ONE NORMAL LIFE / TWO EXTRAORDINARY LIVES

CHAPTER 72 - GOODBYES

Buffy was turned over away from William when she woke up. She felt him get up earlier and heard the rustling sound of a bag.

"Is it time to get up yet?" she asked, opening her eyes and seeing it was just starting to get light outside.

"Not yet. Go back to sleep for a while."

"Okay," she answered, dozing off.

She felt him get back in bed and felt his arm go around her, as he spooned up to her. Without opening her eyes, shlt flt for his hand to bring it closer, then feeling something funny, she opened her eyes.

The black, beady eyes of a pink pig stared back at her.

She turned around and smiled at William, "What's this?"

"It's a pig," he answered.

"I know it's a pig! And a very cute pig, too, where did it come from?"

"I bought it for you yesterday, while Dawn and I were at Toys R Us. Do you like it?" he asked, hopefully.

"It's adorable, I love it!" Buffy said, kissing him. "I used to have a stuffed pig..." she said, trailing off.

"Mr. Gordo, right?"
awn awn told you?"

William nodded, "She thought this sort of looked like him."

Buffy took a closer look, "Yeah, it does at that, except Mr. Gordo didn't have this little tuft of white hair."

William cleared his throat, "I know. Dawn said that the hair there, reminded her of how I, rather Spike's hair used to be. She said it was like a combination of Mr. Gordo and Spike and that I should tell you his name is...Oh, bugger, I can't! Excuse my language."

She laughed, hearing the word, 'bugger,' come out of his mouth.

"No, you can't not tell me now," she said, laughing, "what's his name?"

"It was Dawn's idea," he said, miserably.

"Okay, that's fine, what's his name? I have to call him something, don't I?"

"You could just name him..."

"Yeah, I could, but he may have a perfectly fine name, and I want to know if I should keep it, or change it. Now spill, William," she said, tickling him, which made him laugh and try to get out of her reach.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you."

"Okay then," she said, looking at him, expectantly, "well?"

"It's Mr. Spordo," he said, rolling his eyes, which made her think of Spike.

"Mr. Spordo?" she rolled over on her back and held the pig up in front of her. "Hello, Mr. Spordo, welcome to the wild and wacky family of William and Elizabeth!"

He smiled at her, her having just called them a 'family.'

"Thank you," she said seriously, "that was very, very sweet of you."

"You're welcome, I'm glad you..."

Just then Xander's voice came over the walkie-talkie, "Hey, Buffy! You guys up? It's 5:00am. Time for breakfast!"

William groaned and handed it to her.

"We're just getting up, Xander. Be there in about 10 minutes."

"Okay, Buffy. Over and out."

"Say over and out," she said to William.

He made a face at her.

"Say it!"

She held the button down. "Good mng, ng, Xander, this is William. Over and out."

"There satisfied?" he asked.

She nodded, laughing.


They came into the house ten minutes later. Buffy didn't think Mary would be up yet, and she was right.

Alex ran to William and gave him a hug, as if he hadn't seen him in months, then he gave Buffy a hug, as well. Little Ann laughed when she saw William, as she was having her bottle.

"How's that ba-ba, Ann?" he asked her.

"W'um," she answered, smiling at him, waving her little hand.

"Hi pumpkin," Buffy said.

"Buh," she said, and smiled at her, too.

"The kids like you guys," Angela said, bringing in a huge platter of bacon and sausage.

Willow and Dawn were already at the table having coffee.

"Want me to help you?" Buffy asked.

"Nope, that was all of it."

Betty came in from the kitchen with a couple of other coffee cups and the pot, "You guys want coffee?"

They both nodded and she poured for them, "Better sit down and eat something."

William pulled out the chair for Elizabeth, before sitting down himself.

"Where do you think we'll end up today?" Willow asked Xander.

"I dunno, somewhere in Colorado," he said, stuffing some eggs into his mouth.

"Duh!" Dawn said.

"Oh, duh, yourself!" he answered her.

"Maybe as far as Durango, if we're lucky, but I think that's over 500 miles."

"Hmm, about 10 hours," Dawn said, adding up the time on her fingers, "we might make it by 5 or 6."

"Maybe, but we have to go through the mountains today, so it will probably be a lot slower going," he said.

"It's got a lot of horsepower, Xander," Edward said, coming into the dining room, "just switch over to overdrive, when you're start going up. You know where the overdrive is?"

"I think so."

"I'll show you after breakfast."

"Good," Xander said, relieved. He hadn't ever been totally in charge of an RV before, and now with Angela staying behind, he was a bit nervous.

Buffy insisted on helping Angela clean up r brr breakfast.

"I wanted to thank you for whatever you said to William last night," she said.

"Oh, thanks!" Angela said, then went on to explain what she'd told him.

Buffy listened, and was surprised to hear Angela talk about parapsychology. She guessed it was a cousin of the paranormal.

"Does Xander know about your interests in that?" she asked, innocently.

"Well, wouldn't really call it an interest anymore. Just for a time in my life...like when I used to spend srs hrs here with grandma, she would tell me of some really strange things. I thought she might just be nutty, but she didn't really seem nutty, in the true sense of the word. I guess that's why I started looking into things," Angela paused. "I don't know all about Xander's past. Seems like he'd just like to forget about it. I mean he tells me things, but I know he leaves out things, plus the nightmares..."

"He has nightmares?" Buffy asked, gulping.

"Well, not so much anymore, but he did a lot when we were first married."

She turned to look at Buffy, "Guess I'm sort of like William in that regard, huh? Not really knowing what life in Sunnydale was really like?"

"Believe me, Angela, it's better that you don't. It was...hellish!" she said, with a small, tinny laugh.

"Yeah, I figured that much. Look, I love Xander with all my heart and I would never do anything to hurt him, that's why I don't push him to tellabout hit his past. It's also the reason I would never even bring up my interest in parapsychology, or anything related. So, I'm asking you, to please not repeat the conversation I had with William to Xander. It's for his wellbeing that I brought it up, and it's for Xander's wellbeing that I don't."

"Of course, I won't, Angela," Buffy said, giving her a little hug. "I think you're doing so fine with Xander and the kids. I've never seen him so happy!"

"Thanks, Buffy," Angela said, smiling.

"I wish..."

"What?"

"I wish that William wouldn't remember!" she said, before she could stop herself.

"You wish he wouldn't remember the past?" Angela asked, her eyes big.

Buffy nodded, "I know it's wrong to wish it, I just..."

"Oh, Buffy," Angela hugged her and all of a sudden, she felt herself crying in this almost stranger's arms.

"It's just...ju.so .so many bad things happened there, and William is so innocent, I don't know how he'll...process it all."

"Buffy, look at me," Angela said, and pushed her away, holding her by the arms, "I've watched you guys for a few days now, and one thing I know is that you both love each other..."

Buffy shook her head, "Yeah, but love's not always enough," she said sadly and from experience.

Angela nodded, "I agree, but it's going to have to be, isn't it? It's your strongest suit, so use it to your advantage, Buffy. It's what you got, what you both have!"

"It's not that simple."

"No, I don't suppose the truth isple,ple, but love overcomes, Buffy, it does! You just have to believe that in the end, William will still love you as he does now, even when he either learns the truth or when his memory comes back. Love overcomes. It overcame a 5 year absence, it will overcome this, too."

Buffy looked at her, remembering all that Spike had overcome, all the pain, all the torment, his very nature, because of his love for her.

"Thank you, Angela, for reminding me.”

Angela nodded, "You're welcome."


"Buffy? You ready?" Dawn called.

"That's me," Buffy said, weakly.

Angela handed her a paper towel for her eyes and smiled at her.


A few minutes later they were all outside in front of the RV. Edward had showed Xander how to put the RV into overdrive and showed Willow and Dawn a few things, too.

Angela and Buffy walked out, arm in arm.

William was waiting for them.

Angela held out her other arm and he took it and they all walked to the RV.

"Well, William, you look after Elizabeth here and don't worry about things. They'll all work themselves out!"

"I will,” he said, grateful for her friendship, “and thank you for your kind words last night."

She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek, then gave Buffy one, too. She hugged them both.

"It was great meeting you guys!" she said.

"You, too. I'm so happy for you and Xander. Sometime...after we get settled in… you and Xander and the kids should come visit us. We can take you guys to Disneyworld, and the San Diego Zoo, all sorts of places," Buffy said.
hat hat would be great. Maybe in a couple of years, when Ann is older and will enjoy that stuff more..."

They all nodded.

Dawn and Willow were next to tell Angela goodbye.


Alex was crying as Xander held him.

"I don't want you to go without me, Daddy! I want to come, too!"

"I know you do, Alex, but I promise, I'll be back before you know it, then we'll stop and go to the top of The St. Louis Arch, like I said we would, ride the tram..."

"But I want to go with you now!" Alex cried. "Why can't I go?"

Xander looked helpless, then Ann, seeing her big brother crying, started, too.

"Alex," Angela said, cheerfully, "remember I told you we'd go over to the Johnson's and see their horsies today? They said they might have one that you could ride, if you were big enough!"

"I'm big enough!" he said, sniffling.

"Well, I don't know..."

"I'm big enough!" he stated, forcefully, and wiped his eyes on his pajama sleeve.

"Yeah, you probably are," she said, winking at Xander.

"Give me a kiss, Alex," Xander said.

Xander picked him up and Alex kissed and hugged him, "Love you, daddy!"

"Love you, too, Alex. You take care of your mommy and Ann for me, alright?"

"I will."

"Promise? Cross your heart?"

"Cross my heart, hope not to die...won't stick a needle in my eye!" he said, laughing.

"That's my boy!" Xander said, beaming. "Alex, time to say goodbye to the others, too, now," he said, setting him down.

"Bye!" Alex said, and they all laughed.

"It was very nice meeting you," Dawn said, giving him a hug.

"Yes, it was, you're a nice boy and handsome just like your dad," Buffy added, making Xander blush.

"I'll see you again, I'm driving back with your dad," Willow said, and gave him a hug and a lollypop she had in her pocket.

Alex looked at William, who knelt down and held out his arms, Alex flew into them and hugged him tightly.

"Von, twooo, tdree," William said, softly.

"Four, five, six," Alex answered, hinghing.

"I hope you come visit Elizabeth and I sometime."

Alex nodded, solemnly, "I will."

"Good."

"William?"

"What Alex?"

"Will you send me a letter?"

"Sure I will. I'll have your daddy write down your address."

"Not that kind of letter, an email letter."

"Oh, sure," William said, laughing. "I can even do that, if Elizabeth will teach me," he looked over at her and she nodded.

"You don't know how?" Alex asked, amazed, "everybody knows how to do that!"

William just laughed, "For you, I'll learn, how's that?"

"Okay," he said, and gave William a kiss, then went back over to Xander.

"Well, that's it, then," Xander said, and kissed Angela goodbye.

"You drive carefully," she warned, "and you let Dawn and Willow have a turn, o"
"

"Okay, boss. I mean, Angela," he said, winking at her.


They all boarded the RV, and Xander started the engine. They waved as Xander's family watched, as they drove down the driveway and turned out onto the county road.

It was just the five of them now, and it seemed much quieter without the laughter of Angela and the children. Just the five of them, as they'd last been together before the end of the world as they knew it.

END CHAPTER 72