A Christmas Love Story
by Dusty273

A short story (3 chapters) written for Summer of Indians’ Adventskalender 2006, per request of the wonderful Angi, who also made the gorgeous banner for the story.

Since I have no idea how to add it full size here, you can see it at: http://pics.livejournal.com/dusty273/pic/0001w7ht/

Summary: AU. Set in 1880-1890. Buffy and William relate how they fall in love to their children.

Beta: Thank you to my lovely friend, Im_bloody_English for taking the time to beta this story for me, for listening to my silly ideas and helping me with the plotting.

Disclaimer: Buffy, William and any other Buffyverse character that might appear in this story are property of Joss Whedon and ME. They’re not mine, I’m just playing with them for a bit and after I’m done, I promise to give them back.

Rating: PG-13 (for language) up to NC-17 on Chapter 3.

Chapter 1

Boston, Massachusetts, 1890

Buffy almost melted at the sight that greeted her as soon as she reached the living room carrying her precious bundle of joy. Her husband sat in his chair in front of the hearth and their three older children were at his feet, listening attentively to whatever he was telling them. Neither of them had seen her, so engrossed were they on the tale. She was too far away to listen to what William was saying, so as silently as she could she entered the room and neared them.

As she came closer to the back of his chair, Dawn, their seven year old daughter, glanced up, almost giving her away, but Buffy quickly brought her finger to her lips, mouthing a ‘shh” and winked at her. The little girl smiled and winked back conspiratorially at her mother, before turning her attention back to her father’s story.

“It was only a few days after I’d arrived from England. I had come to visit your Uncle Xander, whom I’d met at Eton where we studied together. I didn’t know many people here, so one day he proposed that we go to the skating pond where could meet some of his friends. When we got there I saw the most beautiful girl I had ever seen, she was…effulgent,” he said reverently, a dreamy look in his eyes as he remembered the first time he’d seen his ladylove.

“Oh-oh, was it mommy, Father?” Trevor, their six year old boy, asked eagerly, his eyes wide as he waited for an answer although he already imagined who it would be. There couldn’t possibly be any other woman that could begin to compare in beauty to his darling mother, not for him and even less for his father.

“She certainly was, my boy,” William said, ruffling the boy’s hair. “Your mother, naturally, was attracted to me from the first moment she saw me, too,” he added to his captive audience, “so much that in fact she tried to impress me with her skating skills, but instead she fell on the ice!” He chuckled and the two boys chuckled along with him.

Dawn, having heard the story once before from her mother, risked another look at her and giggled for a very different reason. Her father was in so much trouble now.

Buffy had been lost to the memory of their first encounter, lulled by her husband’s deep voice, but as soon as she heard that last part an outraged gasp left her lips. Why…the little devil! That was so not what had happened! How dare he twist the story of how they’d met in such an awful way and to their children no less?

She cleared her throat and almost forgot that she was mad at him and laughed out loud at the sudden straightening in William’s back when he realized he’d been caught. “Hmm, I don’t seem to recall that’s the way it happened. Or perhaps you’re confusing me with another ‘effulgent’ girl you met?” she asked casually, too casually for his taste. She walked towards the small crib located nearby her husband’s chair where she placed the sleeping baby, making sure their daughter was comfortable and warm enough by tucking the blanket around her tiny shoulders.

“I-I…” he started, truly embarrassed that he’d been caught… well, not exactly lying, but not telling the story as it really happened. Although it was almost worth it to see how magnificent his Buffy looked when she was furious, even if it was at him at the moment. It really brought back memories of that first encounter with her. A slightly dazed expression settled in his features as he recalled how much of a spitfire his darling wife could be. He was effectively pulled out of said daze when he noticed that she was standing in front of him, with her hands on her hips as she tapped a foot impatiently while she waited for his explanation.

“Well, which is it, William?”

The scowl on her face grew with every passing second he didn’t answer, so he finally shook himself and decided to charm his way out of this predicament, as he always did. “Oh, luv, of course I was talking of you, who else could be effulgent but you? No other woman could even try to compare to you, it’s like comparing the sun with…” He looked around trying to find something that he could use as a comparison, until his eyes set on the lamp in a table nearby. “…light bulb.” He cringed inside at his analogy. ‘Sodding git! I’m a writer for Chrissakes! Couldn’t I find a less fortunate comparison?’

She raised her eyebrows in exasperated confusion. First he was telling lies to their children and now he was comparing her to a light bulb?

“I mean… they both provide light, but other than that there’s no way you can compare one to the other,” he clarified hurriedly, exhaling a relieved sigh when she rolled her eyes at him, a clear sign she was slightly less furious with him.

“Father was telling us the story of how you two met, Mamma,” Trevor interrupted.

“Was he now?” she inquired, glancing from William to Trevor, who was nodding vigorously at her. Her husband, in the meantime, squirmed in his seat. ‘Good, let him sweat a little,’ she thought. It wasn’t that she was truly angry at him, not anymore at least. It wasn’t that he was exactly lying, just twisting the truth, not that he was truly aware of it anyway. She’d been attracted to him from the moment she saw him, even if with her actions at the time he couldn’t have known. Not that his own actions had made it any easier for her to accept said attraction.

“Yes, and he told us that you fell on the ice. Is that true, Mommy?” Little William asked, smiling at her with all the innocence of his five years; and just like that, the remnants of her anger melted as fast as snow under the midday sun.

William exhaled a sigh of relief when he saw his wife’s whole countenance soften before answering to their son, so he decided to take his chances and pulled her to sit on his lap. She struggled a bit, but ultimately remained seated there even if she didn’t recline against him. That was something at least.

“Yes, darling, I fell on the ice, but not for the reason your father told you. I think he’s either getting his stories mixed up or he’s becoming forgetful in his old age.” She giggled and winked at the children, who giggled along with her.

“Oi, I’m not that old.” He pouted. “And it’s not like I changed all the story—”

“Because you didn’t have time to,” Buffy added matter-of-factly, an amused smile tugging at her lips. “I interrupted you almost at the beginning, otherwise who knows what else you could have invented?”

“Mamma, could you tell us how you two met and fell in love, please?” Dawn pleaded.

“Yes, Mamma, please?” the other two boys chorused.

Buffy smiled at them then turned in her husband’s lap to look into his deep blue eyes. “What do you say, should we tell them the real story of how we met?” she said, a teasing lilt in her voice.

“I don’t know, are you sure they can handle it?” he replied in the same teasing note.

“We can handle it, can’t we?” Dawn asked, turning to her brothers, hoping they would back up her answer. The two boys nodded eagerly.

“All right, since that’s settled and you’ve already begun, why don’t you continue with the story, honey?”

William nodded. “As I told you before, it all started when I first came to Boston…”

tbc

I know this chapter is short, but next two should be longer. I hope you liked the start.