Have Yourself a Slayful Christmas...
by ALC Punk!

It was nearly Christmas in Sunnydale. Home to the world's only vampire Slayer (and a rebellious one at that), the stockings were hung by the chimneys with care. Not that many people needed fireplaces in Southern California. It was a yuppy thing, really.

"Buffy, I really don't think--"

"Giles! Hello, I need a normal Christmas. Just this once. You remember, last Christmas? Angel dying?" interupted Buffy Summers, Slayer, leader of the Scooby Gang, and all around champion of Sunnydale waved a hand at Giles.

"If this turns out like Thanksgiving, I'm saying 'no' to Easter." muttered Rupert Giles, her Watcher--retired, now that she was out of high school.

During Thanksgiving, there had been a rather memorable fight with some Native American revenge spirits. They'd rather nicely trashed Giles' house. And Buffy's ex, Angel had shown up. This time, Buffy's mom was out of town until Christmas day, so the Scooby gang was using the Summers' house to have a get-together/dinner.

----

Riley Finn was feeling very furtive as he chatted carefully with Willow Rosenberg. After all, he was trying to pump her for info on her best friend. Buffy. The girl he still wasn't sure about. The girl who might have a past he wouldn't want to know about.

"So, Willow, do you think I've gotten anywhere with her?"

"Well..." Willow Rosenberg looked at Riley. He'd known Buffy for only a few weeks, and he'd survived everything from erratic behavior to getting books dropped on his head. She smiled. "Why don't you come to Christmas dinner at Buffy's house?"

"Okay, thanks, I will." Riley smiled and turned to go, then stopped. "And, when would this be?"

----

"So, you're going to dinner at Buffy's? What about US? I thought we could stay in, have a romantic dinner for two..." Anya's voice trailed off and she looked at Xander, peeved at his spoiling her plans.

"Anya." Xander Harris paused. Anya was over a millenium old. How she'd decided HE was her perfect mate, he didn't know. "Anya, why don't you come with me?"

"Great!" She brightened. "And is there going to be any mayhem?"

"I would hope not."

----

"I can't believe I'm reduced to this. Having to beg my next meal from the bloody Slayer." The blond headed vampire known as Spike grimaced. In the background Christmas music was playing, at the moment "The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" from 'The Nutcracker.' The Summers house smelled delectable--if you were human.

"Be happy, fang-face." Buffy retorted sweetly. Her preparations had gone well. Everyone was coming, the roast was in the oven, the cookies finished earlier that day. And the vampire tied sort of securely in one of her mother's wing chairs. The living room was decorated with tinsel and a few strands of coloured beads.

In one corner stood a large pine tree, festooned with lights and icicles. And her cd of Christmasy music was playing well.

"Oh, fang-face, thanks." Spike groaned and buried his head in his hands. "How did this come about?"

Buffy smiled sweetly at him as the door bell rang. "You got yourself caught."

----

Everything was going well. Xander and Anya, the first to arrive, brought two wrapped in foil-paper gifts and a cherry pie. Giles, the next to arrive brought three gifts (one for the gift-exchange, and two--for what, he wouldn't tell Buffy) and boiled carrots with a sort of cheese sauce.

Then Willow showed up dragging Riley.

"Willow, you came, and you... brought... Riley! Hi." Buffy smiled up at him while waving an arm at Willow in the universal, 'you are SO in trouble' gesture. "Welcome, I think there's enough food." She turned to Giles who was hovering in the doorway. "Giles, there's enough food, right?"

"Yes, Buffy there is." Giles paused and then held out a hand to Riley. "I don't believe we've met. I'm a friend of Buffy--Buffy's mother. Rupert Giles."

"Yeah. We--I've known him forever. We call him Giles." Buffy gave a slight titter and waved. "Well, bring in your food, do avoid--Spike! Er, never mind, aren't the icicles on the Christmas tree nice and spikey? Or, they will be when you see them." She concluded hastily, definitely NOT wanting him to see the tree.

"Y'know, Buffy, you don't have to be nervous. Willow explained everything to me." Riley patted her arm and held out his gift.

Buffy blinked at him. "Explained? She did? How nice... of... Willow... Look, why don't Willow and I go talk about what she explained to you, and Giles can show you to the--" Buffy froze. Spike was still trussed to a chair in the dining room. How to keep him from going into the living room, when she'd enthused about the tree?

"I'll take him to the kitchen with the dish." Giles stepped in before she could stammer something incoherent. "You did bring a dish, yes?"

"Oh, yeah. Willow said I ought to. Brought some home-cooked baked beans, like my mom used to make back home." He smiled at Buffy and turned to Giles. "Lead the way, Mr. Giles."

As soon as they'd disappeared around the corner, Buffy grabbed Willow's arm and dragged her into the living room-cum-dining room. "You told him, what?"

"Oh, just that your mom was out of town, and that you kinda were having a little gathering for all your good friends." The redhead replied calmly.

"Right." Buffy sighed in relief. "Good, now--"

"Are you gonna give me somethin' to eat, soon?"

"Spike!" Buffy whirled to stare at the vampire. "We've got, you've got to..."

"Spike, you're going to have to act like a normal human tonight." Willow informed him calmly.

"Wot? Act like a human. Oh, bloody 'ell." Spike glared at Buffy. "This's your doin', innit?"

"Look, Spike, this is only for tonight. We've got someone who doesn't KNOW about you--about vampires--over." The Slayer gave him a pleading look. "Please?"

"You called me fang-face earlier." He pointed out sulkily.

"I..."

"Buffy's sorry she said that." Willow turned and looked at Buffy. "Aren't you, Buffy."

Buffy growled then sighed. "All right, all right. I'm sorry I called you fang-face. But ONLY if that means you'll act like a human."

"Don't know why I have ta be here anyway." Spike muttered.

"Would you rather we tied you up somewhere else, 'cause that can be arranged." Buffy snapped back.

"You wouldn't have the guts ta do somethin' like that." Spike sneered at her.

"Wanna bet, vamp-boy?" Buffy smiled at him. "I don't see a problem with re-enacting Santa Claus on the roof, do you, Willow?"

"Oh, now wait just a bloody minute." Spike growled. "I said I'd be'ave, didn't I?"

"He did, Buffy." Willow said consolingly. "Besides, Anya's here, too."

"Great, let the undead and demon party!" Buffy threw her hands in the air and stalked out of the room.

"She's a bit upset." Willow shifted and looked guilty. "I kinda forgot to tell her I invited Riley."

"Oh, great. MORE billin' and cooin'." Spike rolled his eyes. "Just shoot me now, okay?"

Willow snorted and bent over to begin unwinding the white rope. "Like you never acted like that with Drusilla." Silence was her only answer and she glanced up at Spike to find him looking at her with... sadness. "You miss her."

"Don't know why. It's not like she left me for something intelligent."

"But it's always the ones that leave us that hurt the most." Willow nodded. "Got that part."

Her voice was a mixture of sadness and practicality. Spike looked at her again. For one so young to have such sadness. He thought back on their conversations and nodded. Oz. The young man had gone off to 'find himself.' And it had torn the girl apart. Just like Dru had left him to play with her bloody plant demon.

Before he could even begin to think of something to say, Willow had finished untying him. And the doorbell rang again. "I wonder who that could be?"

"The gang's all here?" Spike guessed.

"Yeah..." Willow headed out of the room to the vestibule, reaching there as Buffy was opening the door.

----

Cordelia Chase turned off the engine of the car Angel had rented for this little trip and sighed. Her driving companion had been silent the entire time. None of her many attempts to engage him in conversation had broken through his silent angsty apathy. She'd finally given up when her, "Oh, look, a deer, maybe we should stop and kill it for dinner!" sally had met with silence.

The Summers residence looked as it always had. Nice house in the middle of the block. The front door was closed, though there was a wreath on it. And a few red bows decorated the porch and pillars. The houses around it had more lights, and elaborate yard decorations.

"Well," Cordelia started brightly, "we're here. Let's get on into that house and have a merry Christmas!"

Her companion gave no answer, merely opened the door and stood up, his long black jacket falling behind him. He stood there for a moment then shut his door. Cordy jumped out of her own and skirted around the car. "Aren't we forgetting something?" She demanded opening the back door of the sporty little coup and pulling out several packages and a covered dish. "Here. You carry the gifts. I'm sure things will go much better if you have them."

"Cordelia..." It was the first thing he'd said all day as they'd driven. The car had specially dark-tinted windows so direct sunlight wouldn't get on him.

"Don't argue." She handed the gifts to him. "Here."

"Cordelia, I--"

"Don't argue. Look, you have been brood-boy for *weeks* ever since," she paused and shook her head. "Ever since, well, weeks! Now, you are going to go up to that house, and knock on the door. And I'll follow right in a moment."

She turned back to the car and closed the door, then stopped and said over her shoulder. "Not that I follow, or anything, but..." She looked at him. His lips were twitching and nearly creased in a smile. "Go! Don't laugh, go!"

The dark-haired vampire known as Angel smothered his smile and turned to stride up the walk to the Summers' front door. Behind himself he heard Cordelia mutter something then begin scampering after him.

The front porch still looked the same, a garland of some christmasy plant decorated it. The vampire reached out and knocked on the door, thankful that the day was now overcast and the sunlight undirect.

The first thought that flitted through his mind as Buffy stared up at him was that she was still beautiful. It had been almost a month since they'd last seen each other. Her hair was softly curled, pulled back and falling down her back in a shimmery waterful.

Buffy stared up at him. "ANGEL?"

"Oh, hi Buffy." Cordelia said around him as she stepped up onto the porch. "I hope you don't mind. I had nothing to do, so, when I read Willow's email about all this, I thought I'd come down." She smiled brightly at the gaping Slayer.

"Cordelia."

"And Angel got dragged along, 'cause he's been angst-boy for WEEKS. Do you know how annoying it is?"

"I--I, yes, I do." Buffy glared at Cordelia, and then Angel. "I thought we agreed," she began, her voice tight. Agreed to never see each other again until it stopped hurting, her voice echoed through his head, reminding him.

"Angel! Cordelia!" Willow's voice stopped Buffy in mid-sentence as the redhead moved Buffy out of her way to hug the vampire and take Cordy's dish. "I'm glad you could make it. Come in."

"Well, well, well, what 'ave we here." The British-accented voice made Angel freeze in his tracks and stare into the shadows behind Willow.

"Spike."

"Angel."

A moment passed while the two stared at each other. Angel assessed his former childe. His childe assessed him back. Spike was looking gaunter around the edges of his face and cheekbones. As if he wasn't eating enough. Of course, considering where he was.

"What is HE doing here? I thought he was all evil-fang-boy, or something?" Cordelia's voice broke through the tension.

"I'm a guest of the 'ouse." Spike leered at her.

Cordelia snorted at him. "Whatever." She turned to Willow. "You need to get that dish to the kitchen, I think they should be heated up."

"What are they?" Willow asked, struggling to open the dish.

"Don't open it!" Cordy smiled to alleviate her imperious demand. "Let's take them to the kitchen, first."

She stepped in and grabbed Willow's arm, tugging her to the kitchen. On the way, they passed Giles, Riley, Anya and Xander.

"That was--"

"That's the girl, the one who wanted the curse. The one that caused me to lose my powers." Anya smiled at Xander. "The one that let me meet you."

"Yes, we got all that, I wonder who else was with her." Giles stepped up to the foyer and stopped. "Oh my."

"Oh, look, it's dead-boy!" Xander crowed as he spotted Angel.

The vampire glared at him, "How many times have I--"

"Xander!" Buffy snapped at him, "You shouldn't call him that! I mean," She shot a glance at Riley. "After all, it's such an outdated nickname for our friend, Angel, the resident Grateful Dead fan."

"Grateful Dead? Buffy, I--" Angel began, looking perplexed.

Giles interrupted him, "Angel, I'd like to introduce Riley Finn, Riley, this is Angel. Riley is--a friend of Buffy's."

"Riley Finn?" Angel blinked.

"Yeah," Xander said, grinning. "He's not a clone, either."

"No, I'm not. I'm the original, in fact." Riley held out his hand to Angel.

Angel shook it. "Nice to meet you."

"And I'm Spike." Spike nodded calmly at Riley.

"Spike?" Riley raised his eyebrows and glanced at Buffy. "Spike?" He repeated, something flashing through his eyes.

"Yes, Spike." Buffy blinked at him, then froze, her eyes widening. "Oh! Um, yeah, that Spike, the one--"

"You were joking about marrying a few weeks ago." Riley finished, looking wary.

"Marry her? You must be jokin', mate." Spike shook his head and stepped past him into the den. "I don't even like 'er. Much."

"You've got to love Spike, in a way," Buffy mused. "He's so good at being a jerk." She smiled at Riley. "Anyway, enough about him, did you see the Christmas tree yet?"

----

"So, anyway, I was hoping we could avoid talking about any supernatural-type stuff." Cordelia looked up as Buffy entered. "Hey, Buffy, that's okay with you, isn't it?"

"What?" Buffy stopped thinking about how to keep Ben from guessing about Angel. And how to keep Angel and Spike from arguing, since the two had been glaring at each other steadily ever since they'd looked at the Christmas tree and Spike had noticed his ropes lying next to the table.

"Earth to Buffy. Hello, can we not talk about your job at all while I'm here?" Cordelia had been briefed by Willow about Riley's not knowing Buffy was the Slayer. Personally, she didn't care. Although she would like to get to know Ben better--he WAS cute. In that sort of farm-boy charm way. On that thought she turned to Riley. "Hi, I'm Cordelia Chase, I'm an up and coming starlet in LA."

"Riley Finn, I'm a TA over at the University." He smiled at her and held out a hand.

They shook. The kitchen was beginning to get very crowded, what with there being nine people crowding into it. Giles glanced at the time. "Why don't all of you get the table set, and then we can start transporting the dishes out onto the table?"

"Right." Buffy nodded. "Good idea." She grabbed Riley's hand and looked at Xander. "You know where the plates are, I'll help Ben get the chairs set up."

----

"Hey. Do you like, curse your friends, or something?" It was after dinner, and Cordelia had finally cornered Buffy in the kitchen as she was loading the dishwasher. The others were out in the living room, sleepily chatting after the meal had filled them up. It had been a long month for the ex-leader of Sunnydale High society.

And Buffy had asked her about Doyle. "I mean, look at this group! None of them have ended up in a real normal relationship! Take Willow--dating Oz, the wolfboy. Xander? He's enamored of Miss 'I'm a 1200 year old revenge demon.' And me? I was nearly dating a half demon with blue cactus things. And that doesn't even cover you--Miss 'I like to date brooders'."

Buffy's eyes had steadily glazed over and as Cordy reached the end of the speach, the Slayer slowly began inching away from the Drama Queen. Apparently, Cordy hadn't liked the fact that Buffy and Riley were an item.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Cordelia snagged Buffy's arm. "Aren't you even going to--"

"Let. Me. Go." Buffy shrugged her arms, dislodging Cordelia's hand. "Cordy? What gives you the right, huh? So your little tryst didn't work out." Buffy snorted. "Yeah. That's my fault!" She shrugged. "And Riley is NOT a brooder. I'm SO over the bad boy thing."

"No." Cordelia contradicted her, "It's that curse thing of yours--I wonder when Giles will get it. Oh, wait, he did. His girlfriend got murd--" She yelped as Buffy smacked her. "What the hell was that for? Don't you know violence doesn't solve anything?"

"Cordelia! Buffy!" Giles strode into the kitchen, glaring at them. "They can hear you out there, stop it right now!"

"Yeah, whatever." Cordelia waved a dismissive hand in Giles' face. She turned back to Buffy. "You know what your problem is, Buffy?"

"Cordelia? I don't CARE what you think my problem is." Buffy glared at her, seething. "I had nothing to do with anything. I don't even know what you're talking about. All I asked was how Doyle was!"

Cordelia swung her hand at Buffy, something inside screaming in pain at the mention of Doyle. They'd nearly been... something. She would never know, because he'd gone and done the hero thing, giving his life to save others. And Buffy. Buffy who's life was apparently perfect.

"GIRLS." Giles was at the end of his tether, his hands clenched into fists as he stared at the two young women.

"The two o' you are behavin' like children." Spike's voice pointed out from the doorway he was blocking. "Not even Dru and I ever got into that."

The mention of Drusilla seemed to snap Buffy out of her paralysis. She reached up and caught the arm Cordelia was still threatening her with. "Look, Cordelia," she said, softly. "I don't know what happened. I don't know why you're so touchy about Doyle. I'm sorry." "Sorry." Cordelia pulled her arm from Buffy's grip and shrugged. "Yeah." She turned to Spike. "So, I hear you've been neutered."

----- 'k.. Explanations...

At Thanksgiving, Buffy and crew were attacked by the Revenge spirits. Angel was there to help. On Angel, the next day, Buffy visited Angel and some angsty stuff happened.

The next episode had Doyle committing suicide to save a lot of lives. He and Cordy had finally gotten to the point where she was demanding he ask her out. Doyle was half demon (Braxiatel? I can't even remember how to spell it...)

Buffy and Crew belong to Joss Whedon and Fox/WB Don't sue, I'm not making money, and don't have any, anyway.

hugs, Ana

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[GenX and Henry McCoy] Research, Dinner, a Bet and Two Kisses Aug 07, 2000 04:50 PDT
© 2001 ALC Punk!