Thanksgiving fic

[towillie@xxxxxxx]

Sorry if not allowed, fic has both Buff and Wills in it but not as a 
couple

NAME; Thanksgiving the old fashoned way
AUTHOR; Onewillie
DISCLAIMER; Joss and Co. own everything, even the turkey.
SUMMARY; Everybodys still alive, At the beginning anyway.
RATING;Probably light PG, Light bad language, One character death but 
don't worry about it.
Not as bad as the show.
NOTE; Vampires need blood for nutrition but that dosn't mean they 
can't eat food.(just thought I'd throw that in) nuther note; I think 
I might have read the "told you so face" line somewhere, not sure, if 
I did all credit to whoever.



"Xander, get out of the way and get your hands off that 
pie."Joyces' voice was annoyed but not angry, "Anya will you come in 
here and get your man out of the kitchen? We'll never get dinner 
ready."

Anya entered to grab Xander by the ear and drag him into the 
livingroom, pausing long enough to dip a finger in the topping 
herself, getting a exasperated look from Joyce.

Giles looked up from where he was tossing the salad and put 
down the utensils to open the door of the oven, filling the room with 
the smell of roast turkey. Buffy stopped mashing the potatos and 
walked over to stand beside him resting a hand on his back and 
reached into the oven to poke it with a finger. "Ouch, it's hot." 
Jerking her finger back and sucking on it, "Good though." she said 
around her finger.

"Looks like everything's about ready, Buffy, why don't you go 
on into the living room? Rupert and I can finish up in here." Joyce 
grabbed her daughter by the collar and propelled her out of the 
kitchen. Standing on tiptoes she gave Giles a peck on the lips and 
handed him the oven mitts, "The turkey's mans' work."

Buffy went into the living room where Tara, Willow, Anya and 
Xander were seated on the floor around the coffee table with Spike 
and Dawn on the couch playing Scrabble. "Dawn, el yukko is not a 
word." 

"Is so, everybody at school uses it." 

Tara looked at the groop for support. 

"Hey, if Bitesize says it's a word, it's a word." Spike 
slipped into game face and snarled at Tara.

"Oh, you're not scareing anybody." Tara commented and stuck 
out her tongue at Dawns 'told you so' face.

Buffy stood behind Spike to wrap her arms around him and rest 
her chin on his head, peeking at his rack of letters, "You're never 
going to get anything with that mess of junk." Raising her head at 
the knock on the door she looked at the others, "Wonder who that is, 
everybodys here." Getting blank looks from the others she moved to 
the door. Opening it she let out a slight "eep!"

"Hi Buffy, my answering machine must be screwing up, I didn't 
get your invitation. It sure smells good in here." Riley brushed 
past Buffy to sit on the couch, shoving Dawn up against Spike and 
laying a brown paper bag on the coffee table. "Hey, who's dumb 
enough to think el yukko's a word."

Joyce peered out of the kitchen to see what the ruckus was 
about. "Oh shit, it's Riley. how'd he know about this."

"It must be that sixth sense of the lower animals we hear so 
much about, I guess we can put in another chair. It is 
Thanksgiving." Giles got a extra place setting from the cupboard and 
squeezed another chair in at the table.

Back in the living room Riley looked at Buffys' 
attire, "Honestly Buffy, if you're going to continue to be my girl 
you're going to have to dress more appropriately, that skirt is much 
too short for a solemn holiday."

"Riley, for the last time I'm not your girl, I'm going with 
Spike."

"But Spike's a demon, he's a vampire, you love me. You just 
haven't come to your senses from when I dropped that crate of 
grenades on you. You should really be more careful where you stand."

Noting the steam starting to spout from everyones ears Joyce 
decided to try to prevent bloodshed, "Dinner's ready, everybody in 
the kitchen."

Spike put his arm around Buffys' shoulders where she was 
slowly banging her head on the wall. "Hang in there luv, he won't be 
here forever, and personally I'd be very happy if that skirt was a 
couple inches shorter."

Giving his hand a grateful squeeze, she put on a brave smile 
and tugging the waistband up a few inches, turned to the kitchen just 
in time for Riley to reach her side and offer his arm, glaring at 
Spike with all the fierceness of a enraged pekeniese. "Unhand her, 
you deem damnon."

All the others looked on in wonder, "deem damnon?" Anya 
whispered to Willow.

"I think he means damn demon." she whispered back

Taking their seats they began passing around the potatos and 
gravey and veggies as Giles carved the turkey. "Who wants white 
meat?" doleing out thick slabs of breast to those with raised hands.

"I want a drumstick." Dawn waved her hand frantically, 
getting her priorities straight, knowing what was to come.

"I get a drumstick too, my momma always let me have a 
drumstick." Riley explained to the others.

Xander, seated next to Giles nudged him with an 
elbow, "Spike may be chipped but I'm not, can I kill him please." he 
muttered, sotto voice.

"Holiday spirit Xander, grin and bear it, I know how you 
feel." He whispered back.

What started out to be a joyful get-together ended up in a 
quiet, almost morose dinner. Finally sated, Riley mopped up the last 
of the juice in his plate with a piece of bread, cramming it in his 
mouth, chewing with his mouth open. Swallowing with a audible gulp 
he released a gigantic belch and pushed his chair back, undoing his 
belt and the top button of his pants and unzipping his fly about half 
way.

"I'm stuffed, why don't we leave the ladies to their work 
here in the kitchen while we men go in the living room, I've got all 
the Rambo movies in there, I tell ya that Sylvester Stallone is a 
real actor."

"That did it, I just can't take anymore! Sorry Joyce." 
Spike dropped into game face, pushing back his chair and stood behind 
Riley, jerking him to his feet and sinking his fangs into the 
soldiers neck, draining him in a record two point three seconds. 
Reverting to human form he let the lifeless body sink back into the 
chair. "Joyce, everybody, I'm really sorry, I just couldn't take it."

"That's OK Spike, you did us all a favor." Joyce smiled at 
Spike.

"Way to go Fangface." Xander gave him a thumbs up.

"Ooooh that was neat." Dawn gave him a look of total hero 
worship.

"My hero." Buffy gushed.

"Rupert and I'll get things straightened up in here, why 
don't the rest of you go back in the living room. Just leave Riley 
there. And thanks again Spike."

Joyce and Giles began scraping the dishes and loading them in 
the dishwasher, bumping into each other as often as possible. 
Glancing in the living room Giles motioned Joyce over. The group 
were watching the first seasonal showing of "It's a Wonderful Life" 
on TV. Willow and Tara were laying on the floor, their legs 
entertwined and holding hands, Xander was in the easychair with Anya 
snuggled on his lap, Buffy and Spike were on the couch pressed 
against each other and Dawn on the floor, her back against Spikes 
legs.

"That's how it's supposed to be." he whispered leaning down 
for a quick kiss.

They had all the dishes loaded and the leftovers in the 
fridge when Anya poked her head in, "Xanders crapped out, I'd better 
get him home Joyce, thanks for everything, it was wonderful." Then 
glancing at the husk of Riley still on the chair, "Well, almost 
anyway."

"Glad to have you, next year we won't have the same problem, 
drive careful."

Looking at Willow and Tara droopy eyed on the floor she 
asked. "If you two want to stay over there's an eggcrate mattress and 
some blankets in the hall closet, extra toothbrushes are in the 
bathroom."

"Thanks Joyce, we'll take you up on that." Tara stood and 
walked woozely toward the closet.

"And Spike, you better get that kid to bed." She motioned to 
Dawn who had slid down Spikes' leg to collapse in a heap on the floor.

"Yes mom." He elbowed Buffy awake and picking Dawn up they 
climbed the stairs, careful not to wake her. 

"Rupert, one year ago if someone had told me I'd have a 
vampire shacking up with my daughter and two lesbians and a ex-
vengance demon for best friends I'd have sued them."

"Things change, most of the time it's for the better." He 
walked over to pick the husk of Riley distastefuly up between a thumb 
and forefinger and drop it in the trash. "I wonder why Spikes' chip 
didn't go off."

"It's Thanksgiving and anyway I think it only works on 
people, not on turkeys. Let's go to bed, Rupert, are we living in 
sin."

"Not so you'd notice." Putting their arms around each other 
they turned out the lights and headed for the stairs, smiling at the 
soft snores from the couple huddled under the blankets on the floor.

end