"Okay, Xander, spill." Buffy stood over Xander, not seeing the expression on his fce or demeanor.
"Later, Buff." Xander said tiredly. "This isn't a good time."
"Not caring here," Buffy snapped. "What did that little girl do that you had to kill her after I had saved her."
"She did nothing, and you just made sure she lived long enough so that I could get there in time to take her to where she was supposed to go. "
"Oh, I am so glad I could help."
"She's happy Buff. She's with those that love her. She's loved. Let it go."
"Let it go?" Buffy stared at Xnder incredulously She noted the tiredness and sadness radiating from him, but couldn't bring herself to care. Something happened to her best bud, and she wanted to know what she could do about it. "You walked through me. Me, like I wasn't even there, like I didn't matter, and you killed that little girl. Tonight, we were coming here and suddenly we were at the hospital, and you went and killed someone else. I can't let you continue Xander. I stop people from killing humans, and you're not looking too human at the moment."
"You're not gonna slay Xander," declared Willow firmly. Then her voice wavered. "Are you?"
"I just can't let him die."
"First we should hear him out." Giles settled into his chair with the tea he had just brought from the kitchen. "Then decide if there is anything we can do."
"What's that supposed to mean," yelped Buffy. "What more do we need."
"Xander, I did some research, it was rather inconclusive, but am I right in that you are an, um, Angel of Death?"
"Except that I'm not the Angel, or even an Angel, not even close. It's just that there's so many people which means more people dieing, and he couldn't be everywhare at once, and souls were being lost, or ending up where they weren't supposed to be. He just needed help."
"But you don't actually kill?"
"No, they'll die anyway. I just do what I can to make the transition easier."
"You bring death, how can you say you don't kill?"
"I am an 'Angel of Death,' but I am not death. I go where Death has already been."
"That girl was not dead. She lived, she breathed, she talked. You heard her."
"She called me an Angel. She knew what I was, and why I came. . She accepted it Buffy. Why can't you?"
"Because you made it pointless, my saving that girl. If she was going to die anyway, why did I even bother?"
"It wasn't pointless Buffy. She lived long enough for me to get her to where she was supposed to go. If she didn't, who knows what would have happened, to hwer to her soul, to her eternity."
"Are her parents there," asked Willow. "With her I mean."
Xander didn't answer, but a cloud passed accross his face.
"They aren't are they? How can she be happy, loved, if she isn't with her family?"
"I can't talk about them Will. You wouldn't understand, I don't know if I understand, not completely. All I can say is that where you go after you die depends on what you do the choices you make in this life. You, we, are given every opportunity, but once a soul leaves this world, the choice is made."
"So why you?"
Xander shrugged. "Somebody had to do it, I needed a purpose other than nailing two pieces of wood together. It's of the good."
"How," was what Buffy wanted to know. The aggressive behavior was gone, to be replaced by fear. "How do I know that the the next time I see you you won't be coming for Dawn, or Willow, or Giles, or," her voice broke, "me?"
"You'll know Buff. Every soul I helped, whether good or ill, knew. "
"Later, Buff." Xander said tiredly. "This isn't a good time."
"Not caring here," Buffy snapped. "What did that little girl do that you had to kill her after I had saved her."
"She did nothing, and you just made sure she lived long enough so that I could get there in time to take her to where she was supposed to go. "
"Oh, I am so glad I could help."
"She's happy Buff. She's with those that love her. She's loved. Let it go."
"Let it go?" Buffy stared at Xnder incredulously She noted the tiredness and sadness radiating from him, but couldn't bring herself to care. Something happened to her best bud, and she wanted to know what she could do about it. "You walked through me. Me, like I wasn't even there, like I didn't matter, and you killed that little girl. Tonight, we were coming here and suddenly we were at the hospital, and you went and killed someone else. I can't let you continue Xander. I stop people from killing humans, and you're not looking too human at the moment."
"You're not gonna slay Xander," declared Willow firmly. Then her voice wavered. "Are you?"
"I just can't let him die."
"First we should hear him out." Giles settled into his chair with the tea he had just brought from the kitchen. "Then decide if there is anything we can do."
"What's that supposed to mean," yelped Buffy. "What more do we need."
"Xander, I did some research, it was rather inconclusive, but am I right in that you are an, um, Angel of Death?"
"Except that I'm not the Angel, or even an Angel, not even close. It's just that there's so many people which means more people dieing, and he couldn't be everywhare at once, and souls were being lost, or ending up where they weren't supposed to be. He just needed help."
"But you don't actually kill?"
"No, they'll die anyway. I just do what I can to make the transition easier."
"You bring death, how can you say you don't kill?"
"I am an 'Angel of Death,' but I am not death. I go where Death has already been."
"That girl was not dead. She lived, she breathed, she talked. You heard her."
"She called me an Angel. She knew what I was, and why I came. . She accepted it Buffy. Why can't you?"
"Because you made it pointless, my saving that girl. If she was going to die anyway, why did I even bother?"
"It wasn't pointless Buffy. She lived long enough for me to get her to where she was supposed to go. If she didn't, who knows what would have happened, to hwer to her soul, to her eternity."
"Are her parents there," asked Willow. "With her I mean."
Xander didn't answer, but a cloud passed accross his face.
"They aren't are they? How can she be happy, loved, if she isn't with her family?"
"I can't talk about them Will. You wouldn't understand, I don't know if I understand, not completely. All I can say is that where you go after you die depends on what you do the choices you make in this life. You, we, are given every opportunity, but once a soul leaves this world, the choice is made."
"So why you?"
Xander shrugged. "Somebody had to do it, I needed a purpose other than nailing two pieces of wood together. It's of the good."
"How," was what Buffy wanted to know. The aggressive behavior was gone, to be replaced by fear. "How do I know that the the next time I see you you won't be coming for Dawn, or Willow, or Giles, or," her voice broke, "me?"
"You'll know Buff. Every soul I helped, whether good or ill, knew. "