TITLE: Engraved
BY: Jess
DISCLAIMER: Everything belongs to Joss Whedon
SUMMARY: Spike finds the sweetest gift for Buffy...
DEDICATION: To Angelica, happy chirstmas! I hope you enjoy the season and
this little piece of fluff I wrote. ::grin::
CLASSIFICATION: Fluffy goodness.
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The shopgirl glowered into the shelf she was stocking for the hundredth time that day. Damn Harry Potter and all the merchandise that came with him. Sure he was getting people to read and she was for that but did they really need crayons with his face plastered all over them?
The doors opened, bringing with them a burst of fresh air and one more shopper. She glanced at her wrist and smiled. It was only ten minutes to close and less then 24 hours to Christmas Eve dinner. She could deal with one more frantic shopper. Keeping the smile on her face, she shelved another book and spoke to the newcomer, her back still to him. "Welcome to Books. Do you need help finding anything?"
"Yeah, I'm looking for a gift for a 15 years old and. Buffy?"
She squeezed her eyes closed. It was to much to hope that there was some one else in the shop named Buffy and that they knew someone with a south London accent that smelled of cigarettes and rain and a hundred other things she couldn't place but knew by heart. She straightened her shoulders and turned around. "Are you really shopping or did you just come here to mock?"
The vampire shoved the paper list back into his pocket and tucked a small white bag into one of the larger mass-market bags. "When did you start working here?" Spike had a look of pure shock on his face that Buffy didn't disbelieve for once.
"A couple weeks ago. I needed some extra cash to buy Dawn a nice gift and they have a good employee discount here so I could buy everyone else something and you're really shopping for Christmas gifts?"
"Just for Bit and Tara.. And then I saw something Anya would like and I found a couple records for Giles and some candles for Willow and good god save me before I have an urge to get some shiny bauble for Xander." Spike took a step back and appraised Buffy's newest incarnation as shopgirl. He tilted his head to the side. "Why does your name plate say Angeline?"
"Because new hires have to chose a tag out of the old employees bin and I didn't feel like being Barry." Buffy smiled a little. "You need help with what again?"
"Bit. I know she's into this whole Harry Potter lot, but I don't think she needs a replica broomstick." He flicked through a stack of scribblers, putting them back in a nice neat pile after getting a glare from Buffy. Spike saw a person walking quickly towards Buffy, and he could make out the words 'manager' on her nametag. "So I think the candles will work nicely for my cousin, but I still need to get some thing for my sister in law. She's about 15."
Buffy looked befuddled and Spike dropped his voice to a low rumble only she could hear. "Manager about 20 paces behind you and doesn't look full of the Christmas spirit." Buffy nodded imperceptibly and mouthed 'thanks'.
"Do you know what she likes to read? After school activities?" Buffy adopted a lower tone. "sister-in-law?"
Spike chuckled and spoke at a normal volume. "Well, she's a lot like her older sister and tends to take most classes off, so I can't see 'er staying late. But I do know she liked this series." He nodded to the stacks and stacks of Harry Potter books.
"Well, how about the Lord of the Rings? It's been a very popular item this season and we have some very nice selections." Buffy walked toward another feature table near the front doors and Spike followed dutifully. While pointing out a very pricey leather bound box set of the books to Spike, Buffy smiled at her manager fleetingly. Her boss beamed that her new employee was about to route a client to one of the items they were trying to up-sell and gave her a quick thumbs up before walking away to hunt someone else. Once the manager was out of sight, the slayer lost her professional mannerism and rolled her eyes.
"She's been pushing us to sell more of these. I think she might have overbought or something."
Spike flipped through "Fellowship of the Rings" and raised his eyes to met hers. "Do you think Dawn will read this if I give it to her?"
She shrugged. "Anything's possible. She does like to read. Or at least she used to." A frown covered her features. "I'm still getting used to being the authority figure to a teenager and with this being the first Christmas without mom..."
Spike let her have a few seconds of introspection before rousing her but placing his hand softly on her upper arm. "You'll both be ok, just need to keep doing what your doing and it will get easier." He paused. "Well, except the teenager part. I hear that's hell is more fun." Spike winked and cut Buffy off before she was able to speak next. "I was going to get Bit some Shakespear, but I don't think she would take to it quite yet." He balanced the box set in one hand and picked up a bunch of tea scented candles with the other. "And these should please the universal love of fire most 15 year olds have."
Buffy laughed lightly. "Sure encourage her to set fire to things. That will be of great help to me."
They walked to the front counter together, making sure Buffy would get her commission from the purchase.
"So which one of those bags has my present?" Buffy glanced to the bags, trying to see more then packing paper and plastic.
"You and Xander get nothing. Xander because we have a good hate/hate thing going on and I wouldn't want to do something to ruin that, and you get nothing because you shameless use me for my bourbon and information and never say thank you." He leered at her playfully. "Although there was that time in the house, that was the thank you that kept on giving and giving and screaming and ow!"
Spike rubbed his ribs where Buffy had punched him. "No need for the rough. I was just saying that I enjoyed it and ow! Would you quit that?"
Buffy glared at him. "Everytime I think you are not the lowest form of life possible, I find myself picking you off my shoe again. Christmas Eve dinner is at seven. Don't be late." She nodded at the girl working the till. "Can you ring this up for me Karen? Thanks."
Spike stood slack jawed at the register. One second she was hitting him the next he was being invited to dinner. "I will never understand 'er." He mumbled to himself and handed Karen a well worn credit card with a name that wasn't his imprinted on it.
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The vampire cursed himself for not getting one of the shops to wrap his gifts up for him as the tape stuck in the wrong place again and ripped the golden paper. In a fit of anger and frustration, he threw the bows and paper against the crypt wall with a yell.
A minute later he was picking all of it back up off the ground with a growl in his throat. He could wrap a couple candles and a few messes of soap! He was a master bloody vampire for bollocks sake.
Five minutes later another yell could be heard in the crypt and echoing out to the cemetaray.
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Spike threw the gifts on the table with blank look, the impact sending the D&D game pieces off the board. "I need them wrapped up and I need them done now and don't tell me you have more important things to do or I'll rip you heads off."
The geek trio looked at Spike with jaws hanging open. He growled and walked to toward the Star Wars collection.
The geeks jumped to their collective feet. "We'll wrap! Jonanthon is a little Martha Steward aren't ya?" Warren elbowed the shorted boy beside him.
"Oh yeah, just um, point me to the those gift and let the action figures be." Jonathon glanced at the gifts. "Hey! Lord of the Rings! That movie is going to be so."
Spike growled again.
"Wrapping, not talking. Got it."
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Ten minutes later all the gifts were wrapped up and Spike was near whistling as he walked down the street towards the Summers residence. The only gift he had managed to wrap himself was tucked into his duster pocket securely and the vampire was sure he had made the right choice in gift.
Spike had forgone his normal black on black for a startling different dark blue on black outfit and his slicked hair was slightly messy after having to wrestle Dawns gift away from Jonathon, who refused to give up the package until the bow was just right until he had been 'convinced' otherwise.
He took a few unneeded breaths and rang the bell. Buffy appeared a few seconds later with a smile covering her face and a glass in her hand.
"Spike!" The slayer looked at the hall clock. "You're not late." She paused again. "And you have good hair."
"Happy Christmas to you as well."
"Sorry, but you're not known for being trustworthy." She pouted. "I was looking forward to yelling at you for being late. It was going to be my gift to me."
Spike laughed despite himself. "Sorry Slayer, but I'm sure I'll do something to piss you off before the night is done."
"Its almost a given." She waved him in. "You're the first one here."
He took a step forward and hit the threshold barrier. Spike's blue eye sparked with hurt and anger. "This just a big joke to get me here and."
Buffy raised her hand to stop him. "I forgot I had Tara do that after, ah, after, um. Well you know what happened. Come in Spike."
He stepped into the foyer and handed the bag of gift to Buffy, still hurt from the revoked invite spell. "Here. Maybe I'll just say 'Merry Be' to Nibblet and be on my way."
The blonde had the grace to look sheepish and lowered hear head to look at the bag of brightly wrapped gifts. "I'm sorry Spike, I didn't mean to make you upset and Dawn really want you to be here and um," Buffy lowered her voice. "so do I." She raised her head and adopted a good-humoured tone. "Plus you were less of an ass then normal at the bookstore and I guess I owe you for that."
Spike felt himself being drawn into her smile and kicked himself for being so easily wrapped around her finger. He leered at Buffy to make up for it. "Do I get to decide on the repayment?"
"No you get to have a good meal cooked by the very nice people at the Sunnydale hotel and the joy of my and Dawns company. Consider yourself repaid." Buffy punched him lightly in the gut and sauntered off to the kitchen to unpack the rest of the meal.
Spike paused for second.
"My way would have been more fun!"
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Just before Buffy was going to carry the meal out to the dining table, Spike grabbed her arm and asked her to step to the back porch.
"Just for second." Spike implored her, using his best and most effective puppy dog look.
The evening had actually gone well so far. Willow and Tara were the embodiment of Christmas spirit, leaving they're personal issues behind for night and being damn near friendly. Anya and Xander only bickered twice and both had ended in kissing, which Dawn, also on her best behaviour, had not made gagging noises at. The vampire himself had endeavoured not to cause anymore trouble then necessary to make the evening entertaining for himself and Nibblet as they commented on Buffy running back and forth between the kitchen and the family room playing hostess.
Buffy announced that dinner was going to be ready in a few minutes and Spike excused himself from Dawn's company. He even used his best manners from his human days, which made Dawn blush and giggle, and retrieved Buffy's gift from his duster.
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"Dinner is going to get cold you. you. vampire." Buffy smiled, only a little peeved at being pulled aside.
"Wanted to give you your pressie in private." He stepped closer to her and Buffy inhaled the scent of him. Her eyes closed involuntarily, remembering how good he smelt when then were close and how his mouth felt on her throat and ( a blush crept up her body) other places. She took a step backward, feeling the solid wall of the house behind her which did nothing to clear her mind of the mental images flashing there.
"Spike, we can't.. ah.. I mean, the food will get cold and Xander will come out here and." Buffy trailed off, her mouth making a fish impression as she searched for words.
Spike grinned wolfishly and took another small step toward her. He winked and moved his hand in-between them, leaning into what Buffy thought was a kiss but instead he placed a small package in her hand. "Happy Christmas Buffy."
Buffy raised an eyebrow and tore delicately at the paper.
"Oh come on Slayer. Its not a puppy, rip into the bloody thing."
Buffy giggled but took his advice, ripping into the layers and layer of coloured paper. "Geez Spike, is there anything but paper here?"
"Keep on, I promise its worth it."
Buffy gasped at the small silver music box that was obviously antique and entirely of character for Spike. She has honestly expected to get a gift certificate to a sex shop from the vampire.
"Open it up." Spike said huskily, attempting to cover his nervousness with bravdo.
The silver top opened to a dark blue velvet inside and a locket made out of the same style of metalwork was inside.
"Spike, I can't. I mean its beautiful and I love it but I can't." she wound the chain in her fingers, looking at the oval-shaped charm.
"Its just a shiny bit." Spike shoved his hands in his pockets for second before running this hand through his hair and making a move to grab the locket back. "Don't know why I even gave it to you."
Buffy stepped sideways, not letting him grab the piece back. She pushed her nail into the small crevasse and popped open the locket. Inside was a tiny portrait of a younger smiling Spike and Buffy corrected the name in her head to William. The portrait had to be from his human days.
"This is you?"
"Its William, six months before I met Dru in that alley." Spike snapped. "Now come on hand it back, for something you can't accept from a monster like me you sure do seem interested in it."
Buffy was still engrossed in the picture. "You were human."
"Well hell Slayer, of course I was. Give it here and I'll get you a nice benign sweater instead, dinner is getting cold."
"You don't eat." Buffy looked up. "who is the inscription to?"
Spike mumbled something.
"Pardon?"
Spike raised his head and met her gaze with hard eyes. "My sister, Emilne. I was going to give it to her and, no matter. You can barely read it now."
Buffy rubbed her thumb over the engraving in an automatic gesture. She could feel the writing as the pad of her thumb moved over it and Buffy wondered how many time Spike would have made the same gesture to wear the writing down. "What does it say?"
Spike tightened his jaw. "We'll protect each other."
Buffy ignored the rumblings in the house. "How old was she?"
"17 and to be married to a duke of some land who was a bastard and would have treated her like a piece of property. So we. William promised not to be separated from her and she promised to not to separated form him, to protect each other." Spike took a step toward the house. "Which is what I was going to promise you. That even now that I an hurt you I would protect you when you needed it. At least I was going to if you hadn't been such a tosser and refused to accept it from me." He snatched it from her fingers and grabbed the box back. "now lets go put on our party faces and let Bit have a good Christmas."
Buffy grabbed his hand and pried his fingers out of the fist he was making around the locket. "I meant I can't wear it on patrol or it will get wreaked." She picked the locket up and put it around her neck.
Spike was silent for a few moments. "No you didn't mean that."
Buffy bit her lip. "No I didn't." She stepped toward him and stood on her tiptoes. "But I do now. Thank you Spike, its absolutely lovely." She brushed her lips against his in a chaste but heart-bursting kiss. "I can't promise anything, but I'll," He fingers flew to necklace. "I'll give it some thought."
Buffy kissed him again and allowed herself to give into his back bending dip. When he broke the kiss to let her breath, he brushed an invisible hair behind her ear. "It'll do for now."
Spike righted her and cleared his throat. "Now what did you get me pet?"
Buffy winked and walking into the house. "Gift certificate from the sex shop." She looked over her shoulder. "and maybe a few toys."
Spike groaned and watched her walk away from him. Running his hands through his hair again and resting them behind his neck, he looked up at the sky before shouting back to the slayer. "You better not be joking Slayer! Its not nice to taunt the vampire!"
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The End. For now. ::grin::
Agian, hapy season! i wish you many naked Spikes under the tree. Cheers, Jess
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