FULL CIRCLE

Chapter One

Author name: Marie

Rating: PG

Summary: A woman from Spike and Angel's past moves to Sunnydale to begin again. Occurs at the end of this season's Buffy and Angel.


Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, except Emma

Feedback: Love it.

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England 1880's

"Miss Colby," Sarah whispered to me. "Lord Stewart wanted me to give you this." She handed me a note.

After the ball, William had let me go home without his usual goodbye. He only winked.

"Thanks." I told Sarah after she gave me the note; she left, knowing that I would want some privacy to read his note.

My dear Emma,

Meet me outside at the gates at 11:00. I want to show you something that I think you will enjoy. Some spicy conversation. Don't let anyone know you are going, wouldn't want to upset your parents. Don't dress up.

William

P.S. If you don't come you will break my heart.

I smiled, he always could make me smile. I wonder where he was taking me. I looked at the clock on the wall, it said 10:30. Only thirty minutes to get out of this dress into something a bit more comfortable and sneak out of the house.

At 11:00, I was outside waiting at the gate when his carriage arrived. The door opened and William peaked his head out. "Hurry up and get in love, before anyone hears us."

I took his outreached hand and stepped into the carriage. He closed the door and tapped the top of the carriage signalling the driver to go on.

"Glad you decided to join me." He smiled.

"And where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." He smiled only this time the smile was bit more mischievous. He liked knowing something that I didn't and being able to lord it over me.

"So tell me again, why I should trust you on this little trip? For all I know you could be some horribly demented murderer who always takes his victims out for a midnight stroll."

"That could be." He smiled that same smile again. He knew what I was doing of course, but still I had to keep trying.

"Maybe you are kidnapping me, and going to brick me up in some wall or dismembering my body and burying me under the floor."

"You have been reading too much Poe." He stated simply nothing was shocking him.

"Maybe you are taken me to the sea and selling aboard a ship as a slave. Or better yet you are sending me to Australia." He wasn't even wincing with my comments. "Or maybe you are going to take me to a lecture on English conversation" He laughed at the comment. "Maybe you are going to lock me up in the attic of your house, slowly driving me mad. Maybe you are going to sick a ravenous dog on me. Or maybe you are going to stop the carriage and forcibly take me and then throw me out on the street, ruined"

With that he had the carriage stopped and grabbed my arm forcing me to turn towards him. "There is one thing that you should never joke about with me," His voice had taken on a serious tone, "I would never hurt you. Nor would I let anyone hurt you. Trust me when I say this you will always be safe with me."

"Okay." I meekly answered, "I was only kidding."

"I know that, but you should never joke about that. You hear me. I would never force you to do anything. I could never force you. I love you too much to ever hurt you." It was only then that he realised what he had let slip and he turned away from me.

"Pardon." I could barely speak. To hear him say it, to hear him tell me those words out loud was unbelievable.

He tapped the carriage again and the driver continued on. After some moments of silence, he finally turned to look at me. "May I kiss you?" He asked, his voice quivered ever so slightly.

And I started laughing. It was so comical the tension that surrounded us and that simple question. William only looked back at me a bit hurt. "Sorry," I said, "It's just ... I mean one moment you are deadly serious, than you are so shy. I mean you asked me if you could kiss me, like I might stomp on your heart. I don't mean to laugh, it's just..."

"Ridiculous." He rebuffed, his feelings obviously hurt.

"No, that is not what I was going to say..." but before I had time to finish what ever I was going to say we arrived.

"Well here we are. I hope you like it." When I stepped out of the carriage, we were simply in town.

"So you brought me to town?"

"No, I brought you to a tavern where you could see how unstuffy English men act." He was nonchalant about it, as if everything hadn't occurred in the carriage. At the moment, I began to question whether he really meant what he said. But then he did bring me here.

We spent the night dancing, drinking and laughing. Although half of the time I couldn't understand a word anyone was saying, it was fun. And William, he was so amazing, it was like he stepped out of his skin and became somebody else. He was comfortable here, relaxed. Several times he caught me starring at me. I couldn't help it, he was so addicting.

Hours later as I sat on a chair and my eyes began to close, William came up behind me and whispered in my ear, "Let's get you home."

The ride back to the house was quiet, I had my head on William's shoulder and his arm was around me. I heard the carriage stop, William kissed the top of my head. "Better get the princess home, before the pumpkin disappears."

"I guess I feel asleep." I sat up realising that we had both been a bit too comfortable with each other. "That was nice, thank you."

"Your welcome, I thought that you might enjoy the change in scenery." He smiled at me.

"I did." After a brief pause, I held my breath and asked him softly, "Ask me again."

"What?" William widened his eyes he couldn't hear what I had just mumbled.

"Ask me again." I repeated a bit louder this time.

"Ask you what... oh, ask you that again." William smiled softly. "May I kiss you?"

"Yes." And with that I closed my eyes, his lips touched mine. Sweetly and softly at first as if he was tasting me. But then the kiss grew into something more, it became more carnal. His hand held my face and butterflies grew in my stomach. I didn't want the moment to end and then he broke away resting his forehead against mine. We breathed together. Softly I whispered, "Ask me again."

"May I kiss you?" He whispered our eyes were interlocked.

"Please." Was all that I could manage to get out. And again he softly kissed me, then grew in intensity. Suddenly, though, he broke away.

"You need to get back in before anyone catches you."

"Okay." There was disappointment in my voice. I didn't want to leave. I wanted to stayed locked in our embrace for eternity. The thought of being separated made me feel empty inside. "Thank you for tonight." I added not knowing what else to say and stepped out of the carriage. He drove on.

I managed to get back in before anyone noticed that I was gone however I was tired, which concerned my mother dreadfully. Later on that day, I received a package from him. The note read...

My dear Emma,

I enjoyed last night, thank you for trusting me. I hope that you aren't too tired. Here is a little something that I wanted to give you last night, but I ran out of courage. I hope you enjoy. I thought that it would match your eyes. Till our next visit.

Yours truly,

William

Inside the box was a jewellery case holding with the most amazing necklace, which must of cost him a fortune? I ran up to my room and put it on. I decided for some reason not to tell my mother about the necklace. The secret of William and I was nice and I wanted to keep it that way for a moment more.

We didn't see each other for weeks, William wrote and told me that business kept him away. One morning though my mother called me into the parlour to discuss a letter that my father sent her.

"He says that a man has asked him for your hand in marriage. He wants to know more about him. It seems that friend of yours Mr. Thwart wants to marry you. Did you know anything about this?"

My heart stopped, "No, nothing."

"Well your father thinks that he is fairly serious and would like to know how to respond. And although I think it is a bit of a shock, he is a good man and his family is beyond repute. Honestly I believe that you can do a bit better, but you wouldn't be doing poorly marring him. I hesitated to answer him until I talked to you. Do you want to marry this man?"

"Marry him." I mimicked. "Yes, yes I do." I can't believe all of this is happening like this. I can't believe he wants me to be his wife.

"You do know what goes into a marriage. Commitment, nothing less. Marriage is never easy. I dare say I would miss you if you should decide to marry this far from home. But if it is what you want, than I would let your father know to give his permission." My mother smiled. "Now come over here and hug your mother."

And that is how it all happened. A week later, we received an invitation to William's to spend a month there with his parents. I was so happy I could barely contain myself. My mother teased me about my smile becoming a permanent fixture to my face.