ONE NORMAL LIFE / TWO EXTRAORDINARY LIVES

CHAPTER 126 - TRAINING

APRIL 14, 2009
TUESDAY
9:30PM

One evening a couple of weeks later, as they drove home from their classes, the question of training came up in an unexpected way.

William had been quiet during the ride home, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

"Elizabeth? Um, I hate to bring this up, but did you hear about what happened on campus last weekend?"

"That girl?" she asked, referring to hearing that a freshman had been assaulted on the way to her car after leaving the library Friday evening.

"Yes, and on Good Friday even," he said, shaking his head.

It had been Easter the weekend before. Buffy had thought that William might want to go to church again, and so she'd asked him. He'd thought that would be a good thing to do. She didn't mind, figuring if anyone should be grateful for resurrections, it ought to be her, in lieu of William knowing, and so they went. Like Christmas, there was something very special about the services, though this time served up at sunrise, rather than at midnight.

“I was thinking, maybe you should take a self-defense course or something,” he said, “Wendy says they’re starting one over at the “Y” a few blocks from here before classes on Thursday nights, and also on Fridays.”

Ever since Giles had mentioned training, she had been thinking about it, and trying to figure the best way to approach it. She had started talking about their getting fit and mentioned some different types of exercises she used to do, but he’d only seemed mildly interested and she hadn’t pushed it.

“Wasn’t that girl with her boyfriend, too?” she asked, innocently.

“I think so,” William said.

“I heard he got beat up pretty badly, as well, trying to defend her.”

He nodded, lips tightly drawn. He’d heard about that as well, and it had made him sick to think, that despite this fellow’s best attempts, his girl still got hurt. If that happened to Elizabeth... “Suppose it wouldn’t hurt if I went with you, would it?”

“Would you?” she asked.

He nodded solemnly.

And so, they started going to self-defense classes twice a week. Soon it was apparent to the members of the class, that Buffy had training before. For William’s sake, she tried to hold back the first couple of weeks, even biting her tongue some of the time, when she knew a better way to do something. However, when she’d been assigned to role-play victim to the largest male member of the class, she quickly used his weight to her advantage, and tossed him over onto his back in nothing flat, to the speechless stares of the rest of the class.

William, like the rest of the class, just stared at her. He caught her eye and looked at her with an expression she couldn’t read.

Buffy extended her hand to the man she’d just tossed onto the mat, as if he were a rag doll.

“You okay?”

He grunted and ignoring her hand, got up on his own, embarrassed.

“Elizabeth, where did you ever learn that move?” her instructor asked her when class had ended.

“Just got lucky,” she said, lightly.

“You never took classes before?” the instructor pressed.

“A long time ago,” Buffy said, looking around for William, and seeing him talking to a giggling Wendy, who much to Buffy’s displeasure, was also taking the class,

“Wow, that was something, Elizabeth,” Wendy said, seeing her as she walked up to them, “doesn’t look like you need any protecting like the rest of us.”

Whether intentional or not, Buffy felt the sting of the careless remark.

You’re strong, you don’t need anybody.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Buffy said, sweetly, but her eyes looked at the girl coldly.

“Bet she could take you out, huh, William?” Wendy teased.

“You know, looks like she probably could,” he said looking at Buffy, who looked down, feeling her face flame.

William put his hand on her chin, lifting her face up so that she was looking into his questioning eyes, “But somehow, I think I find that very sexy in a woman,” he said, in a low voice that reminded her of Spike.

The other woman was totally forgotten as she looked at him gratefully.

“You ready?” he asked, taking her gym bag from her.

She nodded and after saying goodnight to Wendy, followed him out to the car.

As soon as they got to the car, Buffy put her arms around him kissed him.

“What’s that for?” he asked, gently holding her back.

“Thank you,” she said, quietly, “for what you said in there.”

He didn’t say anything, just opened the door for her.

They drove home in silence. Buffy stealing sidelong glances at him, wondering why he wasn't talking. Right after they’d left she felt everything was fine, but now she wasn’t sure. She didn’t know what to think. Was he upset? Confused? Angry? She didn’t know, but she was beginning to feel all those things, herself.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked finally.

“What?”

“That you knew self-defense?”

“I did, when I was telling you about getting fit again,” she said, slightly defensive.

He shook his head, “I don’t think you mentioned that,” he said, looking over at her.

She didn’t say anything.

“I’m glad,” he said.

“You are?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”

“I thought...nevermind.”

“No, tell me. You thought what?”

“You know...what she said.”

He thought about it and then laughed, “What? About you being able to take me?”

“Um-hmm.”

He laughed again, “First off, if you can take me, then I know you could take on someone at least as strong as me; which at this point isn’t saying much, is it? Seeing you throw that big guy in class, makes me glad that isn’t the only case.”

They had pulled up in front of the house and he turned off the car, and took her hands before continuing.

“Second thing, is that I already know your strength, Elizabeth. I see it in you every day. And wasn’t it you who came all the way to Chicago and broke me out of that god-awful hospital? It may have not been physical strength, but I daresay, if that had been needed...”

Buffy felt her eyes grow moist and a weight lifted off her. She’d been so worried how he would take knowing about this aspect of her, this physical strength she possessed as part of her slayer package, though not what it once had been, it was still much more than the average girl.

She cleared her throat, “You know, you were the only one who could almost best me.”

“How’s that?”

“Back in Sunnydale, we used to spar, for fun. Sort of like what we were doing in class tonight. You were the only one who I could actually have a decent fight...er, match with.”

“Really?” he asked, surprised, and a bit proud. “I could beat you, huh?”

She smiled, “Sometimes,” she said, not adding, ‘if I wanted you to.’

“Huh,” he said, thoughtfully, getting out of the car and coming around and opening her side, before she did. “Maybe you could teach me again, then?”

“If you don’t mind going down,” she teased.

“Luv, when have I ever minded going down for you?” he said, as his eyebrows arched suggestively.

She looked at him disbelieving before cracking up, “William! You really do think it’s sexy, don’t you?”

He shrugged, grinning, “Guess I do.”

“Oh thank God!” she said kissing him, as she pulled him in the door and shut it behind them.

END CHAPTER 126