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“Spiiiike…” cajoled a sweetly innocent sounding voice. “Spiiike…” it called again, drawing the blonde vampire out of his deep unconsciousness.
“Dru?….Pet?” he asked sleepily, face down on the bed. They’d gotten to sleep around noon, after a more than pleasurable morning (or night, for them). Some internal alarm told Spike that it was barely past sunset. Too early to be as cheery as his princess sounded. “What are you doing up so early?” he mumbled, his accented voice muffled by the pillow.
“It’s Christmas, Spike.” She replied in an overly excited
voice. He could feel her kneeling on the side of the bed, making him shake
with her bouncing. Peeking up from his pillow, he saw her hands wrapped
tightly around one another, and white teeth gently gnawing on her bottom
lip. His princess looked like a little kid,
trying to get his/her parents up out of bed, too early
on Christmas morning.
“Is it really, luv?” he asked, sinking back into the bed. Spike smiled into the pillow upon hearing her little whimper.
“Spiiiike…..” came her plaintive cry again, as she tried to prod him out of bed.
“Dru, baby, it’s too bloody early.” He groaned into the pillow, as Dru tried – unsuccessfully – to get him out of bed.
“Never took you for the lazy sort, Spike.” Said a deep voice from the doorway. That was enough to get the blonde turned over and upright in bed, in to time at all. For there, leaning against the doorframe, was Angelus. Not the soulful kind, but his sire. Who wore an amused expression on his face. He’d been silently watching the antics of his children, and couldn’t help but chuckle. It was good to be back.
“I take it Red knows of your mysterious and somewhat late appearance?” asked Spike, eyeing his sire, who only wore his leather pants and nothing more.
“She’d still sleeping.” Said the now-soulless Angelus, a satisfied look overcoming his face.
“Recovering, you mean.” Spike corrected. He didn’t believe for one minute that Angelus would let Willow out of bed until he’d made up the past month to her. And she wouldn’t let him out of bed until she’d made him pay for this last month of hell. By the looks of the dark vampire, she had.
“Whatever.” replied Angelus, pushing himself from the doorframe. “I’ll go wake sleeping beauty and meet you both downstairs.” With that, Angelus turned and went down the hall to his mate’s room.
“Mummy’s all happy now.” Stated Drusilla, bringing Spike’s attention back to the grinning vampire kneeling on the bed next to him. “The Little Tree got her Christmas wish and now we’re a family again.” She stated.
“That we are, pet.” Confirmed Spike, hoping that this time would go better than the last.
Angelus stood at the end of the large bed, and looked at his mate.
She was glorious. She lay on her back, her head turned to one side, exposing the pale flesh of her neck. Seeing his marks on her sent a bolt of possessiveness through him. She was his!
Crawling over the bed to her side, he gently woke the red head with a searing kiss, before lowering his head to nibble along her collarbone.
“It wasn’t a dream.” She said in wonder, her hands lifting his head to meet his eyes. Willow’s gaze took in every detail of his face, memorizing each curve. Her eyes bore deeply into his, searching for guilt or remorse – any sign of the soul-filled Angel. Satisfied with what she found (or didn’t find), she smiled and lifted her mouth, taking his in a kiss full of happiness, desire and possessiveness.
Her mate had come back to her.
Breaking the kiss before it turned into something they didn’t have time for, Angelus spoke for the first time since waking her.
“Spike and Dru are waiting for us downstairs, so we can open presents.” He said smiling into her green eyes. “I think Dru may kill us both if we’re not down there soon. She’s like a little kid today.”
A huge grin exploded across Willow’s face as she pictured her new friend bouncing around like a 5 year old who had eaten too many candy canes. Giving her mate a quick kiss, Willow hopped out of bed and began racing around the room, looking for something to throw on overtop of her nakedness.
“Well, then. We shouldn’t keep her waiting.” Said Willow, tying her silk robe tightly.
“Yeah, we better not.” He agreed, pulling her into his embrace and branding her with a kiss. Seeing her run around the room totally naked had left him wanting to throw her back onto the bed, but he hadn’t been kidding about Dru. His insane childe loved Christmas, and wouldn’t tolerate slow risers where presents were concerned.
“Get your bleedin’ arses down here before I stake Dru meself!” came Spike’s yell form downstairs, separating the two still kissing.
As they made their way down the stairs, Willow couldn’t help but feel giddy. She had everything she could possibly want; family, friends and her mate. But there was still a small part of her brain that kept nagging at her, telling her that her friends (Buffy, Giles, and Xander) didn’t have long to live, now that Angelus was back.
But an even larger part of her didn’t care. Having Angelus made her too happy. He eclipsed all else.
“Merry Christmas, Willow.” He whispered into her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind as she gazed at the sparkling Christmas tree.
“Merry Christmas, my love.” Said Willow, turning in his arms and sealing her words with a kiss.
End