A/N: Hey guys, you may have read this chapter because i accidentally posted it as chapter 5. However the real chapter 5 is up now, so go back and read it and the story will also make more sense, and plz,plz,plz,plz review.

Chapter 6

Buffy arrived at the coffee place within just a few minutes. Checking her watch to see how long she had until he would arrive she paced a little, keeping her eyes focused on the people walking along so that she would be able to see him coming. She looked at her watch again and noticed that he was five minutes late. She began to worry that perhaps he had changed his mind and decided that he didn't want to speak to her after all.

William watched from across the street. He saw her look repeatedly at her watch. He had saw her cming and became very nervous. He suddenly wasn't sure if he could talk to her. So he stood across the street and watched her to see if she would wait. He still had the poem with him, in his back pocket. He kept watching for another few minutes. He was more than ten minutes late now but she didn't seem like she had any intention of leaving, so he had to hand it to her, she was determined. So he made up his mind. He took a deep breath and crossed the street.

Buffy looked up again to scan the street and saw him come from across the other side of the street. She felt relieved, she was almost ready to just give up and leave. She gave him a small smile as he came up to her.

"Hi, it's nice to see you again" she said, only so that things would seem maybe a little less uncomfortable

"You too" he said, giving a curt nod to her

"So where do you want to talk in here?" she asked

He shook his head furiously "No, somewhere quiet. Not something i want to talk about with too many people around. "

"Well then where do you suggest?"

"There is another coffee place nearby, but it's quieter we can go there" without waiting for her response he began to walk further down the street, Buffy following behind him. She didn't try to speak to him on the journey, she could see how tense he was. He was obviously unsure about speaking about whatever that oem was about. But she still wanted to know so she would talk to him. She would just let him set the pace.

It didn't take long to arrive at the other coffee place. It was up a side alley, when they went in there was only a few other customers sitting around. It was a small establishment so there weren't a lot of tables

"Do you want something to drink?" William asked her

"A latte please" she requested

"Ok, i'll just be a minute. Can you get us a table" she nodded mutely and turned to find a table. She noticed on in a corner that was a little secluded. There would be plenty of privacy there so she went over and sat down. In her head she thiought of what she would like to ask William if she got the chance. There was a lot, but only a few key things. She wasn't too distracted by her thoughts so she saw him coming towards the table. She took heer drink from him, placing it in front of her. She waited until he sat down. There was an awkward silence. She tried to think of something to say which would break the ice, but there was only one thing she could think of to say

"Thank you for deciding to speak with me William"

"It's ok, but please don't call me that call me Will or Spike" he said

"Spike?" she looked confused, she could see why some people would call him will but Spike, she wasn't so sure

"An old nickname. Most people don't use it anymore but it's up to you"

"I'll stick with Will"she told him. He nodded indifferently. She didn't say anything else. That was all up to him. That meant there was another few minutes of silence.

"I don't know yet how much i'm ready to tell you" he broke the silence with that staement. It was like saying it was a rule, he only told her what he wanted, nothing else. And she could accept that. She nodded slightly to show that she was ok with that

"Start when you're ready then" she said.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the poem. Sitting it on the table. The side with the date and name on it facing upwards. He looked it over one last time before he cleared his throat and began to speak

"The date. That's the date i wrote it. I was studying at UCLA, funnily enough English Literature and creative writng. Anyway, it my second last year. There was a new TA in one of my classes, i liked her the moment i saw her. She was beautiful. Long dark hair, dark eyes and clothes. She was beautiful. I was captivated. She was English too. So anyway, i saw her, i was working on an assignment. I couldn't stop thinking about her though. So i wrote the poem. How i felt since i saw her."

He stopped for a moment, he hadn't said much, but it was more than he told anyone else, and he didn't know how much he should say. After a few minutes thought he decided that he had said this much, he may as well keep talking

"Anyway, i wrote it about her. Drusilla Kensington" he said the name and a range of emotions flashed in his eyes and his voice was thick with the same emotions "so i wrote it. I didn't know much else about her. I gave up on my work for the day. I put it in my bag and went home"

"But i found it in a book" she interrupted

"I'm getting there" he said "As i was going to say, not knowing much about her, i wanted to find it all out. She didn't really notice me and i didn't have a lot of friends so i couldn't really ask anyone. Then i was home one weekend. I was at a family friend's house and i saw her. I asked about her and they told me that her family had just moved in a couple months before. So i wrote the address on the poem later that night. I took it back with me. I spoke to her just before spring break. She said she was in a relationship and i wasn't her type. I was hurt. I didn't want to destroy the poem, so i put it in that book, because nobody ever used it. Until now apparently" he stopped then, feeling like he couldn't say anything else. He wasn't used to talking about this and the next part of the story was too personal. The real part he couldn't talk about yet.

Buffy listened intently as he told his story. She was surprised to realis that he wasn't that much older than her. Maybe a year but she had never saw him on Campus. But she didn't ask, didn't want to pry too much. he had promised herself and his father she wouldn't do that. Her heart went out to him, she knew there was more to tell, but even that little snippet showed a bit of his heart to her. It showed that he could care; no love; enough to write something so beautiful for the person. And he had clearly been hurt in some way. And as much as she wanted to know, part of her didn't. She didn't want him to have to drag it all back up again.

"I'm sorry" her voice was quiet, not completely sure of what she should say.

"Not your fault, i suppose she just had higher standards. She was magnificent. he most beautiful woman i had ever seen." he said

"Will, what are you talking about higher standards, there is nothing wrong with you" she scolded, hating to see him, or anyone speak so badly of themselves. He laughed slightly

"You don't know me Buffy. You don't know how pathetic i was. I bet that although you were at UCLA, that you have no idea if you ever saw me" his voice was never raised, just honest

"No" she admitted i never saw you before

"I saw you" he said, taking her by surprise "you were in the same department as i was. We had a couple of the same professors. I may not know anything about you or have known your name but i do remember having seen you" his voice never changed. Buffy was shocked. How coould he have saw her but shebhad never seen him. But at that moment she was too shocked, upset even to even ask why that may have been

"I'm sorry" her voice this time was barely a whisper

"Forget it. Few people saw me" she knew there was a deeper meaning there somewhere. But it was just one of the many things she didn't want to delve any further into at that point. "Well, we should get going"

"Ok" she stood "I'm going back to your father's shop that's where i was before, my friends are there waiting"

"I'll come with you" he said as he stood. Buffy didn't say anything to agree, she just waited.

Anya, Xander, Giles, Willow and Tara were still sitting around the table in the magic box. Buffy had been gone for just under two hours, and they had decided to wait for her to come back. They hadn't spoken about Buffy's sudden exit instead talking about their school days

"I remember this one time there was a halloween dance. And i decided to go as something a little bit unusual. I was supposed ton go with my friends, but something came up and Buffy couldn't make it, and then our other friend got a date at the last minute so he was with her so there was just me, on my own at the dance, dressed as an eskimo. I looked ridiculous" everyone at the table cracked up at the story

"It was so embarrassing" Willow reminisced. Tara stroked her hair lovingly

"I'm sure you looked great baby" she cooed

"Thanks, but i know i looked silly" she said.

"So what was Buffy like in high school?" Xander asked

"Kinda mysterious i guess. She didn't talk to many people, she always had something going on. She just didn't feel like she fit in. And she was always running off somwhere"

"Oh so kind of like how she is now" Anya pointed out

Willow cringed a little but she didn't want to divulge the real reason for why Buffy was always disappearing.

"Yeah what was that all about?" Xander asked

Willow, Tara and Giles shared a look. Willow shrugged

"Not sure" she lied.

Anya didn't look like she believed her, as far as she was concerned Willow was Buffy's best friend and therefore must know what was going on. Giles knew Anya didn't believe it, so he decided to explain without telling too much

"She has gone to meet my son. And do not ask why it is a private matter" he said strictly. His voice demanded obedience, making sure that he would not be questioned. However, that did not mean Anya would not voice her assumptions

"Oh, so your son is her orgasm buddy. That was quick. Giles flinched. That was not something he had any desire to speak with to Anya about anyone at any time. But he wanted to speak about it even less when his son was the subject.

"Anya. Please be quiet" he orderd quietly.

Anya pouted, it wasn't her fault that is what it seemed to be. Or more accurately, that for her that's excatly what it would have been. She didn't get to bring the subjecty up again though as right the Buffy and Will came into the store.

Giles smiled when he saw his son. He didn't visit the shop very often and Anya and Xander had only met him a few times. The two came over to join the group at the table. There was nobody in the shop so nobody was paying much attention to what was going on.

"Hello Buffy, Will good to see you" he greeted cheerfully.

"Hi dad" Will returned

"Hey Giles" Buffy smiled

"Did you two have a nice chat?" Giles inquired

"Yeah it was fine" William said

"Good i'm glad"

Willow and Tara stood a mioment later

"Hi i'm Willow and this is Tara" Willow motioned between them

"William" he introduced themself shaking each of their hand in turn.

"Nice to meet you" Tara said "Sorry to have to run, but Willow wants to go see something before the place closes. It was nice metting you"

"Nice meeting you too" he replied

Willow turned to Buffy

"You going to come with?"

"No, but i am going in a minute though. I want to graba shower and maybe a nap before we go out for dinner later" she informed them

"Ok, we'll meet you back at the motel" Willow then grabbed Tara's hand and they almost ran for the door.

"Well, looks like my popularity has risen. They actually stuck around an entire 3 minutes after i came in" William said looking somewhat sad. Buffy became annoyed, but not at him, at whatever had made him feel so unworthy and basically not good enough. And she vowed right then that she was going to find out what it was.

"William, do you want to meet again tomorrow? You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to but we can spend some time together and if you think you can tell me anymore then you can" she said

"I don't want pity" he ground out feeling embarrassed

"And you're not getting any" she said "I told you why i wanted to speak to you the first time. Now i want to spend some time with you, It's up to you if you tell me anymore"

He looked wary of what she was saying, he didn't know if he could trust her words. She held her breath hoping he would accept her offer, because she had a plan on getting him to open up and getting to the bottom of everything. Finally and reluctantly he nodded

"Ok"

"Good" she smiled "meet me same place tomorrow, say 11:30"

She waited for him to agree

"Yeah" he said

"Ok" she smiled again "i'll see you tomorrow. Now i really do have to go for that nap. Bye everyone"

She walked to the door and turned around smiling again

"Bye... Spike" she noticed something flash in his eyes. Just for a second he looked a little bit happier.