Ella
Chapter 2 - 4 years later
Xander walked slowly into the second bedroom of his small apartment, carefully holding his three year old daughter who was half asleep in his arms. He made his way over to her little white bed and placed Ella gently down. The small girl shuffled under the covers and smiled as Xander pulled them up under her chin.
This gesture both warmed and broke Xander's heart at the time. Behind the small smile that was spread across his daughters face he could still see a sadness in her eyes that shouldn't be there but always was. She had seen things that Xander had never wanted her to see, things that no child should see. Ella yawned and Xander, who was sitting on the edge of her head, reached out and stroked her hair as he waited for the question she asked every night.
"Do you think mummy will come home tomorrow?" She asked in the small voice she always used. Xander had no choice but to give her the answer he gave her every night, "She'll come back when it's time."
"OK," She replied simply.
Xander placed a kiss on her forehead, "Goodnight darling," and made sure all of her windows were locked before walking out of the room.
He didn't shut the door. He couldn't watch her if he closed the door. I the small living room there was a chair that Xander was now sitting on. From his vantage point he could see strait into Ella's room . More importantly he could see Ella, now fast asleep in her bed, he chest gently rising and falling. He didn't sleep at night anymore, not since The First had shown up. He'd sleep in the morning when Dawn could watch El. He couldn't sleep now, he had to keep his family safe.
As he sat there he thought about when he first found out about Emily.