out and placing her head in his lap. He was too stunned to move and simply stared down at her whilst trying to close his legs.

"Forgive me, please, forgive me," she begged on a sob. She looked up at him, "I never meant to hurt you William."

He stared at her, stunned. "I - "

"She's not good for you William. She's poison. She'll break your heart and leave you cold and alone-"

"Drusilla-"

"I wouldn't leave you William. I'd make you happy. I'd do anything to keep you happy and successful. I adore you William, I do-" She reached up to him, trying to bring his face down to hers to kiss him.

Gripping her arms, he stopped her. "Get a hold of yourself, girl," he commanded her. He stood up quickly, nearly knocking her to the ground with his abrupt movements and she stared up at him, her hair falling out of her bun, her long black skirt up around her thighs and her shirt askew. Apparently she'd worn mascara because it was smudged and running as tears coursed down her cheeks.

"I love you, William. I've loved you for years. . . for so long I've waited for you. And her. . . that vile girl stole you from me! Don't you see? She's put a spell on you. She's turned you against me. Weren't we happy, William?"

He stared down at her, "What? What are you talking about? Happy? We were never together Dru."

"But we were happy here . . . weren't we? I kept waiting and waiting for you. I knew you'd come around eventually. I knew one day you'd see we were meant to be and then-" she took on a look of disgust, "-that girl came between us."

William shook his head, "There was never going to be an us, Drusilla." He actually felt sorry for her. She was always so together, so perfectly coiffed and her work so meticulously done. She never missed a step and William knew he had struck gold when he'd hired her as his secretary, but he had no idea what lie underneath that together exterior.

She was nuts!

"Get up off the floor, Dru," William told her abruptly.

Wide-eyed, Dru did as she was told.

"Tell me, I want to hear it. What did you do exactly?"

Drusilla gulped as tears ran down her cheeks unchecked. "I want you to know that I'm only sorry because I know what Mr. Summers means to you and I am not sorry for her."

William's jaw clenched and his hands balled into fists. Her apparent hatred for Buffy and her inability to understand and have compassion for the man Buffy called Dad was unforgivable. The desire to lash out at her was tempting, but he knew he could not.

"I had you followed. I knew you were with her. I heard you and," she wrinkled her nose, "I could smell you on her. And her on you. It was disgusting." Her eyes narrowed at him. "All that sickening display of affection between you two. The way you smiled at her. You should have been smiling at me that way. I sent the pictures to Mr. Summers betting on the idea that he didn't know what his precious little girl was doing," she said on a sneer at the end.

"So that, what? He'd make her-an adult - stop seeing me?"

Dru looked at him petulantly. "Yes. And ruin her reputation, make Wesley fire her."

"Make us fight?"

She met his eyes and said seriously, "Yes."

"It didn't work." And, he thought, you don't need to know that we're on a break. Buffy's still my girl and I'm still her man.

Dru's bravado sagged, "I know. You defended her."

William's eyes bore into her. "And I always will. I love her Drusilla."

Her eyes shut from the pain of that statement and a salty tear escaped. A sob sounded that William could tell she'd tried to contain, but to no avail. She shook her head, "She's got you under a spell."

"She wants to sue you, Drusilla."

"Let her try, she won't get anything out of me."

"You think so? Her father had a heart attack soon after those pictures were in his possession. Some might point fingers and blame you."

"Ha! More like her for lying to her father."

"Maybe we could work something out, keep it from getting nasty. I'm sure a lot would side with Buffy and myself - and especially the heart attack victim-"

Her eyes narrowed, "Do you really think she has a case?"

"You always thought I was a brilliant attorney Dru, what do you think?" he asked with a smirk.

"You'd betray the woman that has been beside you through everything for just a snotty brat that will warm your bed for a little while until she gets bored and moves on? You'd do that?"

He met her eyes and said firmly, "Yes."

She shook her head, "You're lost to me."

"You never had me to lose Drusilla," Will said on sigh.

"I would have had she not come around."

"No, Dru. What I feel for you-" he stopped at the now hopeful look in her eyes. "Is professional. I am grateful for the work you've done for me, but it ends there Drusilla. I don't know how else to tell you that I do not love you, nor will I ever love you." His voice deepened as he told her, almost sternly, "And if you love me, you will stop this vendetta you have against Buffy. You will leave her alone, you will leave me alone, and you will leave her family alone. Do you understand me?"

Her eyes welled up in tears again, but she raised her head high even as her bottom lip quivered, "Yes."

"Thank you."

"But I won't allow her to sue me-or you William. I will fight back. Do you understand me?"

William understood all too well. She was, after all, a woman scorned now. She would fight back and honestly, he would only have done it if Buffy had been adamant about pursuing a lawsuit against her. And, Buffy might have won, but the time and the stress wouldn't have been worth it in the long run. It would have just been Dru, Dru, and more Dru and at that point all William wanted was for the woman to be out of their lives once and for all. Having her around, no matter what the capacity, would only be problematic for them all. Best to have her leave with her tail between her legs with the promise to let them be. Dru knew now she'd never penetrate through to him, never get him to leave Buffy and never have him for herself. He always thought himself good at reading people and he could read it in her eyes now, the finality in them. The defeat. She would go and it would be done.

The offer of a Settlement was more for retribution for Buffy and Hank than anything else. He'd take the time to explain to Buffy that she would have fought back with all she had and it wouldn't have been pretty for either side and the last thing any of them needed right now was more stress.

"Yes. Collect your things and go. You have a half an hour. Don't come back again. Don't come near me, Buffy or her family again."

"I heard you the first time," and she stalked off to her office. Just for good measure, William called up security to make sure she left within the half. Settling down in his chair after, feeling completely drained, he rubbed his face with his hands and ached to hold Buffy in his arms. He needed to hold onto his Golden Girl and just bask in her radiance. She was a drug and he was in need of his fix.
**********************************************************
William's head jerked up at the sound of a soft knock on his door. Relief flooded him at the sight of Buffy standing there, smiling faintly at him.

"Hey," she greeted him and cocked her head to the side, "You okay?"

"I'm . . . worn out today," he admitted.

She worried her bottom lip with her teeth, "Me?"

"No, Princess, you're the best thing in any day. Can you come in and close the door?"

She nodded and shut the door, stepping fully in the room. He couldn't help himself, he had to have her in his arms and in the few strides it took to cross the room, she was.

"What happened today, William?" she asked softly, running her hands down his back in a comforting gesture.

"Drusilla."

She froze in his arms. "What did she do?"

"She's crazy, did you know that?"

Buffy laughed and he pulled back to see that brilliant smile of hers light up the room. "Yeah, I'm aware," she told him. "What happened?"

"Sit with me," he told her huskily and pulled her with him to his chair, settling down on it and pulling her on his lap.

Her eyebrows knit. "Should I be worried?"

"No," he shook his head, "She'll be leaving us be."

"And the Settlement?"

"I'm sorry, Princess. I can't make that happen."

"No, you can make it happen, you just don't want to," she said stiffly.

"You're right, I don't. I don't because she'll fight back and we all want to move on from this, don't we? The last thing we need is more stress, Buffy. Think of your Dad here."

She pursed her lips together, "All right. Tell me what happened."

He told her everything from when she came in to when she was screaming at the security guards that escorted her out. Buffy sat and listened - her eyes would widen at some areas and she'd make like a guppy at others.

"Wow," she breathed when he'd finished.

"So you see? It's best to keep her crazy self away from us."

Buffy nodded slowly, "I see that, but I just . . . "

"Wanted retribution?"

"Yes. Does that make me a bad person?"

"No, luv. Makes you human."

She nodded again, thoughtfully.

"What did Wesley have to say?"

"That he doesn't want me to leave."

"Does that mean?"

"I'm going to talk with my Dad first," she said firmly. "I kind of really want to stay and work with Wesley. I've learned a lot from him."

"I want you to stay too," William murmured and nuzzled her neck.

She giggled, "You're tickling me."

He chuckled. "Sorry."

"He's an observant one that Wesley, isn't he?" Buffy said suddenly. "To have us figured out."

William grinned, "He seems so obtuse sometimes, doesn't he?"

"They're always the ones!"

William laughed, "Yes, they are. How's school?"

Buffy wrinkled her nose, "Almost caught up. Just have a paper due at the end of this week I forgot about. I'm going to the library tonight to have Willow help me with it."

William sighed, "So no dinner then huh?"

She looked at him, "I'm sorry Will."

He shook his head, "Don't be. Your studies come first."

She leaned in and kissed him softly, and much too quickly for his liking. "Thank you." She slid off his lap and he let out a moan of protest. "Sorry. I've gots to go. I'm meeting Willow in twenty. I'll see you later, okay?"

"When?"

She gave him a look, "I don't know. I'll call you."

He sighed, "Okay. I'll wait."

"Thank you Will."

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

Buffy didn’t like whiskey. She wasn’t sure how in the hell William could drink it like water. It burned a trail to her stomach and sat there. It did warm her belly though, which was nice considering how cold she was as she, Willow, Anya, and Anya’s cousin Faith Evans trooped through Boston finding places to hang out at for a bit before moving on again.

Faith took the nip from Buffy and grinned. “Not your thing B?”

Buffy shook her head, “How about the Peppermint Schnapps? I liked that.”

Faith reached in her jean jacket pocket and handed the flask she carried there to her.

“Thanks!” Buffy chirped and took two sips. She didn’t feel the chill in the air so much as a particular prickly wind grazed through them. “Liquid sweater,” she muttered to the flask and when Faith looked back at her and smiled, Buffy beamed.

She had to admit, she was having fun on her Friday night. And she hadn’t thought she would at the start of it. For one thing, she’d been a little nervous to meet Anya again. . For no particular reason other than she was always a little shy at first, and from the way she’d bailed on them that fateful night she’d met up with William at Envy. And that’s where they’d started the evening; at Envy. Anya had brought her cousin, Faith, to join them and at first Buffy hadn’t been sure she was going to like the wild, fly- by- the- seat- of- her- pants girl. Buffy was used to a certain level of decorum and . . . containment. Faith was all about letting it all hang out.

It was what, Buffy decided; she liked most about the brunette with the ruby red lips and dark eyes. Looking at her attire – the tight jeans and tight black shirt with black men’s shoes—Faith looked the type of girl that was not only the complete antithesis of Buffy, but also someone William would have gone after. She was a free spirit and also loud, outgoing and boisterous. She could also swear like a trooper.

Unbeknownst to the group, Faith had brought refreshments. Since none of them were twenty-one yet and could not drink, Faith had felt – according to her—it was her civil duty to bring beverages. Just to add a little kick, she had said.

Willow was hesitant, but took a sip of the Schnapps and then politely declined. Anya had gotten pleasantly tipsy and stopped. Buffy and Faith however, they kept going. Buffy knew she was well beyond ‘tipsy’. She was drunk off her ass. She was pleasantly numb and felt uncharacteristically carefree. She felt weightless. It was why it didn’t bother her that Faith seemed to be a regular at places that didn’t serve underage individuals such as them. All she cared about was that she got slipped rum in her Coke and Faith was able to fill up her little flask full of Schnapps. It paid to know people, Buffy learned.

“I like you,” she slurred to Faith and slung an arm across her shoulders as they walked.

Faith giggled, “I like you too, B.”

“Thanks . . . F.”

Faith laughed loudly. “And here I thought you were going to be an uptight bitch when I saw you tonight.”

”Gee, thanks.”

“Okay, here’s Larry’s,” Faith said, stopping abruptly in front of a in the middle of nowhere bar. It looked kind of, well, seedy.

“Here?” Buffy said.

“Yeah, here,” Faith replied.

Willow and Anya looked nervous. They looked like Buffy would look if she were sober. Thankfully though, she wasn’t. She barged into the bar, nearly slamming it open and smiling sloppily and brightly at the attendants who turned and stared at them.

“Hello!” Buffy greeted them and then giggled when Faith snagged her by the arm and brought her to a table, practically shoving her in the booth.

“Sssshhh!” Faith ordered her as Anya and Willow slid primly across from them. “Larry lets me come in here, but you gotta be quiet. Don’t make a lot of noise and keep your nose out of trouble. That way he’ll give us drinks and no one has to know anything. Got it B?”

Buffy nodded solemnly and then grinned. “Rum and Coke.”

“I think you need to slow down, B. How bout a beer?”

Buffy wrinkled her nose, “What are you the drinking police?” she laughed at her joke though no one else did.

“Just saying B, you’ve had a lot to drink tonight. Keep mixing your drinks and you’re going to get sick.”

“You have anymore cigarettes?” Buffy asked suddenly.

Faith smiled, and reached into her pocket – she had magical pockets it seemed – and pulled out her pack of ‘butts’. She took out two and handed one to Buffy along with her lighter. Then, she placed her cigarette in the ash try, still lit, and bounded up and went to the bar to get them drinks. Willow called out that she simply wanted a Coke.

Buffy didn’t cough the way she did with the first two she had. She puffed like a pro this time and watched the whirling smoke curl around her fingers and up to the ceiling.

“So, uh, Buffy, what was William doing tonight?” Willow asked hesitantly when Faith returned with drinks.

Buffy took a drag and leaned back, imitating Faith’s uber relaxed pose, “He said he was staying in.”

“Who’s William?” Faith asked and took a drag off her cigarette.

“My boyfriend. I think.” Buffy furrowed her brow.

“You think? You don’t know?”

“Well, we’re on a break.”

Faith snorted. “Let me guess, he put you guys on the break.”

“No, I did.”

“Impressive B. Why?”

Buffy shook her head, “I don’t really want to talk about that right now.” In fact, she knew she didn’t. She didn’t want to think about William too much because honestly, she missed him a great deal. But this was girl’s night, and thought of William were banned.

“Tell me. You know I’ll just drag it out of Willow if you don’t share. She caves like nothing. Come on.”

Buffy sighed heavily. “Okay. He . . . he overwhelms me.”

Faith blinked, “How so?”

“He loves me.”

Faith laughed. “Love?” she balked. “That crap don’t exist. How long he have to say it before you believed it enough to sleep with him?”

Buffy shook her head, which she decided was not good as it made her head spin. “It’s not like that. William –“

“Pansy ass name,” Faith scoffed.

Buffy gave her a look, “It is not a pansy ass name!”

Faith chuckled, “Relax, B. So, it’s ‘not like that’ huh? So he didn’t try to nail you right away?”

“We nailed each other.”

”How’d you meet him?”

“Work.”

”Impressive again. Where you work?”

“A law firm.”

Faith’s eyes bugged, “Is he an attorney?”

Buffy nodded glumly, afraid of how Faith was going to run with this.

“You’ve been fucking an attorney ? You do know they get paid to basically lie right?”

“He must give fantastic orgasms,” Anya commented approvingly.

Buffy was starting to get annoyed and her tone reflected it when she retorted, “William is not like that. He is damn good attorney. He’s smart and funny and—“

“Oh Jesus,” Faith held up her hand. “Stop right there before I throw up.”

“You’re feeling sick?” Buffy asked worriedly, fearing Faith would throw up all over her.

“From hearing you describe your less than perfect sort of boyfriend, yes.”

“He’s not less than perfect. He’s . . . perfect,” Buffy said, her eyebrows knitting in thought. “Well, I mean, no one is perfect. But people are perfect for each other, and he’s perfect for me.”

“And you’re on a break then because--?”

“I told you. He overwhelms me. He wants so much from me—“

”Like?”

“Forever.”

Faith laughed again. “He told you that? Damn. How old is he?”

“Thirty-five.”

“He’s old.”

“He most certainly is not old,” Buffy said, adamantly. “He’s mature and complex and sweet –“

“And you’re making me sick again.”

Buffy stared at her for a long time, studying her.

“Take a picture, B, it’ll last longer.”

“Were you hurt badly?” Buffy asked finally.

Faith stared at her. “What?”

“To think love doesn’t exist. Were you hurt badly? What was it like then? To be in love I mean.”

Faith glared at her. “Love doesn’t exist.”

“It must or you wouldn’t be so negative about it. You were hurt, weren’t you?”

“Shut the fuck up B.”

“Did it hurt the whole time?”

Faith leaned forward, “I said shut up” she said menacingly.

Buffy held up her hands in surrender and sat back, pondering that interesting turn of events. Love had left Faith Evans jaded. It was the only thing the girl had shown emotion about all night. Unless it counted when Buffy had accidentally spilt her drink and Faith had shouted, “That’s alcohol abuse!” and snatched the drink from her. But Buffy didn’t think that counted.

A few sips into her beer, Buffy started feeling funny. Nauseous funny. Room spinning funny. She managed to lunge to her feet and rush outside before puking what felt like her insides out.

”Whoa,” Anya said. “That was gross.”

“Jesus B, you don’t know how to handle your man or your liquor huh?”

And that’s when Buffy started to cry for no apparent reason. Well, no good reason that she could think of anyway except she hated to throw up and hated the way Faith picked on her and William.

“I think the night is now officially over on that extremely gross note,” Willow murmured. “Let’s take the T back to my car,” she said eagerly, seeming very happy that the night was done.

Buffy shook her head and wiped at her face, “I’m calling William.”

“What the hell B? You can’t handle things so you call your geezer boyfriend to make it all better? What happened to self preservation?” Faith mocked her.

Buffy looked at her, angry now. “You don’t know anything about us!”

“Honestly, Faith, why don’t you learn to shut your mouth?” Anya snapped at her cousin.

“She’s hopeless,” Faith said, gesturing at Buffy. “She’s a mess.”

“Shut up!” Buffy screamed at her. “Just because your boyfriend was a fuck up doesn’t mean William is!”

Faith hauled off then and smacked Buffy across the face, scratching her across her cheek with her extremely long nails in the process.

That did it. Buffy snapped and smacked her back. Faith lunged and Anya got in the middle of them while Willow took Buffy’s arm, leading her away.

“Call William,” Willow urged. “I have to take them home. You call William, okay?”

Buffy nodded, feeling close to tears again and fumbled for her phone in her purse and dialed William quickly.

“Hello?”

“W-Will?”

“Buffy?”

“Yeah, it’s me,” she said, her voice wobbly.

“Buffy, what’s wrong? What’s going on? Are you all right?”

“Do you know where Larry’s is?”

The bar?”

“Yeah. . . “

”What the bleeding hell—“ she heard him take a sharp intake of breath. “I’m on my way. Are you alone?”

“No, I’m with Willow, Anya and Faith.”

“What the fuck is going on?”

“William, please just come and get me.”

“I’m on my way. Don’t move and don’t you dare go in that bar, you hear me?”

“Too late for that.”

”Buffy—I’m coming.”

“Okay,” she said weakly and looked over at Willow. “He’s gonna kill me.”


He made it within ten minutes. Willow noted that fact. She seemed impressed.

He jerked the car onto the side of the road and bounded out of his car, heading straight to Buffy who was sitting against the wall Indian style with her head in her hands.

”Buffy, baby, look at me.”

She looked up and saw her William, her savior and started to bawl. He brought her in the circle of his arms and ran his fingers through her hair. “Ssshhhh. It’s okay. What happened baby?”

“I got sick!” she wailed.

“Damn B, he’s hot.”

“And I hate Faith now,” Buffy whimpered.

Getting to his feet, William pulled Buffy up with him. “Look at me, pet.”

Buffy looked up at him, with makeup smudged and mascara running down her face.

“Buffy, what happened to your face?” he asked, tracing the scratch across her cheek delicately.

“Faith hit me,” she told him.

William turned and looked at her friends sternly. “Which one is Willow?”

Willow tentatively raised her hand. “I am. Hi.”

“Are you all drunk?”

Willow shook her head, eyes wide with fear. “No, sir—I mean, William. We’re not. Well, I’m not and Anya—“ Willow pointed at Anya who gulped. “Isn’t. Her cousin Faith is.”

William’s eyes fell on Faith and his eyes were steel. “You hit Buffy?”

“Bitch had it coming,” Faith told him, puffing up her chest and holding her head high.

William’s jaw was clenching and unclenching and Buffy reached out to touch it. His head snapped to her and she jumped. Slowly he looked to Willow. “Do you need a ride to your car?”

“No, sir. The T is right down this street.”

”Willow, you don’t have to call him sir. He’s just William,” Buffy told her as if she were telling Willow she was silly.

“I’m going to go ahead and give you all a ride since it’s late, okay?” William said, his tone rough.

Willow and Anya nodded.

“Dude I can walk,” Faith scoffed.

“Get in the damn car,” William nearly barked at her.

Faith rolled her eyes and followed the girls into the car. William tugged on Buffy’s arm and helped her in, making sure she was buckled.

The car ride was silent and Buffy used the time to concentrate on not puking. Not an easy feat since William seemed keen on going as fast as possible and taking sharp turns. Willow gave him directions and when they arrived at the parking lot, the three girls practically fell out of the car to get out.

“Th-thank you William,” Willow stuttered.

“You’re welcome Willow,” he said and nodded briskly.

He waited until they were safely in the car and it had turned on before pulling out and heading home.

“Are you mad at me?” Buffy asked weakly, rolling her head to the side on the head rest to look at him.

He looked at her briefly. “No, just . . . You had me worried kitten. You didn’t sound like you and I thought something bad had happened or could happen.”

“I’m okay,” Buffy assured him and closed her eyes.

“Do you feel like you’re going to throw up again?”

“Not yet. I’ll let you know.”

They arrived quickly at his penthouse and he helped her out of the car into the elevator. She sagged in his arms on the ride up, just wanting to hold onto him to keep the world from spinning. Funny, that, she thought, but then the thought escaped her.

Once inside his penthouse, he stripped them down and put them in the shower where he proceeded to wash her – very business like – and then dried her off. She was tired, exhausted really. She let him move her anyway he needed to and didn’t once complain. While she brushed her teeth with a spare tooth brush, he got her a large glass of water and aspirin and made her drink it all down. She did so, dutifully and he slipped one of his black t shirts on her and carried her to bed.

Once in bed, she snuggled up to him. “Thank you,” she murmured her eyelids dropping closed.

“We’ll talk tomorrow,” he told her, a promise in his voice.

“I know.”

“I love you Buffy.”

“I know,” she told him. “I know you do William.”





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