Chapter 50

One bottle of wine and three newly written songs after he had arrived home, Will stood unsteadily to answer his apartment door. Still wearing the black pants and apple red button down he had been in at the office, his jaw dropped as he saw what was before him. Dawn was standing in a little black dress that should have been illegal by his estimations. She was holding a cherry wood Ovation Custom Legend Contour LX guitar in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other.

Without a word, she stepped into the apartment and handed him the acoustic guitar. Setting the bottle on the coffee table, she turned to him and crossed her arms across her chest, which only served to make her already ample cleavage even more tantalizing.

It had taken her hours to get up the courage to go to his apartment. It had taken longer for her to choose what she wanted to wear and even longer for her to convince herself to get of her car once she was parked outside his building. The sun had set and the stars were almost visible tonight, and she had planned to apologize with all her might. Taking her heart in her hands, she made a mental gesture of it towards him. She was going to let this ride, she told herself. Her curiosity was piqued and she wanted to see what end this story would have.

"I talked to Fred after I had a mini mental breakdown. She said I was an idiot. Umm…I wouldn't usually listen to her, I don't even know her, but she was the only woman I could talk to since my sister no longer answers her phone. And, well, I made a mistake. I mean, I still think I could never love you, don't get me wrong. I don't think I'm capable of that. But throwing you away because you love me is stupid, or so I'm told. So here I am. I won't run away, I swear. Let's work this out."

After her breathless explanation of her presence she stood staring at him pensively hoping with all her being that he wouldn't throw her out. He had every right to, she thought. He stood staring dumbly at her for a few moments. Trying not to take offense to anything she had just said, he took a deep breath and tried to make his eyes look away from her body.

"Sit down." His clouded mind wouldn't let him do much more than sit and carefully take the red bow off his new bright red cherry wood guitar. Sitting the guitar on his leg, he carefully tuned the strings to his satisfaction before strumming one of the songs he had written in a fit of broken heartedness and booze induced honesty.

Leaning back, he closed his eyes and started to hum as he strummed. Soon, he was singing with all his soul, his melodic voice piercing the air with tenderness and at times intensity so real it made Dawn ache. Dawn listened, her lips parted and heart heavy as she tried to tell herself the lyrics weren't about her. He was a talented writer and his words that were directly about Dawn made the young woman quiver in fear and overwhelming emotion.

When he was done, Dawn released a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. Lowering her gaze to the floor, she tried to think of something to say to him. No one had ever written her a love song before, and she was sure that if anyone had tried she would have laughed at them. His words were true, beautiful and not overwrought with dramatization, which made her love them even more than the fact that Will was the one who had written them.

Setting the guitar down, he knelt on the floor in front of her, putting his hands on her thighs. "Let's go to Vegas. Tonight. It's Friday, there's no need to get up tomorrow. Let's just go. Right now."

"Will..." She was silenced by his lips. Rising from her chair, she nodded and went for the door. Allowing herself to trust him was difficult, but if he wanted to drive across a couple of states tonight, she wasn't going to argue with him. She felt that he deserved that much from her.

Forgetting everything he had planned, everything he had wanted to say to her, he grabbed his jacket and threw her the keys to his car. She caught the keys and turned to him, "It's three hundred miles to Las Vegas."

"I know. We'll be there before one. Let's go."

Throwing caution to the wind, she smiled and left the building with him. She drove the first two hours while he slept away some of the wine that was clouding his brain. The drive was quiet, each afraid they would say something that would jinx the night. Will was hoping with all his might that the woman next to him would listen to reason and allow herself to be free with him. Dawn was hoping Will would give her space and time and refrain from making demands of her.

They switched places half way through the drive. Will knew just where he wanted to go. They drove down the strip, which Dawn had never seen before, before Will pulled into his favorite hotel.

"This is where I stay when I'm in town."

"How often do you come here?"

"Whenever I need to relax. Angel and I used to come here all the time on the weekends, to gamble, watch pretty women and get drunk. It's a good time. I haven't been here in a long time, though. Since you came to L.A., actually. I think it's about time."

The suite Will checked them into had one king size bed and a circular tub big enough for five people. Smiling, she walked the perimeter of the bedroom before turning to him. His hands stopped her from removing the thin material that kept her dress on her shoulders. Frowning at him, she wondered what this night was all about.

"Not now. Come on."

Hiding her disappointment and stinging pride, she followed him from the room and out onto the street. Taking her hand, he started them away from the Bellagio and towards the Stratosphere.

"Where are we going?"

"We're working up an appetite on our way to the Stratosphere. You haven't dined in Las Vegas until you've dined there. Do you mind walking? Those shoes look a little uncomfortable." His brain was moving to fast for his lips and he recognized that he hadn't breathed while speaking.

"How far is it?"

He thought a minute before answering, "four miles, I think."

She stopped where she was and looked at him with incredulous expression. "Four blocks I could handle, four miles is a little ridiculous in these heels. We're getting a cab."

"Okay."

The drive was only about fifteen minutes, traffic wasn't horrible tonight. It was nearly one-thirty by the time they arrived at the restaurant, but Will knew it was open until three. They were seated rather quickly; the normal patrons had mostly already left. Somehow Will was able to get them in without a reservation, which was supposed to be impossible; Dawn imagined the few hundred dollars he had slipped to the maitre d' had something to do with it.

Dawn listened to Will order for her. She was to awe struck by the view to pay any attention to the menu. The eight hundred foot high restaurant afforded a view of the entire city. She could see every hotel and casino for miles. Prying her eyes from the magnificent view, she looked at her companion. He was sipping from a wine glass and she noticed hers had been filled as well. The bottle was sitting on the table.

"So, what is this all about?" She leaned forward, allowing the flowing and plunging neckline of her dress to gape a little wider.

He recognized what she was doing and he wasn't going to fall for it again. "We're having dinner. We're going to drink this wine and eat amazing food and then we are going to gamble until daybreak. And then we are going to sleep all day and get up and go to shows and eat more incredible food and gamble again. How does that sound for a weekend away?"

Leaning back, she crossed her knees. She did look down-right amazing, Will reflected. Her dress was cut in flowing fabric that reached almost to her navel. The flowing black material hung just above her knees and fluttered around her legs as she walked. Her hair was styled in big curls and waves that hung around her shoulders; her lips were pale and her eyes were lined darkly. Jewelry adorning her body was scant; she recognized that she didn't need it. A teardrop shaped black stone hung from a gold chain and lay just at her breastbone. Matching earrings and bracelet were the only other things she had added to the ensemble. He was captivated entirely by the woman in front of him. He was stunned at how mature, how womanly she looked. Gone were the days were sweaters and clunky boots, he thought.

She sipped her wine and smiled at him. This was a beautiful night, she thought. She was in good company, she was in an amazing city, and she felt as if she could take over the world at any moment. Looking out at the view once more, she watched as the city slowly spun beneath her. Laughing at the idea of a revolving restaurant, she started to feel the wine going straight to her head.

"I think this is a great weekend. I'm still wondering what possessed you to do this, though. I mean, sudden doesn't even cover it."

"I got tired of our regular dates. A rushed dinner and great sex can only take a couple so far, you know. If I have the means to do things like this, why not do it. Besides, you brought me an amazing gift; I figured I do something for you."

"The guitar? Yeah, I figured you'd like that."

The waiter brought their food and Dawn started into her lobster. Will had something in front of him he identified to her as lamb. They ate and drank for a few moments, trying not to stare at each other. The food was some of the best Dawn had ever tasted, and the wine was like silk on her tongue. If nothing else went right tonight, she thought, she would always remember dinner at the top of the world.

Gathering his courage, he leaned forward in his seat. "Dawn, what happened today? The way you ran out of my office, I didn't think you were ever coming back. The way you reacted was pretty severe. And then you show up looking like that and acting like this a few hours later. What happened?"

"I told you, I talked to Fred."

"Uh huh. And then the Martians body snatched you. What happened?"

She took another swallow of wine before she answered. She didn't like the direction this conversation was headed but decided to answer honestly anyway. "I ran because I got scared. I've seen what love does to people. And it's you. The guy who we all hated. And then the guy we all loved. It's weird to be with you, Will. I remember you chained in a bathtub and making puppy eyes at my sister. You did a lot more than that with my sister," she said in a caustic tone. "You aren't the guy I thought I would love. I didn't think I would ever love anybody. I thought we were going to sleep together and that would be it. You are so attractive and I have wanted you for so long, it was like the culmination of years of desire."

She took another drink and tried to aggregate her reserves of courage. "I just got really freaked out. So I went to talk to someone. I didn't use your name or anything, but I found Fred and talked to her. She told me about her and Gunn and then her and Wesley, about how she wasn't even sure she loved Wesley for a long time. And now, they're married and have a kid and she says she loves him more than anything besides Allie. She told me I was ridiculous if I threw away the best thing that could ever happen to me."

I went and I thought about that for a while and tried to call Buffy but apparently there's another Buffy and Angel saga going on. Anyway, I took my time and thought about she said. And I figured, if I like you and since you treat me really well and you're nice and funny and we have the best sex I have ever had, I would be pretty stupid to run from that. I'm not saying I'm going to confess my undying love or anything, I just don't want to destroy the best relationship I've ever had."

She looked back down to her plate and started eating as he digested the information he had just heard. He liked to think that she was going to love him eventually. He wanted to believe that she would learn to love and specifically that she would learn to love him. Chewing slowly, he wondered what he could possibly do to convince her that love was not a bad thing. Swallowing his food and leaning back in his chair, he realized that all he would have to do was show her how wonderful it could be. He thought he could do that.

"Well I'll have to send Fred some anonymous flowers."

Dinner progressed wonderfully, both of them talking about future plans and past events. They laughed as they reminisced about Sunnydale and demons that made them sing. Will told Dawn a few stories about England as he knew it; she listened with rapt attention to his description of London hundreds of years ago and told him about the way it was when she had been there.

When the maitre d' told them the restaurant was closing, Will didn't bother to ask for the check. He left more one-hundred bills on the table than Dawn had seen at one time. Having matured throughout her teens in a house that struggled after her mother had died; Dawn was still uncomfortable with the thought of frivolous spending. Even the clothes she was wearing had made her nervous when she bought them. Only the knowledge that the dress would make a very deep impression had allowed her to purchase it.

They left Stratosphere slightly intoxicated and feeling lighter than either had in a long time. The night progressed to more alcohol and a volley of gambling. The casino closed a short time after they had entered and Dawn practically begged to continue the night. A night club was the next stop, then, Will decided. They danced and drank and laughed until they thought they would burst from the incredible hedonism.

The last stop the taxi made with its rather intoxicated inhabitants was a small twenty-four hour wedding chapel. Two drunken and very happy people were back in the cab only twenty minutes after having left it. Going back to their hotel, they stumbled to their room with little idea of what they had done and no memory of certain parts of the night.

Too inebriated to sleep, they made love slowly and with a lot of giggling. Will wasn't sure they had finished by the time he was about ready to pass out. Holding her tightly against him, his muddled brain stopped working as he fell asleep. They slept in each others arms, neither willing to move throughout the morning and most of the afternoon. When Will woke, he felt happier than he had in a long time. Besides the headache ravaging his skull, he felt as though he was a new man, a happier man, than he had been the day before.

Working his way out from under Dawn's unconscious grasp, he stretched silently and rose to go to the bathroom to dig for Tylenol. Passing the nightstand, he stopped as his jaw dropped to the floor. Slipping the bit of paper stating just what had been the finale of their night into the drawer, he swallowed hard and continued to the bathroom. A long shower and a lot of pain killers were going to be needed before Dawn woke up.