Joss owns everything, etc...
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“Doesn’t one usually hang mistletoe above the door?”
Awakened from the numbers on her computer screen, Fred looked up from her work to find Spike staring at the bundle of mistletoe that hung from the lamp on her desk. She removed her glasses and smiled at him. “Why? Do you want a kiss?”
Spike flashed one of his charming smiles. “Depends. Are you the one doing the kissing?” He sat down on the edge of her desk, craning his head to look at Fred’s screen. “What are you looking at?”
“Oh, just crunching some numbers. Ever since Eve mentioned that my department had gone over its quarterly budget, I’ve been keeping an eye on costs.”
“Can’t accounting do that?” With a frown, Spike looked away from the screen and turned his attention elsewhere.
“It’s just math. Numbers and equations.” Fred realized it wasn’t just math at first glance. She was computing the costs of ten different projects, the columns of numbers dauntingly long. It wasn’t her place to brag, but she trusted her own math more than some accountant who was sitting in a cubicle with no windows.
With the flourish of a keystroke, she added all the columns together.
“Didn’t figure you were the type.” Spike’s voice pulled Fred away from the final total. At first she couldn’t see what the vampire was talking about but then he turned, brandishing a box. “I thought only Charlie and the boys were interested in DVDs.”
“It’s a gift for my dad,” Fred explained. “He really loves the Alien series of movies so I bought him the quadrilogy, which isn’t even a proper unit.” With a meek smile at her geek out, she took the box set from Spike. “It’s also a peace offering. I can’t make it home for Christmas.”
“Shame, seeing as how you’re the only one with a decent family. Any reason why?”
Fred shrugged. “The department needs me.” She rose out of her chair and placed the box set down beside some Christmas decorations sitting on top of her filing cabinet. “Knox said he could handle things, and I believe him, it’s just that I have all this work to do.” Running her own science department was the best thing to happen to her after meeting Angel and everyone, but at times she found it to be so consuming that a life outside Wolfram and Hart barely existed.
“When was the last time you were home?” asked Spike.
“Must be at least eight years now.” Fred seated herself beside Spike. “Why?”
“Family is everything, luv. Every bloke from the half-witted demon to your high and mighty boss knows that. You run the bleedin’ department. Whatever you say is law. You want to go home, why should a bunch of numbers stand in your way.”
Spike glanced over at Fred, and suddenly received a kiss on the cheek. His lips parted to form a small “o” as curiosity crossed his features. “What…”
“Mistletoe.” She indicated upwards to the mistletoe that had hung from her lamp, which was now held in her hand above their heads. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” Smiling once more, Spike left her office.
With a content sigh, Fred returned to her chair. On her computer screen the large total sat at the bottom right hand corner, waiting for her approval. One keystroke and it was gone. She needed to book a flight to Texas.
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