Spike arranges a Christmas surprise for Buffy after her mother's death, but gets a surprise of his own.

One year after Chosen the Scoobies are rebuilding their lives and the Watcher's Council in upstate California. What happens when Spike comes back?

Buffy's drowning her sorrows after Anya's wedding; thing is - why does Spike's face keep filling her mind? And those lips...

Riley Finn has been having a bad week... will it get better... or simply worse? Written for Bloodshedbaby in response to a challenge she issued on the tag-board! lol. Co-written with the very talented Mefiant! AN: We tweaked the timeline a little and for the purposes of this fic Joyce is not sick. Thank you to Slaymesoftly and AmyB for betaing this fic.