Disclaimer: I do not own any of the charaters of BTVS. I only rearrange
their lives sometimes. They belong to Joss Whedon and Co.
NO REGRETS!
A.Price
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 tub. 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 came two year old Kendra, 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 into their 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 next to Buffy on the
couch. Buffy sighed also "It's been a long day." Xander and Buffy had
been married eight years now. It was a marriage that had surprised many
none more then Xander himself. He had always loved Buffym=, but 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
librarians assistant. She didn't work much since the children were born.
She had only taken the job to be near her Watcher Rupert Giles. There was
not 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
in this window several times over the last eight years. At first it was
infrequently, when he was in town, but recently he had taken to checking on
her once a week at least.
It had been funny in the first years watching Buffy burn poor Xanders dinner
often. She had finally mastered that kitchen though. He had watched as
they laughed and talked and made plans. They seemed so happy, that was good,
Buffy deserved that.
Four years ago on a visit, he had been in 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 babysit the oldest child. While Xander took 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 him.
"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 recovered quickly 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 like nothing was wrong, then I never
see you again until now?" Buffys words rushed out.
"Buffy I decided it was best for you to believe I was dead, you had to get
on with your life and 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 in that decision." argued Buffy.
"And now?" asked Angel.
"And now, now I love my husband and children more then anything in this
world." she answered quietly, she continued "I did find 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 had 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, it's going to hurt Buffy for awhile, 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 for her own good, he said it over and over again.
Xander could tell this was a tough decison for the vampire, he hated to
admit it, but right now he admired Angel.
So Angel dissapeared and Xander became Buffys shoulder to cry on. He never
pushed and within a couple of 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 a
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 children,
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." I'll get him.
Xander was coming down the stairs with a 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 got serious "Xander, you did exactly what I asked, you've take
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 had better go now." said Angel 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 aske softly as not to wake the baby.
"We talked about old times and I thanked him for something he did for me
a long time ago." Xander said 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 softly said "no regrets."
The End
