Title: The English Patience: Monday
Author: Am-Chau Yarkona
E-mail: grant@hagden169.fsnet.co.uk
Summary: Having made up with Spike, Giles has nonetheless decided he must take Willow to England. They spend a week there.
Rating: PG
Pairing: Giles/Spike (tending Rupert/William)
Spoilers: End of season 6.
Timing: Early season 7. Post 'Songfic interludes' and pre 'First Cuddles'.
Warnings: Mild slashyness, romance.
Author Notes: Part of my 'Demon!Cuddleverse series'. Section 3, to be exact.
Story Notes: This is a collection of e-mails, telephone calls and diary entries. Hope the labelling clear enough.
Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing, not even chocolate money, Joss is God, etc.

"Hello?"
"Hello, William. Just thought I'd let you know we've arrived safely."
"Good- I'll tell the others, too."
"Thank you. Everything okay?"
"Yeah, everything's fine this side of the pond. Enjoy your stay in sunny Engliand, Rupes."
"I'm sure I'll enjoy it- just as soon as it stops raining."
Laughter. "Sounds like you're really in the old country."
"I am indeed."
"Love you."
A pause- surprise. "You too."
"Well, later then, pet. Don't want you to waste money, long distance and all that. Bye."
"Goodbye."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

From: Willow Rosenburg [wrosenburg@aol.com]
To: Spike [williamtb@att.net]

Hi Spike.
I know Giles rang you, but I thought I'd confirm it. He seems a bit jumpy, kinda nervous. We're okay, really. I don't know what you said to him- and I don't want to, thanks- but you calmed him down more than I've been able to all day. The flight was fine, but he didn't enjoy it. Leaving you, in part, I expect. Give my love to Buffy, Xander, Dawn, whoever.
Willow.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

From: Spike [williamtb@att.net]
To: Willow Rosenburg [wrosenburg@aol.com]

Willow,
I know you won't have much time to e-mail me and stuff, but it's good to hear from you. I'm not sure how to tell him, I don't want him to feel guilty about going, but I miss him terribly. Not even sure why I'm telling you this. I'd better go now, nibblet wants me to play Scrabble or some such.
William.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Giles' diary

10:30pm. I have resolved to write in my diary every night while in England. It'll give me something to do, and help me calm myself before I try to sleep. I think I need that. Normally when I feel like this, I get drunk. It isn't the most helpful reaction, but it soothes the pain, removes the confusion, and eases the hurt. In the morning, I have a hangover, and attending to that distracts me from the feelings I can't express.
Unfortunately- or fortunately- I have Willow to look after for now, so drink isn't an option. I miss William. His absense is like a hole, like a a gap in my life. We'd only been together for a month or so after his return to Sunnydale, when Willow and I decided we had to travel to England.
The Scoobies know he has a soul, but they don't know we're together, at least not officially. I suspect Willow has guessed. I'm trying not to talk about how I feel about William to her, for fear of bringing up uncomfortable memories of Tara. It seems best to let her bring the subject up.
Oh! William. I'm sorry I wasn't faster to reply when you said you loved me. I love you, deeply, dearly, but I'm not used to say it aloud. I spent so long hiding it, not saying it, for fear of being ridiculed, that to say it at all takes a little readjustment. Forgive me that, please.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

William's Journal.


There- doesn't it look neat? I haven't kept a journal for years, not since Dru- well, you know what she did. I don't want to think about it. I understand why Rupert had to leave, but I don't like it. He's left me all alone, with the nightmares my soul brings. Perhaps he doesn't know that I have them- he rarely wakes, and when he does I don't always tell him why I'm awake.
His mere presence soothes me, his warm, heavy body next to mine a comfort. I love him. I wish I didn't, because it hurts, because the ones you love will always leave or reject you. He rejected me for years, refused to aknowledge that he still loved after the Adam fiasco. My soul tells me I betrayed him- I knew that before- but he left me, too, and I'm not really sure why. It was years before I knew why Angelus left us (and at the time I thought it must have been me. Egocentric bastard, aren't I? And there was a time when I've have said that in self-praise.) and Dr
I won't write it. I can't say it, hardly think it, so I won't write her name. She left me, she hurt me, even now that the despair has simmered down and I have a soul to tell that I truly only did what she wanted. I never hurt her- how could I? If I never see her again, I can just ignore my feelings and hope they'll go away.
I wish Rupert was with me.