I Had A Bad Feeling
By A. Price

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of BTVS. However, I
do like to rearrange their lives for them. They belong to Joss Whedon
and Co.

It was a little after midnight on the clock next to their bed.
Xander couldn't sleep, a storm had come up suddenly. Lightning flashed
through the window. Buffy slept soundly beside him, after eight years
of marriage he still loved to watch her sleep.

Xander got up to check on the children, he tiptoed down the hall
and peeked in the bedrooms. The kids were sleeping right through
the storm. They looked peaceful.

Buffy was tossing and turning, she was having a nightmare. She woke
up trembling, reaching for Xander, he wasn't there! She panicked and
called his name. Xander came in the room "I'm here" he said and put
his arm around her.

"I dreamed something bad was going to happen. A vampire was here, he
was going to hurt us. It was so real, and I think its going to happen
tonight!" she was sobbing softly now. Xander spoke to her soothingly,
stroking her hair. "You haven't had a nightmare in years, maybe the
storm just has you upset."

Angel ran through the rain to Buffys house, he had stayed in because of
the weather. But he had such a bad feeling that something was going to
happen to Buffy or her little family, that he had gone out in the storm
at this late hour.

He knocked on the door hoping he wasn't too late. Xander looked at
Buffy, "I've got to answer that" he told her. "Don't go, please" asked
Buffy.

"It will be okay, I'll be right back" he said as he left her.

When Xander opened the door he was surprixed to see Angel standing
there sopping wet. "Come on in, lets get you dried off and you can
tell me why you are here" said Xander.

Angel explained "I had a really bad feeling, that something was going
to happen tonight. I wanted to warn you."

Xander locked the door behing him, "Follow me, I'll get you a towel,
and we can check on Buffy."

Angel asked concerned "Check on Buffy?"

"Yeah, she had a nightmare that sounds alot like your bad feeling"
Xander said anxiously.

Angel followed Xander to the bathroom. Xander handed him a towel
with Elmo on it, the tub was full of plastic toys. Angel smiled.

They entered the master bedroom. Angel felt odd being there, this was
Xander and Buffys room. It looked alot different from her room whem
he was the man in her life. There was a cherry wood sleigh bed with a lace
comforter on it. Pictures in pretty frames were everywhere, a wedding
picture of Buffy and Xander cheek to cheek, smiling, in love. A smaller
frame held a picture of Buffy in a hospital bed wearing an exhausted
smile, holding a small baby in her arms, Xander with his arm around her
on the bed. Angel almost felt like he was invading her privacy. He looked
at her curled up in the bed and remembered why he was here.

"She is still the most beautiful thing I have ever seen" he thought to
himself. She smiled at him "Hey, why are you here? Let me guess, I
think we've been here before a long time ago. You had a bad feeling
didn't you?" She asked him and then she laughed. The sound made Angel
smile.

"Okay, enough of old times. Whats going on?" asked Xander seriously.

There was another knock at the door. Xander went downstairs to answer
it. Not quite happy that he was leaving Angel with his wife in their
bedroom. It was a fortyish looking businessman at the door. He spoke
"I'm so sorry to bother you, but your house was the only one with a
light on. My car had broke down. May I use your phone?" he asked
politely.

Xander answered "Sure come in."

At that moment Buffy and Angel looked at each other with terror in
their eyes. "It's here!" the said at the same time. They raced down
the stairs together. Angel got their first in time to see the nice
businessman put on his game face behind Xander. He knocked the vampire
down, breaking a lamp in the process. Buffy pulled a stake out of box
on the mantel. Xander stared at her he had not seen her in slayer mode
for a long time. She had not lost her touch, he thought as she plunged
the stake into the vampires heart.

The next thing they knew all that was left of the danger was a pile of
dust on the carpet. Angel got up and went to her, she was shaking a
little. "Good work! You are still in great shape!" he exclaimed.

Buffy went to get the vacuum to clean up what was left of the vamp.
Xander picked up the broken lamp pieces. "You guys sure know how
to throw a party" teased Angel.

Buffy and Xander both glared at him. "Sorry" he said sheepishly.

"Its okay. I feel a little rusty at slaying though, I haven't had
much practice lately. It scares me to think of what could have
happened. Thanks for coming Angel, I really do appreciate it." said
Buffy softly.

"You aren't too rusty, you can still handle yourself. But please be
careful from now on." said Angel in a caring voice. He said goodbye
and left.

Xander looked at Buffy, "I am so sorry Buff, I let you down. I should
have known better then to let that guy in here. Angel is right we need
to be careful.

Buffy smiled at her husband and spoke lovingly. "It was a mistake Xan,
we all make them." She took him by the hand and led him upstairs. They
checked on the children, they seemed to have slept through the whole
ordeal. They settled back into their bed. Buffy curled up next to him,
"Xander you are the one person who is always there for me. I love you"
she whispered softly in his ear. Xander smiled to himself and fell
asleep in her arms.

The End
Did you like it?<