The Holidays in Sunnydale

Thanks again, to my beta reader, Cory!!!
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Prologue To The Holidays

These last six months had been really hard. Joyce had died and not only left Buffy
on her own, but left her with Dawn to raise and what seemed like a ton of
responsitieities. Giles had helped out by convincing the council to pay the debts that
Buffy had inherited such as the house mortgage, the car note, and the hospital bills
that Joyce’s medical insurance had not covered. They also agreed to pay for all of
her education. They even gave her an unlimited bookstore account, so that her
supplies and books didn’t come out of her own pocket. They also agreed to pay her
a healthy monthly allowance and start a savings plan for her. If by some chance she
was able to one day “retire” to another slayer, then she could live off of that savings.
If she died before then, Dawn would be the benficiary of the savings. They had even
went as far as paying for the h to to be redone. Giles had convinced them that this
was something she needed in order “move on” in her grieving process. And it
honestly had helped.
He had also won the argument that the “Scoobies” were a very vital addition to the
Slayer’s goals so they each received a monthly allowance and their education was
paid for as well.
But she still had to learn the responsibilities of raising a teenager when she was so
young herself. It had been made clear to her, after Dawn had missed an
unacceptable amount of school, that Dawn would be taken from her and placed in
foster care if she couldn’t get a handle on Dawn’s upbringing. She finally got into a
routine and got the house, bills, Dawn, and herself under control and managed to
keep slaying and passing her classes as well.
The problem was that it seemed just when she thought her world was looking up, a
whole new set of “could go wrongs” DID go wrong. She had been happy for about a
week. She had it all together. Then before she could blink an eye Riley had broken
up with her. That in itself was no big loss. It just added to her list of “things that
went wrong”. She noticed right off that she hadn’t added it to her “things to be
fixed” list. She supposed she didn’t really care that he had broken up with her. The
relationship was boring and stale. It had become an obligation and not a want.
What really pissed her off about it was that he had left her for another woman.
Well....demon woman, actually. Harmony of all people had taken her boyfriend. She
hadn’t really thought much about it at first. Willow had giggled, “Only on the
Hellmouth....” But then it started to niggle at her. He left her for Harmony.
H-A-R-N-Y-N-Y!!! What the HELL was he thinking? No way would she ever take
him back. However, she would like to make him jealous and make him see what he
had messed up. But she didn’t have the time or energy that would take so she mostly
just fumed about it once in awhile.
Then Angel showed back up. As Angelus. And he wasn’t happy. Neither was she.
Besides Angelus being back, he had brought a friend. Drusilla. Spike had come to
her one evening to tell her about Riley and Harmony and she had inadvertently
found out about Dru and Angelus as well. All in one strange evening, everything as
she knew it was getting switched all around again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She had been folding towels out on the back porch catching the fresh breeze of the
evening. Spike had sauntered up, with that cat-like walk, through the back lawn to
stand before her.
“Slayer.”
“Spike.” She never looked up at him. She just went on folding the towels as though
he wasn’t even there.
“Have some informa....”
“I’m NOT paying you....”
“Didn’t pay me the las’ time...”
“The last time you had information it turned out to be two gay vamps who were
guilty of nothing but bad housekeeping and a serious lack of personal grooming.
And NO....I didn’t pay you then but if I HAD paid you, I would have made you pay
me back.”
She STILL wondered what that had been all about....
“Don’t want paid....”
Hisce wce was slurred and she looked up at him.
“Spike! You’re pickled. Big time.”
“Yeh....” he laughed in that smirky way of his, “Yeh, I am....”
“What do you want, Spike? I’m in no mood to entertain drunken vampire “Oh “Oh, yeh...cuz you foldin’ the linen is real entertainin’...woohoo....”
“Spike!” The towel in her hand threatened to tear from the tension in her fingers.
She didn’t know why but she got so edgy around him lately. He just set her nerves to
buzzing...
“Right. Ok...you and the military bloke broke it off, right?”
“Yes....”
“Well, I know why if you don’t.”
“And why would that be?” she asked with the tone that said anything he told her
would be unimportant.
“Come on...” he sighed and held out his hand for her to take, “I’ll show you, Luv.”
“I can’t just take off, Spike. I’ve got laundry to finish, a bubble bath to take, and
Dawn to stay with.”
“Call Red to stay with the Bit. You NEED to see this so that you believe me.”
He seemed so sie. Ie. It made her believe he wasn’t just trying to waste her time
that had recently become so limited. She stared at him for a long hard while, then
slowly nodded, “All right, you win...this time, anyway.”
She pulled her newly acquired cell phone out of her back jeans pocket and started to
dial. She was still trying to get used to the ridiculously tiny contraption. She made
several mistakes and started to curse. Spike chuckled and looked up at the stars as if
waiting for divine intervention. She finally did it right and glared at Spike, who
playfully stuck his tongue out at her.
“Hey, Will...are you busy by any chance? No? Great! I need a favor. Yeah, can you
come oved sid sit with Dawnie for awhile? I need to go check on something with
Spike and ya know...me-Slayer...Vampires-hate Slayer...hurt kid sis to get at
Slayer?”
“Not only that but with Dru and Angelus runnin’ about...” Spike started.
Buffy narrowed her eyes and told Willow, “Just a sec, Will...”
She took a menacing step towards Spike and poked him in the chest with one finger.
He looked down at her finger and smiled that cocky smile that said, Oh yeah...I’m
soooo scared. Poke me again...I like it....
“What’s that? Dru and ANGELUS?”
Spike blinked in surprise and then a brighter smile lit up his face as he realized he
was delivering the news.
“You mean the great and all knowing Buffy didn’t know? Oh! I must say...I’m
shocked. YOU are slipping, girl! Down the slip, slip, slippery slope of ....”
“Get ON with it!”
“Right then....Dru is back and has Angelus in tow. They’re an item now. Always was
if I admitted to it, I geuss.”
The hurt in the last statement made her step back and frown. That’s why he was
drinking.....more than usuall anyway.
Poor Spike....poor me....we’re both just pathetic.
“When did this happen?” she asked, trying to make her voice a little softer, even
though she had anxiety pounding through her.
“Last night was the first I knew of it, Pet. Came by the crypt and tossed it in my
face. The both of them. Not only did I not have Dru, but Angelus has her. Harmony
left me on top of that! I’m just doomed to be alone, Slayer....”
He looked like a kicked puppy, but Buffy’s anxiety took over and she started to race
towards taking command of the situation.
“Yeah, well...” she absently agreed and then told Will, “Will, Angelus is back and
Dru is with him. Lock your doors now. Yes... windows and all. Do an uninvite if you
ever invited him in. Yes, I KNOW you live in a new apartment but...just in
case.....NO! Stay there. Is Oz with you? Good. Call Xander and tell him to keep
Cordy under lock and key. Angelus always did have a thing for her. Ummm...yeah,
I’ll call Giles. Be careful, Will. Bye.”
She hung up and Spike made a tsk tsk sound. She arched an eyebrow at him and he
grinned that cocky William the Bloody grin, “My, my...Angelus comes back and
BOOM! Sunnydale is buzzing. Scoobies running rampant! “Oh whatever shall we
do?’ It’s really entertainment at it’s finest, ya know....”
“Spikewoulwouldn’t be too confident if I were you. They may decide that you’re a
disgrace to the family now that you can’t feed and come after you, ya know.”
“Ain’t scared. We goin’ or what?” he replied snarkely and hooked his thumbs in his
belt while rocking back on his heels.
“Wait a minute!” GOD! He could be so irritating. One track mind....
She dialed Giles number and when he answered he sounded like he was worried
sick.
“Buffy! I’ve been trying to get ahold of you! I called the house phone and no one will
pick up. I tried your cell phone and no one would pick up....”
Buffy rolled her eyes and interrupted,
“Dawn won’t answer the call waiting when she sees it’s not from one of her friends
and I didn’t answer on the cell because I was talking to Willow. Giles...Angelus is
back.”
“I KNOW!”
He rarely yelled but when he did it was effective, she mused.
“You know? Why do you and Spike know but I don’t know....”
“Spike? Listen, Buffy. Be extra careful. We need to meet. All of us tonight....”
Buffy sighed. She just wanted to finish her laundry. Then she wanted to take a long,
hot bubble bath. Maybe even fall asleep in it. She just wanted to relax so badly. She
knew Giles would be in research mode and they would all have to sit up bored to
tears....Give it up, Buffy, she thought in defeat and replied,
“Ok...ok.stensten. Call everyone else and have them meet here in one hour, ok?”
“All right. Buffy be careful.”
“I will. You make sure you are too. Angelus really enjoyed his time spent with you
the last time he was here in Sunnydale.”
Spike let out a chuckle as he lit a cigarette.
“Bloody right he did! I almost never convinced him not to saw old Rupert up. Used
the old “librarian stains in the carpet” trick....,” Spike told her haughtily.
Giles sighed tiredly on the other end, “Why is he there?”
“Ummm...well, long story. I’ll see you at.... 9 o’clock, then.”
She clicked off the phone and then stood there tapping her toe and looking Spike
over.
“What?”
“Was this some kind of ploy to get me out and away from Dawn to throw me to the
wolves....two wolves named Drusilla and Angelus?”
“Spike isn’t that smart, but HEY! It would be a neat plan. Ya think, Dru?”
“Yes, Daddy...gooooood plan...like a party.”
Both Buffy and Spike whirled around and faced the two vampires standing just a
few feet away from them in the yard. Buffy shoved Spike into the house and he
yelped thinking it was really going to smart when the barrier in the doorway
bounced him back. To his surprise he went right on through. He smirked when
Angelus smacked up against the protected portal.
Spike stood up and looked at Buffy curiously. fy sfy shrugged her shoulders, “I never had you uninvitejustjust threatened it. Angel,
I DID have uninvited because you never know about him...like now.”
“Ha! Looky here, Angelus! The Slayer invites ME into her home but not the likes of
YOU. Ooohhhh...that must sting! I think we’ll have some cocoa and a little
snuggling later on. Feel free to just stand there looking all cro-magnum and all.....”
Angel had vamped and he was seething with hatred. Drusilla was dancing around in
circles singing a little rhyme behind him on the porch.
“That’s ok...I’ll take care of you, boy. She can’t protect you all the time.”
Spike took a draw off of his cigarette that had survived the little drama and
grinned,
“An’ why would I need protectin’ Peaches? You gonna try to kiss me? Told you
years ago, mate, jus’ cuz YOU go that route don’t mean the Big Bad does...”
By this time Buffy was wanting to laugh so badly but knew it would just make things
worse. She sighed and walked over to the counter where she had a pot of coffee
made. If she was going to have to hole up in the house with Spike they may as well
be comfortable. She poured herself a cup of black coffee and made him a cup of
cocoa. She brought out the little container of tiny marshmallows that Joyce had
always saved especially for him. She set his cup down on the center island beside
him and perched on a stool watching the two master vampires exchange comments.
Taking a drink of her coffee she nodded and winked over her cup as Spike turned
and saw the cocoa and little marshmallows.
“Oh, thank you, Luv. Just like your mum used to make me...”
He looked at Angelus and grinned, “Yeh! Just like her mum used to make it for me.
You know, when we’d have long talks in the evenings while Buff was out patrolling.
You know she never liked you. No, not one bit. Said you were sneaky
looking...deviant behavior issues....but she LOVED me! Told me one night that she
wished Buffy had met me first...”
“Shut up! You freak of nature!” Angelus howled. “Joyce felt sorry for you and
that’s ALL!”
Buffy shook her head, “No...she did really like Spike a lot. Hated you.”
She watched Spike take another draw from his cigarette and curiousity got the
better of her. She took it away from him and he yelped a complaint. His eyes
widened in surprise when she took a puff. She inhaled but didn’t choke. She blew
the smoke back out and sighed. It seemed to always calm Spike’s nerves but she
couldn’t see that it was going to do anything for her, so she handed it back. Spike
looked at the filter. There was a tiny bit of sheer lip gloss shining there and a private
little smile formed on his lips. HER lips had been there. He put the cigarette to his
lips and took a puff himself, touching his tongue to the gl
S
Strawberry, he thought and winked at Angelus.
The whole scene wasn’t wasted on Angelus and he was beyond irate. When had
THEY become such good friends that she would actually put her lips where Spike’s
had been?
Angelus had took enough. Time to get on with it....
“You came here to tell her all about me and Dru being back, didn’t you?”
“No...I came here to tell her that her ex and my ex are doin’ the dirty-dirty, Stupid.
I figured she already knew about you two short bus wonders.”
“Oh....” Angelus seemed to think about it for a second and then grinned, “Oh
well...I geuss I don’t really need a reason, do I? Never much liked you to begin with.
You were just Dru’s toy so I put up with you. But now SHE doesn’t even want you.”
Spike started out on Angelus but Buffy pulled him back, “No! Spike! Think about
it. You go out there and I’ll have to help you because you can’t take them both. If
something happens to me then all Dru has to do is drawn awn out with her mojo-
magic-whatchamacallit stuff and they have her. Stay here with me. We’ll figure this
out. Sober up some....Spike!” He wasn’t calming down and had vamped. He and
Angelus were growling at each other through the door.
“Spike! PLEASE listen to me!”
Angelus looked her up and down and spat with a venomous hatred,
“Why should anyone listen to you? You couldn’t even keep my attention by giving
up your virginity to me!”
Buffy felt like a truck had hit her full in the stomach. It hurt so badly, but she
couldn’t let him see it or he’d use it to the fullest extent against her.
Enough of this, she thought and grabbed Spike, pulling him to her. He growled at
her and for the life of her she didn’t understand why she did it but.... she kissed
him. Fangs and all. Her bottom lip cut a little on a sharp edge of one of his fangs,
but he slowly returned to his human self and returned the kiss passionately. He
tasted of whiskey and cigarettes and of something she couldn’t quite put her finger
on but she was thinking barbecue sauce? He pulled her close to him grinding his
hips against hers and she moaned. That only fueled him on and his hands went
down to cup her bottom and squeeze. Without thinking of who this was, who was
watching, or what she was doing she hopped up and wrapped her legs around his
waist. He set her on the counter and kissed a fiery trail down her neck to between
her breasts.
“Ah! Spike...oh....yeah...” She was completely lost to him. It had never entered her
mind that he could be this way. Well, ok...yeah, she had a few dreams but wow! This
was really good. Spike wasn’t supposed to feel like this, but he did and her brain
just couldn’t quite process the information right now. Not while he was doing
THAT, anyway....
She leaned down and nipped his ear and he growled at her, but turned his head
slightly to allow her better access.
“Awww...yeh, Luv...just like that...perfect, baby....” Spike whispered to her.
A “harumpf!” came from the doorway. It snapped them both back to reality and
Buffy couldn’t help but chuckle at Angelus and Dru’s faces. The two vampires out
on her porch were both livid. Angelus didn’t want Buffy and Dru didn’t want
Spike, but they didn’t want them to be with anyone else either; least of all each
other!
That will teach you, you bastard. Make remarks about MY sexuality! she thought
gleefully.
Spike felt Buffy chuckle in his arms and smiled. The girl really was evil down deep.
He liked it. Slayer or not.
“You’re still, there?” Buffy asked sweetly and absently twirled a lock of blond hair
at Spike’s nape. He shivered and she grinned realizing how she was affecting him. It
was a dangerous game though. Once they got rid of Angelus and Dru she still had to
contend with Spike. He was harmless...but damned annoying when he wanted to
be.
Angelus gave her a withering look and frowned,
“Ya know...you have friends I could be torturing right now. I think I’ll start with
that. And Spike? You better never ever cross my path. And don’t sleep too heavy,
boy....”
With that they left and Spike and Buffy, still holding one another turned to see
Giles, Willow, Oz, Cordy, and Xander standing at the kitchen door. They must have
been clueless that this was unfolding in the kitchen and had come in through the
front of the house.
Cordy wrinkled up her nose and in the way that only Cordy could said,
“Eeyyyewwww!”
Buffy had definitly had enough tonight. She dropped her head onto Spike’s shoulder
and smiled when the laughter that rumbled through his chest shook her.
“Ok, fang face. Let’s go research...unless you would rather go back to your crypt.”
He started to answer her and it finally dawned on her what he had said to Angelus
about his reason for being here.
“Hey!....your ex and my ex...huh?” she asked.
“That’s what I was TRYIN’ to go show you, Pet. They’re LIVIN’ together! He left
you for her and she left me for him! How twisted are THEY?” he asked as he
arched a brow.
Buffy snapped her mouth back together from the gaping hole it had become and she
put her s ons on her hips. She looked down at the floor for a minute. She looked
back up at Spike and frowned. Then she cocked her head to the side and tried to say
something but it just wouldn’t form.
“I know, Luv. Baffles the mind, doesn’t it?” he laughed and set her down off of the
counter.
“Yeah....oh well.....don’t much care. He was getting on my last nerve as it was. And
Harmony couldn’t have been much fun for you.”
“Got that right....syphilis would be a better thrill, I think. Well, I guess I’ll be
heading back to the crypt, then.”
He walked over to the door and Buffy frowned and wondered why she was even
worried about it but said, “Well, be careful....you know how those two are....”
“Ain’t worried, Slayer....oh...come here before I go....” She walked over to him fully
aware that the Scoobies were standing there in shock, watching all of this exchange.
Spike leaned down and kissed her cheek.
“Thank yLuv.Luv.”
“For what?”
She was blushing but he didn’t make any comment about it lest it embarrass her
further.
“You talked me out of ...well...you kissed me out of going out there. Against those
two I could have been dust now. I know you would have come out to help and that
would have put the Bit in danger. You did the best possible thinu cou could do so
don’t you be obsessing about it later, doll. Angelus deserved a little jolt anyway.
Don’t you listen to the things he says to you. He just does that to get at you. A man
would have to be insane to leave you, Luv. And I think whether he is Angelus or
Angel he had some screws lacking when he DID leave you. A REAL man would
have stuck around. You didn’t do anything wrong. No harm...no foul. All right?”
She nodded and lowered her eyes, embarrased that he could see through her so
clearly.
He kissed her other cheek, “Bye, Luv. Hope you get that bubble bath.”
She watched him leave and then turned around to face the group of astonished
people staring a hole through her.
“Hi, guys! Glad you could come.....who wants cake?”

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Anat’sat’s how she found out about Angelus, Dru, Riley, and Harmony all in one
whack. The Scoobies finally recovered from their shock. But Buffy hadn’t really
recovered from her and Spike’s semi-unspoken truce they had made that night. She
couldn’t bring herself to be so grouchy when he was around and they almost got
along when they met up from time to time. It didn’t happen often but instead of the
exchange of harsh words they just talked like friends. Oh, they still sparred but the
bite ...the real bite ...wasn’t in their words. It was more like teasing among old
friends. No it was more than that. She felt something she couldn’t quite get a handle
on. It seemed to be an emotion that was just dancing in the edge of her
consciousness but yet eluding her.
The scene in the kitchen hadn’t been mentioned again and she wasn’t likely to bring
it up. It was settled that night when he had told her, “No harm...no foul.” He had
ended it right then and there and she had nothing to worry about. It was an odd
situation at best.
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And that’s where she was now with the New Year approaching.