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~Part 18~
"It's nice to see someone's feeling better." Spike was sitting at the kitchen table, flipping through the newspaper.
"Well it's certainly nice to feel better, and just in time to go to work tomorrow too. Ooh comics." She pulled the funnies out from under a pile advertisements, scattering the ads around onto the floor.
"Let's try to keep this place in some sort of order, I just had Dawn pick up the same things. Do you actually read anything besides those and the horoscopes?"
"I try not too, occasionally the movie times, if I'm desperate."
"Very funny Slayer. There's some pancakes still in the fridge if you're interested, although it appears to be a little too far past breakfast for that."
"Ha ha right back. I haven't slept for 2 days, I'm allowed a late morning every now and then."
"I know, I'm sorry. Do you want me to make you anything? I don't think we have much in the house, I never made it to the grocery store, sorry."
"No, that's ok, I'm fine."
"I had some other errands to run first." He reached into his duster, which was hanging over the back of his chair. "Now, before you say anything, just hear me out first." He placed a small velvet box on the table.
"That better not be what I think it is Spike."
"Look, I know you feel ridiculous wearing that stupid skull on your finger, it's not you at all, and I wanted to do this. You deserve to have something nice. Please just open it."
She popped the lid open and stared at the white gold band with a small diamond centered in the middle. "Spike, I can't keep accepting these gifts." She closed the lid again, pushing along the surface of the table back towards him. "It's beautiful, it really is, but it must have cost a fortune."
She remembered those words well, the same ones she'd said about the dress he'd bought her, and that confused feeling she got when he brought over the Playstation after he had over heard Dawn desperately asking her for one. He had the new clothes for both the interview and around the house, and had told her he would get the money to take care of the mortgage's late fees. There was no way he had Willy paying him enough to cover any of this. "Spike, where are you getting the money for these things, all the little and not so little gifts you keep popping up with."
She didn't want to accuse him of stealing, because if she was right, she didn't think she could live with the news.
"I came into a little cash is all Slayer, not that big of a deal." He stood abruptly from the table, leaving the ring case where it was amongst the few remaining circulars. "Do you think Dawn's hungry, I don't think she's eaten yet either?"
"Spike, tell me where you got the money for these things. No secrets. I still don't like how that discussion with the envelopes went. We have to be honest with each other about things."
He mumbled something under his breath, and with his back to her, she had no idea what he was saying. "What was that?"
"I sold my car."
"Oh Spike you didn't! Why would you do something like that?"
"You're my family now Buffy, you and Dawn, and I don't know. I saw you all worried about the bills, and getting grocery money, and I thought I could help, hold up my own end of the bargain. I wanted you to have the dress, and this ring. I wanted Dawn to have the game system. Your happiness comes first is all, I thought you would have figured that out by now."
"But you loved that car."
"You forget I love you too. You don't have to wear the ring if you don't want; I'll take it back. I know it was kind of stupid."
"It wasn't stupid at all." He sees she has tears in her eyes, but she doesn't seem to realize. "It might be the nicest thing that anyone's done for me."
He walks over to the table, picking up the case, and opening it for her again. "So will you wear it?" He holds it out, in the palm of his hand and as she nods, he moves to remove her old ring and replace it with the new one.
He hears the back door opening behind him before she sees it and then they both notice someone coming in.
Anya breezes only a few paces ahead of Xander. "We decided to cut the honeymoon short, and oh!"
The suitcases Xander was carrying slip from his hands with hollow thuds on the linoleum. "What the hell is going on here?"
~Part 18~
"It's nice to see someone's feeling better." Spike was sitting at the kitchen table, flipping through the newspaper.
"Well it's certainly nice to feel better, and just in time to go to work tomorrow too. Ooh comics." She pulled the funnies out from under a pile advertisements, scattering the ads around onto the floor.
"Let's try to keep this place in some sort of order, I just had Dawn pick up the same things. Do you actually read anything besides those and the horoscopes?"
"I try not too, occasionally the movie times, if I'm desperate."
"Very funny Slayer. There's some pancakes still in the fridge if you're interested, although it appears to be a little too far past breakfast for that."
"Ha ha right back. I haven't slept for 2 days, I'm allowed a late morning every now and then."
"I know, I'm sorry. Do you want me to make you anything? I don't think we have much in the house, I never made it to the grocery store, sorry."
"No, that's ok, I'm fine."
"I had some other errands to run first." He reached into his duster, which was hanging over the back of his chair. "Now, before you say anything, just hear me out first." He placed a small velvet box on the table.
"That better not be what I think it is Spike."
"Look, I know you feel ridiculous wearing that stupid skull on your finger, it's not you at all, and I wanted to do this. You deserve to have something nice. Please just open it."
She popped the lid open and stared at the white gold band with a small diamond centered in the middle. "Spike, I can't keep accepting these gifts." She closed the lid again, pushing along the surface of the table back towards him. "It's beautiful, it really is, but it must have cost a fortune."
She remembered those words well, the same ones she'd said about the dress he'd bought her, and that confused feeling she got when he brought over the Playstation after he had over heard Dawn desperately asking her for one. He had the new clothes for both the interview and around the house, and had told her he would get the money to take care of the mortgage's late fees. There was no way he had Willy paying him enough to cover any of this. "Spike, where are you getting the money for these things, all the little and not so little gifts you keep popping up with."
She didn't want to accuse him of stealing, because if she was right, she didn't think she could live with the news.
"I came into a little cash is all Slayer, not that big of a deal." He stood abruptly from the table, leaving the ring case where it was amongst the few remaining circulars. "Do you think Dawn's hungry, I don't think she's eaten yet either?"
"Spike, tell me where you got the money for these things. No secrets. I still don't like how that discussion with the envelopes went. We have to be honest with each other about things."
He mumbled something under his breath, and with his back to her, she had no idea what he was saying. "What was that?"
"I sold my car."
"Oh Spike you didn't! Why would you do something like that?"
"You're my family now Buffy, you and Dawn, and I don't know. I saw you all worried about the bills, and getting grocery money, and I thought I could help, hold up my own end of the bargain. I wanted you to have the dress, and this ring. I wanted Dawn to have the game system. Your happiness comes first is all, I thought you would have figured that out by now."
"But you loved that car."
"You forget I love you too. You don't have to wear the ring if you don't want; I'll take it back. I know it was kind of stupid."
"It wasn't stupid at all." He sees she has tears in her eyes, but she doesn't seem to realize. "It might be the nicest thing that anyone's done for me."
He walks over to the table, picking up the case, and opening it for her again. "So will you wear it?" He holds it out, in the palm of his hand and as she nods, he moves to remove her old ring and replace it with the new one.
He hears the back door opening behind him before she sees it and then they both notice someone coming in.
Anya breezes only a few paces ahead of Xander. "We decided to cut the honeymoon short, and oh!"
The suitcases Xander was carrying slip from his hands with hollow thuds on the linoleum. "What the hell is going on here?"