Title: Acting The Part Author: Pattyanne snapkik@yahoo.com Disclaimer: None of the BtVS characters belong to me. Feedback: Love some, thanks. Rating: Up to NC-17 Summary: AU. William St. James is an actor in a hit television show. While appearing at a fan convention, he meets Buffy and her six year old daughter, Melanie. Part nineteen.... Buffy returned to the den/study, which was the only thing she could think of to describe the room, to find William standing in the open doorway. He was looking at the sight before him, one hand over his mouth, obviously trying not to laugh out loud. When she touched his shoulder, he turned and placed one finger against her lips to shush her and then moved aside. Peeking around the wall, she saw Melanie...still on the sofa with the dogs...sound asleep. She had slumped over to one side and was snuggled up to Belle's back. Sam had his little head propped on her leg. When William stepped into the room, both dogs looked at him with their tongues out and an expression that asked, "So, NOW what do we do?" Instead of waking the child up, William grabbed Buffy's hand and pulled her down the hallway. Stopping outside of a closed door, he whispered, "Something that cute should be illegal." He opened the door and headed across the room towards a large walk in closet, it's doors hanging open, and it's contents rumpled. Buffy remained in the doorway. One quick glance around the room told her that this was his bedroom, and she didn't trust herself to step inside. "What are you doing?" "Looking for....ah, here it is." He reappeared with a camera, the kind of thing she'd only seen advertised on television. His intent was clear, and she almost stopped him to let him know that Melanie didn't much like having her picture taken. Then she remembered that, as long as it was William doing it, Melanie probably wouldn't mind if he brought an entire camera crew into the house to film her sleeping. She trailed after him back to the den and watched him take several shots of her daughter. The camera's motor was quiet, and the child didn't even twitch. Back in the hallway, he whispered, "I'll have one of those enlarged for her." Before he could return to his bedroom to stash the camera away again, Buffy caught his arm. When he stopped and gave her a quizzical look, she couldn't keep herself from pulling him closer and kissing him. "Wow...what was THAT for?" he asked, when she stepped back a few inches. She smiled. "I don't know," she confessed. "Just an impulse I couldn't control." His own smile lit up his eyes. "Don't ever bother trying to control that impulse," he murmured, dropping another light kiss on her lips. "It's always a good one." ************************************************** They managed to get Melanie out to his car and into her booster seat without waking her up, but halfway home, she finally stirred and opened her eyes. Buffy turned and watched the little girl stare out the window at the darkened streets. "Hi, sweetie." "Where are we going?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. "Home, baby." The child nodded and continued looking out the window for another few seconds before she spoke up again. "Mommy....I think I'm hungry." It made sense. All she'd eaten for lunch had been fruit and a few crackers. The milk and cookies had only been partially consumed before she'd fallen asleep. "We'll get you something when we get home," Buffy promised. "Actually...." William began. She looked at him and he shrugged, saying, "I'm hungry, too." Well, now that everybody was mentioning it, Buffy's own stomach announced it's emptiness. Before she could volunteer to fix something for all of them, his eyes zeroed in on.... "Hey! There's a McDonald's! Sound good to you, pixie?" "Sounds good to me!" Melanie piped up brightly. William looked at her quizzically before he swung the car into the parking lot and pulled into a space. "This okay with you?" Oh, boy....was it okay with her! ************************************************** The restaurant had an indoor play area with a gigantic and colorful climbing structure built inside. The thing had twists and turns, little alcoves with window bubbles looking out on the eating area, and long slides both inside and leading back out. There was a ball cage below it, filled with thousands of red, blue, yellow, and green plastic spheres, and a hoop at the opposite end to toss them through. Melanie had never set foot in one before. Usually, when they ate a McDonald's or a Burger King, there were too many children buzzing around inside the playhouses for her to feel comfortable venturing in. But now, it was late enough that they had the whole place to themselves. Standing at the counter waiting to order, William picked her up to give her a good look at the menu. "What do you think, love? You order anything you want." Melanie always ordered the same thing, no matter what fast food restaurant she found herself in. "Chicken nuggets," she requested. "French fries?" "Okay." "How about a milkshake?" "Mm-hmm." When it became clear that she wasn't really paying attention, he turned to look at her and saw that she was staring across the dining area at the playroom. Delighted by her rapt gaze, he winked at Buffy. "Hey, THAT looks like fun!" he said, turning to face the play area. "We'd best go and check that out after we eat, huh?" Melanie said nothing in return, but she tightened her arms around William's neck and squeezed him. ************************************************** The meal was consumed in record time, Buffy noticed, by Melanie and...she was fairly sure...by William, too. Buffy stayed at the table as they ventured up inside the play structure. She wanted to watch and see just how far he was willing to go. It didn't much surprise her to find that he was willing to go all the way for Melanie. He followed her all over the climber, crawling up and down tunnels on his hands and knees, sliding down slides behind her, and holding her on his shoulders so she could throw the balls right through the center of the plastic hoop. She was having a wonderful time, laughing and chattering a mile a minute with him, then darting away and making him chase her around the tables. When he caught her and swung her up in his arms, he dangled her across his shoulder and down his back as he returned to their table. Smiling, Buffy asked, "Where's Melanie?" "I'm over here," the child giggled from behind William's back. Grinning, he turned and showed Buffy where he was hiding her daughter. She caught the girl under her arms and William released her, letting her tumble into her mother's lap. "Are you having fun, cookie?" she asked, smoothing Melanie's tousled curls. "I'm having lot's of fun," the little girl replied, nodding and reaching for her milkshake. "Can I go back in?" William started to stand up, but Buffy stopped him with a glance. "Sure," she said. "You go and we'll watch you." Without pausing, Melanie once again disappeared into the climber. "Thank you," William said quietly, taking a swallow of iced tea. "Those things....were NOT designed for people over the age of thirty," he chuckled. "My knees are gonna hate me in the morning." Buffy laughed. "You looked like you needed rescuing." They sat for a moment, watching Melanie scamper through the twists and curves, waving back to her when she stopped at one of the windows. "Listen," he finally said. "Did you tell her about going to Disneyland?" She shook her head. "No. I wanted you to...you know...be there. I mean, it was your idea and everything." Picking up a french fry, she dunked it in a puddle of ketchup and ate it. His gaze, lingering on the smear of ketchup she quickly licked off her lips, was leaving her with no doubt about what he was thinking, but all he said was 'thank you' and that they could tell her about it on the way home. Ten minutes later, Buffy gathered up the trash while William fetched Melanie. As she watched him catch her daughter at the bottom of the slide, all she could think was that THIS was how things were meant to be. ************************************************** Melanie was absolutely thrilled with the promised out- ing to Disneyland. She bounced in her seat and peppered them with questions about when and where and what would they do when they got there. In fact, she was so excited and animated about it that Buffy knew her daughter had complete faith that the promises being made would be kept. Funnily enough, so did she. By the time William's car pulled into the driveway of the little house on Revello Drive, Melanie was starting to drift off again. Buffy took her upstairs and changed her into her nightgown, then helped her floss and brush her teeth. As she tucked her into bed, William appeared at the door and was invited in for the requisite kiss and hug goodnight. "I'll see you again soon, pixie," he promised the sleepy little girl, stroking her curls back. He leaned over to hug her one more time, and Melanie's small arms wound tightly around his neck. She murmured something that Buffy couldn't under- stand, until she heard William's quietly whispered reply..."I love you, too." It was a sentiment Buffy was almost ready to echo herself. Downstairs in the living room, they made firmer plans for the Disney excursion. Buffy purposely waited about twenty minutes, then excused herself and asked him to please wait. She went upstairs and stripped her jeans and t-shirt off, then searched her closet for something a little more feminine. In the very back, she located a dress she hadn't worn in ages. It was a casual lounging dress, deep emerald in color, and it clung attractively to her curves. The hem of the dress brushed the tops of her feet, con- trasting nicely with the light peach shade she'd painted her toenails. After brushing her hair and re-doing her make up, she placed a drop of perfume behind each ear. Then, bare- foot, she went back down to the living room. William was sitting on the couch, glancing through a newspaper he'd opened up on the coffee table. When he heard her at the foot of the stairs, he looked up and his eyes widened. "Look at you," he murmured appreciatively, his gaze moving up and down her body. She smiled at him, pleased by his reaction. "You remember that G-rated day you were having?" "Oh, yeah," he replied. "You...half naked...bouncing around my house all afternoon...and a six year old chaperon. I remember it vividly." "Well," she said softly, gathering up all of her nerve, "that rating is about to be...upgraded." ************************************************** Upstairs once again, they stood in the middle of Buffy's bedroom, kissing deeply, their tongues meeting in hot, writhing caresses. William placed his hands on her shoulders, then pulled her closer and slipped his fingers under the heavy fall of her hair, searching for the long zipper that reached almost to the waist of her dress. She felt him pulling it down, felt the soft fabric separate, brushing back over her sensitized skin. When he had it completely unzipped, he lifted his hands back to her shoulders, ready to skim under the straps of the dress and send it to the floor. She looked into his eyes, and he smiled at her. "Miss Smith," he murmured, "hold all my calls." The green silk formed a pool around her feet, leaving her naked. "You're so beautiful." He tried to pull her closer, but she stopped him with her hands on his chest. "No...you, too." With fingers that barely shook at all, she started unbuttoning his shirt. When he figured out what was causing the delay, he began to help her but, once again, she stopped him. "Let me." Sighing, he let his hands drop to his sides and sat back to enjoy her undressing him. With the final button of his shirt undone, she tugged the shirttails out of his jeans and pulled the garment open, exposing his nicely muscled chest and abdomen. She unbuttoned the cuffs of the shirt and turned him around, tugging it down his arms and off. Then, still standing behind him, she reached around in front and began to unbuckle his belt. Feeling his abdomen become concave as he sucked in a breath, she smiled and pressed her lips against the smooth skin of his back. Once she had his belt undone, she pulled it slowly through the belt loops of his jeans and dropped it on the floor next to his shirt. Her fingers brushed lightly over his flat stomach, moving slowly down to pop open the top snap of his pants. The second the fastening was released, his zipper began to descend without any help from either of them, forced apart by the pressure of his erection. This was the point where Buffy's nerve finally deserted her. Her fingers started to fall away from his body, until he reached down and stopped them by taking her hand. Turning his head, he looked down and met her eyes as he pushed her hand into the opening of his trousers. Her eyes fluttered closed when she felt the rigid evidence of his desire, and she placed her cheek against his back, letting her fingers slide up and down his shaft. Melting inside, like candy with a gooey center, her heart was throbbing madly. The sound of his softly uttered groan raised her temperature even more, making her want to do anything she could to coax more of those sounds out of him. Her hand tightened around his hard length, squeezing him, alternating between gentle and firm touches. At the same time, her thumb brushed over the silky head, spreading the moisture she found there back into his own skin. He was beginning to have a difficult time remaining still beneath her tender touch. Removing her hand from his pants, he raised it to his lips and kissed it, his tongue caressing her palm. He turned to face her, then, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her up against him to share his body heat. "Buffy," he whispered, his lips traveling down her throat. "I want you so much." Her head dropped back and she closed her eyes. "William," she murmured, when his lips touched lightly against hers. "You have me." He did. Her heart...her soul...her body...and any other part of her he might want. ************************************************** Forcing himself to step back from her, he sat down on the end of the bed and tugged his boots off, then stood back up and shoved his jeans down and off, kicking them halfway across the room. Before she even had a chance to admire the picture he was presenting her with, he'd leaned over and picked her up, depositing her in the middle of the bed. "Here goes our rating again," he said teasingly. "From an R to an X." With a predatory leer, he hovered over her and lowered his head until his mouth was touching the soft skin between her breasts. Keeping her eyes locked with his, he licked her all the way down her abdomen, filling the hollow of her navel with his tongue. She couldn't help it. It tickled, so she laughed. The sound seemed to please him, and he did what was necessary to produce it again. As her body twisted and writhed under his, he suddenly came back up to her and captured her mouth again, thrusting his tongue boldly inside and gathering up the flavor of her saliva. It was a wet and messy kiss, and they drew it out intentionally, both enjoying the intimacy of it. He pulled away and, with his mouth still very wet, bent his head and latched on to her breast, taking the nipple in deep and nursing at it. Soft, husky moans of pleasure emanated from his throat as he moved to her other breast and gave it the same care. Buffy's back arched, almost without her knowing it. She buried her hands in his silky curls, clutching at them and twining them around her fingers. When his mouth moved further down, she let her legs fall apart. He kissed and nuzzled the under curve of her breasts, using his thumbs to stimulate the wet tips. Down and down he went, over her stomach and through the soft curls of her sex. Her legs moved farther apart as he descended, waiting for his touch, wanting it, needing it... And when it came, stars burst behind her tightly closed eyes. His soft tongue was voracious, lapping at her with an intense hunger, then gentling in its attentions, becoming a teasing, sliding presence inside her. He held her hips in his hands, anchoring her to the bed, allowing her no respite at all from his avid mouth. She was nearly mindless with pleasure, loving the way he stoked the fires so slowly, so sweetly, making sure that she felt everything he wanted her to feel. Then, when she was sure she couldn't go any higher, he found the most sensitive place on her body and took it into his mouth, sucking it firmly, rhythmically, taking her over that edge she'd been hovering on. Buffy felt a sweetness invading her body, as though she was slipping off into her own rushing heartbeat, the world around her falling farther and farther away. Her eyes opened wide, and she looked down where he was resting his cheek on her stomach and smiling at her. "Hi," she managed to whisper. "Hi," he said back, planting a hard kiss on her belly. "You ready to crank up that rating to a double X?" TBC..... (So, I'm whacked out on pain meds. Did any of this make sense?)