A Little Death
He was truly beautiful. It saddened her to have to take him; he was barely more than a boy. But more of a man than one twice his age, she continued to gaze at his silent face. She reached out a hand a brushed back some of his hair, when she pulled the hand back she frowned at the blood on her fingertips. Licking them she tasted his life; feeling all the love, hope, pain and fear he had in his short time. She could see him taking the beatings his father visited on him without remorse and knew she would smile when the brutal man's time came.
She saw him stealing a young girl's doll and pulling the long red ponytails that hung by her cherubic face, making the best friend he would ever know. Then the Slayer came into his life, she could feel his love for the girl- strong, loyal and pure. What a fool, the slayer is not to have seen you.
If it had been possible tears might have rolled from her eyes when he breathed life back into the still body of the Chosen One. She reflected on the irony of it, her awareness of the boy had come recently when she had taken a Slayer, the memories the comatose girl had to offer did not state her appetite and now she cursed and blessed the creature that had killed him.
Sadness washed over her as the memory of killing the vampire that his friend Jesse had become ran through her mind's eye. Even with all this sadness he still fought on, never straying from the course that he knew would lead to this very moment-to Death. The hopeless loyalty to his friends and indeed his species made her respect him all the more-it was a rare trait to find. She allowed his entire life to flash by her unfolding with equal parts of darkness with the light. When it was over she looked down at him, the glassy appearance of his eyes told her it was almost time, his friends would find him soon and her time was running out.
"Can you see me Xander?" she asked him softly.
He focused in on her, the beauty of the vision watching him was the first thing that struck him, he tried to speak but couldn't move-his thoughts spoke to her instead, "Yes, who are you?"
Kneeling in the pool of his blood that had collected around his body she smiled, "A friend. Do you know what's happened to you?"
Pain appeared in the depths of his warm eyes, "I'm dying."
"Yes," it was neither an answer nor a question just a fact, "It is your time."
Leaning down she kissed his forehead and the pain went away, he raised his eyes to her's confusion painted though his mind, "Do you know who I am now?"
He nodded, "Yes."
"Are you afraid?" She softened.
He was quiet but then he answered, "No, I'm not."
"Good, just take my hand," She reached out for him.
When his hand connected with her's he could see all that life had been and what now awaited him. Xander found himself standing next to the vision, looking behind him he could see his battered and broken body laying on the cold ground but Xander felt only peace. He looked to her but his words were cut off by a heart-rending scream. He watched as Buffy and Willow came upon his body, his best friend stood there watching as if she was frozen while the Slayer ignored the blood and clasped his still form to her small frame. "Xander no!" She wailed.
Willow broke out of her trance and threw herself towards Buffy, burring her face in Xander's unmoving chest. The two girls caught each other and sobbed on the other's shoulder taking strength from the other. Xander tried to reach out to them but he could not make contact with them, he turned his eyes to the being beside him, "Will they be okay without me?"
"In time," she sighed, "Time does not heal all wounds but it does make them bearable," she turned her gaze to his face, "You will see them again when it is their time, you may even meet them if you so desire."
"I'd like that," he turned to her, "I'm ready to go."
He reached out his arms and did what felt natural to him-after all he had been doing it every night since Buffy had arrived in Sunnydale-he embraced Death.
He was truly beautiful. It saddened her to have to take him; he was barely more than a boy. But more of a man than one twice his age, she continued to gaze at his silent face. She reached out a hand a brushed back some of his hair, when she pulled the hand back she frowned at the blood on her fingertips. Licking them she tasted his life; feeling all the love, hope, pain and fear he had in his short time. She could see him taking the beatings his father visited on him without remorse and knew she would smile when the brutal man's time came.
She saw him stealing a young girl's doll and pulling the long red ponytails that hung by her cherubic face, making the best friend he would ever know. Then the Slayer came into his life, she could feel his love for the girl- strong, loyal and pure. What a fool, the slayer is not to have seen you.
If it had been possible tears might have rolled from her eyes when he breathed life back into the still body of the Chosen One. She reflected on the irony of it, her awareness of the boy had come recently when she had taken a Slayer, the memories the comatose girl had to offer did not state her appetite and now she cursed and blessed the creature that had killed him.
Sadness washed over her as the memory of killing the vampire that his friend Jesse had become ran through her mind's eye. Even with all this sadness he still fought on, never straying from the course that he knew would lead to this very moment-to Death. The hopeless loyalty to his friends and indeed his species made her respect him all the more-it was a rare trait to find. She allowed his entire life to flash by her unfolding with equal parts of darkness with the light. When it was over she looked down at him, the glassy appearance of his eyes told her it was almost time, his friends would find him soon and her time was running out.
"Can you see me Xander?" she asked him softly.
He focused in on her, the beauty of the vision watching him was the first thing that struck him, he tried to speak but couldn't move-his thoughts spoke to her instead, "Yes, who are you?"
Kneeling in the pool of his blood that had collected around his body she smiled, "A friend. Do you know what's happened to you?"
Pain appeared in the depths of his warm eyes, "I'm dying."
"Yes," it was neither an answer nor a question just a fact, "It is your time."
Leaning down she kissed his forehead and the pain went away, he raised his eyes to her's confusion painted though his mind, "Do you know who I am now?"
He nodded, "Yes."
"Are you afraid?" She softened.
He was quiet but then he answered, "No, I'm not."
"Good, just take my hand," She reached out for him.
When his hand connected with her's he could see all that life had been and what now awaited him. Xander found himself standing next to the vision, looking behind him he could see his battered and broken body laying on the cold ground but Xander felt only peace. He looked to her but his words were cut off by a heart-rending scream. He watched as Buffy and Willow came upon his body, his best friend stood there watching as if she was frozen while the Slayer ignored the blood and clasped his still form to her small frame. "Xander no!" She wailed.
Willow broke out of her trance and threw herself towards Buffy, burring her face in Xander's unmoving chest. The two girls caught each other and sobbed on the other's shoulder taking strength from the other. Xander tried to reach out to them but he could not make contact with them, he turned his eyes to the being beside him, "Will they be okay without me?"
"In time," she sighed, "Time does not heal all wounds but it does make them bearable," she turned her gaze to his face, "You will see them again when it is their time, you may even meet them if you so desire."
"I'd like that," he turned to her, "I'm ready to go."
He reached out his arms and did what felt natural to him-after all he had been doing it every night since Buffy had arrived in Sunnydale-he embraced Death.