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Chapter 28

“Hold on, hold on. Why are we in such a rush here?”

At the sound of William’s voice, Buffy looked up just in time to watch as Jamie and Sarah pulled their father into the kitchen.

“Hey,” she said, catching William’s eye.

“Hey, yourself.” Buffy stayed seated next to Joy’s highchair as William crept behind her. She tilted her head back to meet his kiss. “Good morning. What’s all this?” he asked quietly.

“The Christmas breakfast we didn’t have yesterday. I told them I wouldn’t put syrup on their pancakes until I had backup.”

“I see. So that explains why I was woken up so enthusiastically. Did you really give them permission to jump on my bed until I rolled out of it?”

“Maybe.”

“Just maybe?” he asked with a hint of amusement. He gave her one last kiss before yawning. “Guess I should get syrup on their plates, yeah? That’ll shut ‘em up, for all of five minutes, ‘til the sugar kicks ‘em into high gear.”

Buffy stared. She couldn’t take her eyes off her sleepy husband. His tousled hair and bare chest, the pants that were hanging low on his hips were all bad enough, but watching him yawn as he tied on bibs and cut pancakes into little kid-friendly bites made her heart speed up. He dotted the pieces with syrup like an expert, knowing exactly how much of the sticky sauce the kids could handle without the danger of a completely unavoidable mess. Buffy smiled as a familiar feeling washed over her. She knew her husband was a great father, but it still moved her, it turned her on, to see ‘William, the dad’ in action.

“Mah!”

“Oh, I haven’t forgotten about you,” Buffy whispered. She reached for one of the fists Joy had pounded on the tray of her highchair and gave it a little kiss. “I know you’re all business on Pancake Day, missy, but I can’t help it. I get sidetracked. Your daddy’s too handsome. He’s too pretty and I’m too weak.”

Joy just looked at her with wide bright eyes. She squirmed impatiently until Buffy put another tiny piece of pancake into her hand. Joy squeezed it into mush before pushing it into her mouth.

“Want me to fix you a plate, love?”

“No, I already ate, but thanks.”

“Just how long have you been up and about?” William sat across from Buffy. He spoke between bites of pancake and sips from a glass of milk. “I dimly recall you twisting out of my arms, but I haven’t a clue when it happened. I hope you didn’t wake up too early. We’re still on vacation, you know.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve been up since about seven.”

“Not that I mind getting propelled out of my beauty sleep by our little terrors, but you could’ve woken me yourself. I can think of more enjoyable ways of being jostled in our bed.”

A foot suddenly found its way into the folds of Buffy’s robe. A big toe stroked her inner thigh. “Stop that, you perv,” she laughed, pressing her thighs together for only a moment before pushing William’s foot away.

“What, mommy, what’s a peeerv?”

“Perv is short for pervert, Jamie. Perverts like to do bad things,” Buffy explained, looking at William who did nothing but shrug his shoulders. “Gross things.”

“Am I a peeerv?!” Jamie asked with an alarmed squeak. “I don’t like being bad, sometimes—um, sometimes—I don’t know what happens!” He imitated William’s shrug and he threw his hands up dramatically. “Uht-oh!” he giggled when his fork flew out of his hand and onto the floor.

“Jamie.”

“It’s okay, dad! I’ll eat like Jo!”

“You, don’t move another muscle,” William said. “Open your hands one at a time. Over your plate. Now, sit still. Let me clean those grubby hands.”

“I’m sorry, daddy,” Jamie said as William rubbed his sticky hands with a wet napkin. “Don’t take my pancakes away,” he finished softly. “Last time—you took my pancakes away last time, daddy.”

Buffy watched as father and son looked at each other. William whispered something directly into Jamie’s ear and Buffy felt a pang of jealously when she couldn’t make out the words that made Jamie smile.

“What did you tell him?” she asked once William returned to his seat.

“Nothing.”

“Just nothing?” Buffy went back to feeding Joy. She let out a muffled laugh once toes curled behind her knee. They slid down her leg before William’s foot nestled in her lap.

“Babe, what are we doing today?”

“You mean other than getting your motorcycle?”

“Yeah, other than that. I know we brought up a doctor’s appointment more than a few times. Do you still want to go, but for the baby?”

As Buffy continued to feed Joy with one hand, she used the other to hug William’s foot to her stomach. She grinned as his toes wiggled against her left breast. “I called the doctor this morning, but we can’t be seen until tomorrow.”

“Have you…do the twins know?”

“Nope, not yet.”

“Have you heard from Tara today? She’s usually here by now, if she’s coming.”

“I called her first thing and gave her a summary of the progress we made. Last night, well, Tara came home to find something very…interesting waiting for her outside of her apartment. I told her to bring it over with her this morning. They should be here any minute. We’ll have breakfast together.”

“They?”

“Honey, you won’t believe it,” Buffy began, but before she could finish her sentence, the doorbell rang. She tried to beat William to the door, but he got there first with the twins jumping behind him. He looked though the peephole and let out a curse that made Buffy cringe.

“I’m taking a shower,” he announced suddenly. He turned on his heel and stomped up the stairs.

“William, wait!” Buffy threw open the door and quickly looked over their guests. “Tara! Will!” she said, pulling each of the women into fast hugs. “I hate to run, but—I didn’t get a chance to tell William that you were coming. You surprised him, Wills. We haven’t even taken showers yet, so he just ran upstairs. I should probably follow him up there.”

Buffy looked down to see Willow take the twins into her open arms. Buffy looked back up and found Tara watching her.

“Go. We’ll be fine,” Tara said. “Where’s Joy?”

“She’s in the kitchen, along with breakfast. We already started eating, so if you could get the kids to finish their meals, that’d be great. Please don’t wait for us to eat. I’ll just jump in the shower and I’ll be back in a flash. We’ll talk. You look good, Willow.”

“Buffy,” Willow began, her face twisting with guilt. Tears sparkled in her eyes. “Buffy, I’m sorry. We didn’t mean to--.”

“I know, but…we’ll talk later, I promise. And William will talk to you too. Even if I have to pull him downstairs by his ear,” Buffy finished in a quiet mumble.

“Tell him… God, Buffy, I’m just so sorry.”

“I…” Buffy closed her mouth. She waited a brief moment before speaking again. “I really need to see William, okay? I just need to go to him. We’ll talk soon though.”

Buffy held her breath as she bounded up the stairs. After opening the closed doors to their bedroom and master bathroom, she stripped off her robe. She tapped on the glass shower door and waited patiently for William to slide it open. With a head of soapy hair, he looked at her naked body through narrowed eyes.

“What are you waiting for, Summers, a bloody invitation? Get in here. What took you so long?”

“I came as soon as I could,” she said, joining him under the spray of warm water. She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his wet back. “William, I tried to warn you.”

“How? By being exceptionally vague? Love, you made it out like Tara was bringing over a stray cat or an extra newspaper that was left by her front door. You should’ve just told me Willow was coming over. Hell, I didn’t even know she was in the country.”

“Tara said Willow’s been planning this surprise visit for a few months. That’s why Tara freaked out when I wanted to call her yesterday; Willow was already on the plane.”

“That chit has some gall, showing her face around here. Both the witches do,” William grumbled. He spun and took Buffy’s face into his hands. He brushed water droplets from her nose and lips before kissing her gently.

“Buffy, I don’t want to go downstairs,” he pleaded between tender kisses. “Tara I can handle, but Willow? Bet she’s already started bawling. After what she did to our Sarah, she cried and cried, remember? Drove me insane, all that snot and sniveling. Tears can’t mend broken fences.”

“She said she’s very sorry.”

“Good,” he said simply. He swept Buffy’s wet hair off her shoulders. Humming softly, he massaged fruity smelling shampoo into her scalp.

“Willow’s better off in Paris,” he mumbled minutes later. “Though I guess it doesn’t make much of a difference anymore. Now she has the magical-mystical power to muck up our lives from overseas. I thought Tara was stronger, but she let Willow pull at her strings. Unless Red has her under a spell too…”

“You’re blaming everything on Willow now?”

“Just thinking out loud.” After rinsing her hair, William crouched down, a soapy sponge in his hand. He started at her feet and worked his way up her body. “For Tara to do whatever the hell she did, it’s unlike her. And Willow’s messed with her before.”

“That’s what broke them up,” she added, her voice slightly strained as his sponge slipped between her knees. She held onto his shoulders until the he rose to wash her upper body. “Willow tried to solve their problems by making Tara forget that they had any.”

“Making people forget is Red’s specialty. But you know that, you remember it now, don’t you?” After Buffy nodded, William nudged her directly under the showerhead. “Rinse up. While we dress you can tell me more about that phone call Tara overheard. I’m not going down there until I know everything. I’d rather not have any more surprises.”

“But…can’t I wash you?”

“You were too late.” William joined her under the showerhead to pull her close. They shared another soft kiss that made Buffy’s heart flutter. “I was on my way out when you decided to come in. Maybe next time you shouldn’t be so tardy.”

“I couldn’t just leave Tara and Willow outside. Someone had to get the door.”

“There’s another reason to get moving. I don’t want the kids left alone too long. I can see it now, our kids turned into sodding…tadpoles or something awful like that.”

“Awful tadpoles?”

Ignoring her teasing grin, William turned off the water. He reached out of the shower, grabbed two towels, and pushed them under Buffy’s nose. He stepped out of the shower grabbing a third towel, rubbing it over his hair and body before wrapping it around his waist.

Then they fell into their usual morning routine. And Buffy knew exactly what to do. They gracefully maneuvered around the single sink and limited counter space until William left the bathroom to pull on a pair of jeans. With his hair slicked back, face shaved and teeth brushed, he sprawled out on their freshly made bed. As Buffy spoke, he listened carefully and watched with interest as she primped and smoothed lotions into her skin.

“I bought two different pregnancy tests on the way home,” Buffy explained as she continued to stand in front of the sink. “I wasn’t feeling sick or anything. I was feeling…pregnant, I guess. I took them both that morning, while you were finishing up our Christmas shopping, and both were positive. I was so excited; I had to call someone. I thought about calling Willow, but didn’t because of the wonky time difference. I called Tara, because I thought she had already taken the kids to the park, but she didn’t answer.”

“You called everyone but me.”

Buffy turned her head briefly to watch William as he watched her. He didn’t seem upset, but he didn’t seem thrilled to be the last to know about her pregnancy.

“You were at the toy store,” she continued, feeling guilty. She looked back at the mirror as she pulled her recently dried hair away from her face and into a loose ponytail. “I’d never call you with that kind of news. You would’ve dropped all the kids’ toys; you would’ve rushed home and…well, you know.”

“I would’ve taken you back to bed?”

“Yeah,” she answered quietly. She smiled at her reflection and shook her head at the blush that colored her cheeks. “Not that I have a problem with that, but we had waited until the last minute to pick up some very important gifts. I knew if you left the store then, I’d never get you back in that mile-long line at the register.”

“When were you going to tell me? Did you have a grand gesture in mind?”

“Not really. I just wanted you to be in the same room with me, that’s all. I’m a pretty low-maintenance girl.” When William snorted, Buffy ignored it completely. “I wanted to see your face. I wanted to see the look in your eyes…”

“And then you told me with your back turned.”

“That’s because I was mad at you. You accused me of treating Joy like a doll, you dummy.”

“So somehow you decided it would be best to call the station?” William asked with a chuckle. “You must’ve been bloody desperate. Who the hell did you tell? The girls in admin, or maybe that busybody woman at the welcome desk?”

“I, um…I told Faith.” Buffy tried to keep the tone of her voice as normal as possible. She waited for William’s response, and when he didn’t say a word, she dropped the towel that had been tucked snuggly around her chest. Without glancing in his direction, she went to the dresser and pulled on underwear and a bra.

“You told Faith? Your replacement? The obnoxious bint who’s been pestering us to go back undercover full-time?”

Buffy cringed. She turned and forced a smile. “I know what you’re thinking, honey, but just hear me out.” Taking off in a run, Buffy quickly grabbed her robe off the bathroom floor. She hugged it around herself as she faced William and his unhappy frown.

“The night before--.”

“Is this before or after you bought the pregnancy tests?”

“After,” Buffy admitted with her eyes downcast. “I went out with some of the girls at work, which you knew about, I just failed to mention that it was just one girl and instead of seeing a movie, Faith and I went to a party at Wolfram & Hart.”

Before continuing, Buffy reached for William’s hand. When it lay still and non-responsive, she played nervously with his long fingers. “Faith talked me into it because… Baby, I knew it’d be safe. A ton of people were there, and you know Angel wouldn’t try anything in front of his employees and rich clients. I was there for all of forty minutes. I just wanted to get out of the car for once. I was tired of playing games, of waiting in the dark for damning evidence that never seemed to show up. I wanted to glare at him in a lit room and—William, he looked right at me. He smiled, he crossed the room and touched my arm, and then—well, unlike the rough and tough cop I used to be, I ran away. I ran straight home to you with my tail between my legs. I stressed about the party all night. I took the tests the next morning, and once it was confirmed, I told Faith that I’d never do something like that again. Faith and I argued about it and that’s what Tara overheard.”

“The baby was your excuse?”

She nibbled her lower lip before nodding.

“And you didn’t tell me all this before, because of what exactly? The party was the night before, you found out you were pregnant the next morning, and your memory was gone twenty-four hours later--.”

“It was less than twenty-four hours.”

“Regardless of the specifics, I came home from the store, we went out to eat, and we spent the afternoon and evening together; why didn’t you say anything?”

“I was too nervous?” she suggested with a shrug. “Maybe I wasn’t as ready to move on as I wanted to be? William, maybe I did have something grand planned for you. I was going to tell you everything at once: about the party, the baby, and that I quit.”

“You quit?” William asked, his voice quiet all of a sudden. His fingers twitched then they entwined with Buffy’s. “Sweetheart, what are you quitting?”

“I can’t be a cop anymore. Desk duty is alright, but I’m constantly reminded of what we once were. We were good—no, we were damn good at our jobs, but everyone just remembers that Angel got the best of us. And we can’t do anything about it. It’s been almost six years and he’s still out there. He bought Wolfram & Hart, the freaking law firm that keeps getting him off. He’s getting stronger while we just sit idle. So,” she paused to take a deep breath, “when I go on maternity leave, I’m thinking that I won’t come back. I’ll work again, but, William, I want to be a mom. It’s hard enough leaving the kids now, but when our newborn is here? God, I want to be here as much as possible.”

Buffy let out a relieved sigh as she was pulled into William’s lap. He opened her robe, wrapped his arms around her and pressed his face into her chest.

“And what if we finally manage to put Angel behind bars?” William asked against her skin. “Will that change your mind?”

“I’ll always want to spend time with my kids.”

“But?” he offered. He looked up at her, his eyes were sparkling. “You’ll still have a great deal of fight in you, won’t you, baby? You’ll still want to defend the good guys and kick the bad guys in the ass?”

“Well, yeah,” Buffy answered, causing William to laugh. “Honey, you’ve wanted me to quit since the day I got shot, and now, it’s like you’re trying to talk me into changing my mind. It’s rude, William. It’s confusing.”

“Sorry. I’m sorry.” His hold tightened. Grinning, he kissed her again and again until they were both left breathless. “You’re just too much. Love you so much, Summers, I can’t see straight.”

“I don’t think you can think straight either,” Buffy laughed. “I just told you that I went to Angel’s firm behind your back, with Faith of all people, and you’re happy? Who are you, and what have you done with my real husband?”

Buffy sat still for a moment before using both hands to lift William’s head out of her cleavage. “Just because I plan on quitting, that doesn’t mean I’m giving you permission to work with Faith yourself. I know money will be tight, especially since I want to keep Tara around, but I don’t want you working undercover with her.”

“You jealous?”

“I’m not even going to justify that with an answer.”

“You know I admire a brave, sexy, hard-working woman, but Faith doesn’t hold a candle to you.”

“I know,” Buffy responded confidently.

“Of course you aren’t jealous about who I’ll be working with, you’re jealous of the work itself, aren’t you, Summers?” When her lips formed an involuntary pout, William gave them a hard kiss. “As much as it would please me to keep you locked up at home as my own personal sex goddess and baby-maker—hey!” He laughed as Buffy pinched his side. “Let me finish before you get feisty. I appreciate that you’re willing to quit, I really do, but I also know you’re doing it as a self-inflicted punishment because you sought out Angel on your own. You think you wronged me.”

“William--.”

“Let me finish. If you insist on quitting, I won’t stop you. You should quit the evidence room. However I have a hard time imagining you without a badge--.”

“How can you say that? I don’t even feel like a cop in the Property Recovery Unit. You won’t let me be a detective again.”

“No, I won’t. Not with Angel out there.”

“And if he weren’t out there,” Buffy began with a bite of sarcasm, “would it really make a difference?”

“It’d make all the difference in the world actually. There’s always danger in our line of work, but Angel’s different. It’s personal.”

“You mean…but I thought you were dead-set against me… Are you saying you’d be okay with us working, maybe not undercover, but together again, if Angel’s out of the picture? William, you’ve never said this before.”

“Well, I haven’t let us really talk about it, now have I?”

“No,” Buffy responded as her heart sped up from excitement. “You shut down, I get frustrated, and then I call you names. I change the subject before we fight. William, I’d love it if we could work together again. Maybe we could find something not so dangerous. Maybe—William, why are you telling me this now? I know we’re close to nabbing Angel, but we’re really no closer than we’ve been for years.”

“I have a plan,” he declared with a mischievous grin. “The way we’ve been going after him is all wrong. We sit and wait, because we’re terrified he’ll strike back. As you said, we’ve been waiting for the right evidence to just fall into our laps and it isn’t happening. What if we continued to keep our distance, but we tried out a new form of attack?”

“That sounds great, but what are you talking about?”

“I’m thinking…pet, we have two witches downstairs at our disposal. Two guilty witches who owe us for the heartache they caused. It’d be nothing for them to whip up a spell, right?”

“Um…I don’t know if you should be so sure about that. Every time Will writes a spell, it backfires in some way.”

“But just think of the fresh start it could give us, with Angel locked up and behind us.”

Buffy took a deep breath, still tangled in her husband’s arms. She gave him a squeeze. “We could also just move or we could get new jobs.”

“True. It’s always best to have a few backup plans, yeah?”

“Yup. Just in case, you know, the spell-casting and hocus-pocus fall through.”

“Pet, you think I’m crazy.”

“I’d think you were more crazy if I hadn’t walked around in some kinda amnesia-induced daze since the day before Christmas Eve. Whatever you want to do, I’ll have your back…well, within reason of course.”

“Of course,” William chuckled before capturing her mouth in a kiss.
***

A/N: I wonder if people still do author’s notes this way? I used to like reading them at the end instead of at the beginning, but I’m pretty old school. :) Anyway, I’m not sure when you’ll get the next chapter because, a) I only have a few paragraphs at the moment, and b) two Wednesdays from now I’ll be in Disneyland during my usual posting day. So if you don’t hear from me then, don’t panic. I’ll post again asap. Thank you so much for reading.





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