It was Buffys Birthday today and she was going to have some fun with her
friends. She rented a small room in the back of the bronze. She opened her
gifts and thanked everyone. They were all wonderful. But the only thing
was that there was one box left and there's where the story begins.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy looked down at the slender long box. She looked up at everyone and then to the box again. A wide smile grew across her face.
"Alright who is spoiling me by getting me two gifts?" She looked up happily.
"I don't know Buffy its not from any of us! Maybe from your dad?" Xander shrugged. Buffy grabbed the gift and opened it. It was a black knee length leather jacket. She hugged it to herself and smiled again. There was another box and she opened that one also. It was a necklace with a small cross of diamonds. It shone brightly and reflected off the light. There was a matching bracelet with little silver crosses hanging from it dantley.
Under all that was a card with no pictures or envelope. Just plain white with her name engraved across the front in fancy letters. She ran her fingers through the twirls and lines. She opened the letter and read:
Buffy,
Hello love, I heard around someplace that it was your birthday.
So I picked this up for you, hope you like it! Picked it out myself!
Well, thanks for keepin' me around this long.
Spike
William
Buffy looked up at her friends standing in front of her. Her expression was blank and than anger flashed in her eyes. Xander was first to break the silence.
"Well, who's it from?" He nodded toward the pure white card. Buffy let out an exasperated sigh before answering. "It's from Spike! I can not believe he would even think about getting me something! I know that he has no money since we haven't been assigning him anything. So obviously he just stole from some store! I just wont accept a gift from a soulless monster like him!" She let out another sigh and put the jacket, necklace and bracelet back in the small box.
When she finished it was quiet until her slayer hearing kicked in. She quirked her ear and listened. It was a low growl. It was still quiet when she jumped at the loud snap of glass breaking behind her. She slid off her chair and turned around and was about 4 inches away from a certain angry looking vampire's face.
That certain vampire's name happened to be Spike. His head was in his general tilt and his eyes were digging into her. "You'll never get it will you Slayer!" He looked her over before giving her one last growl, throwing his hood on and walking away. Not once looking back.
She turned back around and threw her arms in the air.
"What the heck was that supposed to mean?" Everyone just looked at her and shrugged. That is all but Dawn who by now had everyone's eyes on her. She cleared her throat.
"Buffy why do you always have to be so mean to him? He hasn't done anything wrong!" Buffy rolled her eyes.
"Dawn you wouldn't understand, Spike isn't the easiest. guy to get along with." Dawn's eyebrows were facing down and she didn't look like she was having fun now.
"No Buffy you don't understand! He bought that stuff for you with money! Real hard earned cash." Buffy put a very annoyed look on her face.
"What did he do, cheat at poker kitten?!" Dawn rolled her eyes and put her head in her hands before looking up again.
"No Buffy he risked his life for that money. Yes your prob. wondering how I know all this. I would go over after you left for work and clean him up! Ask him why he was getting himself beatin' up and than he would help me with any homework I had leftover. He always told me for a good reason! I never thought it was for the reason he finally gave me!"
Buffy sat down again. "Oh well than enlighten me Ms. I know everything and is in so much trouble later!"
"Well, just about every night he would go to this demons lair thingy and get instructions on where to go to do his bidding. Pay back some of the guys debts. Than come back to his place, proving that he did it and get his cash. He was than forwarded onto another guy with a problem. He got bloodied up pretty bad!"
When she was done ranting she looked at her sisters face. Her eyes had grown a little bigger and her lips where pressed together.
"Why? Why would he be doing something like that to himself? He didn't have to get me anything." Her voice was quiet and she bowed her head. Seemingly concentrating on her hands.
Dawn slapped her forehead lightly and looked at Buffy. "Spike was right you'll never get it! If you want to know why than why don't you go ask him yourself!" Buffy looked up at Dawn for a second before nodding to everyone else and walking out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Spikes Crypt
Buffy walked up to the stone door and stood there for a min. before opening the door. She didn't bother to knock she never did before.
"Spike get up here!" It was quiet it for a second before she heard the pat of his boots on the stairs. He walked up and to Buffy's surprise shirtless.
He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. "Oh its you, so you want something."
Buffy walked over to the top of the stone coffin and sat on it. Looking down a little at the fact that he is currently shirtless. "Well, I came by to um. well ask you about why you did what you did?"
"Hmm, you mean that gift. Well, I don't know, I had some extra cash lying around. Dawn thought it might be a good idea so." Spike looked to the side and kicked some dirt near his feet.
"Well, yea that and um. why you um. went out and did what you did?" Spike looked up right away with his eyebrows raised. "I don't know what you're talking about?"
Buffy shook her head a little and looked up at him. "Spike Dawn told me about you and your little job. About how she comes over every night and helps you out with some cuts and stuff in that area. How you help her with her homework and all. I was wondering about that."
Spike stood there for a second but looked down at his boots. "Oh that. I don't know was doin' them some favors. Not like it was difficult." He lied; he didn't want to sound weak after all. Buffy looked down and felt hurt for a second, than angry. She jumped off and walked up to him and pushed him against the wall.
"What are you hiding? Why are you lying?" Spiked turned her around and pushed her against the wall, having himself in the upper hand.
"Who said I was lying?" He looked at her eyes and than her lips and ached to know what they felt like. He squeezed her arms and leaned into her. Looked into her eyes than realized what he was doing let go and backed up. He looked down and than looked back up to see Buffy's fist flying into his face. Next thing he knew he had a searing pains growing through his face. He looked up and practically yelled at her.
"Why the bleeding hell did you do that for!" Buffy laughed and just shrugged. Spike turned around and rubbed his face mumbling to himself. "*Bloody women yea fall in love with em' and all they do is use you as a punching bag!*"
Buffy looked at him and heard only a few words. She walked up to him and for the second time shoved him onto a wall. "What did you say?"
Spike flipped positions with her and said back, "I didn't say anything!" She flipped positions with him again and said, "Yes you did I heard you!" The switching of positions and bickering went on until finally he yelled what he said, " All I said was Bloody women yea fall in love with em' and all they do is use you as a punching bag! Are you happy now! Now that you know the truth!"
Buffy looked at his eyes burning with emotions and pulled Spikes hands off her shoulders. She looked at him for a min and then wrapped herself around him tightly. He tensed a little at the unknown touch of one Buffy Summers but relaxed and wrapped his arms around her small form. He breathed in her and closed his eyes tight. Trying to remember this feeling just incase it was a dream or it never happened again.
Buffy finally pulled away much to Spikes reluctance and looked into his eyes once again. She smiled and kissed his check softly.
"Now I don't love you. yet but I think I can learn to if you let me. I'm sorry I pushed you away so much but I just was afraid that I would fall in love with you. Than getting hurt like I got hurt with Angel. I'm sorry!" She smiled and wrapped her self in him again. He kissed her forehead and smiled to himself. He whispered in her ear his love for her and how much he would always care and protect her. They stood there together for a long while before walking down into the bottom level and making the rest of the night apart of their future.
Buffy looked down at the slender long box. She looked up at everyone and then to the box again. A wide smile grew across her face.
"Alright who is spoiling me by getting me two gifts?" She looked up happily.
"I don't know Buffy its not from any of us! Maybe from your dad?" Xander shrugged. Buffy grabbed the gift and opened it. It was a black knee length leather jacket. She hugged it to herself and smiled again. There was another box and she opened that one also. It was a necklace with a small cross of diamonds. It shone brightly and reflected off the light. There was a matching bracelet with little silver crosses hanging from it dantley.
Under all that was a card with no pictures or envelope. Just plain white with her name engraved across the front in fancy letters. She ran her fingers through the twirls and lines. She opened the letter and read:
Buffy,
Hello love, I heard around someplace that it was your birthday.
So I picked this up for you, hope you like it! Picked it out myself!
Well, thanks for keepin' me around this long.
Spike
William
Buffy looked up at her friends standing in front of her. Her expression was blank and than anger flashed in her eyes. Xander was first to break the silence.
"Well, who's it from?" He nodded toward the pure white card. Buffy let out an exasperated sigh before answering. "It's from Spike! I can not believe he would even think about getting me something! I know that he has no money since we haven't been assigning him anything. So obviously he just stole from some store! I just wont accept a gift from a soulless monster like him!" She let out another sigh and put the jacket, necklace and bracelet back in the small box.
When she finished it was quiet until her slayer hearing kicked in. She quirked her ear and listened. It was a low growl. It was still quiet when she jumped at the loud snap of glass breaking behind her. She slid off her chair and turned around and was about 4 inches away from a certain angry looking vampire's face.
That certain vampire's name happened to be Spike. His head was in his general tilt and his eyes were digging into her. "You'll never get it will you Slayer!" He looked her over before giving her one last growl, throwing his hood on and walking away. Not once looking back.
She turned back around and threw her arms in the air.
"What the heck was that supposed to mean?" Everyone just looked at her and shrugged. That is all but Dawn who by now had everyone's eyes on her. She cleared her throat.
"Buffy why do you always have to be so mean to him? He hasn't done anything wrong!" Buffy rolled her eyes.
"Dawn you wouldn't understand, Spike isn't the easiest. guy to get along with." Dawn's eyebrows were facing down and she didn't look like she was having fun now.
"No Buffy you don't understand! He bought that stuff for you with money! Real hard earned cash." Buffy put a very annoyed look on her face.
"What did he do, cheat at poker kitten?!" Dawn rolled her eyes and put her head in her hands before looking up again.
"No Buffy he risked his life for that money. Yes your prob. wondering how I know all this. I would go over after you left for work and clean him up! Ask him why he was getting himself beatin' up and than he would help me with any homework I had leftover. He always told me for a good reason! I never thought it was for the reason he finally gave me!"
Buffy sat down again. "Oh well than enlighten me Ms. I know everything and is in so much trouble later!"
"Well, just about every night he would go to this demons lair thingy and get instructions on where to go to do his bidding. Pay back some of the guys debts. Than come back to his place, proving that he did it and get his cash. He was than forwarded onto another guy with a problem. He got bloodied up pretty bad!"
When she was done ranting she looked at her sisters face. Her eyes had grown a little bigger and her lips where pressed together.
"Why? Why would he be doing something like that to himself? He didn't have to get me anything." Her voice was quiet and she bowed her head. Seemingly concentrating on her hands.
Dawn slapped her forehead lightly and looked at Buffy. "Spike was right you'll never get it! If you want to know why than why don't you go ask him yourself!" Buffy looked up at Dawn for a second before nodding to everyone else and walking out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Spikes Crypt
Buffy walked up to the stone door and stood there for a min. before opening the door. She didn't bother to knock she never did before.
"Spike get up here!" It was quiet it for a second before she heard the pat of his boots on the stairs. He walked up and to Buffy's surprise shirtless.
He looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. "Oh its you, so you want something."
Buffy walked over to the top of the stone coffin and sat on it. Looking down a little at the fact that he is currently shirtless. "Well, I came by to um. well ask you about why you did what you did?"
"Hmm, you mean that gift. Well, I don't know, I had some extra cash lying around. Dawn thought it might be a good idea so." Spike looked to the side and kicked some dirt near his feet.
"Well, yea that and um. why you um. went out and did what you did?" Spike looked up right away with his eyebrows raised. "I don't know what you're talking about?"
Buffy shook her head a little and looked up at him. "Spike Dawn told me about you and your little job. About how she comes over every night and helps you out with some cuts and stuff in that area. How you help her with her homework and all. I was wondering about that."
Spike stood there for a second but looked down at his boots. "Oh that. I don't know was doin' them some favors. Not like it was difficult." He lied; he didn't want to sound weak after all. Buffy looked down and felt hurt for a second, than angry. She jumped off and walked up to him and pushed him against the wall.
"What are you hiding? Why are you lying?" Spiked turned her around and pushed her against the wall, having himself in the upper hand.
"Who said I was lying?" He looked at her eyes and than her lips and ached to know what they felt like. He squeezed her arms and leaned into her. Looked into her eyes than realized what he was doing let go and backed up. He looked down and than looked back up to see Buffy's fist flying into his face. Next thing he knew he had a searing pains growing through his face. He looked up and practically yelled at her.
"Why the bleeding hell did you do that for!" Buffy laughed and just shrugged. Spike turned around and rubbed his face mumbling to himself. "*Bloody women yea fall in love with em' and all they do is use you as a punching bag!*"
Buffy looked at him and heard only a few words. She walked up to him and for the second time shoved him onto a wall. "What did you say?"
Spike flipped positions with her and said back, "I didn't say anything!" She flipped positions with him again and said, "Yes you did I heard you!" The switching of positions and bickering went on until finally he yelled what he said, " All I said was Bloody women yea fall in love with em' and all they do is use you as a punching bag! Are you happy now! Now that you know the truth!"
Buffy looked at his eyes burning with emotions and pulled Spikes hands off her shoulders. She looked at him for a min and then wrapped herself around him tightly. He tensed a little at the unknown touch of one Buffy Summers but relaxed and wrapped his arms around her small form. He breathed in her and closed his eyes tight. Trying to remember this feeling just incase it was a dream or it never happened again.
Buffy finally pulled away much to Spikes reluctance and looked into his eyes once again. She smiled and kissed his check softly.
"Now I don't love you. yet but I think I can learn to if you let me. I'm sorry I pushed you away so much but I just was afraid that I would fall in love with you. Than getting hurt like I got hurt with Angel. I'm sorry!" She smiled and wrapped her self in him again. He kissed her forehead and smiled to himself. He whispered in her ear his love for her and how much he would always care and protect her. They stood there together for a long while before walking down into the bottom level and making the rest of the night apart of their future.