January 19, 2007

"Giles! What's going on, why were you so cryptic on the pho…" She trailed when she pushed open the doors to her office and saw everyone sitting around, ridiculous little party hats firmly in place.

"Surprise!" They all shouted, causing Buffy's mouth to drop open in rare but actual surprise.

"Happy Birthday Buffy" Her father of the heart wished, pulling the blond woman into a hug, causing Liam in her arms to giggle and reach for him saying "Papa!" The boy not yet old enough to say Grandpa.

Buffy hugged him back and thanked him, sending an evil eye to her husband walking in a few steps behind her, holding Katie's hand as she happily ran along beside him. The twinkle in his eye told her better than words he'd known all about this and had kept it a secret. "You're so dead." She whispered to him as Katie clapped and laughed along with her family.

Angel grinned, "Happy Birthday my love." He expressed and kissed her on the cheek, completely ignoring the empty threat on his life. He scooped Liam from her arms with his free hand, freeing her to thank and hug her friends and family.

"Come on you two little trouble makers; let's go get your toys from daddy's office." He coaxed his children to keep them entertained, for a few minutes anyways.

…

Willow smirked, seeing her best friend go from 'Ready to slay' to 'ready for cake' in about 3 seconds flat. "Hey Buffy, Happy Birthday!" She cheered, hugging her friend tight.

"See, not every birthday you have ends in chaos and fear of death." Xander piped in, hugging Buffy after Willow finished.

"It's early yet." Buffy remarked, knowing her past birthdays mostly were just that.

"Nothing bad happened last year? Right?" The redheaded witch asked.

Buffy shook her long blond haired head, "No, the opposite actually, my little girl took her first steps." She smiled at the memory.

"See, that is of the good." Xander justified, "Not every Buffy Birthday is bad."

"Katie walking…could have been an apocalypse right there. I love her to death…but she is a little monster." She grinned affectionately at her overly rambunctious daughter.

"Must be in the blood." Xander quipped.

Buffy slanted an eye at her dark haired friend.

"No offense meant." He quickly added, not meaning to imply Angel was a monster. He learned his lessons the hard way...but did eventually learn.

"When Xander was little he would take every pan from the cabinets and arrange them out on the floor, pretend they were a train to some magical land." Willow chimed in to diffuse the conversation.

"Mostly because I wanted to escape my house and my parents constant bickering…" He added dryly.

"Well you were a monster too…and me…I'm sure I was too." Willow added.

"You cried when you broke the yellow crayon." Xander reminded her.

"Shut up." She muttered quietly.

Buffy shook her head at her two long term friends, "Ok, while you sort of which of you was the worst child, I'm going to find mine before they drive my husband to insanity."

After hugging hello to Dawn, Connor and Oz, Buffy retreated into Angel's office to find him sitting Indian style on the floor with the kids reading a book.

Katie was squirming already, more interested in what was going on outside the closed doors than the story her father was reading, while Liam seemed content to listen.

"She looks like you, but she's all me." Buffy grinned and rescued her daughter from Angel's lap.

"How so?" He questioned, an eyebrow raised.

"Who wants to sit and read with a party going on?" She smiled, seeing Katie's eager to party face. "You want to mingle sweetie?"

Katie nodded her dark head, "Yeah, minngel." She tried to repeat the foreign word.

Angel shook his head, "Ok, ok, mingle it is then." He relented, having tried his best to stay out of the spotlight. "You ready to party champ?" He asked his son as he stood and followed behind his wife.

Liam just looked up at him, stoic and content with whatever they wanted.

"He gets the taciturn from you." Buffy accused as she headed into the group.

"Does not." Angel muttered. "You just haven't learned to talk yet…right?" He asked the blond boy in his arms.

Liam blinked and grinned.

"Course you take her side…momma's boy." He joked, kissing the silent baby's chubby cheek and re-joining the party.

…

Not long after Angel heard, "Hey, there's the little monster."

Dawn grinned, grabbing her nephew from her brother-in-law and kissing his cheek.

"No, the monster is Katie…he's still manageable." Angel countered, hearing Katie screaming happily as Giles tickled her from across the room.

Liam just smiled, enjoying the attention.

…

Light rock played over the speakers, a few coolers of beer around the room helped everyone relax and mingle with the party atmosphere.

Angel frowned when he saw his wife standing off to the side, not mingling and with a line of worry marring her beautiful face.

He pressed a beer into his wife's hand. "Smile, it won't kill you." He assured, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind and kissing her neck.

"Getting anti-brooding advise from Dr. Brood, I must be terminal." She quipped, with a sad smile.

"Hey, this is your party, I know there is a song about crying if you want to…but I'm very much against that happening." He added, worried his wife wasn't having fun.

She gave him an honest smile, "No crying…but you know the drill…me and parties…kinda like picnics and ants, stripes and polka dots…sun and vampires…they don't mix well without major clashing."

He shook his head at her, "Nothing is going to happen. Giles and I looked up today in a hundred books, no risings of any kind scheduled. Willow did a magic check, nothing in the mystical department either. Hellmouth is dormant, I promise." He insisted.

She grinned at him, "You check up on today?"

He grinned back, "Well there was warranted suspicion…but it's all quiet on the demonic front."

"Ok, if you say so." She relented, figuring Angel wouldn't have done half-assed research, nor would Giles and Willow. If they said all was quiet…it would be.

Finally shoving her apprehension for the day down, she took a swallow of her beer and smiled, the gesture finally reaching her eyes.

"Now that's more like it." He smiled back, taking her hand and leading her back to the crowd to celebrate.

…

An hour or so later, Spike slid into the room. His bright blue eyes shifted around as he absorbed the scene.

His gaze fell on Buffy surrounded by her friends, his poof of a grand-sire had his arm around her waist as she sat on his lap, they all talked and laughed at something Xander said. All he knew was a decent amount of alcohol must be involved if Angel was laughing with Xander.

However Spike wasn't really paying attention to the details, he was on a mission…and he couldn't complete that mission while Buffy was wearing Angel like a new belt.

He spied around the room, keeping to the walls, eyes constantly absorbing the scene.

"Ow." He yelped suddenly as Faith slapped his chest and grabbed his hand to drag him into the center of the room.

"Don't be shifty lover." She warned with a smirk, "Save it for tonight."

He halted her, pulling his hand back and causing the dark hair woman to fall backwards against his chest. "It is tonight Luv." He replied with a lustful smirk.

"Save it for later tonight, Billy." She quipped his Billy Idol look and sauntered away to join the group.

He grinned, hated the nickname, but followed his girl, completely forgetting any feelings but the ones concerning his dark slayer and what he was going to do with her later. His eyes followed every move her tight leather covered ass as she moved away.

…

After half-hour or so, Spike noticed Angel retreat to a table to nurse his beer as Buffy shared in some girl talk with Dawn, Faith, and Willow.

The blond vampire saw his opportunity and went for it.

He slid into the vacant chair beside Angel, the dark-haired living vampire free for the moment of little ones as the children rotated between the eager hands of family and friends.

"Didn't think you'd show up tonight." Angel commented, not needing to look to see who had sat beside him. Without being asked, he grabbed a beer from the cooler beside him and slid it over to the undead vampire.

Spike shrugged, "Little woman dragged me along." He replied coolly, accepting the beer with a nod of his head.

Despite Spike's cold tones, Angel could hear the underlying devotion for all things Faith in his voice.

Now that the younger vampire was no longer making a play for his wife, the two had become almost friends.

They still bickered a lot, but they also shared a long and complicated past. They both were demons with souls, they both loved slayers, they had unsavory memories of a dark past and hopes for a bright future with the ones they loved.

Although they still on a primary level hated one another.

The ensouled vampire popped the top off the beer and chugged a good portion of it for some courage.

"So…" Spike started, wanting to cut back to his mission and ask some pretty dicey questions, but mildly afraid Angel would stake him if he prier too deep.

"So, what?" the older man replied, mildly curious at why Spike was hesitating. He normally just jumped in feet first when it came to…everything.

"I was wonderin…not that I much care about your happiness or anything…but how do you know when it's 'right'?"

Angel turned and looked at the demon beside him for the first time so far that night. "When what is right?" He asked, confused.

Spike shrugged, "You know…between you and your squeeze. How do you know when to step things up a notch."

"I'm not sure that's any of your business…" Angel replied with narrowed eyes.

"You bloody idiot, I'm not talking about your wonder-mom over there, trust me when I say you've rubbed between those thighs enough to ruin that filly fantasy forever. I'm talkin about Faith…I want to…you know…do right by her. That lass's got me wrapped around her like a scarf…and I'm sad to say I'm not mindin it one bit. Willin to bet my unlife I go down on one knee in front of that spitfire and I'll be sailin threw a bloody window into the daylight though…" The blond admitted, staring longingly at the dark Slayer in question.

"Oh, right…" Angel swallowed his anger with a sip of beer, seeing Spike wasn't coveting what was his again. "Uhh…as for advise…I'm not sure I'm qualified to answer that."

"Oh come on Peaches, you've got a slayer for a bedmate, you dealt with the whole slayer/vamp relationship, you an Faith have some twisted dark past, fight for redemption thing goin on…you got to have somethin for me here! Anything…a crumb is all I'm askin for."

Angel took a deep breath and sighed it out, "Spike, just because I'm married to Buffy doesn't mean I hold the key to all slayer wants and needs. Slayers aren't some subspecies, they're just woman. The best answer I can give you, however lame it is…is talk to Faith about it. She's the one who can tell you what she wants from your relationship. Going behind her back will hurt her more than directly asking…and more than likely hurt you more in the long run."

Spike grimaced, mostly because he knew Angel was right...he hated admitting that, ever. "I can't stand this…I swore I loved Dru…and then I thought I loved Buffy…but with Faith…I can't even begin to comprehend what me brain is telling me about her. Everythin else…that was lust mate…pure obsessive lust…but now…I really do love her with everything I am."

"Then tell her that." Angel urged.

"How the hell am I supposed to do that? Xena over there can break me in half with a look." He sighed out in defeat.

"The Spike I know never backed down from a challenge before…" Angel teased, alcohol making him feel pretty good by now.

"Ain't no challenge here…this is me heart man. It might not beat like some, but it's there…it's real…and I don't even know if she likes me…or if I'm just some plaything for her to chain up and shag to insanity."

Angel shook his head at his over-dramatic friend. "Faith's not the type to stick around if she's not happy…the fact you two have been together for like 2 years should be enough evidence she's interested in something long term." He reasoned to the unreasonable demon.

"Ya think?" Spike asked, uncertain. In two years he found it funny how he never really talked to her, it was mostly just wise cracks and sex.

"Positive." Angel insisted.

Unbeknownst to the guys, across the room Buffy and Faith where having a near identical conversation.

"I don't know Buff, every time we go out, he brings me to a bar or a club…he's never suggested a real dinner…you know like someplace you wear nice clothes and don't dance on the table after." Faith sighed in irritation.

"Have you ever asked him to bring you someplace…better?" Buffy fished.

"What! No way! He finds out I'm thinking of slowing things down he'd vanish faster than my dad did...and I never even met him." The dark Slayer replied defensively.

Buffy inhaled deeply, "If you don't want to talk to Spike, why talk to me?" It was no secret they weren't considered BFFs. The mutual wanting to kill the other was long gone, but they still had their differences.

"He got a soul for you…there is some deep history between you two that I can't even touch." She replied, hiding her worries that she was a cheap replacement slayer.

"Listen Faith, I spent a little time with unsouled Spike, a lot with chipped Spike, then some with crazy Spike…this Spike…of the here and now…I know nothing about. That's your Spike." The blond slayer emphasized.

"My Spike?" Faith questioned, secretly loving the sound of that.

"Oh yeah. He looks at you is a way he never looked at me or anyone…and note this is not me being jealous…I have a sexy vampire of my own." She sent a little wave to Angel sitting across the room with…Spike?

"How does he look at me?" Faith asked, doing her best to not see Spike looking over at her.

Buffy took another deep breath, "When Spike was obsessed with me…that's what it was. Creepy obsessed love. With you…that's love. Not lust, not obsession…pure real love. I know for a fact if you drop the 'tough chick' act, show him the real Faith; whoever she is…He'll only love you more."

The dark slayer scowled, "Tough chick act"? She repeated, a little angry.

"You're not a cold bitch Faith, but you do tend to try and portray one. Spike might respond to that with his hard dark shell, but there is a soft center inside, I assure you. I really thought after spending two years with the guy you'd know that by now."

Faith sat back and thought, pissed and angry both at Buffy for pointing it out, and at herself for knowing the blond was right.

"We never really talked about it...or anything really…" Faith said quietly, thinking over her past two years of doing little else with Spike than sex and partying.

"Sex doesn't define a relationship, Faith…you need a heck of a lot more than that…I mean yeah it's an important piece of the pie chart…but not the only piece." Buffy explained.

"I did walk in on him doing something I never expected I'd find him doing…" Faith offered.

"Doesn't sound like something I want to know." Buffy urged before horrible details arose.

"Not that…well maybe a few times, but we all do that…but what I meant was…he was writing poetry! What kind of hard ass vamp writes poems?"

"I said soft center." Buffy pointed out.

"He didn't know I read em…but I hate to admit I like em. They might have even been about me…which is both terrifying and equally…I don't know…cute?" She asked, unsure.

"Just talk to him Faith. No bar, no club, no sex…just talk with the defense walls down. I bet you'll like what you find." The married slayer promised.

The dark slayer nodded slowly, "But…what if he doesn't want the 'real' me? We've been shagging each other forever…this is…I don't…what if we fight?"

"Fighting is ok, Angel and I fight…there is no such thing as 'perfect' in a relationship. But when there is love as a base…nothing else matters. Fight with Spike, find out what you both want…no one else can tell you."

"And if it ends?" Faith asked almost afraid of the answer.

"If it's real…it won't" Buffy simply offered.

…

"What were you talking to Spike about…I wasn't aware you two were actually civil." Buffy asked her husband after Faith and Spike left to sort out their relationship.

Angel shook his head, "Hey as long as he isn't trying to steal my wife or annoy the hell back into me, he's ok. Believe it or not, he was asking for romantic advice."

"You too?" Buffy asked, laughing at the idea of Faith and Spike asking them for advice in…anything…at all…ever.

"Faith asked you for advice?" Angel questioned with a laugh of his own.

"What, you don't think I can give good guidance? I was a guidance councilor you know…at Hellmouth High…which I admittedly destroyed again…along with all of Sunnydale…" She deflated a bit at that.

"I meant more on the perspective of Faith asking for it. She's very…'want, take, have'…not so much 'want, think, plan, have'." He clarified, wrapping an arm around his wife's waist and drawing her closer.

"Yeah…there's that." She agreed.

"You know what is really funny?" He asked.

"What?" She questioned.

"We're actually spending time talking about Spike and Faith when Dawn has agreed to take the kids for the night." Angel revealed with a promise of lust in his grin.

"Really?" Buffy asked excitedly.

"After presents and cake, it's just us for the night." He repeated, equally liking the idea of a little adult time with his love on her birthday.

She smiled and grabbed his hand, "Let's go cut the cake then." She insisted as she dragged him towards the present loaded table.

…

Cake was served and presents were opened, all the while Buffy silently feared the apocalypse would jump out of the next gift.

When all the presents were open and the cake was eaten, she let her fears evaporate and finally relaxed for an evening of fun with family and friends.

…

Later that night:

"Happy Birthday beloved." He whispered to her as she lightly dozed against his chest.

"It's after midnight…so it's not really my birthday anymore." She countered while half asleep.

The party had ended hours ago, and the couple had since retreated to their home, their bedroom to be specific.

There was just something magical about an empty house that made loving one another that much better.

Maybe it was not worrying the kids would hear the noises and they'd be scarred for life.

"You have to admit, your birthday record is defiantly improving." He insisted.

She sighed, "Well there it goes, you just doomed the Hellmouth to open up and eat you on my birthday next year." She muttered into her husband's warm skin, loving being atop him while his arms held her close.

"Will not." He promised.

"Better not." She countered, "I have far too much stock invested in you to start dating again."

He snorted, "Well I guess I can sleep soundly with the idea I've ruined you for all other men." He teased back.

"Better believe it." She yawned against him.

He was just drifting off when she spoke again, drawing him back to the land of wakefulness.

"Angel?"

"Huh?"

"Are you ruined for all other woman?" She asked.

He smiled sleepily, "I am." He assured, kissing her temple.

"Good." She sighed, letting her mind ease as sleep reached for her again.

He held her a little tighter as they drifted off to sleep.

...

AN: I did sort of mean to post this on Buffy's actually birthday of Jan 19...O well a day late...so sue me.