Chapter 4

Buffy wasn't sure when the last time was she was this excited about Christmas coming. Maybe before her parents had split up. This year was going to be awesome. She had a boyfriend she loved dearly, who cared for her just as much, if not more. Finals had just been taken, and she actually felt good about them, which meant she would be done with school once the semester grades were released. Her self-defense classes had done well enough to get approval to stay on campus for the new semester. And, the entire group had rented a cabin in Big Bear for the holiday, meaning that she and Dawn would have their first white Christmas. Experiencing snow that hadn't fallen just to save a broody vampire from dusting himself before his time! She couldn't wait for the snowball fight.

Another good reason for the gathering was the unspoken feeling of everyone's lives moving on, and not necessarily in the same directions. Dawn was going to college in a year. Xander and Anya tried to come up as much as they could, but their lives were busy, and they had made new friends in Del Mar. Willow and Tara wouldn't be around forever. Willow didn't think she knew about all the offers coming in from scientific corporations, but Buffy did, and she was happy her friend was in demand. And her mother and Giles kept talking about taking a trip to England, even more now that Sebastian was around to help out with the supernatural. He was as well-versed as Giles was in demons and spells, and sometimes more so. She expected to see less and less of Kara and Spike, too, as the twins grew older and more active. They would need more supervision as their powers came in. So, who knew where they all would be next Christmas?

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"Willow, stop feeling guilty over taking the job. They're going to be happy for you."

"I know…but it's still not going to be easy to move." She paused in packing her bag with warm clothes and walked back to Tara. "Everyone else finding out isn't the hard part. It's being away from you while I get settled in that's making a sad Willow."

"It's only for a few weeks, until I've finished my internship…and I'll be down on the weekends. You'll be so busy getting used to your new position and fixing up the apartment that the time will fly by."

"Liar…how can I sleep if you're not next to me every night?" Willow pouted.

"I'll sing you to sleep over the phone, and Friday and Saturday nights, I'm all yours."

"You could come down with me? Just take a bit longer commute? I'll make it really worth your while," Willow murmured, kissing Tara's neck where she knew it would turn her lover to goo.

"Hmm…that's quite a bit of driving…can I get an example?" Tara asked coyly.

"I can give a full-out demonstration."

They fell giggling to the bed, preparations for the trip to the mountains pushed away for later.

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She and Xander had been married almost two years. Time went by so fast as a human. You blinked, and a moment was lost forever.

She could do this. She was Anyanka, over 1000 years old. Had faced tons of situations without fear.

Right…she could…no, better to wait until later, maybe? Crap, how did other people do this? She was not going to freak out. She just needed a distraction, was all.

Anya set about cleaning the apartment. No sense in leaving it a mess while they would be gone.

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"Do you think they'll be upset?"

"I doubt it. You practically live here already, as it is."

"True…but it is different when something is made official, is it not? I'm not worried about Dawn's reaction, but with Buffy…"

"Rupert, she's a big girl now. She'll have to deal with it whether she likes it or not. We've been together two and a half years, so I don't think us moving in together will be too much of a surprise. Besides, I doubt she will be living here much longer, anyway," Joyce stated.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.

"Buffy spends more time at Sebastian's apartment then anywhere, these days. She only really stops in to pick up more clothes every couple of days. Her living here is just a technicality, now."

"I didn't realize they were so serious, so soon," he replied. "Aren't they moving a bit fast?"

"If they were only just getting to know each other, I'd say yes, but they were friends for a long time first. And I've never seen Buffy so relaxed with a man she's dating before. With Angel, there was all that teen angst, and Riley and Will could never quite relate to her Slayer side. And Sebastian is such a fine man, solid without being a bore, and we both know my daughter's short attention span. I thought you really like him?"

"I do, I do…but I worry about her. I only want the best for Buffy's life. She deserves more than to have her heart broken again."

"Then she's in good hands. Have I mentioned how much I love you thinking of my daughters like your own?" Joyce said, squeezing his hand. "It's all going to work out just fine."

"I'm sure you're right, dear. How about I take you for a nice dinner alone before we are surrounded for a week?"

"Sounds delightful."

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Joyce and Giles, with Buffy, Sebastian, and Dawn in the SUV, were the first to head up to the cabin on the 20th. The weather had been mild enough to not require chains on the mountain roads, so they didn't have any hang-ups on the highway, and made good time. The owner of the cabin was supposed to be there to hand them the keys, and such.

They pulled up to a large log cabin house beside the lake, parking in the driveway next to what was probably the owner's vehicle. A tall, middle-aged woman came out the front door and waved, as she waited for her guests to get out of the SUV.

"Ms. Carter?" Giles asked, as he walked up the path.

"That's me. You can call me Millie. Are you Mr. Giles?"

"Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you. I hope we haven't inconvenienced you on a Saturday morning."

"No, not at all. Here are the keys. Why don't you grab your luggage, and I'll give you the full tour?"

"Wow, it's really big," Dawn commented. She walked past Giles into the house, as he went back to the vehicle to help with their bags.

Buffy and Joyce argued with the two Brits about carrying their own luggage, to no avail. They finally had to settle for taking their coats and make-up bags into the house while the men filled their gentlemanly duty. Joyce stuck her hand out to greet Millie, who was waiting in the front room for everyone to come inside.

"Hi, I'm Joyce. You have a charming home."

"Thank you. It's an investment property for my husband and me now, with our two kids out of the nest. We bought a condo in Palm Springs. Is this for a family reunion?"

"No, not really. This is my daughter, Buffy, and my other daughter, Dawn. The rest of our party are just good friends…"

"Extended family," Buffy put in.

"Right, and we've been getting together for holidays for a few years, now, and Kara came up with the idea to do something different this year. So, here we are. I read in the newspaper that snow is expected later this week?" Joyce said.

"It's definitely likely. The snow shovels are in the garage, and I made sure there was plenty of firewood. And the house has central heating, so you should be plenty warm enough. The kitchen is stocked with some basics – canned goods and such – and there is a market just a few miles from here in the center of town. There are 6 bedrooms, one downstairs, and 2 bathrooms. There's plenty of room out back for building snowmen, too. The lake is starting to ice over, but it's not thick enough to walk on, so if you have any children coming up, keep them away from the dock. Oh – and there are fresh linens and towels, and more in the cupboard down the hall."

"Here is our deposit for the first half of the week, Ms. Carter." Giles handed her the envelope with the check.

"Thanks. Just leave the rest on the kitchen counter, if you have to leave before I get back up here. Are there any questions?"

"I'm pretty sure we can figure everything out," Joyce replied. "We're just glad we found a cabin available still."

"Okay. Merry Christmas, folks. If you have any problems, just call the number on the refrigerator." Millie shook hands with the group, then left.

"Come on, let's find a good room," Buffy stated, grabbing Sebastian's sleeve and pulling him upstairs.

"Hey, who's bunking with me? I just realized that everybody is part of a couple," Dawn wondered.

"Well, you'll either be alone, or the twins will join you," Joyce replied.

"Great – so much for sleep," the teen mumbled, hoisting her bag over her shoulder and heading upstairs.

"Did you notice that they left the downstairs bedroom to us old folk?" Giles asked, sliding his arms around Joyce's waist.

"Yes, I did. My knees are still fine. How about yours?"

"A little stiff in the morning, but still perfectly serviceable. If it wasn't the largest bedroom in the house, I'd have to be offended," he mused, eyes twinkling. "I think I could do with a little quiet time, after that long drive," he added suggestively.

"I like that idea a lot," she replied.

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"Where did Mom and Giles go?"

"I don't know. I came down just before you did."

"Would you ladies care for a walk? I need to stretch my legs after sitting in that backseat for so long," said Sebastian.

"Sure," Buffy shrugged. "It's too early for lunch, yet, anyways."

They grabbed their coats and went out to explore the neighborhood.

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Kara and Spike were expected later that evening. Xander and Anya couldn't make it until the following day, since he had to work. They were picking up Willow and Tara along the way. Neither of the Wiccas were comfortable driving on a winding mountain road.

By the time they got back from their walk, Joyce was making lunch, and Giles was on the phone to the Visitors Center looking for a tree lot. Millie had done some basic decorating in the house, attaching a string of lights across the mantle, and around the front door outside. Holiday patterned pillows sat on the sofa.

"We're getting a tree!" Dawn and Buffy asked in unison.

"Of course. Would it be Christmas without one?" Giles replied. The girls squealed and ran to hug him, squeezing the Watcher from both sides. "Easy, girls. I still need to breathe," he wheezed.

"Ooops."

"But we don't have ornaments?" Dawn said sadly.

"Sure we do. They're in the box Sebastian carried in," Joyce assured them. "Now, who wants hot chocolate with lunch?"

"I do!" they chorused. The girls followed their mother into the kitchen, chattering excitedly about Christmas.

"This was a perfect idea," Sebastian murmured, coming to stand next to Giles.

"Yes, I believe it was. I don't recall ever seeing her this…"

"Giddy?" Sebastian supplied, smiling.

"Yes, exactly that. And it's not just because of the season. Thank you," he added.

Sebastian nodded in acknowledgement, before going to see what the women were up to.

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"Did what's-his-name forget he left this thing here?" Spike asked, as Kara loaded the truck with their gear.

"Nope. I bought it from him. And why aren't you watching the girls?"

"They're in the playpen. When was this?"

"A while ago. He hadn't used it in over a year, and it comes in handy for trips like this. The Mercedes is small, and your Desoto has skinny tires. And both girls are not in the playpen," she replied, pointing to the open door barred by a baby gate.

"Hi, Mommy!" Anastasia said, waving and giggling.

"Ana, I told you to stay put," her father said sternly.

"Wanna see! Wanna go!" she said. She'd been very excited since Kara had explained what a trip was.

"Told you, you need to watch her all the time. She's climbing everything."

"Yeah, yeah…they were busy playin' a few bloody minutes ago," he grumbled. "Do you need any help out here?"

Kara just gave him a look.

"Right. I'm going…"

"Uppie?" Ana asked, raising her arms to indicate she wanted to be picked up. Spike scooped her up before stepping over the gate, carrying her back to the kitchen. She gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek and giggled. "Play?"

"Not right now, Bit. Daddy has to finish cleaning the kitchen."

"No!"

"Yes. Your mum will be cross with me if it's not done before we leave."

"No. Play now, Da'," she demanded.

Spike set her down next to Lillian in the playpen. "You're just going to have to play with your sister. Da' doesn't have time, yet."

She scowled, pouting at the idea. Her sister turned on the big-eyed pouty look, trembling lip included.

Spike turned away before he succumbed to their pleading, and went back to clearing the refrigerator of what they couldn't leave in there for the week.

(Your daughters are evil.)

(They're mine if they're evil?)

(They turned on the pouts because I won't play with them right now. And that comes from you, pet.)

"This look?" Kara asked from behind him.

"Yeah, that. You can stop now," he grumbled.

"But it's fun!"

"And that's why women are evil. You're all born with the ability to mess with a bloke's head. Done packing?"

"Pretty much. Your bag and mine are the only things left. I want to go over my list one more time."

"I doubt you forgot anything, luv. Half the house is already in the bed of that truck," he teased.

"Oh, it is not! And that's just the typical stuff the girls need for a week. I hope you packed for snow. Joyce said on the phone that all the locals are expecting it by Christmas." Kara went upstairs, ticking things off in her head.

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An hour later, they were on the road, Kara driving because she already knew the way. Heading up to stay in the mountains for a few days in fall or winter had been a yearly occurrence when she was a girl, her mother having quite a few friends that were also single parents. A few youth camp weekends had been up here, too.

As they reached an elevation that put them over the typical city haze of pollution, the twins were entranced with the views out their windows.

"Mama – stars!" Lillian pointed to. It was a perfectly clear night, and every shining speck was visible.

"Yep. Aren't they pretty?"

"Pwetty…," Ana echoed in awe.

"Luv, is the camera within reach?" Spike whispered.

"The bag is behind your seat. Have you ever been up here, honey?"

Spike reached back and felt for the strap to the camera bag, finally pulling it around to his lap. "Not to these mountains. Though, this was a typical nightly sky anywhere outside London, back when." He checked the digital camera for space, set it to night shooting, and twisted around to catch his daughter's expressions. They were still so entranced, they didn't notice the click and whirr of it. Batou groaned and covered his face with a paw from his position between the car seats.

"I was 7, I think, when I first saw this view. I stared out the window the whole way up until I couldn't see them anymore. It makes you feel so tiny," Kara said.

"How much farther?"

"A while. Big Bear is at 8000 feet. We could stop somewhere to eat, if you'd like."

"Nah. Joyce is probably holding up supper for us, anyway."

"Okay."

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"I'm convinced trees smell better up here," Dawn proclaimed, burying her nose in the Christmas tree they'd brought home.

"It's amazing what happens when you're above the pollution," Giles quipped. He found large cities to just be too dirty for longtime stays.

"At least they finally agreed on a tree," Sebastian said tiredly, sinking to the couch.

"There's nothing wrong with searching for the perfect tree," Buffy said primly.

"Yep. It's Christmas. It has to be special," Dawn agreed.

"It's a fine tree, girls. Now, we have to get it standing straight," Joyce added, standing far enough away to look at the tree with a critical eye. "Rupert, do you mind giving us a hand?"

He stood again, mumbling "you, too, friend" to Sebastian. They took their places on either side of the tree and waited for instructions.

"It's leaning too far to the left," Dawn said. They moved it a bit to the right.

"Stop! That's too far," said Buffy. "Besides, it's also a bit too forward."

"Is this better?" Giles asked, after they'd adjusted it again.

"No…," the three women responded in identical tones.

They had it moved every which way, until the girls finally decided they didn't want that side of the tree facing out, and asked for it to be turned around. Then, the process started all over again.

"This is going to take all bloody night," Sebastian muttered to his fellow Brit, who huffed in agreement.

"Joyce, dear, shouldn't you get started on dinner?" he said out loud.

"Oh! You're right. I didn't realize the time. Buffy, could you give me a hand? Dawn can finish directing them with the tree."

Giles and Sebastian smiled at each other, thinking that they were almost done now that only one opinion would be voiced on tree placement. They were wrong.

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"That's it! I'm done! The bloody tree can stay where it is. I'm sticky with sap, and starting to itch from being scratched by pine needles too many times to count. It looks perfectly fine!" Giles exclaimed, before marching to the bathroom to wash his arms.

"What's his problem?" Buffy asked, wondering what the shouting had been about. She came out of the kitchen just in time to see Giles slam the bathroom door.

"Dawn, I love you like a sister, but if you tell us the tree is still 'a little crooked' one more time, I'm going to wring your little neck," Sebastian said in exasperation. He went into the kitchen to pour himself and Giles a drink.

"What did you do?" Buffy asked.

"I've only been directing them to getting the tree straight. I don't know what their big deal is," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"It's probably a guy thing. We'll try again later after they've cooled off," Buffy whispered.

Giles and Sebastian came out to the living room a few minutes later and plopped down on the couch to find something to watch on TV, studiously ignoring the Summers' girls. Buffy and Dawn sighed in unison and decided to help their mother in the kitchen.

The doorbell rang just as Joyce was taking her roast out of the oven.

"I'll get it!" Dawn declared, hurrying to open the front door.

"Happy Christmas, Niblet," Spike greeted with a smile, carrying the twins.

"Yay! You made it. Here, gimme one," she cried, taking the twin on his left and settling Ana on her hip. "Wanna see the tree?" she cooed, and walked away.

Spike set the diaper bags down by the door so he could head back outside. Sebastian came up to him to take Lillian.

"Thanks, mate. I'm goin' to need both hands."

"Spike? I just took the roast out, so you and Kara come in here so we can eat. You can get the rest of your stuff after dinner," Joyce declared.

"Yes, Mum."

Kara had grabbed his bag, hers, and the playpen. There was enough in the diaper bags to make it through the night with the girls. Batou hovered around her, ears alert in this new environment.

"Joyce wants us inside, luv. Food's on."

"Okay. I've got what we need for tonight, anyway. Come, Batou."

Upon coming inside, Kara signaled for the dog to go lie in front of the fireplace. There were greetings and hugs for the newcomers. Kara set her things on the floor out of the way and hung up her coat. Joyce told everyone to come to the table.

"Pretty tree," Kara said, as she passed. "Little crooked, though."

"See!"