[Reviews - 1459]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 8932 times

- Text Size +




Author's Chapter Notes:
I've made a fic rec list here....a lot of them are just TSR (meaning not on LJ) stories so you might want to check it out...


Also, if anyone's figured out the time I update (1 EST) and thinks I'm late...we haven't started daylight savings yet, so I am on time ;)


THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all of the reviews...I'm just completely amazed...so thank you so very, very much
Chapter 8


“You know, I uh,” she couldn’t even get her head together enough to get the sentence out, “I’m going to, um, I’m going to go,” Buffy gestured shakily towards the pool house. Not waiting for any sort of answer from her mother she hurriedly left the house.

She really needed some time to think right now.

As long as William…or Spike, or whoever the hell he was, stayed with Giles then she’d be okay. She needed some time to figure things out.

And with any luck, her mother would decide to talk to Wi—him for a while.

She needed some time to think right now.


“Hope we didn’t take too long. There were a lot of bloody—“ Giles stopped when he noticed Joyce sitting alone at the table, looking rather upset.

“What’s wrong, dear?” Giles asked in concern.

“Oh,” Joyce sighed loudly and, if William wasn’t mistaken, somewhat dramatically, “Buffy and I got into another argument.”

William didn’t expect them to get into it right there in front of him, but apparently that’s what was going to happen.

“I just hate when we get like this. Usually things are just perfect,” she explained to him, “But some days we just don’t get along. I don’t understand it but I hate it.”

William thought that it was probably just something to do with the fact that Buffy was nineteen. But another part of him knew it was at least partially Joyce’s fault; the Buffy he knew was very mature and capable of handling things…

And there he was again, pretending that he really did know the girl.

“I’m sure it was nothing really. She’s probably regretting it right now,” Rupert told her. William really wished they wouldn’t talk about the argument while Buffy wasn’t there. It didn’t seem fair to him—especially not when he felt like they were assigning blame.

To anyone else it would have seemed like a normal conversation, with no blame involved, but Spike was hypersensitive when it came to Buffy. Whether he realized it or not.

“I know. I just miss when she was my perfect little girl and we had such a great time together.”

‘Well, if you’re expecting her to be perfect no wonder you two get into so many arguments,’ he thought, ‘No one’s perfect. Though she is damn close.’ He added the last bit quickly.

“You should just be happy that you have the relationship you do and that she’s so close by,” William pointed out, trying to sound not at all hostile about it.

“Oh you’re right, William. I’m sorry. You must think I’m horrible. What with…I’m sorry,” Joyce apologized quickly.

William did a bit of apologizing of his own. “No need to be sorry. Was just trying to offer a bit of perspective.”

“Thank you. Sometimes I do need that. So, did you two have a good talk?”

“We did,” Rupert answered. “William’s going to talk to Buffy about whether she’s comfortable, really, with him staying in the house. And then he’s going to decide whether he’ll be looking for a flat or not.”

“Really?” Joyce asked happily.

“Yeah, want to make sure it’s all okay with her. It can be strange having someone move in with you. Think it’s best I talk to her first. And,” he didn’t want him not living there—if it came to that to be blamed on Buffy, “I figure we’ll have some time to see if we live well with each other or not.”

“That makes sense. But you’ll at least be staying in the area?” She was pushing and they all knew it.

“I haven’t made any definite decisions just yet, but for now…” He trailed off, leaving the rest of the statement up to their imaginations.

“Do you need to get all settled now or can you maybe stay for a drink?”

Maybe it was the coward’s choice, but he wasn’t feeling particularly brave at the moment.

“Sure, I can stay for a drink. That’d be nice actually.”

While Rupert poured them drinks, a club soda for Joyce and a small amount of scotch for the both of them, William tried not to think of what Buffy was doing at the moment.

He really needed to get his mind off of her; and what better way to do that than a bit of alcohol?

Yeah, so it wasn’t smart but he wasn’t exactly going for Mensa acceptance tonight.


A drink turned into two drinks turned into three drinks and now, almost an hour later, William—a slightly intoxicated William—was still sitting in the living room with Joyce and Rupert.

“Think I’d better get my stuff into the house now,” Apparently liquor also gave him a bit of courage—either courage or it just stopped him from thinking so much.

“That sounds nice…” Joyce was fairly tipsy acting, though William couldn’t for the life of him figure out why. “Do you need any help?”

“I’ll be fine. It’s just a few suitcases I really need for tonight anyway; I can bring them in just fine.”

”Okay, good night, William.”

“Oh, before I go,” he paused, “What was it you and Buffy had an argument about—if you don’t mind me asking that is…just so I know what’s going on while I’m in the house with her.”

“Oh! Of course. She and I were just having a silly argument over you living there. She was worried she’d mess it all up…at least I guess that’s what it was,” she finished, thinking hard.

“What exactly happened, love?” Rupert asked, saving William from having to find a tactful way of asking just that.

“Oh, well, I was trying to tell her she wouldn’t mess things up and then I somehow ended up telling her she would. I don’t really know what happened. Shouldn’t you two know anyway?”

Now that confused Spike.

“Why should we know?” It was William that asked this time.

“Well, after she got upset with me, she told me she was going to help you with the dishes. She was gone for a few minutes and then she came back, kind of funny acting really, and told me she was leaving.”

“Well she never did come in…when was it?”

“Just a few minutes before you two came out here. I wonder what it was that upset her…she was more upset than when she left,” Joyce finished thoughtfully.

Spike was trying to think what could have happened—

And suddenly he knew—or, at least, he thought he knew.

While thinking about what they’d been talking about that could have possibly stopped her from entering the kitchen, he realized what he’d done.

He’d lost his phony accent.

He was back to speaking and sounding like himself.

And she’d heard him.

Buffy’d heard him and now she knew.

Not really thinking he muttered a quick explanation to Joyce and Rupert and left the house to quickly grab his bags from the car.

Buffy’d heard him…and she knew.

Buffy knew he was Spike.

She knew who he was.

Fuck.


TBC.......Please Review...........and I might be posting some short fics soon as well (if my beta can make me)....and, for those wondering, smut be soon...not telling when, but soon





You must login (register) to review.