Dawn and Xander glanced over the carnage in the Summers' living room.  Decapitated elves were lying strewn across the floor amidst the broken lamps and picture frames.  Miraculously the Christmas tree and presents remained untouched.

            "Phew," Xander sighed.  "That was an awful lot of elves.  Wonder if any of them actually made shoes like the stories go?"

"You never know.  Could've made the Doc Martins I'm wearing now," Dawn joked as she began to weed her way through the corpses.  "Christmas just ain't Christmas without death and destruction.  Right, Xan?" 

"Seems to be, Dawnster.  At least it's over," he said as he picked up William's bike and checked it for elf goo.  "Guess we should go and see how Buffy and Spike are holding up."

"Race you to the top," she smiled at her long-time friend and new watcher. 

"You're on, Slayer," he smiled as they took off for the steps.  As they passed the front door they heard the familiar sound on growling coming from the street.  Looking out the small widow on the door, they could see another crowd of elves striding up the lawn. 

"Don't they ever stop?" Dawn questioned.

"Shouldn't they be singing "Hi Ho" or something?"

"Xander, that's dwarves, not elves," she stated.

"Ah," he acknowledged as he nodded his head.  "Back to the war front we go," he sang as he headed for his sword.  "Hey, Dawnie," he asked, "can I have the big one this time?"

Buffy and Spike stood in astonishment at the creature that towered before them.  Seems that Santa Claus had decided to reveal his true form, and it wasn't pretty.  The red-eyed demon that stood before them was oozing with slime.  It looked just as the elves below had, only twenty times their height.

"That sure isn't a jolly old elf," Spike whispered to his wife.

"Now what?" she asked as she faced him. 

"Same thing we always do, Love.  Let's kill it."

"Brilliant plan," she rolled her eyes.  "How?"

"What?  I have to be the brains as well as the beauty in this gig?" he said sarcastically. 

The creature growled menacingly.  "Weapons would definitely be of the good," Buffy squeaked. 

"Agreed," said the blonde as they both backed up.

"You can't stop me," Santa, or the creature formally known as Santa, growled.  "Do you know how powerful I'll become once I've devoured the offspring of a slayer and a vampire?"

"Don't care to find out," Spike stated flatly. 

"Time to find out who's naughty or nice," it grinned, revealing a mouth full of razor sharp teeth.

"Pretty safe to say I've been naughty," Spike smiled triumphantly.  "In the good sort of way.  Right, Slayer?"

Suddenly jingling bells could be heard through the air.  The three turned to see Willow smiling brightly from behind the reigns of Santa's sleigh. 

"Sorry I'm late, guys.  Did you miss me?" she beamed.

"Willow!" Buffy yelled out in joy.  "Nice to see you could join us."

"Nothing better to do," she shrugged as she stared at the demon before her.  "So I'm guessing this would be Santa," she said, giving him the once over.  "Again, another reason I'm glad I'm Jewish."

The demon growled at the witch and readied itself for attack.  Buffy and Spike bent their knees slightly, in full alert position while Willow simply smiled at the creature. 

            "Noreshad, norecnad, norecnarp, nonexiv," the witch chanted.  "notemoc, nodipuc, norennod, noneztilb."  And with that the red sleigh hovered above the ground.  "Uh, Buffy and Spike…" she warned, "you should probably duck."  The two blonds dropped to the roof as the sleigh headed full speed toward them.  Willow almost had to laugh at the comic dear-in-headlights look that Santa made before the loud squishing sound filled the air.

            Dawn was cornered near the tree and Xander was standing on the couch, thrashing his sword wildly at the elves when they all suddenly burst into dust.  Even the sea of fallen bodies disappeared before their very eyes.  Bewildered but thankful, the two threw themselves down on the couch.  Willow, Spike, and Buffy came laughing down the stairs and joined them in the living room.

            "So, I take it we won," Xander sighed.

            "Santa got run over by a redhead," Spike sang to the tune of the famous Christmas song as Buffy and Willow exploded into a fit of laughter.  Dawn and Xander stared at each other, completely lost. 

            "Well, just so you know, we had everything under control," Dawn stated. 

            Buffy looked about her wrecked house.  "Sure looks like it," she teased.

            "We should get going.  Where's Anya and Giles?" Xander asked as he stood. 

            "It appears that Giles did a sleeping spell to keep the kids from seeing anything, only it worked a little too well.  They are all out in the twins room," Buffy laughed.

            "Better wake her up and get Nicky home before he wakes up.  I still have to finish assembling his Bob the Builder work bench."

            "I should go too.  It's my night to stay up with the baby," Willow smiled.  "I'll go get Giles and we'll head out."

            "Thanks, gang.  Spike and I really needed your help tonight, and as always, you came through," Buffy smiled.

            "Hey, it's what we do."

            "Xander?"  Willow asked as he headed for the stairs to gather his family.  "It's officially Christmas morning.  You know what that means?" 

            "No way, Rosenberg.  I refuse to make a mockery of myself."

            "Since when?" Spike whispered to his wife as she quickly jabbed him in the chest with her elbow.

            "It's a tradition.  Every year since we were six.  Do it." Willow smiled.

            "Willow…" he began to protest.

            "Do it!" she commanded.  Rolling his eyes in defeat, Xander cleared his throat.

"Music please," he requested as Willow began a series of  "da dada, da dada, da da."s.  He threw his head back and began kicking his lags insanely.

            "Oh, my gosh.  Is that the…" Buffy exclaimed. 

            "It's the Snoopy dance!" Dawn giggled as she watched the man jump completely around and continue kicking, without missing a beat.  The entire room was crying in no time from the laughter.  Xander quickly took his bow and headed up the staircase.

            After everyone had gone home and Dawn was asleep in bed, Spike and Buffy cuddled on the couch and stared at the Christmas lights.  Music quietly played in the background as they held each other close.  Buffy yawned.

            "Tired, Love?" Spike asked as he kissed the top of her head.

            "Mmm, hmm," she sighed as she placed her head on his chest.  "Haven't gotten much sleep since you decided to hang mistletoe all over the ceiling above the bed," she grinned.

            "Didn't hear any complaints from you," he smirked.  The room was silent for a few moments more before Buffy began to stand up. 

            "We better get to bed.  The kids will be up in about two hours and I have a lot of cooking to do," she yawned.

            Spike joined her side and the two held hands before the twinkling lights.  Staring deeply into each others eyes, Spike spoke softly.  "Did you ever think things would turn out this way?  That we'd be so fortunate and so happy?  Besides the slaying and the no sunlight of course."

            "No.  Never in my best dreams did I think I'd end up with two beautiful children, wonderful friends and family, and the sexiest man in the world as my husband," she smiled. 

            "I love you," he whispered.

            "I love you too."

            "Merry Christmas my love."

            "Merry Christmas," Buffy whispered as the two kissed before the tree to the music.

"Oh! You better watch out,
you better not cry,
you better not pout,
I'm telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town!" carried through the air from the radio. 

The two had the same look of disgust on their faces as they raced across the room to be the first one to turn it off.  Jumping over the couch and flipping the switch, Spike smiled victoriously at Buffy and then winked. 

"So, uh… care for a round under the mistletoe?"

THE END!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!