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Title: Acting The Part
Author: Pattyanne
snapkik@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: None of the BtVS
characters belong to me.
Feedback: Love some, thanks.
Rating: Up to NC-17
Summary: AU. William St. James is
an actor in a hit television show. While
appearing at a fan convention, he meets
Buffy and her six year old daughter, Melanie

AN: Hey, check out the pretty picture vamps
made for the story:
www.offangsandfairytales.net/actingthepartmain.html



Part twenty-six:


Still without speaking, William carried Melanie
upstairs.

Buffy heard the 'snick' of the bedroom door being
closed, then heard him walk across the floor. A
moment later, the sound of the rocking chair began
creaking on the other side of the ceiling.

Trying with everything she had not to give in to the
anger that was rising in her vitals, she concentrated
on that soothing sound for a moment, rubbing her
damp palms on the skirt of her dress, watching the
strange woman stand and gather her things.

"Thank you for staying with Melanie," she forced
out as civilly as she could. After all, it wasn't this
woman's fault she'd been dragged out here to
babysit a child she didn't know.

But the woman's face looked as though it rarely
smiled, and this occasion was going to be no
exception to that rule.

"I want you to know one thing," she said briskly,
pulling on her cardigan. "I realize from the way
she looked when you came in that it must appear as
though I've been...unfriendly to Melanie."

"Well," Buffy began, "it's not that, Miss....?"

"Walsh. Maggie Walsh."

"Miss Walsh. Melanie is just very....well, she's not
used to....."

"I'm sorry to have to tell you that all she did was
cry from the moment Mr. Conner left."

That comment stabbed at Buffy's heart with a dull
knife. She could picture the whole horrible scene
as though it was being played out in front of her;
Melanie sobbing, probably clinging to her father's
sleeve and begging him not to leave, telling him
she would be a good girl if he would only just stay
until Mommy came home.....

She nodded, not caring a bit for Miss Walsh's abrasive
demeanor but still trying to remain as polite as she could
given the circumstances. "Melanie has always been a
little reserved with...."

Maggie Walsh cut her off again. "If I were you, I'd look
into some psychological counseling."

She was so surprised by this comment, that Buffy failed
to notice the cessation of the rocking on the ceiling. "Now
wait a minute. That's not really any of your business."

The woman shrugged. "Perhaps. But it might do
her some good."

Had this advice been delivered by someone who knew
and cared for Melanie...and handed out in a less curt
manner....Buffy might have listened. Since that wasn't the
case, however, it totally rubbed her the wrong way and
she was developing an insane desire to backhand this
sour looking woman right across the face.

"She might," Miss Walsh went on, "be a little less
cowardly, or at least learn how to overcome it."

Buffy's head jerked up. "Melanie is NOT cowardly!"
she bit out. "She's very shy with people she doesn't
know, and having her father dump her on a total
stranger like pile of dirty laundry doesn't help matters
any."

The other woman just shook her head. "I don't think..."

"And since when does being a secretary qualify
you to hand out advice to people on how they raise
their children?" Buffy's fists clenched as she crossed
her arms over her chest. "Is a degree in child psychology
now required to bring coffee and answer phones?"

She knew this was hitting below the belt, but she
didn't care.

The anger that was simmering inside was approach-
ing a full boil, and since Angel wasn't here to take the
brunt of it, this woman would have to do.

Apparently oblivious to Buffy's mounting rage, Miss
Walsh shrugged. "Fine. If it makes you feel better
to insult me, then do so. But you aren't doing your
daughter any favors by indulging her neurosis.
Children need a firm hand...and discipline."

Buffy's mind began ticking a countdown. "Is that
how you raise YOUR children? With a firm hand
and plenty of discipline?"

"I don't have children of my own, but I....."

"No fucking wonder!"

Buffy turned around to see William coming down the
stairs. If it was possible, he looked even angrier than
she did herself.

"I wouldn't get MY wedding tackle within a thousand
feet of you," he added. "God help any child YOU might
have, you sanctimonious, cold hearted bitch!"

Looking back at Miss Walsh, Buffy saw the woman's
opinionated self assurance crack as her cheeks turned
a bright shade of red, her expression one of disbelief
that she was being spoken to in such a way. "Excuse
me?"

'What, you need me to repeat it?" William passed
in front of her and yanked the door open. "You're a
self righteous, frigid, acid tongued old hag who
obviously doesn't possess ANY sort of heart, let alone
a maternal one," he said. "Melanie is six bloody
years old. She's shy and nervous of strangers. I
hardly think that makes her a candidate for the
analyst's couch, so why don't you take your half
baked psycho-babble bullshit and stick it as far as
it'll go!"

He was getting right up in the woman's face in a
pugnacious, 'do NOT fuck with me' manner. "Don't
let the door hit you in the ass on your way out!"

Maggie Walsh backed out onto the porch, staring
at him, her expression changing to one of sudden
recognition. "Aren't you....?"

"Yes. Yes, I am!" William nodded, then slammed
the door shut hard enough to make the living room
window rattle in its frame. He turned to look at
Buffy. "I want to kill him," he said quietly. "Don't
bother trying to talk me out of it."

Buffy just smiled. "Can I watch?"

His irritation was beginning to subside a bit, and
he returned her smile. "I don't know, love. It's bound
to be a fairly gruesome death. Lots of blood...broken
bones...facial features all rearranged.."

"Good," she replied. "He thinks way too much of his
face anyway."

That coaxed a small chuckle from him. "Bloodthirsty
little thing, aren't you? I like that in a woman." Leaning
back against the door, he took a deep breath, his face
turning serious. "Why did he do that to her? What
could have possibly been so important?"

Nothing. "I don't know." She sighed. "It's Angel.
That's usually reason enough right there. Or...maybe
an emergency came up."

"No, I don't buy that," he said. "If there'd been an
emergency, wouldn't Miss Iron pants have mentioned
it to you?"

That was a good point. "Well....he IS a lawyer. Maybe
one of his clients..."

"He's a CORPORATE lawyer, Buffy. I don't think he
was called out to negotiate a merger at this time of
night."

She stared at him, surprised "How did you...?" A
slow smile began to curve her lips. "You've been
checking up on him!"

He had the grace to flush a bit at being caught,
but he didn't deny anything. "In a small way," he
admitted. "I just thought it might be a good idea to
size up my competition." He gave her a sidelong
glance that nearly melted her heart. "You mad at
me?"

Buffy was so far from being mad that it wasn't even
on the map for her. Her emotional radar was on high
alert, all the right whistles and bells clanging madly,
all for him.

"No. And, William...?" She stepped closer and
grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him into a quick,
hard kiss. "You HAVE no competition," she murmured.
"Now lets go up and see Melanie."

His grin widened. "Me, too?"

"You, too."

Halfway up the stairs, Buffy stopped and turned to
look at him. "I just remembered....Angel said he had
some news to tell us. I wonder what it was?"

"Maybe he's leaving the country!" William offered
cheerily.

"William," she laughed softly, pushing his shoulder.

"Going to prison for embezzling company funds?"

"I don't think so."

"Running away from home to join the circus? Oh,
come on, Buffy....don't step on ALL my dreams."





TBC at Disneyland

"What? Smut in the Magic Kingdom?" you
say, looking quite shocked. "You wouldn't
dare!"

(Well...no. Not in the actual Magic Kingdom
part, anyway. But the hotel is a different
story, so stay tuned)





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