Title: Happiest Birthday
Author: Pattyanne
snapkik@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: None of the characters
belong to me.

Summary: Buffy won the battle with
Glory. Life went on, and this takes
place at her 21st birthday party.
This has nothing to do with 'Older and
Far Away' (Oh, and no Riley or chip crap
either)




Part One....

Buffy walked out of the bathroom and
bumped into a blonde haired, blue
eyed vampire that loved nothing better
than startling her.

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

Spike planted his hands on either side
of the doorjamb, preventing her escape.

"I haven't had a chance to tell you happy
birthday yet," he said, smiling at her.

"Yes, you did. You said it when you came
in," Buffy replied, placing her hands on
his chest and pushing.

He refused to be budged. "I mean pri-
vately," he said, leaning down to kiss
her.

"Spike..." Her words were cut off by the
pressure of his mouth on hers, and for
a moment she gave in. Her hands slipped
down to his waist as she let her head drop
back.

Her skin shivered with pleasure when she
felt his mouth leave hers and trail gently
over her cheek.

"Did I tell you how pretty you look to-
night?" he asked. whispering in her
ear.

Buffy's head was spinning pleasantly, her
eyes drifting closed as Spike nuzzled her
throat. "No...no, you didn't," she said in
a breathy little voice.

He smiled against her skin. "Well, you do.
You look absolutely..." He bit down gently
on her ear lobe. "...delicious."

She released a tiny, helpless whimper. "Mm,
thank you."

Spike pulled back and smiled at her, an
affectionate smile, not the cocky smirk
he usually wore. "I have something for
you, but you're not gonna want to open it
out there," he said, gesturing towards the
living room where her friends were sitting
and talking.

Buffy gave him a look. "Something for me?
You're referring to a birthday present, right?
Not what's behind your zipper?"

He chuckled. "Well, that's for you as well, but
yeah, I'm referring to a birthday present."

"Am I gonna like it?" Her voice was light,
with a hint of flirtation in it.

"Mm-hmm," he nodded.

She moistened her lips with her tongue,
drawing his attention to her mouth.

"Do you know that it drives me crazy
when you do that?" he asked quietly.

She gave him a devils smile. "Why do you
think I do it?" she teased, wiggling against
him.

Rolling his eyes as though praying for
strength, he placed his hands on her
hips. "Because," he said, lowering his
head to kiss her, "You're a very..naughty..
girl."

The instant before their lips met, there was
a sudden burst of laughter from the living
room.

Buffy started a little in his hands. "I should
get back in there," she said, pushing him
away. "Someone's liable to come looking
for me."

Spike stepped back immediately. "Well, we
can't have that, can we?" he asked, his
voice tinged with sarcasm.

Buffy looked at him imploringly, "Spike, you
know that I don't..."

He cut her off. "Yeah. Whatever," he
muttered, waving her away with one
hand. "Go on. I'll talk to you later."

She remained where she was, irresolute.

Spike was irritated with her, and she knew
why. It had been months since they'd
begun sleeping together, but she continued
to refuse to bring things out in the open by
telling her closest friends about it.

**Sleeping together? You're not sleeping
together. Just admit it...you're having
wild, unbelievably fantastic sex together.
We do everything in bed BUT sleep!**

As good as it was though, Buffy knew
perfectly well that it was far more than
a mere sexual liaison. There were feelings
between them, although they weren't
prepared to classify them as 'love'.

No, strike that. SHE wasn't prepared to
classify it as love. Spike already had.

He had declared his love over and over
again, both in words and in deeds.

She remembered all too clearly the
first time he'd said it.

**Okay...so he didn't exactly go about
it in the right way. A cattle prod and a
set of chains isn't the way to a girls
heart, at least not to MY heart**

Deep down, Buffy truly believed that Spike
had seen his actions as the only way
he could make her stand still and listen
to him.

But, like most of his hastily conceived
plans, this one had exploded in his face.

The face she had punched right smack
into with her fist.

But even after she'd done that, Spike hadn't
given in. He had followed her home, deter-
mined to make her see that there was some-
thing between them.

No amount of shouting at him to stay the
hell away from her had deterred him. He'd
stayed right on her heels, with a constant
barrage of words, right up until the moment
he'd tried to cross the threshold of her
house, only to be repelled by the barrier
that Willow had reconstructed.

Although she had been careful not to show
it, the expression on his face and the hurt
bewilderment in his eyes had almost made
her feel guilty.

Only after she was in bed had she acknow-
ledged that small amount of feeling that
he'd begged for. Not love, but a grudging
respect for the amount of courage he'd
had to summon up.

Spike had taken a calculated risk that
night, when for all he knew, she could have
lied about her feelings to gain her release,
then turned around and staked him at the
first opportunity.

But it wasn't until Glory had gotten her
hands on him that Buffy really began to
believe that he loved her.

She believed because she couldn't see
how ANYONE, no matter how strong they
were, could stand the hours of torture
that Spike had endured rather than betray
her and Dawn.

After that, she had started letting him into
her life. Not just to help her with Glory, but
as a friend and a confidant.

She could talk to Spike about anything,
could tell him all the things she couldn't
unload on the others.

All her pain over the loss of her mother, all
her fears that she'd be an inadequate parental
substitute to Dawn, and the cold terror that
came in the middle of the night, when she'd
wake up with a barely muffled scream from
a nightmare about her upcoming confrontation
with Glory.

Spike always listened. He never tried to tell
her what she should do, or pep-talk her out
of her fears, or fill her with false hope and
the assurance that she could defeat Glory
with one hand tied behind her back.

He simply listened, then told her that what-
ever happened, he'd be right there beside
her. Whatever she decided to do, he'd back
her up, doing anything she asked of him.

Gradually, as the days flew by and they
had all been gearing up for their final bout
with the hell God, Buffy had begun to care
for him.

She worried when he was late, afraid that
one of the demons he had made an enemy
of by befriending her, had finally gotten hold
of him.

When she was expecting him, she found
herself going out of her way to look nice.
Spike noticed things like that...a new
blouse or that she was wearing her hair
differently...and he always commented on
it, when there was no one else around.

He developed a knack for discovering things
that pleased her.

He'd show up unexpectedly with a gallon
of her favorite ice cream and challenge her
to a contest for who could polish more off
in the shortest amount of time.

Sometimes, after they would patrol to-
gether, he'd coax her onto the back of the
motorcycle he'd appropriated from a demon
they'd killed, and drive her to the beach.

They would sit together at the end of the
pier, talking for hours. Sometimes they
would get so lost in conversation that they
wouldn't notice the time passing and would
have to race back to her house, barely beat-
ing the sunrise.

Which, of course, meant that he'd have to
spend the day there.

After he'd stretched out on the sofa, Buffy
would watch him sleep for a few minutes,
then go upstairs to lie in bed and stare at
the ceiling, trying not to form a mental pic-
ture of how he would look in her bed...with
her.

Once THAT started happening, Buffy
finally admitted to herself that her feelings
for Spike had done a complete 180 degree
turn around.

She'd had to concede the attraction that
he'd once warned her was there.

To be totally honest, though, that attraction
had been her guilty secret from the moment
she saw him.

Over the course of the next few years, she
had beat the crap out of Spike on a regular
basis, and every time she did, she wondered
if he'd be as passionate in bed as he was in
battle.

Not wanting to acknowledge those feelings,
she had started dating Riley Finn, one of the
teaching assistants.

She had liked Riley well enough, but she'd
only gone out with him three times before
she began finding him a little..bland..for
her taste, and had stopped seeing him.

After that, the attraction she'd felt for Spike
had simmered, but never boiled over.

Until the night it finally did...

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


They had gone to her house to arm them-
selves with anything they thought might
do them some good against Glory.

Buffy watched with a heavy heart as
he gathered up weapons, fighting a
sadness that came from knowing that this
might be their last night in this world, and
there were things that needed to be said.

After securing his promise that he would
do everything in his power to protect Dawn,
Buffy stared up into his eyes, then
brought one hand up to touch his cheek.

Spike dropped everything he was
carrying and brought his own hand up,
pressing it down firmly over hers.

A glance at the living room clock
told her that they had just a little over
two hours before everyone regrouped
at the Magic Box.

A little over two hours, maybe, until
they died.

Without a word, she took his
hand and led him up the stairs.

In her bedroom, she opened the curtains,
flooding the room with moon glow.

Wondering if she would ever see the stars
from this particular viewpoint again, she
stood and gazed out the window.

She closed her eyes and inhaled
deeply, taking in the scent of the white
star jasmine climbing the trellis on the
outer wall.

Spike crossed the room to stand be-
hind her, but she didn't open her eyes
until she felt his hands on her waist.
"Buffy?"

He spoke softly, and she turned to look
up at him.

Sliding her hands up his chest, she
slipped them beneath the shoulders of his
jacket, easing it down his arms.

Meeting his surprised gaze, she smiled
at him.

"I want you to know that I'm not doing this
out of gratitude or pity, but because this
might be our last night together...our last
chance to BE together."

He tried to speak, but she silenced
him by pressing one finger against his lips.

"Too much time has already gotten away
from us," she told him. "We can't waste
anymore."

Placing her hand behind his neck, she
pulled him down until their lips almost
touched.

"Please," she whispered. "Make me
forget...just for a little while."

"How?" he asked.

"Make love to me. Make me yours."

With no more hesitation, Spike kissed her.
They both released soft moans from
their throats as their mouths moved
against each others in a sensuous
dance.

In need of air, Buffy was the first to
pull back.

She cupped his face in her hands and
closed her eyes, pressing her forehead
against the side of his neck.

"I love the way you kiss," she whis-
pered, sighing softly. "I've missed it."

"You have?" he asked, turning his
head to nuzzle the palm of her hand.

"Yes," she nodded. "Do you remember
when Willow did that spell and we got
engaged?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Well, I have a secret," she confessed. "I
didn't hate it as much as I said I did."

He chuckled. "I have a secret too...neither
did I."

Her laugh was cut short when he reached
for the hem of her sweater and tugged it
over her head.

He pulled the elastic band from around
her ponytail and her hair tumbled down
around her shoulders. It hadn't been cut in
months, and it hung halfway to her waist.

Spike buried his face in it, taking
in the scent..

"So beautiful," he murmured. "I love your
hair."

"Just my hair?" she teased.

He smiled as he threaded his fingers
through the soft tresses.

"No, sweetheart..not JUST your hair. I
love absolutely all of you."

"Mmm...tell me more," she purred.

And he did, punctuating his words with
kisses.

"I love your hair...I love your soft skin...I
love your pretty mouth...I love your beautiful
eyes that seem to change color with your
moods...I love your small hands, the way
they look so helpless when they're really
very strong."

He gazed intently into her eyes. "And I
love your courage...your sense of humor..
your determination..and your loyalty."

Buffy's eyes misted over with tears. She
had never heard Spike sound so serious.

"But, most of all," he continued. "I love
your gentle heart. Your heart sees me as
more than I am...more than I can ever be."

"Spike..."

"Shhh," he hushed her. "Buffy...you have
the strongest and truest heart that I've
ever known."

A tear spilled down one cheek, and he
kissed it away.

"You take care of everyone you love. You're
strong for them because you think you have
to be...that it's all your responsibility. And I
know that you sometimes feel all alone in
that."

Buffy swallowed hard, trying to fend off
a crying jag, afraid that once it started, it
would never stop.

Spike wound his arms around her
waist and pulled her closer.

She hid her face against his
shoulder, and he brought up one hand to
stroke her hair.

"But you're not alone, Buffy. And it's time
for someone to take care of you, to be
strong for you."

Tightening his embrace, he added, "Let
me be strong for you."

The love they made that night was
infinitely sweet and satisfying.

Spike handled her body gently, as if
trying to show her that not everything he
did had it's roots in violence, that he was
capable of tenderness.

He stripped his clothes off quickly, then
began undressing her, lingering over every
part of her, kissing every inch of skin he
exposed.

When he had her completely naked, he
moved her onto the bed, urging her
to lie down.

Crawling up her body, he hovered over her,
propping himself up on his hands and
knees.

Starting at her hairline, he kissed and
nuzzled a path down the column of her
throat.

After dipping his tongue briefly into the
hollow at it's base, he moved farther
down, licking the tender skin between her
breasts.

Buffy inhaled sharply, arching her back
when he moved his tongue lower, gliding
it along the folds beneath her rounded
breasts.

He teased her by purposely avoiding her
hard rose colored nipples, until she placed
one hand on the back of his neck and
guided him where she wanted him.

"Open your mouth," she demanded, then
pushed one tender breast deeply into his
mouth when he complied.

Pulling away for a moment, he issued a
command of his own. "Put your hands on
the sides of your breasts."

Buffy obeyed.

"Now," he continued hoarsely, "push them
together...good..play with your nipples."

Buffy gasped at the erotic demand, then
began squeezing and tugging her untra-
sensitive peaks.

"That's right," Spike praised her as he
watched. "Harder," he hissed. "Baby..that
is SO sexy. Let go" he added, lowering his
head. "Let me make them wet."

Gathering a small bit of saliva from his
mouth, he spread it over her nipples with
his tongue.

"Spike...please," Buffy panted harshly.

"Please what, baby? What do you want me
to do."

She whined with frustration. "Suck them,"
she begged. "Suck them hard...yes...like
that...harder..."

He gave her what she wanted, moving back
and forth from one nipple to the other, nursing
at her like a hungry baby.

When she couldn't wait another second, she
placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed
down, urging him to continue.

"So impatient," he said with a husky laugh,
though he followed her unspoken demand.

Moving down her body, Spike dropped soft,
moist kisses on her heated skin.

When he finally laid his head between her
thighs, Buffy's entire body was quivering.

He spent long, lingering moments making
love to her with his mouth, building her
pleasure to heights she'd never reached
before.

By the time he was finished, there wasn't
a place anywhere on Buffy's body that
he hadn't explored with his tongue.

When she was nearly mindless with need,
he pushed her thighs further apart and
moved to lie between them.

Entering her with shallow thrusts, he
increased the pace a little at a time,
until he was completely sheathed in
the warm center of her body.

Spike waited a moment to let her ad-
just to his presence within her, then began
the deeper thrusts and grinding of his
pelvis that would carry Buffy to the teeter-
ing edge of orgasm.

Stretched out on top of her, supporting
his weight on his forearms, he babbled
in her ear. Words of love, of devotion, and
of pure, raw sex.

"I love you, Buffy...love you...you're my
angel..my baby..my star..never loved
anyone before you..never..only THOUGHT
I did..."

Buffy smiled up at him. "I believe you," she
whispered, her hands stroking the hard
muscle of his biceps, then moving up to
his shoulders and down his back.

"I'll always love you...always...no one
but you..not ever..promise...swear to
you..oh, yes...Buffy...sweetheart..."

She sent her fingers down to curve over
the firm cheeks of his ass, feeling them
clench and relax with the movements of
his strokes.

When he felt her dig her nails in, his
head jerked up and back.

"Ahh, Christ..it's so good..yes..harder,
baby..fuck me back..little wildcat YOU
are..make it tight..your sweet little pussy..
that's it...tighter...oh, God, oh, God..oh,
I'm..FUCK..gonna come..gonna come gonna
do it, do it, do it..."

Buffy lifted her hips to meet every slam
of his pelvis into hers. "Yes, do it," she
whispered. "Come in me..give me every-
thing..I want it...I need it..."

The contractions of her internal muscles
as she began to climax, triggered his own
orgasm. With one final thrust, he ground
himself into her, emptying copious amounts
of semen into her willing body.

His arms were shaking with the effort of
holding himself up, and Buffy encouraged
him to lie down and relax. She didn't mind
the weight of his body, she found it com-
forting.

Spike pulled back to look into her eyes.

"I'm not gonna let anything happen to you,"
he vowed. "I can't lose you now..I WON'T
lose you. I don't care if I have take on the
devil himself..."

"I know...I know," she whispered soothingly,
stroking and petting him.

"I'll take care of you, Buffy. It's MY job
now."

With those words, she slipped one hand
behind his neck, pulling him down as she
lifted her face.

"Kiss me..."


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

She'd carried the memory of that kiss
with her when she'd finally come face
to face with Glory.

It had renewed her own determination
not to die. There were all these new
feelings to explore, and she'd been damned
if she was gonna let that bitch interfere
before she'd had a chance to explore them.

And although she'd been closer to
losing than she'd ever come before, she
HAD won the day.

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

Buffy stood before Spike, bruised and
a little the worse for wear.

"It's over," she said quietly. "I killed her."

Spike shrugged, as though it had been a
foregone conclusion. "I knew you would."

The heat of the battle and the heady feeling
of victory fired her blood, even after it was
all over.

Spike could see it, recognized it for what
it was...the need to celebrate life's
triumph over death.

Buffy could see the feeling reflected back
at her in his eyes. It was powerfully arousing
and they had to consciously force them-
selves to keep their hands off each other.

Back at the house, Giles gave Dawn a mild
sedative to help her sleep, then volunteered
to take the others to their own homes so
Buffy could rest as well.

After catching Buffy's gaze, Spike declined
the Watcher's offer, with the explanation
that he needed to walk off some excess
energy left over from the fight.

He watched from the front door until
Giles' car had disappeared down the block,
then closed it and turned to Buffy with
a predatory grin.

She met his gaze boldly, feeling new
strength and a ferocity she hadn't ack-
nowledged until this moment.

Unlike before, this wasn't a time for
gentleness, for slow and tender touches.

This was a time for victory. She had
won..THEY had won..and they needed
to prove that triumph with an unbridled
demonstration of life's passion, it's
will to survive at any cost.

They came together in the middle of the
room, voracious in their need.

In spite of the fact that there was no clock
marking off their time, no axe poised to
strike at their necks, their hands and
mouths explored quickly and feverishly.

Too aroused to even try and make it up
the stairs, Spike pushed Buffy up against
the living room wall and yanked frantically
at the buttons of her slacks, without ever
losing contact with her mouth.

Hoping that the sedative Dawn had taken
would keep her deeply asleep, Buffy yanked
Spike's shirt out of the waistband of his
jeans. Her hands moved beneath it and up
his chest, leaving the marks of her nails
on his skin.

Moaning, Spike shoved her pants down,
then began working on his own. With
fingers made clumsy by the intensity of
his lust, he finally managed to get the
buckle of his belt undone and his fly un-
zipped.

Buffy kicked her feet free of the fabric that
was preventing her from spreading her legs,
then slipped one hand into the front of his
pants and took hold of his steel hard erec-
tion.

A sudden grunt of pleasure escaped him,
making his hips jerk instinctively as he
forced his hardened flesh more firmly into
her little hand.

She smiled at the effect her touch was having
on him, filling her with a sense of feminine
power.

Just knowing that she had brought this other-
worldly creature to such a state thrilled her,
and inspired her to double her efforts to please
him.

Shoving his pants down around his knees, Spike
released her mouth from beneath his and
pulled her sweater off over her head, then twisted
open the front clasp of her bra.

Pressing her more firmly against the wall, he
lowered his head and found her tight nipples
with the very tip of his tongue. Painting wet
circles around them, he only stopped long
enough to take one at a time into his mouth
and suckle them hard.

Spike then molded his body against hers
and pushed his rigid shaft between her
thighs, sliding it back and forth in the rhythm
of intercourse.

Buffy whimpered as his erect cock rubbed
her moistened labia, prompting him to move
faster. He moaned when he felt her tighten
her thighs around him.

When she couldn't wait one more second,
she made him lift his head and began to
whisper in his ear, begging him to penetrate
her, to do it now, do it hard and fast and deep.

Spike placed his hands beneath her bottom
and lifted her. Buffy wrapped one arm around
his neck, and sent her free hand down between
them to position him.

Bending his head again, he took one nipple
into his mouth and sucked it at the same time
he plunged into the heat and the wetness,
and the unbelievable tightness of her core.

He matched his sucking motions to the
thrusts of his cock, taking hard pulls at
her nipple.

The pressure built fast, the need for release
became their only purpose, their reason
for living.

There simply WAS nothing else.

Pressing her head against the wall, Buffy
whined and panted and begged....

"Spike..harder..harder..yes..feels so good..
so good..give me more, baby..go faster..I
can't wait..I can't..so close..so close..unh..
unh..make me come..make me come now.."

In the end, she had to bite down on her
lower lip to keep from screaming like
the wildcat he'd called her.

Instantly recognizing the scent of her
blood, Spike released her breast and
raised his head. His tongue darted out
to lick the crimson drops from her lip,
then he took it into his mouth and sucked
the tiny wound, drawing her power into
himself.

The taste of her most vital fluid was all he
needed to make him work at her a little
harder, pushing her over the precipice of
climax, then joining her in the freefall

He buried his face against the side of her
neck, trying to muffle the roar of pleasure
he couldn't hold back.

When it was over, they froze in place,
waiting to see if there would be the sound
of footsteps pelting downstairs, bringing
Dawn to see what all the noise was about.

After a minute, she nudged him until he
pulled back from her, then looked up into
his eyes...and smiled, happier than she'd
been in a very long time.

Spike returned her smile, then bent to kiss
her sweetly and whisper the words that she'd
never forget.

"Oh, Buffy..I love you. I love you so much."

He had said it before, but it had never meant
as much to her as it did at that moment, and
though she didn't say the words out loud, she
finally admitted to herself that she truly cared
for this man, and didn't want to ever lose him.


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

"Are you gonna stand here all night?"

Dawn's voice was amused, bringing Buffy
back to the present.

"Yes..no! Of course not." She pasted on a
cheery smile. "I'll be right there."

Dawn looked doubtful. "Good. It's time for
cake."

"Would I miss cake? Go on back in."

She waited until Dawn left, then glanced
back at her reflection in the bathroom
mirror.

Smoothing her hair down, she turned off
the light and returned to the living room.

She stood in the entryway, her eyes auto-
matically seeking him out. He sat slumped
in the corner of the sofa, listening to the
conversation going on, but not participating
in it.

He looked depressed, almost sad, and it
made her heart ache in her chest because
she knew it was her fault.

Buffy sighed deeply. This wasn't fair. How
long could she expect him to put up with
this situation? He had worked so hard and
been so patient, waiting for her to return his
love, and when she finally had, she'd kept
it a secret.

Sneaking around, telling lies, hiding her
feelings...all this tainted their time together,
giving it the feel of a back alley, sleazy motel
room type of affair.

And for what? For who? And whose business
was it really?

Happiness, she had learned the hard way, was
the most elusive thing in this world. You could
have it one day, then lose it the next; have it
snatched away before you even realized that you
had it. How could she turn her back on it?

WHY...should she turn her back on it?

To spare her friends feelings? Keep them from
judging her for wanting him, needing him...loving
him?

Spike would do anything for her. She knew that
he would keep her secret for as long as they
existed in this world, and even after her passing
from it, if that was what she asked of him.

He would hate it...but he would do it. For her.

Because he loved her that much. Enough to put
her feelings ahead of his own.

God, why was she doing this to him? Why did
she care more about her friends feelings than
about his...or even her own, for that matter?

And what if he someday decided that he
couldn't continue this way. What if he turned
his back and walked out of her life...for good?
What would she do then?

Tears misted her eyes. The thought of losing
him was paralyzing. Was she going to risk
it...even for one moment?

The cliche of life being short was actually
quite true. A person had to grab every bit of
happiness and love offered to them.

And you absolutely could NOT allow other
people's opinions to steer your course for
you.

So..was she going to risk it? Risk losing this
man she....

"Hell, no," she said quietly.

It was time to step up to the plate.


TBC......

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 coffee 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 inspection.

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. "Because 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 velvet 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 locket; 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 romantic...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 audience.

"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 expecting. 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 pantyhose.

"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. "Because 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. "Because 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 extravagant 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."

The End.