Chapter 33
December 2002…
Christmas was rapidly approaching. As of the 21st, Kara was 6 weeks from being considered full term. The baby shower had been held the previous weekend, and the cribs were a gift from Xander and Anya. Xander had made them, with a bit of help from the guys at work. Kara and Spike received a ton of diapers, both cloth and plastic, and doubles on everything else, from toys to blankets to dresses and onesies. Tara and Stephanie had planned the party, making sure the people from all aspects of Kara's life were invited. It was a happy and memorable day.
Kara, Spike, and Stephanie were going to Lamaze classes, Kara's sister being the back-up coach since she lived so close by. The coaches carried cell phones on themselves all the time now, just in case. They worked out a birthing plan, and a room was pre-registered at the hospital.
On Christmas Eve, Spike and Kara went to see Stephanie and Peter play for a pageant held at the family church. Spike was understandably twitchy, but Kara just held his hand and smiled softly as she sang along with the carols. Her family did the gift exchange at dinner afterwards. Predictions were made on the day Kara would deliver, and lots of advice was given, mostly without being asked for. That was the way with family, though. The couple happily breathed a sigh of relief when they finally made it out the door after giving the excuse that Kara tired easily these days.
"I think I like it better when they go out of town for Christmas," Kara said.
"Me, too, pet. Since when do you have so many cousins?"
"They're all on my step-mother's side. My blood cousins are all back east. And much more laid back. Ugh, my back is killing me from those chairs. I'm so glad I'm not cooking tomorrow."
"I'll work on it as soon as we get home, kitten. Can you wait half an hour?"
"Yeah. The Desoto's seats aren't too bad." Spike opened the door for her, and helped her slide in without bumping her head. She didn't need his help, but Kara wasn't about to discourage his gentle side.
As soon as they got in the house, Spike swept Kara off her feet and carried her up to the bedroom.
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Christmas Day…
"Can you believe how much has happened in a year?" Kara asked while she dressed. She wore a fitted dark green top, and matching skirt. Lycra was a fabulous invention – it stretched over anything.
"I wouldn't have wagered on it, that's for sure," Spike replied, sorting through his shirts in the closet. "Luv, you really should do something with these dresses. My shirts have so little bleedin' space, they're all wrinkled."
"What dresses? And just use the iron. It takes two minutes."
"The formal ones you've only worn once. Can't they be stored somewhere else?"
"I suppose," she sighed. "Do you really need that much room? Almost everything you own goes in drawers."
Spike stuck his head out of the closet. "Kara, we've been married for 5 months. It's time to share the bloody closet."
"Fine! I'll move some stuff into one of the other bedrooms." She stormed in, grabbed some dresses off the hanger rod, and stomped out of the room, kicking the door shut behind her.
"Great, Spike. Piss off your hormonal mate on Christmas Day. Bloody hell, we haven't even left the house, yet," he grumbled, waiting for the iron to heat so he could press out the worst of the wrinkles. Can't just wear a t-shirt, either. Oh, no! Her Highness doesn't find it proper for Christmas dinner.
"I heard that!" Kara yelled from the other room.
"Oh, sod off!"
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"Um, sorry for being a brat. Will you help me get all the gifts into the car?" Kara asked meekly while Spike sipped his blood.
"Yeah. Just point me to what goes where, pet," he replied with a soft grin.
"Okay," she said, as he followed her to the living room, and the tree. "Well, everything for my family is already gone, so the only stuff left is for Sunnydale, except for ours to each other."
"Anything breakable?"
"Nope."
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A knock on the door at 10 A.M.? No one's expected for a few more hours, yet. Joyce walked to the front door, thinking it was probably Giles coming over early. She opened the door, and gasped in surprise.
"Sebastian! What are you doing here!"
"Happy Christmas, Joyce," he replied, handing her a potted poinsettia. "May I come in?"
"Oh! Of course! This is beautiful, thank you. Does Buffy know you were coming?"
He looked down shyly. "Uh, no, actually. It was…sort of a last minute decision. You don't mind, do you? I don't want to impose…"
"Certainly not. Sebastian, you're always welcomed here. Would you like some coffee? I need to get back in the kitchen."
"Thank you, coffee would be splendid. It's a bit chilly for California, hmm?"
"Yes, it has been. Sit, have a cookie. Did you have to travel far?" Joyce asked, turning back to the contents on the stove.
"Fairly so, but I'm used to it. Are the girls awake?"
"Mom, have you seen my – oh, my god!" Dawn shrieked, lunging to hug the knight she was so surprised to see. "How are you here? How long can you stay? Did you bring me anything cool? Where have you been to?"
"Dawn – one question at a time, sweetie. Give the man a chance to speak."
"Sorry, Mom. So?" she asked excitedly, bouncing on her toes.
"I'm here until tomorrow night, and yes, I brought you a gift. You look lovely, dear. And, are you taller?" he replied, smiling.
"Cool! Yeah…I had another growth spurt right after my birthday. 5'6" in bare feet, now. So, short visit, huh?"
"Unfortunately. We'll make the best of it, yes? Tell me about school this term."
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Buffy woke up and stretched, the sunlight coming through the window too bright to sleep through any longer. She took her time getting ready, first having a leisurely shower, then standing in front of her wardrobe to decide what to wear. Her mother wanted them to look nice, so she chose her best black slacks and a silk-blend sweater. Buffy curled the ends of her hair enough so it bounced around her shoulders, did her make-up, and spritzed on her favorite perfume. A tiny diamond cross, and gold hoops, finished the look.
She was just standing to leave her bedroom when there was a knock at the door.
"Yes, Dawn, I'm up and ready!"
"It's not Dawn," a male voice replied. A little confused, Buffy swung the door open, and barely restrained herself from jumping into his arms. Sebastian smiled a crooked smile, and said, "Happy Christmas, Buffy."
Hearing him say her name brought Buffy out of her stupor. She grabbed him by the collar, yanking him into the room, and kissed him soundly. He was so surprised, it took him a moment to respond, and then his strong arms were wrapped around her as he returned the kiss with equal fervor.
"You smell amazing," he gasped, when they broke apart for breath.
"I can't believe you're here."
"Until tomorrow night. That was, um, some hello," he replied softly.
"I've missed you. This is the best Christmas surprise I've had in a long time," she said happily.
They shared a couple more short kisses, then the sound of voices drifted up from below and reminded them where they were.
"We should probably get down there before they send a search party," Buffy admitted. "Where are you staying?"
"Well, actually…I didn't have time to make a reservation. This time off was very short notice-"
"There you guys are! Buffy, Mom says if you want any breakfast, you're going to have to get it now, or there won't be any room for you to eat in the kitchen. Isn't this so cool?" Dawn said, gesturing towards Sebastian.
"Yeah, Dawnie. It's a wonderful surprise. Let's go, before I throw off Mom's schedule," she sighed.
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The guests arrived by two, happily greeting the unexpected addition to the party. Kara and Spike were the last to arrive, delayed by a call from Melissa just as they were about to leave. Kara didn't mind, since they hadn't talked in a while due to busy schedules. Sebastian stepped forward to relieve Kara of the packages she was carrying.
"My, look at you! I really have been gone a long time."
"Yep, I've swallowed a beach ball, and they're not even fully baked, yet," she joked.
"Well, you look wonderful. When are you due?"
"Early February," Spike answered, having set down his own load of gifts by the tree. "We're prepared for any time in January, though. Good to see you, mate."
Sebastian clapped the vampire on the shoulder. "Likewise, cousin."
"The food's ready," Joyce announced, coming out of the kitchen. "Buffy, Dawn, will you help me carry everything to the table?"
"Yes, Mom."
It was a tight fit to seat eleven around the table, even with all the leaves added to extend the length, and special consideration had to be made for Spike and Sebastian, who were both left-handed. Joyce had really outdone herself, with all the food that was on the table. It looked like she had cooked enough for twenty. The dining room was filled with happy chatter, the clinking of plates being passed, and news being shared. They had all been busy over the past few months.
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"Okay, gather in front of the tree! I want one big, family picture!" Dawn announced, waving her camera. There were a few groans in response, but they did it, anyway. She arranged the others to fit in the frame, set the timer, and hurried over to get in before the flash. "Cheese!"
"I think I blinked."
"Xander! Okay, nobody move. We're doing it again." Dawn reviewed the image on the digital camera to see if he was right. "Yep, he blinked. Everybody else was cool. Okay…on 3…"
"Did we get it?" Joyce asked.
"I hope so. That bloody flash is blinding!"
"No one better have blinked. I need to pee," Anya threatened.
"TMI, Ahn."
"Woohoo, cool! Thanks, guys. Mom, where did you hide the cookies?"
"You're hungry again, already? They're in the plastic container in the pantry."
"Bring those in here, would you, Dawn?" Kara called after the teen. Spike smiled and shook his head. "What?"
"Nothin', pet. I didn't say a word."
"No, but you were thinking it. The cookies aren't for me, though," she said matter-of-factly.
"Oh, no?"
Kara shook her head. "Nope, they're for the girls. I'm full, but they want sugar."
"Whatever you say, luv," he teased. He moved over to the armchair and pulled her down onto his lap. "Having fun, kitten?"
"Mmm-hmm. Think I went overboard on the gift-giving?"
"No such thing," Dawn broke in. "Here, I brought you a plate."
Kara grinned. "You're my favorite, Dawnie."
Dawn donned a Santa cap and passed out gifts. Sebastian had apparently stopped at the airport gift shop, as he had something for everybody. One marked difference this year from the last, besides Sebastian being there instead of Will, was that Spike had finally gained acceptance into the group, the whole group. He wasn't best friends with everyone, of course, but the respect and decency was very much appreciated. Maybe it was just the holiday spirit making people feel generous, but that didn't really matter today.
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"Bas, you have a place to stay tonight?" Spike asked his cousin.
"Uh…" He was about to say 'no', when he noticed Buffy nodding very vigorously 'yes' behind Spike. "Yes, thank you. I will try to stop in tomorrow before I leave, if that's alright?"
"Of course! You're always welcomed in our home," Kara replied. "Just let me know if it's going to be around dinner time."
"I will. Goodnight to you both." He moved on to say farewell to the others who were leaving at the same time.
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"It's kind of you to want to help me find a room this late, Buffy," Sebastian said, as they cleaned up the leftover wrapping paper in the living room.
"Sebastian, I'm not taking you to a hotel."
"Oh? Then, I'm somewhat confused…"
She tossed a ball of paper into the trash bag, and stopped in front of him. "I meant that you can stay here."
"Oh! Of course. The couch will serve me well. It's much more comfortable than many places I've slept, I can assure you. Would you like to go to breakfast tomorrow?"
"Sure. I think that's all the trash. Anything else can be taken care of tomorrow. Thank you for my necklace," she replied.
"You've already said that," he gently reminded her.
"I know, but it's so pretty, I wanted to say 'thanks' again. Where did you find it?" Buffy asked, tugging him onto the couch next to her.
"Sri Lanka."
"Sri Lanka? What were you doing there?"
He tapped the end of her nose. "Uh-unh, can't tell you that, Miss Nosy."
"Well, what can you tell me?" she asked impatiently.
"That you look beautiful today. That you seem much happier than when I first met you. That I'm going to miss you dreadfully when I leave again," he answered, leaning closer with each murmured word.
"All that, huh?" Buffy tilted her head as she leaned in, too.
"And so much more," Sebastian whispered, and touched his lips to hers.
The arm Buffy had been resting on the back of the couch moved to wrap around his neck, as she buried her hand in the soft waves of his hair. He had one hand lightly on her hip while the other caressed her cheek. Buffy teased at his mouth with her tongue, wanting to taste more of him. She delighted in how he seemed to avidly drink up her attentions, like a man starved, which she guessed he had been. What had started out as casual kissing was rapidly gaining passion. Sebastian moaned as her tongue curled over the roof of his mouth behind his teeth, and Buffy shifted closer, kneeling on the sofa. Another few minutes, and she was in his lap, her arms wrapped around his shoulders.
"Buffy," he gasped. "Maybe we should…slow down," he panted.
She pouted, and nuzzled his ear. "Don't wanna," she purred.
Sebastian groaned, sorely tempted by what she was suggesting. "Buffy…"
"Stay with me tonight, Sebastian," she whispered.
He pulled back far enough to see her face, to gauge whether it was just the daze of lust talking, or… "Are you sure?"
"Positive." Buffy stood, taking his hand. "Come upstairs." They got to the bottom of the staircase, before he hesitated.
"I – I don't think this is the best idea…"
"Sebastian…I'm not asking for anything you can't give."
"But that's the thing, Buffy. If I have you in my arms all night, I'm going to want to stay, and I can't. I told you before that one night wouldn't be enough for me."
"Why?"
He looked at her incredulously. "Why! Are you daft, woman? Because I'm in love with you!"
"You…love me?"
"Thought it was pretty bloody obvious. Everybody else already knows," Sebastian grumbled. "How did you think I felt?"
"That you liked me a lot? We care about each other, but I…you love me?"
"Yes! Is it so hard to believe that someone would?" he asked, his expression open for her to see.
"I don't know…" Buffy absently replied. "You told everyone else before telling me!"
"Huh?" Now she was mad? "No, of course not. Apparently, I'm like an open book, 'cause they all guessed! But I wasn't going to say anything because it's not fair to do. 'Hello, Buffy. Just wanted to say I love you before I take off on secret missions and possibly never see you again. Ta, ta!' Is that what you would prefer?" She had him thoroughly rattled, and he didn't care anymore about being blunt.
"Lower your voice!" she hissed. "You could wake up Mom, or Dawn."
"I apologize. I should go. Happy Christmas, Buffy." He nodded stiffly, proceeded to the door, and walked through it like a ghost.
He was using his powers to get away form her? Oh, no! It was not that easy. Buffy ran out the door and stopped in front of the rental car he had just started driving. Sebastian leaned his head out the window.
"Buffy, I am too tired for this. Move."
"No! We're going to finish this conversation. I asked you to stay tonight, and I meant it. I'm not letting you leave tomorrow mad at me. Come back inside," she said stubbornly.
"I don't think I should," he sighed. "Let me go, Buffy. It's only going to be harder in the morning."
"And where are you going to go at one in the morning! You're going to leave…like this…after what you said? Didn't take you for a coward, Sebastian," Buffy baited.
His blue eyes narrowed on hers, and for a second, she caught on to how dangerous he could be. "Watch your tongue, little girl. I haven't backed away from a challenge in 130 years of service. Be a good little Slayer, and go back inside and go to bed. I won't ask you to move again."
"Fine…asshole." She moved to the side, then marched up the driveway, thoroughly offended at his condescension.
Sebastian put the car in gear once more, and sighed heavily as he rolled away. Getting her angry had been the best way to get her to back off, but he hated leaving on bad terms. Well, there was always tomorrow. It was too late to head down to his cousins', so the knight drove to the cemetery, instead. The crypt was empty, and he knew where a key was hidden. Sebastian hoped sleep would claim him before he had the chance to dwell on the evening.
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Sebastian was back at the Summers' in the morning. He had asked Buffy to breakfast, and he always kept his word. Joyce answered the door.
"Good morning, Sebastian. What brings you by?"
"I told Buffy I'd take her out to breakfast. Is she awake?"
"I'm not sure. She hasn't been down, yet. Why don't you have a seat, and I'll go check?" Joyce went upstairs and knocked on her eldest's door. "Buffy? Are you up?"
"Yeah, Mom…" Buffy called through the door.
"Sebastian is here. He mentioned you have breakfast plans?"
"Oh…right. I'll be down in a couple minutes."
Dawn walked in from the kitchen to the living room. "Hey, Sebastian. What's up?"
"Breakfast with your sister, if she wants to go."
"I'll go, if she doesn't. I've missed hanging out with you. Spike, too. Are you going to stop down there before you leave?" she asked curiously.
"If there's time. You can write me, too, Dawn. I figured Buffy would have given you the address by now."
"Nope. I think she likes keeping it exclusive. Buffy's always liked her secrets. I don't get what the big deal is."
"Big deal on what?" Buffy asked, entering the room.
"Nothing. Can I go with Sebastian? You're obviously not dressed for going out," Dawn replied. Buffy was wearing jog pants and a long-sleeved tee.
"Fine by me. I have schoolwork to do, anyway. 4th year professors seem to love to assign papers over the holiday. Sleep well, Sebastian?" she asked coolly.
"Fine, thank you. And you?"
"Never better. Well, have fun." Buffy went to the kitchen without another glance.
"What did you do?" Dawn whispered to the knight. "She's totally pissed at you."
"Just a disagreement, Dawnie. Now, where would you like to eat?"
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"You're not going out with Sebastian?" Joyce asked her daughter, hearing the front door closed.
"Nope. Dawnie seemed really interested, so she went, instead. It's no biggie."
"Did you and Sebastian have a fight last night, Buffy? I heard raised voices for a minute or two."
Buffy sighed as she poured milk into her cereal. "I wouldn't call it afight, Mom. Just different opinions."
"But it was enough for you to give him the brush-off this morning." How do moms always know this stuff?
"Did you know he's in love with me?" Buffy asked.
"For a long time, honey. It's pretty safe to say he fell fast and hard. Did he tell you?"
"More like blurted it out. What am I supposed to do with that?" she asked, confused.
"Well, how do you feel about him?"
"I like him a lot. And of course I care. He's been a really good friend. And he's definitely hot, and a good fighter. He's off-limits, though, even if I was interested, because of his job. Why would he fall for me when he can't do anything about it?"
"Buffy, you can't choose who you love. I'm sure this hasn't been easy for him. Sweetheart, you need to be considerate of his feelings, now that you know. Don't make it any harder for him, okay?"
"Sure, Mom. I'm just going to work on my papers, anyway, so he won't have to see me the rest of the day." Buffy put her empty bowl in the dishwasher and headed back up to her room.
Joyce sighed, and sipped her coffee. Her daughter had no idea of her power to hurt the knight. She sympathized with him, knowing from one of their talks that this was his first real love. Sebastian hadn't spent this much time in the company of a young woman since before he had entered university at 17. Considering he was 160 now, his feelings had to have hit him quite hard with the newness of them. Under different circumstances, she would be heavily encouraging him to pursue her daughter, knowing no one finer for the task. He really was a fine man. Everything a mother could hope for. It was such a shame the union wasn't possible.
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"Hey, Bas, come on in. Kara was just taking dinner out of the oven," Spike said in greeting. "You alright, mate?"
"I'm fine. Just wishing I had more time to stay. The food smells wonderful." Sebastian hung up his coat and followed Spike into the kitchen.
"Hi, Sebastian - you're just in time. I hope you like pot roast," Kara said.
"Certainly. How are you this evening?"
"Feeling like I'm going to pop, same as every day. I'm so ready to not be pregnant anymore!" she replied with humor. She scooped the vegetables onto their plates before starting to slice the roast. "How many slices do you want?"
"Two will be fine."
"Okay. Spike, there's a bottle of red wine chilled for you two in the fridge. Unless you want beer."
"The wine's fine, luv. Go get off your feet." Kara wrinkled her nose in annoyance at her mate, and carried her plate into the dining room. "She complains about her feet hurtin', but keeps puttering around the house all day," he told Sebastian.
"Well, somebody has to do the housework!" she called.
Spike grinned at his cousin, who shook his head in amusement, and grabbed the wine and two glasses.
"I hope you like cheesecake, Sebastian. Yavanna sent one from New York for Christmas," Kara said gleefully.
"I thought you weren't going to share it!" Spike teased.
"I wasn't sharing it with you. Your cousin, on the other hand, probably hasn't had any decent sweets in months."
"That's fine," Spike said airily. "I just won't make the next run for Phish Food the next time you have a craving at 2-bloody-a.m. The clerk was startin' to give me weird looks, anyway."
"But - !" she protested.
"Unh-uh, kitten. Fair's fair. Just because Vana put both our names on the card…"
"Sebastian, would you deny a pregnant woman at 2 a.m.?"
"Oh, no! Don't pull me into this. I'm just eating my meal in peace, thank you," he was quick to reply. The mated couple grinned at him.
"Wow, he's good. Didn't even choose sides," Kara said to Spike. Her husband shrugged.
"He always was the peacekeeper in the family."
"I'm right here, you know."
"We know," they responded cheekily in unison. And Sebastian realized he'd been played.
"Oh, ha, ha, very funny. Do you two play this game on all your guests?"
"Nah. Word would get around, and nobody'd participate anymore. So, how would you feel about being a godparent?" Kara replied.
Sebastian blinked in surprise. "Me? Wouldn't someone…more available…be more appropriate?"
"You won't be the only one, Bas, but we've talked about it, and thought, who better to protect the girls in the future if we can't? They're going to have powers, and that means they'll need supernatural guidance. We trust you to do the right thing," Spike added.
"I…I'm touched. It would be an honor," Sebastian said in a heartfelt tone.
"Awesome! Anybody want seconds?"
Once dinner was over, they moved to the family room to have dessert and finish off the bottle ofwine. The trio had a wonderful time sharing stories, until Sebastian had to leave to catch his flight. The knight went back to work with renewed purpose, reminded of the world that he was fighting to protect.
