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Buffy tightened her grip around Spike. "I don't want you to go."

"I know, luv. I don't want to go either. But I have to. And in case you don't remember, this was your plan."

Buffy frowned. "I've changed my mind. It's a stupid plan."

"No. It's a good plan—and it's working. No reason to back out now."

"I just…I get so nervous when you're away. Anything could be happening to you, and there would be nothing I could do about it. And…and tomorrow's Christmas."

Spike stroked her cheek with his thumb, delight filling him at the thought that she actually cared about him. "I know. I'll come back tonight."

"You promise?"

"Yes." Spike kissed her, gently at first then harder, trying to reassure her in a way words could not. When he pulled away, he looked into her eyes. "You know I have to do this, Slayer. Hopefully, things will go well tonight, and you won't have to spend Christmas day kicking around some big bad."

"Which would be a step up from last Christmas."

"Yeah? What happened last Christmas?"

Buffy looked away suddenly. Had it only been a year since she'd been on that ledge, begging Angel not to give up? A year since she'd walked in the snow with him, so certain her first love would be her only love? "It was…it was nothing. A thing with…a thing with Angel."

Spike frowned. "Oh."

Buffy looked at him again, forcing a bright smile. "So you'll be back tonight?"

"Yeah, I will."

Buffy wrapped her arms tightly around herself as she watched him go.

*** *** ***

"You are here, vampire."

"Well, yeah. Where else would I be?"

Dejira smirked. "I was beginning to wonder that myself. You're late."

Spike shrugged. "Had a hard time getting away. Didn't want the Slayer to figure out what I was up to."

"Or maybe you were too busy helping her kill demons my employer sent to spy on her—again."

"What did you expect me to do? Sit back and let her fight them alone and then explain why I didn't do a damn thing to help? My in with the Slayer depends on her thinking I'm on her side. If I had let those demons get the jump on her, then I could have kissed that goodbye."

"Then your defense of her was quite convincing," Dejira said with a scowl. "And it killed two of my best assassins."

"Yeah, well, you know us vampires—hard to curb ourselves when it comes to a spot of violence."

"Yes. Part of what makes you such detestable creatures."

"Right. Look, I thought I came here for something other than a chat about things I already know. So let's get to it. How are we killing the Slayer?"

"Patience—another virtue vampires tend to lack. Still…for a halfbreed, you are an attractive specimen." Dejira ran a finger down Spike's cheek. "I suppose I can see why the Slayer would be easily fooled by your treachery—such a pretty face."

"Oi—not pretty. Handsome, yeah. But not pretty."

"Yes, of course. Can't insult your precious masculinity." Dejira moved closer, pressing herself against him. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to prove to me that your heart does not truly belong to that little girl—would you?"

"Shouldn't there be enough proof just in the fact that I'm a vampire and she's a Slayer? Sorta natural enemies there."

"Although this particular Slayer has been known to capture the hearts of vampires in the past."

"Um, actually, it was just the one. And he's a pathetic excuse for a creature of the night—all soul having and whatnot. And he's got this weird thing he does with his hair—sticks right up in the front. Bloody git…"

"You ramble as if you're nervous. Am I making you nervous?"

"Me? No." Spike relaxed his stance. "So, you want a little proof I don't love the Slayer? Just tell me how."

"Bed me."

Spike's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

"If you are not hers, then you should have no problem passing the night in my bed."

"Well, that's a bit presumptuous, don't you think? Did you every consider maybe I'm not attracted to you?"

Dejira laughed. "You're a vampire. I'm a body—and a rather beautiful one at that. What more is needed?"

"Possibly a bit of atmosphere. I'm not much of one for abandoned warehouse throwdowns myself."

Dejira ran her hand up his arm. "Then we can find a place where we can be more…comfortable. A few drinks first perhaps? Would that get you in the mood?"

"Depends. What do you have to drink?"

"It's beginning to sound to me like you love her. Either you prove that wrong, or this is off."

"I told you, I don't love the little chit! Bloody hell, I'm a vampire. We don't love. We feed and we fuck. Nothing more."

"Mmm. Then you will be mine tonight." Dejira leaned in, pressing her lips to Spike's.

The first taste of her mouth made his head spin, and Dejira tightened her grip around him.

*** *** ***

"Buffy, dear, are you hungry? You skipped dinner, and…"

Buffy didn't look away from the window. "I'm fine, Mom."

"Honey, I know you're worried about Spike, but he'd want you to eat you know."

Buffy smirked. "That's a lame attempt, you know."

"Well, I have to try something. Giles and I are both worried about you out here, just waiting."

"I can't do anything else. I'm too nervous."

Joyce knelt in front of the chair Buffy was sitting in. "Buffy, it's Christmas Eve. I know Spike is out there, but he'll be fine. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

"And then I'll be Christmasy. Right now I just can't think about anything else, okay?"

Joyce frowned, regarding her daughter for a moment. "You really do care about him, don't you?"

Buffy looked her mother in the eye. "I do. I know just a week ago I hated him—or at least I thought I did—but something's happened, and now…god, I don't know if I can call it love, but I feel something. Something strong."

Joyce tucked a piece of Buffy's hair behind her ear. "Just be careful, Buffy. I don't want to see you hurt again."

"And I don't want to be hurt again. But…but I trust Spike when he tells me he's changing. I can see it in his eyes."

Joyce stood again. "I can't say I like this, but if Spike is what you want, then I won't stand in your way."

"Thank you, Mom. That means a lot to me."

Joyce nodded. "I'm going to go in the kitchen to see if Giles needs anything. Come let me know if you decide you're hungry."

"I will. Oh, and Mom?"

"Yes, Buffy?"

"Stay out of the eggnog."

*** *** ***

Rupert looked up from the text he was reading when Joyce walked into the kitchen. "Is she going to eat something?"

"No. She won't leave that spot by the window. She's too worried about him."

"This is insane. He's a vampire. She should be hoping he doesn't come back."

"It isn't that simple, Rupert," Joyce said, sitting across from him at the small kitchen table. "No matter what the circumstances, when two people share something that's…special…it connects them."

Giles looked up sharply. "Joyce…I…" Suddenly, he stopped, rising slowly. "Dear lord."

"Rupert, what is…" Joyce stopped as she turned around to catch a glimpse of what Giles was seeing through the window. "Oh my god."

"Joyce, get Buffy. Now."

Joyce nodded, running from the kitchen, the sound of glass shattering behind her as the window crashed in. "Buffy! Demons in the kitchen!"

Buffy jumped up immediately. "Stay here. I'll go kill them."

"Honey, there's tons of them."

"I can handle it. Just stay out of it, okay? And if they come in here, run."

Joyce nodded, her eyes wide with fear. Buffy ran into the kitchen to find Giles surrounded by grenbreks. "I thought you said they only traveled in groups of three!" Buffy said as she fended off one that attacked her.

"They do! I'm sure if we were to count these, we'd find that they were numbered a multiple of three." He stabbed a demon with a knife he'd pulled from one of the drawers, cursing as it oozed into the floorboards.

"Great. Let's ask them to pause for a moment so we can do a quick headcount."

"Buffy!"

Buffy froze. "Mom!" She turned back towards the living room, but was stopped when two grenbreks grabbed her, pulling her back. She swiped at them futilely, until suddenly, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her head, and her world went black.

*** *** ***

When Buffy came to, she was lying on the kitchen floor with a splitting headache. She sat up, immediately regretting it as the world began to swim. She clutched her head, groaning, and tried to remember how she'd gotten here. Kitchen…Grenbreks…Ugh. She looked beside her to see Giles, unconscious. She pressed her fingers to his neck, grateful to find a pulse.

Buffy shook him lightly. "Giles! Giles, wake up! Giles, we have to…"

She stopped, her face growing pale as she remembered the last thing before she'd been knocked out. Her mother… She got up, ignoring her body's protests as she ran into the living room. "Mom! Mom, please, answer me!" Buffy stopped, looking in horror at the open front door and the bloodied trail leading to it.

"Buffy," Giles called to her as he stumbled out of the kitchen, clutching his head. "What happened?"

"They got her, Giles," Buffy said, tears in her eyes. "They got my mom."

Giles swayed slightly before finding the wall, propping himself against it. "Joyce…no…"

Buffy swallowed, straightening herself. "We're gonna find her, Giles. Now. They couldn't have gotten far."

"Buffy, as much as I want to find Joyce, we cannot afford to be rash. We have no idea where they've taken her. If we just take off with no plan we could end up making things worse."

"Worse? How could things get worse? Giles, demons took my mother—and there's…there's blood. It doesn't get worse."

"Yes it bloody well does! Dammit, Buffy, I am your Watcher, and…"

"No, you're not. Remember the whole quitting the Council thing I did? I'm going to save my mother now. You can tag along, or you can sit here and play overly-cautious guy. Either one."

"You're putting her in more danger this way."

"Maybe. Maybe not. All I know is I can't sit around here while my mother is very possibly being taken to her death. So are you with me?"

Giles sighed. "Let's get the weapons."

*** *** ***

Spike woke slowly, a strange feeling tugging at his brain. There was a woman beside him, but her scent told him it was distinctly not Buffy. He frowned.

"I thought you would never wake. Had you taken any longer, and it would've been sunrise. Bet you would've had a hard time explaining that to the Slayer?" Dejira smiled seductively, running her fingernails down Spike's bare chest.

"Where…where are my clothes?"

Dejira giggled, a decidedly strange sound coming from her. "Who knows, the way we were throwing them about. I had heard vampires were passionate, but I had no idea to what extent. Maybe I should rethink my contempt for your race."

"Yeah, maybe," Spike said distractedly as he attempted to locate his clothing. After a small amount of difficulty, he found them all, dressing quickly. He looked nervously back at Dejira, who was stretched out on the bed, nude. He frowned. "How exactly did we get here?"

Dejira sat up. "Come now, don't tell me you had that much to drink. Now go on back home to your little Buffy before she gets suspicious." She winked.

"Right. Sun's almost up and everything," Spike replied, backing away from the bed.

"Oh, and Spike?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for your help with our plans for the Slayer. I'm not sure we could have done it without you."

"What do you mean?"

"By staying good and distracted while my boys went in and captured the bait for our trap, of course. That certainly would've been much harder if they'd had a vampire to fend off as well."

Spike snarled. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything, seeing as I was here with you. But my friends, well, they paid your girlfriend a little visit. Oh, and before you come after me right now, just know that when they left her, she was unconscious. Her life could be ticking away right now."

Spike gave Dejira one last look of warning before running out of the room. He could deal with her later, when Buffy's life wasn't on the line. Or at least as much…

Dejira lay down on the bed again, smiling to herself.

That had been all too easy…

*** *** ***

Before anyone freaks on me for this one, just let me say this: Trust me. I promised holiday fluff, and I plan to deliver.

Review please!





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