Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy, but I do own Sophie, baby Lily, and Echo the puppy :)

As the group rushed outside, Tara levitated them all onto the roof, and they climbed into the front of the sleigh.

"Okay, let's get this thing started" said Faith, taking the reins. "Uh, on Basher, on Biscuit.."

"That's not their names, Auntie Faith!" Sophie giggled. One of the reindeer, Comet, Tara noticed from the gold name plate on his harness, seemed to be looking at their substitute Santa like she was a complete idiot.

"Hey, go easy on me, will ya?" Faith frowned. "I'm still new to all these damn Christmas traditions."

"It's okay, Faith" said Tara. "Let me, I know them."

"Tawa know, Tawa know!" Lily babbled.

"Yes, Mama Tara knows all the reindeer's names" Tara smiled, giving the baby in her lap a little tickle. Then, she took a deep breath and began to call. "On Dasher, on Dancer, on Prancer and Vixen.."

"On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen!" Sophie finished. With that, the reindeer took flight, pulling the sleigh into the air. "Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!" Sophie yelled, laughing.

"Ho ho ho!" Lily giggled.

Before long, the reindeers had landed on a roof about a block away which marked the destination of their first present delivery.

"Okay, T" said Faith, climbing out of the sleigh and slinging the sack over her shoulder, "You just levitate me down, and I'll climb through a window and.."

"You can't do that, Auntie Faith!" Sophie cried. "You've gots to go down the chimney!"

"You're kidding."

"Nope" said Sophie, crossing her arms.

"You really expect me to go down the freakin' chimney?"

"Uh-huh."

"Tara" Faith frowned, turning to the girl's Mother, "Tell her that.."

"I'm sorry, but I agree with Sophie" said Tara.

"What?" Faith frowned.

"Hey, if you agreed to do this, you might as well do it right" Tara pointed out.

"Okay, I get ya point" Faith sighed. "I'll go down the damn chimney.." The Dark Slayer climbed into the chimney and let herself drop down, sack in tow. Once down, she let out a huge yelp. Embers from the fire that had burned there earlier still smouldered in the fireplace.

"Faith, are you okay?" called Tara, worried.

"I almost just set my freakin' ass on fire!" Faith called back from the house below as she jumped around, brushing hot ash from her backside. "Does that sound okay to you?"

Despite the minor setback that the fire had caused, Faith still managed to successfully deliver the presents. They got through the next few houses without incident, and then reached one with a particularly narrow chimney. However, the growing number of successful deliveries she had put behind her had raised Faith's confidence, so she climbed right into the chimney... and promptly got herself stuck.

"Damn it!" she groaned, wriggling feebly to get herself free. Tara winced.

"That doesn't look comfortable. What should we do?"

"Uh.." Faith thought as she continued to struggle, "How about you and Little Red just push my shoulders?"

"Okay" said Tara, sitting Lily in the sleigh while she went to push her adopted little sister's shoulder.

"Okay, Auntie Faith" agreed Sophie, pushing the other shoulder. They pushed and pushed as hard as they could, until eventually, Faith flew down the chimney and into the house like a cork out of a champagne bottle, and somehow ended up face first in the plate of cookies that had been left on the coffee table for Santa.

"Faith?" asked Tara a little nervously.

"Are you okay?" asked Sophie.

"Never better" said Faith sarcastically, spitting cumbs from her mouth. This family were health nuts, and the cookies were sugar-reduced. She quickly delivered the gifts, then Tara levitated her back up and they all climbed back into the sleigh, before flying for their next destination. "Hey, T" Faith suggested, "How about when we reach the next house, you have a turn at goin' down the chimney?"

"Oh, probably not a good idea" said Tara quickly. "See, I've still got a few pounds of baby weight to lose, so.."

"Really?" Faith frowned. "But Lily was born a year ago."

"I know, but you're not supposed to worry to much about losing the weight until you stop breastfeeding, and I only stopped breastfeeding six months ago."

"Still been a while.." Faith mumbled.

"Hey, when you've been pregnant, then we can talk" said Tara, glaring at her.