The door-bell rang and Buffy ran to open it.
And stopped dead when instead of Giles, Xander and a Christmas tree there stood Cordelia and a large holdall.
"Surprise!" Cordy cried, grinning. Either that or she was grimacing but we're not going into that now.
"Cordelia," Buffy stated the obvious. "What a . . . surprise."
"I know. Isn't this great? I'm here. In Sunnydale. For Christmas." Somehow the 'greatness' of this moment did not make it into Cordelia's voice.
"For Christmas? All of Christmas?" Buffy was also unconvinced about the greatness.
"Uh-huh. Angel bought me a coach ticket here and said it was his present to me. 'Christmas with your family.'" Now she was here it was not as easy as Angel had made it out to be. "Sorry I didn't call but I didn't even know I was going to be here until a few hours ago. The visions only work for bad stuff."
"Wow. What a present." Buffy had not even flinched at the mention of her ex-lover's name. "Why aren't you with your family? Not that I'm not pleased to see you, but we're not exactly-"
"You've really got your husband's gift for tact," Cordelia commented. She saw Buffy's surprise and smiled her first real smile so far. "Angel told me. Don't ask me how he knew, he just disappeared for a few days and then turned up with the good news. Next time, warn me so I can cancel his appointments."
"I'll keep that in mind," Buffy said dryly.
They stood in awkward silence for a while.
"So-" they both began at the same time, and stopped.
"So," Cordelia began again. "What's with you and Giles anyway? You get a tweed fetish?"
Buffy gave her a wicked grin. "No, I just saw what was under the tweed."
Her evil giggle left Cordelia in no doubt as to what Buffy meant. "Eeuww!"
"Buffy, who is it?" Willow called from the lounge.
Cordy saw a flicker of pain cross the blonde's face, and then she called out cheerfully, "You'll never guess."
The brunette followed Buffy into the lounge, muttering about ungracious hostesses with super-human strength forcing their guests to carry their own cases, and found Willow sitting in the middle of the floor surrounded by wrapping paper, ribbon and shiny bows. The girl gave an excited squeal, leaped up and enfolded Cordelia a bear hug. Something's wrong, Cordelia thought to herself. "You're not possessed, are you?"
"Of course not," Willow said indignantly. "It's just good to see you. You've been away for so long . . . would you like some tea? Oooh! We made cookies this morning! I'll get some."
She rushed out of the room, muttering happily about guests and tea and cookies and place settings. Cordelia looked at Buffy and raised an eyebrow.
"Oz broke up with her a week ago," Buffy explained. "He and the Dingoes are going touring for a year and he didn't want her waiting for him. Apparently this way if she meets someone she doesn't have to feel guilty. She can get on with her life without him. She's not coping too well."
"Men!" Cordy exclaimed. "They leave you and try to make you feel guilty about it! And then they leave unexpected presents just to make things even better. And you wind up getting stupid visions and pounding headaches all because-"
BBRRIING!!!
"Saved by the bell," Buffy muttered to herself thankfully as she ran for the door. She threw open the door, expecting her husband and a Christmas tree, but instead Anya pushed past her.
"Hello Anya, do come in, it's lovely to see you, here, not three hours after you left," Buffy muttered to thin air.
Willow bustled around trying to make everyone comfortable while Buffy, Anya and Cordelia all sat in awkward silence. They made a few half-hearted attempts at starting a conversation but each time trailed back into silence. Willow seemed to be the only one happy, but they all knew that that in itself was wrong. When Buffy heard a key in the front door she ran to it, praying that this time it would be Giles. As soon as she saw his handsome face she hurled herself into his arms, totally ignoring Xander and the Christmas tree, and hugged him so hard he thought he felt his ribs creak.
"H-hello, love," he managed when he could breathe again.
"I have never been so glad to see you in my life," she breathed in his ear. "Not that I'm not always glad to see you, but today, well . . ."
She gave up trying to explain and kissed him.
"You know, this tree is surprisingly heavy," Xander commented from behind them.
They moved out of the doorway into the house so he could get past and Buffy released Giles long enough to say, "Anya, Cordelia and Willow are in the lounge."
"Ah," Giles murmured before Buffy distracted him again.
"Would anyone notice if I went somewhere else for Christmas? Anywhere else." Buffy reached out and thumped Xander's shoulder. "Ow. I guess that's a yes then."
He struggled past them with the tree to meet his fates. Somehow this was not the way he had envisioned Christmas Eve. A horrid thought occurred to him - what if Cordelia was planning to spend the whole of Christmas?
"Somebody kill me," he muttered as he entered the lounge to see his ex-girlfriend, his current girlfriend and his grieving best-friend lined up on the couch.
***
"Mmmm," Buffy sighed when she came up for air.
She began to move away but Giles tightened his arms around her. "Where do you think you're going?"
"We have guests," she explained.
"So you expect to greet me like that and then wander off to look after them?" He pulled her against him to show her what he meant.
"Hmm, you do seem tense," Buffy grinned at him. "But what on earth do you think I can do about that?"
She feigned innocence, having learnt over that past couple of weeks that her husband had a wicked sense of humour. She was not disappointed as he swept her into his arms and she gave a surprised squeal.
"I'm sure we can think of something," he whispered and kissed her.
***
When Cordelia heard Buffy squeal in the hall she decided she really did not want to know what it was. Maybe staying here is not a great plan, she thought to herself. But here is better than . . . well, there is nowhere else for me to go. Before she could retreat into those highly depressing thoughts she turned to Willow and asked, "So, why are you doing all this in Christmas Eve? Isn't it a little late even for you lot?"
Her sweeping gesture encompassed the tree Xander was setting up in the corner, with Anya's dubious help, and the newly wrapped presents that now sat beside the couch.
"Well, we've been kinda busy lately," Willow began to explain. "While Buffy and Giles were, uh, sorting out the spell thing and the marriage thing they sort of left the Slaying thing so we've been trying to catch up. Christmas got sort of, uh, left out in all of it."
"Huh. And I thought Angel was bad about Christmas."
"I think we've got it," Xander commented as he and Anya released the tree and it actually stayed upright in it's stand. "Now for the decorations."
"Goody!" Willow shrieked.
Cordelia winced.
***
"You know, I've decided this is my favourite place in the world," Buffy commented.
She was lying in their bed, wrapped in Giles' arms; her head rested on his chest, and she felt pleasantly sated.
"Our bedroom?" he asked sleepily.
"No. With you." She craned her head to smile up at him. "I love you."
He kissed the top of her head and said, "I thought you might."
Buffy sat up and punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Big head."
"Violence gets you nowhere," he replied.
"I'll remember that the next time I go patrolling," she said, grinning, and got out of bed to start dressing. "Now, we have a guest, remember?"
"She's not staying all Christmas, is she?"
Buffy nodded.
"What fun," Giles said dryly as he also began to dress.
"Maybe it'll distract Willow," Buffy said hopefully. "She's just getting worse at the moment. I think I preferred the constant crying over this weird happiness."
"We just have to give her time and our support and she'll come through. You managed to get over Angel," he pointed out, relieved that he could now say the vampire's name without wanting to kill him.
"Only because I was already in love with you."
"You were?"
Buffy finished zipping up her skirt and went over to him so she could wrap her arms around his waist. "I was. I just didn't know it at the time."
He leaned down and kissed her. Eventually he pulled away, saying, "Don't we have guests? If we don't go now I doubt we ever will."
"And that would be bad how?"
He glared at her, but could not hold it long and began smiling at her.
"Ok, ok, I'm going," Buffy grumbled.
***
The evening was not as bad they thought it would be. After the initial awkwardness everyone seemed to unfreeze and they actually had fun. Even Cordelia seemed more relaxed than normal, telling funny stories about her adventures in LA and helping get the house set up for the next day. Buffy did a quick patrol after supper and returned to spend the rest of the evening cuddled up next to Giles. At half past eleven they set out for midnight communion, leaving the others to go to bed. Giles had raised an eyebrow when Xander and Anya announced that Cordelia was sleeping in the guest room and Anya would be in Xander's, but said nothing. After all, what could he really say?
The church he and Buffy went to was not far from the house but they took the car anyway, not wanting to meet any vampires on the way over. He had been telling her a few days before about Christmas traditions when he was a boy and mentioned the midnight service. With one thing and another he had not attended since he arrived in Sunnydale, but Buffy had decided that this year they would. As they entered the church he breathed in the familiar smell and smiled down into her happy face.
It had been years since Buffy had been to any kind of church service but there was something special about this. She felt peaceful.
They sang the old carols, giggling as Giles told her some 'alternate' words to 'While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks', listened to the talks and took communion. As the congregation sang the final carol, 'O Come All Ye Faithful', the joy on everyone's faces infected Buffy and she could not help grinning.
The house was dark and silent by the time they got back and they whispered and laughed quietly as they crept upstairs.
***
Cordelia was finding it difficult to sleep. Returning to Sunnydale was not the way she had imagined it would be. Everyone seemed happier than when she left; Xander had Anya and Buffy and Giles were doing the newly-wed thing. Maybe a drink of water will help, she thought and got out of bed.
As she passed Willow's room she heard quiet sobbing. After a brief mental debate she peeked in. Willow was sitting on her bed, hugging her knees and crying pitifully. Cordelia knew she was not good with other people's emotional stuff. Mr Spock is probably better, she admitted to herself. I have spent much too much time around Xander. But Willow is, well, not my friend because she's basically . . . Willow, but also she's Willow and hurting her is like hurting a really pathetic puppy.
So she sat on the edge of Willow's bed and patted her shoulder, murmuring "There, there."
Willow carried on crying, seemingly unaware that Cordelia was even there but eventually she began to calm down a little. The only light in the room was from the moon, but with a little rummaging Cordelia managed to find some tissues and give them to her.
"Thanks," Willow whispered. "I know I look pathetic, but I didn't think anyone was still awake."
"I couldn't sleep," Cordelia told her. "That's quite an act you put on earlier. I'm impressed."
"Buffy is so happy and I don't want to spoil Christmas for her. It's her first one with Giles and I know she wants it to be perfect and it wouldn't be with me moping and crying about Oz and-"
"I understand," Cordelia cut her off mid-rant. "When Xander . . . I put on this huge act so no one would know how much he hurt me."
"I'm sorry," Willow said, feeling guilty even though it was over a year ago.
"Don't be. If I had really wanted to make up with him I would have worked everything out. The way you and Oz did." She saw tears well up in the red-head's eyes at the mention of her ex-boyfriend. "You're still trying not to hate Oz, aren't you?"
Willow nodded tearfully. "It's not his fault-"
"It is. He's the one that's broken up with you. He's the coward who's afraid to hang around. Why do you think he's done it? I'll tell you. It's so that if he meets someone while he's away he won't have to feel guilty about you. It's got nothing to do with sparing you pain; it's about easing his guilt. If you're going to get over this you've got to start blaming the right person. And that's him. I got over Xander because I could blame . . . well, you actually. Now I can see that we would never have worked out anyway, but at the time I thought my world was ending. You may love Oz, but trying not to blame him only prolongs your pain."
For the first time in over a week Willow began to feel as though someone understood her. Buffy had tried, but her situation with Angel was totally different. They could not be together whereas she and Oz had broken up because he was . . . Selfish she thought. He's selfish. But he's not really; he's kind and - selfish. You won't stop hurting until you stop loving him. He's selfish.
"You know, you're actually kind of smart," she told the brunette.
"Just don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to keep up."
"Do you want to take Buffy's old bed?" Willow asked. "I don't really like being alone right now."
Cordelia could see her eyes were drooping. Probably tired from all that crying she thought, realising at the same time that she was also incredibly tired now. Comforting people is actually exhausting. Aloud she said, "Ok, just don't snore."
Tonight definitely qualifies as weird, she thought as she drifted off. Ok, it felt sort of nice, but who would have thought that I, Cordelia Chase, would wind up helping Willow Rosenburg, of all people?
***
Buffy felt warm, relaxed and safe as she woke up. There was warmth at her back and as she woke a little she was aware of an arm around her waist and a hand massaging her stomach. It sent warm flutters through her and as she stirred she felt a light kiss on her bare shoulder. She gave a contented sigh and rolled over. Warm lips caught hers and kissed her leisurely.
"Mmm," she murmured when she was released. She opened her eyes. "Hi."
"Good morning," Giles replied. He kissed her again. "Merry Christmas."
"Oh! I nearly forgot. You're way too good at distracting me."
Buffy sat up excitedly and crawled to the bottom of the bed where a stocking lay. Giles had produced it the previous night as they were going to bed, admonishing her that it was not to be opened until morning. She had felt slightly guilty about not thinking of making one for him but he had quickly reassured her, among other things.
The former Watcher watched his excited wife, smiling happily. He truly could not remember ever being this happy. Although he sensibly was not going to tell her, he thought she looked both funny and sexy at the moment, with her long golden hair tangled and tossed every which way, wearing nothing but a sheet and tearing open presents like a child. Sometimes it was easy to forget that she was only eighteen and at others, like this, it was hard to believe she was even that old. Although her bare back and the memory of their lovemaking the previous night were fairly vivid reminders.
The presents in the stocking were a mixture of practical and frivolous. In with the stockings and toothpaste were sweets, a trashy novel that she loved (and she was slightly amazed that Giles even knew where in a bookshop it would be found until she reminded herself he had been a librarian for several years) and a beautiful pair of earrings. She crawled back up the bed to hug Giles.
"Thank you," she whispered and kissed him.
A few minutes later she asked, "When do we have to put the turkey in the oven?"
Giles glanced at the clock and replied, "We have about forty-five minutes, love."
"Goody."
***
Cordelia was looking at the cage holding Amy when Willow woke up. Surreal the red head thought.
"Morning," she said aloud.
"At last!" Cordelia replied. "I thought you'd never wake up. You sleep like a log."
Willow looked at her, slightly confused. "You could have just left. You didn't have to wait for me."
Cordy was not going to tell that she had and come back, still feeling as though she was kicking a puppy if she did not make some effort to help the witch. So she told her, "I didn't want to wake you. Are you still going to be doing the 'pretending to be ok' thing?"
Over the years Willow had learnt never to push if Cordelia was being evasive. "Uh-huh. Thanks for what you said. It's helping, a little."
"Good. Now, are you getting up or can I have the shower first?"
***
By the time they got downstairs Buffy, Giles, Anya and Xander were sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast.
"Finally!" Xander exploded. "Now everyone's here are we going to open the presents?" He seemed to remember that Giles was there and added, "Unless G-man over there wants to show the British character and wait for hours."
"Not at all. I was going to say that it was about time." Giles stood with his cup of tea. "Last one there is Postman. And don't call me that."
No one was entirely sure what he meant but they all ran for the lounge. Buffy was the last one there, thanks to a convenient elbow as she tried to get through the crush at the door, and had to hand out the presents before she settled down next to Giles on the sofa. Within minutes the room was covered in shiny paper and everyone was chattering excitedly.
Willow was almost beside herself with joy at her present from Giles; it was one of his advanced books that he had hidden from her and contained some animal transformation spells.
"Thank you!" she beamed at him. It was not just the spells that excited her, it was the knowledge that he trusted her enough to have them.
Xander produced his present for Anya from his pocket and gave it to her. It was a small jewellery box tied with a ribbon and for a long moment the former demon eyed it suspiciously.
"Anya, I-" he began, but she cut him off.
"I can't accept this. I'm sorry, but I just can't. It's far too soon."
"You can't accept this?" He looked hurt. "We've been together for several months and you can't accept a Christmas present?"
"It's a Christmas present?" Anya sounded confused.
"Well, it's Christmas so . . . present. What did you - oh no!" Xander began laughing as he realised what she had thought.
"It's not funny." Anya was sounding grumpy now. "Buffy and Giles have so I thought you would-"
"Anya, they're totally different to us."
"Amen," Giles said, just quietly enough that only Buffy could hear him, and she jabbed him with her elbow.
"It's just a pendant. I thought you'd like it," Xander finished. He quickly opened the box and showed it to her.
"Xander, it's lovely. Thank you."
The couple began kissing while everyone else reflected yet again on how weird they were. Willow suddenly remembered the present that had not been given yet and dashed to retrieve it from its hiding place behind the sofa.
"This isn't really a Christmas present," she said as she handed the Slayer and her former Watcher a flat present, "more of a late wedding present. We know you don't have any wedding photos 'cause your wedding was a bit weird so we made this. I hope you like it because, well, uh-"
"Will, give us a second and we'll tell you," Buffy said as she and Giles attempted to open the parcel.
They succeeded and sat for a moment in stunned silence. It was a large frame containing a collage of photos of Buffy and Giles. Willow and Xander must have dug out every photo with us in it, Buffy thought. There were ones from all sorts of events, including one from the Prom she had not even known existed. The ones from the summer showed a far more relaxed Giles, and she ruefully acknowledged that the looks they had been giving each other even then were fairly intense. The central photo must have been taken since their marriage. They were lying on the sofa, with Buffy pulled back against his chest and Giles was evidently reading to her. Neither of them had even been aware the photo had been taken.
Much hugging and tearfulness ensued as Buffy thanked them for the gift and even Giles looked a little choked up.
***
The day passed in a haze of food, presents and corny Christmas movies. Buffy and Giles made lunch and locked everyone else out of the kitchen. The locked door did not stop things leaking out such as Buffy saying "Watchers look funny with only nine fingers," and Giles replying "Technically that would be two thumbs and seven fingers." The Gang looked slightly worried by all this but decided to do their best to ignore it.
The food was actually delicious and no one had the energy to move for some time afterwards. Buffy and Giles went for a walk late in the afternoon, enjoying the rare chance to walk around without looking for vampires, although they made sure they were home before dark. Then they spent the rest of the day on the sofa in much the same pose as in their photo, watching movies. By midnight everyone was sleepy, although Buffy actually was asleep. Being careful not to wake her Giles picked her up and quietly said goodnight to everyone.
As he carried his love and his life up the stairs he wondered what the year ahead had in store for them. Hopefully more of this, he thought, reflecting on the happy day.
*finis*