"Words whisper past me,
I don't hear them anymore.
Life is falling around me,
I can't hold on to it,
Slip through my fingers." - Single Gun Theory, Been Dying.
"What? That's not me, is it?" Xander's jaw dropped in surprise.
Willow frowned in thought, "Giles, what do they mean 'blood of the heavens?' "
"I'm not certain, but I do remember an old legend that a group of angels who particularly sympathized with the humans after they were thrown out of paradise. A few of these angelic beings came to the earth, and procreated with the humans. Their offspring were considered cursed, with far darker souls than most humans. And yet they had a higher potential for good. It is even rumored that Merlin may not have been part demon as many think, but perhaps one of these offspring."
"Ok, you know the wiggins meter has just gone off the scales?" Xander commented. "I've been called a lot of things, but angel isn't one of them."
Willow who had continued musing, then said, "A-ha! Maybe they mean a different kind of angel. Angel kind of walked two worlds, being the only vampire with a soul. And he helped save Buffy."
"Good call, Will. See they're just reminding us about Deadboy, may he so not rest in peace."
"Xander!" Willow shushed him, as she saw Buffy entering the library.
"Willow, why are you defending that monster? He tried to kill you, killed Ms. Calendar, plus several students, and he tortured Giles. Excuse me, if I celebrate his demise." He got up and went to leave, running right into Buffy. "Oh, hi Buff." Buffy just gave him a sad look, and shook her head.
She then turned to Giles, "So, what's the latest sitch? Something about ... Angel?" She still had trouble discussing her former love.
"I was just telling Willow and Xander here about a very unusual passage I had found in the Codex."
"Yeah, it mentions something about an angel guy. I think we all know who that is." Xander added confidently. "Someone else."
Giles sternly said, "Xander, you are jumping to conclusions."
Willow jumped in, "And, uh, it says something about Buffy getting saved though. Angel was there..."
" But Xander revived you." Giles finished. He looked at Buffy, and she could see that he had aged considerably since they had first met three years ago. Grey strands salted his sandy brown hair, particularly around the temples.
"Right, so didn't we already go over this chapter before? Giles, what's going on?"
"As I had said, no mortal has been able to be survive a curse from the Dagger of Malechior." Buffy nodded, silently willing him to continue. He went on, "I checked the Codex to see if there was an explanation for Xander's quite miraculous recovery. And I found a passage that may suggest that he is only partly human. He may have been born of a fallen angel."
"Whoa, what a second, I'm no demon kid!" Xander shook his head vehemently.
"Your mom may argue with that. In fact, I think she has." Willow commented dryly. He just glared at her while she giggled a little.
"Xander, you misunderstand me. A fallen angel does not necessarily mean demon, though that is often the case. Not all angels who choose to fall, go to Hell, some fall only to dwell on Earth. You see, angels are spiritual beings, not composed of matter like us. Despite not having free will as humans do, if they so choose, they can fall to earth, and take on a form of flesh and blood. However, they remain different from humans, even though they can have offspring. When an angel falls, it allows corruption to seep in as it were. That is why so many have become demons. They go from perfect forms to imperfect, and many come to hate it. They become violent, abusive, quite dangerous." Xander stared at him, realizing how much of that sounded like his father. His father who had left him and his mom when he was still a child. On the rare occasions he turns up, like holidays, it always turns very violent. At those times, Xander would sleep outside, or more often, go and stay at Willow's till it would blow over.
"Sounds kind of like your dad." Willow softly said to him, echoing his inner thoughts. She laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. He gratefully glanced at her, reaching up to his shoulder, and grabbing her hand tightly, keeping it there. Lately with all the nightmares, she had been the only thing keeping him sane, his one anchor to reality. As odd reality is when you live on the Hellmouth, it still was minor compared to the Hell his mind had become.
"Xander, I thought you were odd, but this goes beyond wiggins fest." Buffy said.
Willow said, "If this is true, how come the curse is still affecting him?"
Giles answered, "Well, he is still human partly. Also, the dagger may have affected him differently from the previous victims, due to his dual nature. Xander, exactly what do your nightmares entail?"
Xander gulped nervously, and took a deep breath. He then said, "Well, they're pretty much the same. I'll see something like my parents arguing, but when I go to see them, instead of my dad, I see myself, only it's my _other_ self. And instead of my mom, it's... Look, can't you just have me take two pills and call you in the morning?" He pleaded.
"Xander, what else? We can't help you unless you tell us." Giles sternly said.
He ran his hand through his hair nervously, and Willow noted this with alarm. *He hasn't done that since his parents separated. What's wrong?* Though, part of her knew the answer was, and she feared it.
He sighed deeply, "It was... Willow. It was like we had become my parents, and I..." He sniffed and wiped the tears from his eyes. Willow sat down next to him, still holding his hand. He then added, "It was all my fault. I never wanted to hurt you, Willow." He gently stroked her cheek, his eyes blurry with tears.
She hugged him, and spoke soothingly, "It's not your fault. It's never happened." He sobbed a little, burying his head into her shoulder.
"I'm so scared," he whispered. Willow shushed him, and reassured him, as she rocked him back and forth to comfort him.
Buffy frowned, and glanced over at Giles. They wordlessly exchanged conversation, and then both went to the back office for a private discussion.
I don't hear them anymore.
Life is falling around me,
I can't hold on to it,
Slip through my fingers." - Single Gun Theory, Been Dying.
"What? That's not me, is it?" Xander's jaw dropped in surprise.
Willow frowned in thought, "Giles, what do they mean 'blood of the heavens?' "
"I'm not certain, but I do remember an old legend that a group of angels who particularly sympathized with the humans after they were thrown out of paradise. A few of these angelic beings came to the earth, and procreated with the humans. Their offspring were considered cursed, with far darker souls than most humans. And yet they had a higher potential for good. It is even rumored that Merlin may not have been part demon as many think, but perhaps one of these offspring."
"Ok, you know the wiggins meter has just gone off the scales?" Xander commented. "I've been called a lot of things, but angel isn't one of them."
Willow who had continued musing, then said, "A-ha! Maybe they mean a different kind of angel. Angel kind of walked two worlds, being the only vampire with a soul. And he helped save Buffy."
"Good call, Will. See they're just reminding us about Deadboy, may he so not rest in peace."
"Xander!" Willow shushed him, as she saw Buffy entering the library.
"Willow, why are you defending that monster? He tried to kill you, killed Ms. Calendar, plus several students, and he tortured Giles. Excuse me, if I celebrate his demise." He got up and went to leave, running right into Buffy. "Oh, hi Buff." Buffy just gave him a sad look, and shook her head.
She then turned to Giles, "So, what's the latest sitch? Something about ... Angel?" She still had trouble discussing her former love.
"I was just telling Willow and Xander here about a very unusual passage I had found in the Codex."
"Yeah, it mentions something about an angel guy. I think we all know who that is." Xander added confidently. "Someone else."
Giles sternly said, "Xander, you are jumping to conclusions."
Willow jumped in, "And, uh, it says something about Buffy getting saved though. Angel was there..."
" But Xander revived you." Giles finished. He looked at Buffy, and she could see that he had aged considerably since they had first met three years ago. Grey strands salted his sandy brown hair, particularly around the temples.
"Right, so didn't we already go over this chapter before? Giles, what's going on?"
"As I had said, no mortal has been able to be survive a curse from the Dagger of Malechior." Buffy nodded, silently willing him to continue. He went on, "I checked the Codex to see if there was an explanation for Xander's quite miraculous recovery. And I found a passage that may suggest that he is only partly human. He may have been born of a fallen angel."
"Whoa, what a second, I'm no demon kid!" Xander shook his head vehemently.
"Your mom may argue with that. In fact, I think she has." Willow commented dryly. He just glared at her while she giggled a little.
"Xander, you misunderstand me. A fallen angel does not necessarily mean demon, though that is often the case. Not all angels who choose to fall, go to Hell, some fall only to dwell on Earth. You see, angels are spiritual beings, not composed of matter like us. Despite not having free will as humans do, if they so choose, they can fall to earth, and take on a form of flesh and blood. However, they remain different from humans, even though they can have offspring. When an angel falls, it allows corruption to seep in as it were. That is why so many have become demons. They go from perfect forms to imperfect, and many come to hate it. They become violent, abusive, quite dangerous." Xander stared at him, realizing how much of that sounded like his father. His father who had left him and his mom when he was still a child. On the rare occasions he turns up, like holidays, it always turns very violent. At those times, Xander would sleep outside, or more often, go and stay at Willow's till it would blow over.
"Sounds kind of like your dad." Willow softly said to him, echoing his inner thoughts. She laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. He gratefully glanced at her, reaching up to his shoulder, and grabbing her hand tightly, keeping it there. Lately with all the nightmares, she had been the only thing keeping him sane, his one anchor to reality. As odd reality is when you live on the Hellmouth, it still was minor compared to the Hell his mind had become.
"Xander, I thought you were odd, but this goes beyond wiggins fest." Buffy said.
Willow said, "If this is true, how come the curse is still affecting him?"
Giles answered, "Well, he is still human partly. Also, the dagger may have affected him differently from the previous victims, due to his dual nature. Xander, exactly what do your nightmares entail?"
Xander gulped nervously, and took a deep breath. He then said, "Well, they're pretty much the same. I'll see something like my parents arguing, but when I go to see them, instead of my dad, I see myself, only it's my _other_ self. And instead of my mom, it's... Look, can't you just have me take two pills and call you in the morning?" He pleaded.
"Xander, what else? We can't help you unless you tell us." Giles sternly said.
He ran his hand through his hair nervously, and Willow noted this with alarm. *He hasn't done that since his parents separated. What's wrong?* Though, part of her knew the answer was, and she feared it.
He sighed deeply, "It was... Willow. It was like we had become my parents, and I..." He sniffed and wiped the tears from his eyes. Willow sat down next to him, still holding his hand. He then added, "It was all my fault. I never wanted to hurt you, Willow." He gently stroked her cheek, his eyes blurry with tears.
She hugged him, and spoke soothingly, "It's not your fault. It's never happened." He sobbed a little, burying his head into her shoulder.
"I'm so scared," he whispered. Willow shushed him, and reassured him, as she rocked him back and forth to comfort him.
Buffy frowned, and glanced over at Giles. They wordlessly exchanged conversation, and then both went to the back office for a private discussion.
