Title: Sweet Sixteen
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 and Buffy are
teenage neighbors meeting for the 
first time.
 
 
 
 
Part twenty-eight:
  
 
~~~~~~~~~~
"While I'm far away from you, my baby
I know it's hard for you, my baby
Because it's hard for me, my baby
And the darkest hour is just before dawn.."
~~~~~~~~~~
 
  
William did his best to smile pleasantly. "Hello, 
Westham," he said, dropping his books on the kitchen
table. "How have you been?"
 
"Oh, quite well, your grace," the man replied, re-seating
himself when William indicated that he should please do 
so.  
 
Keeping his voice quiet, William glanced in the direction
of the kitchen door. "Is she....?"
 
"Ah. Yes," the older man nodded. "The duchess is taking
tea with your uncle in the...the...."
 
"Living room," William supplied. "Thank you."
 
Leaving his grandmother's secretary and personal 
assistant to finish his tea, William made his way down
the short hall, pausing in the arched doorway, taking in
the scene before him.
 
Abigail Darlington, the dowager Duchess of Richmond,
was perched on the edge of the sofa, holding a teacup
and saucer in her hand and regarding his  uncle with an 
air of  genteel superiority. 
 
Neither very tall or particularly imposing, she managed to 
give the impression of being both.  Only a little above five
feet in height, she was built along the same petite lines as
Buffy was. She had a lustrous wealth of steel gray hair,
neatly pinned up, and the same blue eyes that both William
and his father had inherited.
 
Poor Uncle Rupert looked completely at sea. The knot of 
his tie was loose, and his collar button was undone. His
hair looked as though he'd been raking his fingers through
it, and, at the moment, he was polishing his glasses with a
fervor that should have worn the lenses clean away.
 
".....in any case, Abigail," he was saying quietly, "his grades
are outstanding, his conduct has been impeccable. I know that
business with the car worried you...and it did me, as well...but
even that has proven to be nothing to be concerned about. He's
an extremely careful driver."
 
His grandmother leaned forward, placing her cup and saucer
on the coffee table. "I hardly need you to sing me my grandson's
praises, Rupert," she said.  "What I am concerned about has
nothing to do with his schooling or his ability to handle that
obscenely overpriced automobile."
 
William cleared his throat, causing both occupants of the
room to turn in his direction.  "Grandmother," he scolded
teasingly, "did you come all this way just to interrogate my
uncle about what I'm doing here in Sunnydale?"
 
The faded blue eyes instantly regained a measure of their
youthful sparkle as the duchess turned to her grandson. 
"William," she smiled, rising to her feet and opening her
arms.
 
Without hesitation, he crossed the room and pulled her
frail body into a gentle embrace.  The familiar fragrance
of her perfume instantly rocketed him back to his childhood,
and he closed his eyes, letting the feeling wash over him for
a moment.
 
A few seconds later, she drew back, lowering herself to the
sofa again and taking him along with her.  "Oh, look at you,"
she said, brushing his curls back, "in need of a haircut, I see.
Thank god you haven't bleached all the lovely color out of it
again."
 
William grinned.  "I very nearly did, but let's not talk about
my hair. How have you been, Abby?  Still as mean as ever,
terrorizing half of London?"
 
"I'll have you know that I'm the darling of the social scene
these days," the duchess replied, giving him a light rap on
the back of his hand.  
 
"I have no doubts."  William sat back and gave his grand-
mother a speculative look.  "Why are you in California?"
 
"I simply felt like a bit of travel. I'm not becoming younger,
you know.....what exactly is THAT expression on your face
trying to say?"
 
"Something along the lines of 'you haven't been out of 
England since World War II and would you mind telling me
why you're really here' ," he answered.
 
The duchess narrowed her eyes slightly, then turned to
Giles. "Rupert....would you mind terribly excusing yourself
from the room?"
 
Not only did he not 'mind', he was almost comically eager
to follow the request.
 
 
~~~~~~~~~~
"Each night before you go to bed, my baby
Whisper a little prayer for me, my baby
And tell all the stars above
This is dedicated to the one I love..."
~~~~~~~~~~
 
  
When they were alone, the duchess leveled her gaze with
her grandson's. "I spoke with Drusilla Haversham last week.
She tells me she hasn't heard from you for quite some time."
 
William could feel doors inside of him slamming shut.  He
really should have known that this little surprise visit from
Grandma Abby was about Dru.
 
All his life, as far back as his earliest memories, the 
Haversham family had been a firmly established part of his
world.  Their property adjoined Black Oaks, and both families
had been prominent in the same social circles.  
 
He and Dru, being close in age, had naturally drifted
together. From childhood playmates to preteen crushes,
they had moved through their days cocooned in the safety
of wealth and privilege.   They had developed a closeness
that was unusual between boys and girls of such a young
age, telling each other secrets and dreams they never confided 
to anyone else.
 
Still fresh in his mind were the time framed photographs
of their early years; snapshots taken of them learning to
ride, swimming in the pond behind the main house, taking
music lessons together, crawling through the hay barns on
both estates to play with the litters of kittens born every spring,
and attending parties and dances given by the cream of British
aristocracy.
 
So, it was no great surprise when their families began to
plan their futures as a combined one, naturally assuming
that the young Duke of Richmond would one day take Lady
Drusilla Haversham, daughter of the Earl of Sunderly, as his
wife and duchess.
 
An impression that William knew he would now have
to correct.
 
Taking a deep breath, he sat back against the sofa and
crossed his arms over his chest. "I know I haven't been 
keeping up with my correspondence as well as I should."
 
One thin gray brow arched. "And why is that?  Are you 
so terribly busy here with your school work?  Or is there
another reason?"
 
William met his grandmother's piercing gaze without
flinching. "Actually...I've met someone....a girl...and..."
 
"Yes," the old lady sighed irritably. "I thought that must be
the case. William, how on earth could you have allowed 
yourself to become involved to such an extent that you 
neglect your duties."
 
"Grandmother..."
 
"When I allowed you to come and live here, you promised
me that you would remember who you are...what you are
responsible for."
 
"I haven't forgotten anything," he protested. "I know who and
what I am.  Nothing has changed in that sense."
 
The duchess gave him a skeptical look. "Indeed?  Well, when
you boarded the plane for America you were practically en-
gaged to Drusilla Haversham. Plans were being discussed for
your futures, and...."
 
Sharply aware of what was coming, William jumped to
his feet. "Discussed by you and Sunderly," he said. "And
I was NOT practically engaged to Dru. We're friends...and
that's all we are...all we ever will be."
 
  
~~~~~~~~~~
"Life can never be exactly like we want it to be
I could be satisfied, knowing that you love me
But there's one thing I want you to do
Especially for me
And it's something that everybody needs..."
~~~~~~~~~~
 
  
Abigail was silent for a moment, watching the 
tense set of William's shoulders.  She gave him time
to calm himself before she spoke. "I see.  And...is
Drusilla aware of your feelings?  Because, after 
speaking with her, I was left with the impression that
she expects you to formally ask for her when you are 
both of age."
 
This information surprised him.  He and Dru had never
spoken seriously of such things.  The only mention made
of it had been when they were small...and all of THAT 
had been talked about in the most obscure 'someday when 
we are grown up and married we can do exactly as we 
please and no one can tell us differently' manner of children
rebelling against parental rules and regulations.
 
Surely....surely Dru wasn't still holding on to such an
errant promise, a statement uttered by one small child
to another.
 
"Grandmother," he said firmly. "I have absolutely no in-
tention of marrying Drusilla....not at any time in my life.
Ever."
 
"William."  Her voice was equally firm. "You are not a 
part of this world," she said, gesturing around the room with
one be-ringed hand. "This is nothing more than an extended
vacation for you. You do not belong here.  You are the Duke
of Richmond, the sole heir to a vast fortune, and you
must....."
 
He jerked his head sharply and turned away. 
 
Abigail paused, recognizing the familiar obstinate posture
that William always adopted when he felt pressured into
something, and told he 'must'.
 
Knowing that to do otherwise would push him even more 
firmly in the opposite direction, she softened her voice.
 
"This girl you've met.  Does she know who you are?"
 
His silence told her the answer to that query.
 
"I see.  Are you planning to?"
 
"Yes...yes, of course I am."
 
"Then why haven't you?  What are you waiting for?"
 
William clenched his fists and stared out the window.
 
It was a perfectly good question, but he had no perfectly
good answer for it.  He didn't know why he hadn't told
Buffy everything.   It wasn't as though he hadn't had
plenty of opportunity to do so.
 
"It's because you KNOW, William. No matter how much
you may care for this girl, she can never be the partner
you need. She knows nothing of our world, and she could
never fit in.  Like goes to like, William. Swans do not mate
with geese."
  
 
~~~~~~~~~~
"While I'm far away from you, my baby
Whisper a little prayer for me, my baby
And tell all the stars above
This is dedicated to the one I love...."
~~~~~~~~~~
  
 
Still gazing out the window, he spotted the dusty black
Cherokee pull into the driveway next door.  Buffy stepped
out, talking about something with her mother, her smile
bright and her eyes sparkling.
 
Drusilla's image retreated even further from his thoughts. Her
dark beauty could never begin to compare to Buffy's golden
glow.  
 
This was what he wanted....what he WOULD have.
  
William suddenly turned to face his grandmother.
 
"I know precisely who I am," he stated. "I am the Duke
of Richmond.  And I WILL marry the girl that I choose. Not
you...not Sunderly...not the bloody Queen, herself.  I've
found the girl I will make my wife, my duchess, and no
one...no one...is going to come between us. I promise you
that, Grandmother."
 
"William!  This is not finished!  Don't you DARE leave this
room!"
 
But he was already gone.....
  
 
~~~~~~~~~~
"This is dedicated to the one I love...."
~~~~~~~~~~
 
 
 
TBC...