Disclaimer: Buffy and its characters belong to Joss Whedon
Being Jewish Willow had never really celebrated Christmas. Not before she got with Tara at least. Even then she hadn't done it properly, not really. She'd agreed to accept gifts from her on December 23rd; a day that traditionally had very little to do with the holiday, and under the provision that they were simply 'presents' and not for Christmas.
"I hope you don't mind," Tara had stuttered the first year "b-b-but I b-b-bought you some gifts; cause, you know...it's been a long time since I had anyone to celebrate the Holidays with and the Scoobies' are starting to feel like my family now. I thought I'd get things for them and it didn't feel right l-l-leaving you out."
She looked so cute and so nervous that Willow couldn't have said no even if she had want to. Her lover had even take the care to avoid the traditional holiday wrapping and simply put them in a plain purple gift bag.
"Oh, Tara, of course not. That's really sweet. But I haven't bought you anything" she replied, taking hold of the blonde woman's hand.
"T-That's okay. I didn't expect you to. Why don't you open them...unless you d-don't want too?" Tara hung her head so that her hair hid her face from view.
"Sure," Will grinned, delving into the bag. Inside there was a Snoopy teddy bear. A smiled crossed her face.
"Xander told me that you always snuck over to his house to watch the Christmas special when you were in high school so I thought I'd get you him.
"He's very cute, and look, he can dance!" the red head giggled, making the toy do the routine she loved to watch the real snoopy do so much. Tara laughed.
"There's more, you know."
Willow dipped into the bag again to find a set or rose scented candles. She looked up to see Tara grinning at her impishly. "You know, in case we need them for a spell, or in case there's another power cut." She shrugged.
Willow could feel herself flush as that memory led her on to the one of the time they had the power cut in their college dorm. Shaking the memory away to avoid the pain, she glanced over to the corner of the room where Snoopy still took pride of place in her rocking chair.
The day was December 23rd, and she was alone. There were no presents, or cuddles, and no special candles. Instead she was sat in her room in the near-darkness with no one for company. Sighing, she took her framed photo of them both off the bedside cabinet and examined it. It was only when she looked closely that she noticed the piece of paper hidden in the backing. She had not put it there.
Curious, she carefully removed the picture to take a closer look. As she unfolded it she gasped sharply and let it fall from her hand onto the bed sheet. She had found Tara's Christmas list, written months in advance as always. There was a present listed for every Scooby, including Spike.
Forgetting her personal beliefs for a couple of hours, Willow went into town. She bought all the items on the list and wrapped them all in the same style of paper that het girlfriend had chosen each year. A teapot for Giles, nail polish for Dawn, Monopoly for Anya, a new tool set for Xander, hot chocolate for Spike and a top for Buffy. Later, she placed them under the Christmas tree signed from 'an always loving friend'. Although she would not be there to see them all open them, she knew that Tara would be pleased she had carried out this final act of kindness for her.
She decided that she would take the day as her own personal memorial to the most amazing woman she had ever known. she would check herself into a local hotel where she would not be disturbed and make a scrapbook of their relationship, just like Tara had planned to do for her. She hoped that by doing this, she had done something that Tara had always loved to do and given her friends a happy holiday.
