Title: If Only For a Day
Author: PNS*
Notes: I wanted to write a Buffy Christmas story that tied together my thoughts on season 6/3 along with some fun apocalyptic fan fic and a big ol' crossover.
Chapter 1
"Welcome to The Magic Box! Everything is 10% off for the holidays!" Anya waved at the approaching customer warily. She wiped the counter a few times with a rag and watched the person walk past her to some shelves and begin browsing. Anya couldn't tell if the person was male or female because of their bulky coat and accessories. It had been an abnormally cold winter so far, for Southern California. Xander had mentioned more than once the freak storm they had on Christmas 3 years ago. They had yet to see snow but the cold was all to close a companion on the short days.
Xander came in the door, bundled up in the typical flannel of a construction worker. He put his tool belt on the counter and leaned over to kiss Anya. "How's my fiance?"
"That word still sounds so funny." Anya said rubbing the counter with her rag.
"You ready to get going to Buffy's house?"
"I don't see why we need to go outside and carol in this weather."
"It's part of the holiday spirit Anya. I thought you were really proud to be an American now. We need to do this now more than ever." Xander recalled the few harrowing days before Buffy returned, when they worried not only about the Hellmouth, and bringing Buffy back, but also about terrorists. He never thought it would happen but it sent a chill through him just thinking about it. He was eager to get to Buffy's, to see her and everyone. Every time he looked at her he was still a little awed and afraid. They had done some powerful magic to bring her back. Magic that had made Willow act really strange.
"Are you thinking about Willow?" It was like Anya could read his mind. She picked up her coat from the seat behind her and busied herself with buttoning it.
"Yeah." They hardly saw Willow anymore and when they saw Tara she looked more than a little nervous. Every time Willow came by she seemed angry and annoyed. The only time she seemed remotely happy was contributing a spell to their slaying. Xander and Willow had been friends so long he was almost too confident that things would turn out right.
"I'm ready."
"What about your customer?"
"Oh yeah." Anya frowned. "Hey you. If you're not going to buy anything then I have to go home. I need to have holiday sex with my fiance." The person in the coat peeped out at Anya and hurried to the door.
"Sometimes your poorly timed explicit sentences have advantages to them." Xander smiled and took Anya's hand. They went outside into the bitter cold and walked through the streets of Sunnydale, bedecked with Christmas and Hanukkah decorations. There was only a few days left until Christmas and they were determined to have a great one. The previous year's Christmas had been dreary due to Riley's absence and Buffy was still fragile now. Xander had even volunteered his apartment for the Christmas Dinner.
"Welcome. Hot chocolate's in the falling apart kitchen." Buffy ushered them inside. Xander still wasn't used to her darker doo. It suited the new her though. He entered the house, the one he had been helping to fix and saw Spike sitting at the kitchen table dropping little marshmallows into his drink.
"Spike." Xander acknowledged his presence with a nod and headed to the steaming cups of chocolate. Anya waved with a little more enthusiasm and grabbed one for herself.
"Dawn's upstairs and Tara called. They're gonna be a little late." Buffy said standing behind Spike with her cup in her hands. She looked down into the brown liquid and swirled it around.
"I got a fax from Giles today." Anya spoke up. "It was just a little thing about a certain herb we carry. But he said he was fine."
"That's good. I'm glad he's doing well." Buffy gave them a half smile.
"We still haven't decided where to have Christmas Eve. We always traditionally exchange our secret Santa presents then. And then the regular presents on Christmas day." Xander added the last part for Spike's benefit. It was the vampire's first Christmas with them and as much as he annoyed Xander he was glad to have Spike with them. He complained a lot but he was also faithful and strong and not as bad as he used to be.
"We could have it at my crypt... well it would be kind of cold for you humans." Spike said.
"What about here?" Buffy offered.
"We can do it at my place." Anya said. "It's kind of small but..."
"Hello. Doesn't my opinion count?" Buffy cut in, obviously hurt.
"No. It does I mean. We just think you shouldn't have to worry about it. You have so much other stuff to worry about."
"I don't mind Xander. Really."
"What are you guys talking about? Ohh! Hot chocolate!" Dawn entered the kitchen and hurried across to the tray of mugs. "When are we going caroling?"
"I'm not sure." Buffy looked at the clock on the wall. "We'll go in 1/2 hour, wether Tara and Willow are here or not."
"Willow's usually a good sport considering she's Jewish and all."
"Yeah. She is."
"I wish you could hear the carolers we had back in England when I was a boy. Holy Choirs they were. Now it's just a bunch of bleedin' whiny people hoping for salvation."
"You're singing right Spike?" He changed color ever so slightly when Dawn asked. They all thought of the accidental truth spell that had made them sing their feelings. While it had brought Spike and Buffy closer together it had created a divide between Anya and Xander and Willow and Tara for awhile. They had found out Spike had been hiding a great voice for all the years behind his growling British accent.
"I suppose I am. Got to earn my keep somehow." He held up the cup of hot chocolate as if he was using it for an excuse. They all knew he was deeply in love with the Slayer and was becoming a softie towards the rest of them. "Got any more marshmallows?"
"Yeah." Buffy tossed him the bag and he loaded another handful into his cup.
"Here's to a Merry Christmas." Anya held up her cup.
Author: PNS*
Notes: I wanted to write a Buffy Christmas story that tied together my thoughts on season 6/3 along with some fun apocalyptic fan fic and a big ol' crossover.
Chapter 1
"Welcome to The Magic Box! Everything is 10% off for the holidays!" Anya waved at the approaching customer warily. She wiped the counter a few times with a rag and watched the person walk past her to some shelves and begin browsing. Anya couldn't tell if the person was male or female because of their bulky coat and accessories. It had been an abnormally cold winter so far, for Southern California. Xander had mentioned more than once the freak storm they had on Christmas 3 years ago. They had yet to see snow but the cold was all to close a companion on the short days.
Xander came in the door, bundled up in the typical flannel of a construction worker. He put his tool belt on the counter and leaned over to kiss Anya. "How's my fiance?"
"That word still sounds so funny." Anya said rubbing the counter with her rag.
"You ready to get going to Buffy's house?"
"I don't see why we need to go outside and carol in this weather."
"It's part of the holiday spirit Anya. I thought you were really proud to be an American now. We need to do this now more than ever." Xander recalled the few harrowing days before Buffy returned, when they worried not only about the Hellmouth, and bringing Buffy back, but also about terrorists. He never thought it would happen but it sent a chill through him just thinking about it. He was eager to get to Buffy's, to see her and everyone. Every time he looked at her he was still a little awed and afraid. They had done some powerful magic to bring her back. Magic that had made Willow act really strange.
"Are you thinking about Willow?" It was like Anya could read his mind. She picked up her coat from the seat behind her and busied herself with buttoning it.
"Yeah." They hardly saw Willow anymore and when they saw Tara she looked more than a little nervous. Every time Willow came by she seemed angry and annoyed. The only time she seemed remotely happy was contributing a spell to their slaying. Xander and Willow had been friends so long he was almost too confident that things would turn out right.
"I'm ready."
"What about your customer?"
"Oh yeah." Anya frowned. "Hey you. If you're not going to buy anything then I have to go home. I need to have holiday sex with my fiance." The person in the coat peeped out at Anya and hurried to the door.
"Sometimes your poorly timed explicit sentences have advantages to them." Xander smiled and took Anya's hand. They went outside into the bitter cold and walked through the streets of Sunnydale, bedecked with Christmas and Hanukkah decorations. There was only a few days left until Christmas and they were determined to have a great one. The previous year's Christmas had been dreary due to Riley's absence and Buffy was still fragile now. Xander had even volunteered his apartment for the Christmas Dinner.
"Welcome. Hot chocolate's in the falling apart kitchen." Buffy ushered them inside. Xander still wasn't used to her darker doo. It suited the new her though. He entered the house, the one he had been helping to fix and saw Spike sitting at the kitchen table dropping little marshmallows into his drink.
"Spike." Xander acknowledged his presence with a nod and headed to the steaming cups of chocolate. Anya waved with a little more enthusiasm and grabbed one for herself.
"Dawn's upstairs and Tara called. They're gonna be a little late." Buffy said standing behind Spike with her cup in her hands. She looked down into the brown liquid and swirled it around.
"I got a fax from Giles today." Anya spoke up. "It was just a little thing about a certain herb we carry. But he said he was fine."
"That's good. I'm glad he's doing well." Buffy gave them a half smile.
"We still haven't decided where to have Christmas Eve. We always traditionally exchange our secret Santa presents then. And then the regular presents on Christmas day." Xander added the last part for Spike's benefit. It was the vampire's first Christmas with them and as much as he annoyed Xander he was glad to have Spike with them. He complained a lot but he was also faithful and strong and not as bad as he used to be.
"We could have it at my crypt... well it would be kind of cold for you humans." Spike said.
"What about here?" Buffy offered.
"We can do it at my place." Anya said. "It's kind of small but..."
"Hello. Doesn't my opinion count?" Buffy cut in, obviously hurt.
"No. It does I mean. We just think you shouldn't have to worry about it. You have so much other stuff to worry about."
"I don't mind Xander. Really."
"What are you guys talking about? Ohh! Hot chocolate!" Dawn entered the kitchen and hurried across to the tray of mugs. "When are we going caroling?"
"I'm not sure." Buffy looked at the clock on the wall. "We'll go in 1/2 hour, wether Tara and Willow are here or not."
"Willow's usually a good sport considering she's Jewish and all."
"Yeah. She is."
"I wish you could hear the carolers we had back in England when I was a boy. Holy Choirs they were. Now it's just a bunch of bleedin' whiny people hoping for salvation."
"You're singing right Spike?" He changed color ever so slightly when Dawn asked. They all thought of the accidental truth spell that had made them sing their feelings. While it had brought Spike and Buffy closer together it had created a divide between Anya and Xander and Willow and Tara for awhile. They had found out Spike had been hiding a great voice for all the years behind his growling British accent.
"I suppose I am. Got to earn my keep somehow." He held up the cup of hot chocolate as if he was using it for an excuse. They all knew he was deeply in love with the Slayer and was becoming a softie towards the rest of them. "Got any more marshmallows?"
"Yeah." Buffy tossed him the bag and he loaded another handful into his cup.
"Here's to a Merry Christmas." Anya held up her cup.