Xander and Buffy Harris were getting ready to put their three children
to bed. It had been a long day with three children under school age.
The children were just coming out of the bathtub. Buffy dried off
four year old Giles and kissed him on his wet head. She handed him
to his Daddy to put his jammies on. Next two year old Kendra came
out of the tub, she was a minature of her Mother. Then out came the
baby eight month old Alexia, she looked like her Daddy.
The tired parents marched the children down the hall to their
bedrooms. They tucked them in their little beds and put the baby in
her crib. The lights were turned out and the baby monitor turned on.
Downstairs Xander let out a big sigh "Whoa" as he sat down by Buffy
on the couch. Buffy sighed also "It's been a long day". Xander and
Buffy had been married for eight years now, It was a marriage that
had suprised many, but none more then Xander himself. He had always
loved Buffy, but had never thought he had a chance. But, things
change!
Xander was an investigative reporter for the Sunnydale paper. He had
somehow avoided his preordained destiny as a prison guard. Buffy was
a librarian assistant at the High School, but she didn't work much
since the children were born. She had taken the job to be close to
her watcher Rupert Giles. There wasn't alot of vampire activity in
Sunnydale anymore.
Angel looked in the window of the modest but nice house. He watched
Xander and Buffy snuggle on the couch and felt a twinge of jealousy.
He had looked into this window several times over the last eight
years. At first infrequently when he was in town, but more recently
he had started checking on her once a week at least.
It had been fun in the first years watching Buffy burn poor Xanders
dinner often. She had finally mastered the kitchen though. He had
watched as they had laughed and talked together. They seemed so
happy, that was good, that was what Buffy deserved.
Four years ago on a visit, he had been is shock and a little bit
envious of Xander as he had watched Xander put his hand on Buffys
swollen belly to feel their child kick. He had been around two
years ago to watch Willow and Oz come to babysit the oldest child
while Xander rushed Buffy to the hospital for the birth of her second
child. He had moved back to Sunnydale for good when Buffy was
pregnant with her third child.
Angel hesitated for a moment then went to knock on the front door.
Buffy got up to answer the door. She had such a look of surprise
on her face that it almost scared Angel.
"Hello, Buffy" Angel said in a shaky voice.
"Angel... Angel is that you?" Buffy asked in a voice shaky enough to
match his own.
"Who is it?" asked Xander as he walked to the door. He appeared
slightly distressed at first, but quickly recovered and said to
Buffy "It's a beautiful night for two old friends to catch up, why
don't you two sit on the front porch, I'll be in the house if you
need me." He closed the front door and went into the living room
alone.
"Angel, where have you been, I thought you were dead, when you saw
me the last time, you held me and kissed me and left like nothing
was wrong, then I never see you until now!" Buffy's words rushed out.
"Buffy, I decided it was best for you to beleive I was dead, you had
to get on with your life, to find some true lasting happiness. I
like to think that I loved you enough to let you go" Angel said
softly.
"That wasn't fair, I loved you with all my heart. I should have had
some input on that decision" argued Buffy.
"And now" asked Angel.
"Now, now I love my husband and children more than anything in this
world." she answered quietly, she continued "I did find true
happiness!"
Meanwhile alone in the living room Xander sat remembering that night
ten years ago, he was still in college. There was a knock at his
door , it was Angel.
"Xander, you are the only one I can talk to about a problem I have"
Angel said with a sad smile.
"Me, you have something to share with me?" Xander asked in surprise.
"Xander, how long have you and Cordy been broken up now?" Angel asked
him.
"We haven't been together in over a year, trust me its for the best!"
replied Xander.
Angel took a deep breath and started explaining his situation "I have
made a decision, its going to hurt Buffy for awhile, and she will
need someone to help her through it, someone who loves her as much
as I do. I hate to admit it, but you Xander are that someone."
Angel filled Xander in on his plan to leave, it was for her own good,
he said it over and over again.
Xander could tell this was a tough decision for the vampire, he
hated to admit it, but right now he admired Angel.
So Angel dissapeared and Xander became Buffy's shoulder to cry on.
He never pushed and within a couple years, Buffy had fallen in love
with him. It was only natural for them to get married. Buffy or
Xander had never seen Angel again until now.
Xander pushed himself out of the past and into the present. He had
complete faith in his wife, she loved him. He even had Angel to
thank for that, Buffy had been the greatest gift he had ever received
aside from the three sleeping children upstairs. Make that two
sleeping childre, Xander heard Alexia cry over the monitor and went
upstairs to get her.
Angel and Buffy stood up and looked at each other. He smiled that
sad smile and gently bent over to kiss the top of her head. She did
not pull back, but instead gently touched his face and said " A part
of me, will always love you Angel, but my life is so different now,
and I have no regrets." She hugged him and turned to go in. She
turned back to him "Wait, you need to say hello to Xander before you
go."
Xander was coming down the stairs with a brown eyed baby in his arms,
he was cooing to her and she back to him. Buffy took the baby from
him. "You need to go say hello to Angel," she said and kissed him
on the cheek.
Xander went out on the porch to greet Angel. Angel looked inside at
Buffy rocking the baby. "She looks like you, Xander" he said with
a smile. "Yeah, I know" said Xander smiling broadly. "Poor child"
said Angel with a laugh. Then they both laughed.
Angel then got serious "Xander, you did what I asked you've taken
wonderful care of Buffy, she is truly happy. I have to thank you
for that."
Xander looked at Angel and started speaking " You are welcome Angel,
but I owe you thanks, your sacrifice gave me Buffy."
"Well, I guess we do have a few things in common. Keep taking care
of her, I better go now." said Angel softly and then he was gone.
Buffy was waiting with a sleeping baby in her arms. "So?" she asked
Xander.
"So, what?" he replied
"What did you two talk about?" she asked softly as not to wake the
baby.
"We talked about old times and I thanked him for something he dif
for me a long time ago" Xander spoke with a smile on his face.
"Well, I think we should call it a night" said Buffy as they headed
up the stairs.
Across the street Angel watched as they tucked the baby in and
headed for their bedroom. Angel nodded to himself and quietly said
to himself "No regrets."
The End
