Title: Caught Between Two Lovers Author: Pattyanne snapkik@yahoo.com Disclaimer: None of the BtVS characters belong to me. Rating: Up to NC-17 Feedback: Love some, thanks. Summary: Set around the time of 'School Hard'. This is a retelling of Spike and Buffy's first meeting. For the purpose of the story, Angel does not exist and Spike is a little...different. Part thirty-nine..... I Want To Spend My Lifetime Loving You ~~~~~~~~~~ "Moon so bright, night so fine Keep your heart here with mine Life's a dream we are dreaming.." ~~~~~~~~~~ "Go inside and get your things," William said, giving Buffy a slight nudge. "We'll leave right now. Driving straight through to Mexico, we can be there by early evening." Buffy smiled hugely and turned to run up the staircase, his coat dragging on the steps behind her. Halfway up, she stopped and turned around, looking down at him with a dismayed ex- pression. "Problem?" he asked. "Well," she said fretfully. "Maybe a small one. I don't think my mother will let me get married just yet." He gave her a shrug and a shake of his head. "I'm sure she won't. That's why we can't stop and ask her permission." He came up the steps after her. "Buffy, you can't tell your mother about this until it's over." Staring at him with wide eyes, Buffy wrung her hands together. Another secret to be kept from her mother. Another lie to add to all the ones she'd already told her...both necessary and not. But, there was a larger problem than that particular one. Her mom had been planning imaginary weddings for her almost from the day of her birth. Joyce and Hank Summers had married young, just barely out of school. Parental disapproval had forced them to sacrifice any hope of a huge, splashy wedding. Instead, they had eloped to Las Vegas, and their marriage ceremony had been performed in a faux wedding chapel on the strip, right next door to Circus-Circus. Everything had been fake. The flowers provided were plastic and in serious need of dusting. The music was canned and tinny, emerging from a cassette player that kept sticking. They'd purchased their rings in a pawn shop, cheap gold bands that had been left there by some unlucky gambler in need of funds and never reclaimed. Even though the couple had gone on to lead a happy life together for several years, Joyce had never really forgotten the seedy chapel that had carried a slight smell of vomit and Lysol, an aroma left over from the extremely nervous and very drunk couple who'd exchanged vows before them. Her parents had always planned to renew their vows, to do it properly when they could afford it, but the marriage fell apart and the dream died with it. Joyce had told Buffy this sorry tale more than once over the years, promising her that when the day came for HER to marry, the wedding would be everything she herself had always wanted, but never achieved. ~~~~~~~~~~ "Race the moon, catch the wind Ride the night to the end Seize the day, stand up for the light.." ~~~~~~~~~~ Now, history was repeating itself. Logically, Buffy knew that her wedding would be a far cry from what her mother had experienced. William would see to it, and would probably spend a small fortune to make it so. The ring on her hand was proof of that. He would find some exotically beautiful location, would outfit her in a gown meant for royalty, and would buy every flower in the country of Mexico, never counting the cost. But the cost would be exceedingly dear, all the same. Emotionally as well as financially. Buffy didn't even want to imagine the look on her mother's face if she were to suddenly drop out of sight, then reappear with a husband in tow. William's voice jolted her out of her gloomy train of thought. "Darling...we have to leave now. The sun will be up soon," he said, urging her up the stairs. She had never felt so completely pulled in opposite directions. On the one hand, there was nothing she wanted more in the world than to be properly married to her lover. Just the thought of being Mrs. William Hamilton was enough to make shivers of pure happiness chase through her. Then there was the other hand. The one that was waving a frantic S.O.S., telling her that setting this plan in motion would have repercussions that she'd never dreamed of and was not prepared for. The question was, which hand should she listen to? It was an agonizing decision, one which would bring her to tears any moment now, she just knew it. **This is SO not fair! Why does being an adult about things have to be so hard?** Not knowing which way to turn, she began unconsciously throwing up road blocks. "I'm not exactly sure how this will work," she said, gazing at him appealingly. "I don't think you'll be able to pass a blood test." William smiled at her. "That's why we're going to Mexico. We won't need them." "Oh. Okay, that's...good." She climbed another step, then stopped and turned back around. "Will it be legal?" He nodded. "Mostly." "But not totally?" "Well, sweetheart...I AM a vampire. I'm not up on all the necessary criteria for getting married, but I'm fairly certain that both parties have to be alive." "I suppose that's best." Another step...and another halt. "A license! What about a license?" "We'll have one," he assured her. "Yeah, but..." "False papers." He supplied the answer before she could finish the question. Buffy was surprised. "You have those?" "Mm-hmm," he replied. "I update them every few years. They aren't hard to get, if you know the right people." "Really?" She swallowed hard. "Which papers do you have?" William leaned against the railing. "Birth certificate. Pass- port. Medical records. Whatever I need to conduct business in your world." "Business?" Buffy asked. "You have a business? What kind of a business?" "Financial business, for the most part," he explained. "I have a lot of money. I can't carry it around with me, or stuff it in a mattress. Now," He looked at her speculatively. "Tell me why you're stalling." ~~~~~~~~~~ "I want to spend my lifetime loving you If that is all in life I ever do.." ~~~~~~~~~~ "Stalling?" she asked, sounding as though she couldn't believe her ears. "Who's stalling? You think I'M stall- ing? I'm not...really. I'm just...I'm..." She ran out of steam and had to fess up. "I guess I'm stalling." William sat down on the step, taking her hand and pulling her down beside him. "Buffy," he said earnestly, kissing her fingers. "I love you very much. I always will. As far as I'm concerned, you're already my wife." He smoothed her hair back from her face. "I know it's hard to wait. But we're going to have a long life together, baby. I swear I'll make it happen, whatever it takes." Buffy scooted closer, then climbed into his lap without waiting to be asked. His arms wrapped snugly around her, and he nuzzled her hair. "I'm not going anywhere," he went on. "And when you're a bit older, we'll talk to your mother and make sure she knows that I'll take very good care of you." ~~~~~~~~~~ "Heroes rise, heroes fall Rise again, win it all In your heart, can't you feel the glory?" ~~~~~~~~~~ The relief on her face was almost comical, and he had to struggle to keep from laughing. William had never had any intention of whisking Buffy out of the country for some quickie marriage on the other side of the border. When the time came for them to be married in the eyes of society, he was going to make sure that his bright eyed princess had a dream wedding, the sort of extravagant gala befitting her beauty. But, he'd had to make her understand that such things were worth waiting for, and that they would have all the time in the world together before they made a final commitment. Being older and far more experienced, he knew that once she felt secure in his re-appearance in her life, her fearful anxiety would begin to taper off. Then, in another year perhaps, when she was seventeen, they would be married. There was nothing in the world that would stop it from happening. ~~~~~~~~~~ "Through our joy, through our pain We can move worlds again Take my hand Dance with me...." ~~~~~~~~~~ "William?" "What, baby?" "Were we really going to Mexico tonight?" He smiled against her soft hair. "If that had been what you truly wanted, we'd be on our way now." Buffy sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. "I want to marry you. I want us to be together all the time...but I want my mother to be there when it happens." "I know you do." William eased her off his lap and tugged her to her feet. "Now...you go inside and get some sleep. I'll call you this afternoon and we'll make plans for tonight." Buffy handed him his coat. "Tonight?" He nodded and cupped her chin in his hand. "I think it's time you introduced me properly to your mother, don't you?" She looked worried and relieved at the same time. "Yes. I've told her a lot about you, but...I'm just afraid that she'll think you're too old for me." William had been concerned about that as well. He'd given the problem sincere consideration and had only been able to come up with one possible way of dealing with it. "Buffy," he said hesitantly, pulling his coat on. "I think maybe it's time to tell your mother everything." Her head jerked up, and she stared at him with her mouth slightly open. "Everything?" she said, her voice squeaking with alarm. "You mean...everything?" He knew what she was thinking, and he quickly spoke to calm her. "No. Not everything about us, love. I'm certain she's not ready for that," he said, rubbing his hands up and down her arms. "I meant that it's time to tell her that you're not an ordinary sixteen year old girl." Agitated, she ran one hand through her hair. "Actually, it might be easier to tell her everything about us," she said doubtfully. "Baby, you can't keep it from her forever. I think that if she knows how special you are, she might not be as worried about...other things." Buffy sighed heavily. He was right, as he always was. The only way she would be able to be with him required total honesty on her part. She would have to sit her mom down and.... "Will you be there with me?" she asked, hanging on to his arm. "When I tell her? Please?" He pulled her into his arms. "Of course I will. You think I'd let you go through that alone?" Buffy burrowed her own arms beneath his coat, wrapping them snugly around his waist, and pressing her cheek against his chest. "Thank you," she whispered. William smiled and tilted her face up to kiss her. "You're welcome." ~~~~~~~~~~ "I want to spend my lifetime loving you If that is all in life I ever do I will want nothing else to see me through If I can spend my lifetime loving you..." ~~~~~~~~~~ TBC.... Feedback is very much appreciated.