AUTHOR'S NOTE Here is the chapter for Buffy and Sheridan…hope you enjoy!

DISCLAIMER I don't own anyone, I'm just playing around for fun.

…

"Sheridan, I have an odd question."

"Shoot," Sheridan said.

Buffy sighed. "Uh, do a lot of weird things happen in your town?"

Sheridan actually stopped skating to look at her. "What do you mean?"

Also stopped, Buffy turned around. "I mean, uh, anything, like, magical ever happen around here?"

Sheridan almost seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. She nodded. "Yeah. It does. We don't really talk about it, but there has been some really strange stuff to happen in Harmony."

Buffy laughed. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. The town I lived in was like that too. We didn't talk about it, but we had it all."

The two women started skating again. "It all?" Sheridan repeated.

"Oh yeah. Witches, vampires, zombies, you name it, Sunnydale had it." Buffy smiled. "You know, as crazy as it was, there are times when I miss it there."

Sheridan smiled too. "Was your family there?"

"Oh yeah. I lived with my mom and my little sister."

"Where are they now?"

Buffy looked down at the ice. "Dawn's in Europe, visiting my, uh, my friend Giles."

"And your mom's there too?"

No tears, Buffy told herself sternly. Sheridan doesn't need to see tears. "No. My mom died a couple years ago."

Sheridan's voice was quiet. "So did mine." She took a deep breath. "When I was little, actually. She was there when I went to bed one night and the next morning, gone." She sighed.

"Wow." Buffy looked at Sheridan uncomfortably. "That sucks."

"Yeah." Sheridan tried to make light of the situation. "But I was sent to Europe right after, which was an interesting way to grow up."

Buffy laughed nervously. "I bet."

"You were right though," Sheridan added. "It did suck."

They laughed. "I'm sorry to bring up memories," Buffy said. "I know how painful it is thinking about my mother. There have been so many times since she died that I needed her so badly to hug me and tell me that everything would be all right. And taking care of Dawn all by myself…" She sighed. "You have no idea how hard it's been on my own."

Sheridan smiled ruefully and shook her head. "Right there with you. You know," she said hesitantly. "There are times that I still feel like she's watching over me. Like she's still alive out there somewhere." She hid her blush.

Buffy gave her a moment. "So," she finally said. "What's up with Captain Planet over there?" she asked, motioning to where Luis watched them skate with a sour expression. "He doesn't seem to like me all that much. I mean, I know there's the whole warrant thing that he hasn't gotten used to, but I'm really a nice girl!"

Laughing, Sheridan put her arm around Buffy's shoulders. "Don't worry about Luis. He just likes to protect me."

"Well I get that, but he's really overwrought."

Sheridan smiled at Luis and received a hesitant one in reply. "My father and brother have tried to kill me multiple times." She shrugged. "After a couple attempted murders, one tends to get a little overwrought."

"Attempted murders?"

Sheridan dropped her arm and led Buffy over to a bench. "Come on. This is a sit down talk." Buffy followed curiously. "My father is, uh, evil actually. And for a long time my brother Julian was his puppet. They thought I was a liability to their empire and all of Father's secrets, so they tried to have me killed, several times."

Buffy only listened, her mouth agape, as Sheridan talked of her father and brother's numerous plots against her. "How can you just sit here and talk so calmly about your own family trying to kill you? I mean, I've had many, many people try to kill me over the years and two of them actually succeeded – "

"Huh?" Sheridan interrupted.

Smirking, Buffy just waved a hand. "Never mind. The point is, my own family or friends would never try to kill me!" She cocked her head. "Well, except that one time that my boyfriend went evil and tried to suck the world into Hell. And that time when my friend Faith tried to gut me. And when Willow tried to destroy the world." She blushed. "Never mind again."

Sheridan laughed again and was about to say something further when Luis appeared over her shoulder. "Hey Sheridan, we should get going." He shot a glare at Buffy. "We don't want to be late."

"Oh, yeah! Sorry. I guess we just lost track of time," Sheridan replied, smiling.

"Yeah, I noticed." Luis continued to glare at Buffy, who returned the hard look. He helped Sheridan to her feet. "Let's go return those skates."

Sheridan nodded. "Okay." She turned back to Buffy. "I don't know if you're religious or anything, but we have this tradition in Harmony for everyone to gather at the church for Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. The whole town is there and it's always a spiritual event. You're welcome to come if you want."

Buffy smiled. "Thanks. I'll have to talk to my friends, but maybe I will."

"Great!"

"Sheridan, let's go!" Luis prodded. Sheridan waved goodbye as Luis forcefully led her away. Buffy waved back, then was left by herself on the bench.

Across the pond, she saw Xander watching a little boy with his blonde mother and dark-haired father. Unfortunately for the blonde, her husband seemed far more interested in watching a dark-haired woman quietly leave the park. Buffy hopped to her feet and skated across to meet up with her friend.

"Whatcha looking at?" she asked when she reached his side.

"Ah, nothing." Xander motioned to the little family. "Just my new friend Ethan and his family. They have issues."

Buffy laughed. "Everyone in this town has issues, Xand. What's up with them?"

"Ethan is married to Gwen there, but he's in love with another woman and he's caught between the two."

Buffy was quiet. "At least no impaling on metal rods this time, right?"

Xander shot her a one-eyed glance. "Yeah, right. I don't know, Buff. Thinking about Anya takes up most of my life, but ever since I got that call from Angel…I miss her so much."

Putting a hand on his arm, Buffy said, "We all do." She gently steered him away from the family. "Come on. Let's go."