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Buffy woke from her nap, to the sounds of the ocean and the clean smell of sea air. Willow loved to leave the balcony door open at night, saying the sounds of the waves lulled her to sleep. Buffy smiled, the theory worked for late morning siestas as well, stretching out her body as she remembered the dream she had just had.

"Don't run so fast," Buffy yelled as she chased the blonde male down the beach.

"Sorry, Luv. If you want me, you have to catch me," said the man with the sexy British accent, as he continued to run.

"Just be warned that when I catch you I won't let you go," she replied, as she increased her speed, getting closer to her goal.

"I'm countin' on it, Summers," he told her, turning around and pedaling backwards for a few seconds, then turned back around and started to run again.

Buffy continued to chase him down the beach, getting closer to her goal. She laughed as she finally caught up to him, knowing all along he'd allowed her to.

"Gotcha," she said, as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I’m yours now, Summers," William said and he stopped running, causing her to knock them over onto the sand. He rolled over on to his back, keeping her above him. "So what do you plan to do with me?" He asked, as he looked up her as she straddled his body.

Buffy's laugh was contagious as she admired the handsome man lying under her. "Oh! I have plans on top of plans for you Mister, and they all include me as well."

"So you plan to share these said plans?" William asked as his hands rubbed up and down her back.

"Nope, you will have to hang around for the next 50 or 60 plus years to find out all of my plans for you," Buffy said as she leaned down, with her hands spread across his chest, loving the feel of him beneath her.

"Hmmm, 50 or 60 years, or more," Spike said as he looked up at her, pretending to contemplate his answer. "That's a long time, Pet."

Buffy pouted as she gave him her puppy dog look, "I promise you won't regret it."

"Then how can I refuse such a lovely offer," Spike whispered as his hand came up behind her neck, pulling her down so he could kiss her.

"Hey, what's that big old smile for?" Willow asked, noticing when she looked over at her best friend she had a huge smile on her face.

Buffy blushed, having been caught daydreaming. "I dreamt about me and William."

Willow got up off of her bed and walked over and sat on Buffy's bed. "Must have been a good one from that happy face I just witnessed."

Buffy smiled shyly as she replied, "yeah, he let me catch him."

"Catching is good," Willow giggled, happy that Buffy was sharing and not being Avoid Girl this morning. "I think it's a good sign that everything will work out."

"I think so too." Buffy sat up and let herself feel positive about her seeing William again.

"Okay, it's eight a.m., let's shower, have breakfast, and then pool it for a few hours," Willow suggested.

"Sounds great. Jenny said she would find us. She needed some mother and daughters bonding time," Buffy replied, as she watched Willow get up and move over to the dresser drawers.

The older woman had wanted to talk to about William, earlier. Jenny explained that William had a full schedule today, having pictures taken with fans. Hints where given, suggesting quietly, maybe she should be the one to make the first move. Thus she had come back to her room, falling asleep thinking of ways she'd approach William.

Willow opened the drawer, gathering what she would need after her shower. "I think we should take the Spa menu and see what we can afford. Then if we find something within our price range we can make a reservation our next at sea day." Willow offered, wondering what it would feel like being pampered for the day.

"That, my friend, is a marvelous suggestion. We can get a facial and pedicure," Buffy agreed.

"I call first shower," Willow said as she walked over to the bathroom, since Buffy was still sitting on her bed.

"Go for it, I’ll get my stuff together and pull out the Spa menu," Buffy said as she waved the redhead onward.

Buffy stood up and then walked over to the balcony door. She took a deep breath and made a promise to herself that she would not let her fears and insecurities get in the way of William. "I hope you don't mind Spike Crawford, but you will always be the William that swept me off my feet to me."

*******

Spike offered up a weak smile when Giles gave him another bottle of water. They had taken a fifteen-minute break. They had been having their pictures taken non-stop over the last fifty minutes.

"I’m seeing spots on top of the spots," Spike grumbled good-naturedly.

"Yes, I agree," Giles chuckled, watching his friend closely to make sure he was holding up being so close to Angel and being hung-over as well.

Wesley stood and watched Spike closely as well. He knew that after today he'd have to keep a closer eye on Mr. O'Connor since the man had been shooting daggers with his eyes at Spike since the first fan had personally thanked Spike.

"So do you have plans after the shoot?" Giles asked, feeling better having seen Spike drink half the bottle of water easily.

"Yeah, I have a blonde little bird to look up," Spike replied, making sure no one other the Giles and Wesley was close enough to hear him.

"I would like a word with you first, if you don't mind," Giles requested, knowing Spike needed to know of Darla's involvement, and how she had come clean on her own to Buffy.

Spike gave Giles a questioning look, wondering if he was going to get another lecture or something. "Something I did wrong?"

Giles quickly reassured the younger man it was nothing he had done. "No, my boy, just something I think you should know is all."

Spike relaxed as he was about to reply when Cordy called out, "Break time over, time to go back to saying 'cheese'."

Giles had kept an eye out for Darla making sure she was all right. He had noticed how she had managed to keep away from Angel spending most of her time talking with Robert, and then going over and talking with the photographer.

Angel was finding it hard to keep his temper under control. First, Spike not reacting the way Angel had envisioned the man would have. Plus the matter of his little band of English wimps gathered around him like a shield. Second, Darla acting all weird and avoiding him- which was really pissing him off. Now all the little adoring fans were paying more attention to sitting next to Spike, who was sitting in the chair he should have been in.

He bit his tongue to keep from demanding his turn to sit in the chair. The last thing Robert needed to think was that Angel was petty or jealous. Which he felt he was neither of them, he just thought he was the star and deserved to be treated as such. He needed to find a way to see if Spike had watched the little treat he had left him. He just couldn't think of a way to find out without tipping his hand, he planned to play the injured party, making them believe someone had stolen the tape from his private collection.

*******

Buffy turned over onto her stomach, so she could work on getting an even tan. She had looked at her watch noticing it was soon to be time for the photo shoot to be over. The thought of seeing William warmed her and scared her at the same time.

That little voice of doubt that Jenny was wrong, and he wouldn't want anything to do with her, kept creeping up out of the darkness that represented her deepest fears and insecurities. But she refused to let it win, this time was different, William was different. He was not Parker or her father. Finally she had enough and tried to get back reading the book she had bought at the airport, hearing it was a great read.

Willow sat up and applied more sunscreen, not wanting to burn so soon on her vacation. She looked over at the pool and noticed a man playing with what appeared to be his small daughter in the pool. He was trying to teach her how to swim, as who appeared to be her mother, looked on.

"Awe! How cute." Willow voiced out loud. "They make the cutest little family."

Buffy looked over at her friend and then toward where she was smiling. She noticed the little girl smiling up at her father as if he was the king of the world. It brought back memories of when she had looked at her father with the same adoring look on her face.

"I can't wait until that's me," Willow sighed, not realizing what she had said.

Buffy gasped, Willow's words reminding her of what she would not be able to give to a marriage. "I think I will go and get a shower," she said as she stood up and gathered her things.

Willow realized what she had said, forgetting for a minute how sensitive Buffy was about babies. "Buffy, I'm sorry."

Buffy fought hard to hold back the tears. "It's okay, honest. It’s my problem to deal with, it's not your fault I can't have children. I need to shower and get ready. Enjoy the sun and I’ll catch you later."

Willow stood up and pulled her friend into a tight hug. "You will make a wonderful mom someday. Remember there are other alternatives if you really want a child."

Buffy returned the hug. "I know, and maybe someday, husband or not, I just might do that," she replied, wondering if William would feel the same thing once he found out.

"Go, get all prettied up and ready for Spike," Willow said as she gave her friend an encouraging smile. "Don't let this give you an excuse to not give him a chance."

Buffy nodded her head, "I promise not to let it interfere in my getting to know William."

"Good, now off with you," Willow said, thinking how the world was a funny place. There were people out there getting pregnant and having abortions, or giving their babies up for adoption. Then there were the women like Buffy who had good mother written all over them and couldn't get pregnant.

Buffy walked slowly to her cabin as she remembered the day she found out she wouldn’t be able to carry a life inside her. Her mother had several miscarriages, before and after having her. Then came the day she had overheard her father and mother arguing.

"Joyce, you can't give me what I need, I need a son to carry on my name." Hank's voice sounded cold and uncaring.

"But, you love me," Joyce cried. "You love our daughter, you just can't walk out on us like this."

"I do love you Joyce, just not like I used to," Hank replied.

"But, Buffy, what about our daughter?" Joyce asked. She pointed up toward the stairs, where neither of them knew their daughter was hiding.

"Joyce, don't make this about Buffy, I love her, but I need more then what a daughter can give me," Hank tried to explain. "Margaret is pregnant with my child, it's a boy and I plan on being a hands on father and for him to carry my name legally."

"So, you are going to divorce me and marry her, just to give your bastard your name?" Joyce looked ready to kill, her hands fisted. "So you screwed your little secretary, not using protection, and now you got her pregnant and feel the need to break up your family for her because she is giving you a son."

"Yes, and no, I do love her Joyce, she makes me feel whole," Hank answered her as honestly as he could.

"Get out. Get the Hell out of my house," Joyce told her husband, her voice tight with the emotion she was holding back. "You are a bastard, a cheating heartless bastard."

"No, Joyce I'm just a man who has moved on," Hank said before he turned to pick up his suitcases. "I will pick up the rest of my things the end of the week. Harold will contact you when the divorce papers are ready to for you to sign. I just pray, Joyce, you don't give me a hard time with this."

"Oh, don't worry. I can't wait to no longer be your wife. And I hope Margaret finds out what a faithless piece of garbage you really are," Joyce spat. "Now get out, but before you leave, I want the key."

"Joyce, I have the rest of my stuff to get."

"I don't care, I will be more the happy to pack it up and you can have someone come and pick it up," Joyce said as she held out her hand for the house key. "You no longer have any rights to come and go as you please here, it is no longer your home."

Hank put down the suitcases so he could reach into his pants pocket to pull out his set of keys. He removed the house key and handed it to her. "Tell Buffy I love her and will be in touch."

"Yeah, right." Joyce rolled her eyes before looking back at her husband. "Leave it to me to try and make it right between you and your daughter. You are a coward for not talking to her and telling her what you’re doing."

"She would take it better from you," he tried to reason to her as well as to himself.

"Bull. That is a load of bull, and you know it," Joyce said as she pointed her finger at the door. "Now, just get the Hell out of my home."

"Goodbye Joyce," Hank sighed.

"Go to Hell Hank," Joyce sneered.

Buffy sat on the bed as everything hit her at once. The knowledge that her father had left because another woman was giving him a son hurt so badly it burned her soul. The fact he placed the importance over carrying on the family name more so than loving his family, made her lose faith in love.

Buffy continued to walk to her cabin. She thought about her sixteenth birthday when she had finally confronted her mother on having babies, and the real reason her father had left them. Her mother had told her it was not important at the time to be worried over something like that. But Buffy had been relentless until they had gone to the old family doctor, Doctor Benson, to be examined.

He had sent her for several tests, including an ultrasound. He had sat them down and explained that her female organs were not as they should be. That her ovaries were not the size they should be. He had told them the tests proved she was sterile.

Buffy opened the door to her cabin and forced herself to walk to the bathroom and turn on the shower. Slipped off her bathing suit and pulled the band out of her hair before stepping under the warm water. She refused to let this get her down, for all she knew William didn't want a family.

*******

"I cannot wait," Wesley sighed. "I'm thinking a nice swim in the pool is just what the doctor ordered."

"Well, no lying in the sun for me, mate. Would be too hard to explain a vampire with a tan," Spike said as he pulled out clean clothes, wanting to shower and get the sweat and make up residue washed off his body. "You go for a swim. I'm getting a shower and then going to find a girl."

"Yes, I think that would be good," Wesley replied as he thought about Willow, hoping he might be able to steal a moment of time while Spike and Buffy worked things out between them.

"Maybe you can work some magic with the pretty little redhead," Spike said, making Wesley think the man was reading his mind.

Wesley just smiled as he grabbed his trunks and moved toward the bathroom. "I will be out in a minute, so you can try and make yourself all nice and pretty."

"Just don't take too long primpin' in front of that mirror," Spike replied, as he looked through his clothes wondering what he should wear.

"I don't have to look in the mirror to know how manly I look in my swimwear, mind you," Wesley answered, using his most conceited tone, causing Spike to laugh.

*******

Willow sat at the poolside bar sipping on her virgin Pina Colada, watching the people around her wondering where they where they were from. She was lost in her thoughts and didn't realize she had company until he interrupted her thoughts.

"Hello, beautiful," Lindsey said, thinking to himself what a wonderful way to begin his afternoon away from work.

Willow jumped when she heard the voice so close to her ear. "Oh! Hi, Mr. McDonald."

"Lindsey," he gently chastised.

"Okay, Lindsey," Willow answered, blushing at how he was looking at her.

"So, why are you sitting here all alone?" He asked as he sat on the empty stool beside her.

"Just enjoying the day," she answered as she turned back to people watch.

"How about some company to share the enjoyable day with?" Lindsey asked, loving the way she blushed and seemed so innocent.

"You might find me very boring," she answered, feeling both excited that he seemed to be flirting with her, but uncomfortable with it at the same time.

"Oh, I find that hard to believe that you would be boring," he replied, thinking about all the things they could do together in the privacy of his cabin.

Wesley noticed Willow sitting at the bar and immediately recognized Lindsey McDonald occupying the stool beside her. He wondered what Willow would think if he walked over and initiated a conversation with her. Was she interested in the other man and would be irritated with his interruption?

"Well, only one way to find out," he said to himself as he moved to join the couple at the bar.

Willow looked up and noticed that Wesley was walking toward them, the last thing she wanted was for him to think she and Lindsey had anything going on between them. She felt her heartbeat a little faster, when her eyes met his.

Lindsey noticed he had lost her attention and looked to see what had grabbed it away from him. He tensed up when he noticed one of the actors from the show coming toward them. The last thing he needed was for one of the mighty actors to come right now and ask him to do something for them.

"Good afternoon, Willow," Wesley greeted her with a relaxed smile, when in fact he felt like he was walking on a tight rope over a pit of alligators.

"Hi, Wesley," Willow returned the greeting, feeling like her chest was full of butterflies about to make an escape at anytime.

"Mr. McDonald, I hope all is well with you sir?" Wesley politely acknowledged the other man.

"Yes, Mr. Pryce it is going rather well," Lindsey answered, while thinking, ‘It was until you decided to grace us with your presence.’

"Have you eaten lunch yet?" Wesley asked, deciding to take it slow and see just what was going on between Willow and Lindsey.

"Nope, was just thinking what I would like to have for lunch," Willow answered. "I'm starved."

"I had a quick bite before coming down to the pool," Lindsey told them, his gut telling him that the actor dude was after the girl.

"Would you care to join me for a bite?" Wesley asked, again keeping it a general invitation while praying the other man would find something else to do with his time.

"Sure," Willow gladly accepted the invitation, feeling more comfortable now that Wesley was around.

"I don't mind if I do," Lindsey replied, feeling up for a challenge.

Lindsey cursed to himself when his ship phone rang. "Excuse me for a moment," he said as he walked away from the couple.

"We can wait," Wesley offered, feeling it would be in his best interest to be act the gentleman at this point.

Lindsey hit the talk button. "McDonald here."

"Hey, I need you to come and give me a hand here," Cordy told him, knowing he was going to be mad.

"Right now? Do I have to come right now?" Lindsey groaned. "I have the red little number here, and I don't want to loose her to the pansy."

"Who's the pansy?" Cordy asked.

"That Wesley fellow," Lindsey complained to his co-worker. "I was really making some lead way here."

"Lindsey, you need to stop trying to make lead ways and find yourself a woman to settle down with and start a family," Cordy told him, all the while laughing.

"You are a true friend, Chase," Lindsey growled sarcastically through the phone. "I'll be there and so help me, you had better have something important to do."

"Oh, I think needing you to help me fix this photo printer problem is very important," Cordy informed him. "Especially since we need to have these pictures ready to give out by the end of the week."

"Like I said, I'll be right there," Lindsey told her, cursing his luck, and praying he'd still have time to have a taste of the strawberry before the cruise was over.

Wesley looked over and noticed that the poor man was very unhappy about whatever he was being told over the phone. He could not help but smile to himself and wonder if there indeed was a God, or some power to make wishes come true.

"What have you been doing to occupy yourself?" Wesley asked, thinking it was a innocent enough question to further investigate the relationship between Willow and Lindsey.

"I was people watching, until Lindsey came over just a few minutes ago," Willow told him, hoping he got the hint that she was not there with Mr. McDonald.

"How do you people watch?" Wesley asked, his heart feeling lighter hearing that she was here on her own, not on a date.

"Well, I pick a person and try and figure out where they’re from," she told him. "Take the lady standing by edge of the pool talking with one of the crew. She looks like she is from Sweden, with her blonde, almost white hair, and pale eyes."

Wesley smiled as he told her who she really was. "She is actually from the United States and her name is Yolanda."

"You know her?" Willow asked, as she looked from the woman back to Wesley.

"Well, I don't know her personally other than she is one of the fans on the cruise that has respected our privacy," Wesley told her.

"Well, I never did say I had gotten my technique perfected, yet," Willow said as she gave him a shy smile.

"Well, when you get it perfected let me know. I will produce your late night look into the stars show and we will become rich," Wesley replied, finding it so easy to joke with her.

"Oh yay, I have found my calling! Willow the Witch. Let me tell you your fortune and offer you spells to help you through life. If you have a rat problem call me, I’ll turn her into a maid or something," Willow giggled, making Wesley laugh right along with her.

"Sorry to interrupt, but duty calls," Lindsey tried very hard to keep the anger out of his voice.

"Sorry to hear that mate," Wesley managed to sound as if he was sorry to hear the man's news.

"Yes, it must be terrible to have to work while on a lovely ship as this one," Willow's sympathy was sincere, but she was happy all the same that he was going to have to leave.

"Hope I can call you later?" Lindsey asked, hoping she’d say yes.

Willow felt pressured to be polite, not wanting to be rude. "Sure, but I'm not sure how much free time I will have."

Wesley noticed how her soft gentle smile appeared forced. He figured she didn't know how to tell the man she was not interested in his attention. "Any where in particular you'd like to eat, my dear?" Wesley asked, to try and avoid Lindsey asking for something more definitive.

Willow looked thoughtful, thinking where she'd like to have lunch. "How about the Horizon Court?"

"Lovely choice," Wesley replied, before he turned toward the other man who was glaring at him. "If you will excuse us then, I feel I'm rather peckish at the moment."

"See you around, Lindsey," Willow said, as she waved goodbye, oblivious to the silent communication between the two men. She took the arm that Wesley offered and allowed him to escort her to lunch.

*******


I promise.....next chapter hint hint......





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