Buffy rubbed her eyes and stretched herself out like a cat stretching in the sun, today was her birthday. Oddly she didn’t feel the normal joy that would have settled inside her on this ‘special’ day. Just a few months ago she had found out that Spike was alive, well as alive as a vampire could be.
At first she’d been overjoyed but then she had felt an overpowering sadness encase her. She knew her friends were watching her; they had become extra sensitive around her, always expecting her to burst into tears, but she hadn’t.
Over the last two months Dawn had been trying to get Buffy to date, always setting her up with the cute men down at the local deli, Buffy had always given them a wide smile and a hug after the dates she’d been on, letting them down as gracefully as she could.
Not that she wouldn’t date those men but ever since she’d found out about Spike she’d been reluctant to have any human contact at all, she barely hugged Dawn anymore and by the looks her younger sister had been throwing her way, it was obvious that Dawn blamed herself for it.
Buffy sighed as she heard the clunking around in the kitchen, signalling that Dawn was up and getting ready to go out with some friends.
Buffy threw on a robe and walked out of her room “morning Dawn” Buffy hoped she sounded cheerier than she felt. “Hey it’s the birthday girl” Dawn said as she gave her a bright smile. “Yep that’s me all with the getting older” Buffy smiled and noticed the amount of mail sitting in the counter.
“I think the mail is for you” Dawn commented before taking a bite out of her omelette. Buffy forced a smile before walking over to the pile. She sighed and began sifting through the white envelopes ‘bill, bill, birthday card from Giles, Willow and Kennedy, Xander, bill, birthday card from........what’.
Buffy stared in shock at the small script on the front of the envelope, there was her name written in a scrawl that she’d recognise anywhere. “Um Dawn, give me a minute” before the teen could ask, Buffy had run into her room.
Buffy stared at the envelope for a few more minutes before deciding to open it. As she slipped the paper out she noticed it was scented, she held the paper to her nose and giggled at the strong vanilla scent ‘just like Spike’ she thought fondly.
She unfolded the paper and noticed that it wasn’t a typical ‘happy birthday’ message. Buffy’s green eyes flicked down to the bottom of the paper, it was a poem. Buffy smiled before she began to read.
Because you’re Beautiful
This poem’s addressed
To you
Because you’re beautiful
No matter what
You do
Because you’re beautiful
The sun rises
Every day
Because you’re beautiful
The mist shrouds a
Dreamy day
Because you’re beautiful
A blossom blooms and holds
Its scent
Because you’re beautiful
Songs sung in your heart
Are meant
Because you’re beautiful
Reflections shine
And glint
Because you’re beautiful
Poems are written
Heaven sent
Because you are beautiful
This is all that this
Poem’s said
Just in case you may have
Any doubt
This poem's heaven sent
To tell you
You are beautiful
And that is what this poem
Is about.
Happy Birthday Buffy.
~William.
Buffy smiled at the use of his real name, suddenly not feeling the slightest bit of anger for the vampire. Dawn came in the room cautiously, after she had yelled her sisters name she’d become worried because Buffy hadn’t answered. Dawn was by her sister in the blink of an eye.
Buffy had tears rolling down her face, but her lips held the hint of a smile.
“Buffy! What’s wrong?” Dawn asked, her eyes showing traces of fear. “Nothing” Buffy whispered before looking her sister in the eye.
“Ok but why were you...” Buffy cut her off with a hug. “Dawnie I’m sorry, I’m going to try harder and we’re going to be a family again ok?” Buffy held her sister closer.
Dawn gave a small smile “ok” she could tell that Buffy was serious this time and it wasn’t just going to be one of those things that was said and never done.
“How about I get dressed and we go out for a while?” Buffy asked as she pulled out of the hug, looking at her with hopeful eyes. Dawn nodded and went to throw her omelette out.
Ten minutes later both girls were leaving the apartment building, laughing and chatting as they did so. Neither was aware that someone was following them.
Dawn and Buffy stopped in at a small ice cream parlour, both of them ordering chocolate sundaes.
Across the street in an alley way, loitering in the shadows a vampire smiled his cigarette the only thing visible.
Buffy stopped laughing momentarily to look over at the alley “Dawn could you hang on a second?”
The teen stopped her laughing and gasping for breath long enough to nod. Buffy crossed the road, looking ahead the whole time. As she reached the alley’s more shadowed area the smell of cigarettes still hung in the air.
Buffy frowned and looked around for a vampire; she could have sworn that she felt the usual warning signs for a vamp. She shook her head and walked back over to the ice cream parlour.
When Buffy got home she flopped onto the couch, she’d dropped Dawn off at her friend’s house and now she just wanted to have a long bath and watch a movie involving romance and comedy.
Buffy walked into her room, searching for her robe when something caught her eye.
Buffy walked over to her nightstand and looked at the gold locket. It was on a long chain so it would hang right in between her cleavage, and the heart itself bulged. She smiled and opened the locket, giving another smile at the picture of her mother, Dawn and herself.
Buffy sighed softly and made her way over to her window. “Thankyou Spike, I still love you” Buffy looked out into the night before walking into the bathroom.
Spike sat on the roof of a building across from Buffy’s apartment “you’re welcome slayer, I love you too”
Author's Chapter Notes:
The poem isn't mine. It is called: because you're Beautiful and it is by David Taylor.
Chapter End Notes:
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