This was a Christmas of firsts for the women who lived in the Summer's house. The first with out Joyce Summers, the first with out Reilly, Buffy's first back from where ever it was, heaven for lack of a better term, the first with out Giles, And willows first with out Tara and magic.

If it had been just Buffy and Willow, they probably would have passed on any attempt at holiday decorating but, they had Dawn to consider and no matter her 15 year old attempts at cynicism, she was still young enough to care. The slayer considered getting out all the things her mother and her had collected in the years since her father had left them, but that was too painful.

So, with the warmth of Giles check in the bank collecting interest, as well as the fact that the absent father had been sought out by the state of California for back child support for Dawn (the daughter he had in fact never seen but still had to pay for, who said there wasn't justice in the universe) the 3 women went shopping.

"Dawn, remember, nothing fancy, A tree..."

"Mom always got a real tree."

"Mom had a job Dawn, the gallery. I can't afford a new tree every year." Dawn had learned this tone that her sister had meant she'd not take much teenager BS so she sulked in the back seat of the Jeep that had been part of the legacy from her mother. Personally, Dawn thought part of her sister's bad temper is that she hadn't had a boyfriend since Reilly and she was in badly need of one.

"OK, so a tree, some bulbs, some tinsel lots of lights. Right Dawnie? Lots of lights!" Willow's attempts at enthusiasm since Tara had left had been hollow at best but the Summer's women played along, having been through the same when angel then Reilly left from Buffy.

"And a menorah for you maybe since it's not easy to find something for the winters solstice."

Bouncing in her seat besides Buffy in front of the SUV "Ohhh, you think we could find a snoopy ornament for Xander's annual snoopy dance."

"And then Lucy for Anya?" Buffy countered and the slayer and reforming Witch batted silly decorating ideas back and forth for the duration of the ride, probably thinking they were entertaining Dawn, forgetting that she wasn't a child anymore, she was 15.

After taking the better part of a half?hour to finally find a parking place that didn't need a shuttle to actually see the store. The trio trooped in to the Merry Holidays center that was full of bright colored bobbles and bangles and trees of every size shape and color like only a gaudy southern California mass retailer could.

It was still a bit overwhelming for Buffy, still at times all this, still longing for the peace she'd lost, but that was water under the bridge, especially after Willows failed attempt at fixing things. So they all looked at things deciding on this tree and that set of bulbs and the other kind of lights, all of that bored Dawn to tears till she found the outside decorations. Picking out a menorah and a Santa and reindeer set the teen went trotting out to show her sister.

"Look! Wouldn't these look great in the front yard? And Santa even has a moon so it covers everything! Both of willow's religions and Christmas! Pretty please, they're only ten dollars each."

"You can't be serious, look at them."

This confused both Willow and Dawn till they looked at the bottom of the decorations, which were wooden and sharpened to a point ? for ease of placing them in the spot of your choice. This hit all three women at the same time, that even in the mere act of selecting items for a fairly vulgar American tradition of over?decorating for what should be a solemn and sacred event the odd reality of their lives came rushing in. They ended up sitting in the main isle of the Sunnydale Kmart laughing hysterically, like they used to before life got so grim and awful.

"See this way if the front yard's turned evil you can stake them as a preemptive move", Willow said thru the tears of laughter.

"And you will have weapons stashed and the vamps wont realize it!" Buffy's little sister added

"Not to mention the menorah having the 8 points, incase we get a surge of midget vamps." Finally the slayer herself added, enjoying something truly silly in her life, her 3rd as it were.

They gathered up their Christmas stuff, which ended up being much more than Buffy had intended, but it had felt so good to finally have a reason to laugh the money end had ended up not mattering.

Noon on Christmas day, after the three women had opened their gifts to each other and what their families and Giles had sent over, they curled up on the sofa. Turkey in the oven, they began watching "A Christmas Story", the 5th rerun on TBS since the night before? brain mush entertainment.

It remained so on through the arrival of Xander and Anya. That round of gifts, giggles and finally the first Christmas with just the five of them, they were the adults now, well not Dawn, for no matter what she would probably always remain the Kid, Little Bit as Spike would say. It wasn't perfect, there were lumps in the potatoes, the turkey was a bit dry and the gray was from a jar, but it was at least not crashed by out raged native American spirits, no one got sick or left or died.

With their bellies full of good old American starch and protein this new definition of a family retreated to the living room to pick up yet again with A Christmas Story, which it became evident that Anya had never seen.

"This is very funny. The lamp like a leg, can we get one?"

"I don't think they actually make them, Anya, at least I've never seen one, guys?"

"Nope, can't say that I've ever seen one, god knows if there was one, Spike would've found one and put a blonde wig on it." Buffy added from where she was stretched out on the floor, relaxed and content that for at least a while there was no need for her and her friends abilities.

Though the gentle conversation that ebbed and flowed around plans, jobs and life, consciously staying away from any mention of Tara around Willow or men in general with Buffy till poor Ralphie open his box from his great aunt.

"How could they do that to that child?" Anya was frantic, clutching at Xander.

And Xander being a male had mostly fallen in to the post holiday feast stupor, four fifths asleep was shocked at the sudden outburst from his fiancé (though god knows he should be getting used to them) "HUH?? WHAT?? What demon?"

"Just look at that, that's child abuse!" as Ralphie comes walking down the stairs in his ridiculous gift of pink footie Pjs that had bunny ears and bunny slippers for feet.

"Anya, that's the point of the joke, that he's to old for those, let alone that they're more for a girl." he tried to patiently tried to explain.

Dawn was sitting on the floor, having been leaning on the rebuilt coffee table in front of the sofa where the couple had been, till just minutes before, resting quietly. "Those look like something my dad bought when I was what 7? Buffy used to make fun of them also. But other wise what's the wiggy?"

"Rabbits are evil, with their furry little noses....."

Xander broke in her diatribe, "W all have irrational fears, Anya's happens to be rabbits, and considering the rational fears we seem to run in to everyday, its not so crazy." While the rest bantered about their fears, rational or not, about bunnies, singing demons (including the fact that Xander had gotten Willow a gift certificate for singing lessons incase the singing demon comes back) which left Buffy thinking about fears of her own. So after awhile she left her spot on the floor, got her shoes and coat on and tried to quietly slip out the back door, but Willow came to see what she was up to.

"Where ya going? You want company?"

"I just need to stretch my legs, get some fresh air. I just want to work some of that dinner off. And those cookies. And that chocolate. And that pie." the women grinned at each other and Buffy walked out the kitchen door.

But she really didn't get to far, with Spike at his usual lurking post with the wrappings from several packages on the ground at his feet.

"Spike? Stooped to stealing presents?"

The erstwhile couple haven't seen either other in the past few weeks, with Buffy continuing her denial of any feelings for the vampire.

Tilting his head and pursing his lips in that uniquely Spike way, he answered. "NOO, some members of the Summers family thought that I was worthy of presents. Though were the Nibblet got smokes, lighters and 2 bottles of booze I don't know, from your stash maybe."

It took a few seconds for Big Sister to realize what her at times unwanted suitor had said. then she spluttered "She gave you what? And I don't have a stash as you know." but her outrage died as quickly as it was born

"So, you here to make arrangements to give me my present later? There's a nice old Victorian that we could demolish or were you thinking along the lines of a ranch this time?" But noticing that she hadn't risen to his bait Spike stopped to look at the woman. She was tired looking, drained. "Long day?"

"Yeah. we're going on with our lives. Like mom would've wanted us to, like they would've with out me coming back but it still seems surreal. "

Spike pointed to the back stairs and then picked up one of the bottles Dawn had left under 'his' tree for him. Buffy shrugged and then walked over with him to sit down. The couple talked, like they had before, neither forgetting their night together or need for each other, but setting that aside for the day. Neither ever realized they were holding hands, just being easy in each other's company.

Meanwhile at the front door of the Summers adobe the doorbell rang. Dawn started to get up to answer it, but Willow motioned her to stay on the floor and she went to answer it.

And there she found her estranged lover, Tara standing and it was the best present that the reforming witch could've gotten.

Trying not to look over eager "Hi, you should've come for dinner earlier." realizing that she was standing in the doorway, Willow stood aside. "OH come in, I'm sorry."

This tornado came running out of the living room and stopped in front of the visitor. "TARA! You came!"

Smiling in her bashful way, she nodded. "I told you I'd try to make it." Seeing Xander and Anya standing in the archway to the now empty living room, she knew that she was home again for at least a few hours and let Dawn take her and her shopping bag of gifts, but no one seemed to even notice them. For Dawn and Willow, this was the more important thing, something that was about the season, a rebirth, the coming out of the dark after the solstice. For both estranged couples.