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Date Posted: 09:02:36 12/22/03 Mon
Author: Kuzibah
Author Host/IP: 12.175.117.195
Subject: Re: New Holiday Fanfic (Part 4)
In reply to: Kuzibah 's message, "New Holiday Fanfic (Part 2)" on 09:00:10 12/22/03 Mon

Secret Santa: Epilogue – The Fire is Slowly Dying

The group took their seats, the humans balancing plates piled with food and tall glasses of champagne in their laps, and Fred smiled as she looked around the room. The Secret Santas had been revealed soon after they’d arrived at Angel’s apartment, and now the discussion of the various gifts was proceeding.

“That trip was far too extravagant,” Wes said to Gunn, his benefactor.

“I disagree,” Gunn countered. “You deserve it, I can afford it. What’s the problem?”

Spike, perched on the arm of Fred’s chair, brushed back her hair to admire her diamond earrings and pendant. “The poof has good taste,” he said. “They bring out the sparkle in your eyes.”

Fred blushed and lowered her gaze. “Thank you,” she said.

“A vintage, 1950’s cocktail set,” Lorne extolled to the room at large. “Once owned by the Dean-o himself! Who knew our little Winifred had such connections?”

“Speaking of connections,” Gunn said to Lorne, “that party you wangled an invite for me for? What a night! And I don’t care what anybody says. That J-Lo is a sweetheart!”

“Matt Damon might disagree with you, sugar pie,” Lorne said. “But tell me, what was Nicole wearing..?”

Angel caught up with Fred at the buffet table, as she was loading up her plate with seconds. “Wonderful idea,” he told her.

“I’m glad it worked out,” she said. “And thanks again for the jewelry.”

“My pleasure,” Angel said, surprised it was the truth.

- - - - -

The party had just broken up, and Angel had called for cars to return his humans to their respective homes. He and Spike, still in the midst of their Christmas truce, were cleaning out the living room. Angel swept food and empty bottles into a large trash bag while Spike loaded glasses and dishes into the dishwasher.

“It was a good party,” Angel said, and Spike grunted assent.

“You’ve good people,” Spike said. “Though I’ll deny that come Friday.”

Angel chuckled. “Of course,” he said.

Spike shut the dishwasher and started it just as Angel dropped the last bag down the trash chute.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” Angel asked, as Spike gathered his things and headed for the door.

“Don’t know,” was the reply. “Probably nothing. Why do you ask?”

Angel shrugged. “I thought maybe we could…” Spike raised an eyebrow, and the older vampire trailed off.

“You don’t mean it,” Spike said, an edge of laughter in his voice, and Angel grinned.

“No, I probably don’t,” he agreed.

“See you Friday, then,” Spike said. “Or maybe after the weekend.” And then he was out the door.

Angel shut off the lights and entered his bedroom. On the bed was a large, red envelope. He immediately went and opened it.

Inside was a sheet of cream-colored paper, bordered in holly and poinsettias, with a letter typed in dark green ink.

“Happy Holidays to Our Friends and Family,” read the salutation, and Angel’s brow furrowed in confusion. He continued reading.

“It’s been quite a year for all of us,” the letter continued, “and we only hope that all of you have had as happy and prosperous a year as we have here on Pinewood Crescent.”

Angel felt his heart lurch, suddenly realizing the significance of this letter. He scanned down the page, reading certain sentences. “Our son… competed at state’s in cross-country and track… Gold in the 400 m relay, silver in the 1000 m… Graduated 19th in his class from Sanger High School… Started University in Sept… still undeclared but doing very well.”

Angel re-read those lines again, then read the whole letter, consoled by the portrait of a close, loving family. When he reached for the envelope to put the letter away, he saw a gold-wrapped package where there had been none before. He jumped, and looked around the room.

“Are you there?” he said softly, but there was no answer.

He reached for the package and tore off the wrapping. Inside was a small, cheap photo album, the kind one might buy in a drugstore, that would only hold a dozen or so snapshots. Angel knew what they were before he opened it, and he turned back the cover with reverence.

The first picture was a hospital baby portrait: Connor, newborn and freshly washed, dressed in a light-blue snuggly and cap. From the very first moment he was better off, Angel thought.

He paged slowly through the rest of the photos. There was Connor as a toddler, sitting in a high chair with Cheerios stuck in his hair. A birthday party, where he looked about four. His first day of school, little denim backpack at his feet. A formal portrait with his sisters. As a boy of ten, sitting in a rowboat holding a silvery fish on a line. A track meet, prom, high-school graduation.

Finally, another Christmas, with Connor looking more a man than ever, on a fireplace hearth with a decorated tree in the background. The shot was candid, as the boy wasn’t even looking up, instead engrossed in a sketch he was working on. Angel got the strong feeling that this picture had been taken a moment before the album had appeared on the bed.

Angel could feel the tears coming, and he clenched his fists and squeezed his eyes shut until he once again had control.

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[> I loved each of these. -- wwolfe, 12:53:29 12/22/03 Mon (161.149.63.110)

Especially the way they ended.

The droll humor of the first, including the sly nod to a Tolkien crossover (as well as the secret to Santa's success all these years) was fun. The truce between Angel and Spike, and the underlying melancholy emotions on both character's parts that led to it, was a nice rendition of the flipside of holiday cheer that is a recurring counterbalance to the official story (especially in songs: "I'll Be Home For Christmas," "Every Day Will Be a Holiday," the original lyrics of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"). You even managed the difficult feat of making Gunn and Fred unannoying (plus, a gleefully gratuitous barb at Eve - well done). And the little Christmas miracle of the photobook, particularly the details of each shot, was the perfect capper.

Thanks for continuing this tradition. Just seeing the titles of tyhe individual stories puts me in the Christmas spirit.


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[> [> Thank you -- Kuzibah, 08:45:13 12/23/03 Tue (12.175.117.195)

Maybe it's a personal thing, or maybe it's just not as interesting dramatically, but these stories do have this underlying melancholy, and I'm really noticing it myself this year. But I'm glad people are responding to that. Maybe it's more widespread than the pop-culture would lead one to believe.


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