Chapter 3
“How’s Dawn?”
“Ecstatic,” Spike commented, taking a seat across from her. “She’s excited to finally be coming home. I’ll be picking her up tomorrow.”
Buffy was glad for that, but also upset knowing that he wouldn’t have a reason to come by the hospital anymore. It had only been a week since he entered her life again, but she’d become very fond of him in that short time, even more so than she was in high school.
“Oh, I almost forgot. I have something for you.”
Buffy was confused when he left the room, a smile on her face once he returned, with a stuffed pig in his arms.
“This is Mr. Gordo,” he handed the animal over to Ella, who gladly took it. “My mum gave him to me when I was about your age. I had just gotten my tonsils out, and she wanted to make me feel better. This little guy has been with me ever since, and now I want you to have him.”
Buffy gazed down at her daughter. “What do you say, baby?”
“Thanks, Spike,” she responded with a smile, clutching the pig to her chest.
“That was really sweet of you,” Buffy told him.
He waved his hand in the air. “Don’t mention it; I was getting a bit too old for him.”
Buffy took a deep breath before saying what she wanted to. “Will I still be able to see you? I know with Dawn going home, you won’t have a reason to visit anymore.”
He shook his head. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Summers. In fact, you’re bound to get sick of me with how much I intend to be around.”
She blushed, turning away from him. “Somehow I doubt that.”
Spike saw that Ella was starting to drift off, the pig still tight in her grasp. He used that as an excuse to lead Buffy out of the room, so they could talk in private. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you, and I’d better do it now before I lose my nerve. I know we’ve been seeing a lot of each other this last week and you probably only think of me as a friend, but I was wondering if maybe we could be more than that. I’m bloody crazy about you, Buffy. I have been for as long as I can remember. I know you said you used to have a crush on me, but for all I know you may be over it now. I guess what I’m trying to say is, would you like to go out with me some time?”
She pretended to think about it. “I don’t know. I’ll have to check my schedule.”
Spike tried to act casual, not wanting her to know how disappointed he was. “Oh, that’s fine, whenever you can. It’s not like I’m going anywhere.” He saw the smile on her face, rolling his eyes at himself. “And you were just messing with me, weren’t you?”
“You just make it so easy. Honestly, that’s probably the most I’ve ever heard you say at one time. I was hoping you would ask me out at some point.”
He nodded, feeling more at ease. “How about this weekend? I can take you to an actual restaurant.”
She nodded as well. “Sounds good, my mom can sit with Ella for me.” It had been so long since Buffy went on a date, praying that she knew what she was doing.
* * * * *
They had a nice dinner at an extravagant restaurant, which Spike insisted was on him. They talked about everything, reminisced over high school, how nervous they were to talk to the other back then, and so on.
Overall, it was a wonderful evening, and Buffy found herself back at her mom’s house sooner than she would have liked. “Thank you for tonight, it was great to get out. I hope we can do it again.”
Spike smiled. “You can count on that. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, moving closer and touching his lips to hers in a soft caress.
Buffy was taken by surprise at first, but didn’t hesitate to kiss him back. She never wanted it to end, but it had to at some point.
“Goodnight,” he whispered.
She kissed him one last time, then headed inside the house, resting her head against the door. Her mom was already there, gracing her with a smile.
“How was the date?”
Buffy returned her smile. “Amazing, he’s incredible. I hate thinking about all this time we’ve wasted. How’s Ella?”
“She’s fine,” Joyce Summers responded. “She was asleep when I left.”
Buffy nodded, moving into the living room. “I hate this. She should be here with me. Christmas is in one week, Mom. It’s not fair that Ella should have to spend it in that hospital. You know what she said earlier today? She didn’t know if Santa would be able to find her. I told her that Santa visits hospitals all the time, but I don’t think she believed me.”
Joyce gave her daughter a hug. “It’ll be all right, sweetheart. You just have to have a little faith.”
“I wish I could. I would have probably completely lost it by now if it wasn’t for Spike. He’s the only one keeping me sane. Is it possible to love someone when you’ve only been on one date?”
The older woman shook her head. “I think anything is possible, but it’s not like you haven’t known William for a long time now.”
Buffy agreed, glancing around the house. There was no tree, no decorations, she frowned at that. “I’m sorry that I’ve been such a downer. I know I’ve been against decorating because Ella isn’t here to enjoy it, but this is your house. I hate that I’ve taken away from your Christmas.”
“Think nothing of it, honey. You’re right; it won’t be the same without her. I’m not really much for decorating this year, anyway.”
Buffy knew her mom was only saying that to make her feel better, but still felt that she was ruining the holiday for everyone.
* * * * *
“I’m in love, Harris. Head over bloody heels, but you already knew that.”
Xander rolled his eyes. “How could I not? You haven’t been able to stop talking about her since she crashed back in to your life, but it’s good that you’re finally dating again. She sounds like a great girl.”
“Bloody amazing is how I would describe her,” Spike commented. “This is going to be a great Christmas, for all of us. Buffy and Ella deserve it more than anything, and I really want to do this for them.”
Xander nodded. “You know I’ll help out with anything you need, but just how are we going to pull this off without her knowing?”
“You leave that to me, mate. It’s all taken care of.”
* * * * *
Spike hung up the phone after talking with Joyce, who claimed Buffy was asleep and couldn’t overhear anything. He smiled and sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. This was going to be a Christmas to remember.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
I was hoping this story would have been as well received as my last Christmas fiction, but I guess this just isn't my year. Thank you to the few who are enjoying it, there's one more part left.