A Christmas Ball to Remember

The day was hectic, for everyone, Sarah was getting the last of the arrangements for the ball settled, checking that the decorations were going to be better than Wolfram and Hart's. Buffy was out with Willow and Dawn doing last minute Christmas shopping in the

Bluewater

shopping center. Giles was doing more research with the help of Angel and Wesley; they thought that Wesley could help, as he was once a watcher like Giles. Lorne was doing the 'readings' of the SIT's; he got told to do it the day before with no explanation. Lindsey was taking charge of Sarah's finances, selling her house for her. He was in his office when he got the call,

"Hello, Mr. McDonald, everything is being finalized by the end of today, like you requested. Congratulations."

"Thank you, bye." He phoned through to his secretary and told her that he would be out all day with a client and that she could leave early today and wished her a Happy Christmas as he left.

He arrived just in time for Sarah's lunch break and walked into her office to wait for her. When she arrived he just sat looking at her, he couldn't believe that he had found the one, in such a short period of time that they had been dating he knew.

"Your house has been sold." He told her bluntly.

"When?"

"Finalized today."

"But no-one's been round to view it."

"I went there the other day."

"So when do I have to be out by?"

"You don't that's the beauty of it." He pulled a bottle of champagne out from behind her desk and two champagne flutes.

"What do you mean I don't?"

"You don't because the buyer that has brought it, for a bit higher than the asking price, and he loved it."

"Who is it Lindsey?"

"Well I thought that since you were buying this place and that you had decided that you were going to move in with me, well there's not enough space at mine so..."

"So what?"

"So, I've brought your house, that way you don't have to move your things out and you've already got a key." He smiled.

"Oh Lindsey." She walked over to him and kissed him deeply.

"Merry Christmas darling, here's to us," he said chinking his glass against hers.

"Oh I've brought something along," he reached into his briefcase and pulled out a file.

"What is it?"

"The contract for you buying half of this place. Is Buffy and Giles around?"

"Giles is, but Buffy's out shopping."

"What have you got to do for the rest of the day?"

"I'm doing the finishing touches to the ballroom, getting everything ready for tomorrow night. Why?"

"Well on the way over to here, I noticed in a window a dress and realised that you didn't have one for the ball tomorrow, so I wanted to take you there to buy it."

"No I'm fine I was going to wear the dress you brought me."

"No you're not. Let me please."

"Ok, I can spare you two hours, but no more than that." Lindsey took her hand and led her to the car, opening the door so she could get in. 'I could do this all the time for her, treat her like a princess,' he thought as he walked to the drivers door.

As they drove out, Buffy was just arriving. She looked around at them and just continued to get her bags out.

"What you smiling at?" Willow asked Buffy.

"Just Sarah and Lindsey. They seem so right for each other and I have never in the three years that I have known Sarah, seen her smile like that. I wish that I can find someone who makes me smile like that one day."

"But what about Angel? I thought that is why you asked him to come along. And-and me, with that spell. I done it the first night that he was here, don't say that I done it for no reason."

"You've done it already, that's why." Buffy said with a quizzical smile on her face, Willow and Dawn just looked at one another.

"You ready to come in or you just going to stand out here all day? I'm cold." Dawn complained.

All three women walked in and went straight into the bar, where it had a large open fire burning away.

"So what does the ballroom look like Buffy?" Dawn asked.

"I don't know Sarah has been taking care of all the arrangements. She has locked the doors when no ones in there. We will only find out tomorrow night. All of the SIT's parents have been invited and the only staff will be the waiters, waitresses and Sarah. There's a buffet meal, and loads of champagne, wine and all that lot. That's all I know."

The three women sat there getting warm by the fire, Buffy forgot about the fore coming battle only a week away, 'we should be getting prepared but, the way the SIT's training have been going, there should be no worries,' she thought.

They sat there for the rest of the day talking and catching up, Xander and Anya even prized themselves away from their bedroom to join them. Lindsey walked in; Dawn saw him and her mouth fell open,

"Who's that?" she whispered to Willow.

"I think it's Buffy's lawyer."

"He's cute."

"And way much older for you." Willow said laughing.

"Buffy can you meet me in the meeting room with Giles please."

"Yeah sure, I'll just go and get him." They both left the room and Buffy went and got Giles out of his office and met Lindsey and Sarah in the meeting room.

"Lindsey, Sarah what can we do for you?" Giles asked as he walked in the room.

"I've got the contract here for you."

"Already, have you got the finances already?" Buffy asked

"Yes my house has been sold today and I have the money sitting in the bank waiting."

"Right, pass me that here." Buffy said as Lindsey slid the contract to her.

"As your lawyer I advise you read it first Buffy."

"Yeah I would, but I trust you both. Sign here?" She asked pointing at the dotted line. Lindsey lent over and pointed to the line that she should sign. She signed it and passed it on to Giles. He signed it, and so did Sarah.

"Congratulations." Buffy said getting up and crossing to Sarah and gave her a hug. "So if you've sold your house, where are you going to stay?"

"Lindsey brought it and I'm staying where I am, and he's moving in." Buffy hugged her again but Giles couldn't help feeling that he had lost all round. He walked out of the room and went back to his office.

"Anything useful?" He asked Wesley when he walked in.

"Just the same as we already know, no mention of what's coming...Ah!"

"Ah what?"

"It says here that after the fight with the first, a hero will be recognized, and the uber vamps will find another way out...but the hero will not be able to do anything this time um...only the slayer will prevail."

"At least we know what we're fighting."

"I can't tell Buffy at the moment, she probably celebrating Sarah's good news."

"Why so down about it?"

"Because I thought that there was this connection between me and her. But then she's taken interest in that lawyer, and now they're moving in together."

"Ah the classic case of the green eyed monster!"

***

Buffy, Sarah and Lindsey went down to the bar to have a ceremonial drink.

"To Sarah." Buffy said lifting her glass in salute.

"Why, what's she done?" Dawn asked.

"Brought half of the hotel, the actual hotel."

"Oh...so-so does that mean that we have to pay her now?"

"No, Dawn you and the others will be staying here free of charge, like before." Sarah said.

"Good because sex wouldn't be the same if we had to pay for the room." Anya said. Xander went red with embarrassment. Anya had a way with words, she was a person who didn't care what she said, but Xander did.

"Anya honey, we talk about things like that when we're alone, not in front of everyone."

Everyone continued to talk amongst themselves, Dawn kept staring at Lindsey, until Lindsey put his arm around Sarah.

"Come on let's get out of here, there's a table booked for us." He took Sarah by the arm and guided her towards the door. Angel came in and saw them.

"Lindsey," Angel said with a smile on his face, he remembered the last time they saw each other.

"Cops suck? Do you know I got pulled over for that? Thanks."

"Found your routes I see, does Wolfram and Hart know you're here?"

"I work at the Wolfram and Hart in London now, thanks to you, I've changed."

"But Wolfram and Hart hasn't I bet. I'm glad to see you've got things in hand." Lindsey leapt forward but Sarah stopped him from punching Angel in the face. Sarah led him out, while Angel stood there watching them go, laughing.

"What was that all about?" Buffy demanded.

"Nothing much." He looked at her and off her glare he continued, "Well when he worked in L.A, he was the thorn in my side as to say, so I chopped his hand off."

"I never noticed that his hand was plastic."

"No it's not. Wolfram and Hart gave him a new one."

***

"What was that all about?" Sarah asked once she got him in the car.

"You see this scar here?" He undone his cuff on right hand and showed her the scar that ran all around his whole wrist.

"I've never noticed it before, you've always kept that bracelet on."

"You know why now. Going back about four years I was co-vice-president of Special Projects in L.A and part of that was to investigate Angel and his team. Anyway Cordelia got sick and I was about to burn a scroll, then Angel came in and chopped my hand off. For months I had a plastic one and when the position to be vice president came up they sent me off to a hospital for a transplant. I left L.A after finding out where the hand came from and it opened my eyes, that the Wolfram and Hart in L.A was evil just like Angel and the others had been saying. I traveled for a while and then settle here, then when Wolfram and Hart approached me saying that the Wolfram and Hart in London was legit, I worked for them again. Now are we going we don't want to be late."

Lindsey drove them home so they could get showered and changed. Sarah decided to wear a simple black dress that reached the top of her knees, black stockings and black high heels. When she came down stairs Lindsey was waiting for her.

"You look nice, here put this on it's cold outside," he held up a tan suede coat for her, she put it on and it reached her knees.

"Lindsey it's lovely, why do you keep buying me presents?"

"Because I want to. Because I love you," he kissed here before opening the door for her.

The drive to the restaurant was a quick one, they only went to the local Indian, and sat down. The waiter came over and took their order for the starters, king prawn butterflies that were coated in breadcrumbs served on a bed of salad. They ordered a bottle of Asti and held hands over the table, while eating.

"So is everything ready for tomorrow night?"

"I think so, the caters are coming in tomorrow lunch time to set up the buffet and the wine and champagne are already chilling. All the decorations are done and the DJ is finishing setting up an hour before. It should be a good night."

"So you don't mind that I was the one that brought your house?"

"No, of course not, I'm glad as it's got a lot of good memories there. It was my first house that I brought, I had lived in flats and apartments up until then, and so with you buying it, it means that I don't have to give them up."

They ate their dinner, paid the waiter a ten pound tip, as it was Christmas and left. When they got home Lindsey scooped Sarah up into his arms and carried her through the door.

"What are you doing?" Sarah said laughing.

"Carrying you through the thresh-hold. That's what you're suppose to do when you buy a new house."

"No, you do that when you get married, you carry the bride over it."

"Well then, I'm getting in practice."

They went upstairs but they didn't have sex, with all the wine, champagne and excitement they were both too tired to do anything but sleep.

***

Back at the hotel, everyone had gone to their rooms leaving only Angel and Buffy in the bar.

"We never got to do it in the president suite like I promised."

"No, but don't you think that it's strange that you haven't lost your soul? Remember a moment of true happiness, your soul will be gone and you will turn back into Angelus."

"Now that you mention it. I haven't before but I am now. Why's that?"

"Willow was transcribing some spells and she came across one to protect the soul. I asked her to cast it and she did on the first night that you were here."

"So you know what that means," Angel said with a glint in his eyes.

"Yes."

He took her hand and led her to his room. As soon as the door was closed they started to kiss wildly. Knocking things over as they tore and ripped each other's clothes off. He slammed her against the wall and penetrated her, taking a moment to adjust to the comfort, knowing that he wouldn't lose his soul. She started to move her hips up and down sinking lower onto his cock, clenching her inner muscles around it, enjoying every minute. Angel couldn't hold on any longer and shot his hot sperm into her.

"Sorry," he panted into her ear.

"Don't worry there's always later, I'm staying with you the whole night, this is if you want me to?"

"Yes," he said kissing her, this time passionately.

He walked into the bedroom, still inside her and laid her on the bed, where they both fell asleep.

When Buffy awoke she looked around to see that Angel was looking at her.

"What's the matter, do I have bed hair?"

"No nothings the matter. I just can't believe that we've been able to make love, without losing my soul."

"I know. Wanna go again?"

He kissed her his response and after a while started traveling down her body, kissing and nipping her body as he went down. When he reached her pussy he just gazed at it, taking in every detail, the slight blonde downy hair, the way her outer lips covered everything and the way her clit slightly poked through them. He opened her up using his thumb and forefinger smelling a musky scent of her and his cum from earlier.

He gently bent his head and tasted her, to him she tasted of vanilla, and then he licked from her puckering of her brown ring all the way up to her clit. She let out a shrill of delight, so he done it again, this time just poking the tip of his tongue in her anus. She wrapped her legs around his head and her hands running through his hair. He moved his tongue to concentrate on her clit and inserted a finger into her anus while inserting his thumb into her pussy, which was soaking wet. He started a gentle rhythm of sucking on her clit while pumping her with his thumb and finger. She started to buck on the bed, with his free hand he held her down while continuing with his administrations.

Soon she was moaning louder than before and just as she was about to cum he withdrew and flipped her over, pulling her up onto her hands and knees. He entered her with such force that he felt the end of his knob hit her cervix. He thrusted in and out of her feeling her climax was near he sped up, feeling his own approaching fast. They both erupted simultaneously and collapsed on the bed together.

"That was..." Buffy rested her head on his chest and fell asleep.