~**~
My Beloved Friend ... by Zauriel Angelus.
~**~
Disclaimer: Buffy and all related characters belong to Joss Whedon & Co. I just play with them in my story. Please let me tell it. I don't acquire any profits whatsoever. Honest !!
Rating: pg...I think
Summary: Alternate Universe. There is no Hellmouth in Sunnydale. Everyone is basically leading normal lives here. No vamps. Of course that doesn't mean things won't be interesting. B/X , F/X , romance , heartbreak and pain...that's about it.
Author's notes 1 : This is a re-write or as I prefer to describe it, one of my re-animated stories. One of my old firsts polished up new. With this I was just experimenting if I could do romance . I got this little idea and thought it'd be cool to write a fic about it. Pretty much something I got after watching a weirdly affecting Hindi movie. Non-action oriented Just familiar characters we know given some more real-life twists.
Author's notes 2 : Okay next off I need to explain that Xander and everyone else is a little older here. They're adults but its still basically the present k ? Although thinking about it this was written about two years ago but anyway …That done with I hope you enjoy this.
Dedication : To Shawn aka Ozmandayus , without whom EM wouldn't exist. To Lori Bush , without whom, any understanding of character would be lost to me. To Lesley whose encouragement made me believe in myself. To Wicked Ray who gave new meaning to the word 'Nonsense' : ) I love your work btw. (Looking forward to seeing Dark Room soon)
To everybody who reviewed this story the first time around and to those who've reviewed now , my thanks again goes to (in no particular order - Dreamer , Sarz , Chocoholic , Ozmandayus , Lori Bush , Alamar , Aenima , Sarah , Gee , Xandman2000 , Christopher "Ravensbard" , vampiregirlsuck2000 , Lesley Ann Coolgan , Queen Angel , Michael , Edwin Alicea , Teri , Krisseth2000 , casualattitude , Jane McCartney , Jonathon "White werewolf" and hey why not ? to Danno too (How are you doing buddy ? ) did I miss anyone ? If I did gimme a heads up and I'll get ya here pronto.
Thanks again for all your comments and reviews. My appreciation holds no bounds for everyone of you :)
And last but not least ...to every BX'er out there who keeps the faith alive. To all who ever dreamed, May they come true for you :)
~ part 1~
In a typical seven year old girl's room we see a cute little seven year old girl with dark hair in red overalls . She is holding a toy microphone in one hand. She places a video camera in front of her and presses the button for record. Her shoulder length hair bounces with life as her big brown eyes light up . Up tempo music starts playing in the background as it begins its recording a perky voice shouts into the air.
" Hi , I'm Annie and you're watching Channel Annie !!!"
She keeps smiling widely with microphone in hand and calms down a bit as she sits on her bed.
" I'm gonna be famous one day just like my idol Amber Maclay." She announces proudly and points to a blown up poster of the beautiful blonde singer behind. " I live with my dad and Grandpa here in Sunnydale California. I have my own room as you can see ... Pretty big huh ? My dad builds stuff and he built this room too."
She stops talking for a moment and thinks , her chin resting upon her hand as her brow furrowed.
" Oh ! My hobbies include eating delicious chocolate-ty treats such as Grandpa's brownies. They're the best in the world y'know ? Not forgetting ice-cream of course....playing with my dad , the funniest and greatest guy on Earth ... beating the crap out of boys and ..." her voice softens and her eyes twinkle wistfully as she
continues " reading my Mom's letters."
The sound of a bell ringing brings her out of her reverie and she jumps up from the bed.
" Cut ! Cut ! Cut ! Aunt Willow is here to pick me up . I'll be back later same time, same channel !! Watch me !! Peace !!!" she finishes as the camera stops rolling.
Ding Dong" Oh Willow....do come in. Its open," a British accented voice called out.
" Hi Giles !" said the red head with a smile as she walked through the front door.
" Where's Oz ?" Giles asked as he still sat unmoved from his favorite chair.
" Oh he's having a rehearsal with the Dingoes." She replied as her eyes fall upon the contents in the his hands. An old dusty picture of Faith and himself . "How are you ?"
The sound of footsteps coming down the staircase stopped the older man from replying as the excited voice of a little girl rang through the air.
"AUNT WILLOW !!"
In seconds a raven haired seven year old thrust into Willow with a warm hug , a big smile plastered on her face. Quickly she turned to Giles and sat in his lap.
" Grandpa !! Grandpa !! Do you have Mom's letter with you ?"
" Anne …" Giles regarded the young girl with a patient smile. " I trust you remember when your birthday is ."
" Of course I do, it is only My birthday !!! How can I forget that obvious fact ?"
" Remind me again when that is please ?"
" Tomorrow !!!" Anne replied excitedly before the dawn of understanding hit her. "…oh ."
" Then you shall have it tomorrow then ?"
" Alright ..." Annie gave a slight pout but perked up again when she turned to Willow.
" Hi Annie , ready to go shopping ?"
" Yup !" The little girl nodded "Are you coming with us Grandpa ?"
" You both go on ahead ..I-I have … erm something ...some work to do if I'm not mistaken." The older man answered.
" I thought Dad said you've retired years ago."
" Well …er-" Giles stumbled for a reply before Willow saved him.
" Annie, wait for me outside will you sweetie ?"
" Sure !!! " the girl perkily said as she quickly ran out of the house. As soon as Annie left Willow sat down near Giles.
" Hey Giles...We all miss her too y'know ?" she said , squeezing his hand gently in comfort.
Giles smiled and removed his glasses but still kept his eyes on the picture.
" Of course I know Willow but its more than that . I'm worried about Xander . He's more distant than usual and even quieter. I don't quite know what to..um…do about that."
"Yeah he hasn't had any decent fun in years." Willow agreed. " I'm sure we'll think of something. Don't we always Giles ?"
"Actually I do have one in mind ." he said rather proudly.
Willow sighed "Another blind date ? Did you forget what happened last time ?"
" She wasn't that bad ..." Giles defended.
" Giles …" Willow adopted a patronizing tone "…the woman actually thought she was a vengeance demon. Do I even have to remind you again about the bug lady ? How about mummy girl ? Let Xander move on when he wants to...on his own. " she argued with great emphasis on the last word.
" Its been eight years Willow."
" Its still his choice to make. You of all people should realize that."
" I'll discuss it with you later." He said with a scowl.
" Okay ..." Willow gave up trying. " Call me if you need anything k ? Us ladies will be at the mall till five."
" Bye Giles." She tossed over her shoulder as she left.
" Hmnn ..."
Giles stood up and walked over to the phone at his desk where papers were scattered around. He picked up a book and quickly dialed a number , holding another picture in his hand. A short ringing later and soon someone picked up the phone.
" Hello...?" said the voice on the other line.
" Um ... Hello, can you help me ? I'm looking for some information on a certain Miss Summers ."
-------------------------------------
" Excuse me..sorry...Excuse me...coming through here...so sorry.."
Alexander Harris ran as fast as he could through the crowd of people , cutting and swerving through them . Wearing a three piece business suit didn't make it any easier. He was panting and sweating heavily, the sweat almost soaking the entire suit. Luckily he found who he was looking for.
" Will , sorry I'm late ."
His friend just shook her head . " I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."
" Where's Annie ?" Xander asked.
Willow gestured to the nearby pond. Annie was busy talking to the fishes as she fed them little crumbs of bread.
" Okay ..."
~**~
" So I was wondering y'know ? how it'd be so cool to have gills. Then I could swim with all the dolphins in the sea..."
" Anne....? Annie honey ...? Could you just face me for a second ?" Xander pleaded.
" You're late." His daughter said without turning around.
" Annie look .. listen to me I was only late for ..." he glanced at his watch nervously "..um.... two hours...?"
" Would you like a box of chocolates ? A teddy bear perhaps ?" He offers , one hand holding the box of chocolates and the other a soft plush pink teddy bear.
Annie smiles for a moment and grabs the teddy bear , immediately frowning again soon after.
Throwing the chocolates away he sighs," I'm sorry honey but I was really busy with work."
Too bad his daughter wasn't buying it.
" Right ! Do you know I had to miss tv the whole day ? All because I promised to help pick your clothes at the mall. You're lucky Aunt Willow was here. If she wasn't, you'd be in big trouble mister !!! "
"I'm so sorry ...?" Xander winced . Annie was on a roll and didn't feel like stopping.
" This is too much dad !! We don't get to spend a lot of time together these days. We finally do have some time and you waste it away with work...again. I was so looking forward to this you know ? Our quality time remember ? Why do I have to take care of your needs ? This is too much Dad !!! I'm your daughter not your wife ...oops.." Her hand flies to cover her mouth but the damage was already done.
Xander drops down to her eye level , the hurt and sadness clear in his eyes.
" Why not ? I can be both your Father and mother.." he said calmly as he turned around away to pick up his box of chocolates and sulked much like a child would , fiddling with the box as he pouted.
" I'm sorry dad... forgive me ?" She tugged at his shoulder almost crying. " I didn't mean it. It was stupid. Sometimes I blab and yammer.
Looking at the face of his adorable daughter , Xander had to give in.
" Okay ...C'mon let's get some ice cream." He said with a waggle of his eyebrows , bringing a smile to her face.
" I know where we can get the best ice-cream. Its just around the corner." She perked up and started jumping in excitement.
" Whoa ...slow down. I think I might have to go to the men's room for a sec. Could you wait for me for a minute. I'll be back real quick."
" Oh go ahead. You can never hold your bladder." Annie giggled.
" Great ! Mock me why doncha ?" he muttered before running off to the toilet nearby.
Willow finally came over after watching them both from a distance.
" Where did your father run off to ?" Willow asked as she approached .
" Where else ? The john of course. He's buying me ice-cream later."Annie answered
" I'd like some ice-cream too. Maybe some chocolate chip."
" Don't worry I'll get him to buy some ice-cream for you too. I'm very persuasive."
" That you are." Willow chuckled.
Annie was about to nod in agreement till she saw a girl about her age fall down . The ice-cream cone she carried in her hand spilled to the floor. She was about to help her but a kind lady beat her to it. The lady tended to the fallen girl quickly , a warm and gentle smile greeting her face.
" You alright Nancy ? Let me see your knee....looks okay. Let's buy you another ice- cream cone." She said as she picked up the girl in her arms.
" Thanks mum.." the girl replied.
Annie quietly looked on as the two of them left and couldn't help but run the word through her mind over and over..
Mother...
" She's lucky…" Annie whispered somberly.
Willow's heart sank for her as the little girl stared silently into space. She treated Annie much like her own daughter but knew she could not give the love of a mother that Anne needed. She simply felt helpless.
God , I wish I knew what I to do.
"Okay let's get you the ice-cream you want !!!" Xander exclaimed from behind. He stopped when he noticed the odd silence and looked at his daughter.
" Anne ...Willow ...Is everything alright ?"
" I'm okay daddy." Annie said , pulling back the tears that were threatening to fall.
" Everything is.... alright."
------------------------------------------
The sky is lit up with stars as Annie looks out of her window.
She clings tightly to a picture of her mother as she stares outside in her darkened room as a tear rolls freely down her cheek.
I love you mom." Hey there young lady ..." she heard her father call. Annie turned and wiped the tear away , hoping that he didn't see it. " hey dad ..."
"Annie can I speak with you for a minute ?"
" Sure..."
"Anne honey, I know you cry almost every night. You can't hide your tears from me. I know its hard baby but you can't stay like this forever. Your mother wouldn't want you to cry."
Xander took a deep breath and smiled at his daughter , taking her hand in his. He sees the picture she holds in hers.
" A picture of Faith ... hmnn ..." he said thoughtfully
" Mother ..." Annie repeated softly as she cast another glance upon the picture.
" Mother ..." Xander ran a hand through his daughter's hair and smiled weakly.
" A mother ... is someone who loves us so much ... that sometimes we can't understand it ... A mother is someone who makes us realize how good we are ... there is no one better than us ... Her happiness is in our laughter ... and her sorrow is in our pain ... She is someone we shouldn't live without. She is everything but we … we don't have her."
Xander stops for a moment and squeezes her hand gently before continuing .
" But let's not forget ... that we have fathers and they are quite nice too."
" Thank you daddy..." Annie smiled.
" Come give me a hug ."
That she did as her tears burst out. They held each other tightly till Annie fell asleep in Xander's arms. He tucked her carefully into bed and left her room quietly.
" Goodnight Anne ..."
---------------------------------
Giles blinked and tried rubbing his eyes off sleep. There was still much to do he thought. From the corner of his eye it was then that he saw a familiar red-head appear in view.
" Willow w-why are you still here ? Its rather late . Shouldn't you be home ?" Giles asked.
" Oz knows I'll be late. I'm worried about Annie. She needs a mother." Willow explained as she stacked the boxes of presents on the living room table.
" Yes…" The older man nodded in agreement. "… and Xander needs someone too. I-I think its best if you go home for some rest....um ... Don't worry we'll find a way." Giles assured as he finished wrapping his gift for Annie.
" Okay ... Goodnight Giles." She smiled before leaving.
"Goodnight Willow."
DING DING DING DINGGiles looked at the clock as it struck midnight.
" Anne's birthday ."
He looked at the letter in his hand .
A letter written by Faith ....
A letter from his daughter ...
Written especially for her daughter ...
Faith ...
His daughter ...
He misses her so much ...
* ~FLASHBACK~ *
" Giles ... never ever think for one moment that you haven't done enough for me. You've been my father for most of my life... the only one I ever needed . You've given me everything . You gave me a life. You raised me as your own blood and I am so proud to be your daughter. I really am .Thank you for loving me . That was something my so called real father could never do. I know sometimes I've been quite a handful and given you more trouble than anyone could cope with but I want you to know this , that you mean so much to me , that I love you more than you know …"
" You were always worth all the trouble Faith , I was beside you through all these years and watched you grow into a wonderful woman. Any parent would be proud to have you as a daughter and I … I certainly was proud to call you mine. You are my pride , so very dear to me. I would've done anything and everything for you."
The older man was trying so hard to fight his tears and failing all the same.
" If I could, I would take your place now and you would carry on to live my life , carry on to live yours … Th-his isn't the way it should be. A father shouldn't ever see his child pass before him."
Faith held her composure as best as she could. Never had she seen Giles cry. He was the rock. The one who was always strong. He was the one everyone depended on. He needed her to be strong for him now and she would.
" It's alright Dad. Please calm yourself before I start to break too, I need you to listen to me now. This is very important. I want my daughter to know her mother. I want her to know who I am. How I was. How I would be. She should be able to answer those questions by herself. I trust that you will help me achieve that aim."
Giles silently nodded in understanding.
" Here.." she hands him eight envelopes. " I'm leaving these eight letters for her. One each for every birthday. These letters shall contain everything I want her to know. They shall be her treasured memories ."
" I will give them to her ... I promise ..."
" Thanks again. Thank you so much … I love you Daddy."
" I love you Faith and I'll miss you so very much..."
" Never thought you say that did you ?"
Faith smiled weakly as Giles smiled as well and both father and daughter hugged each other for the last time.
" I meant it ..."
* ~END FLASHBACK~ *
" Every single word of it ..."
And carefully he put the picture of Faith away.
" You're still awake Giles ?"
Came the voice of Xander as he came down the stairs. Giles looked rather worn out and Xander having known the Englishman quite well now, knew there was something on his mind to keep him up this late.
" What's up ?"
" I'll retire to bed in a minute. Is Anne asleep ?"
" Yeah ..." he answered. " Took a while but she's out. I had drool all over my shirt but it was well worth it. My baby's sleeping sound like a baby."
" Xander..."
" Yes , Giles ...?"
" Are you happy ?"
" Why do you ask ?" a puzzled Xander responded.
" I want you to be happy ." Giles answered.
" And so I will be …"
" Will you ever marry again ?"
Is that what this is about…Xander smiled sadly as he shook his head , walking slowly away as he sighed.
" Giles , the way I see it and this is my view , there are some things in life that can ever be done only once. We live and die only once. Unless you're James Bond that fact is very true. For some people marriage is also only once. And that's a fact for me because I don't ever believe in truly being in love twice. Faith was my first and my last. Broke my heart when she died."
He turned to face the older man and shook his head again.
" Well …I'm not doing that ever , I have no wish to get another wife."
" Faith's loss pains me as well Xander. I was of course her father if you would care to recall. I understand you won't take another chance at love. That's fine but what about Annie ? Are you keeping a child from what she deserves to have ?"
" What's happened to her ?"
" We are an incomplete family ."
" What are you talking about ? We have me and you. We have Annie. We have Willow as auntie and Oz pretty much fills the role of cool rock star uncle. I don't think we're incomplete."
" Don't you feel that Anne needs a mother ?"Giles countered. " Forgive me if my words sound harsh but I worry and at my age the things I am able to do grow fewer in number. I was merely wondering how you would handle this ? You've seen how Anne is haven't you ? I can't stand seeing you go on like this , seeing you in pain and I refuse to watch Anne pursue this the same. She's so young."
" She's okay Giles ..." Xander tried repeating that to himself. "She's …fine. She's got something that I don't even have... her mother's letters."
As Giles sat silenced, Xander started his climb back upstairs.
" I'm going to crash first. Mind turning off the lights G-man ?"
"Alright... Goodnight Xander."
" G'night Giles ..."
Giles tiredly sighed and got up from his chair. He smiled at the photo of Faith and turned the lights off to go to sleep , leaving Faith's letter on the table with the other presents.
" Happy Birthday Anne …"
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end part 1
End notes : My thanks again to everyone who read this. I'm working on Part 2 as we speak and yes I am working to finish this one way or the other. This fic won't die as long as I'm here :) Okay if ya like how this is going gimme a yell. See ya later Peace Out : )
Till next time I remain ............