When Spike entered the room, he found Buffy reading. He smiled seeing what she chose to read and whispered, “That’s a great book. Have you ever read it?”
Buffy shook her head and put it down splitting the pages by laying it upside on the table by the bed.
Spike frowned and went over to the bottom of the bookcase and pulled out a drawer that she hadn’t noticed.
Inside the drawer were tons of bookmarks of every shape and size. He pulled out a pretty bookmark and gave it to Buffy to use in her book not liking the idea of breaking the spine.
Buffy put it in the book after looking at it. It said, “To my little William Pratt, Love Mum”.
Buffy gasped, “Your name was William Pratt when you were turned?”
Spike nodded looking mildly embarrassed.
He actually hadn't really given much thought to where the bookmark had come from before handing it to her but should have recognized it.
A lot of the books and bookmarks on the bookcase had come from his original home back in England before he was turned.
He had managed to buy a few books here and there but his favorites were originals.
Buffy asked, “How old were you?”
He said, “29. I had just turned 29. It was my birthday actually.”
Buffy giggled, “12 years older than me.”
Spike commented, “A lot more than that pet. Been around 120 years, 29 years prior to that. I’m about 149 years your senior. That bother you, luv?”
Buffy shook her head with a slight grin, “Means you know tons of stuff. Do I get my own special tutor? I could use it. I’m an okay student but nothing special. I can’t remember dates or history or do math so well. I can read and write just fine...well mostly. My papers always come back with tons of red on them but the grades are mostly okay. It always says at the top, ‘proof read please’. I am not good at that part though.”
Spike grinned happy to see he could help her in some way, “Anytime you write a paper, pet and want me to look over it, you just so so and I’ll hook you right up. I am great at writing. I'm also a walking history book. I can probably tell you tons of stories that would make the history books come to life."
Buffy nodded and said, “Are those journals over there yours?”
Spike nodded, “Did you look at them? I should have had Dalton put them away.”
Buffy shook her head, “It’s your journals, not mine. I wouldn’t invade your privacy like that. I wouldn’t like it if someone read my diaries.”
Spike smiled at the way she thought. She respected him and he really like that about her.
He looked at her and said, “Got a present for you pet but you must promise to listen to me when I tell you about it, K?”
Buffy nodded loving presents. And his voice was so dreamy, she could listen to him all day if he would just tell her stories and talk to her. How did she get so lucky? Spike grinned and Buffy realized she was thinking so hard she had left the bond open.
Buffy blushed shyly and closed the bond. Spike chuckled feeling her slam the door shut and said, “Pet I don’t mind you having it open. I like seeing and hearing your reaction. Either way I feel your feelings. You can’t turn those off.”
Buffy nodded but still liking to keep some embarrassing comments to herself.
She did notice when they were touching, it was almost impossible to turn off the bond. She figured it made sense.
How can you hold your feelings from someone if they are with you and holding you?
Spike sat down on the bed in front of her and laid something in a box behind him and took her hands into his.
Buffy smiled and opened her ears determined to listen to whatever he had to say. Spike began, “Wanted to give you a gift. Not just any ole gift, something special, something magical so about three days ago, I talked to a wizard as you probably gathered. Been a friend of mine since before I was turned. A demon is not a vampire so the going into the sun rules does not hold him. What the gift is, is a cross. Now not just any cross since it’s enchanted with a few things. Number one, sharp enough to be used as a stake if needed. There’s a gem on it, if you touch the gem, holy water is sprayed. That part has to be refilled from time to time. This is the part though that I needed the wizard for, it won’t harm me. In it, it’s enchanted with our blood. It means that it can never be used against you or me. So if someone gets a hold of it, it’s enchanted to always return to you. Will do one of two things if it gets separated. If it can find you, it will immediately return to you after 2 minutes of being in someone’s care. If they leave and are outside of your sight, it will hum to us. What this means is, if our claim fails due to you being unconscious and seeing how you have made a habit of that happening, the cross will still hum to me. Know what is also neat pet?”
Buffy shook her head, so Spike continued, “It’s a cross so in the hands of vampires, it will burn. Have a matching on only it’s a little different. Tis a spike. Like my name, yeah? Has the humming ability too. So if you ever need me and I’m asleep or unconscious and you need to find me, it will hum for you too.”
Buffy smiled as Spike reached behind him and placed the box in her hand taking out a box in his pocket and opened it lifting out his spike.
He fastened the metal spike around his neck and she turned letting him fasten the cross around hers.
She lightly touched it as did Spike and she smiled with tears in her eyes leaving the bond open fully as she whispered, “This was the most perfect gift anyone has ever given me. Thank you.”
With that she placed a kiss on his lips and he laid her back on the bed to make love to her thankful she loved the gift as much as he would hope she did.