Five Things Fic for a Challenge at Lands of Magic
Five Best Holiday Gifts Ever Received
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Note: Quotes on Buffy's gifts are from Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Mother Jones, and Shinedown
Buffy tore open the wrapping paper. "Aw! A bundle of stakes! Just what I need! Because after all," twirling one expertly, "what every girl wants is a practical gift." She pulled a mock-downcast face, but her eyes were twinkling. "Well, it's not just practical, it's also personal," chirped Willow. "Check 'em out, hand carved!" Buffy squinted at one after the other, and her lips parted. "'Well-behaved women seldom make history,'" she read. " 'I'm not a humanitarian, I'm a hell-raiser.' 'Don't be delicate. Be vast and brilliant.' Aw, guys. Thanks. I love them! Best gift ever!" She hugged the stakes to her chest as she beamed around the room. (105)
*****
"Oooh, best ever? That's saying a lot," Dawn piped in, perhaps thinking of the bedroom upstairs stuffed with plushies, pajamas and robes, boots, handbags, jewelry, and no end of other trinkets. "How about all of you? What's your best holiday gift ever?" She looked around the room, where the others were rattling packages, murmuring to each other, or eating cookies. "You first!" She shot a pointing finger at Oz, interrupting his tete-a-tete with Willow. "Oh, uh, yeah," he said, sitting up. He looked vacant for a moment, then a slow smile spread across his face. "The best holiday gift I ever got was offered on Christmas, but I didn't actually unwrap it til graduation." He turned a slow look to Willow. She, perhaps remembering a low-cut dress and Barry White songs, blushed and dove in for a kiss. The others groaned, laughed, and went on eating cookies. (148)
*****
In the lull, Xander pondered the question. What with his family sitch, not like there were tons of happy memories. He thought over the hectic years of his childhood--the haphazard tree, half decorated, left akilter when his mom and dad went from singing Christmas carols and hanging tinsel to a full-on drunken brawl. A few of those, yeah, and any kid'd hide out in his sleeping bag in the back yard. But admit it, those memories were fading, replaced by ones like today: warmth, laughter, teasing, and actual presents. He shifted the big box of woodworking tools, reached for the plate on the coffee table, and grinned as he bit off the head of a gingerbread cookie. He made it this far, right? Everything they'd been through, they'd made it to now. And that was a pretty dame good gift. (131)
*****
"My turn!" Dawn bounced in her chair. "I remember when I wanted the Malibu Barbie Beach House. Buffy had one, of course," --slight grimace-- "but I didn't want a hand-me-down like always. I wanted my own. So one Christmas Eve, I snuck to the top of the stairs, and saw Mom and Dad setting up my beach house. I was so excited I couldn't sleep all night! Hey!" she looked around suddenly. "Whatever happened to that thing, anyway?" Buffy, who'd been nodding along, looked instantly puzzled. "I...don't know. I remember you getting it, and I think I remember you playing with it, but..." her voice faded, as the two sisters gazed at each other, perturbed. This seemed to happen sometimes when they tried to link their memories of the past. "Oh well, maybe Mom knows!" said Dawn, cheering up. "We'll ask her when she gets back from her party." (150)
*****
Giles walked in from the kitchen, cradling a mug of hot cider. "Ah, yes. I remember when my favorite holiday gift was the leather RAF jacket my mum bought me. I was 16 and sadly the gift was perhaps a year too late, as I was just turning my interests from the military to the macabre." He waggled his eyebrows as the others laughed. "In fact, that very jacket suffered extreme indignities at the hands of myself and my mates, turning it as we did into more of a dark arts vestment, complete with chains, studs, and blood red paint. Mum was dismayed, but at the time, that was nothing to me." He looked pensive, then shook himself slightly. "But, back to the here and now, I'd like to offer a toast of thanks for this gathering. Which rates right up there as one of my favorite holiday gifts ever." Raising his mug, he gestured around the room, til all had joined him with shouts and cheers. (169)