Chapter 5

 

 

 

William ran his fingers almost absentmindedly through Buffy’s long tresses. He’d begun doing it to soothe her, for some reason every time she glanced around the room she became agitated and the only thing that calmed her was the sound of his and Anya’s voices.

 

Sometimes only Anya’s voice would do the trick.

 

That in itself he hated.

 

She was his not Anya’s. The fact that he’d broken things off with her beforehand a fleeting thought in his mind before the betrayal set in.

 

With the feelings of betrayal his oh so helpful mind would supply the seemingly never-ending supply of images from Buffy and Anya’s tryst in the Magic Shoppe.

 

As every instant of that flashed through his mind his movements would become stiff and hurtful, Buffy would whimper seemingly almost in pain, even going so far as to shy away from his touch. Almost as if she could sense his anger, his resentment and sought to hide from it.

 

Those were the moments when only Anya could soothe her, the demoness would stroke her hair gently, cooing pretty words of nothing while William consciously banished his thoughts of anger and betrayal and regained his composure.

 

She’d been unconscious for close to thirty minutes now, he’d sliced his hand twice more for her. Each time having to coax her which gentle words into drinking the blood. After the third time she’d drifted into a restless sleep and he’d begun combing her hair (because really there was no better word for what he was currently doing), idly watching the wounds on her hands and what portions of her skin that were visible to his eyes heal.

 

He marveled at the skin that once more became smooth and whole if not just a little too tight over her bones. The only remaining evidence of her self-starvation and his blindness.

 

How could he have been so wrapped up in his own life that he hadn’t seen that every day Buffy was losing ground? Of course he wasn’t alone in his self-flagellation, every time he looked up he met Anya’s worried eyes… and then the cycle would begin once more. Because what right did Anya have to be able to comfort Buffy when she was his.

 

“You don’t have to stay,” he muttered softly dragging his eyes away from the Vengeance Demon and focusing on a spot at the end of the bed.

 

Anya studied the side of his face before a knowing look crossed hers.

 

“You’re jealous,” she stated quietly. The simpleness and quiet surety in her voice causing his eyes to fly back to hers.

 

“What?” his voice lacked the conviction of hers and his eyes were wary as he watched her move closer to the bed. He couldn’t keep the scowl from crossing his face as she touched Buffy’s cheek lightly, her eyes darting down to the, for once, still vampiress before rising to his once more.

 

“You’re jealous,” she repeated. “And don’t bother denying it.”

 

“I’m not denying anything,” he retorted quickly. “Because there’s nothing between us…”

 

“Now you’re lying to yourself,” frowning at him she perched delicately on the side of the bed and William bit back a growl as she laid a hand on Buffy’s hip. “Is it because of the others? Because you think they wouldn’t understand? Granted Xander has never been the most open-minded when it comes to your relationships with vampires but I think if you were to…”

 

“Anya…” he began warningly his tone becoming dark as his body stiffened. He drew a deep breath forcing himself to relax before Buffy tried to draw away.

 

“You’re acting like a scorned lover… and trust me if there’s one thing I know, it’s what a scorned lover looks like.”

 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“Pfft… I have eyes, I can see even if the others are too blind to right now. But believe me if I can see it, everyone else will see it as well. Besides the fact that every time you think about Buffy and I in the same sentence together you get all twitchy… Is it because we…”

 

“Had sex, fucked… on a table where everyone and their brother could see you?” William snarled, his hands stilling as he glared up at the other woman.

 

“No one was supposed to.”

 

“Well guess what? We did.”

 

“You are angry,” Anya nodded as her suspicions were confirmed. Crossing her arms over her chest she met the Slayer’s angry gaze head on.

 

“You think?” he muttered sarcastically.

 

“You guys weren’t together…”

 

“Even when we were together we weren’t together.”

 

“So you had a relationship based solely on sex. Since Buffy’s been in love with you for years I’m assuming that you were the one who broke things off so why are you so angry that she tried to move on? Is it because it was me? No…” she shook her head. “I think you would be angry regardless of who the other person was… So why do you care so much if you don’t care?”

 

“I don’t think that’s any of your business Anya.”

 

“Look…” she began harshly, drawing a deep breath her tone softened. “William… like it or not right now we have a common goal. We both want Buffy to get better, we’re the only two who seem to have any sort of connection right now with her and we’re going to have to work together to help her through this.”

 

William stared at her finally nodding slowly as his fingers resumed combing through Buffy’s hair.

 

“Do you really think we can?”

 

“Can what?”

 

“Help her.”

 

“We have to try right? I mean isn’t that what you do… help people that need helping?”

 

“Yeah… but usually they’re not vampires that I’m supposed to be staking.”

 

“And usually said vampire doesn’t journey half way around the world in order to get a soul for the Vampire Slayer, open your mind William.”

 

 

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Xander tried not to frown, fought back, quite successfully he might add, the scowl that he could feel just itching to cross his face.

 

As successful as he was in keeping his facial expressions from announcing his dismay he wasn’t as successful in keeping the groan from escaping at the sight greeting him upon entering his apartment.

 

Although he could be thankful that only Willow was close enough to hear it as Dawn had burst through the door of his apartment the moment it came within sight and was even now kneeling by the side of the bed.

 

The side of the bed where William was quite comfortably ensconced and from the expression on his face he wasn’t planning on moving any time soon.

 

Of course then there was also the unconscious vampiress’ head that was buried in William’s lap. The head that William was absently, with Xander stared in disbelief not able to contain the scowl that had been forming any longer… because his best friend, the freakin’ Slayer of all things was combing Buffy’s hair?!

 

What demented, horrible dimension had he stumbled into while they were out getting food? Because there was no way in the world that William should even be touching Buffy, let alone grooming her while he talked in quiet tones to his sister.

 

“Are you going to stand there gawking all night Xander?” Anya’s impassive face appeared before him and his eyes flickered between the figures by and on the bed and the woman he loved.

 

Finally he let out an almost inaudible sigh and moved into the apartment, closing the door behind him he stood there awkwardly. Shifting back and forth on his feet, bags of Chinese food twisting about his fingers he contemplated how his life had come to this.

 

Sharing an apartment with a very obviously insane vampire with a soul because his best friend was in love with her… Although William was trying awful hard to pretend he wasn’t. But as much as he was loathe to admit it Xander had only seen the particular look of devotion on his friends face when he’d been carrying for a newly returned from hell Druscilla.

 

But he’d heard denial was a lovely place this time of year and Xander planned to spend as much time there as the others would let him. Because while he might actually like Buffy a tad more than he’d liked Druscilla that didn’t mean that he was ready to let bygones be bygones and accept her at the moment.

 

Although from the look on William’s face he might not be spending to much time in Denial Land.

 

It was only when he noticed that everyone’s eyes were on him that he realized that while he had been firmly ensconced in the ‘land of non-Buffy/William relationship problems’ the conversation had been going on around him.

 

And from the way everyone was staring at him someone had been actually trying to include him within it at one point.

 

“What?” he muttered forcing his legs to move past the bed and into the kitchen.

 

“Xander?” William materialized in the doorway and Xander eyed him suspiciously before he moved to unpack the Styrofoam containers that the food was packed in. “Are you okay?”

 

“Fine… I’m fine,” he insisted when the Slayer eyed him doubtfully. “It’s just…” he stumbled as he glanced up to where William was waiting patiently for an explanation. “You were combing her hair.”

 

“I was not,” William shook his head emphatically in denial. To which Xander cocked an eyebrow at him.

 

“It was tangled, and you didn’t have a comb,” the Slayer mumbled averting his eyes, moving over to the table he glanced at the still-closed containers. “What did you get?” he said by way of changing the subject. Which Xander allowed because hey… Denial Land was back.

 

“A little bit of everything… wasn’t sure what everyone wanted,” Xander moved around the kitchen collecting utensils and paper plates.

 

He was setting them on the table, looking up to meet William’s eyes questions about Buffy on the tip of his tongue when they heard a commotion from the living room and then Buffy screaming.

 

 

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She’d been asleep. Fading in and out of blessed darkness. With her eyes closed, when consciousness faded she could feel no pain and could not see not!William standing at the foot of the bed.

 

She’d heard the rumbling of voices as Anya and William had talked but nothing pierced the veil of darkness that had descended and she for once let herself go.

 

With her Slayer’s arms around her, his hands caressing her as if she was the finest of glass she was safe. She knew that as long as William was by her side that no harm would come to her.

 

She’d heard, or rather felt, the beginnings of an argument between the Slayer and her new champion.

 

Anyanka it seemed had taken up arms for her and was trying her damnedest to protect her. The argument was blessedly short and she’d felt the agitation leave William’s body as he and Anya had talked.

 

She only realized that the others had returned when she felt the bed dip and William move from his place next to her. Anya’s hand stayed on her hip and a quiet source of support even as she came to awareness. Her eyes drifted open and then snapped shut when she saw the smirking countenance of not!William next to her.

 

“Do you really think that they’ll help you? That they’ll protect you from me?” he whispered, his voice smooth and soft as his eyes took in the room around them. Anya still perched on the edge of the bed, Willow and Dawn standing near her, the three women talking quietly.

 

None were aware of the uninvited guest that was even now moving to lie next to Buffy.

 

Whimpering Buffy try to fold in on herself, her movements drawing Anya’s attention.

 

“Buffy?”

 

“They can’t see me,” he whispered his lips a hairsbreadth away from her ear. “They can’t stop me and I’ll dance on all their graves once this is over… but first…”

 

Drawing away he passed his hand over her face and she screamed as the memories of the things she’d done, of the crimes that she had committed once more barraged her unendingly.

 

“Buffy?!” Anya’s alarmed voice as she began thrashing on the bed, dislodging the blanket that William had carefully tucked around her. The demoness’ voice came from far away though and Buffy barely felt the pressure of Anya’s hand as the other woman tried to hold her down.

 

“What happened?!” William’s voice, alarmed as he lent his considerable strength to helping restrain the now sobbing vampires. Buffy’s screams had given way to hoarse shrieks.

 

Anya glanced around the room, a chill racing through her body. The same chill that she had felt when she had realized that something was within the closet with Buffy earlier.

 

“It’s here,” she said simply as she backed away from the bed. “Willow can you do the clarity spell?”

 

“The one that shows what is real and what’s not?” William glanced over at her in confusion. “That’s the one I used when…” he trailed off. The instance that he’d used it not needing to be spoken aloud. All present knew that had been when he’d discovered the truth about Dawn. “How’s that going to help?”

 

“We can’t see what’s happening to Buffy, but there’s something here…”

 

“Fine, whatever,” the Slayer turned back to where he had Buffy’s shoulders pinned to the bed, she had stopped thrashing but the expression on her face was one of fear.

 

“Slayer?” she queried softly as her eyes locked on his. Inside his heart broke just a bit for her at the pain that he could see within them.

 

“It’s going to be okay,” he attempted reassurance. “It’s going to be okay.”

 

“You need to stake me now luv.”

 

“What?!” William stared down at her in shock. “Why?”

 

“He’s you pet… and I can’t fight him forever, I don’t have it in me… I’m tired… It’ll be easier in the long run on all of us if you…”

 

“Okay first off, I have absolutely no clue what the hell you’re talking about… But staking you is not an option,” he shook his head vehemently in denial. “You are the strongest person that I know Buffy and I’m going to help you get through this.”

 

Behind him he could hear Willow murmuring quietly as he fought the urge to gather Buffy into his arms. He could hold her and restrain her at the same time he thought stupidly, it might actually be easier to restrain her if he held her.

 

“Oh my god,” he heard Anya’s breathless words in the same instance that shocked gasps escaped both Xander and Dawn.

 

“What did you…?” he turned his head slightly, almost dreading the moment when his eyes would affix onto the place where Willow had been casting the Clarity Spell.

 

For some insane reason he’d been expecting to see a multitude of fluffy bunnies from the fear that he had heard in Anya’s voice. But instead he came face to face with… himself?

 

Frowning he stared at a duplicate of himself, attired in clothing that he had never worn and with an expression of evil hatred that he hoped fervently that he had never shown to Buffy.

 

“You can’t save her, you can’t help her, you can’t stop me…”

 

“We will,” William said thinly. “We’ll destroy you.”

 

“You don’t even know what I am boy,” not!William snarled. “And once you do it’ll be too late. She’ll be mine or she’ll be dead, but I can guarantee that you will all die before her.”

 

The voice echoed eerily through the room even as the figure of not!William faded, leaving the remaining figures in the room staring at each other.

 

“Xander pack a bag,” William said hollowly as he finally gave in to the urge to gather Buffy up in his arms and did so.

 

“What? Why?” the other man asked even as his eyes flickered between where not!William had been standing and where William was holding Buffy tightly against him.

 

“Buffy can’t stay here and neither can you…”

 

“And you think running is going to work?” Anya asked harshly. “Last time we ran from some unbeatable foe there was a Winnebago and Knights on horseback and Giles getting impaled…”

 

“Thanks Anya, but running wasn’t really what I had in mind,” William scowled at the demoness.

 

“Then what?”

 

“If we’re going to be under attack by an unknown assailant I would rather that everyone be in one central location…”

 

“Oh yes… because it’ll make it that much easier to kill all of us if it doesn’t have to travel to find us… yes that makes so much more sense,” Anya returned William’s scowl and raised him a frustrated eye roll.

 

“Actually I was thinking more of Will could cast a protection spell over the house, hence it would be easier if we were all together.”

 

“Oh… well actually that makes sense.”

 

 

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