Fiction APP11- Blessings of the Season

Title: Accidental Pen Pals

Chapter Title: Blessings Of The Season

Author: Restive Nature

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to BtVS or Dark Angel. They belong respectively to Whedon & Mutant Enemy and to Cameron/ Eglee. No infringement is intended and this fiction is for private enjoyment only.

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Crossover

Type: Friendship/ Humor

Pairing: Dawn/ Joshua (as friends)

Summary: All she asked for was a little help on a school project... but this IS Dawn we're talking about here.

Spoilers/ Time line: This is Season 7 for BtVS and Season 2 for Dark Angel. But things have been skewed for BtVS so that the show fits into the Dark Angel format of Post-Pulse.

Feedback: Always welcome!

Distribution: Ask first please.

A/N: This is a response to the Pen Pals Challenge. For challenge details, please see the first chapter.

Chapter Eleven

Blessings Of The Season

“Wow,” Buffy murmured. She was still recovering from her fight with the uber-vamp that she and Giles had discovered just prior to Christmas. Dawn had, in the ensuing events, her concern for her only close family left, forgotten about Joshua's present that he had sent her. Worry and fear for her sister's condition was what pounded through her day and night. But Buffy was on the road to recovery, even though her spirit still seemed not quite broken, but brooding. Determined and unsure depending on what time of the day you saw her.

So Dawn had arranged for a quiet private time just for them to open some gifts. They were sitting in Buffy's room, the one that had belonged to their mother before Willow and Tara had moved in that long ago summer. So many bad memories could be associated with this room, and Dawn found herself concentrating on the painting a little harder.

“It's amazing, isn't it?” she asked a little breathlessly. The painting was large, but not too big and Joshua had found an old frame for it. Somehow the used frame, that had been through who knew how long and what, lent a quiet seriousness that was echoed in the painting. The blues and browns were not what she had expected at all, but felt familiar inside her so that when she thought Joshua it felt like the painting vibrated with his words and his jokes. It was just so right.

“I love this, right here,” Buffy smiled as she stretched her hand out, not touching but gesturing to the painting. Her finger traced in the air over the section she meant. “It's like, there's his heart,” she chuckled. Dawn tilted her head and then nodded after a moment.

“Yeah, it is, but almost hidden so that you only see parts of it,” she noted.

“I think that was the point,” Buffy mused. “That he's showing it to you little by little, but you can see how big his heart is because it echoes over here and here,” she gestured to more areas. The color was in more areas and Dawn took a step back.

“Oh yeah,” she giggled. “There it is.” She sighed happily. “And the brown, his eyes are brown. It's like how much he sees, but he's still looking for more. Like he wants to see everything.”

“And the blue,” Buffy agreed. “All those different shades. Some of them make you sad, some are happy. Like he's sad by some of the things he sees, but maybe later something else gives him hope.”

“This is just amazing,” Dawn sniffled. Her sister glanced curiously at her and then gingerly wrapped her arm around Dawn's waist. The younger girl didn't reciprocate, knowing instinctively that Buffy's ribs were still too tender for that kind of affection and solidarity.

“You okay?” Buffy whispered.

“It's just, this is the most amazing thing that someone has given me,” Dawn continued to sniffle. And then coughed. “Well, I mean aside from giving me your DNA however unknowingly or unwillingly and then saving my life and accepting me as your sister and-!”

“Yeah, I think I got the idea,” Buffy retorted dryly. “What was the point?”

“Well, just that I gave all those little things to Joshua and he gave me something that's... that's like priceless,” Dawn half whined. “How can I-?”

“Real friends don't count the cost of things,” Buffy pressed gently. “Not like that. And I bet that Joshua is thrilled with all the stuff you gave him. It wasn't just things,” she reminded her sister. “You put a lot of thought into those. Things that you like, that you think he likes and stuff that meant something to both of you. That's a better gift than just buying something expensive.”

“Yeah, I guess that's true,” Dawn nodded. She smiled brightly. “I mean, Mom always adored those little chintzy things we made in art class, right?” Buffy nodded along with her sister.

“So now here's the big question,” Buffy sighed and Dawn paused in her perusal of the painting and musing once more. “Where are we going to hang it?”

“Oh, I was thinking maybe over the mantle,” Dawn grinned. “Or maybe in the dining room. By the mirror?”

“Ehhh,” Buffy hedged, grimacing slightly.

“What?” Dawn demanded, her tone rising in pitch. “You like this picture. You said so!”

“Exactly,” Buffy nodded with a sage wisdom radiating from her. “And how often has Xander had to repair the living room or dining room over the last... how long?”

“It hasn't been... that bad,” Dawn winced. “Okay, yeah, I see your point.”

“Sooner or later, everything comes looking for a fight with the Slayer,” Buffy grunted. “Or a fight with someone in this house. Sometimes even those in the house go looking for a fight,” she added with a mirthless chuckle.

“That's true,” Dawn sighed. “So what are we going to do?”

“Well, I see five options, three of which I doubt you'll like,” Buffy chuckled, suddenly light hearted again. Or at least, as light hearted as she could muster herself up to be. “One, we could hang it in my room.”

“Color scheme isn't right,” Dawn denied that request instantly. Her sister smirked at her, having already deduced what the answer would be. “Number two?”

“There's Willow's room, which no, right?” Buffy shrugged one shoulder. “And the bathroom, which would be cool, but I wouldn't want people to think that we don't like it and are sticking it in there because... well, whatever.”

“Yeah, no to those,” Dawn shook her head. “So that leaves...?”

“Your room or the upstairs hallway,” Buffy declared. “Now, the hallway offers everyone that comes up the chance to see it and appreciate it, you'll see it every night before you go to bed and put a little smile on your face. Put it in your room and you take away the everyone else seeing it.”

“Uh,” Dawn groaned. “Dilemma.”

“I know,” Buffy smirked once more. She clapped one gentle hand on her sister's shoulder before turning away. “And it's your painting so it's all on you. Just let me know when you're ready to hang it. I'll borrow Xander's level.”

“Oh!” Dawn half shrieked suddenly. “I have to show it to them. You know, in case I decide it's going in my room forever!”

“All right,” Buffy nodded. “I'll send them up. Sorry, but I'm not up to lugging it down the stairs and then back up again.”

“Okay,” Dawn nodded, her stomach twisting at the abrupt reminder of how close she had come to losing her sister yet again and in a more permanent manner than ever before.

Seattle, WA

Earlier in the day

“Merry Christmas!” Max called as she pushed the door open to bring her motorcycle in with her. She took an appreciative sniff as Alec ambled along to the hallway. He reached for her bag, just like every time she stopped in, but this time she let him take it.

“Gah,” he muttered through a yawn as he carried her loaded back pack to the table. She had already brought over the bulk of her presents earlier in the week and had found an old tree for Joshua to decorate as he would. “Big guy was up at five this morning, couldn't get me to his level excitement so he started cooking and wouldn't let me get into anything until you got here,” he complained. “Hope you brought something edible.”

“There's some donuts in there, so shut up,” she offered good naturedly as she removed her coat and threw it on the back of the sofa. “It smells good in here.”

“That's the aborted mulled cider,” Alec rolled his eyes as he dug through the pack for the bag of donuts that Max had carted along. His stomach was grumbling appreciably. “Scalded it, so he poured it off into a new pan and it's apparently now potpourri.”

“Well, that's the whole purpose then, isn't it?” Max frowned in that special way she had. “To make the house smell good.” She winced slightly and hunched her shoulders as if preparing for catastrophe. “How's the chicken?”

“Hasn't put it in yet, but he's been fussing over it,” Alec chuckled. Turkey or ham was usually the choice of the day, they all knew that. Unfortunately there had been a dearth on pork that summer and fall. And turkey was extremely pricey with it's lack of commercial availability. So Max had gotten the closest thing she could, which were several five pound chickens, all dressed according to directions that Logan had helpfully written out for them. She had helped Joshua figure out the menu for that day and figured that mac and cheese from a box would be easy enough. And all he had to do was defrost the pie and put it in the oven to warm. She knew about corn and green bean dishes as well, but those came out of a can, easy peasy. Some boxed mashed potatoes maybe and that boxed stuffing and they had little to worry about.

“Well, stay out of the rest of my bag, okay,” she muttered as she turned and headed to the kitchen to greet her friend. She found him just inside the door of the kitchen. “Hey Joshua, Merry Christmas.”

“Happy Holidays!” Joshua boomed back. “Max just in time. Put chicken in for hour. Then eat.”

Max's gaze roamed over the counters. Joshua had everything laid out in various degrees and seemed quite ready to go. “Smells good in here. Is the oven heated?”

“Yes,” Joshua nodded. “Just wait few more minutes for Max. Vegetables right?” he asked, gesturing to the two pans on the stove top that each contained a chicken as well as some cut up potatoes, onions and carrots. There was a light dusting of something that held the heavy aroma, thyme, Max thought. She breathed in heartily, catching that as well as the potpourri.

“Exactly right,” she nodded. “Is there some liquid in there? And where did you get the potatoes and stuff from?”

“Chicken stock from can,” Joshua nodded. He pointed at the discards in the trash bin. “Alec call in favor,” he chuckled, answering the other question.

“Excellent,” Max nodded. “Let's put them in.” They busied themselves for just a moment doing so and when the oven door was shut, she checked her watch. “Okay, we come back in 45 minutes to check on it and put the rest of the vegetables on. Is the pie out?”

Joshua once again gestured to the counter and Max saw the boxed dessert with a light rime of frost still on the edges. She nodded and patted his shoulder blade. “Ready to open presents now?” he asked hopefully and Max chuckled.

“Of course,” she nodded. “It was so nice of you to wait while I dropped off Logan's to him.”

“Yes,” Joshua nodded. “Logan like gifts?”

“He loved them,” Max assured him. “He hung that painting up right away, in the front hallway. He is so proud to be one of the few people in the world that own an original Joshua!”

“He's been making enough of 'em,” Alec scoffed through a mouthful of donut. He held the bag out to the bigger man as he passed by but Joshua shook his head in the negative.

“Already ate breakfast,” he grunted as he took a seat right next to the tree. “Save appetite for lunch now.”

“You already ate?” Alec's eyes went up in disbelief. “What? When!”

“In morning, make eggs scrambled and toast,” Joshua grinned. “Offered to Alec, but didn't want to wake up.

“Maybe if you had offered him coffee first,” Max chuckled. She was the same way some mornings.

“Out of coffee,” Joshua informed her easily. “Had green tea instead.”

“Oh, why didn't you say,” Max complained gently. “I can get some more for you. If you want.”

“Or I have a can stashed,” Alec explained. “Might as well use it, since Josh doesn't drink that much of it.”

“Okay,” Max nodded. “I'll head over tomorrow. Anything else you want?”

Alec, not wanting to question her good nature or spirit or whatever it was shrugged. “Maybe just a small list. We can haggle later,” he offered carefully. Max gave him a small smirk.

“All right,” Max agreed. “Okay, Joshua, present time!”

As if he had been waiting for just that moment, he dove into the relatively small pile and began divvying up the packages of various sizes. Both Max and Alec were surprised to see that they had each gotten the other something, perhaps it was manners or Joshua's influence. But their interest in their own was pushed to the back as they saw Joshua running his fingers over the present that Dawn had sent to Joshua. The box was the largest there, though still not too big. He chuckled then and glanced up at Max.

“Want to save specialness a little longer,” he explained before moving his hand to a different present. And though Alec kept examining with pleasure, the gift he had in his hands. Max waited to watch Joshua open his first gift, which turned out to be Cindy's. It was a two fold gift. One part was a very special, hard to find, really expensive hair conditioner. It was to be used twice a week and Cindy had written out the instructions for him. The next was a boxed set of books. Joshua was over the moon about it and carefully folded the paper away after studying it for a moment. When he saw Max watching, he grinned.

“Need palimpsests,” he explained wryly and Max smiled indulgently. She quickly encouraged him to open more as she carefully tackled her own. Joshua was impressed when Logan gave him a nice box full of wafer crackers and cheese spreads with little pots of jam. And a jar of hot chocolate. The entire package was carefully put together with new things mixed with familiar, in a basket that Joshua could use later somewhere in the house.

They continued on, until at last was Dawn's solitary package. Alec leaned forward with the pocket knife that he had received from an admiring Normal who had sent it through Max. Joshua used it to open up the packaging and let out an exclamation when he opened the flaps.

“Little little presents!” he sang out and began removing each from the box. No package was wrapped in the same paper twice and everyone's eyes grew wide when Joshua handed one of the gifts to Max.

“Why don't you just open them one at a time?” she suggested gently, but Joshua's answering grin was wide.

“Not for Joshua,” he replied and Max glanced at the shiny foil sticker that had her name written on it.

“Oh, wow,” Max breathed out and noted that Joshua was holding one out for Alec, who looked completely mystified. “Is there a card or anything?” she wondered, surprised that a teen girl that she didn't know but barely, through the letters she had written to Joshua that he had allowed her to see, would be so sweet.

“Aha,” Joshua nodded and held up the slim card that had been tucked in the side. He carefully worked the square envelope open and pulled out a festive card. He opened it and several things slid out. He glanced at them and laughed. “Picture of friends! Dawn promised.” He looked it over carefully and then laughed again. “Dawn say she have to sneak it from her sister's photo frame and make copy. Then sneak it back. There is Buffy, Willow and Xander. Says it was her mother's favorite picture.” He passed it over to Max who studied with interest the trio. The redhead had to be Willow and Xander was the male, so that left the petite blond as Dawn's elder sister. They looked so young to her jaded eyes. She glanced at the back and saw that someone, Dawn probably had written in small letters, Sunnydale, spring 2015 to explain at least part of the picture.

She glanced up, handing the picture to Alec, who was leaning in her direction. He took it and gave a low wolf whistle that had her rolling her eyes, before turning back to their larger friend who was opening another envelope. “What is it?” she wondered.

“Oh, explains gifts for friends,” Joshua nodded. “Wanted to thank everybody for helping with her project and helping us become friends.”

“That's so sweet of her,” Max cooed with surprise.

“Might want to wait about saying that until after we open them,” Alec quipped and ducked back before Max's hand could shoot out. Her eyes promised retribution later. He smirked and turned to opening the flat package that Joshua had handed him. But he seemed to rescind his opinion automatically as he lifted out a pair of leather riding gloves from the box. “Oh man, these are top of the line!” He turned them over in his hands several times, obviously stunned before noting a small detail. “And look, she stitched something in the lining.”

“Uh huh,” Joshua nodded. “Dawn say, Gaelic blessing to protect the wearer and keep hands warm when working.”

“Cool,” Alec nodded. “I'll be wearing the hell out of these this winter.” He affected a shiver over the thought of the rainy Seattle weather. He carefully worked one of the gloves on and whistled again. “Man, I thought they were gonna be a little large, but whoa, perfect fit.”

“Like a glove,” Joshua barked a laugh and Max joined in. “Now Max. Dawn say Max and Cindy's gift similar.”

“Okay,” Max nodded. “Does she say what yours are? Or do I need to take that list from you?”

“Dawn explain how she made or why she chose my gifts, no specifics,” Joshua explained as Max opened a very small jewelry box.

“Oh, an anklet,” she breathed out as she worked it out of the box and her eye zoomed in on the links. “It's like a miniature charm bracelet.”

Joshua nodded as he and Alec both leaned over to examine it as well. “Dawn says she used handmade silver charms. Uh, pentagram means protection, not Satan worship,” he continued as Max turned it in her hands.

“I actually knew that,” she told them. “And those are... ankhs? Egyptian cross of life, isn't it?”

“And some other arcane symbols that mean life and protection,” Joshua agreed. He then lifted up Cindy's package. “Cindy has necklace in silver, like Max's. Dawn thought Max like for when riding motorcycle, not lose it as easy as necklace.”

“Oh either way, it's an extremely nice gift,” Max decided as she started working her shoe off so that she could attach it around her ankle and then twisted her foot this way and that to admire it. Joshua chuckled and when she glanced up, Joshua was reading the list again. “What is it?”

“Dawn get Logan a key chain,” he told her and Alec snorted. “Logo of Sunnydale newspaper. Dawn thought he'd like the motto.”

“Well, we will definitely note his reaction,” Max nodded. “Now,” she leaned forward in anticipation, holding her hand out, “let me see that and you get to opening!”

Alec scooted a little closer so that he could see over Joshua's shoulder the four gifts that were left for the big guy. The first that he chose, Max understood as soon as she saw the disc in the case. It was listed as the one she promised she owed him for all his help. The title that had been printed on a label, was the presentation that had been recorded for her school assignment.

“This is what she needed your help with?” Alec wondered as he read the title. Joshua nodded.

“Three places in Washington to research,” he grinned and settled the disk on the side and reached for the next one as he explained. “Dawn tell Joshua she do the same for Sunnydale so Joshua know her home like she know ours.” He glanced down at the gift in his hand. “This number three, where's two?”

“It's okay,” Max soothed. “You don't have to open them in order. I think she did that just so you knew which gift corresponded to which explanation. This one says that this one commemorates a once in a lifetime phenomena. Go ahead and open it Joshua.”

He paused for only a moment before he was ripping into it. When he removed the gift from the box, he found a snow globe. With a wondering smile he studied it as the tiny flurry from the motion of being opened settled and then saw a picture of Dawn's sister sitting with a man. They were smiling lovingly at one another and didn't seem to be aware of whomever took the picture. Joshua shook it up carefully and admired the way the snowy like substance swirled around the happy faces.

“Hey, there's a note on the bottom,” Alec noted. Joshua grunted and turned the snow globe carefully. He worked his finger under the tape and opened up the small note.

'This is Buffy & her boyfriend from high school, Angel. Angel had a very hard life & when he was at his lowest, Buffy tried to convince him that life was more than pain & suffering. There was beauty & surprises around the corner. They were up on the cliffs above Sunnydale when it began to snow the first & only time in the history of the town. She brought him home & he's grown into one of the strongest men that I know.' Joshua read out, squinting a little to make out the tiny print.

“Oh that's beautiful,” Max sighed happily. “She made that herself?”

“Looks like it,” Alec nodded. “You can see where she had a little too much material there,” he gestured, pointing between the wooden base and the actual globe.

“Makes it all the more special,” Joshua defended, but the other two just nodded their agreement. He sniffled slightly before reaching for the present listed as number two. Max dropped her eyes to the list in her lap.

“This is the one that you need to have, because she wouldn't dare leave you out,” she read. “And she did the braiding herself. Willow was the one that suggested the material. Huh. Whatever that means,” she added. Though she was far from annoyed, more amused by the words she read out.

Alec gave her a puzzled look, but Max thought that she might already know and nodded to herself when Joshua opened a braided cord necklace. There was a strange gold symbol at the bottom.

“Wicca protection,” Joshua declared as he swiftly looped the necklace over his head and carefully threaded his still slightly bushy mane out of the way before settling it on his chest. “Dawn told me, Willow practising Wicca ways since high school. Cord made specially in Wicca rite probably.”

“Exactly,” Max smiled. “Probably blessings and protection.”

“Long life and all that jazz,” Alec chuckled. “Now, what's that last one?” He gestured to the slim, flat package.

Max remained quiet, not listing what Dawn had written for this one as it seemed very personal. Joshua stripped the wrapping paper away and lifted up the book that Dawn had sent. Joshua gasped as his hands cradled the book and then hugged it to himself, glanced up at Max once and then back down to the book and carefully opened the cover.

“A book?” Alec asked doubtfully. But Joshua was shaking his head.

“Second edition Peter Pan,” he explained. “Belong to Joyce, Dawn and Buffy's mother. Favorite story to read when little.”

“Oh man,” Alec seemed surprised. “That is a nice gift for you big guy. What're those?” he wondered, gesturing to where bits of paper were sticking out. His question caught his friends curiosity and Joshua turned to where the first was sticking up from between the pages. It turned out to be a picture of young Dawn in bed, her mother reading to her, both with soft smiles on their faces for the picture taker.

“Joyce beautiful,” Joshua nodded. “Like Dawn said.” He carefully inserted the picture back in and turned to the next one. As soon as he saw it, he started laughing. Dawn was dressed up as Peter Pan and Buffy was Tinkerbell. A man that was not familiar stood behind the girls, looking proud and happy. “Must be their father,” Joshua decided. He continued roaming through the book, finding the copies of pictures that had Dawn, her family or friends, reading or being silly. When he closed the book, Max chuckled. “What?”

“Dawn wrote how many pictures there were,” Max explained. “You haven't found them all yet.”

Joshua nodded and quickly explained. “Leave some for when I read,” he announced. “Find new pictures like new gift each time.”

“That sounds like fun,” Max agreed. “It was a really good idea to share her pictures that way.”

“Oh Alec, look,” Joshua chuckled as he turned back to one of the girl's friends. He had seen what was written on the back and it featured Xander, his face pinched up happily, his hands down by his sides and his legs were blurred. “Xander do Snoopy dance.”

“It's an epileptic seizure dance?” Alec teased as he smirked at the photo. Both Joshua and Max looked and burst out laughing.

“Maybe,” Max wheezed slightly. She might have said more, but her watch beeped, reminding her of the dinner that was cooking in the oven. She laid her hand on Joshua's shoulder. “You sit, enjoy your presents. Alec and I can get the veggies on.”

“Yeah big guy,” Alec nodded quickly, feeling the glow of Christmas good will. “You've been a gracious host, so my turn, right?”

“All right,” Joshua nodded. “Thank you.” He turned back to looking over the first page of the book, his finger sliding against the golden edged pages, absorbed instantly. Max hovered in the doorway for a moment, like a prideful mother watching over her young pup, before Alec's touch at her shoulder brought her back to the moment. She smiled up at him, glad that for once, they all finally had a family to share the true meaning of the holidays with.