Title: A Sunnydale Christmas Carol
Part 5: The End of It
Author: Miss Witch
Email: MissWitch@witchesbrew.zzn.com
Rating: PG-13
Summary: A Buffy version of the Charles Dickens classic.
Disclaimer: Trust me, I own nothing. I don’t own BtVS, I don’t own "A Christmas Carol" And for this part, I don’t own Pictionary. I don’t even pretend to own them. Although if I did own them, Giles and Buffy would be much happier people.
Spoilers: Everything up to and including season 6 is fair game in this story
Distribution: If you’ve had my permission before, knock yourself out. If you don’t have my permission, you’ve just to ask.
Feedback: Does the word "Duh!" mean anything to you?

Chapter 5 – The End of it

Buffy awoke clutching the bed sheet tightly in her hands. Her sheet! On her bed! Buffy leapt out of the bed and looked around the room.

"I’m back!" she declared with joy. She jumped out of bed and danced around the room, singing "I’m back" over and over again. Finally, she came to a halt in the middle of the room. "And I will keep the spirit of Christmas with me always! Thanks everyone" she called out.

Buffy was in the shower, singing Christmas carols at the top of her lungs when a sudden realization hit her.

<I have no idea what day it is../../gt; Buffy laughed out loud at the thought. <I have no idea how long I was with the spirits../../gt; Cheerfully, Buffy finished her shower, dancing as she dried herself off and wrapped a towel around her wet hair. As she danced back to her room, Buffy collided with a very sleepy and somewhat grumpy Dawn.

"Sorry" Buffy’s voice sang as she grabbed Dawn’s arms to keep her from toppling. "What day is today?" she asked her sister. Dawn looked at her with sleep heavy eyes.

"What day is it?" she asked in disbelief. "It’s Christmas. What other day would it be?" Buffy clapped her hands together in glee.

"Of course it’s Christmas. Merry Christmas!" Buffy declared, pulling Dawn into a bear hug and jumping up and down. "They did it all in one night" she told Dawn. Dawn quickly pushed Buffy away.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my sister?" she demanded. Buffy patted her check, smiling, before dancing to her room, singing ‘Feliz Navidad’ as she went. Dawn watched her go, shaking her head in disbelief. "She’s lost it" Dawn muttered. "She’s gone completely insane"

Buffy quickly dressed in her Doublemeat Palace uniform, as she had very little time before work. Before she left, she stopped in the kitchen and dialed Giles’ number in England. She was very disappointed when there was no answer. <He must already have gone to his friends../../gt; she thought, hearing the outgoing message. She left a cheerful message wishing him a merry Christmas and that she would try to reach him later.

As she walked to work, Buffy called out greetings to everyone she met. Such was her mood, she gave a hearty shove on the merry-go-round for some enterprising kids on playground. Before giving them their push, she’d asked why they weren’t home opening presents and laughed when they told her their parents had forbidden the kids to get them up until 2 hours from now.

Buffy was still laughing when she got to work, where she had one of the most pleasant shifts she’d ever worked. Everyone was in the holiday mood, and it wasn’t very busy. Just the occasional harried father sent in to buy a fast Christmas breakfast.

Business was so slow that Buffy managed to convince her manager to let her leave early. Buffy rushed home to shower and change, knowing that the gang would be eating soon. She tried to call Giles again before leaving for Xander’s, but there still wasn’t any answer.

Juggling the brightly wrapped presents in her hands, Buffy raised her hand to knock on the door of Xander’s apartment. Inside, she could hear laughter and raised voices. She knocked loudly to be heard over the din.

"Merry Christmas" she greeted as Anya opened the door. Anya looked shocked.

"Buffy, what are you doing here?" she asked bluntly. "You made it very clear that you weren’t coming. You even said ‘Bah humbug’ when Dawn asked you" Buffy smiled.

"I didn’t sleep well last night, and just kind of came to my senses" Buffy told her, trying to enter the apartment. Anya blocked her way.

"Are you sure you’re all right?" she asked suspiciously. Anya peered at Buffy closely. "Dawn said you were acting weird this morning. You’re on drugs aren’t you?" Laughing, Buffy nudged Anya out of the way so she could enter the apartment.

"I swear, Anya, I’m not taking drugs" Buffy assured her. "Merry Christmas!" Buffy told the gang as she burst into the living room. Everyone looked at her in surprise.

"See, I told you she was acting weird" Dawn said to Willow. Buffy rolled her eyes good naturedly and started handing out her gifts. At the time she’d purchased them, she had complained about their cost and the fact she’d felt obligated to buy them. After last night’s visitors, Buffy was so glad she had them to give.

"I hope you don’t mind" Buffy said, handing Xander a medium sized box. "I convinced my manager to let me off early" Xander shook his head.

"Of course not, Buffy. You know you’re always welcome" he insisted. A movement behind Buffy caught Xander’s eye. Buffy noticed how his vision shifted and turned to see what he was looking at.

Buffy froze at the sight of a man standing in the doorway to Xander’s bedroom. His head was down and he stared at the eggnog in his hand, as if unsure of how, or even if, he’d be welcomed by her.

"Giles" Buffy whispered. She felt tears gather in her eyes, and she swiped at a stray few that spilled over. Giles looked up from his drink, his eyes wary.

"Giles flew in as a surprise" Dawn said, suddenly at Buffy’s elbow. She was nervous about Buffy’s possible reaction to the appearance of her Watcher. Buffy smiled a slightly watery smile.

"Christmas is a time for family" she said, moving across the room towards Giles still figure. Giles had braced himself for a possible onslaught and was caught off guard when she threw herself into his arms. "I’m so glad you came" Buffy whispered.

The entire gang silently released the breaths they’d been holding. Willow reached out and gripped Tara’s hand as they watched Buffy and Giles embrace.

Dinner was a rowdy affair, with lots of jokes and laughter. Xander goaded Giles into telling some stories of his youth that had the gang rolling with laughter. Dawn talked them into playing Pictionary. Which, if possible, had the gang laughing even harder than before as only Giles had any artistic talent.

Buffy kept close to Giles the entire time. When he laughed, he lost some of the worry lines that she’d noticed in her visits with the Christmas spirits. The day itself had taken on an almost magical quality for Buffy, full of happiness and laughter. It was with great regret that she announced it was time for her to patrol. Everyone was disappointed, but understood.

Grabbing her jacket, Buffy turned to Giles.

"Come patrol with me?" she asked him quietly. Startled by her request, Giles stared at her for a moment before grinning.

"I’d be delighted to" he told her. Giles retrieved his jacket, and they ambled out of the apartment into the cold December evening together. At first they walked in silence, neither sure of what to say to the other. Finally, Buffy realized that she would have to make the first move.

"I’ve missed you" she said softly. Giles started at the sound of her voice. He’d been lost in thought, trying to figure out how to start a conversation.

"And I, you" he replied. Buffy paused at a cement bench in the cemetery and sat down. She patted the space next to her.

"Wanna hear a story?" she asked him. Puzzled, Giles sat next to her. He listened quietly as she told him about her night, about the visit from Kendra and the three ghosts. He took her hand in support when her voice caught as she told him about her mother’s appearance.

"I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that the Dickens tale is based on an actual incident" Giles said once Buffy had finished her story. Buffy nodded, silently. She scooted closer to Giles and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I’m sorry I’ve been such a pain" she said suddenly. Giles let go of her hand so that he could put his arm around her shoulders. Buffy snuggled closer. She felt Giles’ body stiffen against her, then relax again.

"You have never been a pain" Giles assured her. "A test of my patience, maybe, but never a pain" Buffy could hear the smile in his voice, and nudged him in the side with her elbow.

"I’m serious" she said.

"So am I" Giles retorted. Leaning back, Buffy looked up into his smiling face.

"You look happy, Giles" she said softly, reaching up to brush as stray lock of hair from his face.

"I am happy" he said. "You’re alive and living life. What more could I ask for?"

"It’s always about me, isn’t it?" Buffy asked him.

"I’m sorry?" he asked, confused.

"Your happiness truly hinges on mine, doesn’t it?"

"Buffy, I’m not sure I know what you mean" Giles said, genuinely confused by her words. Buffy smiled and lay her palm on his cheek.

"No, you don’t" she whispered. "You see, through everything I was shown last night, there was one constant. You. And when I saw you in Xander’s apartment, all the pieces finally fell into place" Buffy leaned up and placed her lips on his.

Shocked, Giles didn’t react at first. Then, once he’d gotten over his surprise, he kissed her back, tangling his fingers in her hair. They pulled apart after a few minutes, each searching the other’s eyes.

"God bless us, everyone" Buffy murmured, as Giles brought his lips back to hers.

The End