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STARS IN THE BRIGHT SKY

by Lilachigh

Chapter One: Things To Do




‘Who is that for?’ Buffy asked suspiciously. The dining table was covered with cards and paper, ribbon and glitter. Dawn had decided to tackle all her gift wrapping in one go. The mess was amazing.

She was busy wrapping up a black T shirt and her sister had a very good idea whose Christmas present that was.

‘It’s just a little something for Spike,’ Dawn said, jabbing sticky tape over the paper in all directions.

‘Dawn, he’s a vampire. I don’t think they do Christmas. Religious festival, peace on earth, goodwill to mankind, remember. Vampires don’t do goodwill.’

‘He can still have a present,’ Dawn said stubbornly. ‘I don’t expect you to ask him round for Christmas dinner. Do you think he’ll be all on his own?’ She looked suddenly anxious.

Buffy pulled a face. She was having the whole gang round on Christmas day, although she was working right up to midnight on Christmas Eve at the Double Meat.

Everyone was bringing something towards the meal so she wouldn’t have to cook and she knew that throwing Spike into the mix would not make for the relaxed, happy time she was looking forward to.

‘No, he’ll probably either go and get very drunk at Willie’s or have Clem round and watch old movies on the TV and get very drunk at home. Like lots of guys at this time of year.’

Dawn looked at her. ‘You sound so cynical about Christmas. I know it will be sad without Mum, but don’t you enjoy it even a little bit?’

Buffy shrugged. Since their mother had died, Christmas to her was just another holiday to get through. It was all commercial. The adverts kept on and on at you - buy this, eat that, drink, spend, spend, you can’t do without our products. She seemed to walk through the days being pestered on all sides to spend money she hadn’t got.

This year there was no cash for presents, especially the sort of presents that Dawn expected.

And at her age, even though she knew in her head there was little money in the family, Dawn still believed in her heart that gifts would magically appear from somewhere. Thank heavens Buffy could rely on Willow and Xander giving her something nice.

She stared round the house. They’d made a start at decorating the little tree Dawn had gone out yesterday to buy, but hadn’t got very far. And all the old room decorations were stored away in boxes in the attic. Buffy didn’t have the energy or inclination to look for them. There were too many memories tied up in that tinsel.

The trouble was she felt so tired. The vampire and demon population of Sunnydale obviously didn’t treat Christmas any differently to any other day of the year. If anything, there seemed even more of them at the moment. She’d killed five the night before while she was out on patrol.

And when she saw Spike - well, although she didn’t feel tired when they were - well, she would be up front and modern and call it as it was - having sex - she felt exhausted afterwards. Emotionally and physically drained.

Dawn was getting irritated.‘Honestly, Buffy, why don’t you just admit that you wish Christmas was over and done with?’

Buffy tried to pull herself together. There was no reason to ruin Dawn’s Christmas. ‘Sorry, sorry. My bad. Let’s finish decorating the tree tonight before I patrol.’

‘Oh, I can’t. Janice and her mum are baking Christmas cookies and I said I’d go round and help. I want to do a big box for Willow and Tara. It’ll be cheaper than a real present, won’t it? I’m taking sugar and flour and eggs and the chocolate chips out of the upboard. That’s okay, isn’t it?’

She looked so eager and pleased that Buffy didn’t have the heart to explain that buying all the ingredients and a fancy box to put the cookies in was going to work out more costly than a shop bought gift!

Money, money, money. There it was again. She couldn’t get it out of her head. Why couldn’t she just be pleased that Dawn was trying to help?

Willow and Tara had said earlier that they would be late home; they were doing their Christmas shopping that evening. Buffy hadn’t heard from Xander and Anya for a couple of days.

Everyone in couples, Buffy thought drearily. She was glad her friends were happy, but sometimes it would be so nice to have another adult to lean on sometimes, to talk to.

Buffy wandered out to patrol, wishing it was January and the New Year. Why on earth did she feel like this, as if she was on the outside of all the jollity, looking in. But at this time of the year it seemed to her as if everyone in the world was happy except for her.

She jumped as a police car cruised past as she was about to cross the road into the cemetary. Getting run over was not a good plan.

It was eerily quiet, the grass was soft under her feet. No vampires tonight. That was a plus.

Buffy sat down and leant against a tree. Perhaps she had better just check up on what Spike was doing over the holiday. Not that she cared, of course, but she didn’t want Dawn treking round the grave-yard to visit his crypt, trying to make sure that he wouldn’t be on his own.

Obviously she’d have to let her give him his present, otherwise they’d be a sulky row and she couldn’t cope with Dawn in a mood at Christmas. Buffy pushed to the back of her mind the little book of English poetry she’d wrapped in brown paper and buried deep inside her underwear drawer.

She’d spotted the book in a garage sale one of the Doublemeat girls had given. It was very cheap, of course, she thought swiftly, which was why she’d bought it. She might well keep it for herself. It wasn’t really for anyone.

She absentmindedly staked a vampire who loomed up out of the dark in front of her and crossed the cemetery to Spike’s crypt. She’d just stop by for a few minutes.That was all, she told herself severely. She was going to go home and write Christmas cards. She definitely was not going to spend the evening having sex with a vampire. No!

The heavy wooden door was fast shut. Buffy turned the handle and was brought up short. The door was locked.

Locked! Spike never locked the door. What was the point. Who would be stupid enough to dare steal from a vampire? The only time it was ever locked was when they were both inside, downstairs in the lower crypt and they were, well, too busy, to be worried about visitors.

She felt a shiver run through her, remembering what he did to her, what she did to him. Their bodies, the noise, the glorious, mind bending sensations.... Her body always reacted in the same way, no matter how often she tried to turn off her errant thoughts.

Then, suddenly her blood ran cold. So if the door was locked now, did that mean he had someone else in there? Was he with another girl? Were they even now downstairs, making love?

Before she could stop herself, she was thumping on the door, but there was no reply.

Puzzled, she walked away a few yards and sat down on a tombstone to wait. Perhaps he was out and he’d locked the door himself for some reason, but she didn’t believe it. She knew, with every spider sense she possessed that Spike was in there. And, every nerve in her body was shouting that he wasn’t alone.

Suddenly, the door creaked open a couple of inches. She leapt up as Spike peered out. ‘Spike!’

‘Slayer.’

‘I was just passing - ’

‘And decided to knock my door down.’

She shrugged. ‘It was locked. I didn’t want to kick it in.’ She moved to go past him and was stunned when he barred her way. ‘Let me in.’

‘Not tonight, Goldilocks. I’ve got things to do.’

‘What?’ Buffy couldn’t believe he was turning her away. ‘Don’t you want to...’

He grinned down at her. ‘Oh yes, Slayer. All the time. But can’t tonight. Sorry. Thanks for coming round. See you later.’

And he shut the door in her face.

to be continued





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