Carol Singing.

Christmas s2.

With lessons having started a few minutes ago the corridor was almost deserted. One of the three students still about, Buffy stowed her books in her locker and then slammed the door.
"So Buff are you coming to the Bronze tonight?" Xander asked and then did a little shimmy. "Boogie the night away."
"I don't know Xand," the Slayer replied. "Mom wants to go Christmas shopping after school and I want to patrol later."
"You mean you want to see Angel," Willow corrected.
Buffy smiled shyly. "Maybe."
"Pfft. You can see him anytime," Xander told her. "But when is an opportunity as good as this likely to come again?"
"Um…tomorrow," Willow replied, earning herself a disapproving look from her friend.
Buffy laughed. "Ok Xand I'll try and stop by."
"Can we go to class now?" Willow asked, noticing for the first time the empty hallway.
But it was too late. "You, you and you," a stern voice called out.
All three teenagers jumped and turned to see an angry Snyder marching towards them. "I might have known, Summers, Rosenberg and Harris."
"Principal Snyder fancy seeing you here," Xander joked.
The small man stared at him for a moment before encompassing the other as well. "Do you think lessons are optional?"
Willow shook her head. "No."
"Because if they were, we wouldn't be here," Xander added.
Snyder growled. "Still aiming for that janitorial job I see Harris."
The young man opened his mouth to reply but a sharp nudge from Buffy caused him to swallow his retort. "I was just getting my books," she explained.
"And why is it that you alone needed an extra ten minutes?"
Buffy didn't reply straight away. It wasn't as if she could tell him that she had been practicing with a crossbow in the library. "I couldn't remember my combination," she answered eventually.
Snyder was unimpressed. "I'm keeping my eye on you three," he told them. "I'm not as stupid as you think."
"That's a relief," Xander muttered.
Snyder's head snapped round and his eyes bored into the young man. "Did you say something Harris?"
Xander blinked. "Er…"
"He said `I'd rather have beef.'" Willow said, coming to his rescue. "For Christmas that is."
"That's right," Xander agreed, quickly catching on. "I'm fed up with turkey."
Snyder's nostrils flared and his gaze switched to the redhead. "Did I ask you, Rosenberg?"
Willow shook her head, wilting under the principal's fierce gaze. "I just thought…"
"Well don't," he snapped.
"Can we go now?" she asked meekly.
"No you can't not until you three have volunteered."
"For what?" Buffy asked.
"Carol singing. You'll be escorting a group of young children as they terrorise the neighbourhood."
"Again!" Xander complained. "Can we just have detention instead?" he asked, remembering Halloween and the last time they had `volunteered'.
"No you can't. Be here tonight at four o'clock," he said and with that he was gone, in search of more unfortunate volunteers.
Not particularly happy with this turn of events, the three friends watched him go. "Doesn't he know I'm Jewish?" Willow asked, her lips pursed in a sad little pout.
Buffy put a comforting arm around her. "I don't think he cares Will."
"I know," Xander said excitedly, jumping in front of the two girls. "We'll sing Hanukkah carols as well."
Willow shook her head. "There aren't any such things Xander."
But his enthusiasm wasn't so easily knocked. He smiled encouragingly. "We'll just have to make some up then."

Trailing several steps behind the half a dozen children in their care Xander groaned. "How many more, we must have been to a hundred houses already."
"We've been to seven," Willow told him.
"Seven! Are you sure?"
"Only three more to go, Xand," Buffy said.
Xander groaned again. "I think I'm getting tonsillitis" he rubbed his neck "all this singing is making my throat sore."
"How do you think our ears are feeling?" Buffy asked and the two girls giggled.
"Ha ha." Xander didn't find her comment at all funny. He had a very good singing voice. "Anyway, do you not think all this is a wee bit dodgy?"
"All what?"
"This carol singing malarkey, little kids knocking on stranger's doors, they could be murderers."
"And that's why we're here," Willow explained.
Xander snorted.
A few minutes later they arrived at the next house. "Jingle bells this time I think," Buffy told the children as they lined up in front of the door and a moment later they began.

"Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh,
O'er the fields we go,
Laughing all the way..."

The door opened and an elderly couple came out. Both of them were smiling. "Ooh look Frank," the woman said, "aren't they the sweetest? We just love carollers at Christmas." Her husband nodded and together they listened. Buffy and the others continued to sing until eventually they reached the final chorus.

"…Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way;
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh!"

The couple clapped vigorously. "Would you like to come inside for milk and cookies?" the old woman asked.
"Would we?" Xander smiled, at last a plus side. "You bet."
"Xander!" Buffy pulled him back. "What's happened to your `they could be murderers' attitude?"
"Oh come on Buff, what do I know?" He nodded towards the children. "And anyway they're already going in."

Although only small the living room easily accommodated the old couple, three friends and six children. Christmas it might have been but there was no tree or decorations. However with a small fire burning merrily in the hearth it did have a cosy feel.
Finishing her milk Buffy put her glass on the table. "Thank you,"
she said, "there's nothing like a glass of milk to keep you cool on a warm winter evening."
The old woman smiled. "You've got to keep the little ones fat…er…I mean fed."
Buffy eyes narrowed. Did she just lick her lips? "Quite right," she agreed cautiously.
"We wouldn't want them to be all skin and bone, would we?"
There was something wrong here. She looked at Xander and Willow and saw that they too sensed it.
"No we wouldn't," her husband agreed. "We like them juicy and tender." The old couple stood up. "And full of protein," he added and then they began to shimmer, their shapes stretching and widening.
"Xander, Willow," the Slayer shouted. "Get the children out of here."
Quickly scrambling to their feet they hurried to do as they were told, leaving Buffy to deal with the…she looked at the old couple curiously and after a moment shrugged…giant turkey demons. That was the best she could come up with. Not only were they birdlike in shape, with feathers and a beak but they also had bald pink heads and a waddle of loose skin hanging from their necks.
Seeing the children fleeing the old woman/turkey demon lurched forward after them but Buffy sprang between her and her would be meal. "Get back demon," she shouted.
The demon screeched and lunged at her but the Slayer easily dodged to one side and her foot lashed out to deliver a painful kick to her
head. She screeched again and stumbled back, giving the carollers enough time to escape.
"Xander I need a weapon," Buffy shouted.
The young man disappeared and returned a few moments later with a broom, the best he could find. "Buffy, catch."
The young woman caught it easily and turned to face the demons once more. Holding the broom like a quarter staff Buffy kept the two creatures back, staying out of reach of their beaks and claws.
For several minutes the situation remained the same, the demons wary of the young woman and Buffy, though unafraid, unsure of how to kill the strange creatures.
In the end it was a bit of bad luck that did for the demons. As he avoided a sweeping counter attack from Buffy the male turkey demon got a bit too close to the fire and a stray spark landed on his feathered tail. At first he didn't notice he was on fire and it wasn't until the flames were halfway up his back that he became aware of them, at which point he started to screech loudly.
Hearing her mate's cries the other demon turned from Buffy and went to his aid. Knocking him from his feet she tried to smother the fire but it was to no avail and she only succeeded in spreading the flames to herself. In seconds both demons were ablaze, screeching piteously.
Buffy and Xander stood well back and watched the fast diminishing struggles of the demons until finally, they moved no more. "Are they dead?" Willow asked joining them from outside.
Buffy nodded. "Yep," she replied, "they won't be eating any more carollers."
Looking at the smoking turkey demons Xander's stomach began to rumble. "So who's got the cranberry sauce then?"

A delightfully silly Christmas story. Reminded me a bit of All The Way for some reason. sk

:lol: :thumbsup: excellent

:yahoo: great stuff, bringing the fun in :thumbsup:

Thanks. :)

Did you write this for that Christmas challenge all those years ago, Bill? (or maybe it was only last year...it seems a lot longer...) I noticed the phrase "a wee bit dodgy" in there :lol:

Very good, and very Christmassy. I even feel like watching some old eps of Buffy now, something I havent done for ages! :D

Margot

Thanks Margot. :)

Not sure, it might have even been the Christmas before. :shrug:

And :lol: I'd forgotten about the phrase.

Good one! :thumbsup:

Do you have any more stories up your sleeves?

Thanks. :)

One or two. :)