As Riley led her off the floor, Buffy began to get anxious to get away from him. He had almost ripped her gown twice and kept talking about military tactics, which he thought made amusing anecdotes, but were actually very boring. Stifling a yawn, she turned to smile at him as he handed her a glass of punch.

"Thank-you for the dance SIr Finn. But I feel I should see how my sister is doing. She was hoping to dance tonight." He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.

"Pish posh. I'm sure that she's fine." Buffy's eyes narrowed slightly and he stepped closer to her. "Tell me, how do you like Fairfax manor?"

"Uh....It's nice. I hear it's really beautiful in the spring." He was starting to make her nervous and Buffy began to scan the room for Dawn. She saw Willow off in a corner talking to Daniel and she hated to interrupt them, but Riley was beginning to get a little grabby. Must be the punch. "Uh, excuse me. I have to ask my maid a favor."

She didn't really hear his protests, she just ran towards Willow and Daniel without looking back. "Willow! Daniel. I am sorry to interrupt you two but I couldn't find Dawnie and I needed to get away from that Sir Finn." Willow smiled at her and Daniel looked at her pensively.

"Sir Riley Finn?" he asked.

"Yes. Do you know him?" She asked somewhat surprised. He had told her that he was staying with some friends in the area and had just tagged along.

"No. But William does. They went to University together. Riley wasn't very nice from everything that I've heard."

"Oh." Elizabeth responded. 'So that's why William asked me to dance. Hmm. That was actually nice of him...Whoa! What universe am I in that William Fairfax is nice?' She thought to herself. But Buffy's mental tirade was cut short by Willow.

"Buffy? Weren't you looking for Dawnie?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah. Did you find her? It would be a shame if she went up already."

"Oh. No. Buffy, she's dancing with William."

Buffy spun around in surprise. She couldn't help but smile as Dawn and William spun around the dance floor together. THey were smiling and laughing. She found herself admiring William's abilities. He moved rather gracefully for a man and while he was lean, she could almost see his muscles rippling under his clothes. She abruptly turned back embarassed at where her thoughts were taking her.

"Er...good. That was nice of him to ask her to dance. Don't you think?" Before they could answer, she turned away and went to a table to sit down, wondering what was wrong with her brain.

******

A few days after the ball, Dawn and Buffy decided to take advantage of the frozen lake and go ice skating. THey walked down the lake with Willow carrying their skates and laughing with each other.

"So Willow," Buffy began exchanging a sly smile with her sister. "You and Daniel seemed awfully friendly last night at the ball!" Willow blushed.

"Um, what do you mean? I uh..."

"Uh huh...riiiiight." Dawn put-in and all three began to laugh again. They sat at the edge of the lake and Buffy and Dawn began to put on their skates.

"I wish you would learn to skate one of these days Willow." BUffy said while tightening her laces.

"Oh no. I'm always afriad the ice will crack under me."

"Oh! We don't have to worry about that!" Dawn said energetically and she rushed out onto the ice. THey laughed as she fell down.

"Well, I'd better get out there Willow. We'll talk later about you and Daniel." Buffy got up and started to skate off as Willow yelled after her

"There is no me and Daniel!" BUffy turned around in circles laughing and she soon reached Dawn and helped her back up.

"So. Dawnie. I never got the chance last night to ask you if you had a good time at the ball." The sisters began to skate together out farther on the lake.

"I did actually...and you were wrong. I did get to dance!"

"Yea. I saw you and William dancing together." Her brain reminded her again how handsome he had looked dancing and Dawn smirked at her.

"Yes. He kept talking about all the beautiful women in the room." Dawn laughed inwardly at Buffy's expression of surprise.

"Oh? YEs? Did he mention anyone's names?" Not jealous. I am NOT jealous! Buffy thought frantically. I'm just wondering what tramps my future husband was lusting over. That's all.

"Please Buffy. Like he was watching anyone but you. William is totally in love with you." Dawn laughed as her sister abruptly stopped skating and stared at her.

"What? No! Dawn you're crazy. He hates me. He thinks I'm a child. You don't know what happened..."

"Last year? Buffy, he was just upset..."

"Not last year, Dawnie. Before that. When I was thirteen."

"You never told me what happened that year."

Just then their conversation was cut off by a loud cracking noise. Buffy looked down the ice and saw it was starting to crack under Dawn. Her eyes widened and she yelled to Willow while pushing Dawn towards the shore. Willow was able to reach Dawn and pull her off the ice. Buffy fell to her side out on the lake and the cracked a bit more and finally broke and Buffy fell into the icy water.

"Buffy!" Dawn yelled trying to break Willow's hold and skate back out to her sister. Willow tightened her grip.

"No Dawnie! It won't hold you. We have to get a tree branch!" They ran to find a branch and Buffy's head bobbed up again in the hole in the ice and then sank back down as she hit it on the ice.



William had been watching the girls skate from a window in the manor smiling down at them as they laughed and chatted with each other. He frowned when he saw BUffy push Dawn down. THat was odd. Then his heart leapt in his thoat as he saw the ice break under her and he screamed her name. THe servants looked at him confused and he turned towards them, his face pale.

"The lake! Prepare a sick room. Light a fire. Warm clothes and blankets. Buffy's fallen through the ice!" With that he ran through the house grabbing his coat quickly and raced to the lake. As he reached the edge, Willow and Dawn had just found a tree branch and were calling to Buffy. But she wasn't surfacing.

"Buffy! Buffy! Where are you!" Willow was yelling frantically. Dawn had fallen to her knees crying.

"Dawnie!" William cried. He handed her his coat and pulled her to her feet. "I'm going in after her. Put that around her once she's out." Dawn merely nodded and William ran out onto the lake diving into the water after Buffy.

It felt as though a thousand knives were stabbing at him as he swan down into the icy depths. But he pushed back the pain and continued to look for Buffy. Suddenly, his hand brushed by something soft. Hair. Buffy's hair. He swan slightly lower and grabbed her around the waist and began to surface, not even noticing as her skates cut into his legs. He surfaced and Willow yelled at him to grab the branch. AS they reached the shore, Dawn shakily put the coat aruond Buffy. Her lips were turning blue.

"She's not breathing!" Dawn yelled hysterically.

"Hold on. Hold on." William said and tried to remember what he learned at University. He knelt down beside her and began to breathe for her. Dawn's sobs were the only sound permeating the silence. Then, Buffy began to cough and William rolled her over onto her side as she began to cough up water.

"Dawn?" Buffy asked weakly and Dawn rushed over to her side.

"I'm here Buffy."

"Love you." Buffy choked and passed out shivering uncontrollably.

"BUFFY!" Dawn yelled. William patter her shoulder and lifted Buffy into his arms, running towards the mansion. Willow put her arms a still crying Dawn and they followed him back to the house.