Title: Happy Birthday (1 of 1)
Author: Kimberly Linthicum
E-Mail: jklinthicum@lts.net
Summery: Joyce receives a birthday gift.
Spoilers: Alluded to Grad2 events.
Rating: Barely PG.
Disclaimer: All events and characters portrayed in Buffy The Vampire
Slayer are the property of Joss Whedon, The WB, Mutant Enemy and 20th
Century Fox.
Feedback: Definitely appreciated! jklinthicum@lts.net

******

"Hello Joyce."

The voice which came from the shadows between the house and garage
caused Joyce to drop her bag of groceries to the ground and do a serious
backpedal toward her car. Trying not to panic she fumbled with her keys
for what seemed like an eternity finally finding the correct one to unlock the door.

"Luv! You broke your jar of mustard."

She turned to find Spike picking through the sack, carefully removing
the broken jar.

Gingerly holding the container aloft, Spike gave a nod toward the trash
can. "I'll go ahead and toss it in the rubbish, if that's all right with
you."

"Aaah, yes. That's fine S-s-spike." She answered nervously as she opened her car door.

The vampire returned still holding one hand in the air and carrying a
white shopping bag in the other. "Do you have a tissue?"

Joyce slid into the car and locked the doors, the action causing Spike
to look a bit hurt. She caught the 'kicked puppy dog' expression and
sighed. Rolling the window down an inch, she dug a Kleenex out of her
purse and poked it through the opening.

The vampire smiled and gently pulled the offering free and began to wipe the smear
of mustard off his fingers. "So Joyce, how have you been?"

"What do you want Spike?"

"Oh nothing really. Haven't popped to see you in awhile."

"I'm out of hot chocolate." She interrupted while covertly putting her
hand on the ignition key.

"That's all right, luv. It's too bloody hot for that anyway. Do you have any lemonade?"

With a tone that conveyed her irritation she asked. "Spike, why are you
here?"

"Oh, I just got back into town. What happened over at the high school?
There's just a bloody big 'ole in the ground where it was. I couldn't
believe it. Then I tried to look up some of my old mates, but you know
what..."

Joyce found herself blinking incredulously at Spike as he rambled on
about the missing school and his missing buddies and the fact that he
really missed the good old days when everything was so much easier.
Finally she tapped on the glass to shut him up and for the third time
asked what he was doing at her home.

Spike turned his head and shifted on his feet for a second looking
embarrassed. He held the shopping bag up and mumbled. "Happy birthday
Joyce."

Rolling the window down another inch she peered out at the smiling
vampire. "How did you know it was my birthday?"

Looking for the world like a 5 year old caught in the cookie jar Spike
just shrugged.

"Spike.... answer me."

"Well, I overheard it was your birthday."

Joyce pursed her lips for a second over this bit of information. "From
who Spike? I am now at the age where I don't tell anyone it's my
birthday."

"Willow and Buffy."

"They told you?" Joyce's voice got shrill. "What were they doing... what were 'you' doing..."

Spike shook his head and launched into an explanation. "No... no... they didn't
really tell me. I was eavesdropping on them while they walked by the other night.
I was hiding behind a tombstone while they did that patrol thing they do through
the cemetery and I heard them...." He stopped for a moment and brightened.
"You know we vampires have very good hearing. We're not just all blood and
torture and all that. And... and that's why I brought you this."

The logo on the sack was that of a local Hallmark.

"So you went an bought me a present? That was sweet, I guess." Joyce
frowned and thought for a moment. "You did 'buy' it didn't you?"

"I mostly paid for it. I got a sack now didn't I?"

"How do you 'mostly' purchase something?"

"Was two dollars short but I showed the shop clerk a toothy smile and
she was suddenly gone." Spike explained, then seeing a look of horror
cross Joyce's face he added. "No, no, luv. Gone from the store, not gone
from this existence."

"On a dead run I suppose?" Joyce interjected.

Spike chuckled. "More of a quite lively sprint. But I did leave wot
money I had on the counter."

The humor in the situation was beginning to make Joyce feel a bit more
at ease. And logically, if Spike had been there to harm her he would not
have announced his presence, so maybe this vampire was on the up and up.
She rolled the car window down three quarters and held her hand out.
"Well, as long as it was 'mostly' paid for and you went to all this trouble.... what is it?"

"It's a surprise! Open it!" Spike was almost jumping up and down over
her acceptance of the gift.

Joyce took the sack and placed it on her lap. "Only in Sunnydale." She
whispered to herself as she began to open the bag. The human suddenly
stopped as a thought crossed her mind. "Spike? Surprise? Sunnydale?"

"Well, open it Joyce! Sunrise is in nine hours and if you don't hurry
I'll have to spend the day in your closet."

She crumpled the bag top back down. "What kind of surprise is in here
Spike?"

"It's a good one."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Spike rolled his eyes heavenward. "Try to be nice." He made a "X" over
his chest and looked as sincere as a vampire possibly can. "Cross my
'art luv, it's a nicey-nice. Remember, I don't know those curse, hex and magic
things. If I did I wouldn't have had to kidnap that witch. And they don't sell
imps or tokoloshe or anything bad at the Hellmark..."

"To-ko-what?"

"Ah, they're South African goblins that take people in the middle of the night.
All you have to do to keep them away is put bricks under your bed. I hired
a pack of them once to bring me a tasty little bit..."

"Spike! I don't want to know." Joyce interrupted.

"Oh, guess you wouldn't, eah?" He rubbed his hand back through his hair.
"So, you going to open it?"

Joyce steadied herself and sighed before cautiously opening a corner of
the bag. In the bottom lay a mass of tissue paper. After, checking
Spike's location out of the corner of her eye she hesitantly pulled the
wad out and began to peel the layers back.

On hearing the rustle of the paper Spike shot forward and stuck his head
into the car. "Do you like it? Well do you?"

"Let me finish unwrapping it." She answered while sliding away to the
center of the seat. Spike took this move as an invitation. Reaching in
he unlocked the door and hopped in beside her. Joyce moved over another
foot and nervously kept digging through the tissue paper.

"Oh!" Joyce held the suncatcher up and smiled. "Moon and stars."

"Do you like it?"

"Yes Spike, it's beautiful. Thank you."

Spike smiled and planted a quick kiss on Joyce's cheek. "Happy
birthday." Before Joyce could react the vampire had left the car and
was ten steps down the driveway. She scrambled out of the vehicle
and called after him. "Spike! Wait a minute."

"I really have to go, Joyce. If Buffy comes back she would get all upset and stakie..."

"No she won't. I'll just explain that you came by to wish me a happy
birthday and drop off a present." Joyce pointed toward the kitchen door.
"So would you like some lemonade?"

"Your house is still open to me?" Spike asked.

"No, Mr. Giles and Willow put some kind of spell on it after you were
here, but all I have to do is invite..."

"Don't do that!" Spike barked as he trotted back up to her. "Never,
luv.... never invite me or any other vampire in. Promise?"

Joyce nodded. "All right, I promise."

Spike continued to get more agitated. "I mean, tonight I'm fine. But you know I drinks a bit...."

"A bit?" Joyce asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh sod it! Yes, I drink like a fish!" He began to wave his hands
around. "So you never know wot I got in my head. I don't think when I'm
drunk...."

"Nobody does." She pointed out.

The vampire took Joyce's hand in both of his. "No invite, understand?"

"I understand." She answered with a nod to the front steps. "Why don't
you sit over there on the front porch. I'll bring it outside."

Spike half smiled "I would like that."

Joyce entered her kitchen and quickly put away the groceries. Pulling
two tall glasses out of the cabinet she stood there holding them as the
stupidity of what she was doing sunk in. "I'm going to drink lemonade
on my front porch with a vampire?" She glanced over at the suncatcher
on the counter. "A vampire who just brought me a present?" Her attention
went to the pile of stakes on the top of the refrigerator. "And my daughter
is a vampire slayer and Spike has killed slayers." She bit her lip for a moment
and considered telling him to leave. Looking at her reflection in the kitchen
window she shook her head at the idea. "That might make him mad." She
pointed at her image and wagged a finger. "Well, Joyce let's see what is
going on here."

Spike sat on the steps looking up and down the street for any sign of
Buffy. "Oh, she would understand. I'll just explain that I'm on a social
call and then she'll say that is a bag of shit and then I'll say that her mum
is a fine lady and then she'll' say keep away from my mum and then I'll tell
her to put a cork in it and mind her own business and then she'll pull out that
stake and then..." A faint noise from within the house stopped him mid-
speculation. Spike turned and saw Joyce attaching the suncatcher to one of
the front windows. He was still smiling when she came through the door with
a pitcher and two glasses. He rose and took the pitcher and motioned for
her to go ahead and sit the glasses down on the railing. "I'll pour. You go
ahead and get comfy."

"Thank you, Spike." She sat down on the step and waited on Spike to
serve the refreshment. As soon as he handed her the glass she took a sip
and simply asked. "Why?"

"Why not?"

"Couldn't you get kicked out of the vampire brotherhood for this?"

Spike shrugged. "I'm my own man and I'll do what I bloody well please."

Joyce tapped her nails on the glass. "Uh-huh."

"And if I want to bring you a present, there ain't a wanker around that
better say anything about it."

"Uh-huh."

"August first is a fine day to be born on so why not celebrate?"

A sly smile crossed Joyce's face. "Is today your birthday too? Is that
why..."

"No, that's not it. I was born on either November twenty-ninth or
thirtieth." Spike interrupted.

"You don't know for sure?"

"It was the middle of the night and by the time the midwife sobered up
to hear the steeple clock it was two in the morning." He shrugged. "We
never had the money to buy a clock." The vampire took a sip of lemonade.
"We never had money for much of anything. My father was a merchant
seaman and the pay never seemed to make it past the pubs and the East
dock whores." Spike went silent and stared into his glass.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Joyce reached over and patted his arm.

"Ah, don't be. When I was ten he got his reward. Fell into the Thames,
pissed as a newt, went straight to the bottom." The vampire clinked his
glass against Joyce's in a cold toast to the memory of his father. "And
the little fishes had a feast."

"I take it you didn't care for him." Joyce said softly.

Spike's game face appeared. "I hated him."

Joyce stiffened at the stark reminder of what her companion really was.
Oblivious to her discomfort Spike slid closer and took hold of her
shoulder. "I hated him, pet. Hated him with a passion. For what he did
to us; for the position he put us in; for taking thirty years off of our mum's life."
He shut his eyes and hissed. "She worked herself to death for a pittance.
Caught the TB in that damned textile mill just so me and my brothers and
sisters could have one meal a day....." Spikes voice trailed off as he noticed
the rising fear in Joyce's eyes. He released his hold and quickly stood. "Sorry...."
He mumbled handing her the glass back. "....I better go."

"Maybe that's a good idea. Buffy will be home soon." Joyce cautiously
agreed.

Spike regained both his human face and his composure. "Well, you have a
good rest of your special day." He gave her a half wave and turned to
leave.

"Thank you for the present." She called after him.

"You're most welcome." He answered from the sidewalk. "And happy
birthday, Joyce." Spike watched her reenter her home. Before he slipped
away he looked up at the stars and acknowledged them with a nod. "And
happy birthday to you mum."

****** End ******