Chapter 7. Ms. Claus.
Connor comes out of his reverie and sees the young girl dressed like an elf tell him that he must get in line to take a picture with Santa. He nods at the girl and she heads back to her work. Connor then looks at the line. It is like a mile long. He sighs and heads over to the end.
About a half hour later, Connor is up soon and only has three kids in front of him. As soon as it was his turn, the young girl elf puts up the sign, out to lunch. Connor looks at her in disbelief.
"Sorry," says the girl. "Santa is on his break." The girl walks away and takes her hat off.
"Wait." The girl turns around and looks at Connor, whom she recognizes. She walks over to him.
"I can't believe you waited all that time just to get a picture with Santa. Aren't you a little old to believe in Santa?"
"No. No one is ever too old to believe in Santa." The girl raises her eyebrows at his comment.
"Okay, I'm going to go."
"Wait a minute." Connor follows her over to the stairs, where she exits the stage she is on. "I wasn't waiting for Santa." The girl looks at him, curious at what he had to say.
"Then who were you waiting for?"
"I was waiting for you." The girl blushes.
"Do you always say that to the girls dressed in elf costumes?" Connor smiles.
"Elves don't really dress like your dress. They have style. They dress like you and I would dress. Normal every day clothes."
"I'm sure they do." Dawn is smitten by this funny young man.
"Um, do you want to go to lunch with me?"
"Thought you'd never ask." Dawn smiles and walks beside him to the cafeteria.
Buffy is lost in the cafeteria in a large crowd, where she is left talking to herself. She is looking for Connor, who has disappeared from her sight.
"Where is he?" asks Buffy to herself, when she suddenly bumps into Xander. "Oops, sorry." She looks at who she bumped into and sees that it's Xander.
"Are you looking for me?" asks Xander. Buffy is surprised to see him.
"No," says Buffy truthfully, which hurts Xander's feelings a little. "I'm sorry. I was looking for Connor. He was here a minute ago." Buffy starts to look around.
"Well, he's not anymore. Mind if I invite you to lunch and please don't run away from me again."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disappear like that. Have a habit of doing that. I'll take your invitation to lunch."
"Okay." Xander takes her arm and leads her over to one of the stands.
The two are finished eating and they head out an exit, where they could see a mini theme park that a school has been working on and will open to the public for Christmas Eve and on Christmas Day. The whole set has been finished and Xander knew how to turn on the lights. He switches the lights on and Buffy becomes overwhelmed by the hundreds of lights and decorations that surrounded her.
"It's so beautiful," says Buffy in awe of the sight. "It reminds me of home."
"Your block gets together and puts up lights and decorations?" asks Xander. "I love those places. Me and my family have a tradition. We always visit neighborhoods that decorate with tons of Christmas stuff and lights."
"That's a neat tradition."
"If you're not too busy, would you like to go with me tonight?" Buffy looks at Xander's eager eyes, who are saying 'please say yes'. She gives him a sweet smile.
"Sure, I'd love to." She grabs his hand and Xander finally takes a deep breath.
"Great." Xander smiles really big and continues to look at the lights and decorations with Buffy.
Back at the cafeteria, Connor and Dawn finish their lunch. They are walking back to the stage where Dawn works. Dawn stops and turns to Connor.
"Thanks for lunch," says Dawn. "I really enjoyed it."
"I'm glad," says Connor. "Though they make better pizza where I live."
"It wasn't that bad. I like burnt bubbles bread." Dawn laughs and so does Connor.
"Maybe someday, I'll take you to the pizzeria in my hometown."
"Where do you live?"
"It's ah, up north."
"Canada?"
"A little higher than that."
"You're a long way from home, aren't you?"
"Yeah."
"You have family around here?"
"No."
"You're all by yourself?"
"Not really. I was here with a friend, whom I can't seem to find. We must have separated with the big crowd."
"Well, I'd like to help, but my break is over."
"It's okay."
"Still wanna take a picture with Santa?"
"Um…"
"Come on." Dawn pulls him up onto the stage. The guy playing Santa sits down on the seat and adjusts his beard. "Angel, do you mind taking one picture before we open again. I'll pay for it, I promise."
"No, you don't have to do that," says Connor.
"I want to."
"No one is paying anything," says Angel in the Santa outfit. "I'll pay it."
"Angel is such an angel," says another girl dressed like an elf and the one who takes the pictures.
"Cordy, your husband is the greatest," says Dawn giving her a hug.
"I know. That's why I married him. Now, hurry up. We've got people waiting." Dawn and Connor head over to both Santa's side and Cordy takes the picture.
"Thanks, sis," says Dawn to Cordy. She then gives Dawn the pictures and Dawn shows them to Connor. "It's not bad." She hands him one of the pictures and keeps the other for herself. Connor looks at Dawn and smiles at her.
"Thanks," says Connor. "Thanks a lot." Connor, without thinking, kisses Dawn on the cheek and then waves goodbye to Cordy and Angel.
"He's cute," says Cordy. "New boyfriend, Dawn?"
"No, I just met him," replies Dawn as she puts her elf hat back on. "He's a long way from home and he's got no family here."
"How is he away from his family so close to Christmas?" Dawn heads over to where the line of people and kids started. She switches the sign. She then walks over to Angel.
"I don't know. He seems to believe in Santa Clause and elves."
"Where does he live?" asks Angel as he pulls down his red Santa suit and adjusts the chair he is sitting on.
"He didn't tell me exactly. He said it was up north."
"Up north like the North Pole?"
"Don't be silly, Cordy."