Summary: Human AU. Spuffy. William Pratt believes in one thing: love. But sometimes love might not be enough. After being forced to move from London to Sunnydale will William, or Spike as he know calls himself, be able to keep his heart open or will it be shattered into smithereens.
Rating: T for some violence
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer

A/N: This chapter (and 2 and 3) has been edited to take out my extreme use of accents, thanks to the suggestion of Viewtiful Vampa. Please remember that the majority of writers want to please their audience, yes we write for ourselves but we also want to be good at what we do. Many fanfiction writers are amateurs, writers who are trying out new ideas or perhaps just like fanfiction. In general we like reviews because they help us learn. They tell us what we did write and what we did wrong. My accents were wrong, very wrong. I've kept in the use of Mum, luv and taking out Gs at the end of ING words and I use Me instead of I a couple times but for the most part the accents are gone. Hopefully this story will be more readable now. And please continue to review my stories so I can bring you all a better product.


If there was one thing that William Pratt could admit it was that he was a sucker for love. Psychologists could prattle on about why William was so attached and clingy. They could blame it on an oedipal complex with his mother or the abandonment issues he suffered because his father and brother leaving him. They could list a bunch of psychobabble and throw around a lot of fancy words, but William knew the truth. Some people believe in God and Jesus, some people are atheists; William believed in love.

Chapter 1: Mum

William Pratt was born in London to Anne Pratt as her second child. Shortly after William's birth his father left, leaving Anne a single parent. William clung to the love of mother and older brother as if they were the only affection he would ever receive. By the time William was four, though, his brother, who was 10 years his senior, followed their father's path when he received a scholarship to a boarding school in the United States and left poor William alone with their mother. William, being old enough to finally understand abandonment, clinged to his mother's love as if he was holding on for dear life.

"William, dear," his mother said to him as she entered a young William's room, "You hold yourself up in here. Why don't you go out and play with your friends?"

William laid across his mattress reading over the words of his favorite poetry collection. "Not much for playin', Mum," he said when he finished the entry he was reading. He closed the book and turned to his side to look at his mother standing in the door frame. William's room was neater than most boy's rooms, although there were a few papers scattered across the floor and a pile of dirty laundry in the corner. "At least not with the bloody neighbors. They aren't all sugar and spice, you know."

"I know you luv to read, William," his mother said, "But you need social experiences too."

"Why?" William asked. He was a very curious boy and always asked the question. He could taste the familiarity of it on his tongue.

Anne made her way over to William's bed and sat down next to him. She ran her fingers through his short curly hair. "If you don't go out and have some life experiences then what are ya ever going to write about?"

"About you and me, Mum," William said matter-a-factly.

Anne smiled and laughed softly. "I appreciate that, William, really, I do. But you need to go outside and play."

William sighed and continued to lie on the bed for a few more minutes. He didn't want to go outside and play so he was going to be suborn about it. He wasn't going to leave the comfort of his own home, not while his mother was giving him all the love he would ever need.

Eventually Anne stopped running her fingers through William's hair and stood up to leave. "Where are you goin', Mum?"

She stopped at the dorm frame but did not turn around to look at her son. "William, go outside and play."

William grumbled, tossed his poetry book to the floor and got up. He clenched his tiny hands into fists and stomped past his mother.

"It breaks me heart to see you behavin' this way."

William signed and unclenched his fists. He turned around, ran to his mother and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I'm sorry, Mum."

"That's okay, now be a good boy and go out and play."

"Okay, Mum," William said shyly. He puckered in his bottom lip and descended on a journey to the outside. Fifteen minutes later one of the other boy's mother was dragging him back inside.

"He gave me Jonathan a black eye and bloody nose!" screamed the woman at William's mother.

"I am so sorry!" she said and took William by the hand, dragging him in. "He'll never do it again, I promise." She closed the door behind William. She turned to William with fire in her eyes. "If you had a father he'd surely be givin' you a beatin' right now!" Anne lowered her voice. "But you don't have a father." Anne bent down to William's level and twisted her finger through a curl. "Why don't I help you get cleaned up and then we can bake some cookies. Then maybe you can read me a poem you wrote."

William smiled and once again hugged his mother. This time she hugged back, tightly, as if she never wanted to let go.


A/N: I hope you enjoy the first chatper and please send in your reviews.