Title: A Postcard From Heaven
Author: Joyce Renee
E-mail: Jrenee@aol.com
Rating: Pg
Disclaimer: Anya, Xander, and everybody else, belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox. The idea for this story came from a song by Mark Wills, however, this is not a song fic!
Distribution: If you want it, take it, just let me know, so I can visit.
Summary: Sorry, but I'm in a real melancholy mood tonight and this song, "Wish You Were Here" came on the radio a little while ago. It made me cry. Very few songs can actually move me to tears, so there's your warning. This is a Xander/Anya sad-fic. Let me know what you think!
Additional Note: This takes place about 5 to 7 years into the future. Xander and Anya have gotten back together again.
A Postcard From Heaven
"Xander, Why do you have to go?" Anya asked for the hundredth time, as they kissed goodbye at the terminal gate.
"Because we like to eat. And wear clothes, and have a roof over our heads..." Xander teased her, and kissed her again.
This wasn't the first time his new job had required him to go out of town. However, this was the first time that Anya would not be going with him.
"I still don't understand why they won't let me go with you! What if you find some beautiful girl in Jamaica and decide you'd rather copulate with her instead of me?" she pouted.
"Hey! You are the only girl that would ever copulate with me." Xander blushed as several heads turned in their direction.
"I mean, honey, I love you! I don't want anyone but you, ever! I.." he trailed off as giant tears began to roll down her cheeks.
"Anya! Please don't do this! It's just for a couple of days. I'll be home before you know it."
"It's not fair, Xander! You get to go to beautiful Jamaica! And I'm stuck here in boring old Sunnydale! I never get to go anywhere!"
"All right, I promise that you can go on the next trip, okay?"
She seemed to mull this over for a moment.
"Okay, but it'd better be somewhere even better than Jamaica." she consented.
They called his flight over the loud speaker, and Xander turned to go.
"Xander wait!" Anya called out suddenly.
Xander turned back around, trying not to lose his temper.
"What now?"
"I love you, and I want one more kiss." she told him.
He immediately felt guilty and pulled her into his arms.
"I love you too."
They kissed and held each other until the voice from above announced the final boarding call.
As Xander made his way to the gate, Anya called out, "Don't forget to wear your seat belt. Oh, and remember that you can use you're seat cushion as a flotation device! And if the cabin loses air..."
"Anya! I'll be alright! I'll call you tonight and let you know!"
And then he was gone.
**********
Xander sighed heavily as he flopped down on the bed in his hotel room. What a day! He'd been stuck in an office building all day long, enduring meeting after meeting, while the beautiful beach had taunted him through the large windows.
He'd taken full advantage of his hour-long lunch break, though, and had relaxed at an out door cafe, with a breath-taking view of the ocean.
A group of demons,(yes, I said demons) had come over to him, and introduced themselves as being very good friends of Anyanka's. They had turned out to be very pleasant, but unfortunately, the waiter refused to come back to Xander's table, even after they had left.
After that, it had been more boring meetings, and finally, he was released to get some sleep before the next day of meetings.
Xander changed out of his suit, and into some 'tourist' clothes, before heading down to the gift shop in search of a candy bar.
The display of postcards caught his eye, and he spent a good half-hour going through them before choosing one to send to Anya.
On the front it just said, "Heaven" with a picture of the ocean and the beach.
After making his purchase, he went to the front desk and, borrowing a pen from the guy behind the desk, quickly filled out the postcard. He asked the guy to mail it for him and returned to his room.
He dreamed of being in her arms that night, and upon awaking, decided that he would leave a night early and surprise her.
Jamaica was beautiful, but without Anya with him, it just wasn't any fun.
**********
Xander's knuckles were white as they clenched the armrests of his seat. His stomach took a dive the same time the plane did, and it was all he could do to keep his air-line food dinner down.
He'd been excited when he found out he could leave early, but now in the middle of a horrific storm, he wished that he'd just waited another day.
Xander kept picturing Anya in his mind. She would be so happy that he was home early, and they would make up for all the time they had spent apart.
The plane lurched again, and a white-hot fear gripped Xander as he heard the captain come on the loud speaker and announce that they'd be making an emergency landing.
**********
Anya listened to the rain that came down in vicious sheets on the apartment windows as she lay in bed waiting on Xander to call.
He was late, and she was worried.
The phone rang and she quickly snatched it up.
"Xander? Why haven't you called me?!" she demanded.
"Us, ..Mrs. Harris?" an unfamiliar voice asked.
"Huh? Oh, yeah that's me. What do you want?" she wasn't Mrs. Harris, yet, but she liked to pretend she was when the phone solicitors would call.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news about your husband." the voice said.
"What?"
It didn't sink in right away.
"Ma'am? The plane went down....our crews have searched the ground.....no survivors....need you to come identify the body...."
**********
Two weeks had passed since Xander's funeral, but the pain in Anya's heart was still as sharp as when she first got the call.
The entire scooby gang had been very supportive, and very careful not to leave her alone. She had over-heard Giles saying that he thought she was suicidal. And at first, she had been.
Now, she realized that Xander would not want her to kill herself because of him. So, because of him, she would live.
Like Buffy had told her, 'One day at a time".
It was the first time in the past month that she'd actually been alone. Looking around the empty apartment, she almost started to call someone to come sit with her.
"I just need to keep myself busy." she told herself.
The apartment had already been cleaned from top to bottom, so that was out. She didn't like to clean anyway, but she realized that she would clean ever day for the rest of her life if that would bring Xander back.
Her eyes searched that apartment for something to do, and finally landed on the stack of mail on the table.
She started flipping through it, mostly bills, and advertisements. But then she came across a postcard.
All it said on the front was Heaven, with a picture of the ocean and the beach.
She slowly turned it over dreading to read the words, and at the same time, dying to read them.
Her throat burned and her eyes stung as she took in his familiar hand writing.
Anya,
I miss you so much. I count the days until we can be together again. I know that this is hard on you. It's hard on me too. But sometimes in life we have to do things we don't want to, and be apart from the ones we love, but only for a little while. And don't worry about me finding someone new. No matter where I go, I will always love you! I'd hold you from here if my arms would reach. I love you, and wish you were here.
I wish you could see this place, it's paradise! It's summertime all year long! And I ran into some of your old friends, they say, 'hello'.
Oh, baby, I miss you so much!
All my love forever,
Xander
She re-read the letter several times, as the tears of healing flowed from her eyes.
Giles found her, later, rushing to her side, demanding to know what had happened.
Anya smiled for the first time since Xander's death as she answered, "Xander sent me a post card from Heaven."
The End