Her Last One… Thanksgiving
Disclaimer: Don't own them; I'll put em back when I'm done. I promise.
Reviews: Yes please. Readers Rock but Reviewers RULE!
A/N: This is the fic that won second place in the Marsters – Mobsters Fall Fanfic contest/challenge. Yay me! Specifics of the challenge will be listed after the last chapter. This was originally a thirty-six page one part but in the interest of easier reading, I broke it into five chapters.
As usual, thanks to WayWard Childe for his invaluable help on this fic.
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Joyce Summers still reeled from the battery of tests she'd been subjected to. It was almost a chore to get up and get dressed but she'd decided yesterday that she wanted life to return to as normal as possible. Of course, having a Slayer for a daughter pretty much guaranteed that life would never do more than resemble normal. She'd been home from the hospital only a couple of days and was still a bit shaky. She was almost pathetically grateful that Buffy had decided to come back to live at home for a while, although it had curtailed one of Joyce's favorite activities.
She wandered into the kitchen to see if there was any coffee left, happy to discover at least two cups worth left in the carafe. It was blissfully quiet in the house with both girls in school for the day. Joyce sat at the table and turned the newspaper around so she could read it. A glance at the date had her choking on the sip of hot fluid she'd just taken. It was almost Thanksgiving. A tiny voice at the back of her mind whispered that this could be the last one she'd see. Closing her eyes against the fear of that coming true, she decided to make this one a memorable occasion. Last Thanksgiving she and Dawn had been out of town and Buffy had rallied her friends to Rupert's apartment for dinner.
Rising from the table, she collected a pen and pad of paper from a drawer, resumed her seat and began to make a list. It would be the first of many lists that she'd make before Thursday. The concentration required to plan her Thanksgiving gave Joyce a measure of peace and helped to distract her mind from the fear gnawing at her.
It was a simple matter to do the shopping for her dinner. The girls were in school all day and she was on medical leave from the gallery. She was beyond thankful that she'd taken out insurance against serious illness when she'd gotten divorced. The thought that she could fall seriously ill and become jobless had given her nightmares so she'd made the arrangements never thinking she'd actually have to use it.
She checked the television listing to determine the start time of the Macy's parade, something Dawn never ever missed and calculated what time she needed to begin every phase of the dinner. As she made her plans, she wondered if there were any specific dishes that would appeal to the British members of their group. She knew that Spike enjoyed human food even though it wasn't necessary for him to exist. A phone call to Giles gave her the information and recipe she needed. She realized that Buffy would object to inviting the blond vampire to dinner but Joyce was determined that everyone would be included. So, over the course of the next two days, taking it slow and easy, Joyce compiled the ingredients she needed for the best Thanksgiving ever.
Thanksgiving Eve, Sunnydale High…
It was a burned out shell of a building but it was still the Hellmouth so occasionally there were problems with some demons or other nasties trying to open it. That was the conclusion that Giles came up with when Buffy and Riley arrived to tell him that there was an impenetrable cloud of smoke surrounding the high school. They described the smoke as a perfect cylinder that encompassed the building. All attempts to enter had been repelled. Now they stood outside staring at the smoke and trying to figure out how to get around it.
Spike leaned against a tree and smoked while he watched the Slayer and Captain Cardboard attempt to penetrate the thick column of otherworldly smoke. He had a good idea what the smoke was about but there was no way in Hell he was going to tell the others. It was much more fun watching them spin their proverbial wheels trying to get past it. He knew the creatures who'd conjured the barrier either didn't know or didn't care that, although it did a wonderful job keeping everyone out, it was just as effective at keeping them in. Even if they succeeded in getting the Hellmouth open, something Spike seriously doubted was going to happen this time, the barrier was highly efficient at keeping everything from getting past its boundaries. He chuckled as the sword Buffy tried to stab through the barrier bounced back and nearly took Riley's head off.
Off to the side, Willow and Tara were chanting quietly in hopes that they had the proper spell to lower the barrier and allow Buffy to go in and slay whatever was messing with the Hellmouth. Spike shook his head in derision. Spells were useless. He knew what would do it but again was not big with the sharing. In the year since he'd gotten chipped, the humans had treated him like a dog on a leash and then it had been determined that he could fight demons. Well, then it had gotten worse. The slayer treated him like her own personal demonic point man, good enough to fight demons but otherwise to be ignored as much as possible.
Idly he wondered if they would miss him if he slipped away and went to visit Joyce. He liked Buffy's mother a lot and had been worried about her health since the last round of medical tests she'd undergone. No one had seen fit to let him know how the lady was doing. It had been impossible to visit since Buffy had moved back into the house. The quiet evenings sipping tea and chatting with Joyce had halted abruptly with the Slayer's return. He would face sunlight before he admitted he missed the littlest Summers as much as he did the eldest one. Dawn was bright and feisty and gave him a good run for his money in the sarcasm department.
The blond vampire tossed his spent cigarette away as the Scoobies gave up on the cloud for the moment. It appeared they were going to return to the Watcher's place and research some more. He followed at a slight distance, not really surprised when they ignored his presence. As they trooped into the Magic Box, he paused just inside the door.
"I'm out of here." He announced.
Xander looked up from the book he'd been handed and frowned at his least favorite person aside from Angel. "And who says you get to skip out on the book reading, Fangless?"
Buffy waved her hand. "Let him go. It's not like he knows what to do about that thing."
Giles took a second look at the gleam in Spike's sapphire eyes and wondered. His green eyes narrowed on the blond menace. There was something about the vampire's attitude. He shrugged as he dismissed the nagging feeling he was making a mistake. "Yes, let him go. The sooner he stops distracting us the better chance we'll have of finding the solution to this problem."
Spike grinned and Giles wished he'd kept silent. "Thanks ever so, Watcher. I'll check back later to see if you've figured out what you're dealing with." He was gone before the elder Brit could utter another sound.
Summers house…
Joyce removed the last pie from the oven just as a light tap sounded on the back door. She pushed a slightly shaky hand through her blonde hair and pulled the curtain aside to see who it was. Flipping the lock, she opened the door and smiled.
"Spike! Come in. I've been wanting to talk to you. I'm making dinner tomorrow and I want you here." She forgot her weariness as he came into the warm kitchen.
Spike frowned as he removed his duster to drape it over a chair. "The slayer won't like that."
"This is my dinner and I'll invite anyone I want." She declared, her hazel eyes flashing.
"Yes, Ma'am." Spike smiled and tenderly brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes.
She blushed and turned away slightly, uncomfortably aware of the flour on her clothing and the disarray of her hair. Her makeup had long since worn off. "I'm a mess."
"No, you're not." Spike let her go, having had similar discussions with her before. He knew how to pick his fights and this one he always let her win. He watched with amusement as she fussed around checking the still-hot kettle and setting up cups. She turned back and caught him watching her with intense blue eyes.
"What?" She asked almost defensively.
"Nothing, Luv." He shifted his gaze to the selection of pies cooling on the counter. "Are you okay? Looks like you've been working hard. Wouldn't do for you to tire yourself out now."
"I'm fine." She insisted, blithely unaware of the weariness evident around her eyes.
Spike watched her closely as she poured boiling water over the waiting tea leaves. His heart clenched at the signs of illness in her face and the infinitesimal tremors of her elegant fingers. Well aware that she would be offended by an offer to help, he resigned himself to his role of spectator.
"How's Niblet?" He opted to change the subject.
She looked up and smiled. "She's fine. She misses you but doesn't say anything around Buffy."
"My girl's a smart one that's for sure." He observed proudly.
Joyce began pouring the tea, her back to her visitor. "She just hates to listen to Buffy rant about you."
Spike ducked his platinum head. "She'd be the only one." He muttered sullenly.
She whirled around to look at him. He'd taken up a leaning position against the counter. His handsome face was closed and tense as he studied the floor, obviously thinking about the verbal bashing he was subjected to on a regular basis. Joyce knew he thought she was unaware of it but she knew how the others talked to him and about him.
She abandoned their tea and walked over to him. "I hate it too." She said softly. "It's not right, the way they treat you."
Spike closed his eyes and turned his face away. "Doesn't matter. I'm just a vampire. Cannon fodder for patrols."
Rage flashed across her face. "Don't ever say that again." She hissed the words through clenched teeth. She put a gentle hand on his cheek and pulled his face back around so he was facing her again. "How can they not see?"
Spike raised a slender hand and folded his cool fingers around her warm ones. He pulled her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to her open palm. Her face flushed at the gesture. A wicked smile slowly curved his lips. His free hand slipped sneakily around her waist. Slowly but surely he pulled her closer to his lean body.
"Hi." He whispered.
"Hi." She answered just as softly.
"I've missed you." He murmured as his face lowered fractionally.
"Missed you too." She admitted, her dark lashes fluttering as his lips got dangerously close.
"Been worried about you." The words were a mere breath against her warm mouth. "No one would tell me anything. Was going crazy wondering."
"Sorry, couldn't contact you without Buffy getting suspicious." Her hazy eyes closed as his mouth sealed over hers. She let herself enjoy the intoxicating taste of his kiss until she remembered that Buffy would be home at any time. She pushed lightly against his muscled chest, fingertips lingering longingly along the hard planes. Pulling her mouth away from the temptation of his lips, she leaned her forehead on his chin. She took a deep steadying breath. "Buffy will be home soon."
Spike sighed his disappointment. "I know. Left the lot of them at the Magic Box researching an annoyance. They'll get tired of it soon enough and leave it for tomorrow. It's not going anywhere." He pressed a kiss to her hairline and let her move away.
She turned but kept his hand locked in hers. She led him to the table and they sat down before she finished pouring their tea.
"What time do I show up for this dinner?" Spike asked as he played with her fingers. He gave an appreciative murmur as he sipped his tea. "Mmmmm, that's good."
"When I get you up." She told him, a smirk crossing her lovely face.
He gulped, trying desperately not to spit his tea out onto the table. "When you what?"
She passed him a napkin. "I want you to sleep in the basement. That way you won't risk getting dusted trying to avoid the sun. And you can watch the parade with Dawn. She'd love that."
"Joyce, Luv. I can't. Buffy…" She cut him off mid-objection.
"Won't know." She finished the sentence.
"Like Hell she won't." Spike frowned, troubled by her over confidence.
"Look, even if she finds out I won't let her do anything." She pulled his hand up to her mouth to kiss his palm. His dark blue eyes dilated as her warm breath ghosted over his cool skin. "This is my dinner and my guests. She can just deal with it."
He gasped and his eyes glazed. "Pet, you know I can't refuse you when you do that."
Her hazel eyes sparkled up at him and she grinned evilly. "Yeah, I know."
A low groan slipped out before he could stop it. "Gods, I can't resist you. It's been killing me to stay away."
Her fingers tightened on his. "I'm sorry."
"What? Oh, no! It's not your fault. Please, don't think that. I should have come sooner. I should have gone to the hospital to visit. Should've brought you flowers like a real man. But that's the rub, isn't it. I'm not a real man. I'm a vampire and you could do so much better than the likes of me." He faltered and bit his lip, trying to maintain his composure. He let his lashes fall to hide the prickle of tears he could feel rising. He'd sworn he wouldn't let her know how much his fear for her health was affecting him but only a little time in her company and he was disintegrating like a sandcastle at high tide.
Joyce let out a muted sound of distress at the misery on his handsome face. A quick movement had her on her feet and standing in front of Spike. She grasped his head between her hands and stared down into his eyes for a tiny eternity. He gulped in a deep unneeded breath and pressed his face into her midsection, winding his arms around her waist. Threading her fingers through his surprisingly soft hair, she bent over him slightly and whispered to him that it was ok and that everything would be all right. She rubbed one hand up and down his back soothingly while he shook with the effort of maintaining his control. He mumbled something against her stomach but she couldn't hear it.
"What? Spike, honey, what did you say?" She asked gently.
He turned his head slightly and repeated it almost too quietly for her to hear. "I've been so s-scared."
Her eyes misted. "Me too." She admitted, her voice choked.
It was all he could do not to break down and sob like a small boy. He soaked in her warmth like a sponge and allowed her to hold him for long minutes. The fear that the Slayer could walk in on them forced him to settle his hands on her hips and ease away from her comfort. He kept his head bent for several more seconds before clearing his throat.
"Suppose I should get down into that basement before she gets home and decides to stake me, eh?" His voice was low and husky with suppressed emotion.
Joyce put her fingers under his chin and raised his face. Her heart broke at the dampness on his thick dark lashes from tears he refused to let fall. She knew it would embarrass him for her to acknowledge it so she pretended his face was perfectly dry. She couldn't resist running a thumb over one sharp cheekbone, smiling as his lashes fluttered down and his lips parted on a sigh.
"Yes, I guess so. I have to get up early to put the turkey in. I'll get you up before the parade. All right?" She murmured. He merely nodded and caught her hand to press another kiss on her fingertips.
By the time Buffy came home the kitchen was spotless. The only evidence of Joyce's activities was the cool pies lined up on the counter. A faint tingle nudged her slayer senses but she ignored it figuring it was just an old leftover from one of Spike's prior visits. It never occurred to her that her mother would house that particular vampire right under her nose in the basement.
TBC