Title: I Finally Remembered You. Part 1

Author: Xanfan27

Rating:M for future chapters

Pairing: Xander/Angel

Summary: AU futurefic. Slash. Xander, not Buffy, had gone to see Angel in "I Will Remember You" Years later, he finally keeps his promise.

Spoilers: All of BtVS & Ats

Warnings: M/M, mild language, more in future chapters

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Words in Italics indicate thoughts.

"Don't do this."

"I have to, I can't risk you."

"Every day is a risk. I won't forget, no matter what you say, what you've done, I won't forget one moment."

"Yes, you will."

"How much time do we have?"

"A few moments."

"Tell me one more time."

"I love you, Xander."

"You're the first person who ever told me that, the first one to really mean it. I love you too…"

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP

Xander sat straight up in bed and slammed a hand down on his alarm clock.

He lay back down and closed his eye, trying to retain memories of THAT dream. The dream that always slips away, right after he wakes. The dream that always leaves him with tears running down his face and a pain, in the general vicinity of his heart. The one he had been having for years, ever since he had driven Buffy & Dawn down to visit their dad after the Thanksgiving from hell. Buffy had sent him to go talk to Angel and tell him not to come back to "Her Town." He is pretty sure the syphilis was still talking when he agreed to the trip and the messenger boy role. He had had visions of Angel doing the whole kill the messenger thing.

It had really been a pretty uneventful trip, well, by Sunnydale standards. In the middle of the conversation, a demon had attacked and Angel had killed it with a lucky shot to the thing's forehead. Xander had been sent off to lunch with Cordy and he hadn't really seen much of Angel after that.

In fact, he hadn't really seen much of Angel at all in the years since.

I guess its not surprising, considering they never really got along. Xander had always given Angel more than his fair share of snark and attitude. At the time he told himself it was because Angel was a vampire, or because Buffy loved Angel and not him. Later, as he had become more comfortable with himself and his "manliness" he realized it was probably the other way around. Angel loved Buffy, and not him.

Not that he had been in love with Angel, but he realized now, that he had been attracted to him. It was the first time that he had lusted after another guy and it had wigged him out.

Xander finally gave up grasping at straws (or at least, grasping at faded dreams) and opened his eye.

Yes, eye. His eye, singular. Not two, but, one.

He really needed to get used to this, it had been over a year. But sometimes, he was still surprised by the fact that he only had one eye. He still had nightmares about that nutbar preacher, Caleb, thrusting his thumb into Xander's eye socket. That is, when he isn't having the dream that he can't remember.

Xander is not sure which one is worse.

Thump, Thump, Thump

"Yo, Boytoy, can you cover the windows in a couple of the rooms today?" Faith yells from the other side of the door.

Oh yeah, Deadboy, Fangless and his crew are getting here tonight. Can I still call him Fangless? He got the chip out. I might have to think up a new name for him. Deadboy Jr, Soulboy the Sequel, hmmm. I could always call him Buffy, since neither of them could manage to stay dead for very long. Or how about…

"Xander?" Faith interrupts his internal ramble.

"Sure, windows, no problem." Xander calls through the door.

"Cool," Faith calls back. He hears her footsteps fading down the hallway.

When The New Watcher's Council had heard, through contacts Giles didn't admit to having, what was going down in L.A. with the Blackthorn, they had sent a team of slayers and witches to help. Good thing, too. When they had arrived in the alley, shortly after the battle started, what was left of the Fang Gang was getting their asses, well and truly kicked. The slayers and witches, led by Faith and Willow, turned the tide and helped destroy everything that came at them. Xander had even heard that there had been a dragon slayed, or slain, or whatever. Apparently, Deadboy had gotten a little singed on that one, who knew dragons really breathed fire. Faith had told Xander that he would have been dust, if Willow hadn't started a little rainstorm in the alley.

Angel and his crew had stayed behind to help their wounded, and make sure that branch of Wolfram & Hart stayed down. It did. Stay down, that is.

Now Angel, Spike, and a couple of people Xander had never met, were coming to England to start over and maybe help out with the council and training baby slayers.

Xander, all around handyman/researcher/babysitter/big brother/shoulder to cry on, needed to get their rooms ready and vampire friendly.

Never thought I would be making places safe for vampires, instead of safe from vampires. Oh well, I guess living with Spike off and on, had changed that. Now, where did I leave those black out curtains?