Theme Fic: "'Tis the Season"

["jbstories _"]

"'Tis the Season"

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Disclaimer: All the characters, Buffy, Willow, Giles, Xander, etc. belong to
Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy Inc., and Warner Bros. I'm just borrowing their
brilliant creations. I intend no copyright infringement from my use of their
characters, and will receive no monetary or any other compensation for their
use, in any form, of the story that succeeds.

Synopsis: This week's theme. Christmas, mistletoe…is anymore information
really needed?
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Their room was an interesting mix, a miniature Christmas tree on one side,
and a menorah on the other. In the middle of the room was cluster of
wrapping paper, though no presents seemed to have been wrapped. There was
potential there though, one day, maybe, possibly, those presents might have
wrapped…perhaps. In the background a variety of Christmas songs were being
played, among them the new N'Sync C.D. (despite Buffy's plentiful and
sometimes pitiful objections). Currently, the Slayer was sitting on the
right side of the room on Willow's bed, while the hacker dug through her
closet looking for a suitcase. She was pretty sure she had a suitcase in
there…somewhere she just had to find it.

"I wish you didn't have to go," Buffy said, her voice sounding a bit
whineier than she had planned on using. At least at first.

"I don't want to, but its tradition," Willow said moving away from the
closet and coming over to sit beside Buffy on her bed. "But Mom and Dad
would be crushed if I didn't…plus, grandma's cookie's."

"They good cookies?" Buffy asked getting distracted for a moment.

"Very good," Willow responded. "Umm, umm, good," she continued rubbing her
stomach. Buffy looked over at her with her puppy dog eyes. "Alright, I'll
bring some back for you," Willow added smiling as Buffy beamed at her.

"I still wish you didn't have to go," Buffy said looking down again. She
was acting like a petulant baby and she knew it, but the thought of not
being able to spend the Christmas break with Willow made her feel extremely
sad. She didn't like sad.

"Buffy," Willow said in an exasperated tone. "I mean it's not like a can
split myself in two," she continued in a softer tone. "I have to go."

"Are you sure…about the splitting in two thing?" Buffy asked. "Because
those spells of yours have been coming along and…" Buffy stopped when Willow
gave her a look. "Stopping now," Buffy said.

"I'm still here for a few more days," Willow said moving over closer to
Buffy and resting her head on her friend's shoulder.

Buffy looked down at her.

"Boston's cold you know," the Slayer said. "You're going to have to wear
and hat, and mitts, and scarf, and maybe even a dickey," she continued. "Do
you want to wear a dickey? Do ya?"

"You're acting like a three year old," Willow responded.

"Am not," Buffy said militantly. "And, there's not reason to badmouth three
year olds by comparing them to me," she added smiling a bit.

"You're wrong you know," Willow said glancing up.

"I find that hard to believe," Buffy said. "But since you brought it up,
what am I wrong about?"

"You ARE self-aware," Willow said. "You just don't give a rat's ass."

"You're more into rat asses than I am," Buffy responded. "Rat asses and eye
of newt," Buffy continued.

"At least I have a hobby," Willow responded.

"I have hobbies," Buffy said making a face. Willow gave her a look. "What?
Hobby, sacred duty…same diff," Buffy said in response to the look. Willow
slapped her on the thigh. "Ouch!" Buffy said rubbing her leg while making a
face.

"That didn't hurt you," Willow said.

"Yes, it did," Buffy responded. "I'm sensitive."

'You are not," Willow said.

"I am too. For instance, right now you're hurting my feelings. Just
because I'm the Slayer doesn't mean I'm everyone's personal punching bag. I
get enough of that at work," Buffy responded. Willow may have been
concerned that she had actually hurt Buffy's feelings if she hadn't been
able to see Buffy's reflection in the mirror. She had a huge grin on her
face.

"At least you're not whining anymore," Willow responded lifting her head
from Buffy's shoulder and straightening up.

"This from the woman who was just using me as her personal bean-bag chair,"
Buffy said looking over at Willow with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, I'm bringing you cookies," Willow shot back.

"True," Buffy acknowledged. "You're forgiven…this time."

"Will you help me pack," Willow asked.

"Sure," Buffy responded. "I take your unmentionables. Are you bring the
lace ones?"

"How'd you…" Willow started to say, then she thought better of it. Buffy
was doing that trick she did where she'd pretend to know something even if
she didn't, then when Willow answered she'd know the real answer. Willow
wasn't going to fall for that one again. "On second thought, I think I can
handle it myself," Willow said getting up off of the bed.

"Will," Buffy said a moment later.

"I know," Willow responded. "You wish I didn't have to go."

"Actually, I was going to ask if we had any milk left," Buffy told her.

"Oh," Willow responded. Buffy smiled.

===============================================================

"This is an inane holiday," Anya said in a cranky tone from her seat on the
couch. "What does a fat man dressed like Kool-Aid, and the sacrifice of
pheasants, butter-ball and otherwise, have to do with the death of your
Savior?"

"It's tradition," Xander responded.

"Tradition based on a series of cultivated lies," Anya shot back. "You're
not even celebrating on His actual birthday. December 25th, was a date
picked by church officials to make Christianity more appealing to the
northern pagans. By making it that date it coincided with the northerners
winter solstice celebration," she continued. "For almost two thousand years
this day has been about good P.R."

"But," Buffy protested. "It's the happiest time of the year."

"Ha," Anya said tossing her head back. "Do you know how much business I
used to get around this time? Well I'll tell you…"

"Please don't," Giles muttered his breath.

"A whole lot," Anya said either not hearing him or choosing to ignore him.
"Genital herpes was a popular request. Then again, it is a giving season,"
she finished thoughtfully.

"Are you going to ruin every holiday we have?" Buffy asked glaring at her.
This was not going to be another Thanksgiving. She had learned to
appreciate Anya most of the time, but man was the woman a downer.

Anya just pouted in response.

"Don't be so hard on her," Willow said softly coming up behind Buffy.
"She's just being…well, Anya. And she is trying."

Willow was right of course. Buffy understood this, she just didn't care.

"When did you become pro-Anya?" Buffy asked. Willow generally wasn't a fan
of any girl Xander liked.

"November 8th, at 9:05 p.m.," Willow responded without missing a beat.

"It's not your holiday she's over there bashing," Buffy said still not
willing to give in just yet. She liked Santa, and he wasn't fat…he was
jolly.

"It is in a way…of course without the fat man part," Willow responded. "I
guess she just doesn't get the sprit of the season. Spending over a
thousand years dealing with philanders will do that too you I suppose."

Buffy turned around and smiled at her friend. Never had she known anyone
with Willow's ability to be able to turn her frown's upside down. She truly
didn't know what she would do without her.

"I think Xand's trying to rectify that situation as we speak," Buffy
responded turning her attention over to the couple on the couch.

"But…but…but it's the season to be jolly," Xander was saying in a rankled
tone.

"But nobody's jolly," Anya responded. "Except for maybe the fat man," she
added as an after thought. "Have you BEEN to the mall lately?" she asked.
"Some lady kicked me in the shin…"

"I'd like to kick you in the shin," Spike muttered as he entered the
kitchen. Anya ignored him.

"How was I suppose to know she wasn't pregnant?" the ex-vengeance demon
asked as she looked around the room for support. "She looked jolly, but she
WASN'T," Anya finished making a face.

"What are all of you nattering on about anyway?" Spike asked entering the
living room with a Santa mug.

"See," Anya said pointing. "It's all about P.R. They've even got the
demon's now. He's probably going to start wearing khakis next."

"Christmas," Buffy responded answering Spike's question even though she
wasn't sure she wanted to hear his opinion on the subject.

"Well, I for one bloody love Christmas," Spike responded as his face changed
and he started to drink. "All of the crowds of people going to door to door
singing, and the pretty lights and such," she continued.

"Who? What? Where am I?" Xander asked staring at Spike. "We're in the
Twilight Zone aren't we? Where's Capt. Kirk?"

"Shut up Nancy boy," Spike said shooting a look at Xander. "The lights make
people stay out longer, and when they're caroling they come straight to your
door. It's like meals on wheels; you don't even have to go hunting.
There's always great eating this time of year. Not that it's gonna do me
any good."

All the people in the room with a pulse went still for a moment, before
completing a feel body shake. Sometimes Spike was just so…so…so…Spike.

"Yo, G?" Xander called looking over at Giles.

"I thought I asked you not to call me that," Giles responded looking over at
Xander.

"So you did," Xander agreed. Then he was silent for a moment. "Yo, G?"

Giles sighed.

"Yes, X?" he responded.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm famished actually," Giles responded. "Somebody ate all of my scones,"
he continued looking over at Buffy who suddenly found something very
interesting to look at that wasn't Giles.

"I meant about Christmas," Xander clarified. "But, if you're hungry I could
always…"

"NO!" four voices screamed at once.

"It was only a suggestion," Xander muttered. His mom said that he was a
great cook. So good in fact that she only let him cook once a year, because
she said that if he cooked anymore she'd never stop eating and wouldn't be
able to fit through the door ways of their house.

"Christmas," Giles said sitting down. "Is an amalgamation of ideologies and
it has been from the time it was first celebrated. Some of these ideas are
noble, such as Jesus sacrificing his life so that humanity-with all of our
faults-could continue. Others are not so noble. Such as, that…" Giles said
pointing to Xander's can of Coke which had Santa on it along with a small
child and some sort of terrier. "However, despite the commercialism…and the
over zealousness of some shoppers, I believe the sprit of Christmas remains
true," Giles went on. "More than any other time of the year people look out
for their neighbor, give to those who need it, and take stock of all they
have to be thankful for at Christmas. We gather with family...and friends,
and celebrate what we have, and what we have to give. Christmas is still
and always has been about love, and loved ones. It can't change the nature
of the world, the nature of some of those within it, but at least for a
little while it makes things sparkle," Giles finished up. Once he finished
talking he took a bit out of his bread. If she wanted scones, why didn't
she bring her own bloody scones, he thought to himself as he took a swig of
his tea.

"Ewwww," Spike said shaking his head. "I'm going to be sick."

"Sick enough to die?" Buffy asked hopefully.

"Don't you have a muzzle for her?" Spike responded looking over at Giles.

"You're the one who's neutered," Buffy responded smiling.

Spike glared at her but said nothing.

"Where does the ritual exchange of valuables come from?" Anya asked turning
to Giles.

The watcher sighed. He should have just said Christmas was 'jolly good fun'
and left it at that.

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Buffy watched Willow out the corner of her eye. The others, including
Spike, had gone out to buy some scones, leaving the Slayer and hacker alone
in the house. She only had a few more days with her before Willow and her
parent's flew out to Boston to go to temple with the rest of her family.

"What's that?' Buffy asked looking at the subject in Willow's hand.

"It's for Spike," Willow said. "See, the thermos is shaped like ahead, and
on the neck there are two openings he can use to drink from. It's not quite
the same as the real thing, but it's pretty close…also not as icky," Willow
finished smiling.

"That's really, really…creative," Buffy said settling on a suitable
adjective.

"Well, he's really not so bad when he's not killing and maiming people,"
Willow said with a shrug. "Will you give it to him on Christmas for me?"
Buffy was a bit surprised Willow had gone to the trouble of getting a gift
for Spike, even though she really shouldn't have bee. That was classic
Willow. It was exactly the type of thing she would do.

"Yeah," Buffy said. "I'm sure he'll love it. Giles too. Did you know he's
stopped using his mugs?"

"Can you blame him?" Willow asked making a face.

"Are you hungry?" Buffy asked a moment later.

"Despite all reason," Willow responded. Talking about Spike and his eating
habits usually didn't improve ones appetite.

"Let's see what Giles had got stocked away," Buffy said standing up.

"Well, we know he hasn't got any scones," Willow said smiling.

"I had no breakfast," Buffy said defensively.

"Yes you did, I was there," Willow said looking at her.

"Okay, okay…so I was hungry," Buffy said moving towards the kitchen.

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"What is it Buffy?" Willow asked noticing that the Slayer had gone
stock-still. Buffy didn't respond verbally. Instead she merely pointed up.
Willow looked, and then her eyes went wide.

"We're under the mistletoe," Buffy said softly.

"Mistletoe," Willow said to herself. "People usually…" she trailed off.

"Yeah," Buffy said nodding her head way to many times.

"We're not going to…?" Willow asked. Despite what she said she found
herself wishing Buffy would answer her question in the negative.

"I…they say it's bad luck if you don't…you know…" Buffy responded. She knew
she should have just answered no, it would have been much easier if she had
just said no, but she didn't want to say no. She wanted to kiss Willow.
Even if it was a mistletoe, friendly, holiday season kiss, she wanted to
kiss Willow.

"We've got enough bad luck around here," Willow said avoiding Buffy's gaze.
"Maybe we should…"

"Just do it," Buffy said.

"Nike," Willow said smiling.

"So ah," Buffy started to say. "Do you…you know…under the mistletoe and
everything…with the ritual…should we just…"

"Yeah," Willow said cutting Buffy off before she could jumble up the
sentence anymore. "I mean, for the sake for tradition…and non-bad luck,"
Willow added.

"For non-bad luck then," Buffy responded.

Slowly, hesitantly Buffy raised her left hand up to Willow's face and rested
it on her cheek. Willow kept her eyes locked on Buffy's and leaned her
cheek into Buffy's palm a little. Slowly, Buffy leaned in bringing their
faces closer together. Tilting her head to the side slightly Buffy stopped
her progress and left her lips micrometers away from Willow's. They stayed
like that frozen in time for a moment. Each feeling like they were standing
at the edge of a huge precipice, looking over the edge into the deep, dark
unknown. Then Buffy closed the final distance between them pressing their
lips together softly.

At the first contact of their lips, Buffy felt all four winds blowing about
her face. It was like she was flying. She was acutely aware of her
surrounds. The air around their bodies seemed to be crackling with
electricity, warming the air around them, enveloping them. She felt
Willow's lips not only on her own but all over her body, fluttering around
her, and inside her.

She felt Willow's hand move to her hips, holding her tightly.

Buffy pulled back after a moment and looked into Willow's eyes, searching
for a sign, any sign that her friend had felt even a portion of what she
had. Willow's eyes were a shade darker than usual, and she was breathing
faster than normal.

"Yea, for tradition," Buffy managed to get out. Distractedly, she noticed
that her voice was huskier than normal. Oh yeah, she thought to herself.
Sometimes tradition was a good thing. Sometimes it was a very, very, good
thing!

"I suppose Christmas has it's fine points," Willow responded a little smile
working it's way across her face.

"So…you liked it?" Buffy asked tentatively.

"Did you…like it?" Willow asked in response.

"I suppose it all subject…wait, I asked you first," Buffy said still not
breaking their gaze.

"And I asked you second," Willow responded.

"You liked it didn't you?" Buffy asked smiling. Willow didn't play word
games-at least intentionally-unless she was trying to hide something.

"I didn't say that," Willow said wanting to look away, but not being able
to.

"Yes you did," Buffy responded. And it was true, Willow had said a lot more
with non-responses than she had said with her actual verbal responses.

"Let's review shall we. Buffy said 'so…you liked it?', I said 'Did you like
it?'. You said, 'I suppose it's all…I asked you first', and I said, 'I
asked you second'. Nowhere in there do I recall saying, 'Gee, Buffy that
was absolutely the best kiss I've ever participated in, in my entire life'."

"Absolutely the best?" Buffy asked with a huge smile on her face.

"Will you just shut up and kiss me?" Willow asked.

Buffy smiled and leaned in again.

"You know what Will?" Buffy asked when they separated.

"What?" Willow asked running her hands up Buffy's side.

"I really, really, love Christmas," Buffy answered before leaning in to
capture Willow's lips once more.

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THE END

Hope you enjoyed:-)

Later,
Janine