FIC: Chanukmas (Part 3)

["Pat Kelly" <bandits@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hey. Third part below. They go park hopping in part four.

(PART 3)


Willow awoke to find herself alone in the bed. Checking the digital clock by the bed she saw it was just after eight in the morning. She got up, put her feet in the complementary Goofy slippers, and went in search of Buffy.

She found her outside on the balcony. Buffy was just sitting in a chair, watching the morning sun come up.

"Can I watch too?"

Buffy turned her head and smiled. "Morning. I'd say yes, but there doesn't seem to be any more chairs."

"Not a problem." She went and sat on Buffy's lap, and the blonde wrapped her arms around her.

"What do you eat, girl?"

"Are you saying I'm heavy?"

"I implied no such thing. As a matter of fact, I ordered breakfast. It should be here in about ten minutes."

"So you're trying to get me heavy?"

"I already got you. There's no getting of any kind to be done."

"You sound awfully sure of yourself."

"How can I not be? I'm in Florida, watching the sun, on a private balcony in a ridiculously expensive and lavish hotel, in Disney World, and you know what the best part is?"

"It's peaceful?"

"Nope."

"You don't have to fight evil?"

"Nope. But that is a nice change."

"What then?"

"I have my arms around you, silly."

Willow craned her neck to meet Buffy's lips when they heard Spike scream.

***


By the time they got into Spike's room, Angel and Kate were already there, hovering over a cursing Spike. Giles and Joyce came in behind them, and then Xander and Cordelia.

Kate went to cover the doors to the balcony with a sheet, and they all looked around at the empty bottles of alcohol.

"Let me guess. Somebody had a little too much fun with alcohol, passed out, and was brought awake by the burning sensation of the sun?" Willow asked.

Angel nodded. "I think it'd be a good idea if they didn't restock -"

"No you can't do that! That's cruel!"

"Then perhaps you'll remember to take precautions before bingeing again." Giles said.

Spike was holding his burnt arm like a vice. "All of you can shut the hell up now."

"If that's the way you feel I can always let a little more sun in here." Kate said.

He growled at her.

"Well it is your fault." Cordelia stated.

"How did you manage to live this long anyway? Somebody's becoming absent minded." Xander said.

For a few seconds know one said a word. Then Buffy broke the silence.

"So.everybody sleep okay?"

***


Since everyone was up Buffy cancelled room service, and they all went to eat together. Well, Spike stayed behind in his room because he wanted to be by himself. They noticed that he was developing Angel's brooding habit, and they tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't listen. So they let him be.

They went to the Whispering Canyon Café inside the hotel, and sat down to order breakfast.

"Pancakes, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, and hashbrowns." Buffy said. Her friends stared at her. "High metabolism."

Low mutters of how it was unfair were the responses she received.

"This all looks good," Angel said, "can't taste any of it, but it looks good."

"I'll eat his." Xander said.

"And I'm the pig?" Buffy asked.

"I'm a guy, were expected to eat a lot."

"You just have to keep that stereotype going, don't you?" Cordelia asked him.

"Hey, I'm proud of my gender. Angel, Giles back me up here."

The two older men just continued studying the menu, and silently felt sorry for the kid.

"So, let me get this straight. Because I'm a girl, I'm not supposed to enjoy food?" Buffy asked as both Cordelia and Willow joined her in staring Xander down.

"Any answer I give isn't going to get me out of this, is it?"

He looked over at Kate, who shook her head at him. Joyce, Giles, and Angel shook their heads as well.

"We're waiting." Cordelia said.

"What I meant was.I didn't mean.you know that I."

He bolted from the table, and they all watched him run. As Angel watched him run into the restroom, he caught a glimpse of somebody walking in after him. Someone he thought he recognized. Angel stood up.

"I'll go.I'll go after him."

He walked off without another word.

"He's awfully cryptic when he wants to be." Kate said.

"That's Angel for ya. But you can't help but love him." Willow said.

Both Buffy and Kate looked at her for an explanation, and the redhead started to squirm. In order to answer their stairs, she turned to Buffy kissed her with more vigor than she thought she had, and then turned to look at Kate, and back at Buffy.

"That settles that." Kate stammered.

"I'd have to agree." Buffy said, still trying to figure out where she was.

"Then can we order please?"

***


"They're gonna kill me.they're gonna bruise me." Xander said to himself in the mirror. He was afraid to go back out.

"They're not gonna kill you." Angel said from behind him.

Xander turned around and saw him, and then looked back in the mirror. Angel wasn't in it. That shouldn't have shocked him, but it did.

"You could've backed me up."

"You were doing fine." Angel smirked. "I've been around enough lifetimes to know when to stay out of something. And not dig my own grave."

"Why not? You climbed out of one." His response was a glare. "I gotta learn when to shut my mouth. Are you sure."

"Get out there. They're ordering."

"I'm gone."

Xander left quickly, and Angel looked around the restroom, trying to find the person he.

"Gotta feel sorry for that kid."

"Doyle?" Angel asked, seeing what he assumed was his long gone friend.

"In the Immortal Guardian flesh. Cool, huh?"

"Immortal -"

"Guardian. Yeah, I was as shocked as you were. You believe this place? Only spot in the universe with spotless bathrooms."

"Hold up. How?"

"Beats the hell outta me. I was floating around in limbo somewhere, and then the Powers came to me. Gave me a choice. Eternal servitude, or staying in nothingness. Wasn't a tough choice."

"Guess not. So.you've been watching me all this time?"

"I check up on you here and there. Looks like you're finally starting to get your act together."

"You had a lot to do with that."

"Good to know. Cordelia looks good too. Kid's a lucky bastard."

"Yeah, and I think he knows that. She took your death hard."

"I know. I.had to do it."

"She knew that. You saved all of us."

"Some sacrifices are worth it, I guess. But.there's a reason I'm here." Doyle watched Angel's expression change. "It's nothing bad, bud."

"What?"

"The Powers, well, you know they gave you your soul back for good, right?" Angel nodded. "Well, they wanted me to add something to that. You remember the ring?"

"The Gem of Amara?"

"The very same. That was meant for you. But not at the time. It was a test. When you smashed it, you passed. But the power in the gem didn't go away. And it's been kept by the Powers that Be."

"What for?"

"For you to love. They gave you your soul, and wanted to see what you'd do. You've passed the final test, pal."

"I still don't understand."

"There's two ways you could have gone. You could've remained the same old vampire who sat alone in a dark office, or you could've gotten up off your ass, put that soul to good use and tried to love again. You made the right choice."

"Kate."

"Bingo. Now come get your reward." Angel stepped forward, and Doyle put his hand on his chest. A bright green glow passed over him, and then it was over. The vampire checked the mirror, and he was still reflectionless. "You're not human."

"Then what -"

"What did the ring do?"

"Are you serious?"

"Have I led you wrong? Of course this means that you'll never -"

"I know. But that's later."

"Wow. You have changed. Go enjoy the sun."

"Thank you."

"You earned it. Gotta go."

***


They watched Angel come back to the table, and sit down.

"Buffy, let me see your cross."

"Angel?" She asked.

"Trust me."

She slowly took the cross off her neck, and handed it to him.

"What are you doing?" Kate asked him.

"It's okay."

He put the cross in his hand, and squeezed. They all grimaced, waiting for the smoke. It never came.

"What's going on?"

"It's a long story."

"I think we'd all like to hear it." Giles said.

***


Up in his room, Spike was lying prone on his bed. He felt like hell. In more ways than one.

"Looks like my old apartment." Doyle said, appearing in the room.

Spike sat up. "Who the hell are you?"

"Housekeeping."

"Nobody likes a smart ass."

"Take it easy, Sid."

"Wait. I remember you. You're the Irish guy I tried to blackmail. Friend of Angel's, right? What happened to you?"

"Died."

"How'd you like it?"

"It was a little painful."

"Those are the best kind. Now, I know there's a point to you being in my room, and I know you're gonna get to it."

"You're perceptive. Anyone ever tell you that?" Spike was getting impatient. "So how do you like this place so far? Is it as magical as they say?"

"Yeah. A magical pain in my ass. Still waiting for the point."

"Don't you want to go spend the day with your friends?"

"They're not my friends."

"Then what are they?"

"Look, I don't care if you're dead or not. In another second I'm gonna start maiming. And even if I did want to go with them, there is that little problem of the sun."

"What if I told you I could get rid of that problem?"

"For how long?"

"As long as you're here."

"Why?"

"You've been killing your buddies fairly regularly over the past two years. Haven't fed off a human, haven't killed a human.and you don't even have a soul."

"I know that already."

"The higher powers decided to give you a gift. Something to show you that they've noticed the good things you've been doing. And they don't generally give gifts to demons."

"Isn't that nice? Why would I want what they have to offer?"

"Cause you're lonely. And despite everything you're saying, for some reason, you like those people downstairs."

Spike sighed. "What's the catch?"

"No catch. As long as you're here, you can walk in the sun from this moment on. Just don't go killing anybody."

"How do I know this isn't just a trick? Something to get rid of me?"

"Step out onto the balcony and see for yourself. Gotta go."

"Wait!" He got off the bed. "If this doesn't work.I'll be ashes. Empty threat. Right then. Here goes the barbecue."

***


After breakfast was over, they walked out of the hotel, and into the sun. They all watched as Angel and Kate walked hand in hand outside. Cordelia, Xander, Giles and Joyce were still shocked, and were waiting for the flames to set in. Buffy and Willow hung back, and simply watched.

What they saw were two extremely happy people.

"Wow. Look at them." Willow said.

"I knew he'd.I knew it."

"Guess this really is a special Chanukmas."

"Is it gonna be special for some other reason?"

"Maybe."

"Will."

"Come on, let's catch up." She grabbed Buffy's hand, and they started to walk.

"Hang on. You aren't gonna leave without your old buddy Spike, are you?"

They wanted to be shocked, but they had seen enough already, and decided not to question it. They simply motioned for him.

"Hurry up. We gotta get to the bus stop that'll take us to the parks." Willow said to him.

He hurried, and saw Angel walking up ahead of them. "Him too? Damn. Now it's not the same. Always has to get things first."

"Spike!" They yelled.

"Keep your britches on. Sodding, bossy, pushy females."


"I have misplaced my pants." (Homer J. Simpson)

"You know what the secret of life is?"
"Your finger?"
"One thing. Just one thing."
"That's great, but what's the one thing?"
"That's what you gotta figure out."
(Jack Palance, Billy Crystal, City Slickers)

"I heard your heartbeat." (Buffy Summers, to Angel, ANGEL)