Elizabeth awoke before the sun rose on Christmas morning to one of those very rare occasions where Spike had awakened before her. More specifically, he had awakened before her and was feeling very naughty.

She gasped into consciousness just as he entered her, feeling him slip all the way inside right up to the hilt. His hand pressed flat against her stomach, holding her back against his chest to increase the depths of his thrusts from behind. She practically melted in response, just lying there on her side and letting him turn her entire body to Jell-O. This was how every Christmas should begin…

His lips drifted to her ear, and he began to whisper sweet nothings to her as he licked and nibbled at the sensitive lobe. She reached one hand back to tangle in his platinum hair, holding him close, wanting to touch every bit of him as she…

Her climax was gentle and slow, like the feel of warm ocean waves wrapping around you, surrounding gradually and easily. His name escaped her lips in a prayer of fervent supplication as the tide receded once more, and they fell back to earth together.

She twisted in his arms to face him once he slipped out of her and caught him in a passionate kiss, tasting him for all he was worth. It was quite a while before they pulled apart, gasping for breath, both still high on the pleasure they’d shared. Elizabeth looked up at him from under long eyelashes and smiled. Everything about him was so…she just…he was…

Simply. Breathtaking.

“Santa saw that, you know,” she couldn’t help but tease. “Now he knows what a naughty boy you are.” She flicked the pad of her finger against the tip of his nose. “No presents for you,” she taunted.

His eyes narrowed at he let out a sexy little growl that made her hot for him all over again. “Already got my present,” he countered with a self-satisfied smirk. “Besides,” he leaned in to nibble on her shoulder, “’m not the only one who’s been naughty…”

“Mmm,” she murmured in agreement. “Coal in my stocking, too, then.”

“Was it worth it?” he asked with a little smile.

She pretended to consider this for a moment, not wanting to give that ego of his too much of a boost. “Maybe,” she finally decided with a sly smile, “let me check one more time, just to be sure.”

He rolled willingly with her when she tackled him back onto the mattress, allowing his wrists to be pinned up above his head. The gaze that looked up at her was hungry, usually blue eyes darkened completely to black in his desire for her.

She slid her body sensuously along the length of his, only the thin cotton of the gray T-shirt that she wore separating them. The hardened buds of her nipples pressed into him through the material as her chest flattened against his harder one. If anything, the tortuous separation made their touch seem even more erotic.

“Elizabeth…” he whispered raggedly, eyes never leaving her face.

“William…” she breathed out just as slowly, running the rarely-used syllables of his real name over her tongue like an exotic wine to be savored.

“Luv, please…” He was hard and trembling against her, his entire body shaking with the need to be deep inside her once more.

On other days, she might have teased him a bit more, but they had been separated for almost a week due to her stupid biological cycle and, plus, it was Christmas.

“Merry Christmas, baby,” she soothed, slowly lowering herself down onto him. Her inner walls stretched slowly outward, accommodating the swollen head of his length as it pierced ever closer to her womb.

He hissed and tried to buck up into her, but her thighs held him tightly in place.

“Shh, I’ve got you, luv,” she whispered softly, gently beginning to rock against him, a fire flaring deep in her belly where he struck her sweet spot. “I’ll take such good care of you…” She leaned over him fully to steal a kiss from his parted lips, enjoying the way he whimpered against her tongue. She couldn’t even begin to describe how wonderful this was, knowing that he wanted her this much, that he was all hers…

“’Lizabeth…” The name sounded divine as it slipped past his lips, the heat of his exhalation warming her own lips.

“Spike.” She feasted on his mouth as he came within her, her fingers clutching his hair in an effort to pull him even closer. Her own internal muscles clenched around him, trapping him within her and milking as much pleasure from their coupling as they could.

She collapsed on his chest when their climaxes had finally passed, her body limp, spent, completely satisfied and relaxed.

He held her tight and stroked her hair for a minute before tilting her chin so that she was looking right into his eyes. She felt herself drowning in those deep blue pools, the emotions there more powerful than mere words could express. For a moment, it frightened her in its intensity, and then she remembered that this was Spike and her, and it was all, oh, so right…

“We better go downstairs before Dad comes up here,” he said regretfully. “Never can wait to open his presents.”

Elizabeth smiled at that. “He’s just a big kid, isn’t he?” she joked slightly, ruffling his platinum curls. “Just like his son.”

A wide smile spread across Spike’s face at that. “You tellin’ me you can wait?” he countered.

“Humph,” she mock-pouted. “What happened to ‘I already got my present’?” she demanded.

“You sayin’ you didn’t enjoy yours?” His lower lip jutted out in a way that indicated all too clearly that there was only one way she could answer that question and leave his manhood intact.

“Mmm, Spike…” She nuzzled his throat affectionately. “Exactly what I wanted…”

He wrapped his arms around her in response, holding her close for a minute, just relishing the feel of her body and the scent of her shampoo and the warmth of—

“Will, are you up?” A banging started on the door, accompanied by what sounded like Giles’ voice only…giddy?

“Your Dad sounds…” Elizabeth began.

“’m up!” Spike called out instantly, not wanting the nightmare of his father catching them in bed naked to become a reality. “We’re coming right down!”

“I shall burst right in if you’re not downstairs in five minutes,” Giles threatened before his footsteps could be heard going downstairs.

“…hyper,” Elizabeth finished with a shudder. “I’m about to be scarred for life, amn’t I?”

Spike nodded vigorously, his own eyes wide with mock-horror as he scrambled to get dressed. Elizabeth hastened to follow him since certain of her nightmares centered on Giles storming in on them while naked as well.

They exchanged a conspiratorial smile when they had both slipped into their official ‘sleep clothes’ before racing for the door to see who could get downstairs first…

“Eee! Thank you!” Dawn squealed, practically choking Elizabeth with the force of her hug.

“It’s just a sweater,” Elizabeth felt obliged to point out, giving Spike a dirty look as he laughed at her.

“Yeah, but it’s actually my size. And not hideous,” Dawn pointed out.

Elizabeth couldn’t help but grimace at that. Ah, the trademark of a Hank Summers gift, indicating all too clearly that he had no clue what his daughters’ tastes were or even roughly what size they were. Elizabeth still shuddered at the memory of the one year he’d come to the rather strange conclusion that she was a size 16.

“So, whose turn is it now?” Dawn asked happily, looking around at the gifts that still lay around them.

“It’s been a while since Rupert’s gone,” Joyce kindly pointed out. Giles had been demonstrating admirably just where Spike had picked up all of his impatient habits.

Giles practically leapt upon a package from Joyce, ripping the wrapping paper to shreds with such violent ferocity that Elizabeth buried herself in Spike’s arms from fright. Well, OK, yes, she actually buried herself in his arms because she wanted to snuggle, but the ferocious Giles’ unwrapping was deemed a viable excuse by all others present.

“You shouldn’t have…” Giles stared at the small stuffed zebra before him in wonder.

“Bet you didn’t think I remembered, huh?” Joyce jabbed him playfully in the side.

Giles caught her up in his arms in response, kissing her breathless.

Spike, Elizabeth, and Dawn all blinked in unison. Dawn cast a curious glance in Spike’s direction.

“I. Have. No. Clue.” Spike articulated in complete and utter bewilderment. “My parents’re freaks. ‘S the only explanation.”

“And starting to get majorly wiggy with the massive PDA,” Elizabeth agreed.

Spike just nodded numbly and turned to look anywhere but where Joyce and Giles were still, er… OK, he couldn’t even think about what his parents were doing without cringing. “Why don’t we just…”

“Yeah…” Elizabeth agreed, turning so that she, Spike, and Dawn now sat in a little circle on the floor, safe from the horrifying sight of grown-ups making out…over a stuffed zebra, of all things.

“You should open one,” Dawn prodded Elizabeth.

Elizabeth looked back and forth between the two remaining presents before her. Obligatory last-minute gift from Dad, or present from Spike. Hmm, do I save the best for last or… To hell with it! Elizabeth snatched up the small box wrapped in solid gold paper, the words ‘From Spike, to Elizabeth’ written in her boyfriend’s graceful penmanship on the card.

Spike’s arm slipped around her waist as she meticulously unwrapped the present, making sure not to rip the paper in the slightest. After almost a minute of this, he began to grow impatient, letting out an annoyed little snort by her ear.

She flashed him an unrepentant grin and unfolded the last corner, exposing the white jewelry box inside. “A box!” she exclaimed in mock-delight. “Oh, honey, it’s what I’ve always wanted!”

“And such a pretty one, too!” Dawn chimed in. “All white and rectangular!”

“Oh, thank you, Spike!” Elizabeth was trying not to break out into hysterics.

Spike banged his forehead against her shoulder several times. “Death. By. Sarcasm,” he said each word between a forehead bonk.

Elizabeth giggled and patted his thigh reassuringly. “Are you all right?” she cooed softly.

“No, ‘m dead,” he insisted, not moving from where his forehead had finally collapsed on her shoulder.

“But then you won’t get to see me open your gift,” she pouted slightly.

He relented with a little smile, pressing a quick peck on her lips before sidling up beside her once more. “Go on, then,” he said somewhat nervously. “Open it.”

She did so with an eagerness that belied her previous meticulous unwrapping. An excited little breath escaped her lips when she finally held the necklace between her fingers, watching the long aquamarine and black beads shimmer in the red and green lights of the Christmas tree.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed, tracing each of the dozen strands that flowed together like the eddies of a river.

“The color reminded me of your eyes,” he admitted, cheeks slightly flushed with embarrassment, “when we…” He trailed off, realizing that there was a minor present. “Plus,” he added with a chuckle, “now you can’t complain that you don’t have any jewelry that matches that blue dress ‘f yours.”

“You actually remember which dress doesn’t have an accompanying jewelry set?” Elizabeth blinked back the tears in her eyes.

“Well, yeah,” he scratched the back of his head in bewilderment, “you’ve mentioned it a bunch ‘f times.”

His eyes widened in surprise then when he found his lips suddenly assaulted by her own, her arms holding him in a vise-like grip as she poured her thanks into his mouth. He blinked at the intensity of her reaction before letting his eyelids drift closed, drinking up the emotions she poured into him.

A ghost of a smile curled the edges of Dawn’s lips for a second, along with a mental ‘Aw, isn’t that sweet?’ A minute later ‘sweet’ had turned to ‘boring’, especially since the other couple in the room were still at it on the couch. That realization quickly turned ‘boring’ to ‘gross’, and she cleared her throat several times before the population of the room finally decoupled.

“Oh, that is pretty,” Joyce agreed with Elizabeth’s sentiments, running her fingers over the fine beadwork. “Wherever did you find that, Will?”

“It was in one ‘f Tara’s girly catalogues,” Spike admitted with an embarrassed shrug. “Was flippin’ through it while someone was complainin’ that she didn’t have any jewelry to go with her dress.”

“Have I mentioned lately that you’re the most perfect boyfriend ever?” Elizabeth sighed, holding the necklace out for him so that he could fasten it behind her neck.

He brushed her hair aside with one hand, his fingers’ touches ephemeral on the back of her neck. “You can show me how much you ‘ppreciate it tonight,” he whispered against her ear, fastening the clasp for her. She turned in his arms, and he smiled. “Knew it would match your eyes…”

Dawn made a gagging noise, and Giles and Joyce snickered in response. Spike glowered at his parents, while Elizabeth took it upon herself to give her sister the Look Of Death. Several juvenile gestures were exchanged in response before they all returned to the important matter of opening presents.

“It’s your turn then, Will,” Giles pointed out, playing with the little toy zebra in his lap to the amusement of all the younger people.

“Turn about’s fair play, then?” Spike said with a wry smile, picking up his own gift from Elizabeth.

She gave him an encouraging smile and waited excitedly as he attempted to emulate her obsessive perfection in removing the wrapping paper. Halfway through his patience gave out and he just ripped the red and green print apart, much like his father had.

“Gasp, a…box?!” He couldn’t help but take his moment of revenge.

“Open it, asshole,” Elizabeth said good-humoredly, whapping him lightly on the arm.

He gave her a mock-offended huff but did as she asked, a curious smile quirking his lips at the silver object inside.

“Here,” she slipped her hands around his neck to unfasten the silver chain he always wore there. “I wanted to give you a little reminder of me that you’d always have with you.” She slipped the charm onto the chain before refastening it around his neck. “And, since you never take that thing off, and I do mean NEVER, it seemed like the perfect place.”

Dawn’s face reddened slightly at certain of the ‘nevers’ that popped into mind. She so didn’t need to know that Spike wore jewelry during sex.

Spike fingered the little silver dagger on its chain lovingly. “Sure ’s not some kinda subtle signal you wanna stab me?” he teased.

“Maybe a bit of warning to anyone else who doesn’t realize…” She leaned in to whisper the last word in his ear. “…Mine!”

“Yours,” he whispered into her hair.

“Yes, quite lovely,” Giles tried to sound patient with the young lovers. “So, is it my turn again now?”

Several pillows were thrown in his general direction in response.

“All right,” Elizabeth jabbed Spike in the side right in that one spot where he was ticklish, “enough with the secrets. Where are we going?”

He let out a sound halfway between a giggle and a snort and brushed her teasing hand away. “You’ll see when we get there,” he insisted.

Elizabeth pouted but slid her arm through his once more as they walked across campus. The two of them had begged off of Christmas lunch at the Giles’ since Spike claimed to have a surprise he wanted to show her. Elizabeth had been mildly curious that the ‘surprise’ in question could be achieved without easy access to his bed and had been running all sorts of scenarios through her head since.

The afternoon was surprisingly warm and sunny – for the winter in upstate New York, that is – and they’d been able to go out with a minimum of outerwear that allowed for a maximum of cuddling. Well, actually, Spike had stuck with that leather duster of his that Elizabeth had hardly ever seen him without…until she’d earned the privilege to see him in nothing at all, that is. It was a privilege she planned to take full advantage of in the near future.

Spike turned them in the direction of the gym, and Elizabeth gave him a curious look when he searched through his pockets.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“Lookin’ for the key,” he explained, checking his other pocket before triumphantly removing the ring from his pocket.

“You have the key to the gym?” She raised a skeptical eyebrow in his direction. “Is this legal?”

“’ll have you know that this is important team business,” Spike insisted, a rakish grin on his face, “fully in keepin’ with the trust Wesley gave me.”

“Breaking into the gym on Christmas,” Elizabeth tisked.

“I figured,” Spike countered, opening the door for her and punching in the deactivation code for the alarm, “that given all the tension lately…”

She gave him an apologetic smile at that and patted his back affectionately.

“…that we could both stand to work off some steam,” he finished, winding over to the room that was reserved for martial arts. It was eerily dark at first, the outlines of the dummies sending chills down Elizabeth’s spine. But then Spike flicked the light-switch on, and it was just the normal makeshift dojo once more.

“You’re letting me beat you up for Christmas?” Elizabeth pretended to sniff. “That’s the sweetest thing ever.”

“Oh, I am so kickin’ your ass for that, pet,” Spike retorted in a huff. “Or, actually…” He opened his locker and pulled out a Kendo sword. “…maybe I should whack it instead.”

“Ooh,” Elizabeth snatched the bound bamboo weapon from him greedily, “where’d you get this?”

“Wesley’s into it,” Spike explained, “asked if I was interested. ‘Course I was, so I got myself a sword…”

Elizabeth was practically drooling over the weapon. “Spike?” she asked teasingly. “Can I play with your long, hard stick?”

He gulped and willed certain regions of his anatomy to behave at that. The bemused smile she gave him indicated all too clearly that, yes, she had done it on purpose. He gave her a little scowl and took the sword back from her. “That’s mine,” he insisted.

She gave him a little pout.

He refused to waver as he returned to his locker. “This,” he said, a sly grin spreading across his face, “is yours.”

“You got me a weapon?” Elizabeth let out a little squeal of delight and wrapped her arms around him before snatching the second sword away. She lovingly stroked the pale bamboo branches that formed the long staff of the sword.

“Shoulda known that was the sure way to any woman’s heart,” he teased. “’specially yours.”

She stuck her tongue out at him. “Do I get to hit things?” she asked excitedly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

“Let’s go murder some dummies,” Spike agreed with a grin, picking up his own sword and guiding her out onto the mats.

A little smile curled the edges of her lips at his not-so-subtle teaching method of standing behind her and wrapping his arms around the sword from behind in order to teach her how to hold it properly. She cuddled back into his arms contentedly and followed his footwork, taking several controlled practice swings before zeroing in on the dummy.

Spike grinned as he watched her advance and thwack repeatedly, occasionally commenting on her form. God, he loved this woman! He’d never met anyone before who attacked things with large blunt objects as gleefully as he did. Not to mention had the snark and sarcasm to match his and even, amazingly, exceed his at times. Plus, she was funny, witty, and delightful to be with. The fact that she’d been taking the initiative in bed more and more lately, literally struggling with him for control over dominance, just made her all the more enticing. She just fit. He already couldn’t imagine what life without her would be like, a palpable jolt of pain passing through his chest at the mere thought. Who ever would’ve guessed that the exasperating little blond would’ve so completely snatched up his heart?

“I follow through with the left hand, right?” Elizabeth worried her lower lip between her teeth, focusing intently on whacking the dummy over the head.

“You center the weight on it, yeah,” Spike agreed, “but you wanna guide with your right.”

Elizabeth nodded and took another swing, her cheeks beginning to flush with her exertions.

As he watched her, there was absolutely no doubt in his mind that this was it. Love, pure and simple. That warmth bubbling up inside of him, the way he felt at home in her arms, the way he felt like he was walking on air each time she smiled at him – this was it. She was The One, no questions, no doubts.

“I don’t suppose we can hit each other yet?” she sighed.

“Sorry, luv,” he gave her an apologetic shrug, “need a coach here for that.”

She nodded. “Wanna spar?” she inquired hopefully.

He couldn’t keep the shit-eating grin off of his face at that. “You’re goin’ down this time,” he assured her.

She rolled her eyes and yawned. “Heard that before, mopped the ground with your sorry ass,” she said disinterestedly.

He narrowed his eyes, and they shared a courteous bow before…

The only other time he felt this with her was when they were making love. The way their bodies moved in perfect time with each other, as if they were but two different manifestations of the same being. He kicked, she ducked; she punched, he dodged. They moved in time to a fast, furious beat that only the two of them could hear, dancing around each other until inevitably…

“Ha! Gotcha!” Elizabeth exclaimed in delight as Spike tumbled to the mat. She leapt on him immediately, pressing him down firmly, covering his body with hers. “Too bad there aren’t any spills around ‘cause I’ve got your cute ass here all ready to mop it up,” she teased.

“Might be a spill sooner’n you think if you don’t stop that,” he pointed out, feeling the warmth of her inner thighs trapping him.

“Stop what?” she asked with false innocence, grinding her pelvis down into his growing hardness.

He moaned in response, then whimpered when she pulled away. “Luv?” his voice pleaded raggedly.

“Public place,” she said regretfully. “That means no wet-dream fulfillment.”

He sighed and managed to nod in agreement. “Don’t know if I can walk,” he commented, taking deep breaths and forcing himself to relax.

Beside him, Elizabeth lay back on the mats as well, panting heavily. “That’s a new way to win a match,” she said with a smug smile. “Seduce the opponent into submission.”

“You try that on anyone else an’ I’ll—” he growled.

“You’ll what?” she countered, looking over at him in his helpless state.

“Shag you so hard, you won’t be able to walk,” he settled on happily.

A little thrill ran through her own spine at that. “Mmm,” she murmured softly, sidling up against him. “This reminds me of our first dates, y’know?”

He gave her a curious look that obviously indicated that he didn’t.

“Not our first ‘date dates’,” she corrected. “I mean all those dates where it was kinda just you trying to seduce me and me trying to pretend that I didn’t want you to.”

“I seem to recall tacklin’ you onto this very mat,” he agreed with a fond smile of remembrance.

“Yeah, we’d call each other names and then fight and then find some half-assed excuse to rub up against each other as much as possible and then we’d both have to go back to the dorm unsatisfied,” she sighed.

“Ah, the romance,” he couldn’t help but tease.

She whapped him in the shoulder. “It was sweet!” she insisted.

“I think ‘pig’ was more your sentiment at the time,” he countered.

“Sweet,” she repeated. “What with you being all sexy and tempting with the innuendoes and…and the really big bulge in your jeans.” She licked her lips at where the object of her fascination was just beginning to settle down once more. “Sweet,” she repeated.

He let out a bark of laughter. “If that’s your definition ‘f ‘sweet’, no wonder you’re the perfect woman for me,” he commented.

“Hmm,” she agreed lazily, reaching over to twine her fingers with his. “When did you know?” she asked after a minute of comfortable silence.

“Hmm?” he murmured contentedly.

“When did you stop thinking ‘annoying bitch’ and turn to ‘potential girlfriend’?” she clarified.

“Who said I ever stopped thinkin’ ‘annoyin’ bitch’?” He just couldn’t help it. After all, that one had been practically handed to him on a platter.

She scowled over at him.

He let out a thoughtful sigh as he contemplated the problem. “The instant you opened that sharp mouth ‘f yours,” he finally decided. “Knocked me down a coupla notches in ten seconds flat. Made me wanna do all sorts ‘f naughty things to you…” He nuzzled her throat at that, wrapping his body around her.

“And you think my ideas about romance are weird,” she rolled her eyes.

“Got even better after that,” he reminisced, “what with you brushin’ me off all the time but just givin’ me those li’l hints that you liked it, too. Kept me right in the chase; let me know it’d be worth it in the long run.”

“Do you miss it?” she asked curiously. “The chase?”

He snorted. “Not bloody likely,” he retorted. “’Cause tonight,” he rose over her and trailed several soft kisses down her throat, “neither ‘f us has to go back to our lonely beds, wantin’ and needin’ and dreamin’ of each other.”

“What makes you think I dreamed about you?” she asked with a sly smile.

He raised one eyebrow in response.

“OK, every night,” she admitted with a little blush.

His lips caught hers at that, drawing her into a passionate kiss. By the time he pulled away, she was flushed and breathless, just the way he liked her.

“Spike?” she panted slightly.

“Yeah, pet?”

“Do we have to wait until tonight?”

God, he loved this woman…

“Race you back to the house,” he agreed with a grin.

She was on her feet in an instant, shoving him back to the floor behind her as she made a break for the door.

He loved her so much…if only he could find the right time to tell her…

Wow, this story's half-way done. Very exciting. Be sure to review 'cause, yeah, there's lots more to come...