Title: Merry Christmas, Buffy Summers (Part 7:2 of the 'Coming Home' Series)
Author: DivaDelilah (divadelilah@aol.com)
Description: Series after Buffy's return. Spoilers Season 6. Also an answer
to Licious's Xmas challenge.
Disclaimer: In short, not mine. Joss/Fox/SandDollar/Mutant Enemy/UPN own all.
Distribution: Fanfiction.net, Death Marked Love (http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/spikefic/coming.html
), Willow's Ripper, anything else I okay, including award sites and various
lists. Hell, just tell me where it's going.
Feedback: Mmmmmmmm…feedback. @dr00l@
***********************************************************************
Buffy suddenly bolted upright, knocking the warm blanket off both herself and
Spike. "Oh my God!!!"
Spike jerked up, looking around the room frantically, trying to ascertain what
was wrong. His fangs descended as he scanned the slight darkness around him
with his yellow eyes, and he turned to look at Buffy questioningly. "What?
What? Where is it? I'll kick it's ass," he mumbled, only half awake.
Buffy laughed heartily, forgetting her distress for moment to look at how adorable
he looked. They fallen asleep on the couch watching White Christmas, and Dawn
was laying in the chair opposite them, still sleeping. Spike was flustered,
with swollen red-rimmed eyes, and hair sticking up in every direction. He looked
especially funny with bed hair, fangs, and like dried flecks of drool on his
cheek. Reaching over, she kissed his lips lightly. "There's no need to
kick any ass, baby. Unless it's mine."
"What?" He shook the groggy cobwebs out of his brain, trying to process
her words. Is Buffy getting kinky with me? he wondered.
"I mean, I woke up just now and realized that Angel and the gang are coming
tomorrow morning, and I haven't bought gifts for any of them. What I am going
to do?" she whined.
Dawn yawned loudly, and startled them both. "Why don't we go to the mall
and get stuff?" she said around another huge yawn. Without thinking, she
rubbed her eyes and smeared the mascara she'd put on earlier.
Spike barked out a short laugh and pointed at her streaky face. "You look
like a member of Kiss, Bit."
"Yeah and you look like someone in an Eighties rock video," she said
giggling.
His hand flew to his head, instinctively combing his hair down. "Do not,"
he replied, sticking his tongue out at her.
Buffy snorted in laughter and they both looked at her, then laughed even harder.
"I was ju-just thinking that you looked like Angel, all defensive of your
hair," she managed to gasp out between giggles.
Spike growled menacingly, but it didn't look very scary in his current state.
"Let's just get cleaned up and go," he said, still scowling.
Buffy looked at the clock on the wall and shook her head. "We don't have
time to get ready. Why don't you and I go and Dawn can stay here. She can wait
for Willow and Tara to come home from Xander's 'Charlie Brown Christmas' party
and tell them we're running late for caroling."
"But Buffy, I look like a bleeding fool! I hafta take a shower,"
Spike wheedled. He planned to address this stupid caroling idea later. No
ruddy way I'm going out to sing at doorsteps like a bloody moron, he thought.
"Spi-ike. The mall's gonna close. We gotta go," she pleaded.
The front door clicked, and they turned to see Willow walk in with the whole
crew in tow. The red head took one look at Spike's hair and burst out laughing,
followed by the rest of the gang as they filed in. Spike flipped them off, and
Xander grinned.
"Guess this is one time I can file away to tease you about forever, Bleach
Brain," he said, an evil grin on his face.
"Why does you house have to be Grand Central Bloody Station, pet?"
Spike groaned.
Buffy shrugged. "Just lucky, I guess. How was Charlie Brown this year,
guys?" She hugged Giles as he walked in to place his coat on the rack.
"Lonely without the Buffster, I must say. We only had two people to do
our traditional Snoopy dance, which is sorely lacking."
Willow smiled. "Yeah, Tara and Anya don't know it, and Giles refused.
Did you guys have fun here?" She and the others had let Buffy stay here
with her makeshift little family to have some Christmas 'bonding time'.
"Yeah. We put up the tree, and I got food ready. Then we fell asleep watching
White Christmas and just now woke up. It was nice," she said softly, smiling
at Spike.
"You forgot the part where Spike almost burnt all his fingers off on the
iron, and you had let him-" Dawn interjected.
Spike put his hand over Dawn's mouth just in time to keep the incriminating
words from exiting. There was no way in hell he was going to let the Nibblet
tell the Scoobies that he'd burnt himself badly enough that he couldn't use
one hand. Then Buffy'd seen it and decided that his healing wouldn't work in
time for Christmas, and let him…have a few drops if hers to accelerate
the process. He flexed the offending digits, noting how great they felt. He
smiled ingratiatingly. "No need to tell them how stupid I am, bit."
"Yeah, Dawnster. We're already aware that the bleach ate through his brain
a long time ago," Xander quipped.
Giles and Willow looked at each other, then at Buffy, then at Spike. Anya peered
at Buffy and quirked her head to the side.
"Buffy, why is there a bandage on your wrist? Did you have a nasty kitchen
accident? I do that all the time. Xander says he's afraid one of these times
I'll-"
"Honey, age appropriate. Remember?" Xander piped in.
"Oh, yes. Dawn is too young to hear about Xander's penis. I forgot,"
she apologized. She looked at Xander expectantly, who was hiding his flaming
red face behind his hands.
Spike held back the most painful guffaw he'd ever felt, and his eyes twinkled
in amusement. The two witches were likewise red faced, trying not to laugh at
their friend's misfortune.
Dawn stomped her foot. "Guys, this is so embarrassing. Hell bitch almost
kills me, and I can't hear some R Rated talk? Come on! Besides, weren't you
and Spike leaving Buffy?" she groused.
"Speaking of R Rated," Buffy grumbled, tossing glares at Spike.
"Now that everyone's here, why don't we leave the Bit with the gang and
get going?" he said impatiently. "That is, once I go comb my hair."
"You don't have to, Spike. You can wear my Santa hat," Tara said
smiling at him with just a hint of mischief.
He blanched, and went even paler than normal. Buffy's eyes lit up and he knew
he was lost. "Oh, bloody hell, Slayer. Do I have to?" At her eager
nod, he growled and grabbed the proffered hat, stalking out the door.
"We'll be back soon, guys. Gotta hit the mall for last minute presents.
Promise me everyone will be good?" Giles rolled his eyes at her, and she
grinned. "Very adult, Giles." Then she walked out into the snow to
find Spike. After all, he had to drive.
*******************************************************************
Angel got out of the van and walked over to the trash can, tossing the food
garbage and a dirty diaper in it. Cordelia scrambled past him, hurrying toward
the bathroom. "Told ya not to drink that last soda!" he called.
Gunn laughed from the front seat, and Fred climbed over the back of the seat
so she could sit next to Connor, who was awake and gurgling happily. Wesley
tapped his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently.
"You do know it's only a two hour drive to Sunnydale and we've stopped
after thirty minutes, right?" he asked Angel, who was watching for Cordelia
to emerge from the bathroom.
Gunn looked at Wesley. "He's not paying attention. You might as well save
your breath."
Angel's face brightened when Cordy came out looking much better than she'd
went in. "Do you want me to go in the store and get you anything?"
he asked softly.
She smiled. "Will you grab me a bottled water?"
He frowned, and she raised an eyebrow at him. Rolling his eyes, he turned to
the van. "You guys want something, too, I suppose?" A deluge of answers
were shouted to him, and he grimaced. "I shouldn't've asked," he muttered.
Ten minutes later, they were on the road, still gunning for Sunnydale. Cordy
laid her head on Angel's shoulder, and the baby yawned on his other side. He
smiled the biggest smile he'd ever let grace his face.
From the front seat, Wesley grimaced at the sight in the rearview mirror. Something
told him there was going to be a problem with Angel's newfound happiness…..
******************************************************************
Spike blinked his eyes at the bright fluorescent lights of the Sunnydale Mall.
He couldn't believe he'd let the Slayer talk him into not only coming here,
but wearing a stupid Santa hat, and carrying her damn bags to boot. Angel had
been right: he was a poof.
At his frustrated growl, Buffy turned to smile at him. He looked so cute all
growly and mad in a Santa hat. She briefly wondered if that was the story of
Spike's unlife: angry but too cute to look threatening. God knows I've seen
it happen more than once, she thought, giggling to herself. "Just a
few more presents, Spike. I have to get something for Cordy, Angel and Connor.
Everyone else was pretty easy since I don' know them very well. Nothing says
Christmas like gift certificates," she said, laughing.
They left the expensive boutique where Buffy had been looking for a present
for Cordelia, and headed out into the atrium. Buffy scanned the map, looking
for something to give the former prom queen, when something caught her eye.
She looked at Spike mischievously, chewing on her lower lip nervously, and tilted
her head towards the map, asking him what he thought with her eyes.
He grinned. "But we're not here to buy presents for us, Slayer,"
he purred.
She smacked his arm and frowned. "You mean, you didn't catch the reason
why Angel was so forgiving while he was here? Or why the Scourge of Europe practically
left skid marks when he was ordered to come home? I'll give you a hint: it wasn't
Darla," she said, her eyes dancing.
"The cheerleader?" he asked in astonishment.
Buffy nodded, a feminine smile creeping over her face. "And I thought
maybe you could help me pick something out for her? You know, something she
could…use?"
Spike let a huge bellowing laugh, and people turned to look at him. Buffy shushed
him, dragging him towards her destination. "Slayer, do you really think
your blood pressure can handle going into a store like that? I mean, if this
weren't SunnyD, demon playground, this place sure as hell wouldn't be located
in a mall."
"If I can handle being dead, I'm sure a few demon…," she gulped
and lowered her voice, "things aren't going to give me palpitations."
Spike smiled evilly and his eyes went dark. "These might." And with
that, he lead Buffy over the buzzer on the door, pressing it and waiting.
"Can I help you?" a distinctly reptilian voice asked.
"It's Spike. Got a few minutes?"
"For you, sssir, anytime," the voice replied, and the door swung
open with a small click.
*******************************************************************
Xander's eyes flew open as he saw where Buffy and Spike were going. No one,
simply no one, human ever went in that store. It had a buzzer for a reason,
most people rationalized. Not to mention it had covered windows, and a distinctly
sinister air around it. Saleem's Exotic Goods and Services was not
a place the Slayer should ever be seen going into. But here he was, watching
Spike lead Buffy inside, Santa hat and all.
He'd come on a whim, hoping to find Anya a present she'd never forget, and
thought maybe he'd ask Buffy's help. She was a girl after all, and should know
what they deemed special. But then he'd seen them whispering and pointing to
the map, and decided to follow along without making himself known.
And holy shit did I ever step in it. Saleem's. Hell even Anya won't go in
there, he thought. I'd better stick around to make sure they come out.
I'd hate to have to tell Dawn the only two people in the world she loves are
missing…
***********************************************************************
The van hit the curb with a huge bump and Gunn's head hit the roof again. He
turned to glare at Wesley, who insisted on driving the whole way. "Man,
if I have a buncha lumps on my head come tomorrow, I'm gonna roll you."
Fred giggled, imagining little lumps decorating Gunn's head like in a Bugs
Bunny cartoon, and then snorted. Everyone stared at her, and she shrugged. "It
was just a funny image, that's all."
"Is Connor still asleep?" Wesley whispered to Angel.
"By some miracle of God, yes. Even your driving hasn't made him wake up,
and I'm hoping carrying him into Buffy's house won't either," Angel said,
his face darkening.
Cordy smirked. "You think all those people in there who have never seen
the 'miracle baby' are gonna let him sleep for the first hour he's here? You
really don't know anything about babies, do you?"
"All we can do is hope their common sense prevails, Cordy," Wesley
said, opening his door. "And if not, we'll let Buffy put him back to sleep."
Everyone but Fred snickered, and she looked at them. "What? Is Buffy not
good at the mommy type stuff?"
"She's the Slayer. Does that tell you anything?" Cordy said, hauling
the diaper bag and porta-crib out of the back.
"And if that doesn't help, she's dating my Childe," Angel muttered,
handing two suitcases to Gunn. "Cordy, could you have brought any more
junk? You might even have more stuff than Connor."
"She doesn't know Billy Idol, Angel, so that won't help. And since I'm
the only person here who can get Connor to sleep, you'd sure as hell better
keep on my good side Mister."
Angel rolled his eyes at her, and she smiled. "Just grab the car seat….carefully.
I don't want you carrying anything heavier than that so soon after all the…vision…stuff,"
he fumbled, grabbing the baby's things from her and heading towards the house.
"Since when did he go all Cave Vamp?" she muttered, unstrapping the
car seat slowly.
"Since he fell in love with you," Fred whispered in her ear, giggling
as she walked away, arms full of presents.
*****************************************************************
Xander sat on the bench facing Saleem's whistling nervously. No one had
come in or left since Buffy and Spike entered, and he half wondered if Buffy
was wiping the floor with the demons who were certain to be lurking inside.
He was about to zone out when the door opened, and a smiling Buffy came out.
Spike followed and she pressed an excited kiss to his lips, almost losing her
balance in the process.
Spike noted the whelp out of the corner of his eye, and indicated him to Buffy.
"Did you know we had a tail?"
She shook her head, then kissed him again, her little hands clutching the bags
she was holding. The present she'd gotten Cordy might be the best present she'd
ever given anyone. And it was only possible through Spike. Sighing, she turned
toward Xander and waved. "Having fun staking us out, Xand?"
"Curious you should mention stake with blondie around," he shot back
good naturedly. "So um what were you guys doing in the most insidious store
in Sunnydale? Christmas shopping? Or something to do with chains that I never
want to imagine?"
Buffy giggled. "It was Christmas shopping actually. A little gift for
someone special," she replied mysteriously.
Xander raised an eyebrow, but shrugged as they started walking away from Saleem's.
"I came to see if you had an idea of what I should get Anya. I want to
get her something very special, but I just don't know what to buy someone who's
lived a thousand years. You know?"
Buffy nodded, looking at Spike out of the corner of her eye. "I do indeed.
Maybe there's something she especially loves, besides money, that you could
buy. Jewelry, chocolate…"
"Sex toys," Spike muttered, giving Buffy an innocent look when she
glared.
Xander blushed. "Well, I've already… I mean. Okay, but I want something
she'll never forget. Something to make her first Christmas as the future Mrs.
Harris the best one she'll ever have."
Spike looked thoughtful for a moment. "I think I have an idea. Buffy,
can you finish off the Poof and his brat's shopping while the whelp and I go
talk for a moment?"
Buffy looked at him suspiciously, but assented. "Yeah, I guess. But no
killing each other. Got it?" At their nods, she went on. "I'm going
to record store and Baby Gap. Meet me there in like fifteen minutes?"
"Okay Buff. Don't go nuts on buying anything for Deadboy. He's not worth
your money," Xander cracked.
"It's not mine. I have Spike's credit card," she replied grinning.
"Speaking of which I might stop in Victoria's Secret and do a little Buffy
shopping."
Spike's eyes lit up. "You do that, pet, and I'll forgive every single
purchase you've made tonight. Several times over, " he purred, an evil
smile on his face.
"Ewwwwww," Xander groaned. "I wish you and Junior would keep
your necrophilia in the closet where it belongs."
As soon as Buffy was out of sight, Spike turned to Xander. "Anya was a
demon once. And like me, I don't think she'd ever want to go back to the life
she used to lead. But the important thing is… trust. I'm still earning
mine from Buffy-"
"I noticed! Dawn told she wouldn't let you bite her this evening. She
dripped it into a glass from her wrist, hence the bandage," Xander said
smugly.
"Right. But you trust Anya fully right?" Spike asked, a little annoyed
that the whelp knew Buffy didn't trust him fully yet. She hadn't let him bite
her since that first time, and that could be chalked up to passion. It more
than irked him; it really pissed him off, but he never let her see that. That
kind of thing had to be her decision and hers alone.
"Of course. With my life."
"Then the best gift is to show her that. And I know someone who can help
you with that," he said, starting in the other direction.
Xander followed, still confused. When they arrived at Saleem's, and
Spike rang the buzzer again, he almost wet his pants. "Y-You want me to
go in th-there?" he asked.
"Yeah. Afraid or something?" Spike leered.
"No. That is, if feeling the urge to piss your pants isn't an indicator
of fear."
*********************************************************************