This is from my Evil Is As Evil Does Series, though it can be read out of context. You just need to know that Buffy and Spike are out in the open, an official couple and Willow is a vampire with a soul.

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Scenes From A Mall

Description: A Buffy/Spike and Willow/Tara fic. Nothing plot advancing, just good old fashioned fun.

Disclaimer: The characters from Buffy are not mine, sadly. They belong to the good people at Fox, the WB, UPN and of course the God of all things Buffy, Joss Whedon.

Spoilers: For everything that has happened on Buffy far, through season six, episode Wrecked. Rated: R

The Setup: Takes place a few months after Till Death Do Us Part. Buffy and Spike are still going at it like bunnies. Willow is soul happy, on the wagon and as madly in love as ever with out girl Tara.

Inspiration: “Can you just imagine them going to the mall together?” Marti Noxon once asked in an interview, when speaking of the relationship between Buffy and Spike. Yes Marti, I sure can!

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        Our two favorite vampire/human couples had gone out for a festive night of shopping at the Sunnydale Plaza.

        Willow and Tara were walking arm in arm.

        “I was thinking about trying a new look,” Willow told her girlfriend. “Any ideas?”

        “Well, as much as I hated evil you, the leather was a very nice,” Tara admitted, a faint blush spreading through her cheeks.

        “You vixen!” Willow exclaimed, planting a quick smooch on Tara’s lips.

        “Hey, hey, hey,” Buffy reprimanded. “Watch the PDA’s!”

        “This from the girl who belongs in the Guinness Book of World Records highest rate of intercourse.” Willow raised an eyebrow.

        “Yeah, we should write into them complaining that we’re not mentioned,” Spike agreed.

        “Ah, but you forget that we are living in America: land of the homophobic,” Buffy pointed out.

        “Oh really? Homophobics be damned!” Willow declared, grabbing Tara, and dipping her. She planted a passionate kiss on her lips, making vigorous use of her tongue. The game of tonsil hockey earning her some startled expressions from other shoppers.

        “Wow,” Tara said, a huge grin plastered on her face. “Honey we need to get you outraged at social injustices more often.”

        “Don’t stop on our account,” Spike told them, a bit too interested in the girls’ interactions for Buffy’s tastes. The slayer gave her boyfriend a playful smack in the chest. He caught her hand and tenderly kissed her fingertips.

        “Now who’s getting into the PDA’s?” Willow asked.

        “We’ll call it even,” Buffy said with a smile. “So, Whadda you say we split up and meet back at the food court at 8:00?”

        “W-works for us,” Tara replied.

        Buffy and Spike strolled along, him still holding fast onto her hand.

        “I’m taking you to the Gap,” Buffy announced.

        “What? You must be joking. Wouldn’t be caught dead in that place.”

        Buffy groaned at the bad pun.

        “Sorry Luv, just a bit of vampire humor.”

        “We need to get you a little color in your wardrobe. All that black makes you look so washed out.”

        “Hello, I’m supposed to be washed out. Who ever heard of a Vamp with a tan?” he protested.

        Buffy dragged him in the store. He looked disgusted. “I can’t believe I’m in here.”

        Buffy held up a bright blue shirt up to him. “See, this brings out the color in your eyes.”

        “Can’t see Luv, remember my issues with mirrors?”

        “That would explain so much of your wardrobe,” she joked. “Take my word for it. You’ll look incredibly hot in this.”

        “I don’t know,” he teased. “If you like my clothes you might be less anxious to rip them off my tight little body.”

        “Trust me, no matter how nice the outfit that’s never going to be a problem. Come on, why don’t you try it on?”

        “All right.”

        They went back to the dressing rooms. The teenager working there was distracted on the phone. Buffy had a great idea. She led him into one of the dressing rooms and shut the door.

        “Ever had sex in a dressing room?” she asked him.

        I love the way this girl thinks! he told himself.

        “Er, no. Have you?”

        “Yes, starting now.” She began removing the black clothing she had been criticizing only moments before. He pinned her up against the wall, kissing her neck. She let out a small moan. He undid her jeans and was about to slide home when they heard a scream somewhere nearby within the mall.

        Both of them gave a sigh and separated. “Is one weekend off of work would be too much to ask?” Buffy demanded of the unseen powers that be.

        Spike struggled into his clothes. As Buffy turned to unlock the door, he shoved the blue shirt she liked into his jacket pocket.

        “Put that back Spike. I know money is sometimes tight, but I’ve never been so poor as to have to scrimp on clothing.”

        He smiled and put the shirt down.

        The two of them ran out of the store, looking for whoever had screamed. One of the girls working the cash register at Victoria’s Secret was sobbing.

        “What happened?” Buffy asked her. “We’re you the one who screamed?”

        “Yes,” she said, looking horribly shaken. “This huge monster came in here and took the cash register. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

        Buffy gave her a sympathetic look. “You’re new to Sunnydale, aren’t you?”

        The girl nodded. “Only been here two weeks.”

        “Can you describe the monster? Humanoid, not humanoid? Number of arms and legs? Scaly, slimy, any horns?”

        “Tall, green and all globby.”

        “Globby?”

        “Yeah, kinda like the Blob.”

        “You ever heard of any demons like that before, Spike? Spike?!”

        Spike’s attention was focused on the lingerie, which he reluctantly looked up from. He pointed to one particularly skimpy piece. “I was just thinking that you’d look amazing in this.”

        “We’re talking shop right now Sweetie. You know, evil being afoot and all?” She stopped mid-lecture, batting her eyes at him playfully. “Really? Amazing?”

        “Ok, still scared out of my wits,” the girl interrupted.

        “Right,” Buffy said, trying to return her mind to work. “So Spike, know of any green slime monsters who have a thing for cash registers?”

        “Not personally. Best consult the witches.”

        “Only one is a witch anymore, remember?”

        “I reckoned it was better than saying ‘best consult the lesbians,’” he pointed out.

        “What, you can’t just say Willow and Tara?”

        “Nah, I prefer to use little nicknames for my chums.”

        Buffy shook her head.

        “Look, we’ll get to the bottom of this, ok?” she told the girl. “Hang in there, and if the creature comes back, scream again.”

                                *        *        *

        Willow and Tara were exploring Bath and Body.

        “Well, just cuz we can’t have sex, doesn’t mean we can’t take a bath together, right?” Willow asked.

        Since they had gotten back together, they had found the no sex rule challenging. Still, no moment of true happiness did not mean that Willow could not experience plain old garden variety happiness, or extreme contentment. They still shared plentiful snuggles and smooches. Tara often told her she would prefer to spend the rest of her life snuggling with her darling red-head then making passionate love to anyone else.

        “Oooh, baths are fun,” Tara said. “No candles though.” Willow had been living splendidly charm free, but there was no sense in tempting her with any objects that had magical implications. “Are we thinking bubbles?”

        “Most definitely. Floral or fruity scent?”

        “Actually I’ve always liked Vanilla Bean.” Tara twisted off the cap and took a sniff. She offered it to Willow who did likewise.

        “Yum, sweet like candy,” Willow said.

        “Sweet like you,” Tara corrected.

        The comment earned the blond another kiss.

        Spike and Buffy came running in.

        “Hello lovely ladies,” Spike told them. “Afraid we got a bit of a crisis that requires Scooby attention.”

        “What’s the nasty?” Willow asked.

        “A green, blobby thing that steals cash registers,” Buffy answered.

        “Never heard of it. We should get to the magic box and hit the books,” Willow said.

        “Or we could check out the bookstore right across from us,” Tara proposed.

        “Do you think they’ll have a demonology section at Barnes and Noble?” Buffy looked skeptical.

        “Don’t see why not,” Spike replied. “It is Sunnydale after all.”

        They started looking through the books. There was indeed a small demonology section.

        “I’ve found something guys,” Tara announced, holding up a volumey text. “Ed.”

        “Ed who?” Willow asked.

        “It’s the name of the creature. An Ed demon. They are green and malleable, without any particular form. They have an extreme greed for money.”

        “I’ll wager Anya had a touch of Ed in her,” Spike mumbled. The other’s gave him dirty looks. “What? The money part, not the oozing part.”

        “Great, a demon. Can I say how much I hate demons right now?” Buffy vented. When she saw Spike’s hurt look she added, “Oh, but not you honey.” She gave him a light peck on the lips. “So how do we stop this Ed?” Buffy wanted to know. “I’m guessing it doesn’t involve a cross or wooden stake.”

        “Just a sec, still reading.” Tara scanned down the page. “You’re not going to believe this. ‘Though invulnerable to most weapons, the Ed demon is deathly allergic to plaid.”

        “Plaid?” the others asked.

        “Plaid.”

        “Ok, so go buy some flannel shirts, find the monster and attack it with them?” Buffy suggested.

        Willow thought that sounded alright to her. “Up, up and away to Penny’s!”

        The four defenders of good raced up the escalator, and purchased several hideously plaid shirts.

        Buffy made a face as she handed the teller her credit card. “Never thought I’d be spending money on something so tacky,” she whined to the others. They collected their purchases and were off in search of Ed.

        “Where do you wanna look first?” Spike asked.

        His question was answered by loud screams, three stores behind them. The creature was in the process of holding up the Anime store, where children were paying exorbitant amounts of money for Pokemon trading cards.

        “Stand back,” Buffy ordered the crowd. “Here blobby, blobby . . .”

        The Ed hissed. She wasn’t sure exactly how, since it appeared to have no mouth. “How about a makeover?” She picked up her shopping bag and pulled out a shirt, in a hideous shade of orange. “This is gonna clash a bit. I didn’t say it was a *good* makeover.”

        She flung the shirt on the Ed who screamed with pain and started sizzling. She pulled out the other shirts, attacking it with those as well. Ed gave a final shudder and dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind the cash register from Victoria’s Secret and a small puddle of slime.

        “And to that, all I can say is, ‘Ick.’” Buffy wrinkled her nose at the mess.

        The teller came and looked in on the mess. “I think I better go and get the mop. Is there anyway I can repay you?”

        “Well,” Buffy said, “how about some gift certificates?”

                                        *        *        *

All in all it was a very successful shopping trip. Buffy talked Spike into the Blue shirt, Spike talked Buffy into the lingerie, Willow went home with a pair of tight leather pants, and Tara purchased large amounts of bubble bath.