Chapter 20.
Buffy sat at her desk staring at the manuscripts in front of her. She had decided that she would get everything up to date, before they closed up for Christmas, but that was only 3 days away now. She looked at her clock, 'make that two and a half days!" she groaned. Plucking one at random she relaxed in her chair and began to skim through the pages. She was interrupted as Faith bounced over and sat on her desk, pulling the manuscript from Buffy's hand.
"Right B! I called the Xanman and he's picking us up downstairs at five," she beamed.
Buffy sighed, "I am swamped Faith, I am gonna have to work late tonight to get through this lot, you don't mind if I sit out the decorating?"
Faith looked disappointed, but then looked at the paperwork piled all over the stressed blondes desk.
"No problem Buff, as long as you understand that means me, Dawn and Anya have full decorating licence!" She laughed mischievously.
"Go for your life Faith, just no inflatable reindeer, please I beg you!" She put her hands together in a mock pleading manner.
Faith face lit up, "Inflatable reindeer! They do those???" She turned and wandered back to her desk. Buffy rolled her eyes, 'please no inflatable reindeer!'
Five o'clock came and went, and soon it was just Buffy and Spike left in the office. They had hardly spoken all day, apart from a couple of conference calls, and last minute problems on an authors deal.
"You didn't go off with Faith then pet?" He asked as she came into his office and deposited the latest batch of papers.
She sat down into the chair and rested her head on the desk for a second.
"Nope, got too much to tie up before Friday, I think my head is about to explode!" She sat up and rubbed her forehead. "I was going to go, but I think Faith has enough enthusiasm for everyone at the moment!"
Spike nodded, "She certainly seems to be making some serious progress huh! Next thing we know she will be baking cookies or something."
Buffy laughed as she stood up and collected the last batch of paperwork from Spike's desk. "I don't think that will ever be an issue, Faith and cooking are a scary combination, don't you remember the exploding macaroni fiasco!"
"How could I forget?" He replied, before standing up and walking towards her. He reached down and took the papers from her hand, taking half and giving her the remainder back.
"Let me help with this," he said softly, "that way at least we will get out of here before eleven."
She smiled, actually quite relieved at the offer. Her eyes were starting to blur from staring at print all day.
Four hours, and several cups of coffee later they were finally finished. Buffy put her feet up on the couch in the office and rested her head back on the armrest, closing her eyes for a moment.
"Come on pet, I'll give you a lift back." He said grabbing his keys from the desk.
Buffy groaned, "Just let me quietly die here please Spike!!" she said before closing her eyes again. Her stomach made an extremely loud grumbling voice.
"No way, come on, we can stop for food on the way if you like?" He said helpfully, whilst pulling the reluctant blonde into a sitting position. Her head banged into his stomach and she became aware that she was dangerously close to a part of his anatomy she certainly shouldn't be!
She jumped up flushed and slightly embarrassed.
"No need Spike, but thanks for the offer. Dawnie called and she made some pasta earlier. You can come back for a reheat if you like?" She smiled.
Spike grinned and wiggled his eyebrows in a way only he and Faith could do.
"A reheat hey! That's my girl!"
Buffy lead the way out, 'Did he just call me his girl? Breathe Buffy breathe!'
Twenty minutes later they pulled up outside Buffy's apartment. Spike looked out of the window towards the fourth floor.
"It looks dark up there, I thought they would still be in full decorating swing!" He said surprised.
Buffy didn't look surprised, "Knowing Faith they are probably in a forest in the middle of nowhere chopping down some poor tree!" She exclaimed.
They slowly wandered up the stairs, and Buffy cursed the day she chose this apartment over the other equally nice one that had a lift.
"These stairs will be the death of me!" She moaned as they rounded the final flight.
Spike turned the corner first and stopped dead, causing Buffy to slam into the back of him.
"Sweet mother of god!" She cried as she looked up. "I am gonna kill them!"
She put the key in the lock, making sure not to dislodge the enormous plastic Santa Claus and garish tinsel pinned all over the door.
All the lights in the apartment were off and it was completely silent. Spike steadied her as she reached for the light switch.
"I think it's fair to say Santa Claus is coming to bloody town pet!" he exclaimed as the full extent of the evenings work became apparent.
Buffy wondered how the hell they had managed to get quite such a big tree up the stairs at all. It took up a quarter of the room, and was covered with the tackiest of all tacky decorations. Buffy couldn't control her laughter when she saw someone had stuck a Malibu Barbie on the top for the angel! She gazed around the room. Above the fireplace there were eight stockings, and somebody had glued felt letters onto them. She read them across. Buffy, Dawn, Faith, Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya and Spike. She felt a smile spread across her face. Spike, who had gone to the bathroom, burst back in.
"Buffy, there's a bleedin inflatable reindeer in your bath!" He exclaimed, before looking at the stockings.
"I meant to ask earlier Spike. Do you want to spend Christmas with us?"
He couldn't hold back the happiness, and Buffy was sure she saw a tear in his eye.
"You have no idea what that would mean to me Buffy, really you don't. The last few Christmases have been pretty rough. Thank you." He pulled her towards him and placed a kiss gently on her forehead.
"This was pinned on your door," he handed her a sheet of paper covered in glitter.
'Buffy, gone to The Bronze for a post decorating celebration. Come join us when you get home (if you like!!!) Big kisses Faith, Dawn, Xan and Anya xxxxxx PS don't do anything I wouldn't do!!!!!'
She tossed the note onto the side.
"If you want to go I can drop you off if you like?" He asked.
Buffy shook her head and picked her way through 'Santa's grotto' to the kitchen. Half expecting a deranged elf to jump out at any moment.
"That would be a big no, I am kinda beat. You want some food?" She asked as she poked a spoon into Dawn's earlier culinary experiment. "She said that's pasta! You think we can get her under some trade description act or something?" She said screwing up her face.
Spike came up behind her and took the spoon from her hand, prodding at the offending congealed lump in the pan. She could feel him pressing into her back and it sent a shiver up her back. He pulled away.
"Are you ok?" He asked, genuinely concerned. He took hold of a strand of long blonde hair that had fallen in front of her face, and replaced it behind her ear, gently stroking her cheek on the way.
She said nothing, just leaning her head on his chest and allowing his hands to fall around her back. He pulled her closer and rested his forehead on her, breathing her in as he did, taking in the scent of her freshly washed hair. They stood there for what seemed like an age, Buffy's hands slid around his back, holding him tightly. It felt so good, so real, and so...... right.
Buffy broke away and pushed him against the wall of the kitchen hard, causing one of the pictures to fall to the floor shattering glass at their feet.
"Shit Buffy, I am sorry.."
She cut him off pushing her finger against his lips. His eyes searched her face, confused by what was happening. He didn't know what she wanted. He didn't want to mess up now.
Buffy took her finger from his lips and slowly ran it along his cheekbones. She didn't know what she was doing, this was so 'not Buffy', but it felt so right. All she could here was Faith, 'He left, but he came back, he came back for you!'
Spike could see the scared look in her eyes.
"Buffy, we need to talk. There are things you need to know about where I have been."
Buffy pulled her finger back up to his lips and pressed it hard.
"No! No talking, it doesn't matter anymore. All that matters is now!"
She pulled away her fingers and crushed her lips onto his, moving her hands up into his hair to pull him deeper into the kiss. Her tongue invaded his mouth, and he didn't resist. He moaned as she pressed her body onto him.
He pushed her back across the kitchen slamming her against counter opposite. He leant down and lifted her up onto the side, standing between her legs and pulling her back into another embrace, never breaking their kiss.
Buffy pulled her lips from his and ran them down his neck, nipping gently along the way. She could feel him, feel his passion, he wanted this as much as her. Faith was right, you can live in the past all you like, but all that really matters is here and now, that is where you can change your future. You can't go back and change the past, but you can take your chances when they come.
This was it, this was her second chance.
Buffy sat at her desk staring at the manuscripts in front of her. She had decided that she would get everything up to date, before they closed up for Christmas, but that was only 3 days away now. She looked at her clock, 'make that two and a half days!" she groaned. Plucking one at random she relaxed in her chair and began to skim through the pages. She was interrupted as Faith bounced over and sat on her desk, pulling the manuscript from Buffy's hand.
"Right B! I called the Xanman and he's picking us up downstairs at five," she beamed.
Buffy sighed, "I am swamped Faith, I am gonna have to work late tonight to get through this lot, you don't mind if I sit out the decorating?"
Faith looked disappointed, but then looked at the paperwork piled all over the stressed blondes desk.
"No problem Buff, as long as you understand that means me, Dawn and Anya have full decorating licence!" She laughed mischievously.
"Go for your life Faith, just no inflatable reindeer, please I beg you!" She put her hands together in a mock pleading manner.
Faith face lit up, "Inflatable reindeer! They do those???" She turned and wandered back to her desk. Buffy rolled her eyes, 'please no inflatable reindeer!'
Five o'clock came and went, and soon it was just Buffy and Spike left in the office. They had hardly spoken all day, apart from a couple of conference calls, and last minute problems on an authors deal.
"You didn't go off with Faith then pet?" He asked as she came into his office and deposited the latest batch of papers.
She sat down into the chair and rested her head on the desk for a second.
"Nope, got too much to tie up before Friday, I think my head is about to explode!" She sat up and rubbed her forehead. "I was going to go, but I think Faith has enough enthusiasm for everyone at the moment!"
Spike nodded, "She certainly seems to be making some serious progress huh! Next thing we know she will be baking cookies or something."
Buffy laughed as she stood up and collected the last batch of paperwork from Spike's desk. "I don't think that will ever be an issue, Faith and cooking are a scary combination, don't you remember the exploding macaroni fiasco!"
"How could I forget?" He replied, before standing up and walking towards her. He reached down and took the papers from her hand, taking half and giving her the remainder back.
"Let me help with this," he said softly, "that way at least we will get out of here before eleven."
She smiled, actually quite relieved at the offer. Her eyes were starting to blur from staring at print all day.
Four hours, and several cups of coffee later they were finally finished. Buffy put her feet up on the couch in the office and rested her head back on the armrest, closing her eyes for a moment.
"Come on pet, I'll give you a lift back." He said grabbing his keys from the desk.
Buffy groaned, "Just let me quietly die here please Spike!!" she said before closing her eyes again. Her stomach made an extremely loud grumbling voice.
"No way, come on, we can stop for food on the way if you like?" He said helpfully, whilst pulling the reluctant blonde into a sitting position. Her head banged into his stomach and she became aware that she was dangerously close to a part of his anatomy she certainly shouldn't be!
She jumped up flushed and slightly embarrassed.
"No need Spike, but thanks for the offer. Dawnie called and she made some pasta earlier. You can come back for a reheat if you like?" She smiled.
Spike grinned and wiggled his eyebrows in a way only he and Faith could do.
"A reheat hey! That's my girl!"
Buffy lead the way out, 'Did he just call me his girl? Breathe Buffy breathe!'
Twenty minutes later they pulled up outside Buffy's apartment. Spike looked out of the window towards the fourth floor.
"It looks dark up there, I thought they would still be in full decorating swing!" He said surprised.
Buffy didn't look surprised, "Knowing Faith they are probably in a forest in the middle of nowhere chopping down some poor tree!" She exclaimed.
They slowly wandered up the stairs, and Buffy cursed the day she chose this apartment over the other equally nice one that had a lift.
"These stairs will be the death of me!" She moaned as they rounded the final flight.
Spike turned the corner first and stopped dead, causing Buffy to slam into the back of him.
"Sweet mother of god!" She cried as she looked up. "I am gonna kill them!"
She put the key in the lock, making sure not to dislodge the enormous plastic Santa Claus and garish tinsel pinned all over the door.
All the lights in the apartment were off and it was completely silent. Spike steadied her as she reached for the light switch.
"I think it's fair to say Santa Claus is coming to bloody town pet!" he exclaimed as the full extent of the evenings work became apparent.
Buffy wondered how the hell they had managed to get quite such a big tree up the stairs at all. It took up a quarter of the room, and was covered with the tackiest of all tacky decorations. Buffy couldn't control her laughter when she saw someone had stuck a Malibu Barbie on the top for the angel! She gazed around the room. Above the fireplace there were eight stockings, and somebody had glued felt letters onto them. She read them across. Buffy, Dawn, Faith, Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya and Spike. She felt a smile spread across her face. Spike, who had gone to the bathroom, burst back in.
"Buffy, there's a bleedin inflatable reindeer in your bath!" He exclaimed, before looking at the stockings.
"I meant to ask earlier Spike. Do you want to spend Christmas with us?"
He couldn't hold back the happiness, and Buffy was sure she saw a tear in his eye.
"You have no idea what that would mean to me Buffy, really you don't. The last few Christmases have been pretty rough. Thank you." He pulled her towards him and placed a kiss gently on her forehead.
"This was pinned on your door," he handed her a sheet of paper covered in glitter.
'Buffy, gone to The Bronze for a post decorating celebration. Come join us when you get home (if you like!!!) Big kisses Faith, Dawn, Xan and Anya xxxxxx PS don't do anything I wouldn't do!!!!!'
She tossed the note onto the side.
"If you want to go I can drop you off if you like?" He asked.
Buffy shook her head and picked her way through 'Santa's grotto' to the kitchen. Half expecting a deranged elf to jump out at any moment.
"That would be a big no, I am kinda beat. You want some food?" She asked as she poked a spoon into Dawn's earlier culinary experiment. "She said that's pasta! You think we can get her under some trade description act or something?" She said screwing up her face.
Spike came up behind her and took the spoon from her hand, prodding at the offending congealed lump in the pan. She could feel him pressing into her back and it sent a shiver up her back. He pulled away.
"Are you ok?" He asked, genuinely concerned. He took hold of a strand of long blonde hair that had fallen in front of her face, and replaced it behind her ear, gently stroking her cheek on the way.
She said nothing, just leaning her head on his chest and allowing his hands to fall around her back. He pulled her closer and rested his forehead on her, breathing her in as he did, taking in the scent of her freshly washed hair. They stood there for what seemed like an age, Buffy's hands slid around his back, holding him tightly. It felt so good, so real, and so...... right.
Buffy broke away and pushed him against the wall of the kitchen hard, causing one of the pictures to fall to the floor shattering glass at their feet.
"Shit Buffy, I am sorry.."
She cut him off pushing her finger against his lips. His eyes searched her face, confused by what was happening. He didn't know what she wanted. He didn't want to mess up now.
Buffy took her finger from his lips and slowly ran it along his cheekbones. She didn't know what she was doing, this was so 'not Buffy', but it felt so right. All she could here was Faith, 'He left, but he came back, he came back for you!'
Spike could see the scared look in her eyes.
"Buffy, we need to talk. There are things you need to know about where I have been."
Buffy pulled her finger back up to his lips and pressed it hard.
"No! No talking, it doesn't matter anymore. All that matters is now!"
She pulled away her fingers and crushed her lips onto his, moving her hands up into his hair to pull him deeper into the kiss. Her tongue invaded his mouth, and he didn't resist. He moaned as she pressed her body onto him.
He pushed her back across the kitchen slamming her against counter opposite. He leant down and lifted her up onto the side, standing between her legs and pulling her back into another embrace, never breaking their kiss.
Buffy pulled her lips from his and ran them down his neck, nipping gently along the way. She could feel him, feel his passion, he wanted this as much as her. Faith was right, you can live in the past all you like, but all that really matters is here and now, that is where you can change your future. You can't go back and change the past, but you can take your chances when they come.
This was it, this was her second chance.