Title: Regrets 1/1

Author: Cobra

Summary: Does a scooby have regrets?

Disclaimer: I make no money from this and do not own BTVS.

NOT BETA'D

The sun shown brightly across the empty green grass of the school quad. The limbs of the trees swaying in the california wind. Xander Harris stood in the center of it all. Turning in every direction, his face confused yet satisfied.

"So this is where I end up.", He stated to himself with a half smirk.

"It's your first stop anyway.", A deep voice said from his left causing him to turn quickly and almost fall on his ass., "You have a few stops to go before you 'end up' anywhere."

"Who are you?", Xander asked as he looked up toward the man that seemed to tower above him. Xander gulped slightly at the frown on the mans face, his black hair hung past his ears, a cane held in his right hand.

"I'm death of course.", The man said with a slightly monotone voice, though a twinkle seemed to appear in his eyes.

"Wow, I think I'm honored. I kinda just expected one of your Reapers."

"Normally, for all but a select few souls.", The man said, actually smiling slightly. Xander didn't really know how to take that., "Do you remember how you came to be here?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure I'll never forget.", Xander said with a snort. Death tilted his head slightly, acknowledging the validity of the response.

"Very few mortals have felt the pain you have. Having ones soul ripped to shreds is usually reserved for after death."

"Good to know I guess."

"Do you have any regrets?", Death asked as darkness began to envelope the quad.

"About my death?", Xander asked with a raised eyebrow. Death simply nodded slightly, before he stood silent. Waiting for the mortals answer.

BREAK

The turok han slammed into the wall with teeth chattering force. Of course the ancient vampire didn't really feel it, thanks to the short sword Xander hand shoved between its ribs. The young man chanced a glance at his hallway companion. Dawn Summers looked as scarred as he had ever seen her, and he was sure the look on his own face did nothing to ease those fears.

"You're doing great Dawn.," Xander heard himself say as he swung his sword and decapitated yet another escaping vampire.

"Whatever you say Xand.," His little sister in all but blood said as she stabbed a running vampire in the stomach and moved to let the dying vamp fall to the side. Xander had a snappy comeback on his lips, he really did. But at that moment a feeling began to settle in his stomach. A pull that told him he was in the wrong place.

"Dawn, I need you to go to the office and stay with Willow.", The young man said as he twisted away from a claw striked and stabbed the attacking turok han with the stake held in his left hand.

"Buffy said..."

"I know what Buffy said Dawn!", Xander snapped out, the statement leaving his mouth much harsher than he meant it to., "Dawn, just, just trust me for once okay?"

Dawn turned her head from the hallway for a moment to stare into the one brown eye of her first crush. The look was something Dawn had never seen in his eye. A look of resignation and fierce defiance.

"Okay, Xand. I'll go.", Dawn said as she turned and began to run down the hallway. Xander spared her one more glance before he began his slow and bloody way toward the basement of the school.

BREAK

Buffy took a second to glance at the fight around her. The slayers at her side made her proud. The young women stood their ground, making the ancient vampires surrounding them fight for every inch of ground and drop of blood. Her eyes landed on the form of Spike standing untouched in the center of it all.

"Anything?", She asked as she ducked a swing from behind and kicked out causing her attacker to fly in another direction.

"It's getting really hot.", Spike gasped out before a look of resignation seemed to fall on his face., "Buffy, it's not going to work. I.. .I can't.."

"What?", Buffy asked as she flipped a turok han over her shoulder and swung her schythe to quickly send it to hell.

"I'm, I'm sorry.", Spike growled out as his body began smoke, flames licking there way over his body from the glowing medallion around his neck., "I'm sorry luv." William the Bloody said with a sad smile before his body erupted into dust. The glowing amulete landing on his pile of ashes.

"Spike!", Buffy yelled as she stepped toward the space the vampire occupied only seconds before. Her mind in an almost state of shock as her eyes focused on the fading glow of the only chance they had. "Argh!" The slayer screamed as she was hit from behind the sharp point of a sword sticking through the right side of her stomach, an intense weight falling forward with her body. She closed her eyes as she tossed the schythe from her right hand toward the area Faith had been last time she checked. then she felt the ground with the side of her head, not once but twice. The weight seemed to settle on her back and Buffy couldn't help but think of what she could have done different.

"Buff, you gotta get up.", A male voice said with an accent laced with pain. Buffy smiled at the voice for a moment before it's owner finally clicked.

"Xander?", Buffy asked, opening her eyes as she began to push herself back to her feet. Xander grabbed her as carefully as he could and finished pulling the slim blonde up.

"Yeah. Get up Buff, it's not over yet."

"Dawn?"

"With Willow. She's safe for now.", Xander said as he moved to amulet sitting on the pile of what was once a feared vampire. The young man picked the amulet up by the chain, the slight glow that had all put faded once again flooded the caverns in light., "You gotta get everyone outta here Buff." Xander said with a slight cough as he slipped the chain around his neck and felt the medallion slap his chest.

"Xander?", Buffy asked as she held her side with both hands. "What are you doing?"

"Backing you up," Xander answered with a slight smile that reached his eye.", Like always."

"Xander, we'll find another way. You don't have to do this.", Buffy cried as she felt Faith grab her shoulders.

"Not this time Buffsteir. Take care of the others for me will ya. Tell them I love them."

"Xander, you'll die.", Buffy said with tears in her eyes, the cavern around her beginning to shake and crumble.

"Well, I would have never got used to the lack of depth perception anyway.", Xander said with a fake laugh., "Faith get her out of here."

"Trying Boytoy.", Faith yelled with exertion as she began to inch both herself and Buffy toward the stairs.

"Just remember Buffy, remember the girls that died here, and remember that the ones that live.", Xander said before he ground his teeth together in pain., "Remember they're not just slayers. They're not just soldiers. Remember." The pain came again and Xander almost fell to his knees., "Remember I love you. All of you."

"We love you to Xander.", Buffy said as she stood at the bottom of the stairs. A sad smile forming on her lips. "Goodbye."

"Yeah, I'll see in a long time.", Xander yelled out as he watched the slayer disappear above ground. He turned around and smiled a large smile. His one eye taking in the angry and fearful faces of the Turok-han around him., "At least I got to save the world again.", Xander said with a huge laugh as he stopped fighting the amulet and the power surged through him. Xander's smile grew larger quickly, he felt no more pain.

BREAK

Xander looked at the all but all powerful being in front of him.

"Did everyone make it?"

"Most," Death answered, his facial features never really changing., "Will you tell me who didn't."

"A couple slayers, your ex-fiance Anyanka.", Death said, no sadness in his tone. Only a deep baratone of indeference.

"You know, I lived alot longer than I thought I would.", Xander stated as he turned to survey his surroundings again., "Probably longer than I should have. Kinda always thought I'd die in a dark alley all alone."

Xander turned back to the man with a smile on his face.

"To answer your question, I have alot of regrets about how I lived. But not the way I died."

"Are you ready to move on then?", Death asked as he seemed grow slightly taller before Xander's eyes.

"Doesn't seem like I have a choice.", Xander answered with a shrug as he fell into step beside the being in black.

"You should know by now young Alexander, there is always a choice."

END