Disclaimer: Unfortunately in the short space of time between the last chapter and this one I have not acquired the rights to anything and I own nothing but the plot which I'm sure someone, one day will tell me isn't as original as I think it is!

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has stuck through my mini hiatus. Just to let you know this will probably be updated every other day because I'm alternating with my other fic which is nearly finished, then I'll be able to devote all my time to this one because I have a feeling this is going to be a long one. Please keep up all the lovely suggestions. They are all very helpful. I love you all!!! Oh I pinched the title of this chapter from another fic I read except I cant remember who wrote it so if anyone stumbles across it let me know and I will give them all due credit! Done ranting now!

Chapter 7: And it was all very real…

Eight-year-old Buffy was biting her bottom lip in concentration. Mommy said if she got enough water in the clown's mouth to fill the balloon she would win that pig she thought was so pretty. It was a very pretty pig! She already knew that she was going to call him Mr Gordo. Just a little bit more and the balloon would be full.

It was really nice of mommy to have brought her to the amusement park. Mommy had said she wanted to make the most of their time together before she had to go away. Buffy didn't know where mommy was going but she'd said she wouldn't be able to come back…Buffy felt sad when she thought about that. She loved her mommy – mommy was pretty and small and blonde just like her. Buffy was going to miss her mommy, she didn't want to go and live with aunty Dru when mommy went away. Aunty Dru was strange...and mean when mommy wasn't around. Buffy suspected that aunty Dru didn't like her very much, but mommy had said that there was no one else to look after her when she went away. The sad thoughts were making Buffy cry, and she was loosing concentration on filling up the balloon, suddenly Mr Gordo didn't seem as important anymore.

"Hey careful or you won't win!" Buffy turned towards the funny sounding voice and was surprised to see a little sandy blonde boy using his water gun to fill up her balloon instead of his own. When he realised she was watching him he turned to her and smiled. "I didn't want you to loose. I heard you telling the pretty lady that you wanted the pig real bad."

"Won't you get in trouble for cheating?" Buffy asked, looking around nervously. She was sure you were only supposed to use one water gun to fill the balloon.

The little boy shrugged, unconcerned. "Don't care. I'm a bad boy!"

Buffy giggled, her previous sombre mood forgotten. "You don't look like a bad boy." She told him, taking in his Count Duckula T-shirt and shorts, the mop of unruly hair flopping into his eyes. The little boy scowled and turned his attention back to the balloon and Buffy turned to help, worried that she had upset this boy who might not want to be her friend anymore. After several minutes the balloon burst, soaking them both. Buffy didn't care however because the big man running the stall handed over the pinkest, softest pig ever. Buffy hugged it fiercely. "Thank you." She told the little boy timidly, hoping he wasn't mad at her.

"S'alright." He grumbled, but she could see he was hiding the hint of a smile.

"Why do you talk funny?" Buffy asked, eager to keep the conversation going. She liked making new friends.

The little boy looked at her as if unsure whether he had been insulted or not. "I sound like everyone else at home!" he insisted. "But you talk like my mummy and daddy."

"Where's home?" Buffy asked curiously, walking back towards the café where her mommy was waiting for her, the boy walking along beside her.

"London." The boy answered proudly.

"I've never been there." Buffy told him. "Is it far?"

"It's in this whole other country called England." The boy informed her, sounding pleased that he knew something someone else didn't. "We came here on a plane and everything."

"Wow." Buffy replied, awed. "I've never been on a plane."

"It's really cool!" he told her matter of factly and began to tell her about how small everything was from really high up.

"I'm Buffy." She told him as they reached the café where she could see her mommy waiting for her. "What's your name?"

"William." He told her. "But I don't like it. It's a poofy name!"

Before Buffy could reassure him that it was a perfectly nice name they were interrupted by a shrill cry.

"WILLIAM!!"

Buffy looked behind William who was cringing to see a lady carrying a much younger girl, walking up to them.

"William how many times have I told you not to wander off?" the lady asked in an annoyed voice. "I've been worried sick."

"I was talking to Buffy." He insisted. "Nothing happened."

"That's not the point young man!" The lady insisted taking his hand despite his attempts to pull it free. "Now say goodbye to your little friend. We have to go find your father – he's not going to be happy with you for wandering off again."

"Will-yum's in trouble! Will-yum's in trouble!" chanted the little girl happily; William just stuck his tongue out at her before turning back to Buffy while his mother began to drag him away.

"Told you I was a bad boy!" He called back, and Buffy giggled, hoping she would run into William again before her mommy took her home in a week's time. He seemed like he would make a nice friend!

Buffy awoke from her dream slowly, wishing she could stay in that world where things had been much simpler. Before her mother had died, when all she'd had to worry about was whether Mr Gordo was tucked in while she was at school. She'd often had dreams about that holiday over the years. When things were really bad she'd remember the friend she'd made and imagine that he'd come to rescue her like he had done several times during that week. Ten years later she thought she would have forgotten that little boy with the funny accent but she never had, although she had begun to wonder if he had been real. They'd told her he wasn't real, that he was just a figment of her twisted imagination. They'd told her she was crazy and would be locked up!

Yawning, finally allowing sleep to slip away, Buffy pulled herself out of bed and pulled on the fluffy pink slippers Joyce had given her. They were pig slippers, the faces and little snouts looking up at her while the curly tail poked out the back. She liked these slippers. They made her remember Mr Gordo, which made her remember how she had gotten him, which made her remember her friend. It was enough to make her smile whenever she got up in a morning, which is more than she'd had for the previous…how many years was it now? Five? Ten? It had all blurred together eventually. Time had become irrelevant.

Pulling a robe around herself she headed out of her room towards the bathroom. Spike had told her that he was taking her to meet his friends Xander and Willow today so she had better get ready. She was nervous and wanted to make a good impression. She looked up as the bathroom door was thrown open and Spike stepped out wearing noting but his boxers, his hair damp from the shower, his eyebrows raised in surprise. Buffy quickly looked down intently studying the pigs on her feet rather than the exposed, toned, chest before her.

"Err…mornin'" she heard him mumble, obviously as embarrassed as her by his state of undress, before he hurried back into his own room. Buffy watched his retreating back, taking note of the bleached blonde hair. She smiled privately to herself as she locked the bathroom door and undressed to take a shower.

He's not real! He's just a figment of your imagination!

Buffy's smile grew as she remembered the Count Duckula boxers and the unmistakeable accent that had greeted her a few minutes ago – Just as much of a bad boy as he had been ten years ago! Yes he was real, and he had saved her once again.

A/N: I know it's cheesy and clichéd and a few other words I cant think of right now but give me a chance people! I have a plan! I love you all and all your lovely feedback J