~*~

The spell was simple and after revealing the sad fact that Santa was indeed a Mimblix, Jonathan still had time to head to Hotdog on a Stick for his lunch.

"I think we need to take him out during his next break. Jonathan says Santa demon usually takes his breaks in that little house behind his throne thingy. We can ambush him there before he knows anyone is on to him." Buffy wanted to just get it over with so she could do a bit of Christmas shopping herself.

"All right, love. Looks like no one’s payin any attention now, what say we slip in and wait on Santa?" Spike suggested.

They stealthily moved into the miniature Queen Anne Victorian house that was a part of the setting for the "jolly old elf" and kept as far from the fake windows as possible to make certain no one caught them in there before they could dispatch St. Nick.

"Suppose we should ask the bugger where the wife is? If she’s breeding she won’t want to hunt for herself but will if we kill her mate." Spike didn’t think there were more than just two Mimblix demons in the area. They were blessedly rare most places.

"Good idea. We’ll grab him when he comes in and tie him up until we get all the 411, then off with his head," Buffy decided.

"Might not be too free with the bean spilling, pet. You willing to do a bit of torture if you need to?" Spike just couldn’t see Buffy torturing anyone, demon or not.

"Let’s just get him tied up and we’ll worry about how to make him talk after, okay?" She hadn’t really thought about what it might take to get the demon to reveal the location of its mate.

Time seemed to crawl as the duo waited in silence cramped together in the small space. To keep from being seen, they were in a far corner, sitting on the floor. Spike was secretly enjoying the feel of Buffy’s firm thigh as it rested against his own in the tight space. Any time Buffy shifted it created a delicious slide of limb against limb that was making it more and more difficult for Spike to sit comfortably. He was fighting the urge to just grab the Slayer and kiss her senseless.

Buffy could feel the almost imperceptible tensing of the muscles in Spike’s well formed leg as they sat next to one another. She remembered how firm all of his muscles had felt that time the previous year when she had spent the better part of the day in Spike’s lap, compliments of Willow’s spell gone wrong. She glanced at his crotch through lowered lashes and wondered just how firm THAT particular muscle might be. Judging by the impressive stretching of material around his zipper, it most likely would be enough to give any girl a happy for the holiday. "No! Bad slayer! No vampire yumminess for you. You kill his kind, not have fantasy sex!" Buffy tried to think of anything other than the physical closeness she was experiencing with this persistent would-be suitor. Still, those kisses had been the best she’d ever had.
Lord knew she had tried to forget how they felt.

Buffy let out a deep sigh at the same time Spike did and they looked at each other sheepishly. "Wish Kris Kringle would bring his padded arse in here so we could get this over and done with. I still have a couple of things to buy before I can get out of this hellhole!" Spike would rather have been whispering words of undying devotion to his beloved but knew there would likely be more than one dead demon if he pressed his luck that far. No, at least he could zero in on the sensations created by Buffy’s nearness and play with the memory later when he was home.

"So," Buffy whispered back, "Is that what you were doing? Christmas shopping?" At Spike’s bashful look, she decided to tease a bit. "Who’re you getting for and what did you buy? Is there some kind of weird demon gift exchange thing I don’t know about?"

"Happens to be that I have friends. That’s what you do, give presents to your friends at Christmas. You’ve got your Scoobies; I’ve got my own pals to buy for," Spike said defensively.

"Sorry. I didn’t mean to imply you don’t have friends. Just because I’ve never met any of them doesn’t mean they don’t exist." Buffy was a bit embarrassed to admit Spike probably knew more about her than she did him. "Let me see the loot!" She grabbed at the larger package and pulled out the robot dog.

"Oooh, it’s a Poo-Chi! Dawn wants one of these sooooo bad but they’re almost forty dollars." Buffy caught the uncomfortable shifting of Spike’s body and his closed eyes. "It IS for Dawn, isn’t it? You bought this for Dawnie!" Buffy looked at the vampire and could swear he was blushing. "That’s so sweet! God, she is gonna love you."

"Never said it was for the Bit. But if it is, it’s not some bribe to make her like me. Platelet likes me just fine without the prezzies," Spike huffed.

"True, you are her knight in black armor. Still, it is sweet of you to get it for her. Mom wanted to, but with the surgery, hospital bills and after care costs, it’s going to be a real small Christmas this year." Buffy sat silently for a bit, then the realization hit her. "Wait a minute! This stuff…it’s ALL for Dawn, isn’t it?"

"No," Spike denied, "Some’s for your mum too. Last thing she needs is to be worrying over her baby’s empty stockin’s. Your mum’s been right nice to me, treats me like a friend, welcome and everything. Don’t get on your high horse and tell me not to do this, Buffy, ‘cause it isn’t all about you, you know." Spike was waiting for the command to return the items and not ever consider worming his way into her family life again, but the words were not spoken.

"Thank you, Spike. That’s really…kind of you." Buffy was struck by the truth of that. This vampire, this creature that--according to the Council—was unable to feel any positive emotion, was showing more kindness to her family than any of her other friends. Not one had asked if Dawn was going to have presents or if her mom needed any help making a nice Christmas for the adolescent. Spike was constantly surprising her in ways that challenged all she had been told by Giles, the Council and Angel. There were times she hated him for that, for shaking up her convictions. Other times, like now, she almost felt like she could love him. It would be frighteningly easy.

"Yeah, well, it’s not like I have any family to do for anyway. ‘Sides, the Bit would be all pouty and annoying if she didn’t get her due under the tree." Spike tried to brush off the whole issue.

They both heard the sounds of the approaching Santa demon at the same time and rose to greet him.

Spike came at him from behind, pinning his arms while Buffy moved in to deliver a chop to his windpipe to subdue him. They had the demon tied up and gagged before he could regain his breath. The only problem was that Santa had chosen to eat at the food court this day and his lunch break was nearly over. They would need answers quickly if they didn’t want anyone coming back to check on his whereabouts.

There was a knock on the door and the voice of the head elf was heard announcing that the line forming for Santa’s second shift with the kiddies. "Five minutes, Mac, nice long line waiting and we don’t want to disappoint the little brats!"

"Damn! Why did he decide to wait ‘til now to get in here anyway?" Buffy was trying to figure out how to get the information they needed and kill the demon before anyone got the wiser.

Buffy looked at the wide-eyed demon and back at Spike and had an idea. "Spike!
Quick, strip Santa here and put on his suit."

"You’ve got to be bloody kidding me, Slayer! No way in hell am I gonna put on that outfit and play child chair for half the kids in Sunnydale! Nothing you can say or threaten will get me in that suit!" Spike looked like he was ready to make a run for it.

"Spiiiiike. Someone has to play Santa and, judging from your bags, you already have been, so why not just dress the part for one teeny tiny time? You can send Jonathan in and he can do a truth spell, I can get this guy to talk and you can go back to your basic black. Come on, for me?" Buffy fluttered her eyelashes at the befuddled vampire.

"NO! And again, no. I am not sitting there with crawlers and droolers all over me, tellin’ me what good little boys and girls they’ve been while their mums look on in adoration." Spike was horrified at the mental picture that was forming. Picture! That was another thing. "They’re taking photographs, Buffy. It wouldn’t just be a few minutes of extreme humiliation. It would be captured on film forever! I’m not doin’ it. I’ll kill the bugger, torture him too. YOU put on the damn suit."

"I can’t. My voice is too high. Besides, you already have the white hair. It has to be you, Spike." Buffy smiled in premature victory as an idea hit her. "Tell you what. You go play Santa just until the next break and I’ll sooo owe you. Name your price. It’s your lucky day, Spike."

Spike stood with his mouth agape, wondering if he dared push his luck with a request for what he really wanted.

"What’s the matter, Spike? You know I’ll come through. Name your price. I can always get money from Giles if that’s what you’re after. Some nice bagged human from the hospital? Can do. What will it take to get you in that suit?" Buffy figured Spike would want something she could ferret out somewhere.

"A date." Spike stared straight into the Slayer’s eyes, unblinking.

"A what?" Buffy had the feeling that the floor had suddenly moved downward at least a foot.

"You heard me, Slayer. A. Date. You know, you’ve had a few. Don’t worry, I’ll be payin’. The whole nine yards …dinner, dancing, kiss at the door…a date." Spike thrust his chin up, defying the slayer to back down on her carte blanche offer.

Buffy felt her heart leap in her chest and her pulse increase alarmingly. A date. With Spike. A perfect excuse for a date with Spike. An excuse that neither Giles nor the Scoobies could find fault with for a date with Spike. Maybe the demon WAS Santa Claus, because Buffy had a feeling she just might have a nice holiday surprise herself, all in the name of a good cause too.

She gulped and bit her top lip before answering, her reply so quiet that Spike almost couldn’t hear it. "Okay. A date. I assume you mean with me?"

"No, with Xander! Of course I mean with you, you silly bint!" Spike replied. He had to restrain himself from grabbing Buffy and spinning her around in happy circles and then kissing the frightened looking demon who had brought about this wonderful opportunity.

"All right. But you have to try to be a convincing Santa, Spike. No snarking at the kiddies and making them cry!"

"I can do that. Best turn around while I put this monstrosity on." Spike had begun stripping the Mimblix as he spoke. "And if you dare laugh at me, It’ll be a mite more than just a goodnight kiss you’ll owe me."

Buffy decided that a laugh was not just inevitable but essential under those circumstances.
~~~