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Chapter 30

“No one will get hurt on my watch, he says. Buffy will do this. Buffy will do that. Buffy can be locked upstairs like she’s one of the kids.” Buffy’s head slightly bobbed and her eyes rolled as she mimicked her husband.

“Can you really blame him for being paranoid? I know I can’t. He’s just looking after you and the baby.”

“I know, but if I give that man an inch…” Buffy looked over her shoulder. Her narrowed eyes met William’s and they shared a playful glare. “Will, he’ll boss me around. I don’t take it well when he tells me what to do.”

“You don’t take it well?” William asked, letting out a snort. “That’s a bloody understatement. Summers, tell your friend Willow just why you don’t ‘take it well.’ Tell the truth, and let her know it’s because you can’t stomach the fact that I always know what’s best.”

“Oh, and now he’s gloating!” Buffy laughed. “I can’t believe him! Will, can you believe him?”

“I’m not sure of what else to say,” Willow began. “You really want my opinion on this?”

“Sweetie, you don’t have to say another word,” Tara chimed in, touching Willow’s shoulder. “It doesn’t matter what we say, remember? They don’t care how or even if we play along. They just bicker for their own amusement. Give it a little time; you’ll recall how easy it is to ignore them.”

“Well,” Buffy blinked, amused by Tara’s bluntness. “William, are we really that transparent?”

“Must be,” he shrugged. He rearranged Joy and noted she was ready for a diaper change. He took her out of the living room, but continued to speak from the nearby bathroom. “Makes you wonder why our sweet nanny would think you’d be capable of those nasty things, doesn’t it? Tara’s with us more than anyone. You’d think it would take a bit more convincing to believe you’d put yourself in that kind of danger. As if you’d purposely deceive me—hell, anyone with bloody eyes and a decent set of ears should know how we feel about each other.”

“William and I aren’t exactly shy when it comes to, um…displaying our affections.”

“You don’t need to remind me about that, that I totally remember. In great embarrassing detail,” Willow mumbled just as Tara said, “We know you love each other, you can’t seem to get enough of each other. I’ve been around you both since the shooting, and I--.”

“You think you’ve got us all figured out? You think you know it all?” William’s words made Tara shift uneasily, but a second later, he peeked into the room to smirk in her direction. “Well, you’re probably right.”

“I just know how Angel affects you. Both of you. No offense, but your common sense has a tendency to….well…get discarded when Angel’s in the picture.”

“That’s putting it lightly. Usually we just hurl our common sense straight out the window, don’t we, baby?”

William’s grin vanished. “Buffy, are you saying a spell isn’t the way to go now? Tara? What are your thoughts? Isn’t turning to witchcraft a prudent decision?”

“You might be setting your sights a little too high, that’s all,” Tara answered. “Willow’s very good, but some things don’t mix well with witchcraft, no matter how well it’s performed.”

“Such as?” William walked back into the room. He sat Joy in front of her toys as Buffy answered, “Ah, just about everything? Think about it. It boggles my mind, knowing I’m the victim of a spell gone wrong. And if I’m having a hard time believing it, when I lived through it? God, we’ll have to be careful, that’s for sure. We can’t do anything that’ll be too hard to explain. We’ll leave the magic out for the guys at work. Our story has to make sense, but--.”

“Now who’s getting carried away?” William chuckled. He returned to the recliner and sank into the cushions. “You hear that, girls? Listen to my wife. She’s already got the case closed.”

“I do not. I’m just thinking about--.”

“You’re fretting. It’s too early in the game for that, love. We’ll sort everything out once the time is right.”

“But that could happen sooner than you think,” Willow began, clearing her throat. “Would you mind if Tara and I slipped away to The Magic Box? As much as I hate to cut our visiting short, I’m anxious to get started. The store isn’t far from here and they should have most of the books and supplies we need. We could step out for a few hours and, if we’re lucky, we can do dinner and some conjuring later. I’ll provide the food. Maybe something kid-friendly? How about McDonald’s?”

Jamie and Sarah’s heads popped up in unison. They looked back and forth between their parents with excited expressions on their faces.

“Oh my goodness,” Willow gasped as the kids started to beg. “Did I just stick my foot in my mouth again? I thought…they can have fast-food, can’t they? Buffy, I’m so--.”

“Stop,” Buffy said, forcing back a laugh. “Just stop. They’re allowed to eat greasy burgers and fries, just not too often. And you and Tara are free to leave on one—no, on two conditions. One, you’ll take the cash I find in William’s wallet to go toward dinner and whatever supplies you’ll need, and two, you have to take him with you.”

“Him? You mean William-him?”

“Do you have a problem with that?” Out of the corner of her eye, Buffy watched William shift in the recliner, his brow furrowed. “I think we’ve moved past the worst part. He might huff and puff a little, but you have nothing to worry about. You should know by now William’s one of those guys who are all bark and not too much bite.”

“I wouldn’t be so certain of that. Have you thought about asking me for my opinion on this?”

“No,” Buffy answered William sweetly. “Since you always know what’s best, I’m sure you’re one step ahead of me. You did say you wanted to supervise their spell casting, right? Go with them, honey, and let them drop you off at work. I’ll give you my keys so you can get your precious bike. Then it’s up to you, you can either chaperone their shopping trip or you can just drive the bike home. Either way, I’m getting your wallet and jacket from our room.”

“Did you hear that?” Buffy heard him ask as she went up the stairs. “Now you’re getting a taste of who really dishes out the bossing around here.”

Snickering, she gathered up William’s leather jacket, throwing it over her shoulder as she went to the dresser and sought out his wallet. She was counting the tiny stack of dollar bills when William appeared in the doorway, hip rested against the doorjamb. “You don’t have a lot of money here,” she told him. “Not even a twenty. Babe, stop at the bank before you hit the station.”

“Is there anything else? Any other orders I should tend to?”

“Not that I can think of, not at the moment.”

“Tell me,” he began, crossing his arms over his chest, “why do I feel as if you’re sending me into the lion’s den?”

“Because you’re paranoid?”

“Possibly, but you want to get rid of me. Why?”

“I want you to get your motorcycle.”

“I’d rather take the first ride with you.”

“That’s nice,” she smiled, “but how long are you willing to wait? It could be days before we--.”

“Days?”

“Days,” she repeated. When he frowned, Buffy bit her bottom lip and forced her smile to disappear. “Honey, a lot of things will be going down while Willow’s visiting. A joyride won’t be on our list of priorities.”

“Says who?”

“Okay, it shouldn’t be on our list of priorities,” she laughed. “But we won’t rule it out completely.”

Satisfied with her answer, William uncrossed his arms. He slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He leaned against the doorjamb more comfortably, but kept his eyes narrowed as he watched her. “You really want me to go?”

“If you wouldn’t mind…” Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Buffy licked her lips. She moved his jacket, draping it over her arm. “William, I’m not sending you away to be mean or anything, I just…”

“You just what?” he asked, the volume of his voice dropping. His expression softened as well and he reached forward to tuck a flyway from her ponytail behind her ear. “What’s running through your head now, Summers?”

“Nothing,” she said, and then she heard him clear his throat, letting her know a one-word answer wasn’t acceptable. “William, I… Honey.”

“Go on, I’m listening.”

“I haven’t been alone in days,” she blurted out. “I haven’t had the house or—or the kids to myself—and I mean really to myself—and I--.”

“You want to see how you’ll hold up, how you’ll handle being on your own?”

Buffy nodded, relieved that he knew her so well.

“Alright,” he said simply, turning so Buffy could help him into his jacket. She tucked his wallet into his jeans.

“Thank you for doing this.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Yeah, yeah?” she repeated with an arched brow. “What kind of response is that? I’m thanking you and here you’re—,” before she could say more he pulled her forward. William’s mouth collided with hers and she laughed under his hard kiss. “Okay, what is this? Are you up to something?”

“I’m distracting you. Is it working?” She nodded as a hand slipped under her shirt and gasped as the same hand wiggled under the wires of her bra. “You have nothing to prove as far as I’m concerned,” he muttered between kisses. “Your memory is back. It’s been restored.”

“So far, so good, but--.” Another disapproving noise stopped her from continuing. Caught up in a new toe-curling kiss, Buffy had no choice but to answer it by moaning happily, snaking into his jacket, and wrapping her arms around his waist.

“I’m more curious than concerned,” she managed to pant. “Really, I swear. But I still want you to go. Your kisses won’t change my mind. You can save them, along with your randy fingers—,” she paused to bring his hands out from beneath her bra, “—for later. You aren’t going to weasel out of this. You wanted control of the situation, take control of it. Oversee, supervise, then report back to me.”

“But, pet…”

She touched the tip of her tongue to his knuckles before brushing her lips against them chastely. “You’ll go; you’ll get your bike. I guess you don’t have to shop with the girls, but I do need some time.”

“Do you have big plans?”

“Not really.” She leaned in to give his mouth a soft peck. They looked at each other for a moment before Buffy grabbed on to his arm and led him down the stairs.
***





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