My Heart Belongs to You

Sitting next to Dylan with the laptop perched between them, Taylor reached out for the popcorn and chuckled as Dylan slapped her hand away. Grabbing the bowl with a playful glare, Taylor took a handful and threw a piece at Dylan's head in retaliation. Grinning, Dylan picked the popcorn up and tossed it in his mouth as he rested back against the headboard behind him.

"Man, Buffy kicks butt once again," Dylan commented as a vampire turned to dust on the screen, "What would you do if you were chosen to be the Slayer?"

"Move to Alaska... too cold for demons over there," Taylor replied, causing Dylan to laugh, "I don't know... I mean a slayer has to sacrifice so much for the good of everyone and I guess it probably gets lonely, but I'd step up if it meant keeping the people I cared about safe."

"I think you'd be an awesome slayer," Dylan added, nudging Taylor's shoulder, "You're the sort of person who would carry the weight of the world in order to protect the people that can't protect themselves, you're true-hearted to a fault and I could totally picture you fighting a demon or two with a pointy stick."

"Well, if it makes you feel better... I think you'd make a great slayer too, you know, if you were a girl."

They were fifteen minutes into the next episode, when Dylan's phone started ringing and he groaned. Picking it up off the side, he threw her an apologetic look and stepped out of the room to answer it. Pausing the episode, Taylor opened her sketch pad and started to doodle on a clean page at the back.

"Sorry about that," Dylan said as he rejoined her, putting his phone back on the side and taking his seat, "It was Michelle, she wanted to know where I was and who I was with."

"Wow, can you do anything without her needing to know the details?"

"She's my girlfriend, she has a right to know where I am and who I am hanging out with," Dylan argued.

"I bet you didn't tell her that you were with me though, did you?"

"I didn't want her getting the wrong idea, she's obviously insecure about our friendship..."

"Insecure... this is Michelle we're talking about, besides how can she be insecure about something that she doesn't know exists?" Taylor inquired, "I get that we run in different cliques and that publicly acknowledging me would probably damage your reputation, but I'm not some dirty little secret that needs to be kept away from everyone."

"I never said you were," Dylan mumbled, deflating slightly and looking over at Taylor, "Our friendship is the only thing that I have that is separate from Michelle and the popularity I have in school, it's something that is just mine."

"I don't want to argue with you about her," Taylor replied, "I'll be your dirty little secret, if you promise that Michelle won't be the reason that we stop hanging out?"

"I promise, but you're not my dirty little secret, Tay... you are my salvation."

Smiling, Taylor pressed play on the laptop and turned her focus back to Buffy. They watched two more episodes, before Dylan went home for dinner with his family and Taylor worked through the pile of homework she had. Changing into her pajamas, Taylor ran her finger along the spines of the books on her shelf and retrieved the book that she had been reading with her dad.

"Can I come in?" Her mom asked from the doorway, waiting for Taylor to nod and making her way over to the bed, "Your dad loved the time that he spent up here with you reading... I'm so sorry Taylor."

"I'm the one that should be apologizing, I shouldn't have said what I did," Taylor stated, "I know that you work hard to provide for me and I don't think I've ever thanked you for everything that you do, but that doesn't mean I'm not grateful."

"I know sweetie, but I don't think that you were totally wrong either... you remind me so much of your dad and I admit that it hurts to be around you sometimes. I love you, Taylor."

"I love you too, mom."

"I'm not your dad, but do you want me to read to you?"

Nodding, Taylor handed her mom the book and curled into her side to get comfortable.

"We only reached chapter two."

"Okay," her mom said, getting comfortable herself and putting an arm around Taylor as she began to read, "Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill glanced about to see what his men were doing. Just about all of them were plundering, and quite right too. That was a soldier's privilege. Fight the battle then strip the enemy of anything worth a penny..."

Listening to her mom read, Taylor allowed her thoughts to wander to those of her dad and fought back the tears that were forming in her eyes. Ever since she was young, her dad had made time every night to read to her and just spend time with his little girl. Even as she got older, Taylor never turned down the opportunity to curl up into his side and listen as his strong voice lulled her into sleep. It was little moments like that, which stayed with her and reminded her of the things she would no longer be able to do... things that reminded her that he was never coming back.