Surprise

Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all its characters belong to Joss Whedon. I just like to borrow them sometimes :D

It was an important night. The trainee slayers were supposed to have finished the decorations by midnight. Frustratingly enough, it was five minutes to midnight now and the banner was still not ready. Not to mention that Dawn was still labouring over the cake.

Willow, who had finished cooking hours ago, was yelling out instructions, while Xander and Giles were trying to fix up the party lights.

"Hurry up, will you?"

Xander took a deep breath and turned around to look down at Giles. With a raised eyebrow he spoke, "Well G- man, how about you stop whining and start helping, huh?"

Giles flushed and coughed out a reply... "I would if this bloody spondylitis had allowed me to tilt my head up, or to move it at all for that matter."

"Aww... poor Rupert," Spike came walking down the hall, sipping his hot cocoa. "Can't handle your age mate?"

"Spike, quit bothering Giles?" Dawn chided.

"If you say so niblet." Spike said good-naturedly.

"Quit calling my wife that!" Xander yelled from on top of the ladder.

"Why, afraid I will take a nibble out of her?"

Dawn looked disturbed, while Xander launched himself at Spike, forgetting that he was a few feet off the floor and wrapped up with wiring.

"What on earth is going on here?"

The entire gang turned to look at Faith, who was standing at the door holding a stake, and a pissed off expression on her face.

Xander, who had landed on top of Spike, tried to get up; only to trip on the lights scattered on the floor, and fell on Spike again.

An unsavoury cockney curse was heard as Spike and Xander started a tumble on the floor.

"Separate" Willow screamed.

A strong force pushed Spike and Xander onto opposite sides of the huge entrance hall.

"Aren't you guys getting a bit too old for this?" Willow asked.

Faith muttered something about old dogs and new tricks, to which Dawn silently agreed.

"He started it." Xander defended himself.

Giles sighed heavily and gave his head an inward shake. After all these years one would think that these kids would grow up. Surely the thirties is an acceptable age for that?