Freakin Christmas

Freakin Christmas

Rating: R (For right now)

Spoilers: None really. It takes off into some alternative universe somewhere around Season 5.

Summary: Faith's experience with the holidays is not a pretty one.

Pairing: Buffy/Faith (at some point)

This story goes back and forth between Faith and Buffy's POV

Distribution: Whatever - just let me know.

Feedback: Want it. Need it. Can't live without it. Please don't deny me. (Also, constructive criticism is needed, and please excuse my spelling - it's not beta-ed)

Disclaimer: Don't own them, duh. Please don't sue me, cause I don't own anything else either.

Hope you like!

Faith’s POV

I fucking hate the holidays. Yeah, I said it. Everyone walking around with their stupid cheery-ass smiles and stupid sweaters and stupid music. It’s just, well…stupid. When I was a kid I used to believe in Santa Clause. Can you believe that shit? Some fat old man sneaking into your house and bringing you presents cause you’ve been a good little kid all year? Don’t think I didn’t try. Cause I did. Especially around November. Know what I mean? I mean you could be a little shit all year, but come November and you started to try to go the straight and narrow. I tried so damn hard, for like three years in a row, until I finally asked my mom what the hell was up, why the fat man wasn’t stopping by our apartment. She just looked at me, with that spaced-out drunk look she’d get, and asked, “Guess you were bad this year?”

Bitch.

But hey not bitter. It didn’t take me long to figure out that one dude could not get all around the world in like one night. I mean how stupid do adults think little kids are? I assure you if I ever have a kid, there will be no Santa, Easter Bunny, tooth fairy shit. None of that crap. Not going to lie that’s for sure. Of course, not really planning on having kids anytime soon…or ever for that matter, but still, it’s good to plan ahead.

So seriously, I didn’t give a shit that B and the little Scooby gang didn’t invite me to their dumbass Christmas thingy. Or whatever it was. Holiday extravaganza, B called it. (Yeah I was thinking the same thing.) Apparently Willow’s like Jewish or something, and well, you know, I don’t really know the religious affiliation of the rest of the super geeks but whatever, I didn’t care. But, by the way, that Anya chick gets invited no questions asked. Sure she’s Xander’s chick or whatever, but hey I got there first. Doesn’t that least warrant an invite, at least for all the pain and suffering and shit.

God, sometimes I’m so funny I make myself laugh out loud. See that’s my gift to myself this year. The loyal gift of humor, you have to have one when you’ve got nothing else. But hey, at least I got an apartment. And a job. That’s good isn’t it? Better than my first time around in the cheery hellhole known as Sunnydale.

And on Christmas Eve I’ll spend the night staring at the gifts I bought the gang. Put a lot of time into it too. I know, pathetic huh?

Oh fuck this. I needed a good slay. And a good drink. And maybe something else. Merry freakin Christmas.

Buffy’s POV
I totally had forgotten food. How stupid is that? Thank god for Tara. I think that I’m mentally deficient when it comes to holiday cheer. How could I forget food? And I gotta go to Faith’s cause also, big shocker, I forgot to ask her. Tara pointed it out.

“Buffy?” She was standing at the doorway to the bathroom.

“Hmm?” I said, brushing my teeth.

“I was wondering if Faith’s coming?”

I turned to look at her, “Sure she is. Everybody’s coming. Why did she say something? God is she bailing?” I felt my stomach do a little twist.

“No,” Tara frowned a little, “she didn’t say anything to me about it today at the shop.”

I washed out my mouth. “Good. She’s known for disappearing.”

“No, I mean, she didn’t say anything about it at all. In fact,” she paused, “when you mentioned it today, she looked kinda shocked. She took off right after that.”

“Took off?”

Tara sighed a little before smiling slightly, “you did tell her about it, didn’t you?”

I stared at her. Dammit. Stupid Buffy. “I’m sure I mentioned it,” I told her.

She smiled again, “are you absolutely sure, cause she really did look well,” she hesitated for a minute, “kind of hurt.”

Thinking back on it, I’m sure I didn’t mention it. I forgot. How damn dumb can I be? And then she heard us talking about it and…that’s just great Buffy, give her another reason to hate you.

Standing outside her door banging incessantly, I thought for a moment she wasn’t home. That is until she ran straight into me when she opened the door.

She looked a little surprised but quickly hid it, “Hey B,” she muttered, shutting the door behind her. “What ya doing in my neck of the woods?”

“Where you going?” I asked her.

“Oh you know places to go, people to do, things to…how the hell does that go again?”

“I don’t know Faith. Aren’t you coming to the house?”

“Whose house?” She asked, staring past me. She fidgeted with her jacket. I love that jacket. I tried it on once, when she wasn’t looking. Actually she was fishing around my fridge for something that had more than, as she put it, five calories in it. So I tried it on. It was a little big, but for some reason I didn’t want to take it off. Maybe it was the leather…yeah that’s it, that leather is really soft.

She waved her hand in front of my face, “Gonna get out of my way, sister?”

“I asked you a question,” I told her.

“And I told you none of your concern.”

“Jesus Faith you don’t have to be rude,” she didn’t say anything. I continued, “Where are you going? I thought you were going to come to my house. But then Tara said that she thinks that you didn’t know and so I came over here to make sure that you knew. Cause I know I told you about it. It was probably one of those times you weren’t listening. You are always not listening Faith. It can get aggravating. You should pay attention more.” Yeah that’s it, lie.

She looked at me strangely for a minute, tilting her head like a puppy, “Did ya hit the eggnog a little early B, cause that made not one bit of sense.”

“Where are you going?” I asked again. This crap is frustrating. She frustrates me. Why does she have somewhere to go? Who is she going to be with?


Faith’s POV

Where am I going? Where am I going? “To a friend’s.” Smooth Faith.

“What friend?” She asked, actually looking concerned. Yeah like she would be here if Tara hadn’t pulled the guilt trip on her ass.

“Some chick I met over at that bar, the Witch’s Brew, on East Street.” Yeah good thinking, she never goes over there.

“Chick?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“She a witch?”

“Yeah sure, I guess.”

“Oh, what’s her name? Willow and Tara know all those that dabble in the Black Arts.” She smirked.

Fuck. “Jill. She’s new in town. They probably haven’t met her.”

She sighed, “Come on Faith, why are you lying?”

“Fuck you B, I’m not lying,” I was getting pissed, “And even if I were, kinda uncouth of you calling me a liar and all.” Hah, kill her with big words.

“Faith are you coming to my house or not?”

“Why would I come B? You didn’t invite me.” Shut up Faith.

“Uh, yes I did.”

Oh, who’s the liar now? “Uh, no you didn’t. I think I would remember. I mean, I know you think I’m stupid and all. But I would’ve remembered.”

“I’m sorry.”

Okay, wasn’t expecting that.

“No big. It would probably be uncomfortable anyway. I’m really not the life of party when it comes to the Scoobs.” Oh god, don’t be sappy Faith.

She stepped closer to me, and put her hand on my arm, “Of course you would be the life of the party,” she smiled at me. “Please come. I want you there. Really,” she said, smiling up at me.

I opened my door and stepped back inside my house, “I don’t know. I got somewhere to be and all.”

She stepped inside and looked to my table, “What’s this?”

Fuck, the gifts. “Nothing.”


Buffy’s POV

Oh god, she got presents. How sweet. Faith is so sweet sometimes. I know she hates others to know it. But she really is.

“None of your fucking business,” she said.

See, sweetheart.

“Faith, attitude. Not cool. Are these for us?” I can’t help it, I love presents. I really do. I was so spastic at Christmas. I remember when Dawn graced us with her presence and I had to wait to open presents, I mean we had to take turns. I’d open one, she’d open one. Back and forth, waiting for the eternal slowpoke to slowly, slowly, slowly open one little package taking like fifteen forevers. She was so put on this earth to torture me.

“Jeez B. Stop jumping up and down,” she said.

Ok, I’m not jumping up and down. I’m just excited. I see one with my name on it. Or my initial, whatever. I know it’s mine.

“Ooh, is this one mine Faith?” I say reaching for the present. It’s kind of big, and I pick it up to shake it.

“Nope,” she says, rudely jerking it from my hand. She puts it back on the table, “It’s for my friend, Bertha.”

Ok, I am not that dumb. “Bertha? You have a friend named Bertha? Why haven’t I met this Bertha? Where is she from? I don’t think I’ve ever met a Bertha. When can I meet her?”

”Shut up, Buffy.”

Uh-oh full name, I hurt her feelings. “I’m sorry Faith.” I stepped away from the table. “Are you coming?”

She turned her back, “Umm, I don’t think so B. I do actually have some stuff to do and all.”

God her feelings really are hurt and I feel like an idiot. I had no idea how to make this better. “Come on Faith,” I said, walking up to her, “I do want you to come, really.” I tried.

She wouldn’t turn around. “Nah. I’m cool B. Just gonna hang here for a while.”

Useless. She shut down. She does that, shuts down, when she gets her feelings hurt. Which, I by the way, seem to do a lot of lately.

I backed out of the door, “Well, if you change your mind. I do want you to come. We all do.”

She didn’t say anything, so I stood at the door for a few moments, “Well, Merry Christmas Faith,” I said.

“Yeah, and Happy Fucking New Years,” she whispered as I shut the door.