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
 
AN: Hey, check out the pretty picture vamps
made for the story:
www.offangsandfairytales.net/actingthepartmain.html 
 
 
 
Part twenty-nine:
 
 
 
 
Overruled by Melanie's desire to cover every inch of the
park, the subject of future offspring got lost in the pace she
set.
 
 
Buffy's normally quiet and clingy daughter had shaken off
her usual demeanor and was displaying behavior her mother
had rarely, if ever, witnessed.  Every time something new 
caught the child's eye, she dashed off to inspect it without
much more than an excited gasp, prompting William to 
hurry after her to keep her from disappearing into the crowd.
 
 
Knowing that she should scold Melanie for this, Buffy just
couldn't make herself do it.  The little girl was having too 
good a time and her sunny disposition was too contagious.
 
 
It wasn't until she nearly stepped into the path of a horse that
was slowly meandering down Main Street, pulling a trolley car
loaded with tourists, that William intervened.  Without saying
a word, he simply scooped Melanie up and deposited her on
his shoulders.
 
 
Thrilled with this new perspective on things, she didn't 
protest.  She merely directed him around the park, telling
him exactly where she wanted to go next.
 
 
William, who had apparently signed up as her willing slave
for the day, did everything she requested of him.
 
 
 
******************************
 
 
 
"Can we go on Small World again, Mommy?"
 
 
"Again? Melanie...that's what?...five times now?"
 
 
The child nodded, her golden brown curls bobbing 
beneath her hat as she bounced up and down. "Please?"
 
 
William, holding her legs to keep her from bouncing
right off his shoulders, laughed. "Settle down, Pixie. 
We'll get there."
 
 
Buffy sighed and stared longingly at a shade covered 
park bench.  "Besides, it's clear on the other side of the
park."
 
 
"It's okay, Mommy," Melanie piped. "I'm not tired."
 
 
Buffy folded her arms across her chest and raised her 
brows, eyeing her daughter. "Well, I wonder why?" she
asked, softening the question by reaching up and giving 
the visor of the child's hat a tug, then tickling her side.
 
 
Melanie giggled, pushing her hat back up.  "Small World,"
she reminded them.
 
 
William chuckled and reached for Buffy's hand. "Come on,
love.  We can take the train across the park."
 
 
"The train!" Melanie echoed, bouncing again. "We can see 
the dinosaurs again!  I want to see the babies in their eggs."
 
 
Giving in, Buffy squeezed William's hand as they walked. "They
were cute, weren't they?"  
 
 
"And the ones who was fighting, too!  They were all bleeding!"
 
 
"Melanie!"
 
 
"What?"
 
 
 
*****************************
 
 
 
After two more trips through Small World, Buffy 
convinced Melanie that it was a good time to take a 
break.  They located a table in the outdoor patio of
an 1890s style ice cream shop, and Buffy cleaned
Melanie's hands with a wet wipe while William 
went inside the store and returned with a massive
hot fudge sundae and three spoons.
 
 
Five minutes into the dessert, Melanie climbed down
from her chair and headed for the other side of the 
patio to listen to music provided by a Dixieland Band
wearing candy striped vests, jackets, and bow ties.
 
 
"How," William asked, scooping up a spoonful of 
ice cream and fudge and offering it to Buffy, "can some-
thing so small have so much energy stored inside of it?"
 
 
She swallowed the ice cream, smiling, enjoying this
little intimacy more than she could say. "Have you ever
seen how small a battery is?"
 
 
He grinned back at her. "Or a stick of dynamite?"
 
 
"Or a hamster on a wheel?"
 
 
Laughter bubbled out of her. "That's a good one.  She loves
hamsters...she....no, you can't buy her one!"
 
 
"I didn't say a word about buying her a hamster," he
protested, licking the spoon free of hot fudge. "Not one 
word."
 
 
Briefly distracted, Buffy watched his tongue work on the
shiny silver. "That's...that's good."   
 
 
"I'm going to buy her a kitten," he added, looking up and 
giving her a charming smile.
 
 
"William!"
 
 
"What?  You said she could have one, remember?"
 
 
"Yes...when she's a little older," she reminded him.
 
 
"Buffy...relax," he said with a shrug, digging the spoon 
back into the dish. "I didn't say I was going to buy it for her
tomorrow."
 
 
She gave him a skeptical look. "Yeah, but I'm beginning
to recognize that gleam in your eye."
 
 
The nature of his smile changed in a heartbeat. "Are 
you now?  What about....this one?"  He extended the 
ice cream filled spoon to her. "Open up for me."
 
 
Buffy bit her lower lip, letting her eyes cut over to 
where Melanie was sitting and listening to a jazzed up
version of 'When You Wish Upon A Star'.  She looked
back at William, leaned forward, and parted her lips.
 
 
He fed her the ice cream, his grin widening as she 
purposely allowed the spoon to glide slowly back out 
of her mouth. "Good?"  His voice was a little husky.
 
 
"Mm-hmm," she nodded, "Very good."
 
 
He reached over and used his index finger to clean up a 
tiny smear of escaped hot fudge from the side of her mouth,
then licked it off. "You're right. It's good."
 
 
Her cheeks warmed. "Told you so."
 
 
"Mm...remind to keep some of this on hand."
 
 
Emboldened by the heat in his gaze, Buffy lifted her chin
and shook her hair back. "I....I think I have some in my 
kitchen."
 
 
Delighted, he leaned over and slipped one hand behind
her neck. "Is that a fact?" he murmured, drawing her for-
ward to kiss her.  
 
 
She was more than ready to be kissed, and she opened
her mouth to accept his tongue, making a soft sound in 
the back of her throat.....
 
 
"Mommy...I need to go potty!"
 
 
.....then jerked away, landing back hard on the seat of her
chair.  Disoriented, she turned her head to see Melanie 
standing next to the table, bouncing slightly up and down,
one hand  heading for the crotch of her overalls to try and 
squeeze back the "accident" that was obviously beginning 
to build.
 
 
Smoothing her hair down, Buffy got unsteadily to her feet. "Be
right back," she said to William as she took Melanie's hand 
and headed for the nearest ladies room.
 
 
 
******************************
 
 
 
"Mommy?"
 
 
Buffy rummaged in her tote bag, searching for a hair
brush while Melanie shook her hands beneath the air 
dryer.   "What, baby?"
 
 
"When will you be married?"
 
 
Startled, Buffy stopped her search and stared at her
daughter open-mouthed.  She knew perfectly well why
the child was asking such a question, but she had no 
easily explainable answer so she stalled. "Melanie...why
would you think I'm getting married?"
 
 
"Because there was kissing," the little girl said reasonably,
a child raised on bedtime stories of the 'true love's kiss=
happily ever after'  variety.
 
 
Buffy could hardly deny it. "Well....well, yes.  I guess there 
was....but that doesn't mean that I'm getting married."
 
 
"How come?" Melanie asked, her smooth brow furrowing.
 
 
Taking a deep breath, Buffy turned her daughter around
and began brushing her hair, grateful they were alone in the
ladies room. "Honey, sometimes when two people...two grown
ups....well, when they like each other...and they...they want 
to....to show each other....how they feel..." she stammered,
feeling like a moron at the moment, "....it's not....I mean....."
 
 
"There's kissing?" Melanie ventured, meeting her mother's
eyes in the mirror.
 
 
Helplessly, unable to come up with anything else, Buffy
shrugged and nodded. "Uh-huh.  Yes...but..."
 
 
Melanie was silent, waiting for her mother to continue.
 
 
"....but that doesn't mean that...that anyone is getting
married around here."
 
 
"Oh.  But maybe you will."
 
 
Maybe......
 
 
******************************
 
 
 
By the time they had dealt with Melanie's situation
and returned to the their table, the remainder of the 
ice cream had melted and William had deposited the
garbage in the receptacle.  He stood up when they 
approached, fitting Melanie's hat back on her head.
 
 
"What can we do now?" she asked him.
 
 
"Well....I was thinking about showing you some place
that I always liked when I was just about your age."  He
held out one hand for her, smiling down at her when she
nestled her small palm within his.  "What do you think?"
 
 
"I think it's okay," she replied agreeably. "What is it?"
 
 
"It's a surprise."  He looked at Buffy. "Walk or ride?"
 
 
"I'm completely rested up and ready to walk," she 
reported.
 
 
Melanie smiled sunnily up at them and took her mother's
free hand, linking the three of them together. "Me, too!"
 
 
 
******************************
 
 
 
"This is wonderful!"  Buffy followed Melanie along a dirt
path towards a climbing fort constructed of smooth 'un-splintery'
wood.  "I've never been on this little island before, just seen it
from the other side."
 
 
William grinned, watching Melanie clamber up a ladder to the
the upper tier of the fort in the middle of Tom Sawyer's Island. "You
know what one of the best parts is?"
 
 
"No, what?"
 
 
He turned her around and pushed her up against the wall. "Lots 
of little hiding places where I can kiss you senseless."
 
 
She felt an instant jolt of pure want. "Melanie....." she whispered,
glancing over her shoulder.
 
 
"I can see her," he said, an instant before his mouth captured
hers in a long and intense kiss.  When they finally came up for 
air, he leaned closer and spoke directly into her ear. "Buffy....I 
want you more than I've ever wanted you before...and you KNOW
how much THAT is.  I swear...if I can't have you soon then I'll....."
 
 
"Shhh."  She placed one finger against his lips. "Tonight....after
Melanie goes to sleep..."
 
 
His eyes widened and he grabbed her hand, placing a hard kiss
in the middle of her palm.  "Really?"
 
 
Buffy nodded. "Really."
 
 
 
TBC.....
 
(What do you think?)