ONE NORMAL LIFE / TWO EXTRAORDINARY LIVES
folder
BtVS AU/AR › Het - Male/Female › Buffy/Spike(William)
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
210
Views:
11,328
Reviews:
182
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
BtVS AU/AR › Het - Male/Female › Buffy/Spike(William)
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
210
Views:
11,328
Reviews:
182
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
HAIRCUT
CHAPTER 56 – HAIRCUT
JUNE 20, 2008
FRIDAY
9:00am
That Friday morning, Buffy awoke to find William shivering and moaning against her.
"William," she said, gently shaking him.
"No, no, don't hurt the girl...save her, have to save her," he mumbled in his sleep.
"William!" she repeated when she didn't get a response. She shook him harder.
He opened his eyes, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.
"What's the matter?" she said, stroking his face, as he tried to orient himself to his surroundings.
He just shook his head.
"Bad dream?"
"I...I don't remember," he said, not daring to close his eyes again.
"You can tell me, you know."
He shook his head.
She leaned over and kissed him, soft and long, until he started to respond to her lovely mouth.
He sighed, shivering one more time, as he pushed the nightmare aside.
She continued kissing him, until she was sure he was 'back.'
"You can tell me anything, you know. And it's alright if you don't want to. Just remember, William. You're here with me now and you're safe! And dreams aren't real, even if they're scary. You're real, I'm real," she said, taking his hand and holding it to her heart.
"I know," he said, his eyes looking at her with love and gratitude.
He knew he was here, with her. In a cabin, in Michigan, in 2008.
But still, he didn’t want to risk shocking or upsetting Elizabeth. The dream had started out innocently enough. He was at a party of a friend of his brother’s and there had been the usual, discussions, drinks, hor d’ourvres. Everything was normal. Then he had spotted Cecily across the room and he’d tried to make his way toward her. But just as he got there, she had turned into Elizabeth. As he started to tell her she looked beautiful, a man appeared behind her. The man looked somehow familiar and he looked at William as if he knew him. Then his face had changed into that of a monster. Looking at William still, he took hold of Elizabeth’s neck, and with a sickening sound, had twisted and broken it. She had looked at William as if to call for help, but then she had been dead. He could see the monster’s fangs, as all of a sudden he pulled the limp Elizabeth toward him put put his teeth to her neck and began to drink.
William had screamed at all the people at the party, but they only looked at the monster, then went back to what they were doing. Nobody would come to help her.
He still shivered, as he remembered the visage of the monster, the sound of her neck being broken, and worst of all, his helplessness.
She looked at him, questioningly.
"I'll be alright," he said, attempting a smile for her sake.
"I know you will! In fact, I insist that you be just fine," she said, smiling, as she once again, kissed him. He gave into it, into the sensations of their flesh, into the escape from his nightmare.
Everytime they kissed like this it was getting harder and harder not go to the next step. Her kisses, the feel of her, her touch, the way she made him feel so...wanted. He felt so much more like a man, than he had only days ago, he was still not sure he was man enough to risk more. Even though he felt she was there right with him, he was still afraid, to risk Elizabeth's possible displeasure.
Reluctantly, Buffy pulled away from him, eliciting a cute, lower lip pout, "Don't go yet!"
"We should get up."
He bit his tongue at what he was going to say was already up, instead, he groaned and put his hands under his head, willing himself and it, to calm back down.
She giggled. She felt she'd discovered new, sadistic and masochistic sides to her personality, because she was so loving him wanting her so much! Loving the wanting part, herself. Loving the fact that the sexual tension between them had been building for days and the only thing keeping them 'apart' was a thin layer of nylon pajamas on her end, and a pair of sweat pants on his. That and an incredible amount of willpower on her part, probably a bit of timidity on his. The old Spike and Buffy would have made short shrift of those in, well, the past.
They made plans after breakfast to go into town so William could get a haircut and ttheythey would go into Niles, the next town over to do some shopping for food and other stuff at the local Super Wal-Mart.
William was quiet during breakfast. The thought of riding in a car, going out, getting a haircut, and shopping, no less filled him with dread.
He excused himself and went back into the bedroom, leaving Dawn, Willow, and Buffy alone.
“What’s up with William?” Dawn asked.
“I don’t know, guess I’d better find out,” Buffy said, going into the cabin.
She knocked on the bedroom door, before entering.
William was sitting on the bed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I don’t know. I just…” he shook his head.
“Not happy about going out?”
“Hard to be happy, as you put it, when I don’t know anything about what out is all about, now do I?” he said, in an exasperated voice.
“Well, I guess you’re just going to have to find out, then, aren’t you?” Buffy answered him, just as exasperated.
He looked up at her, frowning, “I’t e’t even know what kind of haircut to tell the barber that I want. I don’t like cars. I hate shopping.”
She looked at him for a few seconds, then went over to the bag that she’d gotten from the 10 North nurse that contained his things. She pulled out the copy of the picture of her and him underneath the canopy that he’d drawn and handed it to him.
“You could go for something like this. Not the white hair, I just mean the cut. Or you could leave it a little longer. You can always ask the barber for suggestions,” she said, running her hand through his long, unkempt hair.
He looked at the picture. His eyes softened as he saw how lovely she looked, how happy. He wished it were real, that it had really been a picture of their wedding.
“As for the car,” she continued, “I’m afraid you may just have to get used to it. We’ll have to leave here in less than 2 weeks, and it’s a really long drive to California. Unless you want to fly in an airplane, which I don’t think you do. In any case, if you get car sickness again, you can take something for that.”
“And, as for shopping, I don’t think most guys like to shop, unless it’s for weapons, or hunting stuff,” she said, remembering a time, she’d rather enjoyed looking at weapons, herself. However, it’s a necessary evil, and well, I like it and if you’re going to be with me, it’s just one of those things you’ll have to do occasionally. For me. Okay, Mr. Shirty?” she asked, teasingly, as she ruffled his hair.
He grabbed her then and pulled her down on his lap, “Mr. Shirty, is it now?”
Buffy giggled.
“Okay, for you I’ll get a bleedin’,” he stopped, looking mortified. “Excuse me, Elizabeth, I’m so sorry. I mean a darn haircut, ride in a car, and go shopping. Happy?”
She had been thrilled when he’d used the word, ‘bleedin.’
She kissed him on the top of the head, “Yes, happy. Thank you, William.”
He smiled at her and just shook his head.
An hour later they were in front of the barbershop.
“Okay, this is where you get off,” Buffy said.
He looked at her, frightened, “Alone?”
“Of course,” she said, smiling, “you can do it. Just show him the pictuand and tell him you want something like it. Then pay him. The sign says $10. Oh, and you should tip him a couple of dollars, too.”
“Ten dollars? More than a weeks salary,” he grumbled.
“Yeah, I know, just don’t mention it to him. It really is reasonable. Then again, men’s haircuts always are cheaper. Why I’ve paid $25 for a haircut, and if I want it dyed, nott I t I do, mind you, then it’s about $75.”
“Good God!”
“Yeah, that’s what I said, too!”
“Just sit in the waiting area when you’re done. We’re going to walk over to the library next door. So, twenty, thirty minutes?”
He nodded, and taking a deep breath, walked into the barbershop.
“He’ll be okay, Buffy,” Willow said, patting her on the back.
“Yeah, guess so.” She’d wanted to go in with him, but Willow and Dawn had convinced her to let him do it on his own. That and she’d remembered Dr. Turner’s words about letting him be independent. “Guess it’s innocuous enough, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is, Buffy. It’s a good first step for him,” Willow said.
They walked next door to the library and spent the next half-hour checking out the books that were for sale in the back corner.
They made their purchases, totaling the huge sum of $2.35 for 7 magazines, 9 paperbacks, and 3 older hardback copies of poetry, a novel about the Roman Empire, and a love story.
“I can hardly wait to see William’s haircut,” Dawn said, looking at Buffy with a big grin, as they walked over to the barbershop.
“You ready?” Dawn asked.
Buffy nodded, as she opened the door to the barbershop. Her heart started pounding when she looked in the waiting room and didn’t see him.
“Where is he?” she yelled.
The barber stopped mid cut above his customer’s head. “Who?”
“William. The man whose hair you just cut!”
He motioned to the door marked bathroom.
“Oh, sorry,” she said, red-faced.
The barber just shook his head and went back to his business.
Just then the door to the bathroom opened and William walked out.
Her heart caught in her throat as they made eye contact.
Her grin started out small, then widened into an all encompassing huge smile. William had been transformed into Spike! At least his hair had. Less the white, of course.
He smiled back shyly at her, as he ran his hand over his now smoothed down, brushed back hair. “You like it?”
“You look great, William,” she said, admiringly, “what do you think?”
He walked up to her, and whispered in her ear, in a way that thrilled her, “I like how it’s makiou lou look at me,” he said, rather suggestively, “so yeah, I like it, too.”
She smiled and took his hand, opening the door to the shop.
“Bye now,” the barber said.
“Good-bye, thank you for the fine haircut, Mr. Duffy,” William said.
The barber waved him off.
Dawn and Willow were standing on the sidewalk talking when Buffy and William approached.
Dawn turned around and saw him first, “Oh my God!” she squealed.
Willow shook her head, amazed.
“So, um, Dawn, do I look, ‘hotter,’ as you so succinctly put it yesterday?”
“Oh, yes, William. Definitely, hotter,” she replied, grinning.
He grinned bac
“Well, good then,” he said, looking at them all staring at him. “I say, isn’t it about time you ladies dragged me shopping? Or are you going to stand here staring at my new haircut all day?”
They all giggled.
“I don’t know if we should take you shopping now,” Dawn teased, “you may be too hot for the shopping masses.”
“Yes, William. You may cause the salesclerks and other customers to fall away in a dead swoon,” Willow added.
“Well, that would have the benefit of having the store to ourselves,” Buffy added.
William just shook his head. They could be so silly sometimes. Although, he secretly was enjoying the attention, “If you’re all quite done, I’d like to get this over with,” he said, then added, with a slightly Spike-like smirk, “I’d like to try this new look out on the beach sometime today. See if the bikini set thinks I’m ‘hotter,’ too.”
Buffy just looked at him and cracked up. As they got in the backseat together, she leaned over and whispered to him, “We’ll see about that. I’m not sharing!”
He smiled and took her hand, “Good, then. I’m all yours.”
The new look seemed to give William a sense of confidence as they drove over to Niles, although a couple of times, he the motion of the car upset his stomach. However, as soon as he saw the huge parking lot, the huge store, he stiffened a bit.
“You okay?” Buffy asked.
“Sure,” he replied.
“Remember, just a huge store. No biggy, okay?”
He nodded.
The inside was nothing that he had ever experienced before. He had never seen so much stuff, literally from soup to nuts, before in his life.
Paper goods, drug store items, toys, outdoor, lighting, paints, clothing, hardware, automobile, groceries, and everything else underneath the sun.
William held tightly onto Elizabeth’s hand as they went down the aisles, following Willow and Dawn.
“Aren’t there any small stores anymore?”
“Oh, sure, there’s plenty. In fact, where we live, there t evt even a Wal-Mart. Lots of little stores that just have one thing, like stationary, paint, lumber, a pharmacy, grocery store.”
“But why have these stores?”
“I don’t know who started the whole idea of the department store, but whomever did, just figured it would be a good idea for people to just come to one place for all their shopping, instead of lots of places. Oh, and they could sell things cheaper, because they’d buy so much of it from the manufacturers.”
“So, what happens to the little stores, then?”
“Um…I guess lots of them went out of business. It’s sort of sad, because little stores do have unique, individual personalities.”
“And Wal-Mart? There’s lots of them?”
“Yeah, hundreds. Or maybe thousands. Wal-Marts, K-Marts, and a lot of others like them. All over the country. Just like McDonald’s and Burger Kings.”
“Oh, what you call the fast-food joints?”
“Exactly.”
“London had some of the first department stores, but they weren’t this huge. And they didn’t sell groceries. Usually, just lots of clothing, shoes, jewelry.”
“Ummm,” Buffy said, remembering Marshall Field’s, among others in Chicago.
“It’s quite…overwhelming, you know?”
“Yeah, it’s not only you, William. Sometimes I feel like that too, when I’m at one of these mammoth places.”
“Another thing you and I have in common, then, eh?”
Buffy stopped and stared at him, mouth open.
“What’s wrong?” William asked, as he tilted his head, looking at her quizzically.
“Nothing. It just…reminded me of something you said to me a long time ago. Almost word for word.”
“Oh,” he said, then thought about it, “why, do I sound different than I used to?”
“You do. But then again, sometimes not so much,” she said smiling, realizing that what she’d thought were just Spike’s speech patterns, could actually have been some of William’s as well. Spike had just kept some of them, adding a ‘pet,’ or a ‘luv,’ or a ‘bloody this,’ and bleedin,’ that to the mix.
In any case, she’d never heard anybody speak quite like either Spike or William. Two sides, same coin. She was coming to this realization more and more with each day that passed. It was just that William hadn’t had much experience, women or otherwise, before he was turned.
“Shoes, anyone?” Dawn suggested.
“Of course,” Buffy said, “I’d never say no to shoes.”
William looked at henny.nny.
“What?” she asked him.
“Nothing, nothing,” he assured her. Why the subject of shoes, in particular, her liking shoes seemed familiar to him, he didn’t know.
After they’d had their fun in shoes, including Buffy, making William buy a pair of sandals, much to his dismay, they got their groceries, a few other things, and then went to the pharmacy area.
“Um, I need to get something,” Buffy said, going off to another aisle, as she gave Dawn and Willow a particular look. “Be right back.”
“William, let’s go look at razors,” Willow said, distracting him from following Buffy.
Buffy got what she wanted and was about to pay for it at the pharmacy, when all of a sudden she saw a row full of condoms. She stopped. Oh brother, she thought, should I even…? Okay. Maybe. She looked around to make sure nobody was watching, then clandestinely picked up a package and started reading. Large, check. Lubricated, probably don’t need that, but okay. Ribbed. Ribbed? Huh? She’d never in her life been in contact with one of these things before. Angel, didn’t think about it, same with Parker. When she’d been with Riley, she’d been on the pill. And with Spike? Didn’t really need those things.
She looked around again, and finally found a box that seemed ‘normal,’ if that’s what you could call it. Extra large? Large? She made her choice. Lubricated. K-Y Jelly, too. What the heck.
She went up to the pharmacy and tried to look disinterested as the pharmacist rang up her purchases.
She started walking away, then noticed the bag was see-through. Crap! She walked back over to the pharmacy.
“Um, excuse me.”
“Yes?”
“Do you have any other bags?”
He took it from her and put it into another, darker bag.
“Thanks.”
“No problem, have a nice day,” he said.
Buffy hurried away. “Well, that was a ten on the embarrassment scale,” she mumbled to herself, “have a nice day, I’ll show him… oh. Hi. William,” she said, as she came around the corner, almost running into him.
“You finished, Buffy?” asked Willow.
“Yeah, let’s get out of here.
END CHAPTER 56
JUNE 20, 2008
FRIDAY
9:00am
That Friday morning, Buffy awoke to find William shivering and moaning against her.
"William," she said, gently shaking him.
"No, no, don't hurt the girl...save her, have to save her," he mumbled in his sleep.
"William!" she repeated when she didn't get a response. She shook him harder.
He opened his eyes, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.
"What's the matter?" she said, stroking his face, as he tried to orient himself to his surroundings.
He just shook his head.
"Bad dream?"
"I...I don't remember," he said, not daring to close his eyes again.
"You can tell me, you know."
He shook his head.
She leaned over and kissed him, soft and long, until he started to respond to her lovely mouth.
He sighed, shivering one more time, as he pushed the nightmare aside.
She continued kissing him, until she was sure he was 'back.'
"You can tell me anything, you know. And it's alright if you don't want to. Just remember, William. You're here with me now and you're safe! And dreams aren't real, even if they're scary. You're real, I'm real," she said, taking his hand and holding it to her heart.
"I know," he said, his eyes looking at her with love and gratitude.
He knew he was here, with her. In a cabin, in Michigan, in 2008.
But still, he didn’t want to risk shocking or upsetting Elizabeth. The dream had started out innocently enough. He was at a party of a friend of his brother’s and there had been the usual, discussions, drinks, hor d’ourvres. Everything was normal. Then he had spotted Cecily across the room and he’d tried to make his way toward her. But just as he got there, she had turned into Elizabeth. As he started to tell her she looked beautiful, a man appeared behind her. The man looked somehow familiar and he looked at William as if he knew him. Then his face had changed into that of a monster. Looking at William still, he took hold of Elizabeth’s neck, and with a sickening sound, had twisted and broken it. She had looked at William as if to call for help, but then she had been dead. He could see the monster’s fangs, as all of a sudden he pulled the limp Elizabeth toward him put put his teeth to her neck and began to drink.
William had screamed at all the people at the party, but they only looked at the monster, then went back to what they were doing. Nobody would come to help her.
He still shivered, as he remembered the visage of the monster, the sound of her neck being broken, and worst of all, his helplessness.
She looked at him, questioningly.
"I'll be alright," he said, attempting a smile for her sake.
"I know you will! In fact, I insist that you be just fine," she said, smiling, as she once again, kissed him. He gave into it, into the sensations of their flesh, into the escape from his nightmare.
Everytime they kissed like this it was getting harder and harder not go to the next step. Her kisses, the feel of her, her touch, the way she made him feel so...wanted. He felt so much more like a man, than he had only days ago, he was still not sure he was man enough to risk more. Even though he felt she was there right with him, he was still afraid, to risk Elizabeth's possible displeasure.
Reluctantly, Buffy pulled away from him, eliciting a cute, lower lip pout, "Don't go yet!"
"We should get up."
He bit his tongue at what he was going to say was already up, instead, he groaned and put his hands under his head, willing himself and it, to calm back down.
She giggled. She felt she'd discovered new, sadistic and masochistic sides to her personality, because she was so loving him wanting her so much! Loving the wanting part, herself. Loving the fact that the sexual tension between them had been building for days and the only thing keeping them 'apart' was a thin layer of nylon pajamas on her end, and a pair of sweat pants on his. That and an incredible amount of willpower on her part, probably a bit of timidity on his. The old Spike and Buffy would have made short shrift of those in, well, the past.
They made plans after breakfast to go into town so William could get a haircut and ttheythey would go into Niles, the next town over to do some shopping for food and other stuff at the local Super Wal-Mart.
William was quiet during breakfast. The thought of riding in a car, going out, getting a haircut, and shopping, no less filled him with dread.
He excused himself and went back into the bedroom, leaving Dawn, Willow, and Buffy alone.
“What’s up with William?” Dawn asked.
“I don’t know, guess I’d better find out,” Buffy said, going into the cabin.
She knocked on the bedroom door, before entering.
William was sitting on the bed.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I don’t know. I just…” he shook his head.
“Not happy about going out?”
“Hard to be happy, as you put it, when I don’t know anything about what out is all about, now do I?” he said, in an exasperated voice.
“Well, I guess you’re just going to have to find out, then, aren’t you?” Buffy answered him, just as exasperated.
He looked up at her, frowning, “I’t e’t even know what kind of haircut to tell the barber that I want. I don’t like cars. I hate shopping.”
She looked at him for a few seconds, then went over to the bag that she’d gotten from the 10 North nurse that contained his things. She pulled out the copy of the picture of her and him underneath the canopy that he’d drawn and handed it to him.
“You could go for something like this. Not the white hair, I just mean the cut. Or you could leave it a little longer. You can always ask the barber for suggestions,” she said, running her hand through his long, unkempt hair.
He looked at the picture. His eyes softened as he saw how lovely she looked, how happy. He wished it were real, that it had really been a picture of their wedding.
“As for the car,” she continued, “I’m afraid you may just have to get used to it. We’ll have to leave here in less than 2 weeks, and it’s a really long drive to California. Unless you want to fly in an airplane, which I don’t think you do. In any case, if you get car sickness again, you can take something for that.”
“And, as for shopping, I don’t think most guys like to shop, unless it’s for weapons, or hunting stuff,” she said, remembering a time, she’d rather enjoyed looking at weapons, herself. However, it’s a necessary evil, and well, I like it and if you’re going to be with me, it’s just one of those things you’ll have to do occasionally. For me. Okay, Mr. Shirty?” she asked, teasingly, as she ruffled his hair.
He grabbed her then and pulled her down on his lap, “Mr. Shirty, is it now?”
Buffy giggled.
“Okay, for you I’ll get a bleedin’,” he stopped, looking mortified. “Excuse me, Elizabeth, I’m so sorry. I mean a darn haircut, ride in a car, and go shopping. Happy?”
She had been thrilled when he’d used the word, ‘bleedin.’
She kissed him on the top of the head, “Yes, happy. Thank you, William.”
He smiled at her and just shook his head.
An hour later they were in front of the barbershop.
“Okay, this is where you get off,” Buffy said.
He looked at her, frightened, “Alone?”
“Of course,” she said, smiling, “you can do it. Just show him the pictuand and tell him you want something like it. Then pay him. The sign says $10. Oh, and you should tip him a couple of dollars, too.”
“Ten dollars? More than a weeks salary,” he grumbled.
“Yeah, I know, just don’t mention it to him. It really is reasonable. Then again, men’s haircuts always are cheaper. Why I’ve paid $25 for a haircut, and if I want it dyed, nott I t I do, mind you, then it’s about $75.”
“Good God!”
“Yeah, that’s what I said, too!”
“Just sit in the waiting area when you’re done. We’re going to walk over to the library next door. So, twenty, thirty minutes?”
He nodded, and taking a deep breath, walked into the barbershop.
“He’ll be okay, Buffy,” Willow said, patting her on the back.
“Yeah, guess so.” She’d wanted to go in with him, but Willow and Dawn had convinced her to let him do it on his own. That and she’d remembered Dr. Turner’s words about letting him be independent. “Guess it’s innocuous enough, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is, Buffy. It’s a good first step for him,” Willow said.
They walked next door to the library and spent the next half-hour checking out the books that were for sale in the back corner.
They made their purchases, totaling the huge sum of $2.35 for 7 magazines, 9 paperbacks, and 3 older hardback copies of poetry, a novel about the Roman Empire, and a love story.
“I can hardly wait to see William’s haircut,” Dawn said, looking at Buffy with a big grin, as they walked over to the barbershop.
“You ready?” Dawn asked.
Buffy nodded, as she opened the door to the barbershop. Her heart started pounding when she looked in the waiting room and didn’t see him.
“Where is he?” she yelled.
The barber stopped mid cut above his customer’s head. “Who?”
“William. The man whose hair you just cut!”
He motioned to the door marked bathroom.
“Oh, sorry,” she said, red-faced.
The barber just shook his head and went back to his business.
Just then the door to the bathroom opened and William walked out.
Her heart caught in her throat as they made eye contact.
Her grin started out small, then widened into an all encompassing huge smile. William had been transformed into Spike! At least his hair had. Less the white, of course.
He smiled back shyly at her, as he ran his hand over his now smoothed down, brushed back hair. “You like it?”
“You look great, William,” she said, admiringly, “what do you think?”
He walked up to her, and whispered in her ear, in a way that thrilled her, “I like how it’s makiou lou look at me,” he said, rather suggestively, “so yeah, I like it, too.”
She smiled and took his hand, opening the door to the shop.
“Bye now,” the barber said.
“Good-bye, thank you for the fine haircut, Mr. Duffy,” William said.
The barber waved him off.
Dawn and Willow were standing on the sidewalk talking when Buffy and William approached.
Dawn turned around and saw him first, “Oh my God!” she squealed.
Willow shook her head, amazed.
“So, um, Dawn, do I look, ‘hotter,’ as you so succinctly put it yesterday?”
“Oh, yes, William. Definitely, hotter,” she replied, grinning.
He grinned bac
“Well, good then,” he said, looking at them all staring at him. “I say, isn’t it about time you ladies dragged me shopping? Or are you going to stand here staring at my new haircut all day?”
They all giggled.
“I don’t know if we should take you shopping now,” Dawn teased, “you may be too hot for the shopping masses.”
“Yes, William. You may cause the salesclerks and other customers to fall away in a dead swoon,” Willow added.
“Well, that would have the benefit of having the store to ourselves,” Buffy added.
William just shook his head. They could be so silly sometimes. Although, he secretly was enjoying the attention, “If you’re all quite done, I’d like to get this over with,” he said, then added, with a slightly Spike-like smirk, “I’d like to try this new look out on the beach sometime today. See if the bikini set thinks I’m ‘hotter,’ too.”
Buffy just looked at him and cracked up. As they got in the backseat together, she leaned over and whispered to him, “We’ll see about that. I’m not sharing!”
He smiled and took her hand, “Good, then. I’m all yours.”
The new look seemed to give William a sense of confidence as they drove over to Niles, although a couple of times, he the motion of the car upset his stomach. However, as soon as he saw the huge parking lot, the huge store, he stiffened a bit.
“You okay?” Buffy asked.
“Sure,” he replied.
“Remember, just a huge store. No biggy, okay?”
He nodded.
The inside was nothing that he had ever experienced before. He had never seen so much stuff, literally from soup to nuts, before in his life.
Paper goods, drug store items, toys, outdoor, lighting, paints, clothing, hardware, automobile, groceries, and everything else underneath the sun.
William held tightly onto Elizabeth’s hand as they went down the aisles, following Willow and Dawn.
“Aren’t there any small stores anymore?”
“Oh, sure, there’s plenty. In fact, where we live, there t evt even a Wal-Mart. Lots of little stores that just have one thing, like stationary, paint, lumber, a pharmacy, grocery store.”
“But why have these stores?”
“I don’t know who started the whole idea of the department store, but whomever did, just figured it would be a good idea for people to just come to one place for all their shopping, instead of lots of places. Oh, and they could sell things cheaper, because they’d buy so much of it from the manufacturers.”
“So, what happens to the little stores, then?”
“Um…I guess lots of them went out of business. It’s sort of sad, because little stores do have unique, individual personalities.”
“And Wal-Mart? There’s lots of them?”
“Yeah, hundreds. Or maybe thousands. Wal-Marts, K-Marts, and a lot of others like them. All over the country. Just like McDonald’s and Burger Kings.”
“Oh, what you call the fast-food joints?”
“Exactly.”
“London had some of the first department stores, but they weren’t this huge. And they didn’t sell groceries. Usually, just lots of clothing, shoes, jewelry.”
“Ummm,” Buffy said, remembering Marshall Field’s, among others in Chicago.
“It’s quite…overwhelming, you know?”
“Yeah, it’s not only you, William. Sometimes I feel like that too, when I’m at one of these mammoth places.”
“Another thing you and I have in common, then, eh?”
Buffy stopped and stared at him, mouth open.
“What’s wrong?” William asked, as he tilted his head, looking at her quizzically.
“Nothing. It just…reminded me of something you said to me a long time ago. Almost word for word.”
“Oh,” he said, then thought about it, “why, do I sound different than I used to?”
“You do. But then again, sometimes not so much,” she said smiling, realizing that what she’d thought were just Spike’s speech patterns, could actually have been some of William’s as well. Spike had just kept some of them, adding a ‘pet,’ or a ‘luv,’ or a ‘bloody this,’ and bleedin,’ that to the mix.
In any case, she’d never heard anybody speak quite like either Spike or William. Two sides, same coin. She was coming to this realization more and more with each day that passed. It was just that William hadn’t had much experience, women or otherwise, before he was turned.
“Shoes, anyone?” Dawn suggested.
“Of course,” Buffy said, “I’d never say no to shoes.”
William looked at henny.nny.
“What?” she asked him.
“Nothing, nothing,” he assured her. Why the subject of shoes, in particular, her liking shoes seemed familiar to him, he didn’t know.
After they’d had their fun in shoes, including Buffy, making William buy a pair of sandals, much to his dismay, they got their groceries, a few other things, and then went to the pharmacy area.
“Um, I need to get something,” Buffy said, going off to another aisle, as she gave Dawn and Willow a particular look. “Be right back.”
“William, let’s go look at razors,” Willow said, distracting him from following Buffy.
Buffy got what she wanted and was about to pay for it at the pharmacy, when all of a sudden she saw a row full of condoms. She stopped. Oh brother, she thought, should I even…? Okay. Maybe. She looked around to make sure nobody was watching, then clandestinely picked up a package and started reading. Large, check. Lubricated, probably don’t need that, but okay. Ribbed. Ribbed? Huh? She’d never in her life been in contact with one of these things before. Angel, didn’t think about it, same with Parker. When she’d been with Riley, she’d been on the pill. And with Spike? Didn’t really need those things.
She looked around again, and finally found a box that seemed ‘normal,’ if that’s what you could call it. Extra large? Large? She made her choice. Lubricated. K-Y Jelly, too. What the heck.
She went up to the pharmacy and tried to look disinterested as the pharmacist rang up her purchases.
She started walking away, then noticed the bag was see-through. Crap! She walked back over to the pharmacy.
“Um, excuse me.”
“Yes?”
“Do you have any other bags?”
He took it from her and put it into another, darker bag.
“Thanks.”
“No problem, have a nice day,” he said.
Buffy hurried away. “Well, that was a ten on the embarrassment scale,” she mumbled to herself, “have a nice day, I’ll show him… oh. Hi. William,” she said, as she came around the corner, almost running into him.
“You finished, Buffy?” asked Willow.
“Yeah, let’s get out of here.
END CHAPTER 56