Title:  A little Decorating - part 1
Rating:  NC-17 overall (but PG for this part)
Pairing:  Buffy/Giles
Summary:  Buffy helps Giles decorate for Christmas.
Setting:  Season five, but no real spoilers
Disclaimer:  These are not my characters.  They belong to Joss, Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, WB & Mutant Enemy.  This is purely for fun.

Author’s note: Written for Catzen.  Merry Christmas.  Just pretend there’s no Riley.

* * * * * * *

Buffy watched Giles through the window.  She couldn’t believe it.  There was less than a week until Christmas, and he had no decorations.  She didn’t even see a tree.  “That’s going to change,” she mumbled.  “You can’t have Christmas without decorations.”  Buffy turned to leave, but stopped when she heard the door open.

“Buffy?”

She turned around to see Giles standing in the doorway.  “Giles.  I was just. . .  I didn’t think you were home.  Your car’s not here, and I didn’t see you when I looked through the window.”

“My car isn’t here because I’m having some repair work done, and there are places inside that can’t be seen from the window.”  Giles gestured for Buffy to come inside.  “Are you all right?  You don’t seem yourself.”  He followed her inside and closed the door.

“I’m fine, but I’m worried about you.”

“Whatever for?”

Buffy gestured at the undecorated room around her.  “Look around, Giles.  I think there are a few things missing.  Don’t they have Christmas in England?”

“Of course we have Christmas in England.  It’s just not the same celebrating the holidays here.”

“Where it’s not freezing and covered in snow?” Buffy asked.

“Partly, but mostly because my family isn’t here.”  Giles took his glasses off and began to clean them with his handkerchief.

“Oh God, Giles.  I never thought about your family.  Do you miss them?”

“Sometimes.  We would gather during the holidays.  I haven’t seen them since I came to Sunnydale.”

Buffy sat on the couch and watched as Giles put his glasses back on.  “Tell me about them.  What was Christmas like?”

“We would all gather at my grandparents’ home the week before Christmas,” Giles began as he sat next to Buffy.  “My grandmother always made sure everyone had a good place to sleep.  She would never send anyone away, even if it meant she slept on the floor herself.  It never came to that, mind you, but she would have if there had been need.”

“She sounds like a wonderful person,” Buffy said in awe.

“She was.  She died just before I left England.”  Giles continued with his story before Buffy could comment.  “Decorating the house was the first priority, then on Christmas Eve the tree would be cut down and brought inside.  The entire day was devoted to decorating the tree.”

“That must have been nice,” Buffy said as she looked around the place once more.  “I still think you should decorate.  You decorated for Halloween last year, so I know you can do it.”

“If it will make you happy, I’ll decorate a bit.”  Seeing the hopeful look on her face, he asked, “Would you like to help?”