"What would dear old Mum say if she knew you'd invited
an evil, soulless vampire into her house?" Spike asked
as he watched the little redhead wrapping the presents
that were piled on the floor around her.
"Probably not half as much as she'd say about the fact
that I'm here to wrap Christmas gifts," she grinned
and ducked her hand under a sheet of paper to fish out
the buried tape. "But they've gone off to Europe for
a
couple of months, so what she doesn't know won't hurt
her."
"And your secret's safe with me," he nodded.
She grinned and reached for the last unwrapped
present, "Thought it might be. How did you know where
to find me, anyway?"
His voice took on a feigned tone of mystery, "I make
it my business to know, little one."
Willow giggled and shook her head, "Never expect a
straight answer."
"Never," he agreed and handed her the scissors she was
looking for.
"So, what's on for tonight?" she raised her head, her
eyes wide with surprise that she'd actually voiced the
question in her mind. "I mean...you might
have...things to do...you might not even want--"
He laughed softly and reached down from his perch on
the coffee table to ruffle her hair, "Of course I
want."
Her eyes lit up with a relieved smile, "Oh, good."
"Thought we might take a walk through the park. I hear
there's to be a group of carolers performing. I
haven't had a decent caroler since, well, London,
actually."
"You can't have a decent caroler, remember?" she
chuckled. "How about a chocolate chip cookie instead?"
"Got some?" he asked hopefully.
She nodded, "Just took them out of the oven before you
got here. Bring me one, too, while I clean up this
mess?"
"Sure, luv," he nodded and headed off toward the
kitchen.
"And don't eat them all!" she called out. "I want some
for gifts."
"Mouthy witch," he grinned back at her before
disappearing around the corner.
Willow shoved the remains of the paper, bows, and tape
into a large shopping back and scooped up the gifts
from the floor. Spike returned as she was piling the
presents on one end of the sofa.
"Open," he said and stuck the edge of the cookie into
her mouth so she could bite off a piece.
"Mmmm, thanks," she smiled.
Spike's eyes were roaming over the brightly wrapped
packages, "Don't see mine here."
"That's right; you don't," she teased.
"So where is it?" he sounded almost worried.
She laughed and retrieved her jacket from the armchair
on which she had tossed it. "At the dorm."
"Ah, that's all right, then," he decided.
***
"You don't really celebrate Christmas, do you?" Willow
asked as they walked through the park.
"Aside from a gift for you, no," he answered. "Oh, and
one for the slayer."
"You got Buffy a present?" she squealed.
"A stake. Handmade by yours truly," he nodded.
"You're kidding!"
"The way I figure it, she'll be pulling splinters out
of her hand for weeks."
The redhead stifled a giggle, "You know I'm not going
to let you do that to her."
"Doesn't matter."
"Why not?"
"I lied," he grinned.
"No present for Buffy?"
"No present," he assured her. "Had you going, though,
didn't I?"
She grabbed his hand and squeezed it, "I'm going to
get you for that!"
He laughed and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her
playfully into his side, "I sincerely hope so, luv."
End.