***
6:30 am. December 7th, 1941
***
The glittering essence of yellow/orange gold rose like a giant fireball over the mountains, casting first light across the western land. Xander stared in awe at the sight before him. The sheer beauty of it. So naturally wonderful he could not tear his eyes away. For a split second the hills looked as if they'd caught fire, the golden brown grass reflecting the light shown down on it. Not once in his life had he ever taken the time to see a sunrise. Not once had he ever taken the time to appreciate beauty in any form. Funny how your whole word view changed when he had a girl on his arm. His girl. Thee girl. The one you knew you could share a million sunrises with and never grow tired of. Buffy's head lay gently against his shoulder, her arm wrapping lovingly with his. They wore their winter coats and sat on the hood of the Cadillac Xander now owned. He had bought it off of the same guy who let him borrow it a few months ago. The night of their first date. He had just won a brand new Packard in a poker and offered to sell it to Xander for only five hundred bucks. It was a good car. Classy, lots of room, ran smoothly. He and Buffy would take a drive whenever they could. They'd been together for three months now. Xander couldn't imagine being with anyone but her. She looked up at him briefly, seeing the appreciative awe etched on his face. She smiled to herself before snuggling back against him.

"I knew you would like it," She said confidently.

"Oh I do," he replied. "I really do."

"I used come up here a lot," she said. "I've never told anyone about this place. My secret spot from the rest of the world."

He turned his head to her, eyebrows raised and the question forming on his lips so easily readable.

"I brought you here because I wanted to share this place with you," she said softly. "Something we could both enjoy."

His put his arm around her, placed a kiss atop her head and held her close. He had never felt so close to someone as he did to her at this moment. He'd never been good with girls in the past. He'd fumble for words, not too sure what to do or what they wanted to hear. When he did find them they'd be all the wrong things to say. He'd been too overzealous, or not overzealous enough. He breathed easier knowing it wasn't like that with Buffy. When he was with her anything he said or did felt natural.

The sun rose higher, illuminating the world for another day. A pit had started to form in his stomach and his throat began to tighten. The words beating from inside his heart causing the rest of his body to wrack itself with nerves.

"I..."

The words that he knew could come so easily pressed themselves onto his tongue, keeping them from coming out smooth.

"I...l-lo..."

He turned his head away from the sun and looked down at the car bumper. He silently cursed himself for choking on the three words he wanted to say to her so badly in this place, in this moment. He felt her arms wrap around his waist and her hand lift to his cheek. She turned his head making him face her. Their lips touched briefly, a whisper of a kiss.

"I know," she said. "Me too."

***
Sunnydale Naval Base. 11:00 am. Pacific Time.
***

There were no guards posted at the entrance to the base as Xander pulled up to the gates. They'd gone for a drive after seeing the sunrise, and then had a late breakfast at the Black Cat Diner. They talked about seeing the new picture posted on the marquee at the theatre. Sergeant York it was called. Xander got out of the car and walked into the booth hitting the button to raise the barrier.

"No one at their post," he said to Buffy as he got back into the car. "That's odd."

They drove slowly down the road leading to the barracks when they saw the huge crowd standing in the main square.

"It looks like the whole base is there," Xander said.

"I wonder what's going on," Buffy replied.

"Can't be an air-raid drill. Everyone looks too bunched together for that."

"No sirens either."

Xander swerved the car around the mass of people, the Cadillac barely missing a few people's legs. They could hear a loudspeaker cackling somewhere in the distance but couldn't make out what was being said.

"Did the General die?" Buffy wondered aloud.

"He's a good man," Xander said. "But I don't think even he could constitute a crowd this big. Something is wrong. "

"Really wrong."

Xander pulled into his usual spot next to his barracks. He and Buffy got out and began backtracking to the square and the crowd, when Spike and Jonathan rushed past them in a flurry of speed.

"Spike!" Xander shouted. "Johnny!"

The platinum-haired pilot heard him and skidded to a halt.

"Where the hell have you been?" He shouted back. "Commander Giles and the boys have been looking for you all morning!"

"What's going on?" Xander yelled.

"Pearl Harbor just got bombed!" Spike bellowed. "We're going to war!"

Xander watched him turn and take off again. He couldn't move.

War.

A simple three-letter word that could send chills down your spine.

A few months ago it wasn't something he was afraid of. He wasn't afraid now, but those few months ago he didn't have anything worth losing if America ever decided to get involved in the fighting. He had something now. He had Buffy. She was everything. As if on cue, her hand rested easily on his shoulder. He slowly turned to face her. They stared at each other briefly before Xander took her in in his arms and held on tight.

***

"Hey," Xander said to the tombstone marked with his brother's name. He glanced around the cemetery seeing a few other people bringing flowers to their lost loved ones. He didn't have any flowers. Angel was never really a flower person. On the receiving end anyway. The only thing he had with him was his army issued duffel bag filled with the essentials.

"I'm going to Hawaii in a few hours," he said. "We...uh, are at war now. I'm going off to fight and I wanted to say good-bye."

He stood rigid. He wasn't sure of the protocol one followed at a gravesite. He hadn't been back here since the funeral. It was too hard to come back knowing it was Angel's final resting-place. Guilt had kept him from even thinking about coming here after he began dating Buffy.

"I always thought we'd be fighting side by side you know. Up there in the skies. Seeing how many barrel rolls we could do in a row. Playing chicken..."

He kneeled down, resting his hand on top the tombstone.

"I'm sure you know about Buffy, and me" he said. "I can see you up there, sitting on your cloud playing the harp and looking down on us. I know why it was so easy for you to fall for her. I mean, it was just as easy for me"

A broken laugh.

"If you were here you'd beat the tar out of me for even thinking about your girl."

A deep breath.

"I have a favor to ask. Buffy... She's my girl now and I love her. Oh man, I want to marry her."

He hung his head.

"I just thought I should tell you that."

Another breath. The grief of loss was beginning to wash over him.

"I miss you man, but I'm not eager to join you yet. My favor Angel... Watch over me will ya? She's already lost you and I don't want to put her through that again. Bring me back to her okay?"

He stood up and threw his duffel bag over his shoulder. He looked at the headstone once more, saluted, and turned to walk away.

***

All members of the Hellmouth Squadron lined up along the runway waiting for the Boeing 3-14 to fuel up. Their duffel bags sat beside them and they were saying good-bye to their gals. Wesley held Cordelia as if he never was going to see her again. Her arm ran up and down his back trying to reassure him that he would. Oz and Willow stood with their foreheads pressed together, her sobs audible to anyone. Jonathan stuttered his good-byes to Tara, than grin on her face the same as when they first spoke. Spike and Amy twirled slowly in a dance only they could hear.

Xander stood off to the side watching all his friends together. He'd asked Buffy not to come see him off. He didn't think he could ever get on that plane if he knew she was there. Still, he was constantly looking behind his shoulder looking for her. He almost knew she wasn't going to listen to him. He looked past the plane over to the hangar and saw her there. Standing still, hoping he wouldn't see her. He smiled to himself.

"Be back in a minute," he said told the guys.

She began to walk toward him as soon as he headed toward her. They met in the middle of the runway, as nervous as they were that first night they went to the movie.
"I thought I told you not to come," he said with a grin.

"You knew I couldn't do that," she replied.

He was silent once more as he looked at her, his hand reached to touch hers but he let it fall short.

"Are you all right?" She asked.

"I'm...fine. I'm fine."

"Are you afraid? Because it's okay if you are you know. You'd have to be insane not to be."

"Of the war? No, I'm not afraid of that."

"Then what is it?"

"I went to see Angel today..."

Her eyes grew wide for a moment.

"Oh," she said before nodding and continuing to look at him. He moved closer to her; so close she could feel the heat from him.

"These past few months with you...they've been the best I've ever had in my life. I... I love you Buffy."

She smiled at him, wanting to hug and kiss him for finally being able to say what she knew all along.

"I know he's gone," he spoke softly. "But there's just some part of me..."

"What is it?" She asked staring deeply into his eyes.

He lowered his eyes from hers, not being able to look at her as he said this.

"Part of me is afraid you still love him more than you'll ever love me."

He looked over to the plane instead of back to her. If what he said was true he knew he'd be able to see it in those beautiful eyes of hers. He couldn't bear to see it if it were true.

He felt her hand touch his, her fingers lacing with his own. It was then that he found the courage to look at her once more.

"I love you Xander," she said quietly. "Yes I loved Angel, in a way I always will but...my heart. It's yours."

He couldn't help the smile that took over his face. She kissed him gently, throwing her arms around his neck, savoring the contact.

"You come back to me," she said.

"Yes ma'am."