Earth, evening on Christmas Eve

            The doorbell rang, and worriedly, Buffy rose from the dining table where the rest of the gang was seated and hurried to the front door.  Despite Buffy's warning to stay put, Dawn was hot on her sister's heels.  Xander hefted a large ax, and he, Anya, and Willow followed closely behind. 

            Buffy flung open the door to view the missing vampire, standing in the radiance of the porch light.  Relief flooded over her.  "Spike!  Where the hell have you been?"  She peered around him at the objects in his vicinity.  "And where did you get all that. . . stuff?"

            Spike appeared uncertain, especially under the curious gaze of Buffy's sister and friends.  "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

            Buffy lowered her tone and reached to touch Spike's forearm.  "Tell me anyway."  After what had been happening recently with the First Evil, she found herself full of fresh new patience in regard to Spike. 

            "The Powers.  I was with them."

            Dawn slipped around Buffy and peered into the bags at Spike's feet.  "The Powers gave you groceries?"  The bags rustled.  "And presents?"  She caught something out of the corner of her eye.  A smile spread over her face.  "And a Christmas tree?"

            Spike watched Dawn's excitement as if drinking in her reaction.  "Well, I had to. . . ask for that part."  Spike found Buffy's eyes with his own.  "Actually, all they offered was an evil free holiday."

            Buffy's eyes widened.  She tugged on his arm, and he allowed her to drag him through the doorway.  "You better get in here.  We need to discuss this."

            "What about the perishable food items?  Some of this stuff needs refrigeration," Dawn pointed out to her sister. 

            Willow joined Dawn on the porch, hefting a bag of food.  "I'll help you, Dawnie."

            Dawn smiled gratefully at the redhead.  None of them liked to be alone lately. 

            Once settled in the living room, Xander, Anya, and Buffy began grilling Spike.  He seemed somehow less vulnerable than he had been.

            "So, how do you know what you saw and heard wasn't the First Evil again?" Buffy asked what the rest of them had all been wondering.  She'd intentionally seated herself nearer to him as if to protect him from Xander and Anya's tendency to grill too harshly.

            "They weren't evil.  I can sense that kind of thing.  I'm a vampire, remember?"  Memories of being chained in a bathtub at Giles's house flooded his mind.  The living room without chains was much better. 

            "Like you've been great with the sensing lately," Xander commented wryly, propping the ax against his chair.  "Remember the being confused by the First Evil in the school basement and elsewhere thing?"

            "And the killing the innocent girls thing?" Anya added, swaying back and forth on her heels with her hands in the back pockets of her jeans.

            Spike shrank into himself.  "Yeah.  I remember." 

            "So, I guess we can safely conclude that your sensors are a bit off," Xander stated bluntly, crossing his arms. 

            "Xander," Buffy said with a tinge of warning.  "Please.  Let's keep this civil.  We can't afford any separations among us right now."

            "All right."  Xander held up his hands.  "So, let's see.  Dawn was fooled by what appeared to be a heavenly being. . . Joyce.  And Willow was fooled by the appearance of Cassie."

            "Almost.  Almost fooled.  The whole Tara asking me to commit suicide thing was what gave it away," Willow protested as she and Dawn entered the living room.      

            "Yeah.  Almost fooled."  Xander sent Willow a gentle smile.  "So what makes you say you weren't fooled, too?"

            Spike saw doubt on all their faces.  They had good reason to doubt.  He sighed before standing.  He strode to the front door, opened it, and snagged one of the remaining bags from the porch. 

            Once he resumed his position near Buffy, he faced her evenly as if they were the only two in the room.  Pulling something out of the bag, he placed the small package reverently in Buffy's hands. 

            Buffy studied the brightly wrapped gift with wide eyes.  "What's this?"

            "The Powers said to give this to you in case you didn't believe me," he explained.  "I was going to save it for tomorrow, but. . ."

            "Really?  What is it?" 

            "Open it and see," Spike whispered softly. 

            "Be careful, Buffy," Anya warned.  "Evil can be very deceiving."

            Buffy read something in Spike's eyes.  "I think it'll be okay."

            Even though her heart was beating rapidly, Buffy's hands were steady as she neatly tore the paper off the small box.  Paper and ribbon fluttered to the floor, and she didn't hesitate to open the lid.  What she saw made her throat tighten and forced a small gasp out of the back of her throat. 

            Xander, Anya, Willow, and Dawn jumped to hyper-alertness at Buffy's reaction.  Dawn was by her side in an instant, peering half-curiously, half-nervously into the box.  The rest of gang spoke at the same time.

            "Is it a bunny?" Anya speculated, fear in her eyes.

            Willow's thoughts were of her friend's feelings, "Buffy, are you okay?"

            And Xander clutched the ax in his hands.  "Let me have a crack at it!"

            Tears welled in Buffy's eyes.  She stared at Spike with awe on her face.  "H-how?"

            Spike resisted the urge to take her hands as he had upon her return from heaven.  He hadn't meant to make her cry.  "The Powers said that it might be the only way to convince you that their offer wasn't from evil."

            "Oh, Buffy, it's beautiful."  Dawn shot Spike the type of look he hadn't seen from the teenager since he returned from Africa. . . since he took care of her after Buffy's death.

            Now that the other three friends were less alarmed, they were nosy about the gift Spike had given Buffy.  She carefully removed the present from the box, and Dawn pulled the box off her sister's lap. 

            A delicate, shimmering flower rested in Buffy's palms.  Deep blues, reds, and purples stained the bloom, and the stem and leaves were dark green and damp with life.  The flower pulsed with life despite the lack of soil around the tiny bare roots at the base of the stem.  As Buffy turned the flower in the illumination of the lamps lighting the living room, iridescent, silvery sparkles flew from the petals and hung suspended in the air, releasing a refined but intoxicating scent. 

            "What is it?"  Willow's eyes were wide with wonder.   

            "Something not of earth," Buffy spoke evenly in contrast to the strong emotions emanating from her features.  "No evil could have access to something like this."

            "A flower found only in heaven," Spike murmured.  "Where you were."

            "Wow."  Xander was truly amazed. 

            Dawn held out cupped palms, and Buffy gently placed the flower in her hands.  Willow squeezed next to Dawn on the couch, touching the delicate petals with reverence.  Buffy stood next to Spike so that Anya could perch on the other side of Dawn.

            "How does it survive without soil?" Willow asked, unsure if anyone could answer.

            Anya cleared her throat, "It's of heaven.  It needs no earthly soil once it's been in heaven's soil."    

            "Will it survive here on earth?" Buffy asked, looking up at Spike.

            "They said that it would live as long as no evil was present.  So, I guess that means it will die after Christmas is over."  Spike shrugged, acting indifferent but secretly feeling pleased that he was at last believed.

            "When the evil comes back?"  Dawn sounded regretful. 

            "Yeah, Bit, when the evil comes back."

            "I suggest we make the most of this time!" Buffy asserted, making an executive decision and crossing her arms as if to challenge anyone who disagreed.  "How much time do we have?"  She paused, calculating in her head.  "I guess we have about a day and a half to make merry!"

            "I don't know, Buffy," Xander said doubtfully.  "I don't want to fall into another trap."

            Willow and Anya shared Xander's concerns but remained silent.  They weren't sure quite what to do with the situation. 

            Buffy was certain.  "The flower Spike just shared could only have come from heaven, and even if somehow this has an evil element, which I highly doubt, we should enjoy what we've been given. . . make the most of the moment."

            "Carpe diem!" Willow provided with a trace of her past zeal.

            "Yes!"  Buffy grinned at her best friend.  "But I want us to all be on board here.  I don't want anyone feeling upset inside and not saying anything.  Is everyone in agreement that we will make the most of this?" 

            Buffy's statement was contradictory to her usual reaction to things, and her friends were surprised.  Slowly each one of them nodded in concurrence with Buffy's position. 

            A giggle of excitement burst out of Dawn.  After passing the flower to Willow, she hopped up from her seat and grabbed Spike's hand, pulling him to the door.  "Tree time!"  Spike faltered indecisively, but Dawn was insistent.  "You have to help me bring it in."

            Buffy watched her sister's happiness and beamed at Spike.  "Thank you," she mouthed to the bewildered vampire as he was dragged to the front door.

TBC. . . Okay, more fluffiness to come!  Cooking, decorating, present opening, Spuffy love!  Thanks bunches for the sweet reviews!  *hugs* 

Sandy  :o)

http://www.toomanycolors.net/sensibility