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Chapter One


William hefted his heavy bag onto his shoulder, looking around the quiet streets of Sunnydale before crossing the road. Warm smiles were thrown his way as he made his way to the diner across the street from the bus station.



Buffy glanced up as she heard the bell above the door and her eyes widened when she saw him. Her breath caught in her throat as the bluest eyes she had ever seen landed on her and she felt her face heat up as she blushed. He flashed her a smile before he turned and walked to a booth and sat, the small gesture completely paralyzing her.



"Um, you gonna actually hit that cup or just pour the coffee all over the counter?" Willow asked, smiling at Buffy's zoned-out state.



Buffy gasped softly, Willow's voice snapping her out of her thoughts of the stranger before sitting the coffee pot down and wiping the counter where she had absentmindedly poured almost an entire pot of coffee out.



"Sorry Wills," Buffy said, glancing up at her friend before smiling at her. "Wasn't paying attention."



"You don't say?" Willow joked, looking over at the blonde who had caught Buffy's attention. "He is kinda cute."



"Who?" Buffy asked, looking at Willow out of the corner of her eye before returning to her task.



Willow giggled softly, shaking her head before grabbing a towel and helping Buffy clean up the mess she made. "Soldier number fifty-seven, that's who."



"Fifty-seven?" Buffy asked, confusedly, sparing a glance at the man sitting in the corner in army greens.



"Yeah, or is he number fifty-eight?" Willow asked, stopping and looking toward the ceiling as she thought. "I can't keep count of them anymore."



"Oh, I haven't noticed," Buffy said quietly, her cheeks flushing again as she looked up and found the young man looking at her again.



"Yeah, well maybe you haven't noticed but our newest soldier sure has noticed you," Willow said, grinning. "And if I'm not mistaken, he's sitting in your section."



Buffy felt the butterflies start to swim in her stomach as she looked up at him again. Soldiers came through town daily and most of them ended up in the diner her mother owned as they waited on the bus to L.A. But none of them had ever paid her any attention and the fact that this one did made her fifteen year old heart flutter in her chest.



"Well, are you going to go take his order or what?" Willow asked as they finished cleaning the coffee from the counter.



"Um, yeah," Buffy said quietly before turning and grabbing a fresh coffee pot and starting around the counter.



William saw her coming out of the corner of his eye and he looked up as she started for his table. She was a tiny little thing with long blonde hair pulled up into a tight ponytail and held in place with a thin red bow. He smiled as she approached him, her bright green eyes avoiding him as she made her way over.



He had never been able to talk to girls and now that this beautiful creature was walking toward him, he was sure he would stick his foot in his mouth just like he seemed to do every other time he came face to face with the opposite sex.



"Hi, coffee?" Buffy asked shyly, trying not to stare as she stopped by his table.



"Yeah, that'd be great," William said, smiling as he looked up at her. His smile widened as he saw her cheeks turn slightly pink and her hand shake as she reached for the cup on his table and turned it over before pouring the black liquid to the brim.



"So, have you decided what you want?" Buffy asked, sitting the coffee pot on the table and grabbing the ticket book from her apron pocket.



"Um, the special is fine," William said as he looked up at her. She was avoiding all eye contact with him and William was amazed to see someone more nervous than he usually was.



Buffy wrote down his order before picking the coffee pot back up and pocketing the ticket book. "It'll be out in a few," she said softly, finally looking over at him and freezing again as the same crystal blue eyes which had caught her attention seemed to draw her into his gaze.



She smiled shyly at him before turning quickly and hurrying back to the counter and placing the coffee pot down with a shaky hand. "Okay, please tell me he's not looking over here," she asked Willow quietly as she tore his order from the ticket book and hung it up for the cook.



Willow looked over to the corner, smiling briefly before turning back to Buffy. "He's not looking over here," she said, grabbing the two plates the cook sat up on the bar.



"Oh, he's not?" Buffy asked, somewhat disappointed.



"Actually he is, but you said to tell you he wasn't," Willow said before laughing softly and turning to deliver her orders.



Buffy's face lit up and the smile which graced her face almost hurt. She barely heard her mother's voice as she called her name and as she looked up, she could see a tiny smile covering her mother's face.



"You know there are other customers here Buffy," Joyce said before looking over to the corner to the young man that she assumed had made her daughter a walking zombie.



"Yeah, I'm on it," Buffy said with a smile she knew would be permanent.



William watched her as she walked from table to table. She was smiling and talking to everyone and the longer he watched her the more he wanted to know about her.



Buffy turned when she heard the bell signaling another order was up and she quickly walked back to the counter. She felt her heart skip a beat when she saw it was "his" order and the smile she was wearing only brightened.



"I swear if you don't talk to him I'm not going to be your best friend anymore," Willow said giggling.



"It won't do any good Wills; he's obviously way older than me."



"So, he's also leaving," Willow said as she grabbed her next orders. "It's not like your planning a wedding, just talking."



"I know, but.."



"But nothing," Willow said. "He may not even come back, no harm in flashing him a warm smile and doing a little flirting."



"Flirting?" Buffy asked with wide eyes. "You do know we're talking about me, right?"



"Yes and I have every confidence in you."



"What if he thinks I'm just some stupid kid?"



"Then he wouldn't have been checking you out like he's been doing."



"You think so?" Buffy asked, smiling.



"I know so," Willow told her as she turned. "Now get over there and make that soldier a happy man before they ship him off to Vietnam."



"Okay, I can do this," Buffy said quietly to herself, taking a deep breath and grabbing his plate and the coffee pot before trying to tone down the huge smile on her face as she turned to face him.



She didn't know why he made her so nervous. Soldiers came through town all the time and although many of them were cute, not a one had ever caught her attention like this one. She assumed it had something to do with the piercing blue eyes which seemed to drink her in every time he looked at her, or maybe it was the sharp angle of his cheekbones that seemed to define his face.



She took a shaky breath in as she reached his table and laid his plate in front of him before refilling his coffee cup. "There you go; one house special."



"Thanks luv," William said, glancing up at her and smiling as she blushed again.



"You're welcome," Buffy said, finally looking at him and smiling back. "Um, I'm Buffy, if you need anything."



William smiled back at her relieved she had said something he could at least work with. "William Bennett," he said, his smile widening as she seemed to blush a slight pink again.



"So, um, heading for L.A.?" Buffy asked, trying to think of anything to talk about.



"Yeah," William told her as he looked up at her. "I'll be there for a few weeks before they ship me out."



Buffy shook her head at his statement. It was the same as all the others. They all went to L.A. then on to Vietnam. "Well, I'll let you eat before it gets cold," she said before smiling again and turning to leave. "If you need anything, just let me know."



William didn't know what possessed him to do it, but before his brain could even comprehend what it was doing, his hand reached out and grabbed her arm. "Can you stay?" He asked quietly as Buffy turned to look at him. "Just to talk?"



Buffy's smile once again returned as she turned to face him. He was looking at her with hope-filled eyes and she saw a fear in his face which almost broke her heart. "Um, I get off in about an hour; I know somewhere we could go," she said quietly, hoping she wasn't making a fool out of herself.



William let out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding in before a smile curved his lips. "That would be nice," he said before reluctantly letting go of her.



"Yeah," Buffy said smiling as the butterflies once again took flight and she felt her face flush. "Well, um, enjoy your breakfast."



William smiled back at her as she once again walked back to the counter. He stared down at the food on his plate before picking up his fork. One more glance at the counter had his stomach turning flips as the small blonde turned shyly away from him with a smile on her face which matched his own.




Chapter Two



Buffy didn't know what had possessed her to offer William a tour of the small town, but here she was, strolling through the streets of Sunnydale with a complete stranger. Nothing had been said between the two other than the occasional, "this is the only movie theater in town and here's the park" and as time went on, Buffy realized that William was as nervous as she was by his silence.



The fact that he wasn't talking and seemed to be throwing her the same tiny glances that she was throwing at him made it a little easier as they headed away from town and toward the docks. The sounds of the ocean as it crashed along the shore gave a break to the silence that surrounded them. As they reached the pier, the salty sea breeze blew softly, whistling as it swam across the sand.



"And this is as far as we can go, unless you're a really good swimmer," Buffy said, smiling shyly as she glanced over at William.



"I'm a fair swimmer, but not sure I'd be able to swim long enough to catch the next attraction though," William said smiling.



Buffy giggled slightly as they both ventured out onto the pier. "Well, me and water aren't mixy things," she said, smiling. "I actually drowned last summer," she said, looking over at him.



"You drowned?" William asked, surprised.



"Yeah, actually dead," Buffy told him. "If Xander hadn't been there, I guess I wouldn't be here today."



"Xander? He your boyfriend?" William asked, smiling as Buffy turned bright pink and started to laugh.



"God no!" She said, laughing harder. "Xander is just a friend and besides, Buffy and boys are another very un-mixy thing."



"Well, I find that hard to believe," William said softly as they stopped and he leaned on the railing. "Pretty girl like you is bound to have boys lined up around the block."



"Only in my dreams," Buffy told him, her laughter coming harder as she looked out over the ocean. "And besides, my mom would probably go into cardiac arrest if I started talking about dating. She's still under the delusion that I'm ten and need to be protected from such evils," she said, still laughing slightly.



"You don't date?" William asked, surprised.



Another giggle escaped Buffy before she looked over at William. "No, `fraid not. Mom said not until I'm sixteen."



Buffy's smile widened and William's eyes seemed to go wide before he smiled at her.



"Well, just how old are you?"



"Fifteen," Buffy told him. "My birthday's not until January, so I have four more months until I'll officially be `on the market,'" she said giggling again.



"Huh, well I'd have never guessed that," William said, slightly disappointed.



"Really?" Buffy asked, her smile widening as she looked at him.



"Well, yeah. You look much older than fifteen."



Buffy felt the familiar heat once again return to her cheeks before she looked back out across the ocean. She could see William still staring at her out of the corner of her eye and the butterflies that had been swimming in her stomach seemed to start doing flip flops as she realized he thought she was older than she actually was.



"So, um, what about you?" Buffy asked, turning her head to look at him. "How old are you?"



"Eighteen," William told her, still stunned at her revelation. "Just barely though. Graduated high school, turned eighteen and was drafted two days later."



"Wow, some present huh?" Buffy said, softly, looking at him.



"Yeah," William said, laughing. "But at least I have somewhere to go now," he said sadly as he looked out over the ocean.



"What do you mean?"



William glanced back over at Buffy, seeing the tiny smile on her face, and he couldn't explain why, but he felt like he could tell her anything. "I've spent the last three years living in a home. Eighteen is the cut off. Would have been out on the streets if it hadn't been for the draft."





"Oh," Buffy said, softly, her smile fading away. "Where are your parents?"



William gave her a tiny smile, his eyes once again riveted to the ocean. "They're both gone," he said, quietly, glancing at her briefly. "Mum passed away `bout five years ago and Dad and I moved back here to the states. He couldn't stand living in England if she weren't there."



"And your Dad?" Buffy asked.



"Killed in a car wreck." William said. "No other family to speak of. Mum was an only child as was Dad, so I was a ward of the state until my eighteenth birthday."



Buffy had so many questions running through her mind, but was too afraid to ask them. She wasn't sure how much he would be willing to tell her or how much she should ask. The smile William gave her as he looked over at her and turned his body toward her reassured her, as he seemed to relax some.



"Go ahead pet, ask away," William said, smiling, almost seeing the wheels turn in her head.



Buffy smiled back at him, turning and leaning against the railing before looking back over at him. "Well, I guess the main thing is, how did you even get drafted? You're obviously not a local," she said, referring to his accent.



William laughed softly before turning and leaning back against the rail and crossing his arms over his chest. "Well I was born in New York, so I am an official citizen. Mum and Dad meet there in college, married and had me. Mum was from England and they moved there when I was two."



"Okay, accent explained," Buffy said, her smile widening as she looked over at William and saw the smile that was directed at her.



"Don't think it makes me sound like a complete ponce then?" William asked with a soft chuckle.



Buffy grinned, shaking her head. "No, I actually like it, although I have no clue what a `ponce' is."



William laughed louder at that before spotting a bench in the center of the pier. Motioning Buffy forward, they both took a seat, their eyes once again settling on the ocean.



"So, tell me about yourself," William said, "Was that your Mum in the diner?"



"Yeah," Buffy said brightly. "She's really great. When Dad left, the diner was the only thing she got in the divorce settlement, other than me," she said, grinning. "I work there on weekends and during the summer to help out."



"It does good business then?" William asked, turning slightly to look at her.



"Yeah, especially now. Soldiers come through town almost daily and being right across the street from the bus station helps."



"Suppose it does," William said, smiling. "Never even heard of this little town before today. Guess it was a lucky break having to switch buses."



"Yeah, most of them do, the soldiers I mean."



William shook his head slightly, watching her as she looked out over the ocean. He smiled as she turned to him, the slight pink tint once again staining her cheeks before she smiled and looked back out over the ocean. He couldn't explain it, but she was the first girl he had ever been around that he was able to talk to and not stutter like an idiot. He felt completely relaxed around her. He wasn't sure if it was her age or just her. Whatever it was, he was sorry it would be over in a few hours.





~*~*~*~*~*~





Buffy and William talked and laughed as they headed back into town. They were both completely comfortable with the other and the silence that had hung around them in the beginning was now completely gone. It felt almost as if they had known each other forever.



As they rounded the corner and the bus station came back into view, both their hearts felt the same tiny pain at the fact that this was it, the end of something that each wanted more of. As the small line of soldiers came into view, William slowed his steps.



"Buffy, can I ask you something?"



"Sure, what is it?" Buffy said, smiling as she stopped and looked at William.



William finally felt the same twinge of fear creep back up his spine as he looked at her before smiling and looking away briefly. Straightening his shoulders, he smiled as he looked back over at her. "Well, I was wondering, um, if you would mind if I wrote to you," he said shyly. "I mean, it's okay if you'd rather me not, it's just having no family."



"I'd like that," Buffy said, smiling, cutting William off as he started to ramble.



William sighed heavily, then looked down at Buffy and saw the bright smile she was giving him. If she wasn't so young, he could have kissed her right then. Being thousands of miles away from any resemblance of home was going to be bad enough, but to be there and know that there wasn't a single person outside of himself that cared, made it that much more difficult.



Reaching down, William grabbed Buffy's hand, lifting it and placing a soft kiss on the back of it before smiling. "Thanks luv, means a lot to me," he said softly.



Buffy's breathing was steadily increasing as she finally got her brain to stop screaming after William had kissed her hand. She had never even held a boy's hand, and now this gorgeous guy had not only held her hand, but he kissed it. Her adolescent mind was in overdrive as all the romantic movies she had ever been allowed to see played again for her and she felt herself getting weak-kneed as she looked up at him.



William could see her eyes daze over slightly and he smiled at her before looking back over at the other soldiers that had gathered for the bus. Looking down at the hand that he still held, William linked their fingers together, gave Buffy's hand a little squeeze and turned them back toward the bus station.



Buffy was alternating between looking at William, their linked hands and at the people they were passing. She knew the smile on her face was enormous and probably a little on the goofy side, but at the moment, she couldn't care less. Because at this moment, Buffy felt as if she knew what it felt like to be "someone's girl."



William led them into the bus station and toward the lockers he had stashed his duffle in. A glance at the clock told him their time was running out. Glancing back over at Buffy, and seeing the smile on her face, he couldn't hide his own, or the feeling he got that this felt "right." Even though she was only fifteen, he could completely see himself falling head over heels in love with this girl and although he had never had a girlfriend, he felt as if he finally knew what it would feel like to have one.



Buffy's smile fell away briefly as William dropped her hand and opened the locker his duffle was stored in. She glanced at the clock and felt her heart skip a beat when she saw the time. It was almost over. He was leaving. She had just found him and now, he was leaving.



As the announcement came over the loud speaker that the bus for L.A. had arrived, Buffy began to panic. How could she do this? Why had she agreed to spend the day with him? What if he left and never made it back?



"Buffy? Did you hear me?" William asked, concern clouding his face as he looked at her.



"Huh," Buffy said, finally looking up at him. "What did you say?"



"Is everything okay?" William asked, taking a step closer to her.



"Yeah, I'm fine," Buffy lied as she smiled big. "Just kinda got lost in my thoughts."



William shook his head, sighing heavily as the small crowd of people outside moved toward the bus. "Well, I guess this is it then," he said, smiling.



"Yeah, I guess so." Buffy said, looking up at him and seeing the fear in his eyes as he stared at the bus. "Are you scared?" She asked him softly.



"Yeah," William finally said, softly, never looking away from the bus. "I am."



Buffy just stared at him. She knew there was nothing she could say that would make things better. He was going off to war and the possibility of him returning was slim at best.



Reaching up, Buffy unclasped her necklace as William finally turned back around to face her. She smiled as she hooked the small gold chain back and grabbing William's hand, she opened his hand and laid the necklace in his palm.



"To keep you safe," she said, tears stinging her eyes as she looked back up at him.



William looked down at the small gold cross necklace that lay in his hand and he took a deep breath, blinking quickly and forcing the tears back that were threatening to spill as he clutched the necklace in his fist. He swallowed heavily, trying to get the knot in his throat to clear so he could speak, but every time he opened his mouth, he knew it would be impossible to say a word.



Buffy smiled, grabbing his hand and linking her fingers in his before turning and leading them back outside. The scene in front of the bus station was one Buffy wished she never had to witness. Loved ones were saying goodbye to sons and fathers and as the heartbreaking sobs of those around her finally pierced her heart, the tears for a man she barely even knew finally found their way down her cheeks.



As William's grip on her hand tightened, Buffy stopped and turned to him. She smiled, looking up at him and without much thought, she threw her arms around his neck.



William closed his eyes as his arms wrapped around Buffy's waist. He held on to her tightly, lowering his head and taking in the light vanilla scent that surrounded her. He never wanted to let go. She was the only thing that seemed real to him in more years than he could remember and as he held onto her, he felt as if he were drowning in her.



"Last call!" The bus driver yelled before the young men gathered started to step up on the bus. The crying of mothers grew steadily louder and Buffy reluctantly pulled away from William, smiling as she faced him.



"Do you have a pen?" She asked, wiping away a few stray tears that still rolled down her cheeks.



"A pen?" William asked, looking at her with confusion.



"Yeah, hard to write me if you don't know where to send the letters," she said, giggling.



"Oh," William said, smiling before grabbing his duffle and opening it.



Buffy watched as he fumbled around inside his bag before producing a pen and an envelope for her to write on. She smiled as she scribbled her name and address down for him before handing it back. "Now don't make me wait to long to hear from you, okay?" She said, smiling.



"I won't," William said, reading what she had wrote before looking back over at the bus. "Well, guess I better go then."



"Yeah," Buffy said sadly as she watched him. "Take care."



"Will do luv," William said, smiling and giving her a wink. "I'll see ya around, Buffy Summers."



Buffy watched as he took a few steps backwards, his eyes locked on her before he smiled one last time and turned. She watched him walk away and her earlier panic returned. As he reached the bus, she was running toward him.



"William!"



William turned quickly, hearing Buffy yell his name and before a word could be said she was in his arms again.



"I'll miss you," Buffy said quickly, hugging him tight.



"I'll miss you too," William said, smiling.



Buffy pulled back, smiling big at him before leaning forward and kissing him. It wasn't a storybook kiss or any earth-shattering kiss, but it was theirs. Comfort given and received and as she pulled away, she gave him one last smile before she turned and ran.



William watched her as she ran down the street and around the corner. His heart was breaking and rejoicing all at the same time. As a single tear finally fell from his eye, William smiled before turning and climbing on the bus.



Buffy watched from the corner as the door on the bus closed and the bus started to pull away. Her smile was gone and her tears fell silently. "Be safe William, I'll be waiting for you."





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