Hey there reader(s)! I'm home sick today (for the 3rd day in a row) so i have some time on my hands. as for the whole Xander/Dawn thing, well if ya think about it they're not that far apart age wise. but anyway, thanks for the review(s) and I really would like to see more. Also this chapter takes place a few weeks after the last one. Thanks for reading my pointless chatter. Now for the real reason you're here
Chapter 2
The white winter moon shined through the window, reflecting off of the small ornaments on the tree. Willow smiled at her distorted reflection in the small red orb. She giggled sticking out her tongue and puffing out her cheeks at it.
Buffy laughed. "What on earth are you doing?"
"Don't even start. I saw you licking that gingerbread man."
"I just wanted to see if it was still cinamony from last year."
"Sure, right. That's how it always starts. You lick a gingerbread man and then you're in rehab for people attracked to cookies."
Buffy stared at her, confused.
"Yah, I know. I have issues."
They laughed and continued dressing the Christmas tree. Willow glanced out the window and saw headlights coming up the driveway.
"They're back." She walked over and unlocked the door.
"You know what that means."
"Presents!!!"
"Hey all!" Xander called as he walked into the small house. He was carrying a huge pile of wrapped boxes. Dawn and Keneddy followed, each with a few things.
"Wow. Did you buy out the every store in town?" Buffy grabbed some pakages from Xander, placing them under the tree.
"Well, we wanted to make Christmas, ya know, Christmasy." Dawn flopped down in an old warn in chair. "I'm pooped."
"So do we open presents now?" Keneddy sat down on the ottoman and Willow sat down behind her.
"Ooh yes! Presents now!" Xander sat on Dawns lap, causing her to cough. She shoved him but he wouldn't budge.
"Get off of me!"
"You look like you're the proud mother of an extremely large child." Buffy smiled at them. No matter how weird it had seemed to her, she was genuinley happy for both of them. Dawn had liked Xander for a long time and Xander had needed someone to hold on to after he lost Anya. 'If only I could find someone...' Buffy thought.
"So who wants to go first?" Willow sat on the floor next to the tree.
"How about Buffy?" Kennedy suggested. "I think i see one right there with her name on it."
Willow handed the longish box to Buffy. "It's from us." She smiled up at Keneddy.
Buffy carefully unrapped the box and opened the lid. Inside was a wooden stake. It had her name carved into it with the saying "She saves the world...alot" below. "Thanks guys."
"Hopefully you'll never hafta use it. But we thought it was a nice memento." Willow looked into her friend's eyes, to see if she really liked it.
"It's...it's wonderful." She smiled at them.
"Group hug." Keneddy pulled Willow and Buffy into a three way embrace.
"Ok ok. Now I wanna give Buffy my present." Dawn successfully shoved Xander off her lap. She rummaged under the tree until she found what she was looking for. She turned to Buffy, handing her and package. Buffy smiled at her sister as she tore off the paper. A tear roled down Buffy's cheek as she looked apon her beloved stuffed pig, Mr. Gordo.
"Dawn, how, how did you get this?" Buffy wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I took it before we left for the school. I figured you might want it."
Buffy pulled Dawn into a warm embrace. "Thanks Dawn."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Well, I'm gonna turn in." Xander stood and stretched. He walked over to Buffy and kissed her head. "Merry Christmas, Buff."
Buffy grinned at him. She snuggled deeper into her chair. She watched the fire jumped and crackled in the stone fireplace. She hugged Mr. Gordo tightly to her chest. Her heavy eyelids fell closed. Her mind drifted to Spike. She imagined him there with her, holding her as she slept. They had shared that closeness so many times. She longed for the safety that was in his embrace, the adoration that she knew he felt for her. She remembered the last time she had seen him. She had finally declared her love for him and he didn't believe her. She sighed and softly sobbed. She sniffled and tried to fall asleep.
Just as Buffy was on the verge of sleep she felt a hand rub against her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open as she tried to make out the shape in front of her. She was pulled to her feet by two strong hands. She blinked as the figure in front of her came into focus. She was so confused she almost started crying.
"Are you...are you realy you?"
He smiled down at her and lifted up her chin. He kissed her tenderly, the familiar feeling sending sensations from her lips to the ends of her hair. When they finally separated Buffy collapsed into Spike's strong arms. She laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes, smiling. Her eyes suddenly snapped open as an unfamiliar sound arose from deep in Spike's chest. She looked up at him, questioningly.
"I'm back Buffy. I'm really back."
Chapter 2
The white winter moon shined through the window, reflecting off of the small ornaments on the tree. Willow smiled at her distorted reflection in the small red orb. She giggled sticking out her tongue and puffing out her cheeks at it.
Buffy laughed. "What on earth are you doing?"
"Don't even start. I saw you licking that gingerbread man."
"I just wanted to see if it was still cinamony from last year."
"Sure, right. That's how it always starts. You lick a gingerbread man and then you're in rehab for people attracked to cookies."
Buffy stared at her, confused.
"Yah, I know. I have issues."
They laughed and continued dressing the Christmas tree. Willow glanced out the window and saw headlights coming up the driveway.
"They're back." She walked over and unlocked the door.
"You know what that means."
"Presents!!!"
"Hey all!" Xander called as he walked into the small house. He was carrying a huge pile of wrapped boxes. Dawn and Keneddy followed, each with a few things.
"Wow. Did you buy out the every store in town?" Buffy grabbed some pakages from Xander, placing them under the tree.
"Well, we wanted to make Christmas, ya know, Christmasy." Dawn flopped down in an old warn in chair. "I'm pooped."
"So do we open presents now?" Keneddy sat down on the ottoman and Willow sat down behind her.
"Ooh yes! Presents now!" Xander sat on Dawns lap, causing her to cough. She shoved him but he wouldn't budge.
"Get off of me!"
"You look like you're the proud mother of an extremely large child." Buffy smiled at them. No matter how weird it had seemed to her, she was genuinley happy for both of them. Dawn had liked Xander for a long time and Xander had needed someone to hold on to after he lost Anya. 'If only I could find someone...' Buffy thought.
"So who wants to go first?" Willow sat on the floor next to the tree.
"How about Buffy?" Kennedy suggested. "I think i see one right there with her name on it."
Willow handed the longish box to Buffy. "It's from us." She smiled up at Keneddy.
Buffy carefully unrapped the box and opened the lid. Inside was a wooden stake. It had her name carved into it with the saying "She saves the world...alot" below. "Thanks guys."
"Hopefully you'll never hafta use it. But we thought it was a nice memento." Willow looked into her friend's eyes, to see if she really liked it.
"It's...it's wonderful." She smiled at them.
"Group hug." Keneddy pulled Willow and Buffy into a three way embrace.
"Ok ok. Now I wanna give Buffy my present." Dawn successfully shoved Xander off her lap. She rummaged under the tree until she found what she was looking for. She turned to Buffy, handing her and package. Buffy smiled at her sister as she tore off the paper. A tear roled down Buffy's cheek as she looked apon her beloved stuffed pig, Mr. Gordo.
"Dawn, how, how did you get this?" Buffy wiped the tears from her eyes.
"I took it before we left for the school. I figured you might want it."
Buffy pulled Dawn into a warm embrace. "Thanks Dawn."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Well, I'm gonna turn in." Xander stood and stretched. He walked over to Buffy and kissed her head. "Merry Christmas, Buff."
Buffy grinned at him. She snuggled deeper into her chair. She watched the fire jumped and crackled in the stone fireplace. She hugged Mr. Gordo tightly to her chest. Her heavy eyelids fell closed. Her mind drifted to Spike. She imagined him there with her, holding her as she slept. They had shared that closeness so many times. She longed for the safety that was in his embrace, the adoration that she knew he felt for her. She remembered the last time she had seen him. She had finally declared her love for him and he didn't believe her. She sighed and softly sobbed. She sniffled and tried to fall asleep.
Just as Buffy was on the verge of sleep she felt a hand rub against her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open as she tried to make out the shape in front of her. She was pulled to her feet by two strong hands. She blinked as the figure in front of her came into focus. She was so confused she almost started crying.
"Are you...are you realy you?"
He smiled down at her and lifted up her chin. He kissed her tenderly, the familiar feeling sending sensations from her lips to the ends of her hair. When they finally separated Buffy collapsed into Spike's strong arms. She laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes, smiling. Her eyes suddenly snapped open as an unfamiliar sound arose from deep in Spike's chest. She looked up at him, questioningly.
"I'm back Buffy. I'm really back."