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Buffy felt out of place, as she stood in the foyer of Giles and Associates. First, she was not grey or wearing grey as it seemed everyone and everything in the office was. Her bright blue coat and equally colourful red skirt stood out against the drab backdrop.

“Can I help you miss?” asked the receptionist in a tone that indicated that she wanted to do anything but help her.

“Yes, I am here to see William Giles,” she tried to sound as confident and business like as possible.

“Right, is he expecting you?” the woman was not convinced.

“No, he is not,” this third degree was starting to piss her off.

“Business or pleasure?” This woman was not giving up without a fight.

“Can you tell him that Buffy Summers is here to see him?”

Reluctantly the women picked up the phone and called through to William’s office.

“Mr. Giles, a Buffy Summers is here to see you.” She spoke her name as if she were making it up.

Buffy knew the idea to visit William at work was a bad one. However, he had left before both Ella and she had woken. On the kitchen bench, he had left his card and a note saying to call him if she needed anything.

Coming in was the same as calling wasn’t it? Willow had made her do it. They were taking Ella for a walk and happened to be near the office. She was going to bring Ella in to see where Uncle William worked. However, she had fallen asleep just before they had reached the office. In addition, as much as Buffy did not know about children she knew that under no circumstances did you wake a sleeping baby.

She was more than happy to keep walking and see him tonight but Willow had insisted.

“He won’t be a moment, Miss Summers please take a seat,” the receptionist stood from her seat and walked away.

Buffy was not snooping; she just wanted to have a look around the office. Her feet were moving of their own volition, she was going to turn back to the reception area when a name on the door caught her attention.

“Liam Summers”

Angel’s office, before she realised she had opened the door and walked through. It had obviously not been touched since his death. She smiled as she saw his gym bag by the door, ready for the next lunchtime workout. She made her way over to the desk. Papers cluttered it but lined along the desk were photo frames containing pictures of his wedding day, Dru and Ella playing at the estate. A tear fell down her face as she sat down at the desk.

It was as though Angel had gone to lunch and was going to walk through the door at any minute and yell at her for sitting in his seat and going through his desk. Nevertheless, he was not coming back and there would be no yelling.

“What in the bloody hell is going on in here?”

Well maybe there would be yelling.

“I thought I told you people to stay out of this office. No one is to come in here…”

Buffy turned the chair around to face him.

“Not even family?” she asked.

She saw his rage vanish as he took her in.

“Buffy, love, what are you doing in here? I thought you were at reception.” He moved towards her and sat on the end of the desk.

She got the same feeling she had when she was fifteen and sent to the principal’s office for smoking in the toilets.

“Well, I was going to wait for you there and then I saw the name on office door and I wanted to see where he worked,” the tears escaped down her face.

“Your upset, lets get out of here we can go into my office to talk,” he gestured toward the door.

“No, please can we stay here for a little bit. It’s one of the last pieces I have of him.” She picked up the wedding photo. It was the same one William had in his room at the estate. Angel and Dru in the middle with her and William either side.

“I know what you mean. It’s one of the reasons I haven’t moved his stuff out, like if I hold onto him then Dru is still here too.” He shook the negative thoughts from his mind.

“They’re gone Will, not coming back,” she could see that William was trying to hold back the tears.

“Maybe we could pack up the office together, one night after you have finished work.” He was not looking at her, trying hard to reign in his emotions.

“Will, it’s ok to let it go in front of me, especially in front of me,” he looked up and before she could say another word he grabbed her and hugged her as if he was afraid she to would leave.

They held onto each other tightly, Buffy letting her tears fall freely. She felt him shake in her arms, a sure indication that he too, was crying.

“Buffy, I –“ he broke off, pulling back and gazing at her with watery eyes. He shook his head. “I’m not good at this—“

She smiled gently, “You’re doing fine, William,” and she cupped the side of his face. “You were there for me last night; let me be here for you. It’s all right to mourn.”

He nodded. “I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here.”

“Oh, you’d probably work a whole lot more. I seem to be breaking you of that little by little.” She smiled, trying to get a grin out of him.

It worked. He grinned and shook his head. “Buffy, you...” he stared at her, and she knew before his head started to move what his intention was and she was not going to stop him. Nope, she was going to let it happen.

“What are you doing in here? You never— oh, sorry.”

Buffy jerked fast out of William’s arms and turned to find a dark-haired beauty with ruby red lips and a knowing smile staring at them with her arms crossed.

“Hello,” she greeted Buffy. “I’m Faith. Friend of William’s.”

Buffy extended her hand. “Buffy. Friend of William’s huh? He’s never mentioned you.” Were those claws extending as she spoke?

Faith smiled saucily. “Such a bad boy keeping me under wraps like that. Someone needs to be punished.”

William cleared his throat when Buffy looked up at him with raised brow. “Yes, well, behave Miss Evans. Were you looking for me?”

“I was. I wanted to know what time I should be ready for dinner tonight.”

Buffy was boring holes into William now, her expression changing from one of calm inquiry, to one of laser beams ready to bore a hole into his brain.

“Uh, seven should be fine. What time does the whole affair start?”

“Eight. Plenty of time. Nice to meet you, Buffy,” and with that the buxom brunette was gone, closing the door behind her.

“Dinner?” Buffy questioned.

“There’s a benefit the office is putting on tonight. I completely forgot about it until Faith reminded me this morning.”

“She’s your date?”

William studied her. “You jealous?”

Buffy guffawed at the likelihood of that. “I’m just curious as to why I never heard of her. Is she your, I don’t know, weekday girlfriend when you’re here?”

“Nothing of the sort, Buffy. Faith is an associate of mine, she handles real estate here.”

“An associate who goes to benefits with you?”

“Well, yes. Neither of us dates much, nor at all, as you well know. So, we often just go together to avoid going alone. It’s... convenient. I was going to ask you last week about it, but I had forgotten until this morning. If you’d like to accompany me, I could always tell Faith—“

“No, don’t bother,” Buffy said coldly.

“Buffy? What’s wrong, love?”

“That word. Convenient. I just realized.”

“What?”

“That’s what I am to you. Convenient.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If Buffy can go, then Faith doesn’t have to. I have no one else to talk to, but Buffy is here to talk to. I have no one else to share my grief with, but Buffy is here to share it with. I have no one else to fuck, so Buffy will do. I’m lonely and Buffy is the only female I’ve met in ages, so she’ll do—“

“That was last year at the wedding and that was not what I was thinking! How can you even say all that to me? How can you honestly think that’s what you are to me?”

“Makes sense though, doesn’t it? It’s why you’re so jealous of Riley and get caveman on me when I try to leave the happy family you want us all to be. I’m here and I’m convenient for you. That’s why you don’t want me to go anywhere because then I won’t be there when you need me!” Shaking with anger and hurt, Buffy swung open the door and slammed it behind her before stalking out of the building, wanting to be done with William forever.





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