Buffy looked across at Spike as he lay sleeping in their bed. Their bed. Buffy still couldn’t believe that Spike Atherton was in her bed, or was it that she was in his? Did it really matter anyway? She was happier than she thought was possible.
Spike looked amazing, his hair had been dyed brown for his latest film and they’d got rid of the curls, but Buffy loved it. She loved him, body and soul, mind you the body was amazing. She grinned to herself. Lucky Buffy she thought, as she rubbed her swollen abdomen. The baby’s kicks had woken her from her sleep five minutes ago and she’d had to go to the bathroom again.
Spike had arrived home just a couple of hours ago after filming in Canada for three months. Buffy had missed him like mad. It was always difficult when they were apart. She loved the smell of him: leather, whiskey and tobacco. She smiled quietly to herself. He’d promised to give up smoking but he sneaked one just after the plane landed. He always did. And she always pretended she didn’t know. They’d spent the evening making love. He’d promised her when they’d married that he would love her every day and he did, both with his body and with his heart. When he’d been away, flowers or music or poetry had been delivered every morning. There had been deliveries of anything and everything she craved and the local ice cream place had been on speed-dial on every phone in the house.
It seemed impossible to her that she was really there in his bed after all those years of sharing dreams. But William, Spike, Atherton really was her husband and she shared his house, his life and his family. Their family. She rubbed her swelling abdomen when she felt a baby kick again. It was an incredible, incredible feeling, knowing that Spike’s children lay beneath her heart, and he loved her. He had shown it again and again. From the moment they had met after years of dreaming about one another he had dedicated his life to her.
Sleep over came her again, allowing her to slip back into the Garden. Buffy had been determined to try and make it there that night. It was Christmas Eve, and Buffy had always taken great strength from Christmas in the Garden. She loved the traditions, from lighting the tree to hot punch after church. She never went to church on Earth, they never felt ‘right’, but in the Garden it was different. It was special.
Buffy awoke again to see Spike bringing her a cup of peppermint tea, but instead of their dark red bedroom in Sanctuary they were in her light, bright bedroom in the cottage in the Garden. Buffy looked out of the window to see snow. For a Californian girl, snow was a magical, wonderful sight. It fell as a soft white blanket, thick and rich all over the ground, deadening the sounds from outside. And of course Christmas had to have snow.
Buffy gratefully accepted the tea. She smiled up at Spike: his amazing blue eyes seemed to look straight into her heart, they pierced her very soul. They always made him look so vulnerable, as though the slightest knock would destroy him. But Buffy knew that was misleading. Spike was one of the strongest men she knew. But he always seemed so vulnerable to her.
‘I love being here,’ he said quietly, ‘but it scares me.’
‘Scares you how? Why, what could possibly scare you here, of all places?’ she answered gently, her fingers tracing his cheek and jaw.
‘If I wake up down there will you still be in my arms? So many years without you Buffy, I don’t think I could cope alone.’
‘Come here my old romantic, you’re not alone and you never will be; now help this barrage balloon get out of bed and dressed, we have places to go and people to see.’ She kissed him, it was meant to be a short kiss but it turned into another hour and a half in bed. Buffy loved the feeling of him inside her, the feeling of being full, and he was so gentle with her while she was pregnant, but part of her was really looking forward to later, when the babies were born and he could and would be a little less gentle and a little more, frantic.
She was falling back asleep, safe in his arms, when she heard a hammering on her door. She managed to get to her feet, struggling to move both babies inside her slight frame, pulled on her thick robe and went to look out the window. What she saw made Buffy burst out laughing.
Ellepant was there, knocking to come in. In his trunk was a Christmas tree, complete with tinsel, baubles and a star on the top and the elephant was trying to hold it upright!! Which meant that his head was at a very strange angle. He was trumpeting, or at least trying to trumpet, with a trunkful of tree. On his head was a Santa hat in a very large size, and tinsel around his neck. He looked very festive indeed.
Buffy’s laughter woke Spike who came over and wrapped his arms around his wife. He looked through the glass to see what all the hilarity was about. There was an elephant desperately trying to hold a Christmas tree, wearing a Santa hat; only in the Garden, he thought.
Ellepant knocked again, the tree nearly slipping out of his grasp and Spike joined in the laughter. He slipped on a pair of silk pj bottoms and a tee shirt and went down the wooden stairs to open the door.
Ellepant trumpeted in glee that the door was finally open and pushed the tree inside, Spike trying to help. They managed to get it in with a little trouble; behind Ellepant was Giles, holding a stand to put the tree in.
He also had a bottle of rather nice champagne with a red bow on it, which he handed to Spike as he came through the door, following the tree into the main sitting room.
Giles helped Spike set the tree up in the corner as Buffy came down stairs. Ellepant was standing in the doorway, completely blocking it. He wanted to join in the fun.
Buffy walked slowly up to him and wrapped her arms around his trunk.
‘Thank you,’ she whispered, ‘it’s beautiful.’ She kissed the grey trunk as it cuddled her back. Ellepant touched her swollen abdomen, caressing Buffy and her children, then went off trumpeting, not even waiting for his bun.
Giles and Spike managed to get the tree into the house and up into its stand. It looked wonderful in the corner of the large main room. Giles opened the champagne and poured three glasses out.
‘The nice thing is my dear, you can indulge in one glass of champagne here and it won’t get any where near your little ones.’
Buffy smiled and had a sip of the sparkling wine.
‘To 2008, may it fulfil all its promises.’ Toasted Giles.
‘I think 2007 wasn’t bad,’ she said, her head leaning on her husband’s shoulder. ‘Thank you so much Giles for all your help. I don’t think I could be happier than I am now.’
‘That is all I ever wanted for you, you deserve the very best in life. Now I must leave you both: I have other places to be. Will we see you at the service?’
‘Certainly,’ Buffy answered, ‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’ Buffy smiled the most radiant smile at him as he left the house.
It was only a few hours later when Buffy and Spike had finished delivering Christmas gifts to her friends up in The Garden. They had been walking through the Christmas market, eating hot chestnuts and listening to the carol singers, when they heard the bell from the huge abbey church start to ring. The people milling around cheered and yelled waiting for the tolls to stop, then one man with the most amazing voice started:
‘Oh come all ye Faithful,
Joyful and Triumphant,
Oh come ye oh come ye to Bethlehem…’
Everyone started heading to the church, singing as they went. Following the crowds and crowds of people, William and Buffy joined in the throng.
The huge doors were open showing the dark interior of the building as the singing crowds entered and took their places, bringing life and warmth to the building. Unlit candles were passed around and everyone waited almost impatiently for the service to start. First a child came forward holding a single unlit candle.
‘He is the light of the world and He shall lead us.’
Every one there concentrated on their faith, Christian or not, and pure faith, and faith alone, lit that first light.
The child then walked the knave lighting candles left and right; others lit theirs from the lit ones as the light spread around the church. Buffy reached over, as did others, and lit the chandler nearest her. It was a matter of moments before the whole place was a blaze of soft yellow light.
As midnight struck a beam of brilliant white light illuminated the empty crib and as it faded there, in the manger, lay a baby, blessed above all others as He was taking the place of the Most Blessed One.
The service was wonderful. All felt uplifted as they sang hymn and carol. When all was done they went outside to see the same light that had filled the manger come down and those chosen to walk the earth enter it. Blessed Ones for the year, and they were heading out to earth. To the emergency room where doctors were fighting to save the life of a young girl hit by a car: it was a miracle she survived, her family will be told.
To the man hurrying down the street who bumps into the woman destined to be his wife, to the ship’s captain who manages to guide his vessel through the storm, to the scientist working in a lab who suddenly realises the drug he’s been working on for years works if he does X instead of Y. A thousand miracles, to the man who finds his way home and the father who sees his baby for the first time. The magic was on its way. Sent on by cheers and applause from those left in heaven.
It was all too much for Buffy, her eyes shone with happy tears as she made her way to the tables laid out with Hot Punch and mince pies, her husband at her side.
squawks
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!