Title: Grace Will Lead Me Home

Author: wintercreek

Disclaimer:  Danielle's mine.  Very little else is.  Certainly not Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, nor the song "Amazing Grace."  Buffy belongs to Joss and ME, "Amazing Grace" is the creation of John Newton.

Spoilers: Through S6.  Then it's my own AU.

Dedication: Still for the Xander fans.  Also for Lyra Matsuoka—thanks, sis.

A/N: Turns out I can be a Xander fan, after all.  How 'bout that?  I just don't like the way ME's treated him.

Part 2 of "Grace."  My apologies for any church-y terminology I've gotten wrong.  Thanks for the reviews so far.

Italic text denotes thought or song lyrics.

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Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound / That saved a wretch like me

Alexander Lavelle Harris was petrified.  There was no other way to describe it.  But he'd promised.  No escaping this one.  He straightened his tie, brushed off his slacks, and headed out to the car.  Nothing to it but to do it.

~*~

I once was lost, but now am found / Was blind, but now I see

Danielle Catherine Grace L'Heureux was pleased.  She was almost insufferably pleased.  Xander had promised.  It's about time.  She gave her skirt a tug, checked her shoes, and stepped over to the door to wait.  This will be good for him.

~*~

T'was grace that taught my heart to fear / And grace my fears relieved

The church was Unitarian.  Danielle had compromised on that aspect, on the grounds that Unitarians would some how be less intimidating.  "I don't even go to church very much anymore.  But this is important to me, Xander, and I want to see if you understand it."

Xander, having correctly received the impression that he was being tested, had agreed.

And now here they were.  The church was empty—they'd arrived perhaps half an hour after the last Sunday service.  "Don't we need a minister, or pastor, or whatever they're called?"

"Not for this.  Just trust me, Xander.  You'll like this."

This is not at all what I expected.  I thought Danielle was taking me to a service.

The two walked arm-in-arm through the doors of the church.  Xander's inner carpenter gazed around respectfully, examining the wooden pews.  At the front pew, Danielle motioned for him to sit.  She continued the few feet to the front of the church, just below the dais.  Xander watched, perplexed, as she turned to face him and drew in a deep breath.

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound / That saved a wretch like me. / I once was lost, but now am found, / Was blind but now I see."  Danielle's warm alto voice filled the church.

"T'was grace that taught my heart to fear / And grace my fears relieved. / How precious did the grace appear, / The hour I first believed.

"Through many dangers, toils and snares, / I have already come. / T'is grace has brought me safe thus far, / And grace will lead me home.

"When we've been there ten thousand years, / Bright shining as the sun, / We've no less days to sing God's praise, / Than when we'd first begun."

At some point during the song, Xander's mouth had fallen open.  Danielle grinned at him.  "That's about the reaction I was going for."

"You're amazing.  I . . . you're amazing.  You're my amazing grace."

Danielle wrapped both arms around Xander.  "Through many dangers, toils and snares, you have already come.  T'is grace has brought you safe thus far, and grace shall lead you home," she whispered.  Then she let go of him, stepping back for a moment.  Xander simply stood there, bathed in the color spangled light of the stained glass windows.

Danielle stretched out her hand, and Xander lifted his hand to meet hers.

They walked out of the church, hand in hand, no sound save for the echoing of their footsteps.