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A/N: So I'm probably wrong about the hospital stuff..but just go with it for the story?




Chapter 37

"Joyce, dear," Rupert greeted her with her fourth warm cup of coffee; they'd been sitting in the waiting room for hours now just...waiting, "I've taken the liberty of asking them not allowing William to see Buffy; to keep him confined to this area."

"Why on Earth would you do that?" She was completely stunned. "He's flying out here specifically to see her and now you're what, not going to let him?" She hadn't expected this from her husband.

"Precisely," He started to explain his reasoning but his wife interrupted him.

"That's absurd, Rupert! The boy's flying out here to see her--in the middle of the night no less. You can't not let him see her...that's just...insane!"

"Joyce, love, you don't know the whole story--"

"Oh, I know the whole story; more of it than you know. So, if Buffy wishes to see William, then she'll see William. That's all there is to it."

"Well, if you know the whole story, then what, pray tell, was the reason William left?"

"Well Buffy wouldn't tell me that one exactly, said it was something she wanted to keep between the two of them, but--"

"So, see, you do not know what the circumstances were. For Lord knows what reason, your daughter is trying to protect my brother..."

"So now she's my daughter and all of the sudden, William is your brother? I seem to remember you being perfectly ready to choose Buffy over him just a few months ago."

"And who's to say I'm not now?"

"Seemingly you," Joyce told him.

"Well I'll have you know that I still am siding with Buffy--and trying to protect her. I could tell that something had happened between the two of them that day that you told me Buffy said William wouldn't answer her.

I tried speaking with him in my office--well, truth be told I tried speaking with both of them but William did everything in his power to keep her in the pool house. You two did have that lunch so I allowed her to stay and spoke with him privately.

I told him that I did not know all of what was going on but that I knew he was being inconsiderate of Buffy. I had told him how much she was like my daughter--was my daughter...and for him to just completely disregard that...

I told him that feelings needed to be taken into consideration, Buffy's feelings...and he jsut told me I was right and left my study.

And, as it turns out, left altogether. He doesn't care about the girl, Joyce. Can't you see that?"

"Actually, Rupert, I believe it was quite the other way around. Or at least that was what Buffy wanted William to believe."

"What are you talking about?"

"William cared a great deal for Buffy," Joyce stopped him when he attempted to interrupt. "I know you think you know all of it, but did you ever ask either of them what was happening? Or are you just basing this on your observations?" When he didn't answer, she continued, "That's what I thought. Now, I've just had a nice, long talk with Buffy and can safely say that I understand at least seventy percent of the situation. I say seventy because I'm only getting Buffy's side of things and she's holding a few things back by her own admission.

I don't know if she's comfortable with me sharing this with you--and maybe especially not now that you seem so intent on her being my daughter...Some things happened with Angel--"

"I told you he was no good for her!"

"Yes, and our forbidding her to see him is what might have started all of this. I can't help but wonder if she still would have gone to see him that night if we hadn't forbidden the relationship..."

"What night?"

"That's something that Buffy will have to tell you about. But what I do feel safe in telling you is that what happened that night really did ruin Buffy's self esteem. And let's jsut say that William wanted a relationship with her but Buffy didn't see herself as being worht it so she did everything in her power to get William to agree with her."

"I still think Buffy's somehow trying to protect him. I don't see any reason why he should be allowed to see her. He's only going to hurt her again.

He didn't object that day when I told him he needed to take Buffy's feelings into consideration.

"Actually, Rupes, you said 'feelings' needed to be taken into consideration; you never said you mean Buffy's. Probably did, but you never specified so I can safely say I never agreed with you about them being Buffy's feelings that needed to be worried about...was actually talking about mine."

"What are you doing here William?" Giles asked, all of the anger of the argument showing in his voice.

"Huh, thought Joyce--or your common sense--would have told you that one. I'm here to see Buffy."

"Like hell you are!"

"Boys, boys!" Joyce tried to stop them when she saw they were about to get into it. "Rupert, you knew William was coming. And you know that I think it's good for him to see Buffy--and since I know more of the situation, and she is--as you're so apt to point out--my daughter, what I say goes."

"Are you going to harp on that forever? I was just trying to prove a point; you know I think of Buffy as my daughter."

"I'm not changing my mind. And you," She turned to William, seeing that he thought he was getting off easy, "If you hurt my baby girl you had better fly yourself back to New York! I know more about what happened between the two of you than a mother would like to and I've seen how you look at her so I know you do care about her--"

"I promise I do," He vowed.

"I believe you. But I also believe that she did a great job of hurting you. So if for whatever reason you can't handle it...you'd best leave because I won't stand for anyone hurting my baby girl."

"And I won't," He promised and asked what room she was in so that he could go see her. So that he could final ease that fear he could feel in the pit of his stomach...the fear that refused to go away until he saw Buffy with his own two eyes; saw that she was okay.

TBC......Please review...pretty, pretty please :-)





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