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.

Buffy woke up safe in William’s arms as always. Even in his sleep he held onto her like she was the anchor to his world.

Their home was full of friends, even Tara and her girlfriend had made it for the holidays. William loved the softly spoken witch who had saved Buffy’s sanity very much. Fran was home from College, as was Harri. Dawn was coming with her boyfriend: she’d met Clem, Spike’s friend from the film set, and seen past all the scars to the gentle and kind man beneath them, and fallen head over heels in love. When Clem had pointed out his scars she laughed, and pointed out that she was pretty enough for the both of them, and anyway she’d seen Buffy and William argue over a mirror and was glad he wouldn’t hog it. They hadn’t been apart since.

Riley and Anya and their kids would be there, Lorne and Xander had flown in from New York where they’d been shopping, Fred and Wesley and all their children were here as well. The house was full of family. He’d gone from having no-one to having everything he could dream of.

Buffy could not believe how many would be sitting down for Christmas Dinner. She’d cheated and got the caterers in to help: with all the children it came to 23 for dinner. Far too many for her to cope with in her condition and anyway, setting fire to the house on Christmas day seemed like a bad idea. She could hear the laughter from downstairs. Time for them to get up and join in the craziness, there were presents to be opened.

She slipped on a dressing gown over her nightdress and kissed a sleeping William lightly on the cheek and hurried down to see the chaos. Anya was keeping everyone out of the big Rumpus room until they had all had breakfast and everyone was there. Dawn and Clem had arrived only five minutes before, Dawnie sporting a rather nice diamond on her finger, which she was flashing around to everyone. Fred was joining in the fun, whilst trying to set out breakfast in the dining room. Tara was following on with a tray loaded with hot chocolate and coffee. The years had been kind to the woman who had taken Buffy in, she still looked amazing although she was coming up to seventy now.

Tara smiled as Buffy made her way down the stairs. She looked radiant, and had three months left to go with the pregnancy, even with twins usually coming early, but so happy in her life.

‘There’s no presents for anyone,’ Anya was holding off the hoard, ‘at least not until we are all here!’

‘We are,’ Harri pointed out, ‘Dawn’s arrived.’

‘Yes but William isn’t up yet, so no getting in there until your father is downstairs.’

Fran and Harri gave each other an evil look and led all the children in a charge upstairs. Young May, Fred’s youngest, was swooped up in a strong pair of arms belonging to James, Anya’s second boy, and carried up so she could join in the fun. If William up and out of bed was what it needed to get to the presents then they were the team to do it!

The crowd of children led by Fran and Harri burst open Spike’s door and jumped onto the bed.

‘Dad’s awake now,’ Harri shouted down to his mother.

Fred and Anya were laughing so much they couldn’t stand properly. Wesley looked at his ‘boss’ and William growled, ‘you’re supposed to protect me, that’s what I pay you for isn’t it?’

‘Can’t you handle a few children, Mr Atherton?’ Wesley said very formally. ‘Should I set the dog on them?’

As ‘The Dog’ in question was a soppy Labrador that was more likely to drown you in slobber than bite, or beat you to death with his tail than attack, William didn’t think that was much of a threat and threw a pillow at Wes, which meant that the whole place descended into a pillow fight for about ten minutes.

‘Will you please get up Dad?’ Fran finally asked, then stopped silent. She’d called William Dad; she loved Doyle, he was her dad, not Spike.

‘Hey its OK piglet,’ he’d called her that since he’d met Mr Gordo, her mom’s stuffed pig that she carried around with her when she’d been little. ‘It’s OK. I’m delighted that you think of me that way, but Doyle was your real dad and he always will be and he loves you whereever you are and whereever he is. I’m just a stand-in, but we have a mixed up family here. You and Harri aren’t related but you are brother and sister, and little May sometimes calls your mom mom, but she loves Fred very much and knows who her real mother is. Don’t sweat it poppet. Now what was this in aid of?’ He pointed at all the people crowded onto his bed.

‘Mom says we can’t have the presents from under the tree until everyone is up and you’re the last one to get up,’ Harri explained.

‘Well OK: I can’t keep you lot from pressies, now can I?’ he said, tickling May and handing her back to Wesley. ‘Now out while I put some clothes on.’ He’d been glad he’d slipped into a pair of silk PJ’s when Buffy had left the bed. He knew just what would happen if he wasn’t up in time.

Laughing, all the children left the room, and left William Atherton, star of stage and screen, big and small, to get dressed by himself.

‘Dad’s on his way down!’ Harri shouted.

‘About time too,’ Anya groused. She wanted to find out what people had bought her. She’d spent her hard earned money on others and wanted to make sure they had bought her an equally expensive gift.

Riley just wanted another man downstairs. It was getting a little oestrogen heavy around the dining room.

Buffy looked around her house, her home. It looked amazing, beautiful, magical. William had gone all out to ensure they had a fantastic, fantasy rich Christmas, the outside had taken a team of decorators a week to sort but the inside was all family. The children had made chains and painted bells. There were popcorn strings and holly and ivy everywhere. It looked like something out of a Victorian tale.

She switched on the CD player that was wired through the house, and the electrifying sound of Spike Atherton’s voice started singing Christmas Carols. It had been a Christmas Eve gift for Buffy, all her favourites recorded in a very old fashioned style, the smooth tones of his famous voice echoed through the hall as he crooned out Hark the Herald Angels sing and Buffy thought back to hearing it in the garden the night before as the sky had been lit up by heavenly hosts and she smiled quietly to herself. William had been determined to make their first Christmas together as magical as possible. He had even been reading ‘A Christmas Carol’ every night to them all. It was enchanting to hear a trained actor read the story. Every nuance of the story was brought out. The children and adults had gathered round the fire in the rumpus room every night to hear the next part of Ebeneezer Scrooge and his adventures with the ghosts. Last night had been the final part and then he’d read ‘Twas the night before Christmas’ before tucking all the little ones in. There had been mince pies and sherry left for Santa, and carrots, water and hay left for the reindeer.

It all seemed, well, enchanting and magical to her. He’d tried so hard.

Lunch was to be at 2 then they were all going to play silly games in the afternoon. Buffy looked across at Dawn: she seemed so happy, showing off her ring. Clem seemed a little out of it though. He was painfully shy with new people. Not that there was anyone here who didn’t know him well, but it was a large crowd of very noisy children of all ages. She made her way over to him slowly.

‘Congratulations Clem. You’ve made Dawn so happy.’

‘It’s her that’s made me happy,’ he replied. ‘She makes me feel whole again.’

‘Well I’m delighted for the both of you,’ Buffy linked her arm into his and they made their way towards the Rumpus room, followed by the thundering herd as they came down the stairs.

William followed, his hair all messed up from the bed, but he’d slipped on her favourite red silk shirt and black jeans. At 42 she felt her knees go weak and her blood pressure go up at the sight of her husband. She loved him so much. She was just glad that she was holding on to Clem’s arm or she might have had to sit down. A ridiculous thing for a grown woman to do at the sight of her husband.

Clem looked at the blush in Buffy’s cheeks and followed her gaze to the stairs where his friend was just descending. He was delighted that Spike had found his Buffy, he deserved the happiness, and hey, he’d introduced him to Dawn, and for that Clem would always be grateful.

For all that California was warm, the fire was lit in the rumpus room adding the Christmassy atmosphere. The presents were piled high around the huge tree in the corner. William and Buffy had spoilt everyone rotten.
There were little boxes on the tree from some of the top jewellers in LA. And Buffy knew in her bones it was going to be a successful day.

She looked around her home, a home that had been built in the hope that she would step out of a man’s dreams and into his life. Lorne and Xander looked happy and confident. Anya and Riley, Dawn and Clem, Fran stood near Harrison giggling over something. The children were ripping into the wrapping paper that had been on the little gifts in their stockings; Fred and Wesley were helping May sit a Teddy Bear on the sofa. He wouldn’t sit up straight and kept falling over and May was getting quite cross. William stood up and tucked a cushion by the bad bear and told him to behave, causing laughter and merriment all round.

Then came the presents, A wonderful platinum and emerald cross for Buffy, Dawn got an all singing and dancing camera (she’d taken up photography as a hobby). Fred and Wesley had an all expenses paid holiday back to England: they’d been promising themselves to take May and the other children to see their Grandma and now they could. Anya had a large gift voucher for her favourite store, Riley had membership for a car club where he could drive rare and expensive cars whenever he wanted. For Lorne and Xander there was a painting, a Monet original, and for Fran a wonderful new hifi and DVD set. It seemed a little parsimonious until she opened the box and found the deeds to a small house near to campus for her; there were three bedrooms, allowing Willow and Cordy to share with her, and for Harri there were flying lessons, enough for him to get his pilots licence and the promise of a light plane when he qualified. For Clem there was the start up money for his own business. Everyone got exactly what they wanted.

The children couldn’t keep up with all the gifts they had received from bears to boardgames, DVD’s to laptops. The paper was piled like a mountain in the middle of the room. William handed the adults envelopes for each of the children; Trust funds had been set up, enough for college and then some. What was the use of having money if you didn’t have fun with it occasionally? This had been the year when he’d gotten everything he could have ever dreamed of and he was going to make sure that everyone else did as well.

Buffy looked around, she didn’t think she could be so happy.
Then William handed Tara another envelope: inside was a cheque for enough money to start a sanctuary for abused children, a special place where they could be properly cared for. Tara’s dream had come true as well. Buffy started to cry.

‘Hey what’s up? I thought you’d be happy.’

‘I am, doofus, these are happy tears, but I haven’t got you anything half as nice as the stuff you bought everyone.’

William started to laugh, a real belly laugh.

‘There’s no need to laugh at me,’ Buffy was getting hormonal and angry now, but didn’t want to spoil the day.

‘I’m not laughing at you, what on earth do you think I could possibly want, more than what I already have! I have an amazing family, with another two children on the way, and the woman, literally, of my dreams. I have never been happier Buffy, you have given me my life and my soul back.’

Buffy looked up at him: the sincerity shone out of his expressive eyes and brought more happy tears into hers. She snuggled into his arms. She was home.

Dinner was a huge success. She loved the food the caterers had prepared. And ate enough for three quite happily. Spike Atherton smiled. He loved the feel of a real woman and now that she was pregnant Buffy looked even more beautiful to him, if that was at all possible. A real honest to god true woman and all his. He truly was the happiest man on earth.

Spike looked at his friends. Lorne and Xander had been together for nearly twenty years and were incredibly happy. Clem was besotted with Dawn and Dawn had finally found a man her equal mentally.

He thought back to the day Dawn had come to see him on set. She’d had a day in LA for the case she’d been working on, and had broken the case early, proving that the child accused of a killing couldn’t possibly be guilty and on finding the true villain, she’d taken a well earned and celebratory lunch by surprising him on set.

He knew Dawn still got a thrill driving into the studio with a pass on her car and loved being waved through by security. She loved driving her open topped red sports car: it had been a present for her birthday. Buffy had been cross with him for spending so much money but Niblet was worth it.

She had pulled up outside Spike Atherton’s trailer to see some bimbo being escorted away by security. Dawn had come in just as he and Clem were sitting down to their lunch.

Clem had gotten up to leave, but Dawn had insisted that he stayed. Clem had been waiting for some comment about his looks, he was used to that from movie people but Dawn hadn’t said a word, she’d eaten her meal with the same appetite her mother usually showed, helping herself to the sugary goodness of the chocolate pudding. Clem stared as Dawn got a second helping from the bowl.

‘What? Oh no, have I got chocolate on my face or something?’

‘No, it’s just round here a stick of celery and a slice of chicken is considered a big meal, and…’ he pointed at the cake.

‘You think I’m being greedy?’ Dawn’s face fell. ‘It’s just nice pudding and I burn it off, honest.’

‘Yes, I mean no… No, no way do I think you’re greedy, and I can see you burn it off, but I really mean I have only seen actresses eat lately and they sort of, Don’t.’

Clem was digging himself in deeper and Dawn grinned, she’d had all this teasing before from Spike, and Clem was sweet, and she definitely wanted to get to know him better.

‘It’s chocolate, Buffy’ll tell you I do anything for chocolate, easily bribed I am.’
‘Then let me bribe you with more.’ He lifted his fork full of cake up and Dawn took it straight into her mouth.

Spike had watched as Clem squirmed. He was used to his friend being uncomfortable around women because of his scars but Clem was only uncomfortable this time because Dawn was flirting back at him.

A sudden squeal from Dawn bought him back to Christmas day 2007.
Buffy slipped her arm around his waist.

‘Merry Christmas William,’ she whispered before lifting her face to be kissed.

‘Happy Christmas pet,’ he whispered back as his lips met hers in a kiss and the combined family broke around them, headed for the rumpus room and more games.

‘Happy Christmas everyone!’ William ‘Spike’ Atherton raised his glass in a toast, his heart full and all the horrors of his early life finally put to rest and he was totally content at last.