Chapter 5: Flashback II
Buffy woke up startled. It took her only a second to realize what had woken her up. It was her parents. Their yelling had woken her up many times before. Mostly on the weekends, because that's when her Dad was home the most. Buffy tried to block out the shouting with a pillow over her head, but it was to no prevail. She turned to look at her clock. The digital numbers read 2:39 am. Buffy decided to do what she always did on nights like this, go into Xander's room. The seven year old quietly slipped out of her room and tip-toed to her brother's room, across the hall. She opened his door very slowly, hoping that the door wouldn't creak. When she finally got the door wide enough to allow her to slip in, she shut the door behind her and looked around the room. Darkness filled the room, and shadows of trees danced along the walls. It took her eyes a minute to adjust to the darkness of the room. She looked at Xander's bed and realized that no one was in it. Then she remembered, William was sleeping over tonight. She looked down to the floor and sure enough, she saw them. The moonlight outlined the sleeping forms of the two ten-year old boys. Buffy tried very hard to make it across the room the bed without stepping on either boy. Just as she thought she was in the clear, her foot came in contact with William, and before she could stop herself, she stepped right on to his hand.
William woke up with a jolt. His eyes frantically searched the room, until they landed on Buffy.
"Sorry." Buffy said sheepishly as she sat down on the bed.
"Buffy, luv, what are you doing?" William asked. But Buffy didn't need to answer, as soon as he asked the question he heard Buffy's parents fighting. William sighed and sat up on his elbows. "What are they fighting about this time?" he asked.
"A hose" Buffy said.
"They're fighting about a hose?" William asked skeptically.
"Yes." Buffy stated matter-of-factly. "Mom was yelling a Daddy for sleeping with a hose. It seems like a silly thing to get mad about." Buffy said. William suddenly understood the seriousness of her parents' argument. Mr. Summers had been cheating on Mrs. Summers. Despite that, he couldn't help but smile slightly at Buffy's innocence.
"I'm sure everything will be okay, pet." he lied. He knew it probably wasn't going to be okay, but how could he tell her that?
"I don't know." Buffy sighed. "Parents are supposed to love each other, not yell all the time."
"Your parents do love you, Buffy." William reassured her.
"Oh, I know that. But I don't think they like each other very much. Dad is never around, which makes Mom really sad." Said Buffy as she laid her head down on the pillow, and pulled the cover up to her neck. William looked over to her. He was about to say something when he heard a door slam. Both he and Buffy sat up. William listened and realized that the fighting had stopped, and someone had left. He listened harder and heard a woman crying softly. It was Mrs. Summers. Buffy heard this as well.
"Should...Should I go down and...I don't know, talk to her?" asked Buffy softly, tears welling up in her eyes. Her parents' fights usually got pretty heated, but never had one of them left. She tried her hardest not to cry. She didn't want William to see her cry.
"I.....I don't know, Buffy. Maybe your mom just needs a little while by herself." He said as he turned to look at her. Over the past year the Summers' house had become like a second home to him. Whenever he was there, Mrs. Summers treated him like one of her own children. Of course, she always insisted that he call her Joyce, but most of the time he called her Mrs. Summers. He felt sympathy for her, and hatred for the man who had just walked out on her. But most of all, his heart broke for the little girl who was caught in the middle of it all. And then there was Xander, who had somehow managed to sleep through all this commotion. He was defiantly going to have to tell Xander all of this in the morning. A tiny voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Do you think he'll come back?" Buffy asked softly, fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill over. William truly did not know, but looking at Buffy, he knew that wasn't what she needed to hear.
"He'd have to be stupid not to." He told her. It wasn't a lie, but he never actually answered her question. Buffy smiled softly.
"Thanks William" she told him as she lay down once again.
"Anytime, luv" he said as he lay down as well. "But, I think it's time you get some sleep"
"Yeah" she said sleepily and closed her eyes. 'I wonder how Xander slept through all of this' was her last conscious thought.
The next morning, after William had left, Buffy's mom sat both her and Xander down to talk about their father. That was the day Buffy learned what the word 'Divorce' meant.
A/N: Happy Valentine's Day all! I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has been reviewing. Thanks! Oh, and if your wondering why I called Spike, William in this chapter, well this was a flashback, and he hasn't came about the nickname "Spike" yet. I'm sure you already knew that, but just incase. Anyway, I hope to have the next chapter up by next weekend. Keep the reviews coming!
Buffy woke up startled. It took her only a second to realize what had woken her up. It was her parents. Their yelling had woken her up many times before. Mostly on the weekends, because that's when her Dad was home the most. Buffy tried to block out the shouting with a pillow over her head, but it was to no prevail. She turned to look at her clock. The digital numbers read 2:39 am. Buffy decided to do what she always did on nights like this, go into Xander's room. The seven year old quietly slipped out of her room and tip-toed to her brother's room, across the hall. She opened his door very slowly, hoping that the door wouldn't creak. When she finally got the door wide enough to allow her to slip in, she shut the door behind her and looked around the room. Darkness filled the room, and shadows of trees danced along the walls. It took her eyes a minute to adjust to the darkness of the room. She looked at Xander's bed and realized that no one was in it. Then she remembered, William was sleeping over tonight. She looked down to the floor and sure enough, she saw them. The moonlight outlined the sleeping forms of the two ten-year old boys. Buffy tried very hard to make it across the room the bed without stepping on either boy. Just as she thought she was in the clear, her foot came in contact with William, and before she could stop herself, she stepped right on to his hand.
William woke up with a jolt. His eyes frantically searched the room, until they landed on Buffy.
"Sorry." Buffy said sheepishly as she sat down on the bed.
"Buffy, luv, what are you doing?" William asked. But Buffy didn't need to answer, as soon as he asked the question he heard Buffy's parents fighting. William sighed and sat up on his elbows. "What are they fighting about this time?" he asked.
"A hose" Buffy said.
"They're fighting about a hose?" William asked skeptically.
"Yes." Buffy stated matter-of-factly. "Mom was yelling a Daddy for sleeping with a hose. It seems like a silly thing to get mad about." Buffy said. William suddenly understood the seriousness of her parents' argument. Mr. Summers had been cheating on Mrs. Summers. Despite that, he couldn't help but smile slightly at Buffy's innocence.
"I'm sure everything will be okay, pet." he lied. He knew it probably wasn't going to be okay, but how could he tell her that?
"I don't know." Buffy sighed. "Parents are supposed to love each other, not yell all the time."
"Your parents do love you, Buffy." William reassured her.
"Oh, I know that. But I don't think they like each other very much. Dad is never around, which makes Mom really sad." Said Buffy as she laid her head down on the pillow, and pulled the cover up to her neck. William looked over to her. He was about to say something when he heard a door slam. Both he and Buffy sat up. William listened and realized that the fighting had stopped, and someone had left. He listened harder and heard a woman crying softly. It was Mrs. Summers. Buffy heard this as well.
"Should...Should I go down and...I don't know, talk to her?" asked Buffy softly, tears welling up in her eyes. Her parents' fights usually got pretty heated, but never had one of them left. She tried her hardest not to cry. She didn't want William to see her cry.
"I.....I don't know, Buffy. Maybe your mom just needs a little while by herself." He said as he turned to look at her. Over the past year the Summers' house had become like a second home to him. Whenever he was there, Mrs. Summers treated him like one of her own children. Of course, she always insisted that he call her Joyce, but most of the time he called her Mrs. Summers. He felt sympathy for her, and hatred for the man who had just walked out on her. But most of all, his heart broke for the little girl who was caught in the middle of it all. And then there was Xander, who had somehow managed to sleep through all this commotion. He was defiantly going to have to tell Xander all of this in the morning. A tiny voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Do you think he'll come back?" Buffy asked softly, fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill over. William truly did not know, but looking at Buffy, he knew that wasn't what she needed to hear.
"He'd have to be stupid not to." He told her. It wasn't a lie, but he never actually answered her question. Buffy smiled softly.
"Thanks William" she told him as she lay down once again.
"Anytime, luv" he said as he lay down as well. "But, I think it's time you get some sleep"
"Yeah" she said sleepily and closed her eyes. 'I wonder how Xander slept through all of this' was her last conscious thought.
The next morning, after William had left, Buffy's mom sat both her and Xander down to talk about their father. That was the day Buffy learned what the word 'Divorce' meant.
A/N: Happy Valentine's Day all! I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has been reviewing. Thanks! Oh, and if your wondering why I called Spike, William in this chapter, well this was a flashback, and he hasn't came about the nickname "Spike" yet. I'm sure you already knew that, but just incase. Anyway, I hope to have the next chapter up by next weekend. Keep the reviews coming!
