Christmas Frost and Fairies

Part Four....



Buffy felt a slow smile creeping over her
face. She knew she shouldn't laugh, but
it was difficult not to.

"So, she's..." she began.

"She's where she deserves to be...and
let's leave it at that," Joyce said. "Anyway,
my original point was that the chip didn't
make Spike fall in love with you. It didn't
force him to help you or to protect your
sister, or to help save the world. He chose
to do these things...and it will not be for-
gotten." She smoothed Buffy's hair back
from her face. "Someday, you'll know what
I mean by that, and when that day comes
I want you to remember what we talked
about tonight."

Buffy nodded. "I will, Mom. Promise."

"Good." Joyce took a deep breath and
stood up. "Honey, I'm sorry, but I have to
go back."

She tugged Buffy to her feet and swept
her into a tight embrace.

Buffy clung to her mother, desperate and
frightened of losing her again. "Mommy,
no...not yet. Please. Just a little longer.
Don't leave me alone," she begged.

"You're not alone, honey. I'm always with
you," Joyce said gently, her daughter's
arms from around her neck.

Buffy began to cry.

"Don't, honey. Don't cry. I promise you...Buffy,
listen to me...I promise you that someday
we'll be together again." Joyce cupped Buffy's
face in her hands and pressed a soft kiss
against her forehead. "It will be a very long time
from now, but it WILL happen."

"But...but I need you NOW," Buffy sobbed,
heartsick at losing her mother again.

"Buffy, stop crying and listen to me."

Her mother spoke in the tone that she'd
always reserved for her most important
lectures, gentle but firm. "I know that you
think you're not doing things right and
that you can't manage...but it isn't
true. You are doing a fine job, honey.
You've been so strong and so brave...and
I am VERY proud of you."

"Really?" Buffy sniffled. "You are?"

"Yes," Joyce assured her. "And I love you
very much. Remember that...all right? When-
ever you're afraid...or you think you can't
cope...you remember how much I love you,
and that I'm always with you. Always."

"I love you, too." Throwing her arms around
her mother's neck again, Buffy stood very
still. She wanted to imprint everything on
her memory...the feel of Joyce's arms, the
scent of her hair, and the tenderness of her
touch.

They remained that way for a moment more,
before Joyce finally had to pull away. Buffy
couldn't force herself to let go first.

"I'll be close, honey," Joyce said as she
backed away. "Now, go and tell him. Don't
waste one more minute."

"I will," Buffy nodded, then remembered. "But,
Mom...I don't know where he is."

Her mother smiled and blew her a kiss.

"Just turn around."

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

"You...are a stupid little girl. So, you run
along and find yourself an equally stupid
little boy and live happily ever after...as well
as you can."

Buffy whipped her head around so violently
that her neck popped, just in time to see
Spike turn and walk away.

"Oh, and don't worry about running into me
somewhere around town. "I'll make sure that
never happens. Christ, will I EVER make
sure of it."

Turning back to her mother, Buffy saw nothing
but an inifinitesimal sparkle, as though some-
one had tossed a handful of gold glitter into
the air.

"Remember..." A soft voice spoke in
her ear.

"I will...Goodbye, Mommy," she whispered,
watching the sparkle fade away. "Thank you."

She turned on one heel. "SPIKE!" she nearly
screamed. "Wait for me! Please don't leave
without me....I love you!"

The man she was crying out to stopped and
swung around, watching in mute shock as she
ran towards him, her arms reaching for him as
she called his name. He barely had time to
raise his own arms to catch her as she rocketed
into him.

"Oh, God," Buffy whispered fiercely, clinging
to him. "Please don't go...please...I love you
so much...I do...I really do..."

Although he had no idea of the divine inter-
ference that had caused things to change
with such dazzling and delightful speed, Spike
had never been one to question good fortune.
He returned Buffy's embrace with equal fervor.

"Hold me tighter," she pleaded. "Tighter."

He obeyed, tightening his arms to the point
where they would have hurt an ordinary
girl. "Buffy..."

"Shhh." She pulled back slightly and placed
one finger against his lips. He said nothing,
silently urging her to continue. "I'm sorry," she
said softly. "I'm so sorry for those things
I said...and I didn't mean them. I was just...just
being stupid and scared..."

"Buffy.." Spike's tone was soothing, trying to
calm her. "Slow down, baby. Everything's all
right," he said, moving one hand up her back
and stroking her hair gently.

She shook her head, stubbornly. "It's NOT
all right...and it wasn't true." She drew him
down until their lips barely met. "I love you,"
she said. "And what we have is all that I want."

"Me, too," Spike said. "Baby, I love you...I love
you so much..."

"Then kiss me," she demanded. "Kiss me right
now, or I'll die from wanting you to."

"I'll never let that happen," he promised,
pressing his lips to hers.

Buffy's head began to feel pleasantly d.
.



When he sensed her need to breathe, Spike
brought her out of the kiss slowly, keeping her
close.

She smiled, pressing her cheek against his
chest, feeling completely happy for the
first time since her return from Heaven.

"Don't let go," she murmured.

Spike's voice rumbled in his chest, sounding
more at peace than she'd ever heard it. "I
won't if you won't."

They stood that way together, in the biting
December air, until he noticed that she
was beginning to shiver.

"You should get inside, luv," he said. "You're
getting cold."

Buffy shook her head. "Don't care."

Spike chuckled. "Well, I DO care," he
replied, playfully stern. "Come on and I'll
walk you home."

"But I don't want to go home," she said,
looking into his eyes with serious intent.
"There's too many people there," she added,
hiding her face against him in a sudden
attack of shyness. "I want to be alone with
you."

Her words thrilled him, making him catch
an unnecessary breath of excitement. "Oh,
baby," he whispered, kissing the top of her
head, "I want that, too."

"Good." Buffy smiled up at him, her eyes
dancing with a mixture of amusement,
arousal, and pure happiness. "Let's go
to your place."

Spike smiled back at her. "Yeah, let's do
that."

They walked to his crypt in a contented
and comfortable silence, never letting go
of each other's hand.

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

"Christ...you've worn me out, girl..."

"Poor baby. Can't keep up with the slayer,
huh?" Buffy rolled onto her back, stretch-
ing like a sleepy kitten.

"Give me a minute." Spike watched her
with admiring eyes. "Although, if you do THAT
again, I'm not gonna need one."

So, of course, she did it again.

"Arrgh," he growled, a sound that would frighten
most people, but only aroused Buffy. "And you
call ME evil."

Turning on his side, he propped his head on
his hand, staring at her until she noticed him
doing it.

"What?" she asked.

Spike hesitated briefly. "Not that I'm com-
plaining, luv, but...what happened? What
made you change your mind?"

Buffy had already decided that the visit she'd
had with her mother would be something
she kept to herself, at least for now. Some-
day, she'd tell him everything.

Remembering her mother's cryptic words,
she knew that someday she would HAVE to
tell him. Apparently, something big
would be coming to them, hopefully some-
thing 'reward like'.

Even if it was something truly wonderful
and unbelievably impossible, Buffy had
no doubt that it could, and would,
happen...because someone important
and powerful was watching...and cared.

Still, she had to give him an answer, one
that wouldn't make her sound as though
she wasn't completely bolted together.

"When I saw you leaving...that you really
meant it...I was scared. Not scared of losing
another man." She placed her hand on his
cheek, caressingly. "I was scared of losing
YOU."

Seeing tears begin to shimmer in her eyes,
Spike rushed to comfort her. "Baby, that
is NEVER gonna happen. You're stuck with
me and...don't cry, baby, please...you know
I can't stand it when you cry."

Buffy was struggling to hold back another
crying jag. "I just feel like we've wasted...I'VE
wasted...so much time. Time we can never
get back."

"We'll make up for it, luv. No worries."

"Promise?"

"Yes." He smiled down at her as he smoothed
her tousled hair. "I promise. And I never break
a promise to a lady...especially MY lady."

Buffy wiped her eyes and gave him her prettiest
smile.

"God, you're beautiful!" Spike whispered fiercely.
"There oughta be a law against you, little girl."

"If there was," she asked teasingly, "would you
break it?"

"Every chance I got."

Buffy sighed. "I love you," she said, pulling
him down for a kiss. "And I'm gonna say that
until you're sick and tired of hearing it."

"Like THAT'LL ever happen!" he scoffed.

The emotional roller coaster they'd been
riding, coupled with with physical activity
they'd been engaging in, suddenly caught up
with Buffy, and she stifled a yawn.

"You go to sleep, baby," Spike urged. "I'll
be here when you wake up."

She closed her eyes, moving closer to t str strong and comforting presence of his body
next to hers.

He tucked the blanket around her like a
child, then leaned down and kissed her.

"Buffy?" He spoke softly into her ear. "I
swear I'll never leave you. Never."

She turned her head, allowing him to nuzzle
the tender flesh of her throat.

"I know..."



The End


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