Chapter 4: Admissions and Invitations…
Spike’s head was filled with the two Summers girls for the rest of the afternoon. He finished up his own Christmas shopping in under an hour, a good bottle of scotch for Rupert and a CD that Gunn had been going on about for ages. He flirted with the ladies at the gift wrap counter while they did an overly-complicated and frilly job. He still tipped them generously before winking and heading back home.
Parking his beloved Desoto in the garage, Spike headed into his dad’s apartment. He’d been living with his ex-girl Drusilla up until he found her in bed with one of their friends. They’d had a flat in London, great deal because Dru knew the guy who owned the building, now Spike wondered if there hadn’t been more to their cheap rent than just a friendly gesture. He’d put up with her for another six months after the incident, but found that Dru was far from remorseful. When he’d found her in their bed with two random guys she’d picked up at the pub, he packed his bags and left.
His father Rupert Giles was getting tiered of trying to live the same old life as before Anne’s death and hoped to get a fresh start in a new place. He’d offered Spike the chance to come with him and he had jumped at the opportunity. So that’s how life found him a year later, still living with his father in a two-bedroom apartment in Sunnydale. One day he’d put his Oxford English degree to use and start a ‘real’ adult life, but he was content with where he was for the time being.
~*~*~
“Hey Rupes,” Spike greeted his father, who was sitting in his usual position, reading intently under the glow of an old lamp.
“I do wish you would stop calling me that William,” Giles chided him.
“Just as soon as you call me Spike Da,” Spike smirked at his father and headed into the kitchen to grab something to quick to eat. With a freshly made sandwich in one hand, he headed back into the small living room of the apartment and settled in front of the television.
“Good day at work then son?” Giles had looked up from the volume he was studying and seen the small smile playing on his son’s lips. It had been a long while since he had seen his son appear happy.
“Yeah, it was,” Spike replied, mouth full. “Found a lil’ lost girl in the food court. Cute as a button she was.”
“Oh really? Did you manage to help her get back to her parents again?” Rupert found himself more interested in Spike’s story than his book. It had been a while since he’d shared anything with his father.
“Well thing is, she’s got no parents,” Spike wasn’t sure how to retell the events of the afternoon.
“An orphan? Good Lord. Well did someone come to fetch her?” he removed his glasses and busied himself rubbing away non-existent spots.
“Nah, she’s got a sister, Buffy. She came and picked her up, took ‘em out for ice cream to settle the bit down after work,” Spike kept his eyes glued to the TV.
“You took them out for ice cream? I’ll never get used to it being warm enough to indulge in ice cream over Christmas.”
“Yeah, tha’s what I told the bit. But after seein’ her eyes swimmin’ with tears, you’d be hard pressed not to do what she wants. You’d like her da, she’s a real spitfire.”
“Well I’m sure; she sounds like a real interesting child. What of her sister? Buffy seems a most unusual name.”
Spike laughed, “Yeah interesting don’ begin to describe her. Buffy she’s well, she’s coping as well as she can I s’ppose. Has the weight of the world on her shoulders, but she takes real good care of the little one.” Spike went on to tell Giles the details which Buffy had told him about herself: from the stresses of her mother’s illness, to trying to adapt for her first year at university.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but you haven’t explained what happened to their parents.”
“Their da passed away a couple o’ years ago, drunk driver. Their mum passed just last month from complications from brain surgery. She’d been operated for a tumor. Couldn’t believe the luck of ‘em,” Spike looked up at his father for the first time during the conversation and was shocked to see a look of saddened compassion light his features. He hadn’t seen such strong emotion since his mum died.
“Well that is truly terrible son, such a burden for such a young woman, and that poor child! I certainly hoped you offered assistance in any matter they may need,” Rupert felt his heart break for the girls William had encountered. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose both parents in such a short period of time. The girls intrigued him, and hoped that his son had extended a hand in hospitality and offered them a place to visit if they needed.
“’Course I did da, I’m not a complete git,” Spike rolled his eyes, “I told ‘em they could stop by any time if they wanted someone who understands.”
“Good, well feel free to invite them over any time, we could use a little distraction around here,” he said, returning to his book when it was apparent William had finished his retelling of his day’s events.
~*~*~
After watching a couple of hours of TV, enjoying a particularly scintillating episode of “Passions”, Spike wandered upstairs to his room. He wasn’t a fan of living with his father at twenty-five, but it was just temporary, he’d be out on his own in a flat when he got enough money together. He took out the napkin Buffy had written her number on and wondered if it would be too soon to call her.
He knew it was, but he wasn’t one for convention. He always went after what he really wanted, and now he wanted Buffy. His nimble fingers dialed the seven digits that she’d neatly printed for him.
“Hello?” Buffy’s hushed voice came over the line after ringing twice.
“Buffy?”
“Spike?” he could hear confusion in her voice.
“Yeah, it’s me pet. Just wanted to make sure the rest of your shopping was uneventful and that the bit’s ok after this afternoon.”
“Yeah, it went well. I got everything I needed and Dawn and I spent the night watching the Christmas shows on TV,” he heard her rustling around in the background.
“What’s goin’ on, did I catch you at a bad time?” Spike’s tones became worried and self-conscious.
“No, not at all,” more background shuffling, “Dawn and I watched TV in bed and she’s asleep. At least she’s still pretending to be.” A muffled giggle could be heard in the background, and a goofy grin spread across Spike’s features.
“Ok, so she’s not asleep anymore, are you Dawn?” Buffy’s tones were amused, not annoyed, which comforted him. “So you said you had some shopping to do too. Did you manage to find your way through the crowds?”
“Yeah, was alright. Jus’ a couple of people to shop for so I’ve got it pretty easy,” Spike replied. He could hear Dawn’s questioning tone on the other end, but couldn’t make out the words.
“Alright Dawn, hold on. Spike? Dawn wants to talk to you is that alright?”
“Sure is,” Spike replied, curious what the little one would want to speak to him about.
“Hello?” Dawn’s voice came over the line.
“Hiya bit, were you asleep?” Spike asked her.
“Yah, but that’s ok. I need to ask you a question anyways,” Spike murmured an ‘um-hmm’ and waited while he tried to make out what Buffy was telling her.
“No, I AM asking! Spike, do you want to come over for turkey?”
“Turkey? When are you eating turkey,” Spike had a feeling Buffy wasn’t exactly in on Dawn’s plan.
“On Christmas silly! You and your daddy should come over so Buffy has to cook the turkey that she and mommy got an’ were supposed to cook after Thanksgiving,” Spike could hear the hopeful tone in her voice, and was thrilled to get an opportunity to see the two of them again.
“Sure poppet, we’d love to. Does your sister know you’re askin me this?”
“Yeah, we talked about it before, but she says she can’t cook the turkey, but I said that I would help her, and now that you told me you can come you have to,” Dawn’s tirade was punctuated by Buffy’s horrified gasp when she mentioned her lack of cooking skills.
“I’m sure you can help her, and maybe me an’ me da can too if we come over a little earlier, how’s that sound?” Spike couldn’t resist rescuing his damsel a second time. “But maybe I should decide on the details with your big sis?”
“Yeah, ok, here she is,” Dawn’s voice faded away as she passed the receiver back to her sister.
“I’m sorry to spring that on you Spike. Dawn only mentioned it earlier, and I had thought to suggest the idea in a better fashion,” he could tell she was worried, but couldn’t understand why she would be.
“’S not a problem pet. We’d be happy to come by, can even swing round early and help you with the cookin’. Da’s as good of a cook as they come for a bloke, he may enjoy cookin’ his first proper Christmas turkey,” Spike assured her.
“Oh, well that would be good. I admit cooking and Buffy are very un-mixy. I should have paid more attention to mom before…” she let the sentence trail off, sounding as if she was holding back tears.
“No worries, we’ll be there early then. Say two-ish? You can thaw an’ put the bird in the oven yourself? We can come over, keep the bit entertained, and help you with all the trimmings?” Spike hoped that the eagerness he felt wasn’t fully evident in his voice it may scare her off.
“Sure,” he heard her let out a breath, “Sounds wonderful. I’m looking forward to it.”
After Buffy gave him her address and he said goodnight to a half-asleep Dawn, they spoke about little things for a few minutes. Buffy told him what she’d gotten for her friends, and that she was planning on getting Dawn’s presents tomorrow. When Spike expressed his shock over saying it when Dawn could hear, she’d laughed and related the story from earlier that evening. He loved to hear her laugh and tried to coax a few more giggles from her before he bid her a good night’s sleep and sweet dreams. At her hushed goodnight, he replaced his receiver and settled back on his pillows with a wide smile on his face.
He was going to spend Christmas Day eating turkey with his girls. It was the best gift he’d ever received.
[Reviews - 189]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 2640 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you so much to all of you who reviewed last time! I'm stunned and amazed that the story is getting such a good reception. I'm posting this chapter a lot earlier than I thought I would, but I'm hoping that's only of the good. Enjoy and please review, it makes my muse very happy and very inspired...