Coming Through

Chapter Fifty – Entertainment

"You don't want to stay at the house? What 'bout your mum? Your memories of her are all tied up there, aren't they?"

"Yeah, some of them are, but it's not like we're gonna tear it down or anything. And even if we did, it's just a house." Buffy snaked one arm loose from the towel and tapped her head. "I still have her here." She laid her hand over her heart. "And here. So it doesn't matter where I am, she's still with me and she'd want me to go on living and be happy, not keep myself tied to the past."

Spike tucked her arm back inside the towel and grabbed another one, draping it over her head. "If you're sure, pet. I'll live wherever you are. 'M not picky."

Buffy smiled at him as he quickly dried himself off then wrapped the towel around his waist, taking a smaller one to dry his hair. "I know that, Crypt Boy, and I'm sure. Besides, you should be living in your big old mansion, Mr. Master of the Hellmouth, not in a damp and drafty basement." She winked at him as he scrubbed his curls, making them stand up wildly all over his head. "And then you can be my sugar daddy 'cause you're all with the barrels of cash." Spike's eyes widened and Buffy giggled. "Well, you are older than me… like way way way old…"

She squeaked as Spike suddenly wrapped her up in his arms, growling against her neck just above the collar, "Not in human years, pet. 'M only seven years older than you."

Buffy giggled, "So? You're totally ancient, Spike. I mean, you were born before there were even cars or electricity! Old, old, old."

He stepped back with a laugh and held his arms out, spinning in a slow circle. "But I look good for my age, don't I?"

Buffy nodded vigorously, the towel that Spike had draped over her head sliding to the floor. "Oh yeah. You're completely yummy… for an old dead man." She smirked at him as he stepped to the sink with a chuckle and opened the medicine cabinet, rummaging around until he came up with a bottle of gel. "Exactly how old are you, anyway?"

"I'll be a hundred and sixty this year. Twenty-eight years as a human and a hundred and thirty two as a vampire."

"When's your birthday?"

He turned and looked at her, his fingers buried in his gel covered curls. "What?"

Buffy smiled as she bent to retrieve the towel from the floor. "Your birthday. You know, the day you were born or hatched or whatever? They did have calendars back then, didn't they?"

Spike grinned and resumed applying gel to his hair. "Yeah, 'm not quite that old, luv. It's August 20, 1852."

Buffy wrapped one towel around her dripping hair then started drying herself off with the other one. "We'll have a party. Maybe at the Bronze." She bent to dry her legs and froze, looking up at Spike. "It's still there, right? The Bronze?"

Spike chuckled. "Yeah, still there. Not quite the same as you remember, though. It's owned by a demon now, cousin of Clem's. Remember how they'd remodeled the bloomin' onion right off the menu after Anya's little troll incident?" Buffy nodded with a small smile as she took the towel off her head and started scrubbing her hair with it. "Well, it's back." He smirked over his shoulder as he turned to face the sink. "Bein' Master does have its perks every now and again." He popped the gel back into the cabinet then turned to lean on the counter. "And thanks for wantin' to give me a party, but I'm not sure that's a good idea."

Buffy wrapped the towel tightly around her body and stepped up in front of the other sink, eyeing the tangled mess sitting atop her head. "Why not? Just because my birthday parties are always cursed doesn't mean yours will be. Do you have a brush or something?"

Spike opened the drawer under her sink and pulled out a black brush then handed it to her with a shrug. "Just never had a party for my birthday before."

Buffy's hand stilled, the bristles of the brush tangled in her wet hair. "What? You've never had a party? Ever? Why not?"

He shrugged again, pulling a toothbrush and toothpaste out of the cabinet. "Just wasn't done by people of our social standing when I was alive. Mum always made the day special by takin' me somewhere or havin' Cook make somethin' nice for dinner, but an all out party would've been considered crass and tacky. And most vampires don't give a toss 'bout their human birth. Some celebrate their death day, but not many."

Buffy dragged the brush through her hair then plopped it onto the counter with a definitive smack. "Well, you're having a party this year and that's final."

Spike smirked around the toothbrush in his mouth and mumbled, "Yes, ma'am," then vamped out and started scrubbing his fangs.

Buffy was watching herself in the mirror as she brushed her teeth with the brand new toothbrush Spike had pulled out of the cabinet when something struck her. She leaned down to spit out the foam then looked up at Spike. "Why are there mirrors in here? And a toilet and bidet?"

Spike shrugged, "Why wouldn't there be? 'S a loo, innit?"

Buffy rinsed off her toothbrush and stashed it inside the cabinet then swished out her mouth and stood up with a smirk. "Well, yeah… but you don't really need those things, being all with the vampiness, and since this is your 'big bad vampire lair' I'm just wondering why you have them."

Spike took a sudden interest in his bare toes as he muttered, "It's all for you."

"Me? But I wasn't even here when…"

"Knew you'd be back eventually, Slayer."

"Ok, I get that, but why would you think I'd move in here when I came back? I have a house."

Spike shrugged. "Figured once you found out 'bout me bein' Master, you'd dust me and tap Peaches to take over 'cause he's all soulful and I'm not. So I told Harris to fix up the suite so you'd be comfortable when you moved in here with the Poof."

Buffy stepped into his line of sight and reached out to lift his chin. "You really thought I'd dust you? God, Spike, I've never been able to dust you, even when you were all large with the trying to kill me. Yeah, I threatened you with it a lot, but I could've never done it. And me moving in with Angel? Um… no. Did I mention the whole not even liking him thing?"

Spike muttered, "Yeah, now, but back when you disappeared…"

Buffy shook her head. "No, not even then. I'd been over him for ages… well, maybe not ages, but long enough. We both knew we'd never work and we'd both moved on, or at least I had. Besides, he made a career out of leaving me for my own good." She stepped closer and cradled Spike's face in her hands. "And when you figured out that you loved me you never left me… never. My Dad left, Angel left, Riley left, even Giles left, but you stayed. You always stay. Even when I wasn't here you still stayed. It's what you do. And I think we already covered this, didn't we? When Giles came over?"

"Yeah."

Buffy leaned in and brushed her lips across his. "Yeah."

"So me not havin' a soul doesn't bother you?"

Buffy beamed a smile at him and said, "Nope," popping the 'p' at the end. She backed up a step and crossed her arms over her chest wearing a thoughtful look on her face. "What did Angel do for the first hundred years after he was cursed? Hmmm? He pouted and brooded and felt sorry for himself until Whistler showed up and pointed him at me. And thanks a freaking lot for that, Whistler. Remind me to punch him the next time I see him."

Spike chuckled as she took a deep breath and smiled. "Anyway, you got chipped what, thirteen years ago? And in that short amount of time you've helped save the world from a skanky Hellgod and made living on the Hellmouth the safest for humans it's probably ever been. You even helped save the world from Angel before you were chipped, so yeah… you don't need a soul, Spike. You're a better man without a soul than Angel is with one. And me thinking that is probably another check mark in the 'Slayer bad' column on the Council scoreboard, but I don't give a crap. And now I'm done talking about it." She stepped toward the door with an evil glint in her eye. "I'm so ready to get all 'Slayer bad' on Angel's souled up ass, so let's go."

Spike stood staring at her for a few seconds with a look of utter wonder on his face then he shook himself and stepped up behind her, chuckling as he covered her eyes again and guided her through the bedroom. Once the doors were closed she opened her eyes and gasped. Spike's duster was draped over the back of the couch. Spike's clean duster. She whirled and gaped at him. "They came in there while we were… naked?" The last word came out in an embarrassed squeak.

"Just Kt'lid."

"But… we were…"

"Starkers. Yeah."

"When? Did he see…"

"Us shaggin'? No. He came in right after we'd gotten into the shower, when I was huggin' you, and he didn't see anythin', pet, 'cept my shiny, white bum, not that he'd care anyway. His focus was on gatherin' up our clothes and takin' 'em to be cleaned, well, my duster anyway. Your kit was ruined, but…" He stepped around the couch and chuckled, "Little bugger knows my tastes, that's for sure," then reached down and picked up a tiny red tank top and a black leather miniskirt, holding them up for Buffy to see. She took one look and burst out laughing. Spike looked at the clothes he was holding then back over at the giggling Slayer. "What's so funny?"

"You're gonna look really cute in that outfit, Spike. Go ahead and put it on, I want to see."

Spike growled as he tossed the clothes at her. "Ha bloody ha, Slayer. They're for you, not me."

Buffy caught the clothes as she shook her head. "I'm not going to wear this. It's a Bronzing outfit, not a hang around the house and talk about the whatever's after me outfit. Plus, I can't pound on Angel in this." She tossed the clothes back onto the couch. "Is there anything else I can wear?"

Spike smirked and stepped toward the bedroom doors. "Wouldn't be the first time you've fought in togs like that, kitten, but I think I can find somethin' else."

XX

XXXX

XX

Dru breezed into Angel's room without knocking and held up her hands, brushing one index finger sharply over the other in a 'shame on you' gesture. "Sunshine is cross, she is. Mad with Daddy. Daddy was naughty and mean, hurt the Sunshine's bright boy, he did." Drusilla giggled gleefully and clapped her hands together, bouncing on her toes in front of Angel's chair. "Ooooh… Daddy's gonna get it…"

Angel frowned as he looked up from the half-empty glass of Glenfiddich he'd been staring at for the last hour, contemplating it like it held the answers to his current situation. "What, Dru? Hell, do you ever make any kind of sense? I have no idea how Spike put up with you for over a century without going crazy himself."

Thomas smirked at the back of Angel's head as he entered the room then wiped his face into a bland mask as he stepped into Angel's line of sight, lowering his eyes in respect. He stood silently next to Angel's chair, his hands clasped behind his back as he waited for permission to speak. Angel grunted, "Out with it, boy. You understand her babbling, what the hell is she talking about?"

"The Slayer is upset over something you did to Master Spike, Sire."

Angel's brow furrowed in confusion. "Spike? I've barely spoken to him since he was freed. What could I possibly have done to him that Buffy would be upset about?"

Thomas shook his head, "I don't know, Sire, but I'm guessing it wasn't something that happened recently."

Angel sighed and leaned his head back on the chair, closing his eyes as images of some of the more 'inventive' punishments Angelus had visited upon a fledgling William passed through his mind. "Well, if she wants to be pissed off about something Angelus did to William then she's got a lot of somethings to choose from. Just like that boy to start running his mouth. He never could shut up for more than five minutes."

Spike smirked from the doorway. "Oi, Peaches! I'll have you know I can keep my gob shut for almost ten minutes at a stretch nowadays."

Angel jumped to his feet and spun to face the door just in time to see a livid Buffy step through, the fists clenched at her sides not quite hidden inside the sleeves of one of Spike's button down shirts. He held up his hands and backed up a step. "Now, Buffy… I don't know what he's been telling you, but all that happened a long time ago and it wasn't me."

Buffy looked at Thomas then nodded at Dru. "Take her and get out."

Thomas glanced at Angel, asking for permission, and Angel nodded tersely. "Do as she says, boy."

Thomas scrambled over to Dru and latched onto her arm then started dragging her toward the door. Dru was pulling furiously against his grip as she whined, "But I want to watch Daddy get his comeuppance! Naughty boys need punishment!"

Thomas pulled harder even as he spoke to Dru in a soothing voice, much like the one Spike had cultivated over decades of handling the woman's many quirks of insanity. Spike nodded his approval at Thomas and got a quick smile in return as he pulled the door shut behind the still protesting vampire.

Angel opened his mouth to speak just as the door thumped shut and Buffy angrily held up her hand. "Save it, Angel. I've already heard all your excuses." She started sing-songing in a whiny high-pitched voice, "It was Angelus… I didn't have a soul… Spike's evil… we're vampires…" Her voice dropped to its normal register. "Blah, blah, blah."

She took a step forward and Angel tiredly hung his head. "Fine. Do whatever you feel you need to, Buffy, but it won't change what happened." He threw a glare at Spike then looked at Buffy. "I don't know why you're angry about any of it anyway. It happened decades ago, long before you were even born, and besides, Spike's over it." He looked at Spike. "Aren't you?"

Spike shrugged nonchalantly, not about to let Angel know that it still bothered him even after all this time. "Yeah. Have been for a while now, mate. Still doesn't mean I wouldn't accept an apology, which you've never seen fit to give, even after you had that buggerin' soul shoved up your arse. You apologized more to Red for killin' her bleedin' fish than you ever have to me for any of the shite you put me through."

Buffy glared at Angel. "And I'm angry about it because I love him, you dumbass." She tilted her head and ran her fingers over the collar then lightly touched Spike's mark. "You haven't seen this yet, have you? Well, take a good look. You know what it means and you also know I wouldn't have accepted it if I didn't love him."

Angel eyes went wide as they glued themselves to Buffy's neck and he almost shrieked, "He Claimed you? You let Spike Claim you?"

Buffy smirked at Angel's thunderstruck expression. "Yes, I did, and we're gonna be mated soon." She cut her eyes to Spike and smiled. "Very soon."

More sputtering, "But it's Spike! He's…"

Buffy held up her hand again, cutting him off. "The man I love. Deal. It's none of your business and I'm not discussing it with you anymore. Besides, still mad here." Angel's eyes narrowed as Buffy took a menacing step forward. "Just because something happened before I was born doesn't mean I can't be mad about it if it happened to the man I love. And not everything happened before I was born, Angel. I guess Giles and Jenny weren't the only ones you hurt during that whole trying to suck the world into hell thing, were they? Did it make you feel all big and manly to rape Spike while he was in that wheelchair?"

Angel's face twisted into a very Angelus-like sneer as he ignored Buffy and focused on Spike. "So you're just gonna let a little girl fight your battles, boyo? Not enough of a demon to take me on yourself? Always knew you were weak, William."

Spike shrugged again, totally unfazed by Angel's taunts. "Strong enough to Claim a Slayer, now wasn't I? And if she wants to pound on you a bit, who am I to tell her no? 'Sides, it's quite refreshin' to have someone put me first for a change, be angry on my behalf." He threw his most insolent smirk at the elder vampire, a smirk that in the good old days would've been guaranteed to push every one of Angelus's buttons and result in an extra long 'punishment' session. "You know, 'Gelus, watchin' her kick your arse was highly entertainin' the last time it happened; don't know why it wouldn't be this time." He winked at Buffy. "Well, pet… here we are now… entertain us."

Buffy grinned and rolled up the sleeves of Spike's shirt, giving Angel a good look at the cuffs around her wrists, then tied the tails into a knot that sat just above her belly button. "Entertainment I can do. I'm all Entertainment Buffy." She nodded toward the chair that Angel had been sitting in as she reached out and plucked the forgotten glass of Glenfiddich from his hand then gave it to Spike. "Have a seat and get comfortable, Blondie. This could take a while."