~*~
Chapter 3
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Buffy woke up in a generous mood. The gala was tonight, she had new clothes and the entire day to be ‘Buffy, the Summers daughter’ instead of the ‘Slayer’. She didn't get to play normal girl very often and she relished each occasion.

A celebration was in order and any decent celebration had to start with shopping!

In that spirit of generosity and celebration, Buffy decided to find the perfect gift for her mom.

There were a few new stores at the mall that Buffy really needed to check out anyway so she showered and dressed in record time.

Life could be good.


~~~~

Spike paced in his crypt. "Blast Dru and her incredible bad timing anyway! Had to show up and bollocks it all up with the Slayer." He had been up most of the day wondering just what Power he had pissed off so badly that Dru had swept into town when she did. "Not when I wanted her back bad enough to do anything to get her back! Oh, no, only after I realize I’m in love with the Slayer."

Okay, maybe chaining Buffy to tell her that he adored her hadn't been the most romantic method he could have chosen.

"Sod that, at least I didn't write any bleedin' bad poetry. I'm sure that bitch Cecily would've rather had me chain her up than write odes to her beauty," he decided.

He'd really buggered it up with Buffy this time. Disinvited! That had hurt more than all the hateful words she had spat at him.

From his first invitation into the Summers home, long before the chip, Spike had cherished the open invitation, that sign of trust. He had never abused that trust either, not once!

Okay, so he'd been in without their knowing and had lifted a few
Items ... "No harm really," he thought. "What's an old picture or two, or a bit of lace for that matter? No one hurt by that," he rationalized.

He really didn't mind those sorts of visits ending all things considered. What he did mind, aside from the loss of Buffy's trust, was the freedom to come visit Joyce. Buffy had no idea the number of hours he'd spent in that cozy kitchen talking about art, music, poetry, and Buffy over a cup of cocoa or tea.

"Right wonderful woman, Buffy's mum. Treats a fella like a man worth knowing." Indeed, Spike’s self esteem, long a target for deflating, had begun to blossom in the company of that good lady.

"Hate not being able to just drop by, especially today," he said to himself. All those hours spent helping to plan tonight’s opening and now he wouldn't even get to talk to her about those last minute details. He only hoped Cindy followed the notes he had left for the actual day.

He had listened to Buffy's mum fret over the event and had offered to help where he could. It had been ages since he'd used some of the knowledge he had acquired over the years to help Joyce put on a successful show.

He had no doubt that Joyce'd pull it off fine. "Sure woulda’ loved to of seen it though. Talk to the lady herself, shared a cuppa’ during the final countdown," he sighed.

He didn't dare go anywhere near Revello drive for a while. Buffy'd stake him for sure right now. Oh, she'd regret it, but he'd still be dust. He had avoided the gallery, too, since the night of ‘true confessions’.

There had to be some way to let the lovely matriarch of the Summers clan know he was with her in thought, at least. Maybe an anonymous gift that Joyce, smart lady that she was, would know was from him and that he was with her in spirit.

Time to hit the sewers and head to the mall to do bit of shopping.

~~~

The Sunnydale mall glistened like Shangri-La to Buffy. All those shops, all those shoes, all for her! "First the perfect gift for mom, then the perfect shoes for Buffy," she decided. A girl could never have too many shoes, after all!

Five stores later she was no closer to an idea of what to get for her mom that said 'I love you and am proud of you' in just the right way.

Buffy grabbed a soft pretzel and diet coke and sat for a while to try to think of what her mother would like.

As she threw away the empty soda cup she saw a new shop with what might be just the right choices. The Holy Grail was within her sights at last.

The San Francisco Music Box Co. (tm) loomed before her with every size, shape, and style of music box known to humankind, and since this was Sunnydale .... demonkind.

Mom would love one! It would be perfect. A gift of simple beauty with not one practical aspect to it; just what mom needed! Practical was way too depressing lately ... time for fluff!

There were carousels, wooden inlayed boxes, dancing figures and bunnies everywhere she looked. Each one played a tinkley, happy tune.

She picked up one ornate statue and twisted the key to hear the familiar melody of ‘Music Of The Night’ from ‘Phantom of The Opera’ and put it back on the shelf while it still played. Much as her mom loved that particular music score, the song spoke of being lured to the darkness and it caused a queasiness within Buffy that made her certain that she didn’t want that one, or the many others playing that same tune. "Pity that darkness comes in pretty packages!"

Finally, Buffy was drawn to the back wall that was covered, three shelves high, with musical snow globes. There were dozens to chose from, each with its own charm. "Eureka!"

~~~~

"Something lovely for the eye and ear, that's the ticket," Spike
decided. He headed directly to the one store with the perfect
selection.

He seemed to remember a lovely globe with the most charming Victorian scene that played a lovely waltz melody located at the back of the store. "Be just the thing a charmin' Victorian gentleman'd give a dear lady," he said happily.

He didn't see the familiar blond head at the other end of the aisle until they nearly collided. Buffy was holding a snow globe with a mountain scene. The snow packed, steep range was capped with a castle inside the glass-domed music box. Soft sounds of ‘Edelweiss’ filled the air.

"What are you doing, following me around in the daylight now, Spike. Can't you take a hint," Buffy asked. Her eyes bored into him and she shook with anger.

"Not the only one needs to shop on occasion, slayer," he replied. "The whole world doesn't revolve round you, ya' know."

"Course, mine does," he thought to himself sadly.

"If you think you can soften me up with some cheap do-dad that plays ‘Music Of The Night’, you're crazier than I thought! I told you your only chance with me was when I was unconscious and I'm wide-awake now, buddy," she growled.

"Yeah, like I'd spend my hard earned dosh on you," he replied. They were arguing, as usual, but at least she was speaking to him again. He felt his spirit soar with renewed hope.

"Spend! Steal would be more like it don't you think Spike," she accused.

"Shhh, quiet with the accusations slayer. I'll have you know I fully intend to pay for what I get here. Told you I could give up the whole evil thing if I wanted to. Be so good I'll have to start wearin' white. Look bleedin radioactive," he said in low tones.

"That'll be the day," Buffy scoffed.

Just then, a fellow shopper backed into Buffy causing her to loose her grip on her prize.

"Damn," exclaimed Buffy as she dove towards the falling globe. "Oh bloody hell," growled Spike as he also made a grab for the snow globe at the same time.

Neither saw the ice blue waves of energy that passed over, around and through them on its way into the globe.

They did notice a faint lightheaded sensation as their fingertips
touched where they both grasped the base of the snow globe.

The only music they heard was a slight buzzing sound followed by the greatest silence either had ever experienced.

~~~~


"Tell the shaman that the chest of Weiland has been recovered. We shall deliver it to the very edge of the Bifrost itself. May the gods guard its passing over the Rainbow Bridge to the halls of Asgard". Thus spoke the blond giant of a man in the odd costume to his equally blond, tattooed companion.

"What of the mountain and castle of Skadi," asked the larger of the small group that the two men had joined in the middle of the suburban mall.

"It remains as it was. We might be able to transport a small chest from this accursed town but even you, Sigfried, would be hard pressed to transport a mountain," was his reply. "We can always return for the enchanted globe later and purchase it like civilized men. For now, we have what is urgently needed," said the leader.

~~~


Buffy looked around her in fear and amazement. Gone was the store, the mall, Sunnydale itself. She was standing at the base of an incredibly high mountain looking at miles and miles of snow and ice! The only non white thing in clear view was the black clothing of Spike standing in sharp relief against the drifting snow.

"What the......," she whispered.

"Just what I was wonderin," Spike replied. "Got a feelin' we're not in sunny California anymore, luv."

After a couple of hours walking in what had to be one large circle, the pair realized there was a solid feeling, invisible, barrier preventing them from going too far in any direction except up.

Buffy was tired, scared, and beginning to feel nervous. Worse than that, she was beginning to think the only other person in this winter wonder-where-we-are-land was Spike. Somehow, the besotted vampire had found a way to trap her with him in Santa Claus land with not even an elf to help her. "He was sooooo dusted," she promised herself, "as soon as he helps me get out of here."