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Author's Chapter Notes:
Beta'd by Sharon/Havena! Many, many thanks to her!

Thank you for the reviews, I'll try to respond to them soon, but it's been crazy for me lately.

Just a bit of conversation before we move along.
Buffy didn’t know where to go for them to talk. William was silent as they walked out of the alley and onto the street. She was still mad at him, furious really. But she didn’t say anything more regarding his brave but incredibly idiotic stunt. She wanted to drill it in him to be safe, to stay safe. It was easy to boss someone around, though she could never boss Spike like she had wanted. Just like it seemed she couldn’t quite boss William around. She wanted him safe, a keepsake of Spike, a selfish desire but important to her. Yet the way he had rushed into battle like that reminded her of Spike, causing her heart to lurch and squeeze. Perhaps she wanted him to do something like that again.

Once they walked a few steps from the alley she looked around and saw a Starbucks with a 24 hour sign and knew that would be the best place to unwind. She looked up to William ad saw him look around in wonder, taking in the sights around him, fearlessly this time and she smiled.

“I know the perfect place for us, this way.”

She led him to Starbucks and immediately entering the establishment Buffy knew William was enthralled with the shop. She heard the sudden intake of breath and watched him from the corner of her eye as he looked around the shop in open wonderment. She stifled a giggle.

“Grab us the comfy seats in the corner while I order our drinks, coffee or tea?”

“Hmm? Oh, yes, tea would be lovely.” He said, hardly paying her any attention as he continued to look around.

Buffy ordered herself hot cocoa and William tea, though when asked what kind, she quickly said the best, and most common they had. After another confusing question she blurted out “English tea” earning her a questioning look from the cashier. She grabbed their drinks and headed for William who sat on a deep purple loveseat by the window, looking out of it longingly. Buffy noticed that besides a cranky old woman who sat on the opposite side of the store, they were alone.

“Here you go.” She placed the tea in front of William.

“That’s very gracious of you, thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

A curious expression formed on his face but Buffy ignored it. “I hope this wasn’t too much trouble, I’m not sure of the cost and normally for a lady to pay for such a thing is unseemly.”

She let out a sigh as she sat next to him. “Like I said, don’t worry about it.”

“I do hope to make it up to you.”

“No need William, really, don’t think about it.”

William smiled at her, still with a curious look in his eyes, and sipped his tea. An awkward silence passed between them. After a few more moments of silence Buffy found that she couldn’t stop staring at William. She noticed his blush but that didn’t stop her. She found it funny how he went from being angry with her then polite in such a short time. He was full of life, just rumbling under the surface.

“Do I have something on my face?”

“What? On your face? Oh…no, no you don’t.” Buffy snapped out of her daze and looked away.

“Under normal circumstances that would have been considered rude.”

She looked back at him with raised eyebrows, “I wasn’t trying to be rude.”

“This tea is quite good.”

“I don’t really drink tea that much – hey, don’t change the subject!”

William smiled knowingly as he went to take another sip of his tea. “I merely commented on the drink.”

Buffy looked at William knowing full well what he did. “You changed subjects.”

“That would be a depressing conversation Miss Summers, on how rude you can be and how you didn’t mean the lot of it.”

Buffy glared at him with indignation, “Are you calling me rude?”

William sighed before smiling again, “Everyone I have met today has been rude by my standards. This new world I find myself in is both fascinating and crude, though I’m ashamed to admit that I am slowly coming to find myself fond of it.”

“You did it again William.” Buffy tried to hide the annoyance and the amusement in her voice.

“To what are you referring?” William also tried to hide behind innocence.

“You changed subjects.”

“Would you like to talk about you being rude? That is something to think of indeed.”

“There is nothing to think about, either I’m rude or I’m not.”

“Miss…Buffy, I do not think you are especially rude, just you seem to forget yourself in my presence. Does that answer satisfy you?”

Buffy gave William a dubious look before leaning back, “I suppose.”

Buffy didn’t want to explain about Spike and how she so desperately wanted him there instead of William. So she remained quiet. She began to relax; sitting next to William somehow put her in enough ease that she was willing to finally sleep. After a few minutes of silence, William spoke.

“Everything is so different. I keep asking the same questions to myself ‘How does this work?’ or ‘Why does this happen?’ that I forget where I am sometimes. That this isn’t a dream.” His voice sounded far off and Buffy wondered exactly where he was at the moment.

William looked at her so suddenly that she quickly looked at him and caught a fond look in his gaze that had all thought going right out the door. That look was so Spike that her heart had to do a double take and her mind had to remind her that this was William, not Spike.

“What about you? I know that question is direct and rude, but that is acceptable is it not?”

Buffy’s eyebrows shot up into her hair line as she thought of his question. “Yeah, that isn’t so much rude as you would think, not among friends at least…what about me?”

“You were the sole ‘Chosen One’ before you called on the others from what I heard at dinner. What is that like? That sounds awfully lonely and harsh.”

Buffy blinked. Confused on why he would be so interested in this topic she thought on how to answer him. “I was lucky; I had friends and family to help me during the tough times.” Buffy grew silent and the air around her felt heavy. “As long as I have been the slayer, someone’s been there to help, whether I wanted it or not.”

“But you haven’t always been? The Slayer, I mean.”

“No, I was called at fifteen.”

“Do you ever wish you hadn’t been Chosen?”

Buffy frowned at this question, she didn’t like where this conversation was going. “No…yes…ah, maybe.” Buffy looked away and stared at the clerk behind the counter before continuing, “Once I would have said absolutely ‘Yes!’ but that was before stuff…and at the time I only wanted to be normal girl, still do sometimes. Now because of the people I know because of my calling and how I see my life…I have to say ‘No’. But between that it was ‘Maybe’.” She looked back to William, unsure if she was making herself clear, “Does that make any sense?”

“Some, yes. I think I can relate though, to some degree.”

“You can?”

It was William’s turn to be silent. He sipped his tea and Buffy stared at her long forgotten drink. “Before coming here I wanted nothing more than to fit in, to be accepted and live in the world I created for myself.” William put his tea on the table in front of them and allowed himself to relax, mimicking Buffy. “I wanted to be seen as normal. But now that I am here I know I’ll never be normal, I’ll always be out of place and time. Perhaps if I asked myself if I wanted to go back I would say ‘No, yes, maybe’.”

“Why ‘no’, why ‘yes’ and why ‘maybe’?” Buffy wanted to forget, for the moment, his comment on being normal. Hadn’t she thought he could be, if he wanted?

“’No’ because I feel as if I belong here in a way, in a world of magic and demons. ‘Yes’ because I miss home and I knew the rules there, here everything is so foreign. Sometimes I don’t know how to act. ‘Maybe’ because I might feel a bit different in a few days.”

Buffy smiled at the last sentence. Somehow the words he just spoke soothed her and wrapped around her like a blanket. She felt at peace and at ease. She didn’t realize that her eyes had fluttered shut and within moments she had fallen asleep.

:::::::::::::::::

William had never dared speak so freely before and it felt wonderful. When Buffy smiled at his humor he felt warmed by her affection. But he was caught off guard when Buffy seemingly dropped her head on his shoulder and drifted to sleep. He wasn’t surprised; she had just fought four vampires and survived a terrible battle almost a day ago. If this had taken place in his time he might have been offended or worried about the propriety of a girl sleeping in a public place on his shoulders but here it didn’t feel wrong, it felt right. William forgot his tea and leaned his head against Buffy’s. He only needed to wait a moment before he too drifted off to sleep.

:::::::::::::::::

William wasn’t sure where he was. He was in a graveyard, surrounded by mausoleums and headstones. It was either twilight or dawn as the sun was on the horizon. A fog was surrounding him and he didn’t understand why. Blinking he wondered if he had somehow been transported here by magic, now that he knew magic existed.

He heard a soft sound, like a humming song from an angel. He turned around but couldn’t see anything. The light from the sun grew a bit brighter and he turned again, not daring to move in any direction. He had a feeling he should stay where he was. Once his eyes turned away from the sun he saw a figure, clad in flowing white fabric. It was a slender woman, with earth colored hair and pale skin. She was singing as she approached him, barefoot and smiling. Her eyes shone with green intensity and she smelled of dirt and grass.

“What have we here?” Her voice was odd, like leaves rustling together. But it was clear she was curious.

“Stay back!” William wasn’t sure he should speak.

“No no no, they don’t count you at all, silly silly them.” The woman shook her head.

“Why don’t they count me? And who are they?” He was lost, curious but cautious; he didn’t understand this woman or this place.

“Shush, you need to listen to me.”

William stood taller and glared at her, ready to take whatever passed her lips.

“No no no, I’m not going to be cruel. You’re so funny.” She smiled again, sweet but impatient, “No, I need to say…Evil is coming again, so soon too, it’s preparing even now. Evil is going to take everything good away from everyone good.”

She walked around William, smiling all the while. He followed her movements, but remained silent.

“Now isn’t the time.” Her voice sounded annoyed but before anything else could happen, everything went dark.

:::::::::::::::::

William woke with a start. He looked up and saw he was face to face with the store clerk. The dream he just had was quickly fading, even though he wondered if perhaps he should try to remember it.

“It’s against the rules for you two to be sleeping here. Either wake up or leave.” The woman looked highly aggravated but moved back to the counter area.

William looked down at Buffy who was also rousing from sleep. They had been close, nearly sleeping on top of each other. William blushed when he caught the look in Buffy’s eyes. She quickly stood up and a moment of awkward silence once again hung between them.

“We should head back and try to really get some sleep, like on a soft fluffy bed.” Buffy’s voice was even, but William wondered if she was hiding something. He wasn’t sure how he could tell but he felt as if there was something she didn’t want to mention to him that had leapt into her mind.

He stood up and nodded, not liking the idea of questioning her about his suspicions. He didn’t want to be too intrusive. “Yes, our companions may be wondering about us.”

“Yeah right, not if they’re all asleep.”

“Surely they would be worried about you.”

“I’m a big girl; I can handle a few vamps.”

“Not even just a little?” He really was taken aback by the idea that the people he met today wouldn’t be concerned for Buffy, but he did notice she seemed to be able to handle herself quite well.

“Nope. Come on, I think I’ll fall over and sleep on the floor at this rate.”

They both headed back to motel, which was just across the street. William was surprised when he received a heartfelt goodnight and a soft kiss on the cheek once they arrived. He stood outside his door as he watched Buffy retreat into her own room and wondered what tomorrow would bring.

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