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Author's Chapter Notes:
happy christmas where ever you are, may all your dreams come true
XXX
jamies_lady
For all that California was warm, the fire was lit in the rumpus room adding the Christmassy atmosphere. The presents were piled high around the huge tree in the corner. William and Buffy had spoilt everyone rotten.
There were little boxes on the tree from some of the top jewellers in LA. And Buffy knew in her bones it was going to be a successful day.

She looked around her home, a home that had been built in the hope that she would step out of a man’s dreams and into his life. Lorne and Xander looked happy and confident. Anya and Riley, Dawn and Clem, Fran stood near Harrison giggling over something. The children were ripping into the wrapping paper that had been on the little gifts in their stockings; Fred and Wesley were helping May sit a Teddy Bear on the sofa. He wouldn’t sit up straight and kept falling over and May was getting quite cross. William stood up and tucked a cushion by the bad bear and told him to behave, causing laughter and merriment all round.

Then came the presents, A wonderful platinum and emerald cross for Buffy, Dawn got an all singing and dancing camera (she’d taken up photography as a hobby). Fred and Wesley had an all expenses paid holiday back to England: they’d been promising themselves to take May and the other children to see their Grandma and now they could. Anya had a large gift voucher for her favourite store, Riley had membership for a car club where he could drive rare and expensive cars whenever he wanted. For Lorne and Xander there was a painting, a Monet original, and for Fran a wonderful new hifi and DVD set. It seemed a little parsimonious until she opened the box and found the deeds to a small house near to campus for her; there were three bedrooms, allowing Willow and Cordy to share with her, and for Harri there were flying lessons, enough for him to get his pilots licence and the promise of a light plane when he qualified. For Clem there was the start up money for his own business. Everyone got exactly what they wanted.

The children couldn’t keep up with all the gifts they had received from bears to boardgames, DVD’s to laptops. The paper was piled like a mountain in the middle of the room. William handed the adults envelopes for each of the children; Trust funds had been set up, enough for college and then some. What was the use of having money if you didn’t have fun with it occasionally? This had been the year when he’d gotten everything he could have ever dreamed of and he was going to make sure that everyone else did as well.

Buffy looked around, she didn’t think she could be so happy.
Then William handed Tara another envelope: inside was a cheque for enough money to start a sanctuary for abused children, a special place where they could be properly cared for. Tara’s dream had come true as well. Buffy started to cry.

‘Hey what’s up? I thought you’d be happy.’

‘I am, doofus, these are happy tears, but I haven’t got you anything half as nice as the stuff you bought everyone.’

William started to laugh, a real belly laugh.

‘There’s no need to laugh at me,’ Buffy was getting hormonal and angry now, but didn’t want to spoil the day.

‘I’m not laughing at you, what on earth do you think I could possibly want, more than what I already have! I have an amazing family, with another two children on the way, and the woman, literally, of my dreams. I have never been happier Buffy, you have given me my life and my soul back.’

Buffy looked up at him: the sincerity shone out of his expressive eyes and brought more happy tears into hers. She snuggled into his arms. She was home.

Dinner was a huge success. She loved the food the caterers had prepared. And ate enough for three quite happily. Spike Atherton smiled. He loved the feel of a real woman and now that she was pregnant Buffy looked even more beautiful to him, if that was at all possible. A real honest to god true woman and all his. He truly was the happiest man on earth.

Spike looked at his friends. Lorne and Xander had been together for nearly twenty years and were incredibly happy. Clem was besotted with Dawn and Dawn had finally found a man her equal mentally.

He thought back to the day Dawn had come to see him on set. She’d had a day in LA for the case she’d been working on, and had broken the case early, proving that the child accused of a killing couldn’t possibly be guilty and on finding the true villain, she’d taken a well earned and celebratory lunch by surprising him on set.

He knew Dawn still got a thrill driving into the studio with a pass on her car and loved being waved through by security. She loved driving her open topped red sports car: it had been a present for her birthday. Buffy had been cross with him for spending so much money but Niblet was worth it.

She had pulled up outside Spike Atherton’s trailer to see some bimbo being escorted away by security. Dawn had come in just as he and Clem were sitting down to their lunch.

Clem had gotten up to leave, but Dawn had insisted that he stayed. Clem had been waiting for some comment about his looks, he was used to that from movie people but Dawn hadn’t said a word, she’d eaten her meal with the same appetite her mother usually showed, helping herself to the sugary goodness of the chocolate pudding. Clem stared as Dawn got a second helping from the bowl.

‘What? Oh no, have I got chocolate on my face or something?’

‘No, it’s just round here a stick of celery and a slice of chicken is considered a big meal, and…’ he pointed at the cake.

‘You think I’m being greedy?’ Dawn’s face fell. ‘It’s just nice pudding and I burn it off, honest.’

‘Yes, I mean no… No, no way do I think you’re greedy, and I can see you burn it off, but I really mean I have only seen actresses eat lately and they sort of, Don’t.’

Clem was digging himself in deeper and Dawn grinned, she’d had all this teasing before from Spike, and Clem was sweet, and she definitely wanted to get to know him better.

‘It’s chocolate, Buffy’ll tell you I do anything for chocolate, easily bribed I am.’
‘Then let me bribe you with more.’ He lifted his fork full of cake up and Dawn took it straight into her mouth.

Spike had watched as Clem squirmed. He was used to his friend being uncomfortable around women because of his scars but Clem was only uncomfortable this time because Dawn was flirting back at him.

A sudden squeal from Dawn bought him back to Christmas day 2007.
Buffy slipped her arm around his waist.

‘Merry Christmas William,’ she whispered before lifting her face to be kissed.

‘Happy Christmas pet,’ he whispered back as his lips met hers in a kiss and the combined family broke around them, headed for the rumpus room and more games.

‘Happy Christmas everyone!’ William ‘Spike’ Atherton raised his glass in a toast, his heart full and all the horrors of his early life finally put to rest and he was totally content at last.





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