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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks everyone! :)
Chapter Three

Buffy's palms started to sweat as she ran into the vast building and charged for the elevator. She was running late on her first day. It had been a bitch of a day. It'd started that morning when she found her mother had single handedly polished off a bottle of wine on her own and had had a massive hangover that morning. When she'd asked her father if he knew anything about it, he'd snapped at her and told her to mind her own business and that her mother was an adult and could do what she wanted. She'd retorted that maybe if he spent more time at home she wouldn't have to find her solace in a bottle. He'd stormed off without giving her an answer.
Then she'd gotten to school late and found out her books for one class had to be ordered and wouldn't arrive for a week. The one good thing was that she'd made a friend with the girl in said class and she'd offered to share her book with her. Buffy just felt off and her whole day felt skewed because of it. So, arriving late almost seemed par for the course, but she was also nervous so being late only upped the ante to terrified.

When the elevator door's opened, she was greeted by the receptionist, Harmony, who looked at her as if she had seven heads. Buffy looked down at herself to make sure she wasn't dressed inappropriately or had food on her. Nope, she seemed free and clear. She wore black, boot legged pants with a pink cami and a black velvet jacket.

"I'm Elizabeth. I'm here for—"

"Bu—Elizabeth, there you are."

Buffy turned to see William coming toward her and she tried not to gulp
and stare at the sight of William in a suit. It was simple, black with a dark
blue shirt, but my God, he was gorgeous. Great, now her palms were
sweating and her mouth had gone dry. In what universe did that happen
in?

"Hi, uh, Mr. Madden, I'm sorry I'm late—"

"Elizabeth, you can call me William," he smiled down at her. "You look a
little flushed, you all right?"

"Yeah, I just ran here."

"Busy first day of school?"

"You could say that. I'm sorry I'm late."

"It's all right. Only ten minutes."

"Still."

He grinned. "You have a great work ethic, I see." He looked over at
Harmony, "Some could learn from that," he said pointedly.

Harmony just smiled and shrugged.

William took her arm, leading her down a wide hallway. The offices on the
floor had been there for a long time, and yet they looked brand new still. All
wood and brass with dark carpeting, it was at once aesthetically pleasing
and intimidating.

"I want to introduce you to the partners and to my assistant," William told
her.

"Okay," she nodded.

"Are you nervous?"

She looked up at him, his eyes dancing with humor. "Terrified," she
admitted.

"Don't be, Buffy. You're going to do great."

He knocked on a heavy wooden door and a voice chirped, "Come in!"
Entering the room, they found a man sitting against a huge window
overlooking the city and drumming a pen on his desk blotter. He stood and
smiled. "This must be Elizabeth," he said warmly and came around the
desk. He was slightly shorter than William, lean, with blue eyes, glasses and
a thin smile. His hair was coiffed perfectly and his suit appeared impeccable
and expensive.

"Wesley Wyndham Pyrce," he said and stuck out his hand.

"Hi, Elizabeth Summers," she said and gave him a firm shake. "Nice to
meet you."

"Same here. Your father is a nice man."

If you say so, Buffy thought. "Thanks."

"Angel here, Wesley?" Spike asked.

"I believe he's in the conference room with a client."

"Well, you can meet him later then. Let me show you around and introduce
you to my assistant."

Buffy nodded mutely and followed William out Wesley's door and down the
hall.

"Wesley comes off as if he's uptight and extremely proper," William told
her as they rounded the corner of the hallway, "and he is—"

Buffy giggled.

William chuckled, "But he's a good guy and he'd give you the shirt off his
back."

"And Angel?"

William smiled, "Angel O' Connor is a good guy. He's tough, but kind. Really
just a marshmallow underneath it all. He's the one that gave me the job."

"And your assistant?" Buffy asked slyly.

William looked down at her. "What has your father told you?"

"She's got the hots for you."

William rolled his eyes. "She's made it known a few times that she's
interested, however—"

Buffy started to giggle. "Gotcha again. He didn't tell me anything. I guessed."

"Buffy, you've got to stop doing that," he said, but he was smiling.

"Why stop when it's so much fun?"

"I don't believe she's interested any longer. At least she's stopped making a
passes at me. I made it clear to her that I valued her as my assistant yet
that was as far as it could and would go."

"Very diplomatic of you, Mr. Madden," Buffy teased.

"Why thank you Miss Summers," he said graciously, grinning down at her
and making her blush.

"Hello, William. This must be Elizabeth."

The pair looked up to see a dark haired woman with haunting eyes and
ruby red lips watching them intently.

"Ah, here she is. This is Drusilla, my assistant. She will teach you
everything you need to know Buffy," William said kindly, smiling gently at
Drusilla.

Drusilla smiled, but it was forced. "So, you're Hank Summer's daughter.
How nice." And yet, she sounded as if it were anything but.

Buffy nodded and stuck out her hand. "Nice to meet you Drusilla."

Dru took her hand daintily and drew back. She looked up at William. "I've
received copies of the Smith deposition."

"Excellent," William nodded. "I'm just showing Elizabeth around. Do you
happen to know if Angel is out of his meeting yet?"

"Yes, he's just gotten out. He's in his office."

"Thank you, Dru."

"Would you like me to make copies of the deposition and send them off to
Attorney Jackson?"

"Yes, please. Thank you, Dru."

"You're welcome, William."

William took hold of Buffy's elbow and led her down the hall. She looked up
at him once they were out of earshot. "Will?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you sure she's gotten the hint?"

He looked down at her, "What do you mean?"

"She seemed kind of intense."

"It's just the way she is. She takes her job very seriously."

"Whatever you say, Will," she muttered.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, stopping in the hall and facing
her. He didn't look angry though, just inquisitive.

She shrugged, "I just think that maybe you have a lot to learn about
women."

"Oh?"

"I think she's lying if she said she was okay with just being your assistant."

"Really," he said, interested and leaned against the wall, waiting for her to
continue.

Buffy was starting to fidget and she found she couldn't look at him. "Just
women's intuition," she mumbled.

"Do you think it could possibly be you thought that only because you knew
she had feelings for me at one time?"

She looked up at him and said firmly, "No. I could tell by the way she
wouldn't shake my hand and the way she was staring at us. She was
probably watching us for a while before she made herself known."

"She's always been like that. I really think it's just her."

"Do you have a rabbit, William?"

He grinned at her. "You're saying I've got Glenn Close a la Fatal Attraction
working for me?"

"You said it, I didn't."

He gazed at her, his expression turning tender as he beheld her. "You've
changed so much Buffy."

Her body was getting hot. "Thanks. Um, Angel?"

He shook his head as if to clear it. "Yes, of course," and he turned a corner
and came to another door.

Just as he about to rap on it, the door swung open. A tall man with dark
hair styled so that it spiked up at the top, broad shoulders and a full face
greeted them with a warm smile.

"Hi," he said and stuck out his hand to Buffy. "You must be Elizabeth."

Buffy looked up at William. "Is there anyone who doesn't know who I am?"

Angel chuckled, "Probably not. Nice to meet you. I'm –"

"Angel," Buffy supplied for him, grinning.

He chuckled. "Yes, that's me. I'm sorry I don't have a lot of time to chat
but I'm headed to the hospital."

Buffy looked alarmed and William placed a hand on her arm, "It's all right,
luv—"

Love? Buffy thought.

"Angel's wife has her first ultrasound today. He promised he'd be there."

"Yes, and if I don't get going, she's going to have my head," Angel said and
grabbed his briefcase and jacket off the loveseat in his office. He swished
past them at the door. "Nice to meet you Elizabeth. Don't let William scare
you."

"Oh he won't," Buffy chirped and waved to him.

Suddenly she was very aware of William's presence behind her, his body
heat warming her as he whispered huskily in her ear, "Sure about that?"

Buffy gulped.





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