Fic: Birthday Boy, Flashpoint, Spike, the team, PG
Title: Birthday Boy
Author: lillyg
Characters: Spike, the team
Word Count: 2x500
Prompt: # Sorrow, Monthiversary prompt Friendship
Rating: PG
Summary: It's Spike's special day... Does anyone remember?
Disclaimer: Don't own anything apart from my Spike fantasies...
Betas: The wonderful
paranoid_woman
Author's notes: written for flashpoint_sru on LJ
Sorrow
Today had been a crappy day for Spike. It was his birthday and no one had thought about wishing him a happy one. When he woke up, he saw a note from his parents left on the fridge, saying that they were going to see a couple of friends out of town. They'd told him that he had the whole house for himself. That's all. Oh yeah, he was alone. For his birthday. He knew that he shouldn't bother. He wasn't a kid anymore and birthdays shouldn't matter, but somewhat it stung to think that even your progenitors had forgotten about the day you were born... He checked his mails but discovered nothing interesting.
'Yes! Every single online shop I bought something once thought about it...' he thought. 'You can always count on sales companies to NOT forget you.' He turned his computer off and decided to go to work.
When he arrived at the HQ, everyone was in the briefing room.
“Hey Spike, take a seat,” the sergeant told him. “We were going to review yesterday's case, as we haven't done it yet. You okay? You seem a bit off this morning.”
Everyone looked intently at Spike.
“I'm okay boss. Just a bit tired.”
“Okay... If you say so.” Then they began to go through the recording of the intervention.
Before heading out for lunch, Spike asked Lewis if he wanted to hang out that evening. “You're free today? I've got the house for myself.”
“I'm sorry buddy, but I've a date with hot mechanics!” He winked at Spike.
Spike yelled after him, “Not even for lunch?”
“Errands,” Lou yelled back, leaving.
Spike, disappointed, went to ask Sam but he told him that he'd be at Jules to help her fixing her house, and right now they needed to go buy some tools.
Spike muttered, “Yeah tools, if you call it like that... No Sam, no Jules...”
He went to see Wordy. “Sorry, Spike but Shelly and the girls are sick. I need to get them to the doctor. It looked like gastroenteritis when I left this morning. They were all puking.”
“Ewww. No more details, please.”
He also asked Ed. “Huh, Clark have a 'very important' cello concert. Sophie threatened me to be sex-deprived for a month if I didn't come home in time the whole week or missed the concert.”
Spike grumbled, “I suppose that you also have something to do too boss... A report to read, a manual to write, anything...”
“Actually, no! I'm free if you want. We could go out for a drink first. And Spike? Bitterness doesn't fit you. I prefer when you're happy-go-lucky.”
“If you say so, boss.”
“What? You're already regretting asking me to come over?”
“No, Sarge!” Spike cried, afraid that he had hurt his chief's feelings.
“Don't worry, I'm just teasing you!” Greg smirked. “Long time we haven't talked about something else than work. I would be happy to take a break from the job. After six is good?”
Friendship
At 6.30 p.m., Greg and Spike arrived at the bar they usually went with the team. Spike ordered a beer, and Greg a soda.
“So Spike, why did you want so much to hang out with the team today?” Greg asked.
“No reason, Sarge,” Spike answered, looking away.
“You sure?”
“Yes. I have the whole house for myself so I've thought that I could have set up a nice evening for the team, barbecue and stuff like that...”
“Ah... Maybe another day... You finished your beer. Do you want another one? My treat.”
“Yeah... Why not...” Spike sighed.
“You're so cheerful! I'm amazed. If I'm sure a boring company, why did you agree to come with me?” Greg said, sounding a little hurt.
“Noooo! I'm sorry, boss, it's just that I'm a little sad that no one remembered...” Spike trailed, not wanting to finish.
“Remembered what? Spill it! Now! You're getting on my nerve, brooding like that.”
“No one wished me a happy birthday today. No even my family or my friends. No one thought about it, so I guessed that even if I'm turning 33, I still like thinking people don't forget me,” Spike said, defeated.
“I'm sorry, buddy. I didn't remember. I had a lot in my mind recently. Happy birthday anyway!” He got up to give Spike a bear hug.
“It was nice of you to come with me, but I'm not really in the mood, sorry. I think I will just drive home.”
“You drank beers. I'm driving.”
“But...”
“No buts. And you can't try to negotiate either.”
“Okay.”
“Ready?”
“Yes, boss!”
“My name's Greg, we're not on clock.”
“Copy that, boss!” Spike added teasingly.
“Let's go!”
The sergeant drove Spike home and followed him to his door.
“Crap!” Spike cursed. “I must have probably left them in my locker. Don't worry, I will call a cab.”
“You haven't hidden any spare key?”
“Oh yes! One minute.” Spike came back triumphantly a moment later. “Got it!”
He stepped into the main room and turned on the light.
“SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!!” Everyone yelled.
Spike jumped out of his skin when he saw everyone. “You remembered!” Spike bounced like a kid.
Lou went to hug him. “You really thought I'd forget my best friend? Sorry I stole your keys earlier. And look at the hot date I brought!”
“Babycakes!” Spike yelled.
Then the rest of his friends came to hug the birthday-boy. Ed, Sophie and Clark, then Wordy, Shelley and the girls, Sam and Jules, some friends not from work, and his parents.
“I thought you didn't care. I'm sorry.” Suddenly he felt overwhelmed, tears pricking his eyes. He turned to Greg. “You knew?”
“Why did you think we stayed so long in the bar? They needed time to set up everything!”
Babycakes, thanks to Lou who had the remote, led him to a big pile of presents. Spike opened everything then went to hug Greg and his other friends again. “Thank you so much. You're the best guys ever!”
The end