Angst Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I in no way, shape or form own the characters from BtVS, they're owned by Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. All original characters are in no way connected to them except by me in this forum. No money is involved this is simply for my own pleasure.
Feedback: Yes, please and thank you!
Author's Notes: Hello all. I am back among the land of the upright and mobile, and updates will resume on their monthly schedule. Thank you to everyone for all of the well wishes, they were greatly appreciated. Well, without any further delay on to chapter twelve!
Merry Christmas, Baby
I woke with a start when the alarm on my phone loudly went off by my head. I rolled onto my back and lay there for moment; my mind immediately jumped to Tara and earlier that morning. I couldn't stop the big grin that made its way across my face as I thought about how sweet it had been to kiss her. I stretched and rolled out of bed feeling a little giddy; something I hadn't been in a very long time.
I hopped down the steps two at a time and slid across the tile on my socks into the kitchen à laTom Cruise minus the sunglasses and tighty whities. I poured the last of the cold coffee into a mug and popped it into the microwave to warm it again, and then I went into the living room to turn on the television. I wanted to find an old movie like "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Miracle on 34th Street" to play in the background while I baked.
I couldn't help myself and laughed loudly when the only thing I could find was "A Christmas Story". It was on a loop showing back to back all day long. I turned up the volume, and "You'll put your eye out, Ralphie…" followed me as I padded back into the kitchen.
I had originally intended to choose between double chocolate macadamia nut brownies, mint chocolate chip cookies, or my favorite and of course the most decadent, mocha-hazelnut cheesecake. Now I had a reason to make all three, and I started with the cheesecake since it had the most prep to do. That and I wanted the more coffee.
Soon the scent filled the kitchen along with the sounds of laughing children coming from the living room. I set up the other ingredients and was unusually efficient it seemed, so I had time to actually watch bits and pieces of the movie instead of just listening to it at a distance.
As the credits rolled, the cookies had cooled and were ready to be put in tins, the brownies were cooling, and the cheesecake was in the oven to bake. I leaned against the counter happily using a spatula to lick the brownie bowl, quite pleased with myself. I set the timer on my phone and decided to go upstairs to pick out an outfit.
Thirty-five minutes later, I was no closer to having an outfit than I was when I went upstairs. So I decided a long, hot bath would help me finally pick something out. I went into the bathroom, and after some digging under the sink, I found the lavender bath oil beads that were still packed away in a small box of miscellaneous bath oil, bubbles, salts and lotions.
I started the water just as the alarm on my phone went off, so I hopped down the stairs again to check the cheesecake. I pulled it out to cool, inhaling the wonderful scent, once again feeling quite pleased with myself. Then I headed quickly back up to the bath that was now calling my name.
I dropped in three lavender balls of oil and watched them melt as the tub continued to fill. Stripping off quickly, I stepped into the steaming water and eased down into the tub. The hot water slid over my body deliciously, leaving lavender scented oil behind to soak into my skin as I reclined in the tub with a sigh.
Once the water had crept high enough I turned the faucet off, breathing in deeply the scent of lavender. I let my mind wander while the heat seeped into my bones and I relaxed. I'm not sure how long I was in the tub, but as the water started to cool, I quickly shaved my legs and washed my hair so I could get out before I became a complete prune.
Wrapped in a towel, I brushed my teeth as I walked back into my bedroom and into my closet. I found my favorite pair of black jeans, and a wine colored short sleeve turtleneck with a matching cardigan. I got dressed, taking my time, and applied some light makeup. My hair was still damp and beginning to curl as it dried so I just let it.
I went back down to the kitchen so I could bag the rest of the desserts up to go. I had two large metal tins festively decorated for the holidays I had put the cookies in neatly stacked together. I was cutting the brownies and putting them in a Tupperware container while I sampled one for quality control purposes. The cheesecake had cooled nicely, and after covering it I set it on top of the brownies, easing everything into a canvas bag.
I looked at the clock on the microwave and it was just after 2:30pm. I went into living room to turn the television off, then back up stairs for final touches on my hair. I used a little hairspray to hold the curls in place, and perfume and I was ready to go.
I bundled up and grabbed my bag of goodies, left a light on in the living room and out the door I went. It hadn't gotten any warmer since I had been out early that morning with Tara, but it also hadn't snowed anymore, which was a good thing.
I carefully made my way to the truck; putting the desserts in the passenger side first. I then scurried around to the driver's side and hopped inside. As the truck warmed up, I turned on the radio and the cab was immediately filled with the sound of Karen Carpenter's timeless voice singing "The Christmas Song".
My drive was filled with the sounds of Christmas carols as I slowly made my way through the snow to Tara's house. I had stopped off at Starbuck's for a latte to help keep me warm during my trek; I was quite positive I wasn't caffeinated enough yet from all the strong coffee I had made for the cheesecake.
Pulling up in front of the house for the second time that day, the sky still grey and cloudy and the lights around the house were still twinkling merrily. I gathered my bag of baked delights, and my half empty latte and slowly made my way up the sidewalk.
As I got to the top step, the door swung open and I was greeted by Robby who was in reindeer antlers with little flashing lights on them and green sweater that had a dancing reindeer chorus line on it.
"Willow!" He grinned.
"Hiya, Robby, or should I call you Rudolph?" I asked giggling at the boy.
"Aunt Buffy's got the red nose, so you can just call me Robby," he said seriously.
"Is Buffy sick?" I asked since Tara hasn't mentioned anything about Buffy being sick last night.
"Nope, not sick. I won the coin toss," Buffy answered, and she was wearing a red sweater with dancing reindeer and a red nose that blinked. "Here, let me help you." She said as she took the bag carefully.
I laughed as I watched her nose blink. "Coin toss?" I asked as I followed her into the kitchen with Robby close behind.
"Yup, I got to wear the nose last year and Tanta wore the antlers," Robby said as he tried to peek into the bag Buffy had on the counter.
I laughed again looking at them both shaking my head. "Where should I put this stuff?" I asked as I began to unpack the bag.
"What did you bring, Willow?" Robby asked.
Buffy leaned on the counter watching me pull container after container out. "Well, I brought two types of cookies and brownies, and a cheesecake." I said.
"You made all this?" Buffy asked.
I nodded. "There are double chocolate macadamia nut brownies, regular brownies without nuts, mint chocolate chip cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and a mocha-hazelnut cheesecake," I said.
I began to open the containers, sliding the brownies in front of Buffy, and then looked at Robby. "I wasn't sure if you'd like the mint or the nuts, so I kinda made regular cookies and brownies with you in mind, buddy."
"Wow, I think I love you," Buffy said around a mouthful of macadamia nut brownie and moaned in delight.
Robby and I were both giggling at Buffy as I held the two tins of cookies for him to choose from. Robby gamely took one of the mint chocolate chip ones and began to munch away on it, when Tara walked into the kitchen. She was wearing another dancing reindeer sweater but in dark blue that set off her eyes nicely, along with a striped elf hat that had pointed ears sewn on the sides along with a sleigh bell from its point.
"Hi," I said shyly as I watched her come towards me.
Smiling brightly, she replied, "Hi, yourself." She immediately wrapped me in a hug. "Merry Christmas, Willow."
"Same to you," I said.
"Tara, you have to have one of these brownies, they are soo good," Buffy said as she waved one of the double chocolate macadamia nut brownies at her.
Tara took the brownie, and I watched as she took a bite. She moaned her approval, giving me a squeeze with the arm that was still around me. I smiled happily as I watched the three of them munching away.
"Okay, so what's with the sweaters and the, uh, interesting accessories?" I asked reaching for a brownie myself.
The three were giggling at my question when Joyce walked in wearing her own reindeer sweater in a heather grey, and a red Santa hat that had mistletoe, snowmen and Christmas trees embroidered on it. I had to laugh looking at them in their quirky holiday attire.
"Willow, this cheesecake looks divine," Joyce said looking over the various treats layed out on the counter.
"It's mocha hazelnut," I said proudly at my creation.
"Try the brownies, mom," Buffy said offering her a bite of her third brownie.
"Oh, that is good," Joyce mumbled. "Don't fill up on sweets though, dinner will be ready soon."
"So what gives with the outfits?" I asked again.
"It's tradition," Buffy said.
"We've been doing it since Buffy and I were kids," Tara replied. "My mom started it when Donny and I were little, so we've done it for as long as I can remember."
I giggled. "But the sweaters, how do you find them matching like this?"
"I make them," Joyce answered. "Caroline and I made them together for fun when the kids were little. Now it's just me." She smiled fondly as she spoke. "It's become a family custom."
"Caroline?" I asked.
"Yeah, my mom," Tara said smiling. "My mom and Joyce are… were cousins."
"We grew up together in California," Joyce added. "We were more like sisters. We went everywhere together, totally inseparable growing up. We even went to the same college together."
"Wow," I said softly. "That must have been nice."
"When Caroline married Bill, Tara's dad, and they moved here, I was so unhappy that Hank and I followed within a year," Joyce recalled. "By then Donny was already almost two and Caroline was pregnant with Tara and I was pregnant with Buffy."
The look on Tara's face was wistful as she listened to Joyce talk of the past. She reached out for Robby and pulled him close to her, stroking his hair. Joyce sighed heavily, and taking a cookie looked at me and shrugged.
"Enough about the past, let's enjoy the present," she said, her smile not quite reaching her sad eyes.
Silence fell over the kitchen, dampening the cheerful mood that had been there when I arrived. It was obvious that there were people being sorely missed, but what could I say? I was at a loss for something that wouldn't sound trite to help lighten the atmosphere that had so quickly settled over us in the wake of Joyce's memories. There were still some details I was not yet privy to, so I just remained silent out of respect for her.
"C'mon, Willow, let me show you what I got for Christmas," Robby said as he took my hand and led me away into the living room."Aunt Buffy got me this game and…"
Robby went on to explain the game to me and we sat down to play. Buffy and Tara followed us, and the three of us rotated out against Robby and each other while Joyce fussed around in the kitchen. Many matches and four different games later, Buffy, and Tara were being beaten by Robby in their latest round of his new racing game.
"Can I help with anything?" I asked Joyce as I quietly wandered back into the kitchen and leaned over the counter to grab a cookie.
"I've got it all under control, Willow," she smiled. "Just enjoy yourself – here have some eggnog. Dinner should be ready in thirty more minutes, maybe a little less." She handed me a cup of frothy eggnog.
"If you're sure," I sipped from the glass mug she had handed me. "I don't mind helping at all."
"I'm perfectly sure, dear. But you can let everyone know dinner will be soon," Joyce handed me another glass of eggnog. "Here, why don't you take this in to Tara?" Her eyes sparkled mischievously.
"Okay," I shrugged leaving the kitchen.
When I walked back into the living room Buffy was cackling madly and chanting "I win!" over and over, while Robby switched games in the console again and Tara moved to the couch. I handed Tara the glass of eggnog with a smile. Tara took my hand urging me to sit down next to her.
"Joyce said dinner will be ready in thirty minutes, maybe less," I informed everyone assat. "So you may not want to get too involved in another game."
Robby turned off the console and the television came to life. I looked at what was on the screen and began to laugh. It seemed I wouldn't be able to get away from "A Christmas Story". Everyone turned to look at me; I just waved my hand and shook my head.
"This is on all day, I was sort of watching it while I was baking," I said. "I thought I would be able to find one of the old classics, you know? But this was all I could find." I continued to laugh.
Tara rested a hand on my leg. "What's your favorite Christmas movie?"
"Hmmm, that's a tough one. I love all the cartoons, so I can't resist those. Burl Ives must have narrated all of them I think." I smiled, covering her hand with mine. "Then again, I love 'White Christmas', Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby… what's not to love?"
Tara nodded. "What about 'A Christmas Carol'?"
"Ah, but which version are we talking about?" I asked.
"I dunno," Buffy said. "I kinda like the one with Albert Finney for a classic version."
"Ooo, good one, Buff, but that's called 'Ebenezer Scrooge'," Tara said.
"Then again, 'Scrooged' with Bill Murray can't be beat either," I added.
We laughed and Robby just looked at us as he put the console out of the way. When he finished, he came and sat on my other side, resting his head against my arm as he watched Ralphie's little friend get his tongue stuck to the frozen pole.
Buffy, Tara and I continued to talk movies casually for the next twenty minutes or so. Joyce came in and with a smile announced that dinner was ready. As we made our way through the kitchen to the dining room, we each grabbed a dish or two of something that was to be put on the table to help. Even Robby got the rolls to carry.
This time I was placed next to Tara where Buffy had sat on my first visit to the Summers/Maclay house for a meal. As we sat down, Joyce carried in a platter with a golden brown turkey on it. I looked at the dishes we had carried in, and there was homemade stuffing, roasted potatoes, glazed carrots and two or three more things I wasn't sure of.
Everything looked wonderful and smelled even better. Buffy back came in with a bottle of white wine and a glass of milk for Robby, and then carefully poured us all a glass before she sat down. Joyce carved up the turkey and plates were passed down for a portion, and then bowls made their trips around the table as we all filled our plates.
"Willow, we say a… traditional prayer at this time of year, but we do say one," Joyce said. "I hope that won't make you uncomfortable."
"Oh no, that's fine with me. I'm your guest, so please do what you would normally do," I said sincerely.
Joyce looked at Tara. "Tara, would you?"
"Absolutely," Tara replied, and then held her hand out for me to take in mine.
Everyone around the table had grasped each other's hand, and Buffy reached across the table for mine, giving it a warm squeeze. With a smile and a deep breath, Tara began clearly but softly, looking around the table as she spoke.
"I am grateful for that which I have. I am not sorrowful for that which I do not. I have more than others, less than some, but regardless, I am blessed with what is mine. First, I am thankful for my health.
Second, I am thankful for my family, and a new friend," she smiled at me. "Third, I am thankful for my warm home. Fourth, I am thankful for the abundance of love and joy in my life. May the blessings I have received in this year only multiply in the coming seasons."
Everyone said the last line of the blessing together, and a round of affectionate smiles went around the table. Tara gave my hand a gentle press, and kept her hand in mine a moment longer before as we all began to eat.
"I'm really glad you're here, Will," Tara whispered to me.
I beamed at her. "Me too."
TBC…