By Elizabeth M. Lawrence and Kathleen M. Wilson.

"I can't believe they forgot us this year," Richie pouted as he sat on the couch.

Aria didn't even bother looking up from her magazine. "Aye, will if'n ya ask me, I think it's about bloody well time that they gave us a Mid-Winter off," she replied. "All that poppin' in and crossoverin' and foreshadowin' gives me a bloody wicked headache."

Richie just pouted further. "But Liz and Kat never forget us," he shot back. "They love us."

"Maybeh they didn' fahget us," Elaine suggested, moving over to Richie's lap. "What if they had somethin' else in mind fah us?"

"Nope, they've abandoned us, I just know it," Richie sighed. "I bet they went over to Buffy. I knew I should have started to panic when I heard Kat mutter 'Xander' in her sleep."

"And I thought 'Laine was paranoid," Aria snorted. "What d'ya think this is, Methos' diary?" She tossed her magazine at Richie, which somehow turned into a stack of white pages the second he caught them.

"A Turn Of Fate?" Richie read, confused.

Aria nodded. "They didn't write one of those bloody confusin' holiday tales this year, but they did write somethin' else," she said.

Richie quickly read through the manuscript, laughing in a couple of spots. "'Bout time we had a whole AU story, instead of just bits and pieces. But won't the readers be confused by all the changes?"

"Ah don' think sah," Elaine said. "Most of them ah prettay self- explanitoray."

"Although it might be a good idea for them to read Blood of Souls if they haven't yet," Aria added.

Richie blinked as the letters http://www.luckyliz.crosswinds.net/Katfic/Blood.htm materialized right in front of his eyes. "Oh, must be the URL to Kat's story," he said. "At least it didn't hit me in the head this time."

"But remembah all the fun weh had lappin' up the blood? Although that does give meh an idea," Elaine said, as a sprig of mistletoe appeared above her head.

"Everything gives you ideas," Aria teased.

"If yah don' want tah hear it...."

"Never said that," Aria winked.

"Sah yah do wan' tah hear it."

"Of course I do."

"Ah was jus' thinkin'." Elaine reached over and pulled Aria closer to them. "That jus' because weh'ah not havin' a big pahtay, doesn' mean weh can' have one of ah own."

"Ooh, sounds good to me," Aria replied. "But what about the readers?"

Richie grinned. "Leave that to me," he said. He got up and walked over to the "fourth wall". "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night." Then he flipped a switch, causing everything to fade to black.

"Now then, ladies, where were we?"

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Created on ... December 25, 2000