Kensington Park
So not what you were thinking.
Buffy had wanted to try out her roller blades since she bought them in Rome six months earlier, but thus far had
not found someone to go with. She even went as far as to buy a pair each for Xander and Dawn. Dawn declined,
citing that it was not cool to be seen skating with the all the wannabe sk8-punks in the park. Xander bowed out
due to limited depth perception. Then, in a desperate last-ditch effort to have a warm-bodied somebody to go
skating with her, she tried to give the roller blades meant for Xander to Andrew. But Andrew said, “those indie
kids are just too scene.” Whatever that meant.
Xander’s skates fit William, so whether he liked it or not (he did), he was going with her to skate.
Since it was a Monday morning, they found the park quite empty. No wannabes or indie scenes to be found. And
this park was really nice, too. It bordered The Strand with a nice view across the Thames and up to
Westminster. Plenty of sidewalks, shrubbery and a nice stretch of riverfront overlooking some of the older
London business centers.
It was soon clear that Buffy had lots of skating experience, and that William had none. She whirled around him,
literally skating circles.
“This is something you always wanted to try?” she taunted.
“They make it look all easy on the telly,” he said. He made an effort to move forward by waving his arms in front
of him.
Buffy scraped past him, showing off now. She turned to skate backwards, away from him.
“It’s not like swimming,” she said. “Use arms less.”
William rolled his eyes. He put one toe forward, then shoved off with the other. He moved all of five inches.
“You’re all wobbly,” Buffy said. “Like Bambi.”
William glared at her. “All those years I was a bad ass...”
“Wasted,” she said, skittering away. “It just takes practice. And you know, once you learn, you never forget.”
“Like some other things,” William said. Since he had minor success, he tried the toe forward maneuver again.
This time, though, gravity disagreed. He wheeled his arms to keep his balance, but he was sidewalk bound. He
stumbled, scraping his leg on the curb.
“Oh, oh!” Buffy said. She skated over and knelt beside him. “Are you all right?”
William was laughing. Hard. “I’m fine. Better than that...”
She sat down on the curb and began rolling up his pants leg. “Let’s have a look,” she said.
He watched her closely. “Buffy,” he said.
She ignored him. “You’ve violated the cardinal rule of roller-blading,” she said. “Stay upright-ski,
don’t fall down-ski.”
He titled his head to the side. “Hurt my knee-ski?” he asked.
She pushed the cuff over his knee. He winced.
“More like shin-ski,” she said. The not-so-attractive scrape fell just below the kneecap. “Ouch,” she said.
“Does sting,” he admitted.
“Let’s see the other one,” she ordered.
He pulled way. “It’s not so bad as that,” he said. “Besides, I don’t hate it so much.”
Buffy scoffed. “What? You came back as some kind of masochist?”
William pursed his lips.
“Right,” she said. “My bad.”
He nodded. “I do love the way the air feels in my lungs. A not-unpleasant burning. Humans live their lives on fire. I
had forgotten that. And the sun!” He raised his face to catch the sunlight. “What a curse not to feel it.”
Buffy laid her hand on his leg. “You know what,” she said. “You’ll live.”
William began tugging his pants leg back down, when Buffy stopped him. The blood that oozed from the scrape
was rapidly vanishing into the skin.
“Hang on a tic,” he said. “It’s not supposed to do that.”
“I’m thinking, no,” she said.
“Buffy?”
She looked at him. “Do you feel all right?
“Right as rain. Right as – as daisies and caterpillars. What is this?”
“You have heal-y power,” she said.
They watched in stunned silence as the wound closed up, leaving nothing but unscarred skin. Not even a bruise.
“Confused is the word,” he said.
“Let’s get you home, okay? We’ll call Willow. She’ll help,” Buffy said.
They got shakily to their roller-bladed feet.
William looked at her. “How did I get here?” he asked. He looked lost, and felt lost.
“It was me,” Buffy said. “I did it. We’ll figure it out, though. We’re good with the figuring.”
“Right,” he nodded. “Right.”
They hobbled together all the way back to the house.
So not what you were thinking.
Buffy had wanted to try out her roller blades since she bought them in Rome six months earlier, but thus far had
not found someone to go with. She even went as far as to buy a pair each for Xander and Dawn. Dawn declined,
citing that it was not cool to be seen skating with the all the wannabe sk8-punks in the park. Xander bowed out
due to limited depth perception. Then, in a desperate last-ditch effort to have a warm-bodied somebody to go
skating with her, she tried to give the roller blades meant for Xander to Andrew. But Andrew said, “those indie
kids are just too scene.” Whatever that meant.
Xander’s skates fit William, so whether he liked it or not (he did), he was going with her to skate.
Since it was a Monday morning, they found the park quite empty. No wannabes or indie scenes to be found. And
this park was really nice, too. It bordered The Strand with a nice view across the Thames and up to
Westminster. Plenty of sidewalks, shrubbery and a nice stretch of riverfront overlooking some of the older
London business centers.
It was soon clear that Buffy had lots of skating experience, and that William had none. She whirled around him,
literally skating circles.
“This is something you always wanted to try?” she taunted.
“They make it look all easy on the telly,” he said. He made an effort to move forward by waving his arms in front
of him.
Buffy scraped past him, showing off now. She turned to skate backwards, away from him.
“It’s not like swimming,” she said. “Use arms less.”
William rolled his eyes. He put one toe forward, then shoved off with the other. He moved all of five inches.
“You’re all wobbly,” Buffy said. “Like Bambi.”
William glared at her. “All those years I was a bad ass...”
“Wasted,” she said, skittering away. “It just takes practice. And you know, once you learn, you never forget.”
“Like some other things,” William said. Since he had minor success, he tried the toe forward maneuver again.
This time, though, gravity disagreed. He wheeled his arms to keep his balance, but he was sidewalk bound. He
stumbled, scraping his leg on the curb.
“Oh, oh!” Buffy said. She skated over and knelt beside him. “Are you all right?”
William was laughing. Hard. “I’m fine. Better than that...”
She sat down on the curb and began rolling up his pants leg. “Let’s have a look,” she said.
He watched her closely. “Buffy,” he said.
She ignored him. “You’ve violated the cardinal rule of roller-blading,” she said. “Stay upright-ski,
don’t fall down-ski.”
He titled his head to the side. “Hurt my knee-ski?” he asked.
She pushed the cuff over his knee. He winced.
“More like shin-ski,” she said. The not-so-attractive scrape fell just below the kneecap. “Ouch,” she said.
“Does sting,” he admitted.
“Let’s see the other one,” she ordered.
He pulled way. “It’s not so bad as that,” he said. “Besides, I don’t hate it so much.”
Buffy scoffed. “What? You came back as some kind of masochist?”
William pursed his lips.
“Right,” she said. “My bad.”
He nodded. “I do love the way the air feels in my lungs. A not-unpleasant burning. Humans live their lives on fire. I
had forgotten that. And the sun!” He raised his face to catch the sunlight. “What a curse not to feel it.”
Buffy laid her hand on his leg. “You know what,” she said. “You’ll live.”
William began tugging his pants leg back down, when Buffy stopped him. The blood that oozed from the scrape
was rapidly vanishing into the skin.
“Hang on a tic,” he said. “It’s not supposed to do that.”
“I’m thinking, no,” she said.
“Buffy?”
She looked at him. “Do you feel all right?
“Right as rain. Right as – as daisies and caterpillars. What is this?”
“You have heal-y power,” she said.
They watched in stunned silence as the wound closed up, leaving nothing but unscarred skin. Not even a bruise.
“Confused is the word,” he said.
“Let’s get you home, okay? We’ll call Willow. She’ll help,” Buffy said.
They got shakily to their roller-bladed feet.
William looked at her. “How did I get here?” he asked. He looked lost, and felt lost.
“It was me,” Buffy said. “I did it. We’ll figure it out, though. We’re good with the figuring.”
“Right,” he nodded. “Right.”
They hobbled together all the way back to the house.
.Chapter Index.
Part One: Wishes
London Flat
City of Angels
Wishes
Fruitless
Coming Home
Unwelcome
Religious Experience,
with Donuts
Thoughts on Dinner
and Death
The Kitchen Witch
Kensington Park
Aura
A Round In
Patrol
Aura Deflection
Connection
Morning After
Slayers in Waiting
Go Ask Alice
Watchers Junior
London Bumpy
Honeymoon's Over
Still In The Game
No Angel
Aftershocks
Crowded House in the
Middle of the Street
Adding Low to the
Lowdown
The Sisters
Disenchanted (Part One)
Watchers In Crime
Bad Blood
Disenchanted (Part Two)
Falling
Hallelujah
Here's Where The Story
Ends
For Part Two - Regrets
Chapter Index, click
here.
Part One: Wishes
London Flat
City of Angels
Wishes
Fruitless
Coming Home
Unwelcome
Religious Experience,
with Donuts
Thoughts on Dinner
and Death
The Kitchen Witch
Kensington Park
Aura
A Round In
Patrol
Aura Deflection
Connection
Morning After
Slayers in Waiting
Go Ask Alice
Watchers Junior
London Bumpy
Honeymoon's Over
Still In The Game
No Angel
Aftershocks
Crowded House in the
Middle of the Street
Adding Low to the
Lowdown
The Sisters
Disenchanted (Part One)
Watchers In Crime
Bad Blood
Disenchanted (Part Two)
Falling
Hallelujah
Here's Where The Story
Ends
For Part Two - Regrets
Chapter Index, click
here.
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