Title Angel of Death
Chapter - 1 - The Death of a Child
Disclaimer - The plot is mine, everything else belongs to Joss Whedon, Fox, UPN, etc.
Xandwr stepped into the barren alley, knowing what he would find there. Nothing that he wanted, but it was a job. One that paid well, and he knew that if he didn't someone else would, and maybe he could make it easier. Except for maybe this time. He moved silently, so as not to startle the figure crouching by the dumpster. He was surprised to see that it was Buffy, and she was cradling a child. A girl. Who couldn't have been more than ten. He crouched down beside them.
"What happened?"
"Vamps." Buffy didn't look up, and her voice was listless. "Her parents are over there. I couldn't save them. I was too late."
"You can't save them all, Buff" Xander spoke quietly, and with a calm forcefulness. "You know that."
"Well I did save this one, at least." Buffy hugged the child closer. "Willow's gone for help."
"No you haven't," Xander said sorrowfully. "She just lived a little while longer."
Buffy glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" She would have added more but stoppedas the air about Xander began to glow. "Xander, what's going on? What's with the glowing?"
Before Xander could answer, the little girl woke, and stared at him. "Are you an Angel," she asked in a small voice?"
"Yes," answered Xander as gently as he could. "I came to take you home."
"Home?" Buffy asked astounded, "But shouldn't she go to the hospital first?
"Home, repeated the little girl, with more understanding. "Will Mommy and Daddy be there?"
"That I cannot say," Xander said with sadness. "But your Grandmother is. She knows you are coming and she's waiting for you."
"Xander what are you talking about?" Buff stared at him. "You still haven't said what's the glowing is."
There were echoing footsteps as Willow and Giles ran up. They took the child from Buffy, and laid her flat on the ground. Buffy continued to stare at Xander.
"I'm sorry Buffy." Xander took a step towards the girl. "It is her time."
"I need to go with the Angel," cried the girl, her voice laced with pain.
"Angel?" Giles looked confused.
"What do you mean it's her time?" Buffy got in Xander's face.
"Oh dear." Giles had been attracted by the commotion, and for the first time, saw Xander and he glow. He stood and took a small step closer to them. "Isn't there anything we can do for her?"
Willow looked confused. Weren't they doing something. She watched apprehensively, confused.
"Giles, what's going on? Why's Xander all glowy?"
"Death," hissed Giles. Not in anger, but the way it came out, more a sigh.
"A transition," Xander said quietly. "Between this world and the next. Between now and eternity. I merely try to make that which will happen, easier."
"No, your not going to kill her." Buffy pushed Xander back. "I won't let you."
"The Vampires killed her Buffy, not me. My job is to see that she goes where she is supposed to."
"I won't let you."
"If I do not, and there is none other here that can do so, then she is condemned to wander this world, this town forever. Would you wish that upon her?"
"I can't let you."
"I know," Xander said with a smile, " and I can't let you stop me." Xander took a step forward. Buffy stiffened with determination, dropping into a fighting stance. Xander took another step, and then another, passing right through her, as if she wasn't there. He stopped before Giles.
"Will you stand in my way?"
Giles stepped aside, his eyes flashing with anger and understanding. "I don't think I could if I wanted to."
"No you couldn't."
Xander moved to crouch beside Willow, who shrank back from him. "I wish you didn't have to see this," he told her, before turning his attention to the girl. who's eye were firmly fixed on his. A smile played accross his lips, and he held out his hand.
"Grandma's waiting."
The girl reached up and took his hand in her own, and allowed him to pull her up to her feet. She stepped forward, away from her body, stepping out of it, as if shedding old clothes. Together they turned, and walked towards the end of the alley, and beyond mortal sight.
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Chapter - 1 - The Death of a Child
Disclaimer - The plot is mine, everything else belongs to Joss Whedon, Fox, UPN, etc.
Xandwr stepped into the barren alley, knowing what he would find there. Nothing that he wanted, but it was a job. One that paid well, and he knew that if he didn't someone else would, and maybe he could make it easier. Except for maybe this time. He moved silently, so as not to startle the figure crouching by the dumpster. He was surprised to see that it was Buffy, and she was cradling a child. A girl. Who couldn't have been more than ten. He crouched down beside them.
"What happened?"
"Vamps." Buffy didn't look up, and her voice was listless. "Her parents are over there. I couldn't save them. I was too late."
"You can't save them all, Buff" Xander spoke quietly, and with a calm forcefulness. "You know that."
"Well I did save this one, at least." Buffy hugged the child closer. "Willow's gone for help."
"No you haven't," Xander said sorrowfully. "She just lived a little while longer."
Buffy glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" She would have added more but stoppedas the air about Xander began to glow. "Xander, what's going on? What's with the glowing?"
Before Xander could answer, the little girl woke, and stared at him. "Are you an Angel," she asked in a small voice?"
"Yes," answered Xander as gently as he could. "I came to take you home."
"Home?" Buffy asked astounded, "But shouldn't she go to the hospital first?
"Home, repeated the little girl, with more understanding. "Will Mommy and Daddy be there?"
"That I cannot say," Xander said with sadness. "But your Grandmother is. She knows you are coming and she's waiting for you."
"Xander what are you talking about?" Buff stared at him. "You still haven't said what's the glowing is."
There were echoing footsteps as Willow and Giles ran up. They took the child from Buffy, and laid her flat on the ground. Buffy continued to stare at Xander.
"I'm sorry Buffy." Xander took a step towards the girl. "It is her time."
"I need to go with the Angel," cried the girl, her voice laced with pain.
"Angel?" Giles looked confused.
"What do you mean it's her time?" Buffy got in Xander's face.
"Oh dear." Giles had been attracted by the commotion, and for the first time, saw Xander and he glow. He stood and took a small step closer to them. "Isn't there anything we can do for her?"
Willow looked confused. Weren't they doing something. She watched apprehensively, confused.
"Giles, what's going on? Why's Xander all glowy?"
"Death," hissed Giles. Not in anger, but the way it came out, more a sigh.
"A transition," Xander said quietly. "Between this world and the next. Between now and eternity. I merely try to make that which will happen, easier."
"No, your not going to kill her." Buffy pushed Xander back. "I won't let you."
"The Vampires killed her Buffy, not me. My job is to see that she goes where she is supposed to."
"I won't let you."
"If I do not, and there is none other here that can do so, then she is condemned to wander this world, this town forever. Would you wish that upon her?"
"I can't let you."
"I know," Xander said with a smile, " and I can't let you stop me." Xander took a step forward. Buffy stiffened with determination, dropping into a fighting stance. Xander took another step, and then another, passing right through her, as if she wasn't there. He stopped before Giles.
"Will you stand in my way?"
Giles stepped aside, his eyes flashing with anger and understanding. "I don't think I could if I wanted to."
"No you couldn't."
Xander moved to crouch beside Willow, who shrank back from him. "I wish you didn't have to see this," he told her, before turning his attention to the girl. who's eye were firmly fixed on his. A smile played accross his lips, and he held out his hand.
"Grandma's waiting."
The girl reached up and took his hand in her own, and allowed him to pull her up to her feet. She stepped forward, away from her body, stepping out of it, as if shedding old clothes. Together they turned, and walked towards the end of the alley, and beyond mortal sight.
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