Chapter 9: Hell's Bells
November 9, 2001 – Friday
Summers Home, Sunnydale
Faith Lehane stood at the kitchen sink as she and Tara finished doing the dishes.
"So are you ready to see Buffy?" Tara asked looking over at the brunette Slayer.
Faith sighed. She had tried not thinking about the upcoming wedding because she knew Buffy would be in attendance. She knew the other Slayer had faith in her to protect the hellmouth, but… "A little nervous," Faith she admitted to the blonde witch. "I know she had faith in me, otherwise she wouldn't have had G-man get the Watcher's Council to get me released from prison. But I don't know exactly where she and I stand."
"Is it because of Dawn?" Tara wondered.
"I know she's not really my sister, despite the fact…"
"Willow and I didn't lie about those tests," Tara admitted. "The monks used yours and Buffy's blood."
"Just because they used my blood, doesn't make her my sister though," Faith admitted.
"Faith," Tara said as she moved around the kitchen island and sat on a stool. "As far as Dawn was concerned, you were as close as could come. You were there for her during a dark time."
Faith nodded. "I know, before you, Xan, An and Red resurrected B. You know I got the impression there was more than possibly being quote unquote Dawn's family that got you and Red to visiting with Dawn."
Tara sighed, she and Willow had not wanted to mention this to Faith or anyone for that matter. But she wondered if the time was past for this to come out in the open, after all she had received an email from Dawn saying she had finally told Buffy. "Dawn was depressed," she said after a momentary pause. "Willow and I were worried she would take her own life."
Faith was shocked at that bit of information. "Dawn was suicidal?" she asked.
"Willow and I stopped one attempt," Tara said with a resigned sigh. "Buffy was or is everything to her. She lost both her mother and big sister in the span of a few months. Willow and I believed at the time that Dawn needed something to live for. That's why we did the little magical DNA test. We wanted to see if there was someone else out there that could… Anyways you gave her that by acknowledging what we found."
"We're still not related as sisters though," Faith admitted.
"In the blood…"
"There is other ways to be related…" Faith interrupted as a knock came at the front door. "I'll get it," she said deflecting Tara's potential question. There was only one person she wanted to mention this to. She turned out of the kitchen, through the dining room and to the front door. Upon opening the door she found Buffy standing there. "B!"
"Hello, Faith," Buffy said as she smiled at the other Slayer..
Faith's brow knitted in confusion when she saw that Buffy was alone. "Where's those daughters of yours? Or Dawn?" F
"Coming tomorrow. I had Leo orb me here alone. I wanted to talk to you first," Buffy said.
"I'll get my …"
"No, Faith," Buffy said knowing what Faith was about to say. "You can stay here as long as you want. That's not it. Dawn told me about the summer I was gone."
"Oh," Faith said as she led the blonde witch-Slayer into the living room.
"I just wanted to say thank you," Buffy said. "It means a lot to me that you would want to look after her."
"Thanks," Faith said. "Uhm…"
Buffy had never seen Faith nervous before and it startled her. She motioned for her sister Slayer to sit down. "Take your time," she said as the mother in her came out.
"Uhm …" Faith said wondering why she was so nervous. Maybe it was because she didn't want to know the truth. She wasn't sure. "Is Dawn …" she sighed she didn't understand why this was so difficult. "Is Dawn our …" She paused as she looked at Buffy trying to see if Buffy understood what she was trying to ask. "Our daughter?"
Buffy blinked and then blinked again. "She's my …"
"Sister I know," Faith said. "But here is the thing, right. She was created from us. You and me. Isn't that how children are born, created from the stuff their parents gave them."
Buffy sighed, she had wondered the same at points over the last year or so herself, ever since she had found out that Dawn had been created from her. "I've wondered the same at times. But my memories."
"Tell you that Dawn is your sister," Faith said in understanding. "I know my memories since I first arrived in SunnyD tell me the same. But yet. She looks like us. She has my height and hair and your eyes."
"I know," Buffy said. "I know. It's not something I ever really thought about. While for the most part I have come to terms that I am Piper, Phoebe and Paige's mother. It's still a little weird to think about, especially when I am younger than they are. To think I am one of Dawn's two mothers, when Dawn herself is seventeen is well."
"It's a little weird, I agree," Faith said.
"Would it help if I explained?" came a voice from the foyer. Faith and Buffy turned and saw a man in white robes standing there.
"You're an Angel of Destiny?" Buffy asked as she remembered when Patty died.
"Yes," the Angel said. "Dawn as well as Piper's firstborn have a destiny greater than any you can imagine. While they do not share the same destiny. They do share one thing, they both are twice blessed. Piper's firstborn is going to be part Whitelighter part witch, blessed by both the Elders and the Charmed Ones. Dawn, as I said, is also twice blessed but by the Slayer and the Powers that Be. That is why Dawn is your sister, Buffy. Notice I said sister. While yes she is made from the two of you, she was never meant to be anything but your sister, Buffy. And Faith she was never meant to be your daughter either. You have had it harder than Buffy. The abuse you experienced at the hands of your parents, being called as a Slayer, for a brief time siding with the Mayor of Sunnydale against Buffy and finally going to prison for the Deputy Mayor and professor's deaths. The Powers, the Elders and we decided to give you something in return for all that your destiny has thrown at you."
"Dawn is Faith's reward, for lack of a better word, much like when you and the Elders approached me back when I was Patty?" Buffy asked.
"Yes, Buffy," the Angel said. "We can't interfere in freewill. It is up to you and Dawn, Faith, if you want to fall in love with Dawn and she you. Regardless if you both do, Dawn will need you both, Faith, Buffy, to guide her, to bring her to her destiny."
"Does that mean she's a …?" Buffy started to ask.
"A Charmed One?" the Angel finished for her. "Yes and no. She is Charmed, just as you are Buffy, but she is not a Charmed One." 'Not anymore at least', he thought to himself. "She does not share their destiny, just as you don't."
November 10, 2001 – Saturday
Buffy stood before the mirror in her old bedroom. She was looking at the dress but her mind was on what the Angel of Destiny had said. That Dawn was Faith's reward. Should she tell Dawn that, she wondered. She was startled out of her thoughts by a knock on the bedroom door. She turned to see Willow looking at her, horrified.
"Buffy, it's hideous," Willow whispered as she moved next to Buffy. "Oh my god, Buffy. Look at its arms!"
Buffy sighed as she looked back at the mirror in particular at hers and Willow's reflections. She had to agree the bridesmaids dresses that Anya had picked out for them to wear were ugly. "I know. But it's my duty," she said. "I'm...Buffy the bridesmaid."
"I'm s'posed to be the best man," Willow said. "Shouldn't I be all Marlene Dietrichy in a dashing tuxedo number?"
A laugh came from the door and they turned to see Faith standing there wearing an identical dress. "No, because that would be totally unfair. If I have to wear a dress instead of my normal t-shirt and jeans, you have to wear the ugly ass dress."
"We all must participate equally in the cosmic joke of bridesmaids-dom," Buffy added as she sat down on her bed.
Willow gave her reflection a glum look. "Maybe if I ask Anya I can still go with the traditional blood larva and burlap," she suggested. "I mean, she was a vengeance demon for like a thousand years, she'd know all the most flattering... larvae."
"Hell no," Faith immediately objected. "I'm really have no problem with nudity. That story I told about the priest. That one was actually one of the true stories. But I am not going to walk into that wedding wearing only a bunch of bugs crawling all over my naked skin."
"What was she thinking?" Willow wondered.
"Anya's way too stressed to think right now," Tara said as she stepped up beside Faith, "what with Xander's relatives and her ... demons ..."
Willow looked at Tara and smiled, even in the ugly ass dress she found Tara radiantly beautiful as always. "Ohmigod, last night. That rehearsal dinner. It was a zoo without the table manners. And I bet it got worse after we left."
To tell the truth Buffy had for the most part zoned out of a lot of the rehearsal dinner. She had been brought back to the present when Xander's father had puked in her purse.
"I can't believe everyone is buying the story that Anya's people are circus folk," Dawn said from where she sat next to the window. "I would have thought those Cleaners you mentioned, Buffy, would have wiped everyone's memories."
"They may still," Buffy said, "after the wedding."
Just then Anya came up behind Tara and Faith. Upon seeing everyone in their bridesmaids dresses she clutched her hand to her mouth as her eyes widened. They wondered if Anya had finally come to her senses and was as horrified at the dresses as they were.
"Oh. Oh. You guys are so beautiful," Anya gushed. "This is the happiest day of my life."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Downstairs Piper, Leo, Phoebe and Paige waited. "Do you know much about these demons Anya invited?" Piper asked her husband.
"Their mostly low level, and for the most part harmless," Leo said. "The most you will get from most of them is an old fashioned fist fight."
"So none of them will be after us or mom and Aunt Dawn?" Paige asked.
"I don't think so," Leo said. "Buffy told me that Anya had made sure that the demons were to know that the wedding was neutral territory. They might not get along with you or Xander's family and could of course as I said start a fight. But otherwise they shouldn't be a threat. At least I hope so. If they do pose a threat, multiple witches, you three, Buffy, Dawn, Willow and Tara as well as Faith since she is a Slayer should be more than enough magical protection for the mortals in attendance. But I wouldn't let your guard down, just in case." He looked at Piper. "Worst case scenario you or Buffy may have to freeze the room."
"You know it makes me wonder why these Cleaners mom told us about aren't doing anything," Phoebe said. "This is exposure on a large scale and aren't they supposed to be cleaning stuff like this."
"They are supposed to, yes," Leo said. "From what I understand, Anya used her connections in the Underworld, she was after all a Vengeance demon for a thousand years, to get the Cleaners to hold off till after the wedding. And then the Cleaners will modify all but ours, the demons, Buffy's, Dawn's and their friends memories to make the demons look like they were humans."
"It's a shame that they aren't upper level," Piper said. "At least then they would have a human form."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"B, can I have a word with you," Faith said.
"Sure, Faith," Buffy said as she looked at her friends and sister. "Can you guys give us a moment?"
Willow, Dawn, Tara and Anya all nodded as they left the bedroom and Faith closed the door behind them.
"While Dawn is only two years younger than me," Faith said. "I am not going to do anything, okay. I just wanted to get that off my chest." (A/N 1)
"Faith," Buffy said. "If you want to pursue the relationship the Angel of Destiny hinted at, you have my blessing. We may not have gotten along very well when you first arrived. But things have changed. Your being in prison and remaining there proved that you are committed to changing things. While I agree that while Dawn is seventeen and still a minor. I also know that the Elders and the Angel of Destiny would not have given her to you to fall in love with if they did not mean it. If you want to see where a relationship with my sister goes, you have my blessing." (A/N 2)
"Really?" Faith asked shocked that Buffy felt that way.
Buffy smiled at Faith. "Yes. Faith, we've had our ups and downs but I think you deserve a second chance. And apparently so did the Elders, the Power that Be and the Angel of Destiny."
Bison's Lodge
Willow wrestled with a veil-like length of white tulle, swathing it around a bison's head. "There we go," she said, "tuck that there and let's see, maybe one little flower here. And voila! Loveliness ensues." She climbed down from a step ladder and stood next to Dawn as she admired her artistry. "What do you think?"
Dawn shrugged. "It's sweet. In sort of a macabre, dressing up dead animals in funny costumes way. But sweet."
"Yeah," Willow said quite proud of her achievement while she put the step ladder aside. "Isn't it pretty here? I didn't know a Bison's Lodge could be so elegant." She put her arm around Dawn and they walked through the main room of the lodge.
"I thought Xander and Anya couldn't afford flowers," Dawn said as she noticed an arrangement of flowers.
"Giles sent 'em," Willow said noticing the frown on Dawn's face. "He only comes around when we need him for information, Dawn. But don't you think it's time to forgive him?"
"Why should I?" Dawn bit out in anger. "He deserted my sister just when she would have needed him most. If not for your spell, things could have turned out different. She could have been dead for all we know."
"I know, Dawn," Willow sighed. "So, how do you think Buffy and Xander are doing?"
Dawn glanced in the direction of where Xander was getting ready. She knew Buffy had been putting off talking to Xander afraid he would admonish her for leaving Sunnydale and their friends when they moved to San Francisco. She looked back at Willow and sighed. "You knew why we moved. But Xander, he wasn't there. She was afraid that he wouldn't get it. That he might feel …"
"Betrayed?" Willow wondered. "He was at first. After all, all three of us had been friends since you two and Mrs. Summers moved to Sunnydale. But when he had calmed down, I explained why she had to move."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
In one of the side room's Buffy diligently tried to wrap a too small cummerbund around Xander's waist.
"Is it too small?" he asked.
"Nah," Buffy replied.
"It fit when I picked up the tux," Xander said. "How can it not fit now?"
Buffy shrugged. "It'll fit."
"Aw man. What if it doesn't?" Xander asked. He knew he was stalling. After all it was nice having his best friend back. But he also knew he had to talk to Buffy, try and get some things straight. "What if I can't wear my cummerbund and the whole world sees the place where my pants meet my shirt? That can't happen Buffy! I must wear das cummerbund!"
"And... so... you... SHALL," Buffy said as she hooked the back of the cummerbund.
"You did it?" he asked.
Buffy smiled. "Slayer strength. Though I might have frozen you for a moment."
"You are kidding right, I mean about the freezing part," Xander said suddenly worried.
"I'm kidding," Buffy said as she moved around in front of him and began to tie his bow tie. "You look really great, Mr. About-to-get-married. You're glowing." She gasped in mock shock. "Omigod, Xander Maybe you're pregnant!"
Xander sighed, he had been dragging his feet too long, he decided to just bite the bullet as they said. "Buffy, we need to talk."
Buffy sighed as she looked at the bow tie for a second before letting her hands drop. "I know."
"I don't blame you for wanting to spend time with Patty's daughters, your daughters. In the beginning I did of course, but as I calmed down, Willow tried to explain the stuff about the memories and such. I understand, it must be nice to have someone that looks up to you like that," Xander said. "It's about, Faith, was it a good idea to get Giles to free her? She after all did try to kill you, and then there was the body swap. Plus she did, even if accidentally, kill the deputy mayor and that professor."
"Initially I didn't trust her one hundred percent," Buffy said. "That's why I wanted her in my house with Willow and Tara. Willow is one of, if not, the most powerful progenitors I've ever seen. And Tara is a gifted witch. They could keep an eye on Faith. But over the last few weeks since she was released I have come to actually trust her. And here is why, Xander. Faith was in prison for almost two years. Think for a second if it were me in prison, and I didn't want to be held, could they hold me?"
Xander thought about it for a long moment and then shook his head. Even without Patty's powers he knew the answer was no, no matter what he knew that Buffy could escape if she wanted, which meant so could Faith. "No, they couldn't."
"That says a lot for Faith," Buffy said. "She remained in there for that long knowing she could leave at any time and they couldn't stop her. It tells me that she wanted to be rehabilitated. That she wanted to pay for her crimes."
"Does that mean you two are buddy, buddy?" he asked.
"There is still some bad blood between us," Buffy said. "But we now have some common ground and I believe it will help us to put that all in the past."
"Common ground?"
Buffy sighed. "This is a secret. No one but Faith and I know, you are the first one to be told. Dawn has a destiny. She was created from me and Faith but she's not our daughter. She's my sister. But here is the clencher an Angel of Destiny stopped by last night while I was talking with Faith. Dawn is her reward."
"Reward?" Xander asked confused.
"For all the bad stuff in her life," Buffy said. "The Elders, The Powers that Be, the Angel of Destiny all agreed that Faith has had it rough. From her parents abusing her, and yes she was physically abused. To her first watcher being killed by Kakistos right in front of her, to accidentally killing the deputy mayor, to killing that professor and then trying to kill me. Yes some of that doesn't deserve a reward, namely the stuff she did at the behest of the Mayor. But given what her parents did to her. Then seeing someone she looked up to be killed by a vampire. She deserves something to look forward to. So the Angel of Destiny, the Elders and the Powers that Be all agreed that Dawn would be created not only to house the Key, to be my sister but also to be Faith's girlfriend or lover or whatever. If Faith and Dawn did actually fall in love that is, free will and all."
Xander looked toward the door as if he expected someone to walk through and say surprise. When no one did he looked back at Buffy. "This is big," he said.
"I know," Buffy said. "I know you may not trust Faith, but I am asking at least for Dawn's sake you try to put it behind you."
Xander smiled as he hugged Buffy. "I can't promise anything. But for you and Dawn, I'll try."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Back in the main room of the lodge Dawn stood between Piper and Leo as they greeted the guests.
"Look who agreed to be my date for tonight!" Xander's Uncle Rory said as he walked up to them. On his arm was one of the female caterers.
"I'm really supposed to be working," the caterer said. "I'm one of the caterers..."
"Hush, hush. No woman of mine has to work," Rory said. "All you have to do is sit pretty and laugh when I tell a good one. Tell her what a funny guy I am, Dawnie." He looked at Dawn expectantly.
Dawn looked at Piper and rolled her eyes. "Enjoy the wedding," she said as Piper ushered Rory and the caterer away. The next guests walk up to them and they all notice they are demons.
"Hymen's greetings!" D'Hoffryn said.
"Hy- What?!" Dawn asked as she looked at Piper and Leo.
"Hymen," Leo said, "was a Greek god of marriage. He was a lesser known god."
"You must be the Charmed Ones Whitelighter," D'Hoffryn said.
"I am," Leo replied. "And I was under the impression there were going to be no upper level demons here."
"Halfrek and I will likely be the only ones," D'Hoffryn replied as Halfrek walked up to them. "After all Anyanka used to be one of mine. It would be in bad form for me not to attend the wedding one of my greatest Vengeance demons."
"Of course," Piper said. "Just so you know I will be keeping my eye on you."
"I would not expect anything less from a Charmed One," D'Hoffryn said. "I brought a gift. I suppose there's a table..."
Dawn took the gift from D'Hoffryn. "I can put this on the table—"
"Careful, it's..." D'Hoffryn said.
"Dangerous?" Piper asked.
D'Hoffryn shook his head. "Squirmy," he said as he and Halfrek walked off.
Piper raised her hands freezing the box. "That should hold long enough to find a place that's safe to stash it," she said as she took the box from Dawn and walked off.
Dawn frowned as she spotted Spike with some girl on his arm. "Spike," she said as he walked up to her and Leo.
"Like you to meet my date," Spike said.
Leo noticed Dawn's reaction to Spike. "What is it?" he asked.
"Spike's a vampire," Dawn explained. "One with this huge crush on Buffy. On top of that Buffy told me something in confidence."
"Bad?" Leo asked
Dawn sighed. "Yeah," she said with a nod. "Don't ask me to repeat it though, Leo. I promised Buffy I would repeat this to no one, let alone you, Piper, Phoebe or Paige."
Over the course of the weeks since Buffy had received Patty's memories and both Buffy and Dawn had received their powers, they had grown closer. A lot closer than they were the year before when Buffy had thought of Dawn as mainly her brat sister that needed protecting from Glory. During one of their private times together, Buffy had told Dawn that Spike and her had been sleeping together before Willow's memory spell that had unlocked Patty's memories and their powers permanently.
Dawn looked back at Spike. "You are not welcome here. If you want to push the matter, I can get Leo's wife, Piper, to use her power on you and see if you can be decapitated by exploding your neck only."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Paige shook her head as she watched Tony Harris, Xander's father, at the bar. Xander had asked Buffy earlier that day to keep his father away from the bar, and if that was not possible from getting too drunk. Given Paige's own history with alcohol, Buffy had asked her to keep an eye on Mr. Harris.
"'Til death do us part. That's what makes me laugh," Tony said as he downed his drink and slammed it back on the bar. "Hit me again barkeep."
"I'm really not supposed to start serving until after the ceremony," the bartender said nervously.
"I paid for this wedding," Tony said. "I paid for that bourbon there and I paid for this glass here. And I paid for you, caterer-waiter." He threw the glass forcefully to the floor shattering it.
"Um, right away, Sir," the bartender said just as Paige walked up next to Tony.
"Don't worry about it," Paige said before turning to Tony. "You must be so happy for Xander on his special, once-in-a-lifetime day, Mr. Harris."
Tony focused on Paige and grinned in appreciation at what he saw. "Nice chassis. What's under the hood?"
Paige closed her eyes briefly and let out a sigh. 'Did he actually try to hit on me?' she wondered. "I could really go for a strong cup of coffee. Hey, let's get you one too. Better yet let me make you one of my world renowned hangover cures."
"How about we slip into the back room and I show you my—" Tony said ignoring the fact Paige suggested trying to get him sober.
"Finish that sentence and I guarantee you won't have anything to show," Paige said quickly as she thought about actually orbing his private parts.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Xander stood in the main room in the midst of a chaotic pack of well-wishing relatives.
"Alexander, do you realize that the usher sat us in the third row?" Jessica Harris, Xander's mother, said.
Xander sighed. "Mom, I'm sure it was a mistake—"
"Excuse me?" said an old man.
"Say Neph," Rory, Xander's uncle said, "have you seen the photographer? I've got a ... proposition for him—"
"I really need a word with you—" said the old man trying to get Xander's attention.
"Now Anya decided not to have us in the processional and that's fine, but the third row—" Jessica said.
"Please. You have to listen to me!" the old man said as he pulled Xander aside, almost roughly.
"Hey..." Xander said quite annoyed at the old man.
The old man looked Xander square in the eye, his gaze intense bordering on frantic. "Don't get married today. It's a huge mistake—"
"Yeah right, well thanks for the advice, Uncle ... help me here," Xander said.
"Uncle - ? No... You don't recognize me, do you?" the old man said as he sighed. "But why would you? Time hasn't been kind to us, has it?"
"I'm sorry. I don't—" Xander said apologetically.
"It sounds crazy, I know, but you have to believe me—" the old man said. He decided to try a desperate tactic. "I'm Xander Harris. I'm you."
"What?" Xander asked as he let the old man lead him into a dusty and small room. He was sure it was a trophy room. The old man extended a glass orb towards him as the light inside it pulsed. "What is it?"
"It's magic, very powerful. Look at it. You'll see what I've seen. Feel what I felt," the old man said.
Xander hesitated as he looked at the orb. On the one hand Buffy had taught Willow about spells for personal gain so he was sure neither she, or Tara, or Buffy, Dawn, Piper, Phoebe or Paige would have sent him. Assuming of course the man was telling the truth that he was his future. As he continued to look at the orb, curiosity got the better of him. He stared into its heart as it began to emit a bright beam of light which shone onto his forehead.
Year 2025
Harris Residence
Xander sat in a claustrophobic den watching a football game on a widescreen TV, around him lay assorted beer cans and a bag of chips. "Anya!" he bellowed, using the remote control he flipped through the television channels, pausing for a brief moment on some soft-porn. "Anya!"
He received no reply from Anya as a ten-year-old boy chased an eight-year-old girl into the room.
"Get the hell away from me!" the girl said shrilly. "Dad, Josh is teasing me."
"Sarah's a weirdo!" Josh taunted his demon adopted sister. "Sarah's a weirdo!"
Sarah let out a yell as she and Josh ran out another door and into the hall. Xander ignored them as he continued to flip through the channels.
It was at that moment that Anya appeared in the doorway, her hands on her hip, her expression cold. "What."
"You're going out again?" Xander asked looking at his wife in her Mary Kay Cosmetics uniform.
Anya walked over to Xander and squatted down and huffily started picking up the beer cans. "I'm doing a make-over party."
"I thought you hated those," he told her.
"Well. One of us has to make some money," she reminded him.
Xander sighed. "What do you want me to do, Anya!? I can't work. My back is shot!"
"And whose fault is that?" Anya yelled at him.
"Not the Buffy, Faith and Dawn thing again—" Xander said with a sigh.
"Well, what were you doing running around playing the hero?!" Anya said, her tone harder than it was a moment earlier. "You had no business fighting demons with them—"
"You used to love it. You loved that I was part of the Slayer and Charmed One's team—" he said.
"Yeah, it was so hot the way you almost got paralyzed," she reminded him.
"Well, maybe if you'd been there for a change, backing me up," he admonished her.
"I was working! You stopped, remember? Everything stopped when you had to save the world—" she yelled.
"Buffy, her daughters, Faith and Dawn needed me," he reminded Anya. "I had to help."
"Well it didn't save them, did it?" Anya reminded him.
Xander sighed as remembered the Battle of Sunnydale where they had gone to fight the First Evil. They had won that battle at great cost. He had wound up paralyzed and the Charmed Ones, Buffy, Dawn and Faith had all perished.
"All it did was ruin our lives," Anya finished as she headed for the door. "I'll be late."
"I hope you crash in your stupid pink car!" Xander yelled after her.
Year 2035
Sirgio's Restaurant
The tension at the table was thick as Xander and Anya ate. Josh who sat across from his parents and next to his adopted sister was reading a handheld e-mail type device. Next to Josh, Sarah picked at her food unhappily.
"What?" Xander asked when he noticed Anya looking at him. Anya's only reply was a shake of her head. He looked at his children and Anya. "So? What's with the code of silence? Somebody say something."
"My Optomex stock is plunging," Josh said.
"But you're still up for the day," Anya said proudly.
"Okay. But see, I was thinking we could put away the dohickey and talk. Like an actual family," Xander said as Sarah snorted.
Anya glared at her husband. "At least he has an interest."
"At least he has your interests, you mean," Xander retorted. "Try to get the kid to talk about anything but the Dow—"
"If it wasn't for his stock tips we wouldn't be out, eating someplace nice—" Anya said under her breath.
"Yeah, this place is really nice," Sarah said shaking her head. "You guys know I don't eat wheat."
"You don't eat anything. Freak," Josh taunted his sister.
"At least I'm not a mama's boy," Sarah retorted.
"At least I'm not a demonic freak."
"Dad! Make him cut it!" Sarah begged looking at Xander.
Xander glared at Anya even though he addressed his daughter, "Maybe you should talk to your mother about that."
"You've had too much wine," Anya admonished him.
"Have I?" Xander laughed. "I'm just saying maybe you should talk to your daughter—"
"I hate you guys!" Sarah yelled as shot to her feet. "And I know you're not my real dad!" she screamed at her parents. "And I hate you, I hate you both! I wish you'd die!" She stormed away from the table.
Josh pushed his plate away with a sigh. "This sucks."
Year 2045
Harris Residence
"If you were so unhappy – why didn't you just leave!?" Xander asked as he glared at his wife.
"I wanted to! I should have!" Anya yelled back.
"Yeah, you should have. Maybe then I could have gotten some touch in the oughts," he snapped.
"I wasn't the one who stopped touching—" Anya reminded him.
"Oh ho! Maybe, but you weren't touching me—" Xander bit out.
"What did you expect? You never came near me after Buffy—"
"Don't bring her, her family, Dawn or Faith into this—" he yelled his voice going up an octave.
"Fine. Forget them," Anya yelled. "Maybe you were just born to be a bitter, angry old man."
Xander narrowed his eyes in rage. "Shut up."
"No! I want my life back! If I hadn't married you I could have been happy. I wouldn't have had to hate myself for the LAST THIRTY YEARS!" she yelled shrilly.
"SHUT UP!" Xander yelled as he grabbed a frying pan from the stove and swung it at Anya.
November 10, 2001 – Saturday
Bison's Lodge
Xander looked at the old man, his future self. The old man touched his shoulder and he pulled away obviously traumatized.
"I'm sorry," the old man said, "I didn't want to show you—"
"What happened?" Xander asked frantically. "What was that?"
"A glimpse of your future," the old man said. "Harnessed by magic. I'm so sorry—"
"Is she okay?" Xander asked. "Is she okay? What did I do—"
"Listen. I don't have long here," the old man explained. "The spell that brought me back, it won't last. You can change things. It doesn't have to go like this. But you can't marry Anya."
"But—" Xander objected.
"You'll hurt her less today then you will later. Believe me," the old man said. "Sometimes, two people—all they bring each other is pain."
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
Moments later Xander stood by the back door of the lodge, pacing.
"I'll say this for the Y chromosome: looks good in a tux," Willow said as she walked up to Xander and began to adjust his tie.
Xander forced himself to smile, covering his turmoil over his visions of the future. "Your double X's aren't doing so bad there, either."
Willow looked at Xander, a bit wistfully. "You're getting married. My little Xander."
Xander managed a brief laugh. "All grown up."
"It's a good thing I realized I was gay," Willow said. "Because otherwise, hey, you, me and formal wear..." She smiled as he hugged her and she returned the embrace tightly. "You know how much I love you?"
"Mmm... 'bout half as much as I love you?" Xander suggested as Willow stepped away.
"Ready for the long walk?" Willow wondered as a smile graced her lips.
"Um... can you give me a sec?" he asked. "I want to go over my vows."
Willow nodded as she kissed him on the cheek. "Take your time. Not like they can start the wedding without you." She turned and walked away.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
In another room of the lodge Tara and Faith watched as Anya recited her wedding vows. "'I promise to cherish you...' Eew, no! Cherish? 'I promise to have sex with you whenever...I want, and pledge to be your friend and your wife and your confidant and your sex poodle and—'"
"Sex poodle?" Faith asked with a smirk. "You go girl."
"Uh, I'm not sure she should say sex poodle in her vows," Tara said as looked toward Faith.
"Why not?" Faith asked with a laugh. "It would make for one heck of a wedding that is for sure."
Just then they heard the string quartet playing in the main room of the lodge.
"The music! They're playing the music! This is it..." Anya said as her face lit up as the beautiful reality of the situation hit her.
Just then there was a knock at the door before it opened and Buffy peeked her head in. "Are you ready, Ahn?" she asked.
Before Anya could answer, Buffy was yanked back and the door closed.
Out in the hall Buffy whirled to find Phoebe and Willow, who had closed the door.
"He's gone," Willow said her voice an urgent hiss. "Xander's disappeared."
"What! Xander's gone? What do we do?" Buffy wondered.
"Leo is going to orb Willow and Paige and I are going to borrow Willow's car and the four of us are going to go look for him," Phoebe said. "We are going to find him. And, Mom, you're going to stall."
Back in the room Anya, Faith and Tara look at each other. And then at the just slammed door. And then the door opened again, and again Buffy poked her head in. "Sorry about that. Uh, it looks like there's going to be a little delay," Buffy said.
"Why?" Faith wondered.
"What's wrong?" Anya added.
"Nothing, nothing. Just, um, the, uh, minister! He's got to go perform an emergency...C-section and, uh—" Buffy said trying think of something to stall Anya.
"A C-section?" Faith said with a shake of her head.
"Oh yes, he's a doctor as well as, "Buffy said as she scrambled to come up with a good lie, "a minister. He's like, half-minister, half-doctor. A mini-tor. Not, of course, to be confused with a minotaur! Because he's all man, this minister-doctor man, no bull parts, whatsoever."
"Uh-huh," Anya said after a moment's hesitation.
"So anyway, it ought to just be a couple of minutes," Buffy said.
"Okay," Anya said as Buffy closed the door. She looked to Tara and Faith. "Okay, this is the last time."
"Excuse me for a moment, Anya," Faith said as she quickly exited the room to find Buffy still in the hall. "What's up?"
"Xander's missing," Buffy said. "I have to stall out here. Can you stall Anya?"
"Leave it to me," Faith promised.
Streets of Sunnydale
Xander walked alone, thinking just as Phoebe and Paige pull up next to him and get out of the car. He looked at them, startled by their arrival.
"Xander," Phoebe said with a sigh. "Finally we found you. What happened?"
Xander let out a sigh and told them what had happened.
Phoebe frowned, she knew the consequences of meddling in time. Why would Xander send himself back in time to get his past self to stop the wedding. "That makes no sense, that is highly personal gain. And how did your future self, if he really was your future self, cast such a spell to send himself back in time when he had no powers?"
"Maybe he got Willow or Tara to do it for him?" Xander suggested with a shrug. According to the vision they would have likely been the only witches he knew left alive.
"I don't think so," Phoebe said. "Both Willow and Tara know about personal gain, I would hope neither of them would do such a thing."
"Even though Willow has in the past?" Paige reminded Phoebe. "Remember she did resurrect mom. Then there was the memory spell that unlocked permanently mom's memories and powers."
"Point taken," Phoebe said with a sigh. She then had an idea. It would be a long shot but just maybe it might work. "Xander, give me your hand. Maybe I can see what he showed you. And I can then tell if what you saw was real."
Xander thought about it for a moment. He didn't think it could hurt anything. It might even give him some answers. He reached out and Phoebe took his hands in her own. He watched as Phoebe gasped.
"What do you see?" Paige wondered.
"A demon," Phoebe said. "One that has a grudge against Anya. She cursed him when she was still a vengeance demon like eighty years ago or so." She looked at Xander. "He did it to break you and Anya up as way of punishing Anya for what she did. What he showed you was a lie."
Xander sighed. "I figured that might be the case. It doesn't change things though. What he showed me could wind up being real, and I don't think I could do that to Anya, I love her too much."
An idea occurred to Paige and she leaned over and whispered in Phoebe's ear.
"What if we had a way to show you that your future might not turn out that way?" Phoebe asked.
"How?" Xander wondered.
"Come with us," Paige said. "We have to talk to mom."
Xander sighed as he got into the car with them and they drove back to the lodge.
"Leo!" Phoebe called out as she started the engine. "You can go back, we found him."
Bison's Lodge
Phoebe left Paige and Xander in the groom's room in the lodge. She found Buffy in the main hall still trying to stall. "Uh Buffy," she said. "Can I see you for a minute."
"Sure, Phoebe," Buffy said as she followed Phoebe down the hall and into the groom's room. "Xander!" She quickly hugged him before looking at her daughters.
"Mom," Phoebe said. "I got a premonition. First off there is a demon out there in the guise of an old man."
"Okay," Buffy said. "Paige go tell Faith, Willow, Tara, Dawn, Piper and Leo, please."
Paige nodded as she left the room.
"The next thing is the demon showed Xander some phony visions of his future. Paige had an idea, if evil can influence Xander why can't good do the same."
"What did Paige have in mind exactly," Buffy wondered.
"The Angel of Destiny," Phoebe said. "The one that you said visited you and Faith last night."
Buffy nodded as she closed her eyes as she mentally recited the summoning spell. "Power of the witch, I summon thee, and call to me, the Angel of Destiny."
A ball of light came down from the heavens and as it swirled around it manifested into a woman in white robes. "Why have I been summoned?" she asked.
"I need a favor," Buffy said. "Evil conspired to break up Xander and Anya by showing Xander visions of a possible future. I would like to give him visions from the opposing side so he can make an informed decision on his future."
The Angel sighed as she looked at Buffy. "You know that we can't …"
"I don't care," Buffy said. "You, the Powers and the Elders all owe me. I have sacrificed as much in this lifetime as I did as Patty. Shoot I even died, not once, but twice for the greater good in this lifetime alone."
"Very well," the Angel said as she turned to look at Xander. "Take my hands. What you will see is a possible future. It may or may not be the future you end up in. Only your decisions throughout your life will determine that."
Xander nodded as he took the angel's hands. "I understand."
The angel closed her eyes and Xander did as well.
Year 2005
Summers-Lehane Residence
Xander smiled as he stood next to his very pregnant wife looking at Dawn and Faith. "So, Dawnster, what's the occasion?" he asked.
"We're adopting," Dawn answered.
"Dawn and I talked and we both agree," Faith added. "That we would love you both to be her godparents."
Xander looked at Anya who smiled and nodded. He looked back at his friends as he smiled. "We would love to."
Year 2015
Sirgio's Restaurant
"Happy birthday to you!" Xander and Anya sang to their eight-year-old daughter.
"Now," Xander said as he waved at the cake. "Make a wish."
"I wish," Dawn Harris said as she smiled at her parents. "That Aunt Dawn and Aunt Buffy could have come today."
"So do I," Xander said. "But you know your aunts. They had their own celebration to attend to today. After all today is also your Aunt Buffy and Uncle Samuel's wedding anniversary."
Year 2030
San Francisco Memorial Hospital
Xander watched as Buffy paced back and forth as they waited for news on Buffy's daughter who was in the midst of labor. "Buffy, please, sit down."
"She's been in labor for ten hours, Xander," Buffy sighed as she finally sat down next to her best friend. "It's just nerve racking waiting to meet the first of the Summers grand-babies." It wasn't the first of her grandchildren of course. She had grandchildren through the Halliwell side of her family. But this was the first grandchild from the Summers side of the family.
"I know," Xander said as he looked at Anya. "After all Ahn and I just became grandparents ourselves, remember?"
"Oh I remember," Buffy said as she smiled. "And I think it was nice that Dee…" She had always called Xander's daughter Dee so as not to confuse his daughter with her own sister, "named me godmother."
November 10, 2001 – Saturday
Xander blinked at he looked around for a moment before he looked at the angel. "That was just one possible future?" he asked.
"Yes," the angel said. "The choice now is yours. To choose which path you will tread. I cannot do anything else." She became a ball of light and flew back to the heavens.
"I need a few moments to think," he said.
And think he did, and while he thought Faith, Willow, Tara, Piper, Paige, Phoebe, Dawn and Buffy found the old man that had shown Xander the fake visions and vanquished him.
0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0
"Do you, Alexander Harris, take Anya Jenkins to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the minister asked thirty minutes later.
Xander had taken ten minutes to think things over. And he decided that if the Angel's vision was even just one possible future, wasn't it worth the risk to see what life could be like with Anya. "I do," he said.
"And do you Anya Jenkins, take Alexander Harris to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do," Anya said.
"You may now kiss the bride."
Xander leaned in and kissed Anya passionately.
Author's Note 1 : Faith's age is listed on Buffy Wikia as being a month older than Buffy. I have no idea where they got that date of birth. It could simply been picked arbitrarily as Eliza Dushku's birthday is the same month and year as listed for Faith's (Dec. 1980). But her age was never mentioned in the show itself. So I am taking some liberties here that actually ties into the change mentioned for Dawn (A/N 2) so as to pair the two of them together and remove as much as the eww factor as possible.
Author's Note 2 : Dawn was mentioned to be 14 in season 5 and 15 in season 6. To close the gap between her and Faith and remove some of the eww factor I set her age at 17 at this point in the story. By the end of the season 6 (BTVS)/season 4 (Charmed) she will be 18 and legal. That also means she was 16 when she was created instead of 14 as in canon.