REBEL HEARTS
Chapter 19: ‘More Revelations’
‘February 7th, 1781’
It had been a cool, actually a rather cold winter in South Carolina and Buffy Finn was looking forward to the coming of Spring. Her children, the twins, James and Joyce were coming along quite well, they had learned to walk, together by the time they were eleven months old. Joyce had began putting sentences together by the time she was a year old and James followed right behind her.
In fact, both of the twins talked a blue streak, ‘just like their Father,’ Buffy always told herself.
Things were changing, for the American Army, they were beginning to win, more and more battles; more victories over the British. The tide was truly turning and Buffy had more hope then before for her new Country and it’s Independence.
Although the War raged on, all around their home, the State of South Carolina, Buffy and her family, Andrew, the slaves and servants on Finnwood, they survived it; weekly, daily, hourly. For some reason, Finnwood was never again bothered or occupied by British troops, in fact, if any, they were rarely seen anymore in the nearby area.
Father Rayne, who had made more and more appearances, lately, to Finnwood, was again sitting in Buffy’s parlour.
“Another letter, from Boston, my dear,” he smiled at Buffy warmly. “I believe it’s from that Cousin Anya of yours.”
Buffy took the letter from the Priest and opened it, gingerly. “Good news?” the Priest asked as he sipped his tea.
“Yes,” Buffy sighed in relief, “it seems that my Cousin Anya’s husband, Xander Harris, will be arriving here, on Finnwood, perhaps within the week. This is indeed very good news, although…”
Father Rayne raised his graying eyebrows, “although, Elizabeth? Is this a problem?”
Buffy shook her head, “no,” she responded quietly, “but why would Xander be coming here? Without Anya? I mean, of course, there is still danger, locally, but why come here, now?”
The Priest shook his graying head, gently, “I do not know, daughter,” he sighed himself, “but we must just pray that Mr. Harris arrives at Finnwood, safely and in good health.”
Buffy nodded, “of course, but this is very strange, indeed,” she whispered as she worried her bottom lip with her upper teeth.
“Missy Buffy,” Jesse, her man servant, called, excitedly as he hurried in to find Buffy playing with the twins in the parlour.
“There’s a big man, wearin’ an eye patch, he’s at the front porch. Wood seen him coming and fetched me. Must be that Harris man from up North, he’s here!”
Jesse seemed to be more excited about Xander’s appearance then Buffy might have been, but she jumped up from the sofa, her children in tow and scurried to the front door.
“Well,” Xander Harris laughed warmly when Buffy threw the door open herself and practically leapt into the man’s arms. “Quite a welcome, Cousin,” Xander chuckled, hugging his wife’s cousin tightly.
“Oh, Xander,” Buffy began to cry into his big chest, “it’s so good to see you. Someone from home and the old days. Come in, come in please.”
Xander followed Buffy and Jesse into the parlour, where Mahalia had taken the twins back into. Little James scowled up at Xander’s eye patch, “are you a pirate?” he asked in his little voice.
“No,” Xander broke out in laughter, “not really, but I’ve been accused of being sort of like one.”
Buffy grinned, “this is James Michael and the little blonde there is my Joyce Darla. I think that the eye patch makes you look rather dashing, Xander,” she added saucily.
Xander gasped loudly, bent down to peer into James eyes, “my God, you ‘are’ Will Anderson’s son, aren’t you? You’ve got his eyes,” he whispered, more to Buffy then the child. The tall, brunette man stood up and turned his full attention on little Joyce with a thoughtful look on his face.
“The little Princess, looks like you Buffy,” he continued, “but she’s got Will’s eyes too, doesn’t she? James ‘Michael’ and Joyce ‘Darla’ are fine names Buffy, dear,” he chuckled, “Very clever, how you got Anderson names in there, quite slyly.”
Buffy blushed three shades of bright red, “Xander,” she stammered softly, “I, Will, he was here, with his troops and he and I, we, well…”
Xander chuckled again, “honey,” he patted Buffy’s shoulder warmly, “remember, I knew exactly when and how old Riley died up in Virginia. There was no way that these two beauties could ever be his offspring. However, I’m sorry to have been so vocal, the children should not have heard and…” he frowned, apparently ashamed of himself for speaking so boldly in front of the twins.
“No, Xander, it’s all right,” Buffy assured him, still bright red, “I have never misled the twins about their Father. They know that Riley is not he. I’ve just never explained, exactly, who their father is, really. In fact, both of them have called several men, Daddy, a few times, even the local Priest.”
“Oh,” Xander pursed his lips, but leaned down to tousle both of the tots hair affectionately. “Buffy, dear,” Xander muttered, “may we talk privately, for a while. There’s some things I must discuss with you, get out in the open I guess you’d say. It has something to do with why I am here now.”
Buffy called Mahalia in, “please take the children up and put them down for a nap, Halia,” she murmered, suddenly a bit frightened by Xander’s appearance and his words.
“Yes, Missy,” Mahalia took the two tots by their hands and led them off to bed.
“Let’s sit,” Buffy motioned to the sofa, “I’ll pour you a brandy, if you like,” she grinned at her friend warmly.
“I’d like that,” Xander chuckled, “I’m sure your’s is the finest around and I could use a drink, after my trip that is. Took a little doing, but, I out maneuvered British troops, quite well, really, here and there.”
Buffy brought Xander his brandy and handed it to him, a sadness overcame her at the words ‘British troops.’
“Buffy,” Xander began carefully, his deep voice sounded troubled, “about William.”
She flinched, visibly, but met Xander’s gaze, her chin lifted proudly.
“He was wounded, Buffy, up in New Jersey, at Bull’s Ferry, same as me.”
Buffy felt a sinking feeling in her stomache and her throat clench tightly, “is he, is he dead, Xander,” she whispered, wide eyed and fearful.
Xander shook his head no, “he was captured, though, treated up in the hospital I was at. In fact, he was just realeased and well…”
Buffy hung her head, sadly, “per orders,” she mumbled her words etched with sorrow, “per General Washington’s orders, he was sent back to England, wasn’t he?”
Xander stared at her thoughtfully and frowned, “ well yes, those were the orders, dear.”
Tears began to pour out of Buffy’s green eyes and Xander put his drink down to embrace her. “I never told William about the babies, Xander, never. I was afraid he’d desert the Army, be tracked down and shot, I…”
Xander comforted her as best he could. “I know, Buffy dear, and I never told him that Riley Finn was dead, or about your babies, either. Even though I knew the children had to be Will’s. He told me about you and he, well, that you were here together, when I found him in the hospital up in New Jersey.”
Buffy was stunned, “why?” she gasped at Xander, “why didn’t you tell him?”
Xander stood up and paced a bit, “for a couple of reasons, honey,” he nodded at her, “one of them was one of your own. I was worried that Will would escape the hospital and high tail it down here. He’d have never made it, honey, never, he was too wounded. But, there’s more Buffy, and it’s near going to kill me to tell you this. I know this, because,” Xander hung his head down, “because it near killed me to have to tell Will this. I managed, somehow, in the hospital, just before he was released. Forgive me, dear Buffy, please.”
Buffy was totally confused and she knew her expression must have showed it to Xander.
“Forgive you, Xander, for what?” she asked, puzzled.
The big man sat back down next to her and took her tiny hand in his, “if it had not been for me, me and my ‘good intentions’ back in 1775, in Boston, I mean, then all of our lives may have been different.”
It was a reaction, truly, but Buffy pulled her hand from Xanders’ quickly, “what good intentions, Xander,” she questioned him, coolly, as she eyed him suspiciously.
“It was me, Buffy,” Xander mumbled, his voice full of sorrow, “I’m the one that told your Father, Hank Summers, about your tryst with William that night in Boston Parkway. I thought he should know, Buffy, I swear, but only because I did not want bad blood between you, him and Will.”
Buffy felt like she was going to faint, her Cousin’s husband, her own friend and Will’s best friend had betrayed them to her Father.
“Xander,” she could only whisper, miserably, “how could you?”
“Oh, God, please, Buffy,” Xander rasped in a shakey voice, “I swear, I thought it for the best. I thought if Hank knew, about you and Will, that with what I told him about Riley Finn’s disgusting reputation, I thought…” his voice trailed off.
Buffy stood up and stumbled over to the window of her parlour, just to look out of it, at the horizon. She found that she could not speak, just listen to Xander’s story of betrayal and his explainations.
“When I told your Father about you and Will, that day at his plant, I also spoke about the horrible things I’d heard of Riley. I’m sorry Buffy, please forgive me for speaking of Riley so but…”
Buffy turned from the window, “go on Xander,” she nodded evenly for him to continue.
“I thought,” Xander continued, his head still hung low, “that Hank would weigh the situation, see how you Buffy, would be so much happier with William. An English Lord, for God’s sake? Hank Summers’ only child married to a Lord, safe in England when all this War happened? Riley was so dispicable and when I opened your Father’s eyes to all of this, glimpse of a very bright future for you, William for a son-in-law. I just thought that maybe, old Hank would see things your way, you and Will’s. I mean, what Father wouldn’t want that kind of future for his daughter, with a good man like William Anderson, for a son-in-law, instead of a monster like Riley Finn. Besides, I felt, silly as it may seem now, that it might be a good start for you and Will, to have your Father on your side. I was shocked when Will showed up at my door, devestated and nearly out of his mind with grief that you didn’t show. I was a coward, darling Buffy, I couldn’t tell him the truth, then that is. I could tell no one, that is until I found William, wounded, in that hospital in New Jersey.”
Buffy found it difficult, but she shuffled back over to the sofa and sat back down, next to Xander.
Taking his big hand in her tiny one, she asked softly, “Will, when you told him…did he forgive you Xander?”
The miserable dark-haired man raised his eyes, looked into Buffy’s and nodded, “yes,” he whispered hoarsely, “he forgave me, everything. I told him, like I told you…I meant the best. Thought Hank Summers would see things your way, be reasonable and want the best for you, Buffy.”
Xander began to tear up and Buffy could not help herself, she placed her hand on his cheek and wiped a tear from it.
“Then I forgive you, Xander,” she murmered, honestly, “sad to say,” she added, “Papa, it turns out loves his plant and fortune much more then his wife or daughter. You could not have known that Papa would react the way he did. You are capable of being a sensible, compassionate man, my Father, sad to say, is not.”
They sat in silence for a moment or two, Xander, weeping softly, Buffy just numb. Finally, Buffy cleared her throat and asked quietly, “why, then, Xander?”
He looked up at her again, confused somewhat, “why what, dear,” he asked with a puzzled tone.
“Why did you not tell Will, in the hospital, about Riley’s death, the babies. You said you knew that our children, Will’s and mine, could certainly not be Riley’s. Why did you not tell William that Riley was gone, at least that?”
Xander wiped at his tears quickly, “I,” he stammered, “Anya and me, we both felt that it was something ‘you’ should tell William, Buffy,” he answered honestly.
“How?” Buffy murmered sadly through fresh tears, “how can I tell Will anything, he’s in England, per General Washington’s military orders.”
Xander actually grinned a bit, then shook his dark head, “Buffy, dear,” he sighed, “now why would you even think that Lord William Michael Anderson would ever listen to any military orders, much less from our General Washington. Don’t you think that Will would have skipped out of the hospital, first chance he got and find a way back down here, to South Carolina and the woman he loves?”
It was Buffy’s turn to be confused, “I do not undertand,” she murmered softly, but a spark of hope began to burn inside her heart.
“I tried to get him to come to the front door, dear,” Xander chuckled despite his own tears, “but he was concerned for your sake. Since he doesn’t know about Riley’s demise, he was worried his appearance at Finnwood’s door would make a problem for you. So, I left him down at your front gate house. He’s there now, waiting for you.”
Buffy bolted from the sofa and scrambled for the front door of her house without even grabbing the wrap she had had on earlier.
Before she got out the door, she could hear Xander Harris laughing in glee behind her, “yeah, like the whole Continental Army, His Majesty’s Troops, or even All Mighty General Washington himself could ever keep you and William Anderson apart?”
By the time she had made it down the front steps of Finnwood, Buffy had broken into a run, nearly stumbled, but caught herself and kept at a canter that would make a thoroughbred pony proud. She kept her eye on the gate house, all the way. Because, to Buffy Summers, at that moment, it was the nearest thing to Heaven she had ever seen.
A/N: Just two more chapters and we’re done! Please read and review, thanks.
I have been considering submitting, here, the first (kind of) Spuffy fan fiction I ever wrote and submitted anywhere. It’s a little ‘dark’ AU/Fantasy where most of the characters (at least to start) are not all that likable. Yes, including Angel, Spike and even Buffy herself. It’s very, very long, nearly 45 chapters and would have to be reedited before I would consider submitting. If you have an opinion on this, my submitting it and all, please review or just drop a note and let me know? Thanks, Luv, Spuf
[Reviews - 100]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 2944 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +