A/N: I don't own the characters in the story. I just wanted to borrow them for a few moments to bring everyone a little bit of Christmas fluff.
Buffy thought she had fallen asleep on the couch when she saw Tara standing in the doorway. She rubbed her eyes and then looked around and realized that she was awake and Tara was indeed standing in front of her in the living room of Scooby Central.
"Tara?"
"Yes, Buffy. The PTB sent me. They said that they wanted to reward you for all of the work you have done for them. To that end, they will grant you three wishes. Any three you wish."
"The first wish is easy. I want my mom back as we knew her. Just for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day."
"Done."
Her second wish was a little trickier. She wanted all of her friends to have the person they wanted the most to be with them forever to be there. At the time, Xander and Anya were thinking of each other. Willow was sitting in Buffy's old room holding her little Pez witch and thinking of Oz who happened to be thinking of her too. Dawn and Spike were thinking about each other. Giles was, as was usual for this time of year, thinking of Jenny.
"Done."
"My third wish is purely selfish. I want Angel. No curse. Human Angel. For at least a week."
"Done again."
Buffy wasn't sure that making those three wishes was such a good idea but the mood she was in it couldn't hurt anything. Tara disappeared and it was too late to take anything back.
By the fifteenth of December, Buffy started seeing her wishes come true. Xander and Anya were back together and working things out. Dawn and Spike were seeing each other. Oz had returned to town and was working things out with Willow. Even Giles had found someone. Jenny's twin sister, Jona, had come to town and she was definitely interested in Giles.
Angel knocked on her door around noon on the twentieth. He simply wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried. He didn't know the reason behind this wish. She had remembered the day that never happened. She had seen it when she was in heaven and brought the memory back with her.
On Christmas Eve, Joyce was at the house cooking for everyone. Just as if she had never left them. They all knew though that she would be gone in two days so they just wanted to enjoy the time with her.
December 31 came and went and Angel was still human. Dawn and Spike, Willow and Oz, and Xander and Anya were all planning weddings. From what Angel said, Fred and Gunn were getting married too. On the first of January, Giles and Jona announced their wedding plans.
"What about you and Angel, Buffy?" Willow asked as she and Buffy were looking at wedding dresses for Will.
"What about us?"
"When are you getting married?" At Buffy's look, Willow continued undaunted. "I mean, I know you love Angel and I can see the longing in your eyes when I try on a dress. Why hasn't he asked you yet?"
"Maybe because we're already married, Will." At Willow's look, Buffy started to explain. "When he put the Claddaugh ring on my finger for my seventeenth birthday that declared us married. Then, we consummated the love we felt for each other." She twisted the ring on her finger. "The rest you know."
"Wow! I never would have guessed."
"I've just been waiting to see if this stays permanent or not."
"Well, obviously it is."
"She's right, Buffy." Tara's voice coming from the door startled the two best friends. Willow found tears coming to her eyes as she looked at the ghost of her dead lover. "The PTB decided to give Angel and you a gift for the fights you have fought on their behalf. You two are stronger together than you are apart. They hope that you will take full advantage of this gift."
Buffy just looked at Willow and bolted out the door.
Five years later, there were five small children running around the Crawford Street mansion when everyone got together for Christmas. Of course, three of the women were pregnant again and the other two were still working on it.
The PTB were happy, seeing the ordained pairs working out so nicely. That meant that everyone important was happy. And that was as it should be.
Buffy thought she had fallen asleep on the couch when she saw Tara standing in the doorway. She rubbed her eyes and then looked around and realized that she was awake and Tara was indeed standing in front of her in the living room of Scooby Central.
"Tara?"
"Yes, Buffy. The PTB sent me. They said that they wanted to reward you for all of the work you have done for them. To that end, they will grant you three wishes. Any three you wish."
"The first wish is easy. I want my mom back as we knew her. Just for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day."
"Done."
Her second wish was a little trickier. She wanted all of her friends to have the person they wanted the most to be with them forever to be there. At the time, Xander and Anya were thinking of each other. Willow was sitting in Buffy's old room holding her little Pez witch and thinking of Oz who happened to be thinking of her too. Dawn and Spike were thinking about each other. Giles was, as was usual for this time of year, thinking of Jenny.
"Done."
"My third wish is purely selfish. I want Angel. No curse. Human Angel. For at least a week."
"Done again."
Buffy wasn't sure that making those three wishes was such a good idea but the mood she was in it couldn't hurt anything. Tara disappeared and it was too late to take anything back.
By the fifteenth of December, Buffy started seeing her wishes come true. Xander and Anya were back together and working things out. Dawn and Spike were seeing each other. Oz had returned to town and was working things out with Willow. Even Giles had found someone. Jenny's twin sister, Jona, had come to town and she was definitely interested in Giles.
Angel knocked on her door around noon on the twentieth. He simply wrapped his arms around her and held her as she cried. He didn't know the reason behind this wish. She had remembered the day that never happened. She had seen it when she was in heaven and brought the memory back with her.
On Christmas Eve, Joyce was at the house cooking for everyone. Just as if she had never left them. They all knew though that she would be gone in two days so they just wanted to enjoy the time with her.
December 31 came and went and Angel was still human. Dawn and Spike, Willow and Oz, and Xander and Anya were all planning weddings. From what Angel said, Fred and Gunn were getting married too. On the first of January, Giles and Jona announced their wedding plans.
"What about you and Angel, Buffy?" Willow asked as she and Buffy were looking at wedding dresses for Will.
"What about us?"
"When are you getting married?" At Buffy's look, Willow continued undaunted. "I mean, I know you love Angel and I can see the longing in your eyes when I try on a dress. Why hasn't he asked you yet?"
"Maybe because we're already married, Will." At Willow's look, Buffy started to explain. "When he put the Claddaugh ring on my finger for my seventeenth birthday that declared us married. Then, we consummated the love we felt for each other." She twisted the ring on her finger. "The rest you know."
"Wow! I never would have guessed."
"I've just been waiting to see if this stays permanent or not."
"Well, obviously it is."
"She's right, Buffy." Tara's voice coming from the door startled the two best friends. Willow found tears coming to her eyes as she looked at the ghost of her dead lover. "The PTB decided to give Angel and you a gift for the fights you have fought on their behalf. You two are stronger together than you are apart. They hope that you will take full advantage of this gift."
Buffy just looked at Willow and bolted out the door.
Five years later, there were five small children running around the Crawford Street mansion when everyone got together for Christmas. Of course, three of the women were pregnant again and the other two were still working on it.
The PTB were happy, seeing the ordained pairs working out so nicely. That meant that everyone important was happy. And that was as it should be.
