SECTION 4 - YOU'RE THE ONE

When the cold wind blows
And the rain keeps tumbling down
And there's no one there
And the morning light shines on

You're the one to lend a hand
You're the one who understands
You're the one to comfort me
The keeper of my heart

(Clannad, Album - anam, Words and lyrics A. Brennan, Additional lyrics M. Brennan)




Chapter 4.09
Tuesday, May 14th, 2002

"Penny for them?" Willow asked, seeing her friend's wistful expression.

"Just thinking, even with everything we can't have, I still wouldn't change what we've got."

"That's good, 'cause if we try returning any more unwanted gifts, the stores are going to start banning us."

"No," Buffy confirmed, watching as Rosa giggled in Spike's arms, as he spun round and round for her. "This one's a keeper."

"Well, in that case, you better open it, hadn't you?"

Buffy's gaze lingered longingly on Spike as her thoughts turned to unwrapping until Willow pulled her away to where Xander had deposited his burden on the bleachers. Buffy looked at the huge gift-wrapped box, her fingers itching to tear off the paper. All the Scoobies gathered round to observe the grand opening.

"Spike! Pressies!"

Spike stopped his games with his youngest fan and skated back to the edge of the ice to pass her over to her waiting mother. He placed a kiss on Marie's cheek. "Thanks for lookin' after Bit, while."

"Not a problem. Now go open your present before Buffy explodes from the suspense. You can get ours later."

"Spike?" Buffy called again.

"'M here, pet. No need to bust an eardrum." Spike's arms slid around her waist from behind and his cheek rested against hers. "Feel free to unveil your toy surprise."

"It was Xander's idea," Anya told them. "He said you'd need one for the basement, so I said we should all put together and give you one, in case Spike took the one from the flat and then I wouldn't get my security deposit back, so. Dawn picked the colour. She said it would match the rest of your things."

All the while Anya was talking, Buffy was tearing into the wrapping around the gift, pulling the paper back in strips until the picture on the side of the box was revealed.

"It's a microwave," Buffy tried to sound enthusiastic as she wondered why they needed a third one in addition to the one in the kitchen and the one from Spike's crypt. Then she noticed the little colour sticker on the corner of the box. "It's a silver microwave," she managed with slightly less apathy.

"Hot. Chocolate. Fudge," Spike whispered into Buffy's ear, the very tip of his tongue licking the whorls of her ear ever so briefly as he did so.

A small smile settled on Buffy's face at that idea and Spike could hear and feel the increase in her heartrate. "Thanks, you guys."

"And there's a little extra something, just from me, in case you ever change your mind." Xander pulled a much smaller parcel, tied with a bow from his jacket pocket.

Buffy turned to Spike as if to see if he wanted to take his turn opening things. "Don't look at me, love. There's only your name on the tag."

"It's kinda tongue-in-cheek, so don't take it the wrong way," Xander started placating the slayer even as the feel of the parcel gave her a hint as to its content.

"Xander." She started peeling back the layers of paper. "If this is what I think it is."

"I told him it wasn't funny. But he was all, 'you just don't get it, Ahn. Buffy'll think it's a hoot.'"

Sure enough, Buffy found what she had suspected was within parcel. One hand-crafted and extremely sharp wooden stake with fingergrips, shaped to fit perfectly in her hand. Buffy turned the fine piece of craftsmanship over, to check what her fingers already told her was there. Sure enough Spike's name was carved into the wood in an intricate script.

Buffy stood holding the gift in her hand, deeply ambivalent about both it and its giver. As a piece of craftsmanship it was unsurpassed. The time and effort that had gone into its making were undeniable. As a joke, it was crass beyond belief. How could her friend think she would be amused? Was he even her friend if that was what he was thinking?

Spike's defence mechanism set itself in motion, this time covering for Buffy's confusion. "All that work and you still couldn't manage to spell 'stake' right, but I reckon three out of five letters right must be better than average for you."

"No, you-." Xander's attempt to explain the joke was cut short by his wife elbowing him in the ribs, while Willow and Tara just looked embarrassed.

"Off topic, Xander," she told him.

"So, isn't it about time you all got some skates on and joined us out there?" Buffy asked, dropping the stake onto the nearest bench.

"Wait. You haven't opened my present, yet." Dawn interrupted. The teenager rummaged in her backpack before she pulled out yet another parcel. "It's not much, but I figured if Spike keeps finding things to apologise for, you might need it."

Buffy gave her sister a curious glance as she started unwrapping the parcel. "I dread to think."

But when she opened up the box to reveal a cut glass vase, her mouth formed into the first genuine smile at any of the gifts. "I don't think it'll stay empty for long."

"Thanks, Bit," Spike added.

"So does this mean you two guys are back to normal again?" Buffy asked.

"Normal? The Addams Family's more normal than us." Dawn joked. "But if you mean are we good, then yeah. We're good."

"Glad to hear it," Buffy told them. "Now hug."

Teenager and vamp each gave her identical 'Do we hafta?' looks. What happened in the privacy of the back porch was one thing. Getting hug-happy with your future in-laws in public was quite another. Nevertheless, they both knew their fate was sealed. Spike held out his arms and Dawn walked into them.

As Spike's arms closed around Dawn's shoulders he whispered in her ear. "You think she's embarrassed us enough yet?"

"Just smile and thank your lucky stars she hasn't got a camera."

The pair pulled apart though Spike kept one arm around Dawn, his other slipping round Buffy's waist. "I think you've got one last gift to open, pet."

"Ooh, champagne." Buffy's attention was caught by the bottle in Clem's hand.

"Bit lower, pet," the vampire indicated at the same time as Buffy felt a tug on her hand. Looking down, she noticed Rosa clasping another box tightly against her chest. "It's for you and Unker Will. Mommy says to be real careful and not fall in case it breaks."

Buffy crouched down to take the parcel from the girl.

"Thank you."

"When you marry Unker Will, will you be my Auntie? Mommy says not to call you Auntie Buffy 'less you say it's okay, but if you marry Unker Will then you'd have to be my Auntie."

"Sweetie, you can call me Auntie Buffy any time you want, okay?"

Spike relinquished his arm around Dawn. "Come on, Rosebud, an' I'll pick you up so you can see."

Buffy carefully opened up the package while Spike, Dawn, Clem and all his family looked on. She stared into the top of the box after pulling out the first chunk of polystyrene. "Spike?" She held the box in front of him for him to have a look.

Spike's face twisted into a frown. "Marie, we can't take that. Those things cost a bloody fortune."

"Not the little ones, they don't. And that was one of the smallest ones they had and it's from all of us, so you're keeping it."

It was then that Spike caught the look of awe on Buffy's face and knew the lamp with its stained glass shade was staying.

"Is it really expensive?" she asked, though he could tell she'd already fallen in love with the design of bluebells against a green background.

Spike sighed. "Let's just say, that one Rupert had with the dragonflies would set you back getting on for a couple of hundred quid in England. I'm not so sure what they go for over here."

"It looks prettier when it's on," Rosa told Buffy. If there had been any doubt in the matter, Spike knew it was settled now.

"Okay, I give up. I'm not going to try arguin' with three of you at the same time. Thank you all." The vampire conceded the battle with as much grace as he could muster.

"Ignore him. What he means to say is it's gorgeous and it'll make a perfect bedside lamp when we get the basement sorted out." Buffy hugged and thanked all Clem's family individually ending by placing a kiss on the end of Rosa's nose. Then, Spike gave her back to Marie to put the girl's skates on while he escorted Buffy back onto the ice.

 

---

 

Xander looked over as Buffy embraced Marie and Rosa.

"So who's the babe with the kid? An' how come if Spike's got proper friends we've never met them before? No, silly me. If she knew Spike she'd never let him hold the kid," he questioned his wife.

"You've never met them because quote spending the evening with the demon hordes, not your idea of fun unquote."

"Ah, so what is she? Vamp? No, no kids. Unless she was vamped after she had the kid. So technically possible, but unlikely. Vengeance demon? Wig-lady thing or what?"

"Gee, Xander. It's so great when you let people see your sensitive side." Had they not been sitting some distance from everyone else Anya's caustic tone would probably have drawn everyone's attention. "Marie's human. She just happened to be as good as married to Clem's brother."

"So the kid is."

"Clem's niece. You know. The hellspawn you were so afraid of catching demon cooties from."

"But she looks so."

"What, Xander? Human?"

"I was going to go with cute, but, yeah, human'll do. Not like Clem."

"Well, if you really have to, take another look and this time have a look below the hair at her ears, and I guess you'll find what you're looking for. But once you're done, take a look at yourself and ask yourself why such a little thing makes such a big difference to you. Ask why it matters what her father was or what her mother is."

"I'm not. It doesn't. I don't know. You're putting words in my mouth."

"Well, maybe if I try real hard I'll eventually manage to put thoughts in your head." Anya tied the last knot in her laces with rather more vigour than was necessary and stomped off toward the ice. As soon as she reached the frozen surface she glided effortlessly away from the edge. Xander followed but given his total lack of practice he resorted to holding onto the barrier and calling after her. "Ahn, hon, come back. I didn't mean it like that, honest."

Spike noticed the carpenter fumbling around. "Maybe I best give Harris back his balls before he breaks something."

"But. What if he fell on his butt and smashed them?" Buffy asked. "Best play safe."

"Oops. I see what you mean. Invulnerable body. Ice. Orb sandwich. You're quite right. Recipe for disaster," the vampire commented with a lopsided grin as Xander landed flat on his back.

 

---

 

"So, what brings you up to Sunnydale?" Lori asked Wes as they both laced up their borrowed skates. "I thought you were one of the LA crowd."

"I was, for a time. Now I'm between jobs, and I'm trying to decide whether I should move back here."

"The big city's loss is our gain. And it's only fair if you stay," she told him with a mischievous grin as she took to the ice with a grace owed to years of weekend rollerblading.

"Really. And why's that?" Wes asked as he followed more cautiously.

"Well, Sunnydale's resident charming, devilishly handsome Brit's just gone off the market. We need a replacement."