Christmas Snow
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By: Dark Star Utter Fluff… * Written for the 2006 Blood Roses Advent Calendar. * The house stood back from the road, curtains drawn, but
light leaked from an upstairs window where they hadn't been pulled together
properly, and through the stained-glass panel in the front door. The front
and side garden stood in shadow, hidden from the moon's rays by the trees in
the front garden. In the long shadows cast by the trees, something moved,
and was still again. A cat on his nightly prowl for prey, gave the trees a
wide berth and scuttled across the road to disappear under the parked cars.
For a long time, the garden was silent. Finally, he moved. Why did he do this to himself? What did
he hope to gain by it? He sighed, the sound nothing louder than a whisper in
the night air. He should go. But it was another twenty minutes before he
began to move. Just as he started to turn, he heard a click, and his
attention shot back to the house. He could see nothing, but he knew what he'd
heard, and he focused on the narrow band of garden down the side of the
house. A movement, and a moment later a figure emerged from the house. Angel froze. The figure hurried down the side of the
house, something clutched in her hand. She paused, close by the trees, but Angel knew she
couldn't see him among the shadows. Yet, she stared directly at him, and his
breath caught. Her eyes met his, and widened in surprise. She dropped
the item in her hand, and Angel watched it bounce across the garden and roll
into the road. Without a second's thought, she raced after the ball and
ran straight out into the road, oblivious to the car hurtling down the street
in a hurry to get home for Christmas. But the car, for all its speed, was no
match for the vampire that shot into the road, scooping up the child in his
arms to carry her safely back to the sidewalk. He was just placing the trembling child on the ground, but before he
could withdraw, a woman ran from the house towards them. "My god, Laura! How many times have I told you…"
she spun to face him, astonishment on her face, as she encountered the one
that had rescued the child. "Angel?" He swallowed, and felt very much like a rabbit trapped in
the headlights. "Buffy." She frowned. "What are…" the child made a
snuffling noise, and remembering what had happened, Buffy picked her up and
held her tight. When she spoke again, her voice was very soft. "Thank
you." Angel shrugged, uncomfortable. "I was in the
neighbourhood." Buffy's attention was pulled back to the trembling child
in her arms. "I should get her inside," she said. "Right." Angel took a step back. "Have a
good Christmas, Buffy." He smiled. "All of you." "It wouldn't have been, if…" she swallowed the
lump in her throat. "Would you like to come in? You know, for a drink,
or…. Something?" "I don't think so," he said gently. "Your
husband…?" "Oh." Now it was Buffy's turn to look
uncomfortable. "Mark and I…" she shrugged. "He couldn't handle
my world, Angel. One vamp too many, and he decided he wanted a regular
life." "He left you with the children?" Angel sounded
outraged, and something…. An old wound, twisted inside her. "Why not?
That's what the men in my life do, isn't it?" Angel winced, and her tone
softened. "He wanted to take them. But… the children of the Slayer?
Unprotected? That would have been a magnet for every evil thing this side of…
of… something." She smiled. "He decided they would be safer with
me." Angel didn't know what to say to that, and he changed the
subject. "She looks like you, you know." "Do you think so?" she sounded pleased.
"But I don't think I was ever that age." "She's beautiful." But he was looking at her
when he said that, and Buffy blushed. "It's Christmas, Angel. Nobody
should be alone at Christmas. Come on in." He hesitated. "Why are you alone? Shouldn't you be with
family, and friends?" "We can't. My youngest has measles. Dawn is coming
over tomorrow, but tonight, there's just us." "Well…" he hesitated; the thought of returning
to his lonely room was rapidly becoming very unappealing. "Can we show Angel the snow?" Laura suddenly
said. Angel looked up at the clear sky. "The snow?" "Uh… yes." Buffy said awkwardly. "I bought
her one of those globes. You know, the sort that you shake, and you get a
scene filled with snow." "Oh, those…" He thought wistfully of the one
that he'd bought for Connor. "What scene is it?" "A lovey one," the little girl supplied
enthusiastically. "It had a man and a woman walking, and mom said it was
full of love." Angel's eyes met Buffy's. "I never realised that you
were such a romantic." "It reminded me of the day it snowed," she
replied, her voice steady. "Come inside, Angel. We have a lot to catch
up on, and… Laura wants to show you the snow." Oh, heck… why not? "I'd like that," Angel
said, and awed by the tiny hand that appeared in his, he allowed her to lead
him back to the house while Buffy walked alongside. Perhaps Christmas
wouldn't be so lonesome this year after all. End Return to Fiction Index
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