"What's the matter, Nibblet?" he asked, concerned.
She jumped, startled. "Jeez, Spike," she frowned at him with a tear stained face. "Can't you knock or something before you do that? You scared me."
"Sorry," he said, meaning it. She was the only one who could ever get a sincere apology out of him. He loved her more than anything in the world (she was probably the only thing he had ever loved; he was a vampire, after all) and he hated to see her upset, especially when he was the cause. "What's wrong though? Why you've been crying? Anything old Spike can't help with?"
She smiled, despite her dreary mood. "Probably not. It's nothing big. It's just… Everyone kind of seemed to forget something that was just a little bit important to me, and it's making me upset. I know it's stupid."
"Would that thing they forgot happen to be my favorite girl's birthday?" he asked, pulling out a neatly wrapped box from inside his duster pocket. Seeing her face light up, he knew it was worth breaking in and stealing it, just for her. He hadn't killed the storekeeper, of course, though not because the chip prevented him. Dawn happened to be the only person that knew he wasn't chipped anymore. For some reason, it had just stopped working. He guessed the battery had run down. He'd been afraid to tell her, fearing that she wouldn't want to be around him anymore if she found out that he was no longer neutered.
Of course, when she found out, she wasn't fazed at all. Nothing could even begin to phase her love for him. It was funny, really, the way they both went about, not knowing about their intense love for each other, only aware that they could never tell the other.
"Oh, Spike," she said happily, starting to unwrap the present. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
He grinned at her happiness. His grin grew wider as her eyes got considerably larger when she saw what the present was. It was the amethyst stone necklace that he'd seen her eyeing in the window when he was taking her to the Magick Box one night. Since then, he'd known he'd get it for her for her birthday.
"Want me to put it on you?" he asked, when the shock seemed to begin to wear off her.
She nodded. As he put it on her, she stammered, "I can't believe it, Spike. It's so pretty. Thank you, thank you, thank you… Wait. You didn't steal it, did you?"
"Of course not," he lied.
She knew he was lying, but she didn't care. Just to know that he'd remembered her birthday, not to mention gotten her such a beautiful gift, had put her in such a good mood that nothing could bring her down. Except the question Spike was about to ask her.
"What did big sis get, you, eh?" he asked, not knowing what he'd dived into.
Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, and she blinked furiously to keep them from falling. "I don't think she remembered. I don't blame her, I mean, she's got so much to worry about, what with Glory, and all the other stuff roaming about…"
He could hear the hurt in her voice, no matter how much she might try to hide it. He put his arm around her shoulder. "It's alright, pet. I'm sure she didn't forget, at least not on purpose. I'm sure she'll remember pretty soon."
She nodded, wishing she could believe him.
The truth was, he didn't even believe himself. He'd noticed Buffy had been really distracted lately, more than usual, and he didn't blame her for having to fight the forces of darkness, but he couldn't forgive her for making his little bit hurt like she was.
He held her to him, stroking her hair, until her breathing became rhythmic and slow. She was asleep. He laid her on her bed, pulled the covers over her, and started to go out, but decided against it. Instead, he sat on her windowsill, listening to her breathing.
When she awoke the next morning, he would be gone, of course.
She jumped, startled. "Jeez, Spike," she frowned at him with a tear stained face. "Can't you knock or something before you do that? You scared me."
"Sorry," he said, meaning it. She was the only one who could ever get a sincere apology out of him. He loved her more than anything in the world (she was probably the only thing he had ever loved; he was a vampire, after all) and he hated to see her upset, especially when he was the cause. "What's wrong though? Why you've been crying? Anything old Spike can't help with?"
She smiled, despite her dreary mood. "Probably not. It's nothing big. It's just… Everyone kind of seemed to forget something that was just a little bit important to me, and it's making me upset. I know it's stupid."
"Would that thing they forgot happen to be my favorite girl's birthday?" he asked, pulling out a neatly wrapped box from inside his duster pocket. Seeing her face light up, he knew it was worth breaking in and stealing it, just for her. He hadn't killed the storekeeper, of course, though not because the chip prevented him. Dawn happened to be the only person that knew he wasn't chipped anymore. For some reason, it had just stopped working. He guessed the battery had run down. He'd been afraid to tell her, fearing that she wouldn't want to be around him anymore if she found out that he was no longer neutered.
Of course, when she found out, she wasn't fazed at all. Nothing could even begin to phase her love for him. It was funny, really, the way they both went about, not knowing about their intense love for each other, only aware that they could never tell the other.
"Oh, Spike," she said happily, starting to unwrap the present. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
He grinned at her happiness. His grin grew wider as her eyes got considerably larger when she saw what the present was. It was the amethyst stone necklace that he'd seen her eyeing in the window when he was taking her to the Magick Box one night. Since then, he'd known he'd get it for her for her birthday.
"Want me to put it on you?" he asked, when the shock seemed to begin to wear off her.
She nodded. As he put it on her, she stammered, "I can't believe it, Spike. It's so pretty. Thank you, thank you, thank you… Wait. You didn't steal it, did you?"
"Of course not," he lied.
She knew he was lying, but she didn't care. Just to know that he'd remembered her birthday, not to mention gotten her such a beautiful gift, had put her in such a good mood that nothing could bring her down. Except the question Spike was about to ask her.
"What did big sis get, you, eh?" he asked, not knowing what he'd dived into.
Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, and she blinked furiously to keep them from falling. "I don't think she remembered. I don't blame her, I mean, she's got so much to worry about, what with Glory, and all the other stuff roaming about…"
He could hear the hurt in her voice, no matter how much she might try to hide it. He put his arm around her shoulder. "It's alright, pet. I'm sure she didn't forget, at least not on purpose. I'm sure she'll remember pretty soon."
She nodded, wishing she could believe him.
The truth was, he didn't even believe himself. He'd noticed Buffy had been really distracted lately, more than usual, and he didn't blame her for having to fight the forces of darkness, but he couldn't forgive her for making his little bit hurt like she was.
He held her to him, stroking her hair, until her breathing became rhythmic and slow. She was asleep. He laid her on her bed, pulled the covers over her, and started to go out, but decided against it. Instead, he sat on her windowsill, listening to her breathing.
When she awoke the next morning, he would be gone, of course.