Grinning foolishly at the pair of tickets sitting on the dresser before him, Xander shook his head in disbelief. It seemed almost impossible to believe that it was their one year anniversary, but it was and Xander had gotten them tickets to see the ballet performance of The Nutcracker as an anniversary present, a tricky job since the show was annually sold out.

“Are you ready yet?” called a voice from the other room and Xander stuck the tickets in his pocket, his fingers brushing over the small velvet ring box that was there as well.

“I can’t get this bow tied,” he replied, once more reaching up the fiddle with the bow tie that came with the tuxedo even as his memories drifted back to that memorable day a year ago…

@@@

Spike sat at the table in the Magic Box and stared at the tickets in his hand. He was still finding it hard to believe that he had won tickets to a show that he hadn’t seen in over a century, and he was practically vibrating with excitement. All he had done was call into the radio station and correctly answer three questions: Who gave Clara the magical nutcracker, who had broken it at the party and what was Clara’s last name.

“Her godfather Herr Drossmeyer, her brother Fritz, and Clara Stahlbaum,” he whispered to the small rectangles of stiff paper as the questions circled through his head again. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he remembered working hard all year to save enough money to take his mother to see the Nutcracker as a special holiday treat, and the joy on her face when the show ended. And if he wanted to admit it, getting these tickets had been just as hard. The show had sold out almost as soon as the tickets had gone on sale and he had heard of the contest while listening to the small radio that had been playing behind the register of the Magic Box. He then spent hours glued to his own radio, waiting for the cue to call in and once he had answered the questions correctly, he had a brief moment of panic when the DJ had asked him his name. It wouldn’t do to let everyone know that Spike, the Big Bad master vampire, knew information about a children’s story and that he listened to a classical music station, so instead of blurting out “Spike”, he had responded with a name that had not left his lips since he gained fangs: William Bentley.

* Can’t wait to go. I’ll have to get my tuxedo out of storage and brush it out. * Spike smiled as he began making plans for his evening out. The only down side to having two tickets was that he couldn’t trade the second one for a different night’s performance nor could he return it for cash since it hadn’t cost him anything.

Suddenly, the sound of approaching voices alerted him to the fact that the Slayer and her entourage were coming and he shoved the tickets in his pocket, not noticing that one fluttered to the floor to land beneath his chair. Scooping up a book, he opened it and pretended to be interested in grolath demons as the Scooby gang descended on the shop, drawing Giles out from his self-seclusion in his office. Buffy and Willow were talking about their holiday plans while Xander was quietly following them like a lost puppy. He knew that if Buffy realized that he had tickets to go see the Nutcracker ballet performance and that he was actually *excited* to go see it, he would never hear the end of it. Willow would probably squeal with delight before bouncing around and talking all about the story and history of the show. Spike didn’t know what guff Xander or Giles would give him so he would keep his tickets a secret. Just a special holiday treat for William Bentley once more.

“Hey Spike, tell me, what do vampires do for Christmas?” inquired Xander as he stretched out in one of the chairs.

The peroxide blond vampire raised his head from the book he had it buried in as if just now realizing that there were others in the
room. “The same things that you humans do,” he drawled in a bored tone. “A tree, a couple of presents, some virgins for dinner.” Xander nodded in an understanding manner even as a flicker of some other emotion flashes across his face too fast for Spike to catch. Shrugging it off, Spike turns his attention to the rest of the room just as Giles starts the meeting.

@@@

Groaning, Buffy stretched tired muscles as she stood up. It had been a long session of nothing but looking through books written in hard to understand languages, and Spike had left after about an hour of it. A flash of white caught her eye and Buffy crouched down to pick up the white rectangle from where it lay on the floor. * Wonder who lost their ticket to… the ballet? * She snickered as her eyes caught the telltale word and shook her head. Why anyone would want to waste their time watching people in silly costumes dance around was beyond her. Dropping the ticket on the table, Buffy scooped up her purse and called out a
general good-bye as she left. She had holiday plans with her father to get ready for.

@@@

Willow stared at the ticket that was resting next to a book of demonology. She knew it hadn’t been there when she arrived, but it was there now. Curious, she picked it up and smiled. A ballet production of The Nutcracker was a true holiday treat. Especially since this particular show was sold out.

* This would be so cool to see, * she mused before frowning. There was only one ticket and as much fun as it would be to see The Nutcracker, it would be even more special to see it with Tara. Who was currently sick in bed with a very nasty flu bug. She shook her head. No it wouldn’t be right to use the ticket when she couldn’t take Tara with her to enjoy it. With a regretful sigh, she put the ticket down and gathered up a few more books.

@@@

Blinking in surprise, Giles gazed at the ticket he had gathered up with the last of the books. He had to wonder if one of the “children” had left it for him and smiled at memories of going to watch The Nutcracker with his parents when he was a boy. He hadn’t seen a ballet production in what seemed like centuries between running with Ethan and his duties to the Council, but it would be very nice to see it again.

* When is this to take place? * he wondered, examining the ticket. With a disappointed flash, he remembered that the night of the production was the same night he was taking Joyce out for a pleasant dinner and a drive. * Ah well. If it had been two tickets instead of one, we could have made use of them. * He dropped the ticket next to the register as he walked past, not noticing when it slipped from the corner of the counter to fall into the open pocket of a jacket casually dropped on the floor.

@@@

Shuffling along the street, Xander walked down the sidewalk on his way back to his apartment, keeping an eye out for any nastys who might want to attack him. The night had been quiet so far but he didn’t want to believe that all the vampires and demons had taken the holidays off. That sort of thinking always got him in trouble because just when he thought he was in the clear, a big nasty would jump out and do their best to pound him into the sidewalk. With a sigh of relief, he ducked into his building as he shoved his hands into his pockets, digging for his keys.

* What the… * thought Xander as his fingers encountered something smooth in his pocket. He carefully withdrew the object and grinned when he saw that it was a ticket for something. * Wonder who’s leaving me tickets in my jacket pocket. * He dug his keys out and quickly entered his apartment, dropping his jacket over the back of a chair as he collapsed on the couch. Safe in his own domain, Xander examined the small rectangle of stiff paper and his eyes widened in surprise even as he sat up, startled.

In his hands was a ticket to the sold out performance of The Nutcracker by the San Francisco Ballet Company.

His breath hissed out between clenched teeth as he stared at the ticket. He couldn’t believe that this had wound up in his possession, but he was definitely not going to look a gift like this in the mouth. He had always wanted to see The Nutcracker ever since he had heard the other children in his first grade class talk about it. But when he brought it up to his father, he received a black eye and the information that no son of his would go to anything sissy like the ballet.

* Only Willow knew how much I wanted to see The Nutcracker… * That thought made him grin. Of course. Willow must have put it in his pocket as a present because she somehow got the ticket but couldn’t use it with Tara being sick. * I’ll go see The Nutcracker tomorrow night and the next day, I’ll buy her lunch as a thank you. *

Whistling cheerfully, Xander stood up and pinned the ticket to his refrigerator with a large nutcracker-shaped magnet. Tomorrow would be a night for a long-standing dream to come true.

@@@

With a deft twist and pull, Spike had the white silk bow tie tied and in its proper place at his throat. He smoothed his hands down the tuxedo jacket and grinned even as his ungellled hair fell in his eyes. The tuxedo that he hadn’t worn in over a decade still fit like a glove and he silently thanked every deity he could think of that he had regained the weight he had lost when the Initiative had shoved that chip in his head.

He checked his nearly empty wallet again to make sure the ticket was still there and sighed with relief. Since he had discovered that he had lost one of the tickets, he had to keep checking to make sure he had not lost the other one and thus loosing his chance to see The Nutcracker again. * It usually figures that just when something nice comes my way, something equally as bad comes along to bollocks it up, * he mused, shaking his head at his own nervousness. A quick glance at the clock showed that he had an hour to get to the theater before the show would start and he scooped up his keys as he hurried out the door.

Upon arriving, Spike quickly and easily found a parking spot that was close to the theater and soon joined the gaily dressed people as they flocked into the brightly lit building. Women were dressed in sequenced gowns made of silks that shimmered in the light while men were clad in suits with the occasional tuxedo peppering the crowd. Years of lessons at Angelus’ side had Spike calmly and collectively strolling along with the crowd even though he wanted to bounce along like Xander on a sugar rush. He shook his head at that though, causing the peroxide curls to fall in his eyes again and he reached up, brushing them away, just at a nearby murmur caught his attention.

“I’ve never seen him here before,” remarked a female voice. “I would certainly remember *him* in this crowd.” There were some giggles of agreement and Spike looked around to find a cluster of young women staring at him and giggling like schoolgirls. He nodded at them in a polite way before mischievously flashing them a grin and a wink. That prompted a fresh round of giggles and whispers before he was swept into the theater with the rest of the patrons.

Spike somehow found himself seated in a private box with only one other chair and a program in his hand before he could even realize what was happening to him. The hum of humans chatting and laughing filled the air and mixed with the orchestra tuning their instruments as he allowed himself to relax for the first time since winning those tickets. He was here, in the theater, with a program in his hand and it was only a few minutes until the curtain rose. As if in tune with his thoughts, the lights began to dim, hushing the voices and instruments before a wonderful tension filled the air. Unlike the tension of waiting to find that ambush by walking into it, this tension was where a person knew something wonderful was going to happen and they hoped it would come
soon.

The curtain at the back of the box rustled as a second person entered, muttering a brief apology before claiming the second seat. Apparently, this was the person who had found his missing ticket, but there was something vaguely familiar about him. Before Spike could figure it out, the opening strands to Tchaikovsky’s Overture floated through the air and transported him to another place in time.

He watched in rapt fascination at the party scene and felt a slight stab of loss at the though of what he had been forced to leave behind when Angelus had turned him. Shaking off those thoughts, he allowed himself to be drawn into the music and dancing, and had to restrain himself from leaping to his feet to cheer the dancers on when the Mouse King and his subjects attacked the Nutcracker and his toy soldiers. The first act ended with Clara and her Nutcracker Prince dancing off through a mass of white “snowflakes” as they twirled around the stage in their sparkling white costumes. As the last notes from the orchestra faded into the applause, the house lights came back up and Spike turned to look at the person who was sharing his box.

And found himself looking at an equally surprised Xander.

@@@

He couldn’t believe it. Why would *Spike* of all people give him, Xander Harris, a ticket to see The Nutcracker? He had made it to his seat just seconds after the house lights had dimmed, and he had become engrossed in the graceful movements of the lovely women and the equally handsome men on the stage that he hadn’t really given it any though about who his box-mate was.

“Spike?” Xander squeaked, his eyes bulging slightly even as heat crept up his face. “What are you doing here?”

For a second, he could see that the peroxide blond vampire was just as startled to see him there before it all made sense to Xander. Willow must have given Spike her other ticket when Tara got sick and didn’t tell Xander because she didn’t want to ruin the surprise. “Willow give you a ticket too?”

Spike snorted and stood up, stretching. “Red didn’t give me any ticket, whelp,” he growled, but to Xander, the growl sounded more of a defense than an angry kind of growl. “I won a pair to see the show and lost one.” He nodded at Xander. “Somehow, you wound up with the lost ticket.”

“Why did you even try to win them?” Xander knew he was sounding a bit pushy and demanding, but he was having a hard time trying to wrap his mind around the fact that the self proclaimed Big Bad had not only tried to win tickets to a *ballet* but was now watching that same ballet while wearing what looked like an expensive tuxedo and no gel in his hair. * Never realized how young he looks with his hair loose like that. *

“Because,” Spike began, his voice hard before he sat back down in his chair with his face and voice softening. With his curling hair falling into his face, Spike looked like a lost boy. “Because this show is one of the few good memories I have of when I was human.” The usual harsh Cockney accent had faded, leaving behind an accent that sounded a lot like Giles’ and revealing to Xander just how much of the accent and attitude was a shield to protect Spike from the world. Suddenly, the usual mocking smirk was back on Spike’s face as he studied Xander. “So what brings you here?”

A simple shrug as Xander stared towards the ruby red curtains that hid the stage. “I always wanted to see The Nutcracker ever since I heard a bunch of kids in first grade talking about it,” he confessed, unsure why he was telling Spike this. Perhaps it was because Spike gave him a glimpse into William the human that hid behind the persona of Spike the master vampire. “When I asked my dad if I could see it, I got a black eye for my trouble.” He grinned as he twisted in his char to face Spike. “Now I can see what all the fuss was about and sorta thumb my nose at the old man at the same time.”

Just then, the lights flickered and Xander looked around, a bit startled. “Relax, they’re just warning everyone that the second act is about to start and for them to take their seats again,” explained Spike, his voice becoming hushed as the general chatter in the theater died down.

“Hey Spike, who don’t we grab a bite to eat after the show,” invited Xander, wanting to hang onto the tentative peace between him and Spike for as long as possible. It was nice and Xander had to admit that Spike looked absolutely delectable in that tuxedo. Spike looked at him and for a moment, he though the vampire was going to refuse, but to his surprise, Spike nodded once in agreement before the house lights faded completely.

@@@

When the velvet curtains swished closed on the last dancer’s bows, Spike sighed, disappointed that the show had flown by so quickly. Movement beside him drew his attention to Xander who looked like he was going some where. “Where are ya goin’?”

Xander frowned, confused. “The show’s over. Aren’t we suppose to leave now?” he asked, gesturing to the throngs of people below them who were slowly making their way to the exits.

“One thing you have ta learn about any show in a theater is that if you want to leave with relative ease, ya gotta let the herd out first,” explained Spike, snagging Xander’s sleeve and pulling the human back into his chair. “So sit down and relax until that mass clears out.” He wasn’t surprised at the excitement that he could feel running through the young man because he was feeling the same energy coursing through his own dead veins. He almost had to wonder if Tchaikovsky had woven some kind of magic spell into his music to infuse everyone who hears it with a kind of pulsing excitement.

“Did you go see this as a Christmas tradition when you were human?” Xander asked as he fidgeted in his chair.

“Once,” confessed the vampire, smiling at the memory. “Saved up my earnings for a year to take me mum to see it as a Christmas treat. Even had enough dosh left over to buy enough evergreen for a door wreath and to string in the parlor.”

Xander stared at him with a curious and almost hungry look on his face. “What were your Christmases like? When you were human?”

Spike stretched out in his chair and gathered his thoughts. This was an unusual request coming from the human. Usually, Buffy and her little group tolerated him as long as there was a demon to fight or information to gather, but not one had ever asked him about his life when he was human. All Buffy had wanted to know that one time was how he killed his Slayers. “Well, it was a bit different than what goes on today, but many of the traditions are the same, such as hanging stockings and caroling,” began Spike as his memories drifted once more into the past where crackling fire illuminated the candle-lit tree as the scent of pine and spices filled the air.

He talked about decorating the inside of the house completely, every room filled with pinecones, pine branches, ribbons, dried fruit and berries. He described how when all the candles were lit on the tree, they twinkled like fallen stars, and made the delicately made angel perched at the top of the tree glow with an almost unearthly light.

“Nowadays, people don’t make plum pudding right,” Spike suddenly announced, breaking off his descriptions of how Victorian houses were decorated inside and out.

“What do you mean?” asked Xander, a confused expression on his face. “How do you make plum pudding the right way?”

Grinning, Spike turned sideways in his chair even as he leaned forward to talk to Xander. The boy had an almost insatiable thirst for knowledge and seemed to absorb everything that Spike said with the intensity of a dried sponge. “Your suppose to start the plum pudding five Sundays before Christmas,” began Spike. “Everyone in the family gets a turn stirring it because a wish made while stirring the pudding always came true. Then it was hung in a cloth bag until Christmas Day. On that day, it would be taken down and boiled for four or five hours, warm brandy was poured over it and lit, and right before it was placed on the table, a sprig of holly was placed on it as a garnish.” He spread his hands. “And that is how plum pudding is correctly made.”

Xander nodded his understanding before looking around, surprised. “Sounds like the crowd has vacated the building,” he remarked with a smile. “How ‘bout we go grab that dinner?”

Together, they left the theater and walked out into the few remaining clusters of people who did not want the evening to end just yet as they talked with their friends. Spike and Xander walked down the sidewalk where the brightly lit windows of an all night diner glowed with a welcoming warmth, and inside were a handful of theater patrons. Once seated with their order in, Xander gazed at Spike as he leaned across the table with a child-like delight on his face. “Tell me more about your Christmases,” he begged, his dark eyes dancing with excitement. Grinning foolishly himself, Spike launched into another tale of a Victorian era Christmas.

@@@

“Aren’t you ready yet, luv?” drawled a voice behind Xander, dragging him back to the present. Automatically, he looked into the mirror, searching for the reflection that he knew would not be there.

“I can’t figure this dang tie out,” groused Xander as he turned around to face his lover and he inhaled sharply. Spike was wearing the same tuxedo as he wore last year and still looked sexy as hell with his hair loose. About a month after their impromptu meeting at the theater, Xander had invited Spike to move in with him, and soon after, Xander discovered that the tentative friendship that had grown between them had blossomed into love on the brunette’s part. It took a really nasty fight with a kveshnu demon and Spike getting seriously injured for Xander to confess. Learning that Spike had also fallen in love with him
had turned a nearly disastrous day into one of the best nights of his life. Soon after, they took that last step and became lovers, turning Spike’s old bedroom into a guestroom.

Pushing off the door, Spike glided across the floor towards Xander with a slight smirk on his lips and casually fixed the troublesome piece of cloth with a few quick twists. “There ya are,” he announced, smoothing down the lapels of Xander’s jacket. He looked up at Xander through his eyelashes and Xander licked his lips, managing not to give into temptation and just crush Spike to him. “Why don’t ya tell me where we’re goin’ an’…”

“Nope. It’s a surprise,” interrupted Xander with a huge smile, grabbing his keys in one hand and tossing his other arm around Spike as he steered the peroxide blond vampire towards the door. Spike was a bit irritated at not knowing where they were going, but Xander knew him well enough by now to realize that while he may be irritated, he was also extremely excited.

The small lump in his pocket reminded him of his second surprise of the night. Last year, Xander had discovered a new friend during the intermission of The Nutcracker, and this year, he was going to ask Spike a very serious question during that same intermission. Grinning, Xander followed Spike out the door and began humming the March of the Toys from The Nutcracker as the door closed behind him.

Happy Holidays, everyone!!!