Happy Birthday

Description: Buffy fic with an emphasis on Buffy and Spike.

Disclaimer: The characters from Buffy are not mine, sadly. They belong to the good people at Fox, the WB, UPN and of course the God of all things Buffy, Joss Whedon.

Spoilers: For everything that has happened on Buffy thus far, through season six, episode Dead Things. The only spoilers for the episode Birthday are entirely from the preview.

Rated: R

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Buffy greeted Spike at the door.

"I don't remember inviting you to my birthday party," Buffy said.

"Well no, but I assumed it would be alright, me being an unofficial Scooby and all that," Spike replied, "among other things."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Come in. So, what did you get me?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"Nothing? You come uninvited to a Birthday party and you don't even bring a gift?"

Spike put a hand on his heart. "There is nothing I could give you that you don't already have," he told her, suddenly serious. "Oh, and I brought beer."

Buffy wrinkled her nose. She had had a series of bad experiences with alcohol. "You planning to get me drunk and take advantage of me?"

"No," he answered, "didn't figure I'd need to get you drunk first."

Buffy grabbed the beer, holding it between the two of them. "I better go put this in the fridge."

Spike followed her into he kitchen. He lowered his voice. "So, will you be coming by tonight?"

"No," Buffy answered firmly, closing the refrigerator door and straightening to face him. Her resolve melted as she met his gaze. Those blue eyes of his had a way of boring into her soul. He always saw through her defenses. Why could he do that when no one else could? He knew her real answer before she even said it. "Well, maybe. I don't know if I can get away."

"What? Don't tell me you never used to sneak out when your mum wasn't looking. Do you need an added incentive?"

He moved closer to her, placing his hands on her shoulders and toying with the fabric of her top. The cat liked to play with the mouse, but in the end it was the mouse who always pounced.

Buffy grabbed hold of him and began kissing him passionately. His hand slipped up her shirt, driving her crazy and making her want him the more.

"Ahem." Tara cleared her throat behind them.

The couple sprang apart.

"Er, Tara," Spike began, "this isn't . . . I mean she wasn't . . . it was me, I . . ."

"It's ok Spike, she knows," Buffy told him.

"You know?" he asked the Wiccan. "How do you know?"

"I told her," Buffy explained.

"What?!" Spike was furious. "You threaten to kill me if I so much as breathe a word, and then you go and spill to your girl friends. Why even bother threatening me if you were planning to tell?"

"Planning to tell what?" Xander asked. He walked into the kitchen followed by the other Scoobies. "What's with all the yelling in here?"

"I was just planning to tell Buffy 'happy birthday' is all," Spike started to cover. His first thought was to protect Buffy. Then another thought took its place. Why bother? They would all find out sooner or later, and he would prefer it to be at his hands than at Buffy's. He was tired of being her little dark secret. He turned to her. "Happy birthday lover," he told her, kissing her roughly, so as to make it perfectly clear that he had kissed her many times before.

Buffy pushed him away, clearly horrified. "I don't believe you," she spat at him. Tara looked equally shocked.

"Now they all know. Dust me if you want, Luv."

"We all know what?" Xander continued to be confused. "What the Hell is going on."

Tears sprung into Buffy's eyes. "I hate you," she told him, and fled the room.

"Buffy!" Willow cried out, chasing after her.

"Why can't you leave her alone?" Xander demanded. "Just get it through your head already. She's not your girl. You're never going to have her."

"That's where you're wrong. She is my girl, and I've already had her, many times."

Dawn's eyes got wide. "Oh my god."

"You're a liar, and you know what? I don't even care." Xander gripped Spike by the throat. "You should have been staked long ago. Just because Buffy isn't willing to, doesn't mean that I wont." He produced a stake from his pocket.

"You're a bloody idiot. Where do you think she's been spending all her time, church group? You walked in on us for fuck's sake!"

"He's t-telling the t-truth Xander," Tara said. "P-p-put the stake down."

"No," Xander replied, shooting Spike a look of pure venom. "Not this time."

Spike knocked the stake out of Xander's hand and hit him, hard enough to send him flying but light enough not to cause any permanent damage. "Aaaggghhhh. Sodding chip!" Spike grabbed his head. "Sorry Bit," he added through clenched teeth, before making a break for the door.

"M-make sure Xander's ok," Tara told Dawn. She ran outside, attempting to catch up with the blond vampire. She accomplished the task quite easily, for Spike was still in a good deal of pain, causing him to move sluggishly.

"Spike, w-wait up!"

"Come to stake me too?" he asked.

"I want to help. S-spike, you shouldn't have done that."

"What should I have done, then? Let her treat me like dirt for the rest of my bloody unlife? Have you any idea what it's like to hold someone in your arms one moment, and tell you you're the most despicable thing in the world mere seconds later?"

"N-no, I guess I don't," Tara admitted.

"It's maddening. I couldn't any longer. I just . . . she'll hate me and she'll leave me, but at least I'll know where I stand."

"I'm sorry about what you've gone through, but I know that Buffy cares for you. Maybe if you two talked—"

"I've tried that. It's no good. Buffy doesn't talk, she punches and runs."

"Looks like she has company," Tara teased.

Spike grew concerned. "Xander! I didn't hurt him too badly, did I?"

"He's still conscience, and Dawn's looking after him. He'll be fine."

"Good. He's a bit of a wanker, but I wouldn't want to off him. Too much personal history for that."

Tara gave him a shy smile. "Are *you* going to be alright?"

"Probably not, but that's what I deserve, innit?" Spike asked her, only half kidding. "Me being an evil monster and all?"

"You're not a monster," Tara said. "I mean maybe you were before, but you don't have to be if you don't want to."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Spike asked.

"Because I care about you. Buffy too. I just want you both to be happy."

"Thanks."

"If you need a friend, come and talk to me. Just try to think first and it later, ok?" She gently hugged the vampire.

Spike hugged her back. "Sure thing, little witch."

* * *

Buffy's entire world had been shattered around her in one foul swoop. They would never look at her the same way now. And how was she ever supposed to face Spike again? They could never go back to the way things had been.

Buffy went by his crypt later that night. He was waiting outside, smoking a cigarette. When he noticed her approaching, he flicked the butt away, crushing it with his foot.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because someone had to."

"Spike . . ." Buffy began. She couldn't finish. She went up to him and kissed him tenderly, savoring the feel and taste of his mouth. Then she pulled away.

"It's over," she told him. "Goodbye."