Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Razor
Tiny shampoo + conditioner bottles
Bar of boxed soap
Nail file
Red, Green, and Orange ribbon
And
A black comb (with some teeth missing)
Spike couldn't help but follow her, he was so curious to what she was going to do next. The girl was a riot to live with, always laughing, upbeat 24/7 but not in the annoying way. She made you feel important and you just had to join in her activities no matter how foul they were every other time you had did the chore. Two days ago she had coaxed all of the potentials into washing all the dishes. (She had done something no body wants to talk about to piss off Buffy and was assigned the horrible duty for the week, what a way to get out of it!)
Hoping up on the uselessly wide railings of the Summer's residences white porch, Charlie laid the bowl in front of her. Spike found himself leaning across from her on the column. Yet again not really acknowledging or caring that he was there, Charlie opened her bag and began brushing her teeth, spitting the liquid out of her mouth and on to the grass. Rising off the toothbrush in the bowl Charlie looked up to Spike's staring face.
"What?" She asked innocently as if nothing about grooming yourself outside was uncommon.
"Why are you doing all this out here?"
"Well there is a line for every bathroom in that damn house. And I'd rather not have to clean out hair from the shower again. Emphasis on the again." Spike smiled at the brutal truth, he hadn't had a hot shower in days. He kept watching as Charlie opened the soap box and plopped it in the bowl of water. Rolling up her black sweatpants that she had cut the bottoms off of to make herself knee length shorts, Charlie pulled the razor from her bag.
"So you've done this before?" Spike stated at first looking for just a smile and a shake of her head.
"Yea, my family of course had running water at some of the places we moved to, but still there was a lot of us needing to use it. I grew up learning to save the hot water for the elders." She replied seriously as she shaved her ankles. Spike had nearly forgot the girl was raised in the gypsy lifestyle.
"You don't seem to respect your elders here." He kidded.
"When have I ever disrespected you or the others?" She asked with a snort. "I only can't stand the slayer. She is so full of herself. With the (add in valley girl voice and hair flip) I am like so totally blonde so like love me." After this angry but laugh worthy statement Charlie smiled at Spike. She knew he loved her and that Buffy had feelings toward him too, but she was too much of a wuss to accept it. The strong and powerful chosen one my ass! Surprisingly Spike found her distaste for Buffy funny and left hints that encouraged it.
Swiping the razor against her soaped leg for the last time, Charlie jumped off of the railing to the ground. Finding the gardening hose, she turned it on light and rinsed the soap off her skin. Spike stationed himself on the steps watching her again. He had nothing else to do, no one else would have a conversation with him that was not about "the job". Talking with Charlie about nothing important was what everyone adored about her (accept Buffy who thinks she doesn't concentrate enough) Charlie was sitting on the bottom step now, newly replaced water in the bowl in front of her. Pulling the red ribbon in her hair out, which was the only thing holding that messy bun together. Dunking her elbow length slightly curly hair into the bowl,
"Spike, can you pass me my shampoo?" She asked courteously. Spike obtained the hotel room sized bottle and unconsciously poured some of the fruit smelling lotion in to the palm of his hand. Charlie watched this, her eyebrows went up with wonder. Realizing her eyes on him, Spike noticed what he had just done.
"Sorry." He was about to wipe the stuff of his hand when Charlie interrupted him.
"Oh no you don't, that stuff was expensive. Just put it in my hair." Reaching up and pouring the scented shampoo into the young girl's wet tresses, Spike was hit with a memory. He used to wash Dru's hair when she had been too weak to do it herself. Noticing his hand's hesitation on her hair, Charlie realized he wanted to wash her hair for her. She smiled at him gently, probably means something to him, she thought. How right she was.
"You'd let me?" Spike asked a little concerned at this semi-sensual act of allowance.
"Why not, I like getting pampered plus less work for me." Was her simple friendly answer as she turned her back to him. Soon he had masterfully worked a lather into his friend's hair. Gently bending her head to the water coming from the hose he rinsed it for her too. Both heard the door to the porch quickly. Spike knew that scent,
"Who fixed the burners?" Was Buffy's first statement and then in horrified tone as if her puppy just got run over, "What the hell are you doing?!" She was pissed. Finding Spike washing Charlie's hair in her gardening hose?!
"Buffy, I..." Spike started.
"No, I don't want to hear it!" She said still huffy and slammed the door back into the house. With vampiric speed Spike moved himself into the house. Charlie finished rinsing her hair out and rolled her eyes dramatically.
