The Glamorous Life
Author: Callie West
Summary: AU, Elizabeth Stanhope is the highest paid actress in Hollywood. She is also the most frigid. When she is cast in the highly anticipated romantic comedy 'Love in New York' her personally selected leading man falls suddenly ill and must be replaced. Much to her displeasure the only one for the job is the man she hoped never to see again.
Distribution: Want it? Take it…please.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Authors Note: Oh…yay…I'm updating…go me. Plus…yummy flashback scenes…wanna know what happened between Elizabeth and William….well here you go…lol. Plus I mix up the names in this chapter…you know that Elizabeth used to go by Buffy and William was known as Spike.
Feedback: Need it….love it…give it.
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Chapter 3 ~ The Truce
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(Movie Set, October 21, 2002)
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As much as she sulked, as much as she protested Elizabeth had to admit that she was kinda tired of this fight. Her and William hadn't said a kind word to or about one another in over 3 years and it was causing her to have wrinkles…not a good thing for young Hollywood.
Not that she really wanted him back in her life…of course not. She just wanted it to be over. It never hurt to lessen the list of people who wanted to see you beheaded.
It wasn't that she wanted to see that brilliant smile of his again. And she'd scalp herself before she'd say that she wanted him to whisper that he loved her again.
Okay….great now she was all broody.
It was all Cord's fault. And Dawn's. And her mothers for having the little brat. If they both hadn't been so damn insistent about the whole being nice thing then she wouldn't really have to give William a second thought…at least consciously.
'Enough with the scorned woman shit, liz, get out there and put on your face.' Bracing her self Elizabeth gracefully slid from the dressing room counter and headed for the door…she had a ex to confront.
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(Outside the room…same time)
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"Bit, I don't know. Things with me and your sis are comp…" William started but was stalled by a very stern look from the model.
"So help me if you say 'complicated' I'm going to rip out your tongue and shove it up for very nice ass, got that?" Dawn insisted. "Now you are going to be the oh so fine, and charming guy we all know that you can be, true?" When he nodded miserably. She grinned like the twelve year old he missed and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. "That's a good, boy." She whispered teasingly in his ear, causing him to roll his eyes.
They both looked up when they heard a throat being cleared behind them, William's eyes widened and Dawn looked pissed. "Cordelia Laura Chase what the hell are you doing here? I can handle the children by myself."
The brunette smiled sweetly. "Oh, no doubt hun, handle away…I just came for the fireworks." Cordelia walked over to the duo, her eyes narrowed in on the fidgeting William. Dawn, perfectly aware of the tension shooting off the two whistled loudly and laughed nervously and just squeaked "I'll be seeing what's keeping Liz….yeah." She scuttled away wanting to miss the damage.
William suddenly seemed to be extremely fascinated by a burn on the cement floor, he was so mesmerized by it he didn't even look up when Cordy's sharp pointy burgundy heel appeared right beside it.
"Will." Cordelia said gently, her tone completely opposite her fierce face.
Biting the bullet, William looked up slowly, licking his lips he gathered his balls and put on a false smile. "Cordelia, pet. Have you lost weight, you look smashing." He never saw it coming.
The few surrounding crew members spun quickly as the resounding smack echoed around the set.
"Fuck!" He spat out. "What the hell is it with you birds. First Buffy now you, give a bloke some bloody warning before you crush his damn face." The beach blonde's hand worked gently to try and soothe his burning skin.
"Yeah, well, you can never say you didn't deserve it." The woman said softly, he face showing the slightest hint of guilt. She didn't mean to smack him that hard. "Oh, let me see you big baby." She huffed, pulling his hand from his sulking face. The entire left side of his face shone a brilliant red, the begins of a bruise shone around the edges, Cordelia hissed in a quite breath. "Oops." She said sheepishly.
" Oops…she says. " He groused, put off. He stepped back from her slightly and looked her over. She was prettier if that was even possible. Her hair had grown out, thinned out quite a bit and lightened slightly. Her soft skin had darkened, evidence of summers in LA, and it was true, she had lost those few miniscule pounds that she had put on when she co-stared in that Movie-of-the-Week with Tracy Gold a few years back.
"I repeat what I said before, you do look smashing, love." He said, a sincere smile on his face.
Cordelia rolled her hazel eyes, a faint blush staining her cheeks. "Yeah, yeah. Not lookin' so bad your self….Oh, god, get over here you big oaf." She huffed, her arms stretched out. William wrapped his strong arms around her and spun her around in much the same fashion as he had Dawn the day before. He finally sat her down when she popped him on the back, giggling slightly.
She pulled away from him, grinning, and popped a sweet kiss on his still stinging cheek.
"You know, all badness and break-ups aside I missed you, Will. Xander too." The ex-beauty queen hinted, laying on the guilt. It worked, Williams eyes once again drifted to the floor. "You were his best friend, Will." She spoke with a lilt of accusation in her voice.
"I know, Cord. I just…you know how bad it got. And he was always so protective of Elizabeth. I was sure he'd hate me. You did." He stuffed his hands deep into his pants pocket, and started to rock back and forth on his heels.
"I never hated you, Will. Maybe I wanted to burn all of your parts off and throw the ashes into a crevice, but I didn't hate you. Neither did Xander. He said he did, every once in awhile he'd say it, but he didn't." The woman assured him.
It was a bad time for all the friends. Buffy and Spike were so happy, then one day Buffy showed up, at Cordy and Xander's penthouse, sobbing so hard she couldn't breathe. The blonde had practically moved in with her friends, vowing that she would never set foot in her home until all traces of Spike had been burned to the ground.
When Spike had finally got the message that Buffy would never look at him again, he packed all his stuff up and moved to New York, never speaking to anyone of them again. Buffy had sold the condo, left all the pictures of them in a dumpster down the street and moved closer to Cordelia, swearing that no one was to speak to her about it ever again.
"It's all the past now, sweetness. I'm sure Xander has another best mate now. How are you two anyway. Last I heard you were engaged…again?" He said, hopping to switch to a brighter topic.
"Yep." The woman said happily, her entire mood changed. "Third time, but this time we've actually have a date set. And look…this ring's bigger." She grinned and shoved the huge 3 karat rock into the man's face her face shinning almost as bright as the ring.
"Oh, no. Not the ring again." Elizabeth came strutting up behind them, Dawn nowhere in sight. "Please tell me that isn't her brand of torture?" Elizabeth smiled in William's direction, taking the blonde by surprise.
"Um, no actually this is her idea of being pleasant. Her punishment runs along the same lines as yours, pet." He tilted his face to the side so she could see the shiny purple area on his cheekbone.
Elizabeth had to stifle a giggle. "Tragedy." She muttered, her tone full of mock sympathy.
"Is it, though." He agreed, a slight smirk appearing on his lips. It was nice to be able to relax around her.
Now as tactless as Cordelia could be she did sense when someone was having a moment. "So, if you just tell me where that darling sister of yours is I'll leave the two of you alone."
Elizabeth hesitated, then she looked at William and when he nodded, the woman looked to her best friend. "Last time I checked she was flirting shamelessly with Conner James over near set 5."
Grinning at the chance to humiliate Dawn Cordelia set off, thinking how glorious to would be to tell Conner the bathtub story.
At the same time, the two noticed that they were alone. All alone. Together. For the very first time in 3 years. Both their minds flashed back to the last time that happened.
(Flashback)
(LA, June 1999)
"Is it true?" Buffy demanded tearfully.
"Buffy-luv, listen to me." Spike pleaded, his eyes worried.
"No. I am done listening to your pathetic explanations. I want to hear one fucking word from you. Is it true. Yes or no?" Her insides twisted when he looked away. She was only a split second away from dropping to her knees and begging him to tell her no. For him to tell her it was all a lie, that he hadn't slept with another woman. That he hadn't betrayed her.
"Yes." It was barely above a whisper. And if she hadn't had all her senses focused on him she would never had heard it.
She was proud of herself. She didn't collapse. She didn't scream, she didn't even shed another tear. She just looked down at the letter in her hand, the one that had sent her world crashing around her, and smiled nastily.
She stuffed the letter back into her jeans pocket and looked around her spacious living room. She took in the painting on the walls. The pictures on the mantel. "You, know. I feel really stupid." She said quietly, her voice gentle and tired. But Spike flinched as though she had screamed.
"I thought we were happy. I thought you loved me…don't" She raised her hand when he started to protest. "It's okay. Really. I'm fine. Better then I thought I'd be. It's just I thought, that you were happy with me, I thought you were happy with our life. If your weren't you should have told me. You should have said something, Spike.
"Goddammit! We've only been married for two months. Two months and it's all ready over. I thought we'd be together forever. My family adores you. My friends think your amazing. Even my Dad likes you. We all thought that you were good. That you were one of the few to be trusted. And you go out here, and fuck someone else. You put your hands on another woman. Those were my hands, dammit. I owned them. You weren't supposed to touch anyone else with them ever. " She paused, he throat sore, her eyes bloodshoot.
"But it's okay, Spike. I understand." He finally looked up at her, shocked. "I knew all alone that I was enough for you." His eyes widened, he wanted so badly to go to her, make her see that she was wrong, that wasn't it, but she wasn't done.
"I get it, Spike. And it's okay, baby. " She walked over to him, kissed him on the lips softly, and backed away. Taking one last look at him she walked out the door and letting the tears fall.
(End Flashback)
They both looked at each other, their faces hardened and smiled grimly.
Elizabeth closed her eyes, and held out her hand.
"Truce?"
William sighed and took her offered hand.
"Truce."
They both ignored the way their skin still tingled from the others touch and broke contact immediately.
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~TBC~
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'Star Struck' will be updated soon.