New Beginnings - Chapters 17 & 18
Oct. 11th, 2003 01:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
psubratAuthor: PSUbrat
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Now that the truth is out about William, can Buffy forgive him and herself for their past...
Timeframe: Immediately following "Unforgiven"
Xander and Anya made their way into the Bronze to find a table. Buffy and Dawn were supposed to meet up with them later and fill them in on the new guy. A band was supposed to play tonight so the place was going to be packed; hence the need to get there early and stake their claim. Xander steered Anya towards a table at the back of the room. It was still early enough for Happy Hour so he decided to take full advantage of the "All you can eat" special. After piling his plate high with several items, he returned to the table to hang out until Buffy arrived.
"So do you think they’re talking to the new watcher right now?" He asked Anya with a mouth full of food.
"Probably. Giles had been pretty insistent on not having anyone else there. I couldn’t even total today’s receipts!" She was beside herself not knowing how much cash was in the drawer. She knew she should have counted it as it came in. It wasn’t fair. Silent partner. Right. Silent meant no talking. Instead, whenever he came to town he used the Magic Box as his gathering area; which usually meant she had to shut it down. Hopefully, this would be his last trip to the States.
Xander stopped in mid-chew and looked over at his girlfriend. At the moment he looked like a chipmunk storing it’s food. "An, I’m sure you’ll be able to count your money first thing in the morning." After a few more chews and a swallow he added, "Besides, I’m more concerned about this new guy. I don’t want another Wesley hanging around."
Anya hadn’t heard anything that Xander had just said. She was too busy studying the Asian man that had walked in and taken a seat in one of the chairs to their left. There was something about him...
Buffy began punching the workout bag with quick, forceful jabs. Beating something up, even if it was just a bag, was therapeutic for her. The more she thought about what had just happened in the shop, the more forceful her punches became. She began adding a few kicks along with the jabs.
"So he left us and went to Africa." Punch. "Wanted to get a soul so I would love him." Kick. "Couldn’t write or call could he?" Jab left, jab right. "Just shows up and expects me to accept him being my watcher?" Punch. "Too damn bad." Back kick. Her last kick resulted in the bag being hurled across the training room.
"Guess I’m gonna have to have Xander fix that again," she said with a sigh.
She had been so engrossed in beating up the bag that she hadn’t heard the door open or the approaching footsteps. "Buffy," William said quietly. "We need to talk."
She looked up at him, the tear stains on her cheek evident along with others threatening to spill over at any second. "Spike. William. Whatever. I don’t have anything to say to you."
"No. And that’s quite all right. I have some things that I want to say to you."
Her shoulders slumped and she lowered her head. "Fine." She wasn’t sure she liked this new Spike. He seemed more polished.
"First. I want to apologize for what happened the night I left. I know that saying sorry isn’t going to make up for what I did that night, to you. I’m ashamed that I hurt you."
She could hear his voice catch in his throat when he tried to apologize. One look in his blue eyes told her that he was sincere. But she still had a lot of anger in her. "You’re right. It’s going to take more than an apology to make things right, Spike." She put her hands on her hips and looked down at her feet. She’d better do this before she lost all nerve. She looked up at him determined to get through the next few moments. "What you did to me, what you tried to take from me, was wrong." She hesitated as her mind took her back to that night. "But, I had no right to do the things I did to you. I’m sorry too."
William’s eyes grew large when he realized what she had just said. Had the Slayer actually apologized to him? He tilted his head and looked at her. He took in every contour of her face. She was still just as beautiful as when he left, even more so if that were possible. She wouldn’t make eye contact with him. "Buffy," he said at a loss for words. "Thank you."
She looked up into his amazing blue eyes. She wanted to tell him how she felt. That she had missed him, but before she could say anything, he continued.
"I know that we can never go back to the relationship that we once had. I have no desire to actually. It was too painful, Buffy. I want you to know, that from my end, our relationship will be strictly a working relationship. I hope that at some point, we will be able to be friends." He hesitantly extended his hand and waited for her to shake it.
Buffy was stunned. Had he just admitted that he didn’t want a romantic relationship with her any longer? She looked at his hand and then looked into his eyes. She couldn’t read him. She used to be able to look into his eyes and see how much he loved her. Now there was nothing. She sighed and met his hand with hers. Dawn had been right. His hand was warm. Suddenly she was overwhelmed with her feelings for him. She was so lost in them that she hadn’t even noticed that he was trying to remove his hand from her grip.
"Buffy?" William asked, placing his left hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"
"Huh? Yeah. Sorry," she said, releasing him and nodding her head. "Truce."
William smiled warmly at her. Perhaps they could be friends after all.
Giles watched with interest as Buffy and William wandered into the shop together and sat back down at the table. They had both been in the back room for quite a while. Things seemed to be at least cordial between them. He sighed. He still had his reservations about William being Buffy’s watcher, but he really didn’t have much say in the matter since the decision had been made and the man was now here. He was confident that Buffy would accept this change eventually, but for now he would help to smooth things over. He cleared his throat and stood up while taking his glasses off. "Buffy, Dawn and I have talked at great length about the portal. I believe that I may have an answer for how they appear. However, I’m not quite certain as to the why. William, I’m going to need your help with some research."
William nodded his head, took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. He was getting used to being a researcher. It wasn’t all that different from what he did as a human the first go around.
Buffy was amazed at how eager Spike looked to get to the books. William, she corrected herself. He goes by William now. "Well Dawnie, what say we head over to the Bronze and meet up with Xander and Anya?"
Dawn looked at Giles who nodded to her silently. "Can I invite Steven?" She asked, turning to her sister.
Buffy sighed. "I suppose. But no sucking face, understand?"
Dawn smiled and ran over to the phone to call the teen.
"Uhm, did I just hear right?" William asked. "Who’s this bloke then that my Niblet is calling?"
"Her boyfriend," Buffy said, rolling her eyes.
"What?" He asked incredulously. "Are you daft? She’s too young to be dating. I know what boys that age want. And it’s not just a walk in the park. I..."
Buffy started laughing.
"What? What’s so bleeding funny, Slayer?"
"You! Here you are; the scourge of Europe, all refined and Giles-y like, all worried about a seventeen year old boy." She couldn’t stop laughing.
He was about to say something back to her when Dawn returned to the table. "So Niblet," he said, eyeing her curiously. "What’s this I hear you have a boyfriend?" Dawn blushed and nodded. She was grinning from ear to ear. He didn’t like that look. Not on his young Niblet.
"Wanna come with us?" Dawn asked with a grin.
"Will this Steven be there?" William asked with a frown.
"Uh huh. And it would probably be a good way for us to introduce you to Xander and Anya. Cause the Bronze is a public place. I don’t think Xander would do anything to you there."
"Dawn, I think Giles needs William to help him with research right now," Buffy cautioned.
"Why don’t we all go?" Giles suggested, figuring that nothing would get done this evening anyway. Not with William’s worry about Dawn’s dating habits.
They all looked at Buffy and waited for her response. It probably was best for them to have Xander meet William in public. Xander wouldn’t really be able to make a scene that way. "Fine," she said finally. "Let’s go."
"Right then," William said with a grin. "That’s all settled. Off we go."
The foursome gathered their things and headed out the door into the night.
Gavin sat back in the comfortable chair to take in his surroundings. So, this was the infamous Bronze that he had been briefed on. It didn’t look like much from the outside but it was a different story on the inside. He let his eyes peruse the room. It wasn’t full yet, but it was getting there. It seemed that everyone from town showed up here sooner or later. He noticed a young couple sitting to his right. They seemed to be engrossed in some sort of conversation that he wasn’t privy to. It looked pretty serious and he thought they looked familiar to him.
He took his palm pilot out of his shirt pocket and scanned through the photos that he had downloaded before leaving his office. After the second photo, the right face appeared along with the following information:
He smiled as he stole another glance at the animated couple. "Hello Anya," he said to himself with a grin. And the guy with her must be Xander. It was quite an unusual moniker for Alexander. He also thought it unusual that the two had remained friends despite the halted nupts. He then turned his attention to Xander’s information:
He studied the information closely, looking for something that he could use against the couple at a later date. He slid the handheld back into his pocket and picked up his drink. This was going to be so much fun. Too bad Lilah couldn’t join him. Such a shame.
"Xander," Anya said in a hushed voice, trying to get his attention. "Xander!"
"What?" He was still eating.
"The guy behind us, to our left; there’s something strange about him. Do you recognize him?"
Xander slowly turned his head to check out the man that Anya was referring to... "The Asian dude...?"
"Yes. Him."
He watched while the man slipped something into his breast pocket. He turned back to Anya and shook his head. "Nope. Never saw him before. Maybe he’s new in town."
"Oh," she said enthusiastically. "I should go give him a business card and welcome him to Sunnydale."
"Sure, An. Why don’t you do that?" He picked up another hot wing and was about to devour it when he caught site of Buffy coming into the Bronze. And she wasn’t alone.
They had decided that William would walk behind Giles as much as possible until they got to the table. Once there, Giles and Buffy would flank Xander as Dawn introduced the new Watcher. Buffy hoped that things wouldn’t get out of hand. She hated the thought of maybe having to hit Xander. She found Xander and Anya as soon as the small group entered the Bronze. Xander was waving to her and straining to see who she had brought along. She took a deep breath as they made their final approach to the table.
"Hey Buff," Xander said with a smile. "Bring some party guests with you?"
"Hi Xander," she said, making her way over to his side and putting her arm around him. "Hey Anya."
"Hi Buffy," Anya replied. "Giles. Dawn." From her angle she could see the new Watcher. He looked very familiar. She tilted her head and her eyes grew large as she started to process the information. She looked at Buffy who silenced her by putting her finger to her lips. Anya nodded.
Giles stepped out of the way and quickly made his way over to Xander’s side. "Good evening Xander," he said with a slight smile. The distraction had been enough.
Dawn cleared her throat. "Xander and Anya, I’d like you to meet Buffy’s new watcher..."
"Spike," Xander demanded. "Is that you?" His body tensed. He tried to get out of his seat but Buffy and Giles held him firm. "You son of a ..."
"Spike is dead, Xander," Dawn stated cutting him off. "This is William. William Giles."
Author: PSUbrat
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Buffy's dream takes her to the next level; William begins to settle into his new life as another familiar face comes to town...
Timeframe: The morning after "Truce"
Buffy tossed and turned uneasily in her bed. The dream was consuming her. She wanted to wake up but couldn’t find her way out. It was the same dream she’d had when she fell asleep on the couch. She found herself walking through the desert again, still dressed in white and still barefoot. Spike appeared before her. He looked like he did in the last dream, pair of faded jeans, no shoes and no shirt. "Spike," she whispered. "Why are you here?"
"Haven’t you figured that out yet, Pet?" He asked with sparkling eyes and a smile.
"Figured what out?"
"Why I’m here." He walked over to her and placed his hand on her cheek.
The warmth of his hand on her skin made her weak. "Spike...I..."
"Hush Luv," he said, brushing his lips over her lips. "I’ll never leave you again. Ever."
"Promise?"
"I promise. I love you, Buffy."
She closed her eyes as he touched his forehead to hers. She longed for him to put his arms around her. She needed to say it, to finally get it out in the open. "I love you too, Spike."
Spike sighed and pulled her close to him. She could tell that he had been waiting for her to say these words. To accept him for who he was. She began showering his face with kisses and when their mouths met she swooned. She needed him. Every part of him. Souled or not. Human or not. She was his and he was hers. Finally, she realized that they were meant to be. Every fiber of her being knew this to be true.
She pulled back from the embrace and looked him in the eyes. "I know why you’re here now, Spike. I understand." She was startled when he suddenly vanished from in front of her. She looked around wildly and found herself back in the cave from her pervious dream.
"It’s almost time for us to meet again my dear," the voice said from the shadows.
"You’re dead," she responded harshly.
"You were once too."
"So was I you stupid git," Spike said appearing from out of nowhere, ready to do battle. "Things change." He charged at the voice and the sounds of fighting reached Buffy’s ears.
"Spike no!" Buffy shouted and reached out for him but the cave went deadly silent.
The sound of her own voice was still ringing in her ears as she sat bolt up right in her bed. She was breathing heavily and crying. One look at the clock told her that she needed to get up soon anyway but this wasn’t the way she wanted to wake up. This was the second time she’d had this dream. It was time to take it seriously. She ran her hands through her hair and wiped her face. She then picked up the phone and called Giles at his hotel.
"Buffy what is it?" Giles asked with concern. He had detected a touch of anxiety in her voice.
"I need to talk to you. Right away. I had one of those dreams."
"Buffy, if this is a slayer dream then you must call William, he is, after all, your watcher."
"No Giles. Can’t do that." She sighed heavily and then continued. "He was in the dream only he was Spike or maybe he’s William. I don’t know. But I know it’s a slayer dream. I really need to talk to you."
"Very well. Do you want to meet at the Magic Box?"
"No. I think it’s better if you come here. I need to talk to you about this first."
"Right. I’ll be there as soon as I can."
It was another typical sunny day in Sunnydale. A sleek, black limousine pulled up in front of the new Wolfram and Hart offices. Once it had come to a complete stop in front of the building, Linwood, Lilah and a second man emerged. The second man took a few moments to get reacquainted with his surroundings before he was ushered into the building. It felt strange to be back in Sunnydale after all this time. The thought of returning here had never crossed his mind until Lilah had recruited him. It looked as though nothing had changed. And he had noticed as they passed the high school, that it was being rebuilt. He was sure that the city would have just leveled what was left of the burnt out shell and thrown a concrete slab over it. Amazing.
Once inside the building they rode the elevator up to the second floor. He followed the two attorneys into the conference room where he was asked to take a seat. The room smelled of new woodworking and fresh paint. He glanced out the window and noticed that there was a magic shop across the street. He’d have to check the place out as soon as the leash he was on was loosened.
Ms. Blackwell entered the room and introduced herself as Gavin’s assistant. She instructed them to help themselves to the coffee and the continental breakfast at the back of the room. "Mr. Park will be in momentarily," she said as she closed the door behind her.
Lilah folded her arms and expressed her disapproval at Gavin making them wait. Just who did he think he was? Only senior partners were permitted such a luxury. She looked over to see if Linwood was as perturbed as she was. Unfortunately, he looked unfazed. He was too busy putting jam on a toasted bagel. She rolled her eyes. This was going to be a lot tougher than she had anticipated.
After a few minutes, Gavin entered the room. Lilah was sure that the delay was calculated on his part, but the look on his face upon seeing the second man was well worth her wait.
Buffy paced the living room as she waited for Giles to arrive. She had already sent Dawn off to the Magic Box telling her that she would be along shortly. The longer she waited, the more she paced. And the more she paced, the more agitated she became. She wasn’t sure which to be more upset about, the possibility of the Master rising again or the fact that she might be in love with Spike. They were both frightening thoughts to her for different reasons. The Master had killed her but she had defeated him once, she could do it again, but Spike, that was totally different.
Finally, Giles arrived and they sat down in the living room. He could tell that there was definitely something upsetting her and decided to get straight to the point. "Buffy, why don’t you tell me about your dream?"
She nodded and took a deep breath. "I think the Master is about to party down in Sunnydale again."
"What?" Giles asked incredulously. "Are you quite certain?"
"I’ve had two dreams now. Both dealing with him. And he’s saying stuff like ‘I knew you’d come’ and ‘Soon we’re gonna meet’ blah, blah, blah."
"I realize this is hard on you...but I need more information than that. Can you be more specific?"
"Both times it was the same. In a cave. He’s in the shadows. Waiting. Why do they always have to be in caves?" She mussed.
Giles took his glasses off and sat forward on the couch. "And you’re certain that it’s the Master?"
"Oh yeah. Wouldn’t forget a face like that. Besides, killed me, remember? I think I’d recognize him."
"Right. Now you say that Spike was in your dreams as well?"
At that question she shrank into the chair as if trying to hide from all that needed to be said. She looked at her former watcher. How was she going to tell him about Spike? He wouldn’t understand. How much did he know about what happened between her and Spike this past year? Only one way to find out. "Giles, how much has Spike told you about what went on between us?"
Gavin’s face flushed as he recognized the man sitting in the chair next to Linwood. "What are you doing here? " He demanded, his anger growing more intense.
"Oh," Linwood stated with a mouth full of food. "Didn’t you get my memo?"
Gavin stared at his boss in shock. "What memo?"
Linwood waved to Lilah to do the explaining as he finished enjoying his breakfast. Lilah grinned smugly. "That would be the one announcing the addition of one Wesley Wyndham-Pryce to our group." She waited for the information to sink into Gavin’s brain. Once she felt that sufficient enough time had passed, she went in for the second blow. "Oh, and Gavin? He’ll be working out of this office."
Gavin growled as he glared at Lilah. "Do you really think this is such a great idea, Mr. Linwood? The man can’t be trusted. He’s one of Angel’s closest associates."
"Was," Wesley interrupted. "I was. As in past tense."
"Gavin sit down," Linwood ordered. "The senior partners have made their decision. Besides, who better to be your right hand than one that knows the ins and outs of this place?"
"I assure you Mr. Park," Wesley said in an even tone. "I am completely trustworthy. Ms. Morgan finally convinced me that this is where I belong. After all, where else did I have to go after throwing Connor to the wolves? I’ve betrayed Angel in the worst possible way. You and I both know how Angel is, there’s no coming back from something like that."
"Ah yes, Mr. Wyndham-Pryce," Gavin replied in an angry tone. "Angel’s hatred for you is well known. But you do realize that with Angel in a watery grave, there’s nothing holding you back from reuniting with the others."
"I am well aware of Angel’s present whereabouts. However, there is nothing left for me in L.A."
"Not even Winifred Burkle?" Gavin asked, trying to bait Wesley into admitting he was still one of them.
Linwood and Lilah turned their attentions to Wesley, waiting for his response. "Especially not her," Wesley seethed, tired of playing this game with Gavin. "She is quite happy with Gunn. I am moving on. I suggest you do the same Mr. Park."
Linwood grinned and Lilah smirked while Gavin turned red. "Shall we get started then, Gavin?" She asked as she flashed a smile at Wesley, showing her approval of how he handled the situation.
The four of them then turned their attention to the matter at hand, tonight’s ceremony.
Across the street at the Magic Box, Dawn was dusting while William sat at the table surrounded by several large volumes. "So Willow and Tara knew about you, huh, Spike? I mean, William. Can I just call you Will or something? Cause this William thing is kinda stuffy. Oh. I guess Will is what we call Willow. Can I just call you Spike?"
William looked up from taking notes to see Dawn staring happily at him. "Niblet, I’m sorry if William is too stuffy for you, but it’s my name. It’ll just take time to get used to is all."
She nodded and sat down next to him at the table. "So what’s it like; to be human again? Do you feel all angst-y and remorseful like Angel ‘cause of what you did in the past? Or are you all redeemed and stuff?"
He smiled at her and sighed audibly. She had been asking him questions ever since she had arrived. He needed to let her know, in a nice way, that she was bothering him and that there would be plenty of time to catch up later. Right now, he needed to find out why she could open portals. "Bit, I’m not going anywhere for a long time. No need for the twenty questions. Tell you what. Why don’t we have lunch together and then we can catch up? And I want to know all about this git, Steven, who stood you up last night."
"I told you he called and left a message on the machine," she huffed at him defensively. "He couldn’t make it. His mom was making him go shopping for school stuff. It starts soon you know."
He held his hand up and chuckled. "Okay, okay. I believe you. Don’t get your knickers in a twist. So lunch then?"
"Sounds good. Just you and me?"
"Just the two of us," he said with a yawn.
"Yeah right. If you don’t fall asleep by then. Still jet lagged?"
"No. I’m all caught up on the time difference. I just didn’t sleep well. Had a couple bad dreams. Nothing big."
"Talk about bad dreams. You should talk to Buffy about hers. I could hear her shouting in her sleep this morning. Something about somebody being dead," she said with a shrug. She didn’t notice William’s reaction as she walked away to dust the front of the shop.
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Now that the truth is out about William, can Buffy forgive him and herself for their past...
Timeframe: Immediately following "Unforgiven"
- 17 -
Truce
Truce
Xander and Anya made their way into the Bronze to find a table. Buffy and Dawn were supposed to meet up with them later and fill them in on the new guy. A band was supposed to play tonight so the place was going to be packed; hence the need to get there early and stake their claim. Xander steered Anya towards a table at the back of the room. It was still early enough for Happy Hour so he decided to take full advantage of the "All you can eat" special. After piling his plate high with several items, he returned to the table to hang out until Buffy arrived.
"So do you think they’re talking to the new watcher right now?" He asked Anya with a mouth full of food.
"Probably. Giles had been pretty insistent on not having anyone else there. I couldn’t even total today’s receipts!" She was beside herself not knowing how much cash was in the drawer. She knew she should have counted it as it came in. It wasn’t fair. Silent partner. Right. Silent meant no talking. Instead, whenever he came to town he used the Magic Box as his gathering area; which usually meant she had to shut it down. Hopefully, this would be his last trip to the States.
Xander stopped in mid-chew and looked over at his girlfriend. At the moment he looked like a chipmunk storing it’s food. "An, I’m sure you’ll be able to count your money first thing in the morning." After a few more chews and a swallow he added, "Besides, I’m more concerned about this new guy. I don’t want another Wesley hanging around."
Anya hadn’t heard anything that Xander had just said. She was too busy studying the Asian man that had walked in and taken a seat in one of the chairs to their left. There was something about him...
******
Buffy began punching the workout bag with quick, forceful jabs. Beating something up, even if it was just a bag, was therapeutic for her. The more she thought about what had just happened in the shop, the more forceful her punches became. She began adding a few kicks along with the jabs.
"So he left us and went to Africa." Punch. "Wanted to get a soul so I would love him." Kick. "Couldn’t write or call could he?" Jab left, jab right. "Just shows up and expects me to accept him being my watcher?" Punch. "Too damn bad." Back kick. Her last kick resulted in the bag being hurled across the training room.
"Guess I’m gonna have to have Xander fix that again," she said with a sigh.
She had been so engrossed in beating up the bag that she hadn’t heard the door open or the approaching footsteps. "Buffy," William said quietly. "We need to talk."
She looked up at him, the tear stains on her cheek evident along with others threatening to spill over at any second. "Spike. William. Whatever. I don’t have anything to say to you."
"No. And that’s quite all right. I have some things that I want to say to you."
Her shoulders slumped and she lowered her head. "Fine." She wasn’t sure she liked this new Spike. He seemed more polished.
"First. I want to apologize for what happened the night I left. I know that saying sorry isn’t going to make up for what I did that night, to you. I’m ashamed that I hurt you."
She could hear his voice catch in his throat when he tried to apologize. One look in his blue eyes told her that he was sincere. But she still had a lot of anger in her. "You’re right. It’s going to take more than an apology to make things right, Spike." She put her hands on her hips and looked down at her feet. She’d better do this before she lost all nerve. She looked up at him determined to get through the next few moments. "What you did to me, what you tried to take from me, was wrong." She hesitated as her mind took her back to that night. "But, I had no right to do the things I did to you. I’m sorry too."
William’s eyes grew large when he realized what she had just said. Had the Slayer actually apologized to him? He tilted his head and looked at her. He took in every contour of her face. She was still just as beautiful as when he left, even more so if that were possible. She wouldn’t make eye contact with him. "Buffy," he said at a loss for words. "Thank you."
She looked up into his amazing blue eyes. She wanted to tell him how she felt. That she had missed him, but before she could say anything, he continued.
"I know that we can never go back to the relationship that we once had. I have no desire to actually. It was too painful, Buffy. I want you to know, that from my end, our relationship will be strictly a working relationship. I hope that at some point, we will be able to be friends." He hesitantly extended his hand and waited for her to shake it.
Buffy was stunned. Had he just admitted that he didn’t want a romantic relationship with her any longer? She looked at his hand and then looked into his eyes. She couldn’t read him. She used to be able to look into his eyes and see how much he loved her. Now there was nothing. She sighed and met his hand with hers. Dawn had been right. His hand was warm. Suddenly she was overwhelmed with her feelings for him. She was so lost in them that she hadn’t even noticed that he was trying to remove his hand from her grip.
"Buffy?" William asked, placing his left hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"
"Huh? Yeah. Sorry," she said, releasing him and nodding her head. "Truce."
William smiled warmly at her. Perhaps they could be friends after all.
******
Giles watched with interest as Buffy and William wandered into the shop together and sat back down at the table. They had both been in the back room for quite a while. Things seemed to be at least cordial between them. He sighed. He still had his reservations about William being Buffy’s watcher, but he really didn’t have much say in the matter since the decision had been made and the man was now here. He was confident that Buffy would accept this change eventually, but for now he would help to smooth things over. He cleared his throat and stood up while taking his glasses off. "Buffy, Dawn and I have talked at great length about the portal. I believe that I may have an answer for how they appear. However, I’m not quite certain as to the why. William, I’m going to need your help with some research."
William nodded his head, took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. He was getting used to being a researcher. It wasn’t all that different from what he did as a human the first go around.
Buffy was amazed at how eager Spike looked to get to the books. William, she corrected herself. He goes by William now. "Well Dawnie, what say we head over to the Bronze and meet up with Xander and Anya?"
Dawn looked at Giles who nodded to her silently. "Can I invite Steven?" She asked, turning to her sister.
Buffy sighed. "I suppose. But no sucking face, understand?"
Dawn smiled and ran over to the phone to call the teen.
"Uhm, did I just hear right?" William asked. "Who’s this bloke then that my Niblet is calling?"
"Her boyfriend," Buffy said, rolling her eyes.
"What?" He asked incredulously. "Are you daft? She’s too young to be dating. I know what boys that age want. And it’s not just a walk in the park. I..."
Buffy started laughing.
"What? What’s so bleeding funny, Slayer?"
"You! Here you are; the scourge of Europe, all refined and Giles-y like, all worried about a seventeen year old boy." She couldn’t stop laughing.
He was about to say something back to her when Dawn returned to the table. "So Niblet," he said, eyeing her curiously. "What’s this I hear you have a boyfriend?" Dawn blushed and nodded. She was grinning from ear to ear. He didn’t like that look. Not on his young Niblet.
"Wanna come with us?" Dawn asked with a grin.
"Will this Steven be there?" William asked with a frown.
"Uh huh. And it would probably be a good way for us to introduce you to Xander and Anya. Cause the Bronze is a public place. I don’t think Xander would do anything to you there."
"Dawn, I think Giles needs William to help him with research right now," Buffy cautioned.
"Why don’t we all go?" Giles suggested, figuring that nothing would get done this evening anyway. Not with William’s worry about Dawn’s dating habits.
They all looked at Buffy and waited for her response. It probably was best for them to have Xander meet William in public. Xander wouldn’t really be able to make a scene that way. "Fine," she said finally. "Let’s go."
"Right then," William said with a grin. "That’s all settled. Off we go."
The foursome gathered their things and headed out the door into the night.
******
Gavin sat back in the comfortable chair to take in his surroundings. So, this was the infamous Bronze that he had been briefed on. It didn’t look like much from the outside but it was a different story on the inside. He let his eyes peruse the room. It wasn’t full yet, but it was getting there. It seemed that everyone from town showed up here sooner or later. He noticed a young couple sitting to his right. They seemed to be engrossed in some sort of conversation that he wasn’t privy to. It looked pretty serious and he thought they looked familiar to him.
He took his palm pilot out of his shirt pocket and scanned through the photos that he had downloaded before leaving his office. After the second photo, the right face appeared along with the following information:
Name: Anyanka. AKA Anya Jenkins
Age: Unknown
Occupation: Part owner of the Magic Box and a Vengeance demon
General Information: Part of the ‘Scooby Gang’. Became human in 1998 after a wish gone wrong. Once engaged to Alexander LaVelle Harris (AKA Xander). Left at altar by said fiancé in 2002 and returned to her demon roots. Loves money.
He smiled as he stole another glance at the animated couple. "Hello Anya," he said to himself with a grin. And the guy with her must be Xander. It was quite an unusual moniker for Alexander. He also thought it unusual that the two had remained friends despite the halted nupts. He then turned his attention to Xander’s information:
Name: Alexander LaVelle Harris. AKA Xander.
Age: 21
Occupation: Construction site foreman.
General Information: Part of the core group of the ‘Scoobies’. Once romantically involved with Cordelia Chase. Former fiancé of Anya Jenkins (AKA Anyanka). Unhappy childhood due to alcoholic parents. Probably the weakest link.
He studied the information closely, looking for something that he could use against the couple at a later date. He slid the handheld back into his pocket and picked up his drink. This was going to be so much fun. Too bad Lilah couldn’t join him. Such a shame.
******
"Xander," Anya said in a hushed voice, trying to get his attention. "Xander!"
"What?" He was still eating.
"The guy behind us, to our left; there’s something strange about him. Do you recognize him?"
Xander slowly turned his head to check out the man that Anya was referring to... "The Asian dude...?"
"Yes. Him."
He watched while the man slipped something into his breast pocket. He turned back to Anya and shook his head. "Nope. Never saw him before. Maybe he’s new in town."
"Oh," she said enthusiastically. "I should go give him a business card and welcome him to Sunnydale."
"Sure, An. Why don’t you do that?" He picked up another hot wing and was about to devour it when he caught site of Buffy coming into the Bronze. And she wasn’t alone.
******
They had decided that William would walk behind Giles as much as possible until they got to the table. Once there, Giles and Buffy would flank Xander as Dawn introduced the new Watcher. Buffy hoped that things wouldn’t get out of hand. She hated the thought of maybe having to hit Xander. She found Xander and Anya as soon as the small group entered the Bronze. Xander was waving to her and straining to see who she had brought along. She took a deep breath as they made their final approach to the table.
"Hey Buff," Xander said with a smile. "Bring some party guests with you?"
"Hi Xander," she said, making her way over to his side and putting her arm around him. "Hey Anya."
"Hi Buffy," Anya replied. "Giles. Dawn." From her angle she could see the new Watcher. He looked very familiar. She tilted her head and her eyes grew large as she started to process the information. She looked at Buffy who silenced her by putting her finger to her lips. Anya nodded.
Giles stepped out of the way and quickly made his way over to Xander’s side. "Good evening Xander," he said with a slight smile. The distraction had been enough.
Dawn cleared her throat. "Xander and Anya, I’d like you to meet Buffy’s new watcher..."
"Spike," Xander demanded. "Is that you?" His body tensed. He tried to get out of his seat but Buffy and Giles held him firm. "You son of a ..."
"Spike is dead, Xander," Dawn stated cutting him off. "This is William. William Giles."
Author: PSUbrat
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Buffy's dream takes her to the next level; William begins to settle into his new life as another familiar face comes to town...
Timeframe: The morning after "Truce"
- 18 -
Bound By Dreams
Bound By Dreams
Buffy tossed and turned uneasily in her bed. The dream was consuming her. She wanted to wake up but couldn’t find her way out. It was the same dream she’d had when she fell asleep on the couch. She found herself walking through the desert again, still dressed in white and still barefoot. Spike appeared before her. He looked like he did in the last dream, pair of faded jeans, no shoes and no shirt. "Spike," she whispered. "Why are you here?"
"Haven’t you figured that out yet, Pet?" He asked with sparkling eyes and a smile.
"Figured what out?"
"Why I’m here." He walked over to her and placed his hand on her cheek.
The warmth of his hand on her skin made her weak. "Spike...I..."
"Hush Luv," he said, brushing his lips over her lips. "I’ll never leave you again. Ever."
"Promise?"
"I promise. I love you, Buffy."
She closed her eyes as he touched his forehead to hers. She longed for him to put his arms around her. She needed to say it, to finally get it out in the open. "I love you too, Spike."
Spike sighed and pulled her close to him. She could tell that he had been waiting for her to say these words. To accept him for who he was. She began showering his face with kisses and when their mouths met she swooned. She needed him. Every part of him. Souled or not. Human or not. She was his and he was hers. Finally, she realized that they were meant to be. Every fiber of her being knew this to be true.
She pulled back from the embrace and looked him in the eyes. "I know why you’re here now, Spike. I understand." She was startled when he suddenly vanished from in front of her. She looked around wildly and found herself back in the cave from her pervious dream.
"It’s almost time for us to meet again my dear," the voice said from the shadows.
"You’re dead," she responded harshly.
"You were once too."
"So was I you stupid git," Spike said appearing from out of nowhere, ready to do battle. "Things change." He charged at the voice and the sounds of fighting reached Buffy’s ears.
"Spike no!" Buffy shouted and reached out for him but the cave went deadly silent.
******
The sound of her own voice was still ringing in her ears as she sat bolt up right in her bed. She was breathing heavily and crying. One look at the clock told her that she needed to get up soon anyway but this wasn’t the way she wanted to wake up. This was the second time she’d had this dream. It was time to take it seriously. She ran her hands through her hair and wiped her face. She then picked up the phone and called Giles at his hotel.
"Buffy what is it?" Giles asked with concern. He had detected a touch of anxiety in her voice.
"I need to talk to you. Right away. I had one of those dreams."
"Buffy, if this is a slayer dream then you must call William, he is, after all, your watcher."
"No Giles. Can’t do that." She sighed heavily and then continued. "He was in the dream only he was Spike or maybe he’s William. I don’t know. But I know it’s a slayer dream. I really need to talk to you."
"Very well. Do you want to meet at the Magic Box?"
"No. I think it’s better if you come here. I need to talk to you about this first."
"Right. I’ll be there as soon as I can."
******
It was another typical sunny day in Sunnydale. A sleek, black limousine pulled up in front of the new Wolfram and Hart offices. Once it had come to a complete stop in front of the building, Linwood, Lilah and a second man emerged. The second man took a few moments to get reacquainted with his surroundings before he was ushered into the building. It felt strange to be back in Sunnydale after all this time. The thought of returning here had never crossed his mind until Lilah had recruited him. It looked as though nothing had changed. And he had noticed as they passed the high school, that it was being rebuilt. He was sure that the city would have just leveled what was left of the burnt out shell and thrown a concrete slab over it. Amazing.
Once inside the building they rode the elevator up to the second floor. He followed the two attorneys into the conference room where he was asked to take a seat. The room smelled of new woodworking and fresh paint. He glanced out the window and noticed that there was a magic shop across the street. He’d have to check the place out as soon as the leash he was on was loosened.
Ms. Blackwell entered the room and introduced herself as Gavin’s assistant. She instructed them to help themselves to the coffee and the continental breakfast at the back of the room. "Mr. Park will be in momentarily," she said as she closed the door behind her.
Lilah folded her arms and expressed her disapproval at Gavin making them wait. Just who did he think he was? Only senior partners were permitted such a luxury. She looked over to see if Linwood was as perturbed as she was. Unfortunately, he looked unfazed. He was too busy putting jam on a toasted bagel. She rolled her eyes. This was going to be a lot tougher than she had anticipated.
After a few minutes, Gavin entered the room. Lilah was sure that the delay was calculated on his part, but the look on his face upon seeing the second man was well worth her wait.
******
Buffy paced the living room as she waited for Giles to arrive. She had already sent Dawn off to the Magic Box telling her that she would be along shortly. The longer she waited, the more she paced. And the more she paced, the more agitated she became. She wasn’t sure which to be more upset about, the possibility of the Master rising again or the fact that she might be in love with Spike. They were both frightening thoughts to her for different reasons. The Master had killed her but she had defeated him once, she could do it again, but Spike, that was totally different.
Finally, Giles arrived and they sat down in the living room. He could tell that there was definitely something upsetting her and decided to get straight to the point. "Buffy, why don’t you tell me about your dream?"
She nodded and took a deep breath. "I think the Master is about to party down in Sunnydale again."
"What?" Giles asked incredulously. "Are you quite certain?"
"I’ve had two dreams now. Both dealing with him. And he’s saying stuff like ‘I knew you’d come’ and ‘Soon we’re gonna meet’ blah, blah, blah."
"I realize this is hard on you...but I need more information than that. Can you be more specific?"
"Both times it was the same. In a cave. He’s in the shadows. Waiting. Why do they always have to be in caves?" She mussed.
Giles took his glasses off and sat forward on the couch. "And you’re certain that it’s the Master?"
"Oh yeah. Wouldn’t forget a face like that. Besides, killed me, remember? I think I’d recognize him."
"Right. Now you say that Spike was in your dreams as well?"
At that question she shrank into the chair as if trying to hide from all that needed to be said. She looked at her former watcher. How was she going to tell him about Spike? He wouldn’t understand. How much did he know about what happened between her and Spike this past year? Only one way to find out. "Giles, how much has Spike told you about what went on between us?"
******
Gavin’s face flushed as he recognized the man sitting in the chair next to Linwood. "What are you doing here? " He demanded, his anger growing more intense.
"Oh," Linwood stated with a mouth full of food. "Didn’t you get my memo?"
Gavin stared at his boss in shock. "What memo?"
Linwood waved to Lilah to do the explaining as he finished enjoying his breakfast. Lilah grinned smugly. "That would be the one announcing the addition of one Wesley Wyndham-Pryce to our group." She waited for the information to sink into Gavin’s brain. Once she felt that sufficient enough time had passed, she went in for the second blow. "Oh, and Gavin? He’ll be working out of this office."
Gavin growled as he glared at Lilah. "Do you really think this is such a great idea, Mr. Linwood? The man can’t be trusted. He’s one of Angel’s closest associates."
"Was," Wesley interrupted. "I was. As in past tense."
"Gavin sit down," Linwood ordered. "The senior partners have made their decision. Besides, who better to be your right hand than one that knows the ins and outs of this place?"
"I assure you Mr. Park," Wesley said in an even tone. "I am completely trustworthy. Ms. Morgan finally convinced me that this is where I belong. After all, where else did I have to go after throwing Connor to the wolves? I’ve betrayed Angel in the worst possible way. You and I both know how Angel is, there’s no coming back from something like that."
"Ah yes, Mr. Wyndham-Pryce," Gavin replied in an angry tone. "Angel’s hatred for you is well known. But you do realize that with Angel in a watery grave, there’s nothing holding you back from reuniting with the others."
"I am well aware of Angel’s present whereabouts. However, there is nothing left for me in L.A."
"Not even Winifred Burkle?" Gavin asked, trying to bait Wesley into admitting he was still one of them.
Linwood and Lilah turned their attentions to Wesley, waiting for his response. "Especially not her," Wesley seethed, tired of playing this game with Gavin. "She is quite happy with Gunn. I am moving on. I suggest you do the same Mr. Park."
Linwood grinned and Lilah smirked while Gavin turned red. "Shall we get started then, Gavin?" She asked as she flashed a smile at Wesley, showing her approval of how he handled the situation.
The four of them then turned their attention to the matter at hand, tonight’s ceremony.
******
Across the street at the Magic Box, Dawn was dusting while William sat at the table surrounded by several large volumes. "So Willow and Tara knew about you, huh, Spike? I mean, William. Can I just call you Will or something? Cause this William thing is kinda stuffy. Oh. I guess Will is what we call Willow. Can I just call you Spike?"
William looked up from taking notes to see Dawn staring happily at him. "Niblet, I’m sorry if William is too stuffy for you, but it’s my name. It’ll just take time to get used to is all."
She nodded and sat down next to him at the table. "So what’s it like; to be human again? Do you feel all angst-y and remorseful like Angel ‘cause of what you did in the past? Or are you all redeemed and stuff?"
He smiled at her and sighed audibly. She had been asking him questions ever since she had arrived. He needed to let her know, in a nice way, that she was bothering him and that there would be plenty of time to catch up later. Right now, he needed to find out why she could open portals. "Bit, I’m not going anywhere for a long time. No need for the twenty questions. Tell you what. Why don’t we have lunch together and then we can catch up? And I want to know all about this git, Steven, who stood you up last night."
"I told you he called and left a message on the machine," she huffed at him defensively. "He couldn’t make it. His mom was making him go shopping for school stuff. It starts soon you know."
He held his hand up and chuckled. "Okay, okay. I believe you. Don’t get your knickers in a twist. So lunch then?"
"Sounds good. Just you and me?"
"Just the two of us," he said with a yawn.
"Yeah right. If you don’t fall asleep by then. Still jet lagged?"
"No. I’m all caught up on the time difference. I just didn’t sleep well. Had a couple bad dreams. Nothing big."
"Talk about bad dreams. You should talk to Buffy about hers. I could hear her shouting in her sleep this morning. Something about somebody being dead," she said with a shrug. She didn’t notice William’s reaction as she walked away to dust the front of the shop.
