The living room fell silent the minute Buffy and Spike walked in, hand in hand. It was obvious from the looks on everyone’s faces that they had been talking about the couple.
“Hey, Spike,” Dawn greeted. “I knew you would come.”
“Hey, nibblet,” Spike greeted in return. “Red. Glinda. Anya. Whelp.” Buffy elbowed Spike at that comment. “Um, Harris.”
“Hey, Spike,” Willow greeted with a smile as she snuggled up to Tara. “What is it you and Spike were wanting to tell us?”
Buffy looked at Spike. “Do you want to tell them or should I?”
“Your mates, luv,” Spike said with a tender smile. “So, why don’t you tell them.”
“Ok,” Buffy smiled shyly, then turned to her friends. “Well, guys. Spike and I are a couple. We’ve been together since that whole episode with the singing and dancing. Even if I tried to deny it.” Buffy looked down at the floor with that final statement.
Spike noticed this and turned to face Buffy. Placing his finger under her chin, Spike raised Buffy’s face to look at him. “Hey, pet, look at me,” he said gently. “There’s no need for you to be ashamed. I’m not mad at you. Hey, it was bloody obvious to us when we were Joan and Randy when we found out what we were. So, don’t be upset.”
“I knew it,” Dawn suddenly burst out. “I knew something was going on between the two of you. So, that was where you were that night Willow and Tara took me to the cinema and you stayed out all night?”
Buffy blushed and nodded her head slightly. “Yeah, that was where I was.”
Something suddenly clicked in Xander’s mind and he jumped up and started pointing his finger at the couple. “You weren’t exercising that day, were you?”
“Yet again, I was right,” Dawn exclaimed as Buffy blushed and Spike looked embarrassed. “Earlier when you said that better things happened that day than making Doris go crazy. And you stopped yourself from saying Spike when you said you went to see someone.”
“Bit’s got smarts,” Spike commented to Buffy. “Which is why I don’t get your grades?” he directed at Dawn.
“Now that Spike’s here and we’ve established that he’s giving Buffy orgasms,” Anya spoke up for the first time since Spike entered the room, which Dawn was grateful for as it saved her having to explain the bad grades she got in school. “Can we either open presents or watch the movie?”
“Yeah,” Buffy said. “Let’s open presents first. Did you bring me anything, baby?”
“Course I did,” Spike smiled. “But I think I’ll leave part of mine until last and the other part until we’re alone.”
“Hey, hey,” Dawn said suddenly. “Impressionable youth here. Don’t need to know about my sister’s sex life.”
“Same here,” Xander chipped in. “I’ve already had a first hand show to that. Even if I didn’t realize at the time.”
“Get your mind out the gutter, bit,” Spike said as he and Buffy settled down on the sofa. “The present isn’t of that nature.”
Dawn just nodded and went over to the small pile of presents that had been set up. “This one’s from me, and mom. She gave me some money to put towards your twenty-first birthday present before her operation.”
Buffy opened the box that Dawn handed her. She gasped when she saw the long black duster like Spike’s. “I guess mom took the hint when I told her how cool Spike’s jacket was,” Buffy muttered. “Thank you, Dawnie.”
Next was a parcel from Buffy and Dawn’s father. “He remembered,” Buffy said as she stroked the red and black ice skates that Hank had mailed.
“Who remembered what, kitten?” Spike asked as he held Buffy around the waist.
“My dad,” Buffy said with a small smile. “I asked him the summer I spent with him after I killed the Master if he would get me a pair of red and black ice skates for my twenty-first and he remembered. I’ll need to email him and thank him for them.”
Next was the present from Giles. Buffy was reluctant to open this one because of her bad birthday experiences in the past.
“Come on, Buffy,” Willow encouraged. “I’m sure it’s nothing bad. Even if Giles has been the reason behind some of your bad birthday experiences in the past.”
With Willow’s encouragement, Buffy opened the envelope. First there was a letter.
***
Dear Buffy,
Since being back in England, I have been in discussions with the Council. Despite the fact that you have been an almost renegade since the Ascension I have finally reached an agreement with Quentin.
At first he was reluctant to this arrangement as he could see your relationship with Spike and did not agree with your decision to keep him undead, as it were, when he came to us after the Initiative had placed the chip in his head. But I can see I am rambling as you will know all the reasons Quentin would be a reluctant ass, so I will get to the point.
Between myself and some of the more accepting members of the council, we have come to an agreement to provide you with a large sum of money as compensation now that you are, in all sense of the word, a legal adult and have been released from your obligations to the council. We still request that you remain on the Hellmouth, at least until we have found the next in the Slayer line. I will be in touch soon, but until then; happy birthday, Buffy.
Love, Giles.
***
“Oh, my God,” Buffy gasped as she removed the cheque from the envelope. “Giles wasn’t kidding when he said ‘large sum of money’. The council has given me two million dollars. That’s like a million pounds in England, isn’t it baby?”
“Think so, luv,” Spike said as he pressed a kiss to Buffy’s lips. “Not really sure of the current exchange rate.”
Suddenly, Anya thrust a present into Buffy’s hands thus breaking the tender moment between the two. “Here, open mine now. Xander didn’t like this one so we got you one each.”
After accepting the present from Anya, Buffy opened it to find an expensive satin nightgown. It was even in Buffy’s size. “Thank you, Anya,” Buffy said. “It’s perfect.”
“Xander thought you would consider him a pervert if he got you that,” Anya said making Xander choke on a Cheesy-O.
“Ahn, that was a private conversation,” Xander whined to his girl friend. “But, she’s right Buff. That’s why I made this for you.” Xander then brought a brand new weapons chest to show Buffy and he groaned again when he saw the bright red bow on top. “Anya, did you put that there?”
Dawn giggled and put her hand up. “Actually, it was me. I wanted to get back at you for almost making me a demon bride when you summoned Sweet.”
Buffy just laughed and turned to her best friend of the human male variety. “Thank you Xander. The new chest will be great as my old one is going to be needed soon, but don’t ask why. Now time for Willow and Tara’s present.”
Willow handed over a small box to Buffy. “First of all, this isn’t really your present from us. We found it in your mom’s closet when we were packing up our stuff. So we thought it might have been your mom’s,” Willow explained.
Buffy opened up the box and gasped at what was inside. “Mom’s engagement and wedding rings. I was wondering what she had done with them after the divorce. Thank you Willow and Tara.”
“Your welcome, Buffy,” Tara said in her usual small voice. “This is your actual present.”
Tara then opened the other box that Tara handed her. “My God, it’s beautiful. I had one when I was younger that Dawn gave me and I lost it one night while I was out. An ex tried to replace it, but it wasn’t the same.”
Spike then took the charm bracelet from Buffy and helped put it on her. “Now it’s time for part of your present from me.” Spike took the long box from his pocket and handed it to Buffy while giving her a kiss. “Happy birthday, luv.”
Buffy gave Spike a soft, shy smile as she opened the box and looked down into the box to see a delicate gold chain with a drop diamond pendant in the shape of a heart and matching earrings. “Thank you, Spike. They’re beautiful, but you didn’t have to spend all that money on me. Just being here on my birthday was enough, but thank you. I love you.”
The room suddenly went silent at Buffy’s admission and everyone had a shocked look on their face. Everyone except Spike. The look on his face was far from shocked. He was sporting a goofy grin, the type of grin only a man in love can bear when his beloved returns the sentiment.
“I love you, too, Buffy,” Spike said as he held her closer to him. “That’s why I gave you that necklace and earrings set, they were my mum’s. I didn’t keep much of her stuff after I was turned, but mum gave me them to me telling me to give them to the woman who would own my heart one day. They are a family heirloom, you see, been in the family five generations before my mum.”
“But if they were for the woman who owned your heart, why didn’t you give them to Drusilla,” Buffy asked.
“Dru didn’t really own my heart, I felt,” Spike said as he snuggled Buffy closer to him on his lap. “Plus Dru didn’t like diamonds. She preferred the red gems.”
“I own your heart more than Dru did?” Buffy asked with tears in her eyes.
“Of course you do, baby,” Spike said kissing the tears from her eyes. “Why do you think I offered to kill the crazy bint for you last year?”
Buffy just nodded her head and turned to face her friends. “I know you guys wanted to have a movie night to celebrate my birthday, but would you mind postponing it until tomorrow night?” Buffy asked. “It’s just I’m really tired and just want to go to bed.”
“Sure, Buffy,” Willow said. “Dawn can stay with Tara and me tonight to give you and Spike some time alone.”
“Thanks, Will,” Buffy said with a smile. “Is that ok with you, Dawn?”
“Yeah, I’ll just go and get my stuff.”
“I’m sorry about this,” Buffy apologized. “Just today has been quite tiring emotionally and I just want to go to bed and there’s still some things Spike and I need to talk about and I don’t want to fall asleep halfway through it all.”
“No problem, Buffster,” Xander said with a goofy grin as Anya wriggled on his lap. “I’ve got an early start in the morning so heading home to bed just now seems to be a good idea. See you tomorrow night. Hey, Will, do you, Tara and Dawn need a lift to your apartment?”
“Ok,” Willow agreed. “Hurry up Dawn, Xander’s giving us a lift and he’s got an early start in the morning.”
Just then the teen came bounding down the stairs and headed to Buffy to give her a hug. “Night Buff,” then turning to Spike. “Night, Spike, can’t wait to be living as a family, but keep it down once I’m back.”
If vampires could blush, Spike would have been beet red at that point. “Night, bit, see you tomorrow.”
As Buffy and Spike watched their friends and family leave, Spike pulled Buffy back to lean against him. “I’m ready for that other present now, baby,” Buffy said and started to lead Spike up the stairs to her room.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
I just want to say thank you to those who read the first chapter as it is my first ever published fanfic. A HUGE thank you to iris, cordykitten, Angels_heart1 and PhotographyNut for my very first reviews. Hope this expains everything for you cordykitten :)
Chapter End Notes:
Please review. Reviews make me happy and the more happy I am, the more likely I am to be inspired to write.