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Author's Chapter Notes:
So here it is folks... the last chapter. Just some interesting Christmas fun and smut for you. Enjoy!
Chapter 24: When in Rome…

(Monday, December 22nd)

Spike checked his watch for the third time, in the last five minutes, and he hollered up the stairs, “Buffy, love, if you don’t get your cute little arse down here we’re going to miss our flight!” She appeared at the top of the stairs with a frown and she stated adamantly, “I’m almost ready! Chill for a sec. I just have to pack my toothbrush.”

She disappeared and he rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, “Bloody women. They never listen. I tell her to check her bags last night and now we’re waiting on a bloody toothbrush.” He turned away from the stairwell just in time to see Anne exiting the kitchen.

She smiled and came over to embrace him, saying quietly, “I hope you’re getting used to it, William. This is just the way of women.” He kissed her cheek and grumbled good-naturedly, “I certainly hope not.” She laughed and patted his back gently before releasing him. He heard footsteps and the clunk-clunk of a suitcase being lugged down the stairs, so he turned and raised his brows at his not-so-punctual fiancée. “Finally ready, pet?”

She mock-glared at him and said, “Yes, Mr. Bossy-Pants.” She propped her luggage against the stairwell long enough to hug Anne and give her a kiss on the cheek. She smiled at the older woman and said, “We’ll miss you. Don’t have too much fun without us.” Anne smiled and winked, while stating playfully, “I wouldn’t dream of it, dear.”

They made it out the door, got the luggage in the backseat, and rushed to the airport with only minimal bickering about the time and their lack thereof. They made it through security without incident and grabbed a bite for lunch before boarding the plane. Buffy was still in a state of amazement when she seated herself in the large reclining chair she was assigned in First Class. She’d never flown anything but coach until this point but Spike had insisted on spoiling her, especially since it was so close to Christmas.

Five hours later she was extremely thankful for the comfortable accommodations, more so even with the knowledge that she had another eight-hour flight ahead of her, after their one-hour layover in Washington, DC. After that they would be transitioning planes again in Frankfurt, Germany. Another hour layover and an hour and a half flight after that they would be landing in Venice, Italy, which she was anxiously anticipating.

She’d always wanted to explore the world and she’d never even been out of the country. She had the money to do so now that her father was locked up in prison, but she still had responsibilities such as school to contend with. Winter break doubled as a nice reprieve from homework and a chance for her to have a relaxing and exciting vacation with her honey.

Throughout the entire flight from Los Angeles to Washington, DC she was a mess of nerves, her excitement getting the better of her and making it impossible to sleep. She occupied herself flipping through magazines and talking Spike’s ear off, affirming his belief that women COULD in fact be evil sometimes.

They grabbed more snacks at IAD before getting on the plane bound for Germany. Luckily for Spike, she calmed down enough to sleep through most of the flight. He managed to get in a few hours as well, seeing as the in-flight movie was a pitiful excuse for entertainment. He only woke when the flight attendant came by with their “meal”, if you could qualify it as food…

The remaining four hours of the flight were spent cuddling for the blonde duo. At one point Buffy even got to feeling frisky and suggested that they might head back to the bathroom together. Unfortunately the stewardess heard them and sent them a death glare that killed the idea. Buffy pouted and thought to herself, ‘Next time I will so ravish him, flight attendants be damned.’

By the time they actually reached Venice, it was a little after two in the afternoon and the jetlag was starting to catch up with both Buffy and Spike. Buffy was excited to see the city that romance movies always talked-up, but she was also incredibly tired and couldn’t summon the energy to show her enthusiasm.

As soon as they left the airport Buffy’s mood dropped another few notches. The amazing, romance novel-worthy city she’d always dreamed of visiting… was a pigeon-infested, sewer-scented dumpster. Quite frankly, she was disheartened and a tad bit miserable. When Spike asked if she’d like to get a hotel room to catch up on her sleep, she adamantly refused on the grounds that she wanted to leave the city as soon as possible.

He insisted that while it was dirty and the pigeon population was overwhelming, there were a few sites that she needed to see. She insisted in response that they take a bus to Milan instead, because it had to be “better than this”. They eventually settled on a compromise: they’d take a bus to Milan and spend the night there, and then they’d return to Venice the following day to do some sight-seeing.

Four hours later they were lugging their suitcases up the stairs, of course the elevators HAD to be out of order upon their arrival, of a nice hotel in the heart of Milan, or ‘Milano’ as the guy at the front desk had pronounced it in his sexy Italian accent.

Spike was, of course, a little jealous at the way she seemingly flirted with him. Or at least, that’s how HE perceived her conversation. She sighed heavily as she opened the door of their room and deposited her luggage in the corner. She turned to face him and insisted with a frown, “Honey, I was NOT flirting with him! You have to let this go…”

He huffed and crossed his arms across his chest, bags forgotten at his feet, and responded, “Easy for you to say. You didn’t have to watch your fiancé practically drooling over the first handsome foreigner to show her some attention.” She gasped and replied in dismay, “I wasn’t drooling! And he wasn’t even that cute! I don’t know what you’re so upset about. I was only TALKING to him. You know… that polite thing people do when they meet other people.”

He glared at her and moved his bags over to one side of the bed. He said over his shoulder as he pulled down the covers, “Maybe we both need to get some rest. It’s bloody well pointless arguing over this.” She repeated his actions and said with slight irritation, “Finally something we agree on.” They both stripped down to their underwear and crawled in the bed, mindless to the fact that it was still light outside. They were far too knackered to do anything but fight for the remainder of the evening.

Morning time found them both in much pleasanter moods. Buffy was the first to wake and she already had mischievous thoughts running through her head, due in large part to the steamy dreams her subconscious had concocted during the night. She rolled onto her side to face Spike, who was still peacefully asleep on his back, and she bit her lip as her gaze travelled down his bare torso to the sheet draped across his hips. She knew he was wearing boxers under the sheets, but the illusion of nudity was enough to get her riled up and rarin’ to go.

She slid her hand beneath the covers and rubbed her palm across his bare abdomen, delighting in the tickle of the soft trail of hair running down from his navel. She dipped her hand lower and under the waistband of his boxers, at which point he started to stir, and she brushed her fingers teasingly against the curls surrounding his shaft.

He peeked an eye open and asked in a sleep-deepened voice, “And what exactly are you doing, kitten?” She shivered a little from the effect his tone had on her. She loved it when his voice was deep and rough like that. She smiled impishly and grabbed hold of his stiffening member, shrugging as she replied in a chipper voice, “Nothing interesting.” He arched a brow and drawled slowly, “Riiiight…”

Her eyes glinted with lust as she whipped the sheet off of him and tugged his boxers down, eager to get at the hidden surprise underneath. She sat herself astride his lower thighs and used both hands to pump him slowly, leaving him groaning as his erection reached its full length and hardness. He stared at her hungrily and reached out to tug on the elastic side of her thong. “Don’t you think you’re a bit… overdressed, love?”

She pretended to contemplate his question for a moment then happily shook her head in the negative. “Nope! I’m perfectly content with what I’m wearing.” He frowned in frustration and tugged at them again, earning him an amused giggle and a swat on the hand. “Be still Mr. Impatient. I promise I’ll get you taken care of.”

He looked a little skeptical but he acquiesced to her request, dropping his hands down to rub her inner thighs. She felt herself getting even wetter as his fingertips brushed closer and closer to the edges of her thong, but she resisted the urge to take it off and fuck him crazy. First she wanted to try a little experiment…

She scooted further up his thighs, until she was hovering just over his shaft, and she pushed her thong aside. She guided the head of his penis to her clitoris and rubbed against it slowly. She angled herself so the underside of his cock would slide up and down between her outer lips, and they both groaned as she built up a steady rhythm. She maneuvered her thong to cover part of the exposed side of his cock and she pressed the fabric lightly against it.

The added friction and the feel of two different textures rubbing against his member made him moan even louder. She felt emboldened by her success and she increased the tempo, working them both into quivering messes on the verge of release. She felt the pleasure pulsing through her veins and her legs began to tremble. She changed her position at the last second and impaled herself on his cock, keening loudly as her orgasm crashed into her.

He followed right behind her as he felt her hot, slick walls clenching his cock in a death grip. His fingers clutched at her waist as his hips bucked of their own volition, stream after stream of hot semen spurting into her waiting depths. She collapsed on top of him moments later and her sweat-slickened skin stuck lightly to his. She got her breathing under control and looked up at him with a sated smile. He smiled in return and rubbed her bare back affectionately. “Morning, love.”

She laughed quietly and leaned up to peck him on the lips, and then she eased herself off of him and rolled onto her side. She planted her cheek on his chest and murmured, “We should probably shower now… I’m all sweaty.” He grinned and reached over to smack her lightly on the bottom. “Well that’s not my fault, pet. I didn’t wake up and ravish myself.” She narrowed her eyes at him playfully and stuck her tongue out. “Is so your fault! You had to look sexy while you were sleeping. You couldn’t just look boring like 90% of the human population.”

She continued to mock-glare at him and he only chuckled in response, kissing her on the tip of the nose and sitting up. He stretched a little and got out of bed, looking at her expectantly and tilting his head toward the bathroom. “Well off we go then, Goldilocks. There’s a hot shower waiting with our names on it.” She grinned and felt herself getting excited again at the prospect of shower sex.

An hour later they finally dragged themselves out of the apartment, fully clothed and ready for a hearty breakfast. Apparently a ‘hearty’ breakfast in Italy consisted of yogurt, sliced bread and cheese, and various fruits, because that’s what the hotel offered up at its complimentary breakfast bar. They filled up on what they could then grabbed a map of the city from the front desk. Instead of getting a ride they decided to walk and take in the local sites.

Half an hour later they reached their first destination of the day: the Pinacoteca di Brera art gallery in Palazzo Brera. While Spike was the more artistic one and he basked in each and every piece of art, Buffy was still enchanted by the impressive sculptures and paintings. When they left an hour later she declared that her favorite piece had been ‘Le Tre Grazie’ by Thorvaldsen. At that Spike raised an intrigued brow and asked jokingly, “Are you trying to tell me something, pet?” She blushed a little and said meekly, “No… I just thought it was very… elegant.” She’d almost said ‘very stimulating’ until she’d realized that that would only further his point and her embarrassment.

They saw a few more sites in the nearby area and she dragged him along for some shopping, and then they returned to the hotel to collect their luggage. They checked out and headed to the bus station to catch another three-hour ride into Venice. Their bags were a nuisance to haul around the crowded cobblestoned city, but they couldn’t find a place to stow them temporarily.

The first stop they made was to ride the gondolas. Buffy had seem them in movies before but it was an entirely different experience to be standing right next to them. They’d never looked this scary on screen… Spike sweet-talked her into getting on one with him, claiming that she never had to ride one again if she hated it.

She did. The padded seats were weird and far too close to the edges for her liking, and the smell increased tenfold since they were closer to the water. She scrunched up her nose and sat stiffly in her spot, eyeing the murky green canals with disdain. She found herself jumping frequently, whenever the water sloshed a little too high and threatened to splash her. By the time they got back to the dock she was vowing to never ride a boat again, much less “one of those torture contraptions”.

Spike apologized and rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand, trying to calm her down so they could enjoy the rest of their day. She ended up relaxing once they picked up their bags from the usher at the entrance, and she actually gave him a light kiss on the lips. They navigated their way through the maze of streets and bridges and quickly became exhausted from carrying the heavy suitcases. Eventually they stopped and hailed a horse-drawn carriage to take them the rest of the way to their second destination: the famed Murano glass factory.

The tour lasted roughly thirty minutes and included a fascinating demonstration of how the glass was molded into sculptures. Buffy was disappointed when a girl in the front called dibs on the glass horse that was the product of the demo. Their guide released them in the gift shop and Buffy’s jaw nearly touched the floor. Surrounding her on every wall were magnificent multi-colored creations in all shapes and sizes.

The pieces ranged from small shot glasses to large vases and animal sculptures. She was immediately enamored with a set of elegantly crafted penguins, which featured two adults and a chick on a patch of ice. She was awed by how much detail and color coordination was put into the pieces. After she glanced at the price tag she reluctantly had to move on.

Spike walked through the shop also and admired the glass art, but he also observed Buffy out of the corner of his eye. He noticed how she stopped at the jewelry section and picked up a few pieces, mostly necklaces. He saw her face fall each time she looked at the price and he decided to pick up an extra Christmas gift while he was here. When he was sure she was distracted by a conversation with the sales girl, he picked out a pretty blue heart necklace and a lone flamingo. The penguins were a little out of his price range even, but he figured a substitute would still serve his purpose.

He grabbed a slender red vase with real gold inlay on his way to the counter, planning to use it as a cover-up for the shopping bag. He also knew that Buffy would like it in addition to his other gifts. He paid for the items and had them wrapped carefully before they were placed in the bag, keeping an eye on Buffy the whole time. He desperately hoped she hadn’t noticed his transaction and that she wouldn’t ask too many questions.

Before they left she grabbed a handful of the glass candies from a bowl in the front, planning to give them to Willow along with the post cards she was going to pick up in Rome. While she was busy paying he hid the two gift items in his suitcase, only keeping the vase in the black plastic bag he was carrying. On the carriage ride from the factory to the train station she questioned him on it, as he’d predicted, and he responded that he would show her on the train. She seemed content with that and snuggled into his side.

Approximately four and a half hours later they arrived in Rome and got a taxi to one of the classier hotels in the city, Hotel Raphael. It had a beautiful ivy-covered entrance and an antique art-filled lobby, which included an impressive Picasso ceramics collection. It also boasted a rooftop garden that overlooked the Piazza Navona, home to the Trevi Fountain. It was where they’d be staying for the remainder of their trip and Spike had a special surprise planned for their room.

He told Buffy to wait by the elevator while he made the room arrangements at the front desk. He’d already made the reservation before their trip, so he was prepared for the hefty price of the suite for their three-night stay. The bellhop relieved them of their luggage and loaded it onto a cart, leaving them to ride up alone in the elevator.

Buffy gasped as soon as she walked inside the suite. It was huge and elegant, decorated in rich red and ochre yellow colors and old-fashioned furniture. She stepped inside and looked around with her jaw a little slack. She ran her hand over the bedding and relished the feel of the fancy fabric. This definitely wasn’t any old two-star hotel room. The room possessed a decent-sized closet, an entertainment center complete with a wide-screen television, a minibar stocked with drinks, a desk with internet connection, and a marvelous king-sized bed.

She wandered into the bathroom and was again surprised to find not only a shower, but also a Jacuzzi style bathtub for two. The floor was done in brilliant white tile and the countertops were white marble. She practically ran out of the room and flew into Spike’s arms, squeezing him tightly and trying not to tear up.

When she pulled back she kissed him and whispered against his lips, “It’s perfect. Thank you.” He grinned and swept her off her feet, heading toward the large bed in the center of the room. He deposited her gently and she giggled as she scooted backwards. He was just about to pounce on her when they heard a knock on the door. It turned out to be the bellhop with their baggage, temporarily putting a hold to their fun.

They decided to grab some dinner at the restaurant on the terrace/roof garden, the Bramante, before it closed. They had plenty of hours afterward in which they could play in their suite. There weren’t many other patrons present when they arrived, so they were able to be seated right near the edge of the terrace, giving them a great view of the city around them.

Dinner was extremely pleasant and Buffy was thrilled to find that she loved the authentic Italian cuisine, which was so different than the Americanized version. An added bonus was that they were both legal in Italy, so they had red wine served with their meal. At first Buffy thought it bitter and hard a hard time getting it down, but after a few swallows she adjusted and found it agreeable.

The end result was two tipsy, blonde, clumsy Americans who were giggling obnoxiously as they stumbled into the elevator. They received several glares along the way and chose to ignore them, instead clinging to each other and making out between their hysterical fits of laughter. When they got inside their room Buffy stopped, swaying slightly and glassy-eyed, and giggled before saying, “When in Rome…”

Spike grinned and asked, “Do as the Romans do?” She shook her head with a coy smile and answered, “Have lots of naughty sex.” She grabbed onto his belt and tugged him toward the bed, crashing her lips to his and mussing his hair with her free hand. As they toppled backward onto the mattress he chuckled and muttered, “Bloody right.”

The following day they woke early, had breakfast at the beautiful Relais Picasso dell’Hotel Raphael, the marble and antique style restaurant on the ground floor, took a cab to the Forum Romanum, the cultural epicenter of ancient Rome, wore themselves out with the lengthy walk to the Colosseum, stopped for lunch at a local café, took another cab to the Spanish steps, where they climbed and counted every single one, and finally they returned to the hotel in mid-afternoon.

Buffy opted to try out the exercise room while Spike occupied himself in the downstairs library. He found several intriguing historical volumes on the local architecture and immersed himself in the information. Buffy got in a good hour-long aerobic workout, while watching the large television provided for entertainment, before she headed up to the room for a shower.

When she came out in one of the fluffy bathrobes provided by the hotel, she found Spike sitting on the bed reading the newspaper. She raised her brows and asked, “You bought a newspaper in Italian?” He looked at her and shrugged, indicating the paper with a tilt of his head. “They’re complimentary in the lobby. Can’t read much of it, but I get the general gist.” He set it aside and got off the bed, walking toward her with a little grin curving up his lips.

He stopped in front of her and toyed with the edges of her robe, leaning in close to smell her freshly shampooed and blow-dried hair. She shivered at his proximity and said quietly, “I thought you wanted to go out exploring more before dinner.” He untied the knot holding the fabric shut as he pulled back to look into her eyes.

He grinned rakishly and said, “I do, but there’s something I want more right now.” His eyes betrayed his desire as he drank in her nude form, bare and soft and smelling like vanilla body wash. He pushed the soft cotton material off of her shoulders and it pooled on the floor, leaving her completely exposed before him. He leaned in and licked at her pulse point gently, causing her to moan and lean in to him.

She threaded her fingers into the soft hair at the nape of his neck, as she tilted her head aside to give him better access. He sucked and nipped at her teasingly before moving his mouth downwards, kissing a steady path over her collarbone and onto her breast. She gasped quietly when he took her nipple into his mouth and began to suck on it in earnest. With each suck there was a corresponding throb between her legs, as her clit swelled and her pussy slickened in anticipation.

She pulled him up suddenly and demanded in a needy voice, “Spike… stop teasing me. I need you.” She pressed her lips to his and murmured into his mouth, “You can tease me later. Right now I need you inside me.” He lifted her up then and carried her a short distance, pressing her against the wall and unzipping his pants.

She clung to him and cried out as he thrust inside her, filling and stretching her in delicious ways. “Yes! Oh god… Spiiiike!” He hadn’t wasted any time building up a rhythm and he was already slamming into her vigorously, drawing out all kinds of pleasured sounds from the back of her throat.

It was with great physical exertion and strain that he fucked her roughly against the wall, until both of them were sweaty and screaming out their release. They came down panting and separated reluctantly, stumbling toward the bed before their limbs gave out on them. Buffy looked at him and pouted suddenly as she tugged on his shirt. “You’re overdressed.” He smirked and tugged off his clothes before pouncing on her again. “Not anymore.”

They didn’t make it out for further sightseeing that evening.

(Thursday, December 25th)

Spike woke extra early and snuck out of bed to arrange the presents he’d gotten for Buffy. He’d even bought a small fake tree with tiny Christmas lights strung around it, which he placed on top of the desk with the presents underneath it. He called room service and ordered up some breakfast of eggs, bacon, and an assortment of fresh fruit and juice.

When the cart arrived he grabbed the food and paid, arranging the plates at the table on the balcony, which gave them an excellent view of the open courtyard and part of the city beyond the hotel. He woke Buffy gently by rubbing her shoulder and whispering in her ear, “Time to wake up, princess.” She opened her eyes and yawned, blinking in confusion a few times. He smiled and pressed a kiss to her lips, and then he exclaimed, “Merry Christmas!”

Her eyes widened and she sat up quickly, suddenly remembering what day it was. She squealed and threw her arms around him happily. “Merry Christmas to you, too! I didn’t even realize at first…” She kissed him again and squeaked in surprise when he picked her up out of bed. She looked at him questioningly and he tilted his head toward the balcony. “I ordered some breakfast for us, kitten.”

She practically swooned as he carried her outside and she saw the set-up he’d prepared. “Have I mentioned you’re the best boyfriend ever and I love you bunches and bunches?” He chuckled and kissed her cheek, setting her down and replying, “Not today, but I certainly don’t mind hearing it again.” He winked and sat down across from her, picking up his fork as he said, “I think you’re the best girlfriend and future wife a man could ask for, and I love doing nice things for you. You deserve every one of them.”

She felt deeply touched by the sincerity and heartfelt emotion that laced his words. She covered one of his hands with hers and gave it a squeeze, while she used the other hand to begin her breakfast. They ate in comfortable silence and admired their view for the next twenty minutes. When they finished they loaded the dirty dishes back onto the cart and called downstairs for someone to collect it.

Spike led her back inside, pushing the cart toward the door, and he said over his shoulder, “Take a look at the desk, kitten. I got you some presents.” Her eyes widened when her gaze landed on the lit-up tree and the little stack of gifts underneath. She’d been so sleepy that she hadn’t even noticed it earlier. She went over to it and asked in awe, “You did all of this for me?”

He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing the side of her neck and replying quietly, “Of course, love. Even though we’re not in America, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate Christmas properly.” She turned in his arms and kissed him passionately before devoting her attention to the presents.

She was delighted when she unwrapped the first package and found a high-tech, expensive-looking ipod dock that matched the nano he’d gotten her the previous year. After that she discovered her favorite Hollister perfume, So Cal, and a gift card to the store. It was only recently that she’d found her inner beach bunny and had begun dressing in more preppy clothes. The last two presents were the ones he’d purchased at the glass factory in Murano.

She actually started crying as she studied the flamingo and the heart necklace. He moved to embrace her and she clutched him tightly, sniffing and insisting, “You shouldn’t have.” He hugged her tightly and kissed her hair, taking the necklace from her so he could put it around her neck. He fastened the clasp and turned her back to face him, smiling warmly as he cupped her cheeks. “You’re worth every penny, love. I wish I could’ve gotten you the penguins I saw you admiring, but they were a little… out of my range.”

She was torn between scolding him for spending so much money and thanking him, while crying, for caring so much about her. She ended up doing a combination of both, leaving him slightly amused with her antics. When he laughed at her she just swatted him on the chest and narrowed her eyes.

“Well I have something for you, too. Most of your presents are back at your mom’s house because they would’ve taken up too much room in my suitcase, but I brought the most important one.” She went over to her bag and rummaged around underneath her clothes for a moment. When she rose she had a triumphant grin on her face and a brightly wrapped package clutched behind her back.

She presented it to him with a flourish and said, “Ta-da! I hope you enjoy.” She beamed and practically bounced on her toes as she watched him ripping through the paper. She saw him freeze as soon as he got a good look at it. She bit her lip as she awaited his reaction, which turned out to be explosive.

“Bloody hell! How did you get this?!?” Buffy smiled and said, “Well, your mother helped, but I did all the sweet-talking. Turns out a pretty girl can get almost anything if she plays her cards right.” She winked at him as he shook his head in amazement, holding the framed Billy Idol photo, personally signed and addressed to him, like his life depended on it. When he did finally set it down, it was only so he could embrace her and proceed to ravish her with his mouth.

She protested weakly as he pushed her toward the bed, “But… I thought… you wanted… what about… the Pantheon… or… mmmm…” She found herself cut off as his lips left her neck and covered her mouth. He pushed her onto the bed, growled, “Later,” and went back to his previous mission: shag his beautiful, amazing, kind, wonderful, witty, and every-other-positive-adjective fiancé until she couldn’t walk straight.

Three hours later they left the hotel room and explored more of the city, the first stop being the Pantheon, which was conveniently located right near their hotel. After that they walked toward the Piazza Navona and each grabbed a gelato from one of the street-side shops. Buffy found herself speechless when she rounded the corner and came face-to-face with the legendary Trevi Fountain, or Fontana di Trevi as the Romans called it. She nearly let her ice cream melt all over her fingers as she stared at the mammoth piece of art.

Spike smiled as he watched her reaction, also soaking in the sight of the cultural and historical masterpiece. He grabbed her hand and led her through the crowd to get closer to the water, stopping only a few feet away. He smiled over his shoulder at her and said, “Toss a coin over your shoulder, into the fountain, and legend has it that you’ll return to Rome someday.” He dug a couple of Euros out of his pocket and handed her one. He turned fully away from the fountain and tossed the coin over, smiling as he heard the light splash behind him.

She followed his lead and then they stood there for a while, him with his arms around her, as they observed the various statues and he explained the legends behind each of them. She listened intently as she cuddled against him, thinking that this had to be one of the most romantic places on earth.

When they left he treated her to a shopping spree and lunch at an upscale restaurant, where most of the guests were dressed in some sort of business or formal attire. Even the maitre’d was wearing a suit. She felt a little silly and underdressed in her simple sundress, but Spike insisted that she was beautiful and it didn’t matter.

After lunch they toured a few museums around the city and somehow ended up in a piercing parlor. Buffy insisted that she would get a piercing if Spike would, so she got her bellybutton done and he got his eyebrow done. Both were a little swollen and sore afterward, but it was an added experience that they’d shared together. There was nothing like making memories on Christmas in Italy.

Nightfall found them back at the Trevi Fountain to view the Christmas lightshow that was said to take place every year. It was splendid and beautiful, and everything that dreams were made of. Buffy snapped several digital pictures to show to Willow before they went back to their room. She stopped again in the doorway and started mischievously, “When in Rome…” Spike approached her slowly as he answered with a smirk, “Shag until you can’t walk for a week.” She giggled and started stripping slowly, backing away from him and going around the bed. She had a playful grin on her face as she asked, “How about the balcony this time?”


Chapter End Notes:
Well I sincerely hope you've all enjoyed this story. I've enjoyed writing it. I would love to hear what you think about it. There's a cute little epilogue posted after this. Please review!

Here are a few quick photo links related to the chapter:
The necklace he gave her: http://i30.tinypic.com/ixfub7.jpg
Le Tre Grazie: http://i32.tinypic.com/mwy7gh.jpg (look at it and you'll see the humor in his teasing her)
The Pantheon: http://i28.tinypic.com/2dj5vv6.jpg
The Trevi Fountain: http://i32.tinypic.com/2zzt93r.jpg
The Colosseum: http://i32.tinypic.com/23jtkk.jpg
The Roman Forum: http://i29.tinypic.com/2m7us7b.jpg



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