Title:  This Time of Year
Author: Tonya
Rating:  G
Disclaimer: No own, no sue. 
Distribution:  Just tell me where!
Summary:  Celebrating the holidays.
A/N:  I guess this fic could be AU because it takes place in Season 7, but I’ve chosen to ignore the impending apocalypse.  Kinda dampers the festive spirit, don’t you think?

*********

Giles sat down  with a heavy sigh, a mug of eggnog clasped in his hands.  An orchestra played “Greensleeves” on his radio, and he looked towards the mantle of his rarely used fireplace.  The only decorations for the season were lined up perfectly on the mantle.  A holiday card from Buffy and Dawn with Santa and his reindeer flying high above a peaceful city.  One from Willow with a glittery white snowman next to a small cozy cabin.  And one from Xander with a cartoon reindeer passing gas on the front, and the inside reading—“Do you hear what I hear?”  Giles was almost ashamed of himself for chuckling at the card when he had received it.  The last card had been sent by an old friend that he had regained contact with since his return home….

Not the card he had been expecting…. Not from the *person* he had been expecting….

Giles sipped from his mug and wondered how she was doing.  Anya had had a rough year.  Maybe even more difficult than the others realized.  Being left at the altar and having her heart completely shattered by the man she loved.  Becoming a vengeance demon again.  Helping to stop the end of the world.  And now the holidays.  Was she celebrating with the others—doing her best I-don’t-give-a-damn impersonation?  Holding her head high and celebrating like nothing was truly wrong?  Or was she by herself now—like him?  Sitting alone in her apartment and wondering when it all went so wrong?

Of all of them, Giles would admit that he worried about Buffy. He had to. It was his job. He had spent the past seven years as the girl’s mentor and trainer. But she had also been like a daughter to him, and like any parent for their child, he worried.

But it was Anya who he truly worried about the most.  She was the one who was still experiencing life—figuring things out as she went along.  1200-some-odd years on their plane, and still certain things were new and bewildering to her. 

Unlike the others, she didn’t really have a place in the world, a name beyond Anyanka the vengeance demon.  Maybe that was why he offered her the job at the Magic Box.  To help her.  To give her some sort of identity.  Some feeling that she *did* have a place in Sunnydale, with the rest of them….

But he wasn’t there to watch out for her now, and he was worried.

“I hope she’s okay,” he whispered to himself.

**********

The clouds passed by the wing of the plane, and she simply watched as the world sailed by the window.  Anya glanced down at her watch and sighed.  If there was one thing she missed about the whole vengeance demon gig, it was the teleporting.  So much quicker… and cheaper to boot.

Anya wasn’t sure why she was on this flight.  She should have been home—eating gingerbread men and watching cheesy Christmas movies.  Not on some cramped coach flight next to some guy who had apparently decided that bathing in his cologne was the best way to go.

In a way, it had been Xander who had been the catalyst for her little trip.  He had stopped by her apartment the other night, wishing her an early merry Christmas and inviting her to Christmas dinner at Buffy’s.  Considering everything that had happened between them all recently—especially the events that led to her de-demonization—Anya had hesitated.  But then she thought about what her other plans for Christmas had been—sitting around, eating cookies, and watching the parades and movies.  Dinner with them wouldn’t kill her.

Great!  The whole gang’ll be having Christmas dinner together.

Those had been his words, and they had perked her up for a moment.  The whole gang.  Like old times.  The whole gang. 

So Giles will be there?

No, Xander had told her.  They hadn’t even thought to invite him with the whole living on a different continent thing.  They doubted he would spend time and money on a plane ticket for one dinner—even if it was Christmas. He had a new life, his old life back, and they all assumed he would be spending the holidays with his family.

Anya had wanted to ask how they could be so sure.  She wanted to ask if any of them had even *heard* Giles speak about family before.  She wanted to ask if it wasn’t proper etiquette just to invite someone—especially a someone like Giles.

But she didn’t.

She simply agreed to attend the Summers’ shindig, and Xander had smiled at her.  The kind of smile that had made her heart melt months ago, but now it pained her.  Like someone piercing her heart with an icicle.

She agreed, but in the back of her mind, she knew she wasn’t going to go.  She knew she was going to be elsewhere….

Anya glanced at her watch again.  Christmas dinner would be served in about thirty hours.

Yep, Anya frowned, the whole gang will be having Christmas dinner together.

**********

Giles pulled the stopper in his sink, sending the dirty dishwater down the drain.  As he dried his hands on the dishtowel draped over his shoulder, his doorbell sounded throughout the house.  He glanced at the clock over the kitchen doorway as he made his way to the front door.  It was too late in the afternoon for any sort of package delivery, but he wasn’t sure who else would be on his doorstep.

When he pulled the door open, he opened his mouth but no words escaped his throat.

“Hi Giles!”

Giles simply stared at her, a shocked smile forming on his lips.  Anya stood on his doorstep—her jacket zipped up to the collar, a green and red scarf wrapped around her neck, and matching ear muffs placed daintily on her head.  In her hands, she held a medium-sized box wrapped haphazardly in bright blue paper with little white snowmen.

“This is normally where you say , ‘Hi Anya, please come in out of the cold.  I’m sure you’re freezing.’”

“Hi, Anya.  Please come in,” he repeated, the shock still settling over him. 

“Thank you,” she smiled and stepped into the house.

Giles closed the door and turned to her as she sat the package down on the coffee table.  She pulled off her earmuffs and unwrapped her scarf—tossing them onto the couch as if she were at home.  She unzipped her jacket and did the same.

“Anya?” Giles asked, his senses finally returning fully.  “What…?  What are you doing here?”

“Giving you your Christmas gift,” she replied.  She grabbed the box from the table and handed it to Giles, her girlish smile never fading.

Giles took the package from her hands, and all he could do was smile back.

“And I wrap a lot better than this,” Anya quickly added as she attempted to smooth out a wrinkle in the wrapping paper.  “The stupid cab driver kept driving over pot holes.  I think he was doing it on purpose.  Stupid driver.”

Giles chuckled quietly.  “Thank you, Anya, but did you travel all this way just to give me my Christmas gift?”

Anya shrugged slightly and shifted her weight from one foot to the other.  “Yes, I did.”  She poked him gently in the chest with her finger as she continued.  “And you better appreciate the gesture, mister, because getting a ticket on Christmas Eve is like close to impossible.”

“Anya, I do.  I appreciate the gesture.  I’m just… I guess, I’m just wondering why you’re not home with the others?  Don’t you all have any plans?”

Anya flopped down on the couch.  “Buffy was having a dinner for everyone, but… I didn’t feel right going.  You know, the whole me accidentally killing a bunch of frat boys and her stabbing me through the chest with a sword thing.”

Giles shook his head at that statement.  “I’m sorry?  Did you just say…?”

“You have anything to eat here?” she replied as she stood and made her way towards his kitchen.  “Those little pretzels they gave us weren’t filling at all.”

Giles watched as she disappeared into his kitchen.  He glanced down at the package in his hands and back up at the doorway, the shock he thought had disappeared settling back over him again.  He carefully placed his gift on the couch before following after her.

**********

Anya sat patiently on the floor, two cups of warm cider in her hands.  Giles finished lighting the fire and sat down next to her with a heavy sigh.  As he settled beside her, their backs resting against the body of the couch, Anya handed him the extra cup with a smile.

“You know what we need?” Anya asked, her voice soft over the Christmas music playing in the background.

Giles looked at her and sipped from his drink.  “What’s that?”

“Marshmallows,” she smiled.  She listened to the fire crackle and pop for a moment before continuing.  “For Smores, you know?”

“Smores,” Giles mumbled.

“Yes, Smores,” she replied, turning back to him.  “The little treats with graham crackers and chocolate and marshmallows.”

“I know what Smores are, Anya,” Giles smiled.

“Well, I never know with you people.  You have a very odd taste in food.  I mean, kidney pie?  What the hell is that all about?”

Giles simply chuckled in response.

They sat in silence for a long time, both listening to the orchestra play holiday classic after classic.   When Giles finally spoke, it was to ask the question Anya had been dancing around all evening.

“Why are you here again, Anya?”

She sighed, her shoulders dropping slightly.  “I don’t know.  Maybe I thought you could use a friend.  I mean, what normal person wants to be alone on Christmas?”

Anya looked at him and smiled brightly again before turning her eyes back to the flames.  Giles smiled back and watched her for a moment, resisting the urge to reach up and brush away the loose strand of hair that fell across her cheek.

“Thank you, Anya,” he finally replied softly.

She simply shrugged in response, a gentle smile on her lips.

“So what do you normally do for Christmas?”

“Nothing,” she replied without hesitation.  “Never celebrated it before.  Well, I celebrated with Xander, but that involved a very unpleasant dinner with his family.”

Giles sipped from his drink in response.

“I did know St. Nick though.”

Giles choked on his drink.

Anya looked at him.  “He *is* real, you know.  The Saint, not your society’s conception of what he is.  I mean, flying *reindeer*?  If you were gonna travel at the speed of light, wouldn’t you pick an animal that’s a little more aerodynamic?  Geese!”  She smiled brightly and nodded.  “Geese are *very* aerodynamic.  But no, you people have to have your weird deer with the shiny noses and the antlers.”

Giles laughed quietly as Anya unconsciously placed her hands up to her head like antlers.

“Your Christmas trees are nice, though,” she replied quietly.  “Of course, it was a Pagan tradition, but you guys have adapted it very nicely.”  She sighed gently.  “Xander doesn’t know this, but I bought Christmas decorations last year before everything went to hell.”

“I don’t see the sin in that, Anya.”

“This year, I was going to suggest to Xander that we skipped the uncomfortable dinner with his folks and we had our own celebration.  I’ve never decorated a tree before so I thought it would be nice for this Christmas.  But then, he goes and decides he doesn’t want to be with me….”  She paused, glancing around the living room.  “You don’t have a tree either.”

“No, no, I don’t.”

Anya nodded and sipped from her drink.  The smile returned to her face as quickly as it had left.  “I think you should open your gift now.”

Giles smiled.  “Tradition dictates that we wait ‘til tomorrow to open gifts.”

“Screw tradition.  I just spent countless hours on a flight next to some walking cologne ad.  You’re opening that gift.”

Giles nodded and sat his cup beside him on the floor.  He reached behind him, where the gift remained on the couch were he had placed it earlier.  Anya watched eagerly as he placed the box in his lap and ripped into the paper.  The paper tossed to the side, he lifted the lid from the box.

“Anya….  this….”  Giles began, looking up at her.

“There wasn’t much to salvage after Willow went all apocalyptic on the Magic Box, but I was able to save them.  I knew they were rare texts, and I know how attached  you are to your books.”

Giles removed each of the three rare tomes, inspecting them.  They had been important books—had helped him many times when things had went awry in Sunnydale—and he had been dreading the idea of replacing them for two reasons. One, he probably wouldn’t have been able to find them.  And two, if he did find them, it would send him into financial turmoil just to get *one* volume back.

But here they were.  Returned to him.  In surprisingly decent condition considering the damage the shop had sustained.

“Thank you, Anya.”

“You’re welcome.  It was either that or nothing.  Kinda hard to afford gifts when you’re unemployed.”

Giles’ smile faded as he replied, “But I don’t have anything for you.”

Anya simply shrugged.  “I’m used to it.”

Giles watched her for a moment before placing the books back in the box.  “Put on your coat,” he said as he got to his feet.

Anya looked up at him, the confusion evident on her face.  “Now?”

“Yes, now.”  He held out his hand for her, and after a moment of hesitation, she placed her hand in his.  He gently pulled her to her feet.  “There’s somewhere we need to go.”

“Should I be worried?  I feel as if I should be worried.”

“Trust me, Anya,” he smiled.

And with that, Anya grabbed her jacket and slipped it on.

**********

Giles was actually amazed his plan had worked out.  Especially considering that it was nearly eight at night on Christmas Eve.  There weren’t a lot to choose from, but there were enough.  All they needed was one—whichever one she wanted.

Giles watched as Anya paced back and forth through the Christmas tree lot, looking for her tree.  She finally ran up to him and looped her arm around his.

“I think I found our tree,” she smiled as she pulled him deeper into the lot.  She stopped in front of one of the few remaining trees and nodded with conviction.  “This is the one.”

In a way, the tree was perfect.  Not too large.  Not incredibly puny.  Filled out in the proper places.  But most importantly, it was the one she wanted.

“Then, I guess we have our tree,” Giles replied, his breath wisping from his mouth in small puffs.

Anya smiled and squeezed his arm excitedly.

**********

A candy cane dangling from her lips, Anya placed the last of the red bulbs onto the tree.  She stepped back, admiring her work, and smiled brightly.  She sucked on her candy cane once more before pulling it from her mouth. 

“Hey, Giles, check it out!” she called out, her eyes never leaving her perfectly decorated tree.

Giles stepped out of the kitchen and stood beside her as Anya motioned at the tree.

“Am I good or what?  I think I can safely say that *no one* can decorate a tree like me.”

“You have found your calling in life,” Giles smiled.  “Good thing I had all these old decorations in the attic.”  He stared at the tree for a moment before adding, “You’re missing the most important part.”

“What?  I got the bulbs.  I got the lights.  I even got the little skirtie thingie that goes around the bottom.”

Giles approached the box of decorations near the foot of the tree.  He reached inside and removed a box containing a crystal star.  “It’s not a traditional Christmas tree without the star,” he replied.  “Would you like to do the honor?”

Anya accepted the star from his hand with a smile.  She placed her candy cane back in her mouth and leaned into the tree, standing on her tiptoes to reach the top.  Giles stood beside her, gently holding her at the waist as she stretched for the top of the tree.  With a final grunt from Anya, the star found its way at the apex of the tree.

With the star atop the tree, they both took a step back, admiring their accomplishment.  They stood close together, Giles’ arm still lingering around her hip.  Neither seemed to notice or care about the closeness between them.

“*Now*  you can safely say you’re the best tree decorator ever.”

Anya smiled and nibbled at her candy cane.

After a moment, Giles replied softly, “I’m glad you came, Anya.”

“So am I,” she replied, turning to him.  “You’re a lot less annoying and bossy outside the Magic Box.”

“Believe me, the feeling is mutual,” he chuckled.

“Thank you for the tree.”

“Thank you for just… being you.”

“Um, I know tradition says that there’s supposed to be a poisonous plant hanging over our heads at the moment, but I’m gonna do this anyway….”

With that, Anya placed her free hand on his cheek, and her peppermint sweet lips met his in a soft kiss.  When she pulled away, she smiled and whispered, “Merry Christmas, Giles.”

“Merry Christmas, Anya.”

She leaned her head against his chest, and Giles wrapped her into his embrace.  They watched their tree glow into the night as the Christmas music continued to play faintly in the background.

End.