Happiest Birthday

Title: Happiest birthday
Author: Pattyanne
snapkik@yahoo.com



Summary: Buffy won the battle with
Glory. Life went on, and this takes
place at her 21st birthday party. It
has nothing to with 'Older and Far
Away' and there's no Riley or chip
crap anywhere to be found.


Part two...

"Yay." Buffy clapped her hands in delight. "My
favorite part of the birthday party experience...
presents!"

"Open mine first," Dawn pleaded. She picked up
a package from the coffe table, and deposited
it in Buffy's lap.

She had done a beautiful job of wrapping the
gift, a talent she'd learned from their mother.

Dawn knew just how to use the right color
and design of paper, and how to turn straight
pieces of ribbon into a curling cascade of
multiple coordinating shades.

Buffy smiled, a little sadly, at the reminder
that this was her first birthday without her
mother.

Joyce had been one of those "This is almost
too pretty to unwrap" types. She would remove
the wrapping and ribbon carefully, which always
puzzled Buffy, since they would hardly be using
it again.

She, herself, was more of a "That's nice. Now let
me at it" gift opener.

Lifting the lid of the box, she peeled back a thin
sheet of tissue paper..also coordinated with the
outside wrapping paper.

Buffy lifted a silky, sky blue peasant blouse
from the box, and dutifully held it up for inspec-
tion.

After everyone had made the appropriate
sounds of admiration, she replaced the
blouse in the box, and set it aside.

"Thank you, sweetie," She gave Dawn a kiss
on her cheek. "It's beautiful."

Dawn's face lip up. "You really like it?"

"I can't wait to wear it," Buffy said. "So,"
she looked around expectantly, "what's
next?"

After all the gifts had been unwrapped and
displayed, Dawn looked at Spike.

"Where's YOUR present?" she asked pertly.

Buffy smiled. She had fed this line to Dawn,
and her sister delivered it right on cue, eager
to help after Buffy explained what she going to
do.

Spike shifted in his seat, glancing at Buffy,
expecting her to help deflect the question.

But she was no help whatsoever, and just
sat there with an expectant smile on her face.

"Well," he began, sounding flustered. "You
won't believe this but..I forgot it. I left it at my
place and..."

His voice trailed off as he tried to convey a
_expression of "I'd forget my head it if weren't
attached."

Buffy's smile widened. "But you told me that
you had something for me. In the hallway? A
little while ago...remember?"

Now, Spike looked nervous and confused.

"Well...I thought I had brought it with me when
I said that, but...turns out I was mistaken."

Dawn took his coat off the back of a chair,
and dropped it in Spike's lap.

"Maybe you should check your pockets,"
she suggested, smiling beatifically.

Spike looked from the jacket, to Buffy's
face, then back to the jacket. Running his
fingers lightly over the outside of the pockets,
he looked up and shrugged.

"Nope," he said, "nothing here."

Dawn snatched the jacket back before
he could stop her.

"Are you sure?" she asked innocently. "Be-
cause I thought felt...what's this?"

"What's what?" Spike asked abruptly.

"Feels like a little box," she explained. "You
want me to..."

"No!" he said sharply. Yanking the coat out
of Dawn's grasp, his hand delved into an inner
pocket. "Oh, yeah," he mumbled. "Guess I forgot
to check there."

He removed a small black box from the pocket,
holding it in the palm of his hand as he looked
at Buffy in exasperation.

"Ooh," Anya exclaimed. "That's gonna be a good
one. Nothing bad ever comes out of a black box."

Spike tossed the box to Buffy. "Be my guest,"
he said, meeting her eyes with a look of "Don't
say I didn't warn you."

"Happy birthday," he added.

Buffy's Pepsodent smile became softer,
more intimate. "Thank you," she said softly
as she flipped open the lid of the box.

She inhaled sharply in genuine surprise when
she saw what the box contained; a delicate
gold chain, with a heart shaped locket, nestling
in a bed of black velvet.

"Told you so," Anya piped up.

"Spike, this is..it's beautiful." As she lifted
the treasure from it's setting, Buffy saw the
words engraved on the back of the lock-
et; Love Never Dies.

The chain was very long, and Buffy knew
without being told why he'd chosen it.

He'd made sure that the chain was long
enough to be worn beneath her clothes,
in a place where she could hide it.

Oh, God...

Buffy's throat tightened and she was afraid
she was going to start to cry.

Although she had set these events in motion
herself, planning to force his hand into giving
her the gift now so she could open it, and then
thank him for it properly, in front of everyone,
she hadn't expected anything so deeply ro-
mantic...such an obvious display of love.

Without a word, Buffy left her chair and crossed
the room to kneel beside him on the sofa.

Everyone in the room fell silent as they watched
this new episode of the Spike and Buffy show.

Placing one gentle hand on the side of his face,
she smiled tenderly. "I love it. Thank you."

"You're welcome," he answered, closing his
eyes as she lowered her head..and kissed him.

When they finally pulled apart, Buffy was
almost trembling from expelling the emotions
she'd kept bottled up inside of her for so long.

Staring into Spike's eyes, she felt the oppressive
weight of so many months trying to hide the
life they'd been leading, slough off like a
discarded lizard skin.

For the first time in so long, she felt completely
right about what she was doing.

Spike placed his hands on her upper arms,
holding her where she was. "Why?"

"Because it's time," Buffy said, her voice
firm and sure. "It's past time. I shouldn't
have let it go this long...and I'm sorry."

"Buffy.."

"Hold that thought," she said quickly, placing
one finger against his lips.

With a smile, and a brief widening of her
eyes, Buffy turned and confronted her audi-
ence.

"Okay...the floor is open for questions." She
settled herself on Spike's lap and looked at
him. "Just don't get too personal...some things
aren't meant for sharing," she said softly.

Returning her smile, Spike tightened his
arms around her waist. "But the best things
are."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"That was weird." Buffy draped the gold
chain over her head and stared at her
reflection in the bathroom mirror.

Spike stood in the doorway, leaning
against the frame with his arms folded
across his chest, watching her.

"How's that, love?"

Taking one last look, she turned out the
light and left the bathroom.

"Well...it's just that...I don't know..it
wasn't the big shock fest I was expect-
ing. They took the news pretty well."

Spike followed her to the bedroom.

"In fact," she went on, "they didn't
really seem all that surprised. What
do you think THAT means?"

He shrugged, closing the bedroom door.

"That we're not as sneaky as we think
we are?"

Buffy sat down on the edge of the bed
and pulled off her shoes. "I guess not,"
she said. "Still...I'm glad its out in the
open now."

She stood up and peeled off her panti-
hose.

"Buffy..why now? After all this time. Why
tonight?"

Back on the bed again, she motioned
for him to sit next to her.

"Because.." She cleared her throat. "Be-
cause it was hurting you. And I don't
want to do that anymore."

Taking his hand, she brushed a kiss
against the back of it. "Because I love
you," she finished simply.

Spike stared into her eyes intently,
looking for the truth behind her words.

"I mean it." She hastened to assure him
of her sincerity. "I love you. I'm not just
saying it."

His silence unnerved her.

"Please say you believe me."

With slightly narrowed eyes and that
slow smile that always turned her innards
to jell-o, he answered her.

"Convince me."

"Okay." She placed one hand on his chest
and pushed him flat on his back.

Climbing on top of him, she straddled his
hips.

"Will you come and live here...with me?"

She nearly laughed at the dumbfounded look
on his face.

"Please," she added, teasing him. "Pretty
please...pretty please with sugar on top..
pretty..."

"Buffy! Stop!" He reversed their positions on
the bed. "Do you mean this?" he asked. "Be-
cause if you're just gonna change..."

"Pretty please with..."

"Don't you DARE start that up again!" he
warned her.

"Then answer the question!"

He smiled. "What was the question again?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Bloody hell," she
muttered under her breath, copying his
most over used choice of phrases, with
a smart ass grin.

Spike growled and lunged at her, covering
her face and throat with wildly extrava-
gant kisses.

Buffy giggled. "Does that mean yes?"

"Hell YES that means yes!" He kissed her
soundly on the mouth.

"Love you," he said when he pulled back.

"Love you more," she retorted.

"Loved you FIRST!"

"Love you...oh, never mind. You win."

"What did I win?" he asked.

"Take off my clothes and I'll show
you."

Th
The End.


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