Tis the Season by Janine

Disclaimer: All the characters, Buffy, Willow, Giles, Xander, etc. belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy Inc., and Warner Bros. I'm just borrowing their brilliant creations. I intend no copyright infringement from my use of their characters, and will receive no monetary or any other compensation for their use, in any form, of the story that succeeds.

Synopsis: This week's theme. Christmas, mistletoe…is anymore information really needed?

Their room was an interesting mix, a miniature Christmas tree on one side, and a menorah on the other. In the middle of the room was cluster of wrapping paper, though no presents seemed to have been wrapped. There was potential there though, one day, maybe, possibly, those presents might have wrapped…perhaps. In the background a variety of Christmas songs were being played, among them the new N'Sync C.D. (despite Buffy's plentiful and sometimes pitiful objections). Currently, the Slayer was sitting on the right side of the room on Willow's bed, while the hacker dug through her closet looking for a suitcase. She was pretty sure she had a suitcase in there…somewhere she just had to find it.

"I wish you didn't have to go," Buffy said, her voice sounding a bit whineier than she had planned on using. At least at first.

"I don't want to, but its tradition," Willow said moving away from the closet and coming over to sit beside Buffy on her bed. "But Mom and Dad would be crushed if I didn't…plus, grandma's cookie's."

"Very good," Willow responded. "Umm, umm, good," she continued rubbing her stomach. Buffy looked over at her with her puppy dog eyes. "Alright, I'll bring some back for you," Willow added smiling as Buffy beamed at her.

"I still wish you didn't have to go," Buffy said looking down again. She was acting like a petulant baby and she knew it, but the thought of not being able to spend the Christmas break with Willow made her feel extremely sad. She didn't like sad.

"Buffy," Willow said in an exasperated tone. "I mean it's not like a can split myself in two," she continued in a softer tone. "I have to go."

"Are you sure…about the splitting in two thing?" Buffy asked. "Because those spells of yours have been coming along and…" Buffy stopped when Willow gave her a look. "Stopping now," Buffy said.

"I'm still here for a few more days," Willow said moving over closer to Buffy and resting her head on her friend's shoulder.

"Boston's cold you know," the Slayer said. "You're going to have to wear and hat, and mitts, and scarf, and maybe even a dickey," she continued. "Do you want to wear a dickey? Do ya?"

"Am not," Buffy said militantly. "And, there's not reason to badmouth three year olds by comparing them to me," she added smiling a bit.

"I find that hard to believe," Buffy said. "But since you brought it up, what am I wrong about?"

"You're more into rat asses than I am," Buffy responded. "Rat asses and eye of newt," Buffy continued.

"I have hobbies," Buffy said making a face. Willow gave her a look. "What? Hobby, sacred duty…same diff," Buffy said in response to the look. Willow slapped her on the thigh. "Ouch!" Buffy said rubbing her leg while making a face.

"I am too. For instance, right now you're hurting my feelings. Just because I'm the Slayer doesn't mean I'm everyone's personal punching bag. I get enough of that at work," Buffy responded. Willow may have been concerned that she had actually hurt Buffy's feelings if she hadn't been able to see Buffy's reflection in the mirror. She had a huge grin on her face.

"At least you're not whining anymore," Willow responded lifting her head from Buffy's shoulder and straightening up.

"This from the woman who was just using me as her personal bean-bag chair," Buffy said looking over at Willow with a raised eyebrow.

"Sure," Buffy responded. "I take your unmentionables. Are you bring the lace ones?"

"How'd you…" Willow started to say, then she thought better of it. Buffy was doing that trick she did where she'd pretend to know something even if she didn't, then when Willow answered she'd know the real answer. Willow wasn't going to fall for that one again. "On second thought, I think I can handle it myself," Willow said getting up off of the bed.

"This is an inane holiday," Anya said in a cranky tone from her seat on the couch. "What does a fat man dressed like Kool-Aid, and the sacrifice of pheasants, butter-ball and otherwise, have to do with the death of your Savior?"

"Tradition based on a series of cultivated lies," Anya shot back. "You're not even celebrating on His actual birthday. December 25th, was a date picked by church officials to make Christianity more appealing to the northern pagans. By making it that date it coincided with the northerners winter solstice celebration," she continued. "For almost two thousand years this day has been about good P.R."

"Ha," Anya said tossing her head back. "Do you know how much business I used to get around this time? Well I'll tell you…"

"A whole lot," Anya said either not hearing him or choosing to ignore him. "Genital herpes was a popular request. Then again, it is a giving season," she finished thoughtfully.

"Are you going to ruin every holiday we have?" Buffy asked glaring at her. This was not going to be another Thanksgiving. She had learned to appreciate Anya most of the time, but man was the woman a downer.

"Don't be so hard on her," Willow said softly coming up behind Buffy. "She's just being…well, Anya. And she is trying."

"When did you become pro-Anya?" Buffy asked. Willow generally wasn't a fan of any girl Xander liked.

"It's not your holiday she's over there bashing," Buffy said still not willing to give in just yet. She liked Santa, and he wasn't fat…he was jolly.

"It is in a way…of course without the fat man part," Willow responded. "I guess she just doesn't get the sprit of the season. Spending over a thousand years dealing with philanders will do that too you I suppose."

Buffy turned around and smiled at her friend. Never had she known anyone with Willow's ability to be able to turn her frown's upside down. She truly didn't know what she would do without her.

"I think Xand's trying to rectify that situation as we speak," Buffy responded turning her attention over to the couple on the couch.

"But…but…but it's the season to be jolly," Xander was saying in a rankled tone.

"But nobody's jolly," Anya responded. "Except for maybe the fat man," she added as an after thought. "Have you BEEN to the mall lately?" she asked. "Some lady kicked me in the shin…"

"I'd like to kick you in the shin," Spike muttered as he entered the kitchen. Anya ignored him.

"How was I suppose to know she wasn't pregnant?" the ex-vengeance demon asked as she looked around the room for support. "She looked jolly, but she WASN'T," Anya finished making a face.

"What are all of you nattering on about anyway?" Spike asked entering the living room with a Santa mug.

"See," Anya said pointing. "It's all about P.R. They've even got the demon's now. He's probably going to start wearing khakis next."

"Christmas," Buffy responded answering Spike's question even though she wasn't sure she wanted to hear his opinion on the subject.

"Well, I for one bloody love Christmas," Spike responded as his face changed and he started to drink. "All of the crowds of people going to door to door singing, and the pretty lights and such," she continued.

"Who? What? Where am I?" Xander asked staring at Spike. "We're in the Twilight Zone aren't we? Where's Capt. Kirk?"

"Shut up Nancy boy," Spike said shooting a look at Xander. "The lights make people stay out longer, and when they're caroling they come straight to your door. It's like meals on wheels; you don't even have to go hunting. There's always great eating this time of year. Not that it's gonna do me any good."

All the people in the room with a pulse went still for a moment, before completing a feel body shake. Sometimes Spike was just so…so…so…Spike.

"I thought I asked you not to call me that," Giles responded looking over at Xander.

"I'm famished actually," Giles responded. "Somebody ate all of my scones," he continued looking over at Buffy who suddenly found something very interesting to look at that wasn't Giles.

"I meant about Christmas," Xander clarified. "But, if you're hungry I could always…"

"It was only a suggestion," Xander muttered. His mom said that he was a great cook. So good in fact that she only let him cook once a year, because she said that if he cooked anymore she'd never stop eating and wouldn't be able to fit through the door ways of their house.

"Christmas," Giles said sitting down. "Is an amalgamation of ideologies and it has been from the time it was first celebrated. Some of these ideas are noble, such as Jesus sacrificing his life so that humanity-with all of our faults-could continue. Others are not so noble. Such as, that…" Giles said pointing to Xander's can of Coke which had Santa on it along with a small child and some sort of terrier. "However, despite the commercialism…and the over zealousness of some shoppers, I believe the sprit of Christmas remains true," Giles went on. "More than any other time of the year people look out for their neighbor, give to those who need it, and take stock of all they have to be thankful for at Christmas. We gather with family...and friends, and celebrate what we have, and what we have to give. Christmas is still and always has been about love, and loved ones. It can't change the nature of the world, the nature of some of those within it, but at least for a little while it makes things sparkle," Giles finished up. Once he finished talking he took a bit out of his bread. If she wanted scones, why didn't she bring her own bloody scones, he thought to himself as he took a swig of his tea.

"Where does the ritual exchange of valuables come from?" Anya asked turning to Giles.

The watcher sighed. He should have just said Christmas was 'jolly good fun' and left it at that.

Buffy watched Willow out the corner of her eye. The others, including Spike, had gone out to buy some scones, leaving the Slayer and hacker alone in the house. She only had a few more days with her before Willow and her parent's flew out to Boston to go to temple with the rest of her family.

"It's for Spike," Willow said. "See, the thermos is shaped like ahead, and on the neck there are two openings he can use to drink from. It's not quite the same as the real thing, but it's pretty close…also not as icky," Willow finished smiling.

"That's really, really…creative," Buffy said settling on a suitable adjective.

"Well, he's really not so bad when he's not killing and maiming people," Willow said with a shrug. "Will you give it to him on Christmas for me?" Buffy was a bit surprised Willow had gone to the trouble of getting a gift for Spike, even though she really shouldn't have bee. That was classic Willow. It was exactly the type of thing she would do.

"Yeah," Buffy said. "I'm sure he'll love it. Giles too. Did you know he's stopped using his mugs?"

"Despite all reason," Willow responded. Talking about Spike and his eating habits usually didn't improve ones appetite.

"What is it Buffy?" Willow asked noticing that the Slayer had gone stock-still. Buffy didn't respond verbally. Instead she merely pointed up. Willow looked, and then her eyes went wide.

"We're not going to…?" Willow asked. Despite what she said she found herself wishing Buffy would answer her question in the negative.

"I…they say it's bad luck if you don't…you know…" Buffy responded. She knew she should have just answered no, it would have been much easier if she had just said no, but she didn't want to say no. She wanted to kiss Willow. Even if it was a mistletoe, friendly, holiday season kiss, she wanted to kiss Willow.

"We've got enough bad luck around here," Willow said avoiding Buffy's gaze. "Maybe we should…"

"So ah," Buffy started to say. "Do you…you know…under the mistletoe and everything…with the ritual…should we just…"

"Yeah," Willow said cutting Buffy off before she could jumble up the sentence anymore. "I mean, for the sake for tradition…and non-bad luck," Willow added.

Slowly, hesitantly Buffy raised her left hand up to Willow's face and rested it on her cheek. Willow kept her eyes locked on Buffy's and leaned her cheek into Buffy's palm a little. Slowly, Buffy leaned in bringing their faces closer together. Tilting her head to the side slightly Buffy stopped her progress and left her lips micrometers away from Willow's. They stayed like that frozen in time for a moment. Each feeling like they were standing at the edge of a huge precipice, looking over the edge into the deep, dark unknown. Then Buffy closed the final distance between them pressing their lips together softly.

At the first contact of their lips, Buffy felt all four winds blowing about her face. It was like she was flying. She was acutely aware of her surrounds. The air around their bodies seemed to be crackling with electricity, warming the air around them, enveloping them. She felt Willow's lips not only on her own but all over her body, fluttering around her, and inside her.

Buffy pulled back after a moment and looked into Willow's eyes, searching for a sign, any sign that her friend had felt even a portion of what she had. Willow's eyes were a shade darker than usual, and she was breathing faster than normal.

"Yea, for tradition," Buffy managed to get out. Distractedly, she noticed that her voice was huskier than normal. Oh yeah, she thought to herself. Sometimes tradition was a good thing. Sometimes it was a very, very, good thing!

"I suppose Christmas has it's fine points," Willow responded a little smile working it's way across her face.

"I suppose it all subject…wait, I asked you first," Buffy said still not breaking their gaze.

"You liked it didn't you?" Buffy asked smiling. Willow didn't play word games-at least intentionally-unless she was trying to hide something.

"Yes you did," Buffy responded. And it was true, Willow had said a lot more with non-responses than she had said with her actual verbal responses.

"Let's review shall we. Buffy said 'so…you liked it?', I said 'Did you like it?'. You said, 'I suppose it's all…I asked you first', and I said, 'I asked you second'. Nowhere in there do I recall saying, 'Gee, Buffy that was absolutely the best kiss I've ever participated in, in my entire life'."

"I really, really, love Christmas," Buffy answered before leaning in to capture Willow's lips once more.