Earth, Christmas morning, Eleven A.M.

            "Hey!  What happened to the presents?" 

            Spike tumbled off the sofa at Anya's shout.  "Bloody hell, woman!  You better watch what you're doing!  Always sneaking up on me!" 

            Xander stepped defensively in front of Anya.  "Watch it."  He gave the vampire a warning look.  Then, his face transformed, "Merry Christmas!"

            Spike's shoulders released their tension.  As he pushed himself to his feet, he returned the greeting with a nod, "Merry Christmas."

            Her hair slightly mussed from sleep, Anya crossed her arms and frowned.  "Now where are the presents?  Christmas is a capitalist holiday, designed to make money, and I want to do my part by receiving the products of this economy."

            "What's all that white stuff on your shirt?" Xander wondered, pointing at Spike's wrinkled sleeves and choosing to ignore Anya's comment.  "Hey!  It smells damn good in here!"  He rubbed his growling stomach.  "Makes me hungry."

            "The stuff on Spike's shirt is flour."  Buffy appeared in the doorway, yawning and rubbing her eyes.  "Spike and I. . ."

            "And me!"  Dawn chirped from behind her sister.

            "And Dawn," Buffy corrected herself.  "We cooked last night.  We wanted you guys to wake up with the house smelling wonderful."

Even though Buffy was wearing no makeup and a baggy, one-size-fits-all nightshirt, Spike thought she was the most exquisite creature he'd ever laid eyes upon.  Stray locks of hair were misplaced and stuck out from her scalp, but she didn't seem to notice.  Her contented indifference to her appearance added to her charm. 

Buffy caught Spike staring at her, and she couldn't recall his eyes being bluer.  Perhaps the indirect morning sunlight leant him a softer presence.  She blushed and turned from him.  Maybe if she didn't see him, he couldn't view her.  She chided herself for being so irrational. 

"Well, you succeeded," Willow declared as she climbed down the stairs, red hair pulled into a neat ponytail.  "The house is warm and smells like the holidays!"

Anya coughed to get their attention.  "Presents?" 

Buffy grinned at Anya's impatience.  "They're hidden somewhere in the house."

"Hidden?  Why?"  Xander was starting to sound annoyed, too. 

"It was a tradition in Sp. . ." Buffy switched tracks at Spike's panicked, vulnerable expression, "someone's childhood."

"Who?"  Dawn was decidedly curious. 

"Umm.  A friend.  And I know none of us had much money. . .much less time for shopping this season. . ."

Spike stepped forward, offering, "But the Powers gave me presents to give to each of you.  So search away."

"So, when you find your gift, bring it back in here to open!" Buffy added, amused that her friends were already taking off as if the gift hunt was a race.

A few seconds later, only she and Spike remained in the living room.  Spike leaned against a nearby bookshelf, his hands playing with a twist tie, no doubt from one of the bags of food.  Despite the gaiety of the group, he seemed a bit forlorn.

Buffy ambled his direction, her body still half-asleep and placed a hand on his arm.  "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"Spike," she persisted.  "You have to tell me.  We only have one more day that's evil free.  Talk to me now."

"Tell you what?"  He faced her then, raw emotion etched onto his features like a detailed woodcarving. 

Buffy was beginning to dislike the dual messages they constantly sent one another.  "What's wrong?"

Spike chose the easiest truth.  He would always tell Buffy the truth, but he might leave a part out here and there.  Did that make him any different than soulless Spike?  "I don't have you a present.  The Powers only sent you the flower.  I have nothing for you now."

She softened immediately.  "Spike."  She made certain he was paying close attention by keeping his gaze locked on hers.  "You have given me more than I could have ever asked for."

"What do you mean?"  He desperately wanted. . . needed to hear what she had to say. 

"You gave me something I've always wanted. . . something I never thought I'd have.  You gave me a normal life," she stated evenly. 

"I don't understand."

Buffy took his left hand and held his fingers to her heart.  "For two solid days, I haven't had to worry about fighting anything, dealing with the daily evil.  I haven't had to worry about the imminent apocalypse.  I am able to be *me* for two days. . . without the burden of being the slayer.  *That* is the single greatest gift anyone could ever give me.  And I'll probably never get it again."

Reminding her of how she pictured William, Spike replied almost shyly, "Really?  Better than the flower?"

Her heart leaping beneath his fingers, Buffy nodded emphatically.  "Yes.  Better than any flower, heavenly dimension or no."

Buffy knew in that moment that no matter how much he wanted her. . . would always want her, she would have to make the first move after what had happened between them in the past.  Not letting go of his left hand, she brought the fingers of her right hand to his lips, touching them tentatively and smoothing over the coolness.  He allowed her touch but didn't move, his eyes swirling with desire for her. 

She turned her attention to his eyes.  He closed them obediently when she brought her fingers to his eyelids.  While she traced over the delicate skin, his eyes remained still, patient.  When her fingers left his eyes, he slowly reopened them to watch her, sensing how much her heart was accelerating the longer she remained close to him.  Her expression was serious as she explored the hollows of his cheekbones, the lines on his forehead, and the arch of his eyebrows. 

Then, a single finger found a path down his nose to the valley above his lips.  When her eyes sought his, he began trembling.  She had never so been purposefully loving toward him.  Her eyes slipped shut as she brought her lips to his in a chaste, undemanding fashion.  The gesture was over almost as soon as it began, but Buffy didn't pull away.  Instead, she embraced him tightly, subtly rubbing smooth circles on his shoulder blades until his shaking ceased and his arms slipped around her waist. 

Without warning, she broke away from his arms.  Startled, Spike carefully hid his disappointment and braced himself for her wrath.

Apparently, he wasn't fast enough because Buffy caught his fear and recaptured his hand.  "I just remembered something.  I don't have you a present."

Relief was evident in Spike's expression.  "I don't. . ."

Buffy's eyes lit suddenly.  "I know!  Wait here."

Like he would go anywhere when she looked at him like she actually cared.  "No problem."

He sank onto the nearby sofa where he'd slept while Buffy scampered up the stairs.  He wasn't sure whether to believe that what just happened was real.  Dawn brushed by Buffy on the stairs and ran into the living room, plopping down next to Spike with a small package.

She held the present up.  "Found mine."

Spike chuckled.  "I see you did."

"Now where is everyone?  I'd have thought Anya'd be down here first," Dawn pouted. 

"I'm here!" Anya skipped down the stairs.  She glared at Dawn as she sat on the floor with her gift.  "No bragging that you got here first.  I don't live here.  I don't know all the good hiding places."

Dawn grinned at her.  "No bragging here."

Xander emerged from the kitchen.  "For some reason, I found mine in the broom closet."  He gave Spike a pointed look. 

Spike smirked and shrugged.  "Yeah, well."

Willow and Buffy returned to the living room together.  Buffy bore a bright red and green bag with tissue paper poking out the top and her flower that was still glistening with life.  She handed the bag to Spike before sitting in the chair across from him. 

"Now the Powers picked all your presents," Spike announced. 

"This ought to be interesting," Xander commented, glancing at his gift. 

Spike continued, "With a little help from me."

"Very interesting," Anya noted.

The room was soon filled with the sounds of ribbons being undone and paper being torn.  Buffy delighted in observing but especially kept her eye on Spike.

Dawn squealed and threw her arms around the vampire.  "Oh, Spike.  It's beautiful." 

"What is it?"  Buffy squinted at the long silver chain her sister held. 

Dawn pushed off the sofa and flew at Buffy, bearing her prize.  "It's a locket."  She held forth a tiny, silver heart-shaped locket.  "And the best part is. . ."

"What?"  Buffy inspected the contents of the locket.  Resting perfectly on either side of the small silver container was a picture of she and her mother.  "Oh, Dawnie, that's beautiful."

"I know!"  Dawn pulled her hair up and handed Buffy the chain.  "Help me put it on."

As Buffy attached the necklace, she caught Anya's befuddled expression.  "Anya, what did you get?"

"A book about me."  She seemed confused.

"What do you mean?"  Willow asked. 

"Ohhh."  Xander studied Anya's present, using his hands to explain.  "It's one of those books that you fill out about yourself.  There're lots of questions inside."

Anya opened the leather bound book to inspect the contents.  "Hey!  There's questions about my life before I became a vengeance demon. . . and about my life *as* a vengeance demon. . ."

"The Powers thought it might help you figure out how you got where you are now," Spike explained.

As she clutched the book to her chest, Anya's eyes welled with tears.  "This is wonderful.  Thank you."

"I got a coupon book," Xander pointed out.  "It's filled with coupons that say, 'Good for one batch of laundry,' 'Good for cooking one meal,' 'Good for. . . .'  Hey! Isn't this what husbands usually give their wives?"

The women laughed. 

Spike was embarrassed.  "Figured since I lived with you for a while, I should return the hospitality."

Xander was quite pleased.  "Don't worry, I'll be taking you up on it!"

"Will, what'd you get?" Buffy queried. 

Willow held up her present for inspection.  "A crystal, but it's unlike any crystal I've ever seen.  The structure is simply. . ."

"Not of this world?" Spike filled in the blanks for the redhead.  "It's a special focusing crystal created especially for you.  You use it during meditation.  One of the Powers especially wanted you to have it to help you learn to control and focus your magic."

"Wow."  Willow was awestruck.  "It's amazing.  Thank you very much."

A buzzer in the kitchen hummed through the air. 

"Oooo!  The turkey!"  Xander stood.  "I'll get it!  You ladies want to help me since Buffy and Spike did most of the work?" 

"Sure," Willow said brightly.  She helped Dawn up. 

When Spike and Buffy were alone again, she noticed him examining the book in his lap. 

Spike read the inscription, "Always."  However, he didn't recognize the handwriting.  She was giving him used books?  A mixture of puzzlement and pain painted his face. 

Buffy brushed his cheek with the back of her hand.  "There's a meaning behind it.  I promise." 

Spike wanted to believe her.

Then, a crash resounded from the direction of the kitchen followed by some cursing. 

Buffy groaned.  "I'll explain after lunch."  She bent and kissed his cheek softly.  She paused a moment as if deciding to add her next words, "Trust me?"

The words were significant, alluding to a time in the past that he did not want to relive.  He plunged in anyway, "Yeah, I do."

TBC. . . Christmas dinner. . . :o)

I hope you enjoyed their Christmas presents!  And more fluff will be coming soon!!!  Thanks bunches for the wonderful reviews!  I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. . .it's one of the main reasons I write! :o)

Take care,

Sandy

Eternal Devotion: http://www.secretloft.com/ed/