ONE NORMAL LIFE / TWO EXTRAORDINARY LIVES
folder
BtVS AU/AR › Het - Male/Female › Buffy/Spike(William)
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
210
Views:
11,406
Reviews:
182
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
BtVS AU/AR › Het - Male/Female › Buffy/Spike(William)
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
210
Views:
11,406
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.
DRIVING LESSONS
CHAPTER 96 - DRIVING LESSONS
Later that afternoon, William had his first driving lesson, and Buffy had a lesson in patience, not usually her strong suit.
Buffy had him practice driving up and down the long road from their house to the main road. It was about a 2 mile drive, the only problem coming at the end, when she had to take over so she could turn around quickly on the main road, and head the car back in the opposite direction. After about an hour of this, William asked if they could take the lesson somewhere else.
"Well, we could go into town. I could drive there, and you can practice in the high school’s parking lot for a while. I could teach you some turns and parking. At least 'normal' parking. I was never too great at parallel parking myself. I think I'll have Clem teach you that one, okay? But, yeah, we can go into town. Maybe have some lunch while we're there?"
"Okay," William said, happily agreeable.
Buffy couldn't help but smile at him. He had the unbridled enthusiasm of a child, the idealism of a teenager, the loyalty and love, and intelligence of...well, William. She had a moment's sadness, remembering Spike. Whenever she felt the deepest feelings for William, there was always a moment of regret and guilt over Spike. She couldn't help but compare the two, and wonder what Spike would think of his inner William these days. It was always so confusing, since the one had been aware of the other, even allowing his softer, i.e.; William side to emerge quite a bit in that last year. But William? Totally William, as he must have been before Spike, of course, a bit different…no, make that a lot different, since he was living with her. Surely a corrupting influenc his his Victorian sensibilities, she thought, wryly.
They were stopped in front of the house, and he looked at her curiously. She sometimes got this look of sadness in her eyes, that she would quickly try to cover up. He wondered if he didn't disappoint her in some very basic way, something...some piece that she felt he was missing. He could only love her now, for what they had, for what she was. What he couldn't give her, was sharing their past; their history. He didn't think he ever would, either. Not only that, but from what he could gather from her and other's omissions, was that part of it must have been quite painful. Because of his other persona, Spike.
These were the sort of thoughts he tried desperately to keep at bay. He couldn't understand how he could be any different than he was now. He couldn’t have been a bad or a rude man, could he? To himself, he seemed as he always had been. Except now, with Elizabeth's love and caring, he felt so much more of a man than he ever would have believed possible, back when he was living in England with his mother and older brother, back in the...
...and again, his mind rebelled at the false images and dates they must be playing at. He remembered his mother and his brother. Elizabeth had verified that yes; they existed, but were now deceased. But how could he remember them, as if they'd all existed in a different time altogether? It didn't make any sense. He couldn't have lived in the 1800's because he was only nearly 28...that and it was impossible! That being the case, why didn't he just remember them in context to the past century? The 20th century? Why did he so clearly see himself in a house without any modern conveniences? Was his famio deo desperately poor? No! He remembered quite the upper middle class upbringing, one that brought him a spot at Oxford in...
"William?"
"Huh? What?"
"What's the matter? You looked...well, like you were...I don't know, unhappy."
He shook his head; "It's nothing...I guess you sort of looked like that yourself a moment ago, then I...it's nothing."
"Me? I looked unhappy? No, why would I? No, I'm just fine," she said, smiling at him and taking his hand and bringing it up to her face. She kissed his palm quickly. “See, all happy, here.”
His hand moved over to caress her ch as as he looked into her green eyes and found himself reflected back with love. He sighed, relieved, "Sorry, I didn't mean..."
"Nothing to apologize for,” she said, shaking her head.
"It's just..."
"What?" she asked softly.
"Is this enough for you?"
"This? What's this? Driving stuff?"
"No. Me," he said, still looking at her, "am I enough for you?"
"William," she said, now putting her hand on his cheek, "of course you are, you're everything to me. I love you."
Buffy felt guilty, for what surely must have been him reading her moment of sadness. She knew enough of early childhood education, that children were highly sensitive to the emotions of the adults around them. In this way, William, and even Spike, had always been very much like this, when it came to her. Acutely sensitive.
Buffy swore to herself to be more careful with her emotions around him, however fleeting. He always seemed to pick up on them, and the last thing she ever wanted to do was to hurt him.
"I love you too, Elizabeth," William said, "it's just..."
"No, there's 'no' just! Just nothing! Everything is fine right now, you don't have to worry or change anything. Please believe me William," she said, her eyes looking frightened, begging, even.
"Okay, Elizabeth. Okay," he said, nodding. "How about that driving lesson at the high school and lunch?"
She nodded, "Yeah. Let me drive there, though," she said and got out of the car to come around to the driver's side. She tried to avoid looking at him, but he pulled her to him and hugged her tight. She gave up the front for a moment, and clung to him, feeling herself getting teary eyed. Again. 'Stop it, Buffy!' she commanded herself, 'get a freakin' grip!'
"Let's go," she said, taking the keys from him. He got in the passenger side, and she took that moment to sniffle. Then she cleared her throat, put on her sunglasses and got in, too.
An hour and a half later, they had driven every square inch of the parking lot, and then some. Finally, she had him driving around Julian, up and down the country roads, in town, and even a little on one of the busier roads.
"That's enough for today," she said, motioning for him to pull over and let her take over.
"Aw, I was enjoying myself," he protested.
"I know, but my stomach is growling and if I don't 'speed' to therestrest restaurant, you're going to have to drive me to the hospital for necessary intravenous fluids and feeding."
"Okay, okay," he said, pulling the car to stop and carefully putting it into park.
She smiled, she always knew both William and Spike were always concerned for her when she was hungry.
They change sides; "So, what are you in the mood for?"
END CHAPTER 96
Later that afternoon, William had his first driving lesson, and Buffy had a lesson in patience, not usually her strong suit.
Buffy had him practice driving up and down the long road from their house to the main road. It was about a 2 mile drive, the only problem coming at the end, when she had to take over so she could turn around quickly on the main road, and head the car back in the opposite direction. After about an hour of this, William asked if they could take the lesson somewhere else.
"Well, we could go into town. I could drive there, and you can practice in the high school’s parking lot for a while. I could teach you some turns and parking. At least 'normal' parking. I was never too great at parallel parking myself. I think I'll have Clem teach you that one, okay? But, yeah, we can go into town. Maybe have some lunch while we're there?"
"Okay," William said, happily agreeable.
Buffy couldn't help but smile at him. He had the unbridled enthusiasm of a child, the idealism of a teenager, the loyalty and love, and intelligence of...well, William. She had a moment's sadness, remembering Spike. Whenever she felt the deepest feelings for William, there was always a moment of regret and guilt over Spike. She couldn't help but compare the two, and wonder what Spike would think of his inner William these days. It was always so confusing, since the one had been aware of the other, even allowing his softer, i.e.; William side to emerge quite a bit in that last year. But William? Totally William, as he must have been before Spike, of course, a bit different…no, make that a lot different, since he was living with her. Surely a corrupting influenc his his Victorian sensibilities, she thought, wryly.
They were stopped in front of the house, and he looked at her curiously. She sometimes got this look of sadness in her eyes, that she would quickly try to cover up. He wondered if he didn't disappoint her in some very basic way, something...some piece that she felt he was missing. He could only love her now, for what they had, for what she was. What he couldn't give her, was sharing their past; their history. He didn't think he ever would, either. Not only that, but from what he could gather from her and other's omissions, was that part of it must have been quite painful. Because of his other persona, Spike.
These were the sort of thoughts he tried desperately to keep at bay. He couldn't understand how he could be any different than he was now. He couldn’t have been a bad or a rude man, could he? To himself, he seemed as he always had been. Except now, with Elizabeth's love and caring, he felt so much more of a man than he ever would have believed possible, back when he was living in England with his mother and older brother, back in the...
...and again, his mind rebelled at the false images and dates they must be playing at. He remembered his mother and his brother. Elizabeth had verified that yes; they existed, but were now deceased. But how could he remember them, as if they'd all existed in a different time altogether? It didn't make any sense. He couldn't have lived in the 1800's because he was only nearly 28...that and it was impossible! That being the case, why didn't he just remember them in context to the past century? The 20th century? Why did he so clearly see himself in a house without any modern conveniences? Was his famio deo desperately poor? No! He remembered quite the upper middle class upbringing, one that brought him a spot at Oxford in...
"William?"
"Huh? What?"
"What's the matter? You looked...well, like you were...I don't know, unhappy."
He shook his head; "It's nothing...I guess you sort of looked like that yourself a moment ago, then I...it's nothing."
"Me? I looked unhappy? No, why would I? No, I'm just fine," she said, smiling at him and taking his hand and bringing it up to her face. She kissed his palm quickly. “See, all happy, here.”
His hand moved over to caress her ch as as he looked into her green eyes and found himself reflected back with love. He sighed, relieved, "Sorry, I didn't mean..."
"Nothing to apologize for,” she said, shaking her head.
"It's just..."
"What?" she asked softly.
"Is this enough for you?"
"This? What's this? Driving stuff?"
"No. Me," he said, still looking at her, "am I enough for you?"
"William," she said, now putting her hand on his cheek, "of course you are, you're everything to me. I love you."
Buffy felt guilty, for what surely must have been him reading her moment of sadness. She knew enough of early childhood education, that children were highly sensitive to the emotions of the adults around them. In this way, William, and even Spike, had always been very much like this, when it came to her. Acutely sensitive.
Buffy swore to herself to be more careful with her emotions around him, however fleeting. He always seemed to pick up on them, and the last thing she ever wanted to do was to hurt him.
"I love you too, Elizabeth," William said, "it's just..."
"No, there's 'no' just! Just nothing! Everything is fine right now, you don't have to worry or change anything. Please believe me William," she said, her eyes looking frightened, begging, even.
"Okay, Elizabeth. Okay," he said, nodding. "How about that driving lesson at the high school and lunch?"
She nodded, "Yeah. Let me drive there, though," she said and got out of the car to come around to the driver's side. She tried to avoid looking at him, but he pulled her to him and hugged her tight. She gave up the front for a moment, and clung to him, feeling herself getting teary eyed. Again. 'Stop it, Buffy!' she commanded herself, 'get a freakin' grip!'
"Let's go," she said, taking the keys from him. He got in the passenger side, and she took that moment to sniffle. Then she cleared her throat, put on her sunglasses and got in, too.
An hour and a half later, they had driven every square inch of the parking lot, and then some. Finally, she had him driving around Julian, up and down the country roads, in town, and even a little on one of the busier roads.
"That's enough for today," she said, motioning for him to pull over and let her take over.
"Aw, I was enjoying myself," he protested.
"I know, but my stomach is growling and if I don't 'speed' to therestrest restaurant, you're going to have to drive me to the hospital for necessary intravenous fluids and feeding."
"Okay, okay," he said, pulling the car to stop and carefully putting it into park.
She smiled, she always knew both William and Spike were always concerned for her when she was hungry.
They change sides; "So, what are you in the mood for?"
END CHAPTER 96