AUTHOR: Sophie
EMAIL: sophie_limbourg@hotmail.com
RATING: G
PAIRING: Buffy/Spike
SPOILERS: Set after BOTN.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing is mine.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Not beta’d and English is second language, but it should be readable.
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“Here, let me help you with that, buddy.”

Xander took the mug and held it to him.

“Thanks mate,” Spike said, a little surprised by Xander’s gentleness.

He put the blood in it and then in the microwave.

“Don’t you want to sit down? Because you really look like… you need to sit down.”

“I’ll be fine. I look that bad, huh?”

“Well, let’s say that for once it’s better for you not to have a reflection.”

Spike smiled – but even that hurt.

“What’s with all the birds around?” he asked, sipping his blood.

“Oh, they’re Slayers-in-training. The Next Generation. They arrived with Giles a few days ago. I never thought I would say this, but I’m glad you’re back. I started to feel a little outnumbered. I usually am, but now it’s getting worse.”

Buffy walked in.

“Xander, the girls need you with the lights.”

“Glad to see a man is still needed in this house,” said the young carpenter while leaving the kitchen.

Buffy turned to Spike.

“How are you feeling?” she asked with a concerned look.

“Like I’ve been hit by a giant truck. What about you?” he asked, referring to her still bruised face.

“Same truck, I guess.”

He smiled and again – ouch.

“You still hurt. You should get some more rest.”

“I’ve been sleeping for the last bloody 24 hours. No offense, love, but you look like you need to rest more than I do.”
She sighed.

“I know. I don’t remember ever looking so horrible.”

“You’re not. You’re beautiful,” he said, putting his hand on her cheek, trying to avoid the marks and cuts.

She closed her eyes, trying to repress the tears that were threatening to spill. She had kept a strong face so far, her main goal being keeping the girls safe and rescuing Spike. The first one had been a failure for Annabelle. The second one, fortunately, had been a success. He was back where he belonged, with her. And the tiredness she had tried to ignore was now weighing heavily on her.

“Thank you for saving me,” he said softly.

She opened her eyes, met his blue ones.

“I need you,” she answered.

He nodded.

“You know I’ll help you defeat that bugger. I can even help to train the girls, if you want me to.”

“Oh, yes. That’s a good idea. But that’s not what I meant.”

He frowned.

“Of course I need you to fight with me, I need your strength. But once this is all over…in a good way, I hope…I will still need you, Spike. Here, with me.”

Spike stayed silent, stunned. First ‘I believe in you’ and now ‘I need you with me’ ? No, he was still dreaming. This was too good too be true. But the hand she put on his arm felt wonderfully real.

He looked in her eyes. What he saw…he had never saw it there before. He was scared to death to call it by its name.

Love.

He swallowed.

“Buffy…”

“Shhh. Don’t say anything right now. When you were gone, and I didn’t even know if you were still…well, alive, I thought about all the things I wanted to tell you. Thank God I still have the chance to do so.”

It was his turn to repress the tears. But he would not cry, not on the day that was probably the best of his unlife so far. Especially now that he knew there were more to come. Even with that huge threat above their heads.

He took her in his arms. A loving, comforting embrace. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest. It hurt, but the hell if he cared. He kissed her forehead and caressed her back in a soothingly manner.

“We’ll be fine, pet,” he murmured in her hair.

“I know we will. We’re together.”

They stayed like this for a moment, in their own bubble, happy to have found their way back to each other.

Noises and giggles came from the living room.

“What’s going on there?” he asked, reluctantly letting her go.

“Oh, they’re decorating the room with Christmas stuff…I thought it would keep their mind busy for a while. And I’m not gonna let that stupid First Evil ruin our Christmas.”

“That’s my Slayer,” he said, smirking. Ouch.

They both came back in the living room, where Xander was busy fixing lights on the wall with the help of Dawn and Molly, while Willow and Kennedy were decorating a Christmas tree.

Spike’s arm was still on her shoulders, but nobody noticed – or pretended they didn’t. For a moment, Buffy felt safe, content, and most important, loved.

She knew that the safety and happiness would probably be jeopardized from time to time.

“Merry Christmas, Spike,” she whispered for his ears only.

“Merry Christmas, Buffy.”

But she also knew the love would always remain.

FIN