The Xmas files

Prologue

"Remind me again what we're doing here and why I let you drag me in to all of this...again?" Asked the red haired woman sitting in the passenger side of her partners car. It was winter in Sunnydale Christmas was just a week away. It was cold out and the car heater was failing. The woman huddled further into her long over coat and cast a questioning glance at the dark haired man beside her. He had yet to give her a solid explanation as to why they where in this drab little Californian town in mid-winter staking out a cemetery. Then again he had yet to give her a solid explanation for anything.

"Vampire hunting." he said grinning boyishly at her. Her was dressed smartly in a black suit and tie but despite that he was totally laid back. He stretched a little his jacket sliding back to reveal a gun tucked away into its shoulder holster.

"Vampires, right I should have guessed." She rolled her eyes and reached over to fiddle with the car heater. She was equally well dressed wearing tailored maroon jacket and trousers under her coat.

"You know that phone call I got the other day? It was an old friend in oxford said he'd heard something interesting about this place and thought I might want to check it out."

"Vampires?"

"Hellmouth actually."

"Hellmouth?" She looked over at him totally confused now.

"Yeah. I've done some reading its an opening between hell and earth and it draws all sorts of different creatures towards it." he said picking up a bag of sunflower seeds from the dash and popping one into his mouth. "I'm still kind of hazy but there's a Hellmouth expert living here who I'm going to visit tomorrow."

�And *if* vampires exist what evidence is there to suggest that they would actually be found hanging around cemetery's?" She asked skeptically.

"Waking up." The man shrugged. Just then something outside the car caught the woman's eye.

"Okay. So your saying this is an area linking hell and earth?" She asked

"Yeah."

"So don't you think that people would be a little more wary of letting their children walk around during the night." She stated flipping her fingers toward a group of 5 teenagers walking down the street talking and laughing.

"Maybe they're vampires." He smiled

"Oh come on, their just kids."

"Then why are they going into the cemetery?" The woman looked up an frowned. *He's right they're going into the cemetery.* She thought to herself *You got to admit that's Strange, there is probably some rational explanation behind this.*

"It's probably just morbid curiosity." *Yeah.* "Don't tell me you never went into a cemetery at night as a kid."

"Yeah but I was younger than they are and didn't live on a Hellmouth." He opened the car door and slid out picking up a flash light from the dash.

"Where are you going?" She asked

"Hunting vampire's." He grinned back. He closed the door and made his way across the road. The woman let out a short exasperated growl then followed her partner into the cemetery.

Part one.

The Scooby gang found the fresh grave close to the entrance to the cemetery and set themselves down on the grass in front of it. Buffy seemed laid back to her friends but was on full alert inside. She sat up a little when she felt a vampire coming in to range then stop near by. She knew it was Spike. It wasn't very often he'd follow her on patrol especially when her friends where around. Some times he'd make a token appearance for the others sake and let her kick his butt. She hoped he would tonight. She could do with a good fight with it being a slow week and all.

Spike hadn't come into the cemetery because of Buffy tonight in fact there was a couple of good films on the movie channel tonight that he wanted to watch. Something had stopped him from walking home this night though. He'd been walking along the roof tops on his way back to the lair when he'd noticed the car. Parked opposite the cemetery he'd watched as the occupants talked then followed the slayer and kin into the cemetery. The only part of their conversation he'd caught was 'Hunting Vampires'. He thought he'd best keep an eye on his favorite slayer tonight and then maybe she'd be up for a fight later. He watched them now as the watched the slayer a man and a woman. He noticed that each had a gun.

The woman looked on confused as the 5 teens sat down on the grass in the cemetery and proceeded to play a game of, 'truth or dare.' She had the unnerving feeling of being watched too. Her partner stood up from his crouched position and began to walk round towards the group.

"Hey, where are you going?" She hissed.

"Hunting vampires." He replied began wandering slowly over to the teens

"Oh God." She put her hand to her forehead she was starting to get a headache.

"Oz, truth or dare?" Willow asked.

"Uh, dare....I think." He answered hesitantly. Willow grinned along with Cordy and Buffy who all knew what the dare would be. Willow lent over to Oz and whispered in his ear. Xander strained to hear but she was too quiet. Oz's eye's grew wide.

"Your serious?" He asked turning to face her.

"Yep see my resolve face." Willow nodded. Sure enough she was in full resolve face. They all waited to hear his answer.

"Hey!" A loud voice came from a little way off. The teens all jumped up into defensive postures and faced the intruder. A tall dark haired man in a suit with a flash light came walking towards them a not-so-tall red haired woman following close behind. Buffy felt Spike move a little closer through the trees. Now would *not* be the best time for him to make an appearance. She swore she'd kick his butt if he did, more so.

"I'm an Agent with the FBI and this is my partner." The man flashed his card for the group but noticed that they didn't seem to relax at all.

"You took your time." Xander muttered a little two loudly earning himself a back hand from either side when Willow and Cordy heard him.

"Excuse me?" the red head asked.

"He-he has a.. a.... thing." Willow caught.

"Yeah. A speech thing." Cordy supplied.

"Yeah, makes me say crazy things." Xander finished glaring at the girls who shot him small grins. The pair looked skeptical obviously not believing a word but they let it drop.

"So." The man looked around. "What are you kids doing out at this time of night, and in a cemetery?"

"We....were looking for UFO's" Buffy blurted. nodding emphatically. She knew it was lame but she was rushed. She heard Spike chuckle with her supernatural hearing and cursed him.

"Yeah, there's been a lot of sightings over here." Oz supplied calmly. Thank god for Oz. He was one of the most convincing liars that she knew. Apart from when it came to lying to Willow and then he became utterly hopeless. Which was cute in its own totally gut wrenching way. The red head woman rolled her eyes, but the guy shifted from one foot to the other and then back again looking up at the sky for a second then back at them.

"Really?" He asked. "When?" Buffy could hardly believe it he was buying their story! She heard Spike out right laugh and held her breath when the red head shined a torch in his general direction. She obviously didn't find anything coz she shook her head and returned to the conversation. *Great, so they brought the story no problem, now we just have to get them out of the cemetery before...*

Buffy lost her train of thought because dead guy decided on that time to make an appearance springing from the ground. The agents stumbled back in surprise both going for their guns.

Buffy spun round kicking the vamp in the chest and throwing him off of balance. She pulled a stake from her waist band and dusted the vamp within seconds. An awkward silence fell over the cemetery as the Agents tried to assimilate what they had just witnessed.

"Last week, Wednesday I think. at least that was the last time." Cordy said flippantly breaking the silence.

"What?" the red head looked up at her confused. as did the rest of the group apart from Willow who caught on instantly.

�The UFO sightings," She supplied "they where centered mainly around here we where just hoping we might see something, y' know."

"Yeah." Xander chimed in quickly. "Body snatching I heard" That earned him another double back hand.

"Anyone mind explaining to me what that was just now?" The woman asked impatiently.

"What was what?" Buffy frowned. The woman just glared at her.

"I think my partner means the vampire you just killed." The dark haired man smiled waving his hand at the dust on the floor. The friends looked at the dust then at the agents then at each other and burst out into bouts of obviously fake laughter.

"Hey, Will, you hear that, vampires!" Xander laughed

"Yeah. What a laugh"

"Your really funny you should go on stage, no really." Cordy told him.

"Vampires in boring old Sunnydale what are the chances of that?" Buffy asked

"About the same as the chances of us actually *seeing* a UFO." Oz returned then just as quickly as the laughter started it stopped. Buffy looked up at the Sky hastily

"Well looks like no more alien activity tonight, we better be getting home its late and all." The agents had no time to react as the teens spoke saying their goodnights and disappearing off in different directions leaving them stood bemused in the darkened cemetery.

"You think they know something?" The man asked with a smile

"Mulder, do you realize we where just out talked by a bunch of high school kids?"

"You know what Scully, I'm trying not to think about it."

Part 2

"Rupert Giles?" Giles looked up from the cage to see a man and a woman stood just inside the doorway of the library.

"Y-yes. I am he, well I-I mean that is me"

"I'm Agent Scully and this is my partner Agent Mulder we're with the Federal Bureau of Investigations. We where wondering if you could answer some questions please." The woman, Agent Scully asked.

"W-well yes of-of course" he replied moving out of the cage. "May I ask err, what about?"

"Hellmouths." Came the reply from agent Mulder who was inspecting a book on the counter with raised eyebrows.

"Hellmouths?, I don't er quite understand." Giles frowned removing his glasses and cleaning them. Mulder moved over to the main table and looked down at some of the books there then back at the nervous watcher.

"I was told that you would know all about Hellmouths by a contact of my friend and seeing your choice of reading matter I'm thinking that he may be right." Agent Scully picked up a book from beside her and looked up at the watcher curiously.

"Creatures of the night?" She asked reading the title. Giles looked down at the floor for a second before fixing his gaze on her partner.

"Who was this contact?" He asked

"I'm sorry but I cant tell you that."

"I could hazard a guess and say Ethan Rayne."

"How did you know?" He asked

"Old adversary." Giles replied dryly then sighed "What exactly would you like to know?"

"I..." Mulder was cut off as the library doors swung open and Buffy Willow and Cordy breezed in.

"Giles your not going to *believe* what happened to us last night....." Buffy trailed off when she noticed the new arrivals standing next to the cage.

"Hello again." Mulder smiled

"Your the kids from the cemetery." Scully confirmed

"You er you've met I take it?" Giles asked

"Er, yeah, kinda."

"It seems like your students here like to play vampire hunters." Mulder clarified

"The correct terminology is vampire slayers actually, and I can assure you that there is no play involved." Giles corrected

"Er Giles," Willow skirted quickly round the table to *her* computer. "What's going on?"

�Yeah what's with the give-away-vital-secrets-about-vampires attitude?" Cordy stated bluntly.

"Gee, tact girl." Buffy scolded.

"Lying is going to do us no good what so ever in this situation I'm afraid." Giles told them unhappily.

"And our situation is?" Buffy asked

"We came to ask Mr. Giles about some strange occurrences in Sunnydale" Scully explained.

"Some?" Cordy scoffed. Buffy shot her an angry 'shut up Cordy' look "Hey he said not with the lying. God need a hearing aid much."

"Cordy do you think you...." Giles trailed off as he stared at the Cheerleader for a second. Cordelia shifted uncomfortably

"What?"

"Oh er it's nothing just your er hair its.." Giles didn't get to finish as a mortified look fell over Cordy's face.

"Hair? *My* hair? Oh god I need a mirror." Cordy turned on her heel and dashed out of the room leaving a smiling Giles staring at the swinging doors.

"Works every time." Giles sighed with relief. His smile faded a little when Xander walked in *one leaves another comes to replace her, worse than demons.* Giles thought to himself.

"Hello..." He said cheerfully then looked at the agents he spun on his heel "Good-bye" he began to walk to the exit.

"Xander. Sit." Buffy ordered. He turned back pouting a little and slumped into a chair.

"Do you know what the mortality rate is for Sunnydale Mr. Giles?" Scully asked

"I'll go out on a limb and say, high." Xander deadpanned. Buffy chuffed him on the back of the head and Xander did his best to look hurt.

"There where over one hundred deaths and disappearances. In this one town last year I'm surprised that the place isn't deserted." Mulder said picking up another book and skimming through it. Giles rubbed his eyes under his glasses for a second.

"If you'd like to sit down this may take awhile." Giles sighed.

"Yeah," Xander chipped in. "Vampires are real, Allot of them live in Sunnydale.....That's about it." Buffy chuffed him again.

"I'm afraid its a little more complicated than that."

"Hey... My hairs perfect, If I didn't know better I'd think you where trying to get rid of me." Cordy announced breezing into the library and sitting down next to Xander. Giles rolled his eyes. It was going to be a long morning.

"And you kill vampires, alone?" Mulder asked looking Buffy up and down.

"Well I'm supposed to." Buffy replied shuffling uncomfortably under the agents gaze sure that he wasn't just assessing her slaying abilities (She had a feeling his partner noticed that too) "But the guys help."

The group before Mulder looked just like any other group of Californian teenagers but he'd learnt over the course of the morning that they where far from ordinary in their abilities. Oz who had turned up a little later to help the librarian clear the cage in the corner of the library for some event that weekend. All of them helping to explain the girl Buffy's calling as a slayer he knew his partner wasn't believing a word.

"W-well its not just, er, vampires. There are all manner of demons and supernatural beings on the Hellmouth that the-the Slayer, er must d-defeat." Giles added

"Not to mention bug people." Xander chipped in.

"Bug people?" Scully looked skeptically at the teen but Xander hardly noticed munching happily on a bag of cheesy chips he was sharing with Mulder after the two of them had finished the sunflower seeds from her partners coat pocket.

"Yep Xander's your regular expert on bug people round here. He's seen, and been attacked by them all."

"And he even managed to drag me down with him once." Cordy complained scowling at her beau who was sitting on the Counter next to the cute FBI agent.

"Oh come on Cordy you have to admit, it wasn't all that bad." He said raising his eyebrows and remembering their first kiss in the basement of Buffy's house. He looked at Mulder and gave him a half smile as Cordy blushed they exchanged a knowing *Guy* look. "Well.."

Xander continued "We had Science teacher who was a huge praying mantis...."

Scully had to smile as she noticed Mulder shudder at the thought of a huge praying mantis remembering her telephone conversation with him once about his first encounter with one of the insects and his resultant near fear of bugs, She have to rib him later about girly screams.

"Who wanted nothing more than to bare my children and rip my head off," Cordy interrupted him before she thought about the implications of speaking out loud.

"I know how she feels." The room was silenced in seconds as everyone looked in shock at the cheerleader. "You know guys I'd *love* to stay and chit-chat about the latest and greatest demons in Sunnydale but I got things to do." Cordy hurried out of the room practically glowing from head to foot like a 'Don't Walk' sign.

"Then there was Latvian bug guy who tried to kill Buffy, sorry guys but I think I hear the closet calling, I'm off to find Cordy" Xander managed to say in one huge breath before sharing a look with Mulder and disappearing out of the door.

"Feel the passion!" Willow grinned to her boyfriend. Oz smiled at her and then turned to look at Agent Scully.

"You know I'm sensing skepticism." Oz had been the quietest of the teens watching and accessing two things he had been told he was good at. Scully was leaning against the cage dismissing each and every vampire and demon story she had heard as nothing but fantasy.

"I just find some of your stories a little difficult to believe." She shrugged

"They aren't stories though they really happened." Willow frowned looking hurt that someone would be so quick as to not believe her, she was believable, dependable, truthful, Willow. Oz reached out and put his arm around her comfortingly knowing exactly what she was thinking.

"I'm sorry but they seem like nothing but flights of fancy. Bed time stories told over and over until you believe them. I'm not doubting that you think what your saying is real but it's not you've got to realize that."

"Oh so now we aren't lying we're just insane." Buffy shot. Folding her arms over her chest.

"I didn't say that,"

"As good as." Buffy was always ready for a fight whether it be physical or verbal, no matter that she preferred physical.

"I-I'm afraid I'm going to have to-to er side with Buffy on this." Giles glared at Scully.

"Your just as bad as they are for encouraging this kind of delusional thinking."

"Oh so its delusional now." Buffy felt maybe this would be a good time to rethink this being a purely verbal battle.

"Okay, I'm gonna step in here and say hey...So hey." Oz said standing and walking around the table. "So you don't believe a word we're saying, doesn't mean it isn't real. Is there anything that will make you believe?"

"Yeah I'll believe what I can see. I'll believe what there is rational evidence for. I'll believe what you can logically explain not fairy stories."

"Well I-I'm sorry Agent Scully but-but there's very little about the supernatural that is logical."

"Scully, you've seen these things already things you can't explain. The vampire last night, you saw his face you saw him disappear when Buffy staked him." Mulder jumped down off of the counter setting the bag of cheesy chips behind him. He was waiting for the conditioned response Scully had built up over the years she had worked for him. She didn't disappoint.

"What did we see last night Mulder? It was dark, we where surprised. What we saw could have been anything its hardly evidence for Vampires, Demons or..... bug people."

"Well you want to see something not of the normal wait for this weekend." Oz nodded.

"Why what happens this weekend?" Mulder asked.

"Full moon." Oz smiled a little

"What and I suppose we're all going to be attacked but hordes of Werewolves." Scully shook her head then noticed everyone grinning even Giles was finding it hard keep a straight face.

"What?"

Part 3

Buffy sat on the bench in the park full aware of the vampire walking up behind her. She was stopping by for an early sweep before she went for some Bronzing time with the others. She'd be back later that night trailing two FBI agents. She didn't know how to take them. One was supercritical ready to try and disprove everything she saw that didn't fit in with scientific boundaries. The other was eager to learn about everything the Boca Del Inferno had to offer, a little too eager.

Sure having the FBI know about the Hellmouth would be useful maybe she wouldn't have to be so secretive about everything. But she did like the safety that came with the secrecy. If more people knew who and what she was what stopped someone hiring a human assassin with guns methods that she couldn't fight. It scared her.

"What's up Luv?" Spike asked. Spike, okay so he was a soulless bloodsucking fiend from beyond the grave but at least he knew there was a time to fight and a time to talk she definitely wanted to talk. He sat down on the bench beside her.

"Its these FBI Agents. they got me thinking." She shrugged "They came to the school today looking for Giles and Giles got us to tell them everything."

"Why does that strike me as not right?" He asked

"My point exactly." Buffy sighed "Subject change, what are you doing tonight? Pretend I care."

"You'd stake me if I told you."

"Lie then"

"Ok, I'm gonna drain those FBI Agents dry then go to the cinema and watch 'house on haunted hill'"

"Liar."

"Yep, already seen 'house on haunted hill.'" Buffy hit him.

The Bronze was packed when the agents arrived fighting their way through the throng until the noticed some familiar faces. The walked up to the table where Willow and Cordy where sitting.

"Where is everyone?" Mulder asked

"Buffy and Xander are dancing, Oz is playing." Cordy waved her hand in the direction of the Stage and dance floor Oz Xander and Buffy could be seen dancing together and Oz was fixating on Willow while sub-consciously playing the guitar. Cordy turned to Willow to see that she was equally as fixated on Oz, absentmindedly sucking on her soda through a green and red straw.

"Oh and Willow's on cloud nine," she sighed. "Hand me a bucket please." Buffy and Xander noticed the new arrivals and wandered over.

"Hey!" she smiled "So you ready to go kill bad guys?"

"As ready as we'll ever be." Mulder grinned. Scully rolled her eyes and asked herself again why she was taking part in these childish antics. Buffy pulled a bag from one of the seats at the table and produced two vials of holy water and two crosses. Buffy looked each agent up and down and then reached into her bag again giving each of them a stake. It wasn't as if they'd get a chance to use them anyway.

"The stakes are just in case, remember no hero shit I'm the slayer your just tagging along to watch don't get in my way and if a vamp attacks you use the holy water and crosses first, Try not to use your guns they just piss the vamps off and I don't wanna get caught in the crossfire. You got all that or do you need me to write it down for ya'?"

"We got it." Scully assured her hardly believing she was getting tips from an adolescent California air head.

"Okay. I'll catch you guys tomorrow sometime, Willow call me."

Buffy lead the two agents out of the club and into the chilly winter air. Buffy lead them to the park where she had talked with Spike earlier in the night. Spike Buffy hated to admit but she was starting to get a warm feeling when she thought about Spike and sometimes her heart would have a little trouble beating when she saw him he was definitely a good kisser. She seriously had the hotts for a certain bottle blond.

"What do we do now?" Agent Scully asked looking around and wondering again why she was here.

"We wander around a little look for suspicious stuff." Buffy shrugged "Works for me anyway."

"Define suspicious." Mulder asked

"Anything Vampish."

"Does short peroxide blond wearing duster and smoking cigarette late at night in playground constitute 'Anything Vampish'?" Mulder asked looking past her at the Jungle Jim. Sure enough Spike was standing behind her grinning sadistically at them.

"Ah, pet you brought appetizers, how thoughtful." He grinned flicking his Cigarette stub away and walking forward.

"I'll handle this." Buffy told them then turned to spike. "Don't, I repeat don't call me pet." Buffy moved too fast for Spike turning and slamming her sole into his gut he doubled over but straightened almost instantly.

"Fine Luv." He ducked a right cross

"Duck's." He jumped as she tried to sweep his feet away and kicked the toe of his boot into her chin throwing her back. She rolled over and onto her feet taking a fighting stance.

"Princess." He foot flew round in a spinning kick that landed on his jaw throwing him over. He swept her feet bringing her down too the jumped up and waited for her move. It never came.

A loud bang resonated around the park as Mulder's gun fired hitting Spike in the shoulder sending him over. Mulder was on him in a second pulling out his stake before Spike moved out of his daze that followed the bullet. Buffy was on her feet again and had a second to think. She kicked the stake out of Mulder's hand and pulled him off the Game faced Spike.

"What are you doing?" Mulder asked looking at Buffy in confusion. "I thought you killed vampires?"

"I do." Buffy said defensively then looked at the floor and added quietly "Well most of the time." Spike got up and stood beside her holding his bleeding shoulder.

"You know Luv as much as I hate to say it, the gig is up." Spike sighed "We had better go see you watcher and get out of the open." Buffy nodded.

Scully looked Spike up and down then stared intently at his demonic face. "Your a vampire?" She asked Spike looked at her.

"Yeah," his human mask slid into place. "Try explaining that one away."

"Giles is gonna have a cow." Buffy moaned. Hunting was over for the night.