Christmas Eve

Author: Koos van Winden <van_winden_koos[at]hotmail.com>

rating: pg13

disclaimer: I hold no legal rights to slightly banish certain characters or concepts from Whedon's BtVS and Angel realm.

Beta: Keith Thanks Keith, for your never ending bickering, uh, support :)

Time Frame: Post BtVS, AS5 after destiny, i.e upcoming christmas

Summery: It's Christmas Eve and Xander is not himself and Faith and Buffy want to help him. Only they don't know how. But our broody friend from LA is of help.

Author's note: This fic was originally meant as a part for my fic XanderZone. After long doubting I thought it wouldn't fit in that fic. So, it still contains certain sentences which might sound strange. Anyway, Buffy is over her Spike addiction, somehow.


Chapter 1

Cleveland, the Slayer House
December 25th 2003

Faith entered the kitchen and saw Xander sitting alone, a bit in depression. Faith ignored his gaze as she went for the fridge. <Damn, why is it so hard to even say something to him.>

She took a Corona from the fridge. <He must be thinking he is still a loser in my eyes. Fuck, Faith. this is your chance.> She swallowed as she saw him staring at her through a reflection on fridge's door. <Why is saying sorry so damn hard.> She felt herself actually trembling a bit and took a deep breath. <You are a coward, girl. Just like mom always said.>

She walked over to Xander who'd removed his gaze from her as he stared in to his own empty glass.

"You want one," Faith offered, using the composure and bravado she always wore like a mask.

Xander nodded.

<Wow, at least I said something.> She pulled another beer from the fridge. <Damn, I wish Angel was here. Maybe he could be of help . . .> She chuckled as she saw all the little candles burning and the little crib with Jesus in it. <. . . Well, maybe we have too much holy shit around us for him.>

She was about to give Xander his Corona when she heard a noise coming from the hall. She walked out of the kitchen and to the front door. <Shit, why am I always interrupted when I can have a decent talk with X?>

Knock. Knock.

"Who's there?" Faith asked, smiling.

"Mary."

Faith's grin went wider as she played the dumbass.

"Mary who ?"

"Mary Sue!"

Faith opened the door and Wood stood there, dressed in a Santa Claus costume. He smiled. "The big fight is over?" he said after he had waited the whole day for Faith to call him.

The dark Slayer nodded. "Wow, that one, I haven't read yet," she commented.

Wood's big smile dimmed a bit as he looked confused. "What?"

"Oh, one of those beautiful pieces of prose."

The former principle smiled again. "Prose about Santa Claus?"

"Nah,"

"What then?"

"Oh, let it go stud, its something you will never understand."

Wood smiled even wider, showing his perfect teeth. "Okay, you're the boss."

Buffy joined them as she walked up next to Faith. "Nice costume and funny, I am sure the girls will laugh at it," she simply commented and she rolled her eyes, "Oh, God, it's good that it's not halloween . . ."

Wood looked a bit confused again, but still nodded. "Yes, it would make their spirits lift. And why not for once a year?"

Faith nodded back in agreement. "Yeah, it sure does. After all the cruel discipline the girls had to endure right after they faced the fall of Sunnydale, its a nice relief."

"Faith, you know it was for the best."

"Yup," she replied and then sighed. "Look, Robin, we appreciate the gesture, but I called you not to play Santa Claus."

"I thought you didn't."

Faith walked over to the independent demon hunter and laid her hand on his shoulder. "Now why don't you listen to your Slayer?"

Wood first looked to the ground in annoyance and then smiled a bit as he looked back at her. Faith slid her hand over his cheek as she smiled wickedly. "Good boy . . . Why don't you go to LA. According to a good friend of mine, you will find Spike there. Chained up and free to kill or torture. Whatever."

Wood blinked. He turned his head and saw Buffy nodding as she smiled. "Really?"

The two nodded to reassure him.

Wood smiled cautiously. "This isn't a trick, is it?"

"Nope. All free for you. Your Christmas present. Have fun," Buffy said.

The son of a Slayer laid a hand on Faith's shoulder. "I knew I could trust you," he said as a tear appeared in his eye. "Thank you for not letting me down."

Faith just smiled.

Knock. Knock.

"Who's there?" Faith and Buffy asked together, smiling. "That's the friend I told you about, she whispered to the happy black man who nodded back.

"Angel."

"Angel who?" Wood asked quickly as he smiled. <Angel from heaven coming who gave this to me,> the man thought as he glanced at Faith. He wrapped his hands together for a little prayer. <Oh, thank you, Lord.>

"Angel to Us," both Slayers said unison. Wood smiled in agreement and opened the door. His smiling face instantly disappeared as he looked straight in Angel's vamped out face.

"Surprise," Angel said, but quickly morphed back when he saw a fist coming straight to his fang. He barely dodged the blow in a reflex.

Faith interjected immediately by placing herself between the two men. She first looked at Angel, showing him how stupid she thought he was with a glare, before facing Wood.

"This is Angel, he is a *souled* vampire . . ." she said as she drawled the cursed word.

Faith's face was enough to relax her boyfriend. ". . . And he didn't kill your mother."

"No, he only sired him," Buffy slightly commented.

"B!"

"What?" Wood said angry again.

"Relax, Robin. He is only indirectly his Sire. There was a girl in between. A crazy one."

"Crazy made by him," Buffy softly commented with her face innocently looking elsewhere.

Wood fist balded, but he relaxed again when he saw Faith's face staring at him.

"Now, why don't be a good boy and go play with the toy I gave you."

Wood nodded and passed the souled vamp as he left the house.

Faith sighed. <Finally, I got rid of him.> And then she chuckled "Ah, some men do everything that his Slayer tells them . . . Isn't that right, Fang?"

Angel actually smiled as he received a hug from Buffy. "Just like a certain Slayer and her vamp, Faith."

"Watch it, Fang. Or I will give your demon a happy."

Angel grinned. "So, where is our Hero?"

TBC…