A/N: Thanks for all your reviews. I'd like to give a special thanks to Chica De Los Ojos Cafe who helped me not write off this story.
Spike stared at the little girl numbly. Buffy and Xander did the same. "Mommy, mommy?" the little girl waved a hand in front of her mother's face trying to get her mother's attention. Okay, so she wasn't so little, nine years old actually.
Buffy crouched down. "Baby, Jenny, why don't you let Uncle Xander take you to the ice cream shop. He'll get you anything you want." Jenny's face shone with the prospect.
"Sure." She grabbed Xander's arm and nearly dragged him out of the Inn. Buffy turned back to William.
"Mommy?" was the first thing that William said in the past few minutes. Then he got mad, the word and its meaning finally sinking in. "Mommy!" Buffy looked around at the area, silently thanking the powers that be for emptying it. "What the fuck did she mean 'mommy'?"
"William…"
He cut her off. "I can't believe you're married and have a kid! Planned on telling me before I inevitably left!"
"First of all, I'm not married!" Buffy yelled back. "And second, don't try making me out to the damn bad guy. You're the one that left!"
William formed a fist at his side, anger making him shake visibly. "I left for your own good!" Realizing what he said, he muttered a "never mind" and began walking away. He needed to punch something to take him mind off of the woman standing behind him.
He almost made it to the front door when Buffy's hand suddenly stopped him. He turned. "What?" he demanded.
With eyes as cold as stone, Buffy spat "What do you mean you left for my own good? You think it was good to leave me like that? I know you don't care but I spent months crying my eyes out. Everything reminded me of you. I didn't sleep, rarely ate, and I was depressed all the time. God Will! I was miserable without you."
"Looks like you got over me though" he murmured. Buffy felt like she'd gotten the wind knocked out of him.
"William!" she paused, letting her voice soften slightly. "I've…you remember that night in your bedroom while your parents and mine were away? You know Dawn and Faith were at camp and it was just the two of us?"
he nodded. "Yeah" he chuckled, voice matching Buffy's as he ran a hand through his already loose curls. "I took you out to the beach in a rather cheesy-teen-movie-esque way and we watched the sunset." He was silent for a long time, remembering, and Buffy took that moment to say something.
"That was the first night that either of us…" she trailed off knowing that he would fill in the sentence. "That was my first and, baring one other, the only time I've ever…."
"We'll I hope you and your boyfriend are very happy together." William sighed and mustered as much sincerity as he could. As lame as it sounded, he just wanted Elizabeth to be happy.
"God you are so freaking hard headed sometime!" she yelled at him. "Jenny is your child William! She's yours." He just stood there completely shell shocked and, for the second time that day, speechless.
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"You told him?" Faith repeated later that day. She watched her sister pace back and forth across her room. "So what'd he do? What'd he say?"
"That's the thing" Buffy commented. "He didn't say anything. He just walked out and I haven't seen him since."
"Wow." Faith paused. "I guess I can understand his reaction. I mean if I found out that I was someone's father…" she trailed off realizing what she was saying. "I won't finish that statement."
"Good idea." Buffy nodded in agreement.
"Liz!" screamed Faith. "Stop pacing."
Elizabeth collapsed next to her sister on the bed. "What am I gonna do? I mean…I know that I said that he was scum and I never wanted to see him again but no he knows and he's back. That changes everything."
"I don't know Liz. I really don't know."
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William sat in the backroom of the club, The Bronze; he was playing at that night nervously. He hated that he wasn't more immune to the pressure. He could hear the band before them playing and crowed responding enthusiastically. He couldn't stop his foot from shaking and his fingers were itching to play the guitar that lay across his lap. A knock at the door distracted him. "Come in" he called. The door opened to reveal a very sexy looking Faith in a short jean skirt with cut-off tendrils at the bottom and a tight, revealing, almost-see-through purple shirt.
"Hey" she said, leaning on the doorframe with crossed arms. "We're on in five."
He nodded. "Thanks."
"William…" she began but he cut her off.
"Spike."
"What?"
"I've decided that my band name is going to be Spike. William is such a…" he made a face. "Blah name. Don't you think?"
"Yeah but Spike?" Faith looked disapproving.
"Uh-huh" nodded William. "William isn't a rockers name. Besides, all my friends from college called me that."
"Whatever I just don't get why you would want to be…" she stopped realizing that the name could be taken in a very non-pg13 way. "You didn't name yourself that because…" she trailed off.
He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and at her look of disgust, shook his head. "No, I didn't. I just like the sound of it."
"Oh, good." Faith shifted uncomfortably. "Buffy's in the crowd. So is Dawn and her fiancé."
"Buffy?" Spike looked confused.
"Buffy is Elizabeth's nickname. Mom started it after watching way too many 'Family Affairs' reruns." (me: that show has like four different names. It's the one where the uncle takes in the two kids and there's the guy, Mr. French, who helps raise them.)
Spike chuckled. "Will…I mean Spike, why'd you leave like that? No word? No letters? And until now, no contact at all? I mean not even your own mother knew where you were. Buffy was a mess. Everyone missed you…even me." The last part was spoken softly.
William went over to her for a hug which she gave into after a minutes protest. "I missed you guys too" he whispered into her ear. "I wanted to write to you guys, tell you I was okay, that I was well. Trust me, my leaving was the best and smartest thing that I've ever done."
Faith pulled back. "But why did you leave?"
"You guys are on!" the talent coordinator barged in. "Let's go! Let's go."
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Buffy walked into the Bronze followed by Willow, Xander, and his girlfriend, Anya. Dawn and her fiancé, Connor, followed after them. She couldn't believe she'd decided to come here. How could she face him? What would they say to one another? Was there anyway she could get out before the end of the performance?
"Buff?" Dawn waved a hand in her face trying to get her attention, much as the nine year old had done earlier. "Buff?"
"Sorry." Buffy shook her head, clearing it. "What'd you say?"
"I said that we should have lunch together tomorrow. You know you, me, and Faith?"
"Oh uh, that'd be nice."
"There's a table right there" Xander pointed out. The six of them rushed over to the small table knowing that in a place like this, tables were hard to find. Buffy stared out at the crowd of dancing people. To her, it looked more like a giant mosh pit full of hyper active young adults.
"What do you guys want to drink? I'm buying."
"Sprite" Buffy replied absently still looking out at the group.
Dawn leaned forward toward Buffy. "Don't worry about William" whispered the newly informed sister. "He'll come around."
Buffy smiled at Dawn. "Thanks. I hope so."
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After getting up on stage, Spike turned to the semi-silent audience, nerves returning. He grabbed the microphone, and after taking a deep breath, spoke into it. "Hi everyone" he began. "We're Unseen." Applause broke out at the well-known name. "This new song is dedicated to a very special someone in the audience. All I have to say is I'm sorry and I miss you." the room was filled with a chorus of 'awws.'
Oz, who was one the drums, started the slow steady beat and all of the other's followed it. Spike searched for her, his girl, and found her sitting to the far corner of the club. She looked halfway between miserable and annoyed. He locked eyes with her.
Looking at your picture from when we first met
You gave me a smile that I could never forget
And nothing I could do could protect me from you that night
Wrapped around your finger
Always in my mind
The days they went cause we stayed up all night
Yeah, you and I were everything, everything to me
I just want you to know that I've been fighting to let you go
Some days I'll make it through, and then there's nights that never end
I wish that I could believe that there's a day you'll come back to me
But still I have to say I would do it all again, just want you to know
All the doors are closing
I'm trying to move my head
And deep inside I wish it was me instead
My dreams are empty from the day
The day you slipped away
And I just want you to know that I've been fighting to let you go
Some days I'll make it through, and then there's nights that never end
I wish that I could believe that there's a day you'll come back to me
But still I have to say I would do it all again, just want you to know
Buffy's gaze was unwavering as she took in the passion and emotion written on his face. From across the room, she took in every inch of his face. She watched his fingers strum the guitar erratically.
Spike stared more intently at her as he said the last few words of the song, knowing it was hitting a little close to home.
That since I lost you, I lost myself
I know I can't fake it, there's no one else
I just want you to know that I've been fighting to let you go
Some days I'll make it through, and then there's nights that never end
I wish that I could believe that there's a day you'll come back to me
But still I have to say I would do it all again, just want you to know
"I guess you know how he feels now" she heard her sister say but she paid her no mind. She couldn't take her eyes off of her William.
A/N: how was that? I finally updated. I think this chapter was relatively long considering my history. I hope you liked it and feel free to leave me suggestions I would really appreciate them(hint, hint.) I plan on updating Unexpected Places very soon. Okay folks, until next time. Bye.
Time of writing: 12:22