A/N : Well, I couldn't exactly let Christmas go by without writing at least a little festive fic! I decided since the Little-verse fics were so popular that I'd write about Buffy, Spike, and Becky. The plan is three Christmasses from three different years, showing what happened with the family at Revello Drive. This first one is done, the second one is half done and the last one is all planned out. I'm hoping you'll like these as much as Our Little Secret and Our Little Family. I should mention that if you haven't read those fics these Xmas specials will make much less sense. Still, to all those reading, I hope you enjoy!
Rating : G/PG
(For disclaimer : see Chapter 1 of 'Our Little Family')

Story 1 of 3 : Rebecca's First Christmas December 2000

Willow smiled as she sang Jingle Bells to Becky and shook sleigh bells in front of the baby in her lap. She loved to play and sing with the little girl she saw as practically her niece.

"Give it a rest, will you Red" Spike complained from behind his book "You're givin' me a right soddin' headache with all that bloody jingling"

"Aaw, who's a grumpy Daddy, huh?" Willow asked Becky as she bounced her on her knees. Spike rolled his eyes.

"Daddy was perfectly happy til Aunt Willow here started with her daft Christmas ditty" he pointed out, "and why are you singing Christmas tunes anyway, don't you Jewish lot do that thing with the dradel and the funny candlesticks?" he waved his hand in a random gesture. Buffy came back from the kitchen, catching the end of his sentence and frowning.

"Spike, remember how we don't insult our friends and their beliefs anymore?" she said pointedly as she smiled apologetically to Willow and took Becky from her "Part of the whole being non-evil thing?"

The vampire looked indignantly at her.

"M'not being bleedin' insulting, just stating fact" he told her before attempting to go back to reading his book.

"I can like Christmas if I want to, Spike" Willow told him "just cos I don't do the whole church part and all. I mean you celebrate Christmas without the actual holy part, right?"

"Wrong, pet" he told her matter of factly "I don't celebrate Christmas at all"

Buffy frowned at that, her attention switching from her daughter to her partner.

"Well, maybe not before" she said slowly "but you do this year"

"Why the soddin' hell should I?" he asked, getting annoyed now. He finally gave up on his book and threw it onto the coffee table.

"Spike, we talked about curse words in front of Becky remember?" Buffy held the baby close and Spike sighed.

"Yes, I remember" he told her running a hand back through his hair and calming down some "I'm sorry, luv, but the fact remains I don't do the festive season" he told her honestly "Evil vampire, remember? Yes I have a chip and I do the loving partner/father bit but there's still a demon in me, one that's of the non Christmas celebrating kind, got it?" he spoke a little more harshly than he meant to but the silly bint was being infuriating about this whole topic.

Willow could see a fight was about to erupt as Buffy and Spike stared at each other with faces like thunder. Though they had few major fights it was always best to run for cover when one started. The red-head quickly got to her feet.

"I think now would be a good time for me to go far away and be...away" she mumbled as she picked up her purse and pulled on her jacket.

"No, Willow" Buffy seemed to suddenly remember her friend was there "You don't have to leave just because..."

"No really Buff, stuff to do" she smiled nervously as she headed for the door "Shopping and...stuff. Besides, I told Tara I'd just be a few minutes and that was an hour ago"

"Well, okay" the Slayer relented, following her friend to the door, still carrying Rebecca "but I'll see you later, right?"

"Sure" Willow smiled, "Bye sweetie" she aimed at Becky as she left and Buffy closed the door behind her.

"I'm taking Becky upstairs for her nap" the blonde told Spike coldly when her friend was gone "and then you and me are having a serious talk"

The vampire rolled his eyes when she was gone.

"Make a change for her to start a serious conversation" he grumbled to himself, "silly bint" he added right before she came back down the stairs, "Come on then, pet" he grinned, leaning back on the couch with his arms folded behind his head "I'm all ears, give us the 'serious talk' speech"

"Okay first, switch off the Sarcastic Jerk station and tune back into Nicety FM, okay?" Buffy snapped, arms folded across her chest as she stood in front of him. The smile fell from the vampire's face and in an instant the room felt colder.

The Slayer sighed in exasperated fashion when she realised World War Three would most likely erupt if at least one of them didn't take the grown-up route in this conversation "Spike, this is Becky's first Christmas and I want it to be special she explained "It won't be unless you're a part of it"

"What do you want me to do, luv?" Spike shrugged "Have a nice normal family Christmas, is that what you had planned?" he asked her like she was stupid "Well, sorry to disappoint sweetheart, but there's not a whole lot of normal in this house..." he pointed out none to gently "not counting your Mum of course, but still"

Buffy sighed once again as she sat down on the couch next to Spike. He took a sudden interest in his fingernails so he didn't have to look at her and she knew without asking that some of the reason he was picking a fight was because he felt bad. Though he claimed to love being the Big Bad, she'd seen the longing on his face when she got Becky ready and went out to the park for a walk in the sun. A part of him wanted to be a normal man even if he would deny it to the last.

"I know we're not like everyone else" she told him, a hand on his arm to get his attention "I can deal with that. I've spent years not being totally normal but at Christmas that didn't ever matter" she explained "It's about love, Spike, it's about being a family and wanting everyone you care about to be happy, even if it's only for one day"

The softness was back in his voice and his eyes, as he covered her hand with his and replied.

"I want everything for you and Becky every day of the year" he said sincerely "Why should I make a fuss just cos it's December? Christmas doesn't mean a bloody thing to me" he told her with a shrug and Buffy pulled her hand from his grasp, standing up fast.

"I guess you shouldn't bother then" she said icily "I mean, here was me thinking that me and Becky meant something to you..."

"Buffy you know that you do" he interrupted swiftly, standing up in front of her but she backed up when his fingers reached out to her face.

"No, don't, just don't" she said, making for the stairs as Rebecca began to prove the greatness of her lung capacity "If you won't make this special for Becky then I will do it myself" Buffy told the vampire that stared after her "I don't care what you think about it" she lied, tears running down her face as she ran up the stairs.

Spike was so angry he was having a hard time keeping the demon on the inside. He loved Buffy and their little girl, more than unlife itself. How dare the silly bint ever doubt him!

"Bloody Christmas! Causing all this bloody bother!" he cursed and rambled on to himself, pacing up and down the room. He paused near the stairs as he heard Buffy trying to comfort Rebecca back into sleep. She was crying too, he could tell and it broke his heart to know he played a part in their unhappiness. He should perhaps admit to himself at least that he was the whole damn cause of the tears being shed but if he did that it meant he'd purposefully hurt his Slayer, and that he couldn't bear.

Sometimes she made him so angry he could...well, perhaps he shouldn't dwell on what his anger might cause him to do but no-one could get to him quite as much as his Slayer could. As he thought that very thing, it occurred to him there was a reason for that, and only one thing to be done about it.

Just an hour til sundown, his senses told him and it had been a while since he'd been so glad about that. He really needed to get out of the house. There was something he needed to do.

- - - - - - -

Spike knew the Slayer was pissed at him, not only because she'd stayed firmly on her side of the bed last night with her back to him, pretending to be asleep when he knew she wasn't, but also from the way she barely said three words to him in the morning, except to say she was going to see Giles and she was taking Rebecca with her.

The fact was, the Slayer hardly ever took her baby with her when she was going training with her Watcher, but today it was clear she wanted to teach Spike some kind of lesson. She had no idea of course that he was glad she'd gone out, and that dear Joyce was away on a gallery-related trip for a couple of days. He had a plan that Buffy knew nothing of. He was going to give her what she deserved.

The key in the front door signalled her arrival home and he waited in the living room for her entrance. Her eyes lit up as she entered the room and found Spike standing by the most enormous Christmas tree that was all decked out in sparkling decorations and tinsel, a bright star sitting on top. Twinkling lights were wrapped around the branches and carried on around the entire room, along with paper decorations, mistletoe, and holly.

"Merry Christmas, pet" Spike half-smiled, hoping against hope that this meant their little spat would be forgotten now and she'd just be thrilled with him for what he'd tried to do.

"Oh my God" Buffy gasped in surprise, one hand covering her gaping mouth as she held Becky tight in her other arm "How did you...?" she began but found she didn't have the voice to complete her question.

"Had a little help" Spike smirked, gesturing to three hidden figures that came into view at his signal.

"Just call us Santa's little helpers" Faith shrugged, a grinning Willow and Tara right behind her. With an evil glint in her eye, the second Slayer stepped up behind Spike and attempted to plant a Santa hat on his head, something she'd been attempting almost constantly all day.

"I told you to get off me with that bloody thing" he shoved her hands away "Silly bint" he smirked good naturally and Faith backed off with her hands up on mock surrender.

Willow and Tara shared a look, and tugging on Faith's sleeve to urge her to follow, the witches disappeared through to the kitchen when they realised it was a total family moment now and something best left alone.

Back in the living room, Spike stepped tentatively towards Buffy who seemed to be hypnotised by the festively decorated room.

"You like it, luv?" he asked her as he reached her side, and she had to swallow hard before she could answer.

"It's beautiful" she whispered, encouraging the seven month old in her arms to take a look at what Daddy had done for them "It's all so great but...Spike, you said..."

"Forget what I said" he silenced her "You made me so angry yesterday and I realised I only got like that because...I love you so much" he smiled, "Thought occurred that if I love you that much, I'd want to do anything I could to make you happy, you and the Bit" he said tickling the little girl til she giggled "This stuff makes you happy" he gestured vaguely at the room "so, it's done"

"Oh Spike, I love it" Buffy told him, joyful tears evident in her eyes "and I love you" she assured him, reinforcing her point by kissing him on the lips.

She knew it was a big deal for him, to make all this fuss about Christmas. After their argument, she'd realised that maybe she was asking something of him that she shouldn't. Willow didn't believe in exactly the same things as her but Buffy didn't have arguments with her best friend all the time. It'd made her mad that Spike didn't want their daughter to have this perfect Christmas that she'd had planned in her own head. Now she was just so thrilled he'd make this effort despite his reservations, it was yet more proof, if proof were needed, that he loved her too much for words.

"What about you, Little Bit?" he grinned at their daughter as he lifted her from Buffy's arms "Think your old Dad did a decent job with the fairy lights and all?" he asked the little girl.

Rebecca made a bunch of happy baby noises, waving her arm around in the general direction of the tree and other pretty things in the room.

"I'll take that as a yes" Spike smiled, holding her close and kissing her head gently.

He may still feel that Christmas was not something that required celebrating, but he'd do what he could to make it special for his girls.

Nothing else mattered, at this time of year, or any other.

End of Story 1 -

A/N2 : Let me know what you think of this in the usual way...put simply, please review:-) Another two stories will follow soon, as well as a couple of other updates (hopefully before Christmas) on my WIPs.