The Choice - 11
Title: The Choice - Part 11
Author: Xanfan
Rating: Mature
Pairing: various, including M/M Slash
Summary: Response to challenge found here http://beyondcanon.brain-insane.com/challenges.php?chalid=38. The Scoobies discover that Buffy’s resurrection has allowed the First to gain a foothold in this world. Xander is told that the balance must be restored, and the only way to do that is for a Slayer to die. Who does he choose? Buffy or Faith?
Spoilers: Up to season 7 of Buffy and 4 of Angel. Cordy never comes back from being a higher being, so, no beast master.
Warnings: SLASH, CHARACTER DEATH
Banner and Icon by spuffy_noelle
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.
____________________________________________
Previously:
“Xander did what needed to be done. Does that really surprise you? It’s not like it was the first time,” Wesley said quietly.
“Why him?” Giles asked.
“Why did he do it to himself? Who would you have him kill in his place? Why did they choose him? I believe they wanted to see what he would do. He had a history of doing the unexpected,” Wesley said sardonically.
“That he did,” Giles admitted.
After a few moments of mutual silence, Giles spoke. “What do we do now?”
“You need to tell the others. After that? I haven’t a clue,” Wesley admitted sadly.
******
Giles hung up the phone and waited. Wesley had said that Xander had written them all letters. The other former Watcher would be magicing them to him momentarily. He had protested about using magic for such a thing, but Wesley had quietly pointed out that it was the fastest way to get the letters there without opening them and violating the privacy not only the recipients, but of Xander. The raspy voiced Englishman also advised that delaying the inevitable by sending them through the mail wouldn’t be of benefit to anyone. A pop sounded and a small stack of letters appeared on the desk in front of him. Giles hesitantly reached his hand out towards the pile, almost afraid to touch the letters. Touching them might make this whole thing real.
But he couldn’t lie to himself. It was real. Xander was gone and someone else was wearing his face.
The ex-Watcher picked up the envelope with “G-Man” scrawled across the front, smiling slightly at the oft-lamented nickname. His hands trembled slightly as he carefully opened the flap and extracted his letter.
Dear G-Man, I mean Giles,
So… I guess you’ve heard by now, I mean you better have, cause some serious butt is going to be kicked if they didn’t tell you before they gave you the letter. If I can kick butt, from wherever I am. I guess we’ll see, huh?
I could give you a whole explanation for how I figured out about the slayerness and stuff, but I’m thinking that at this point you don’t really care. Yeah, you love your books and your knowledge, but you love us, the Scoobies, more. You might not say it, but, we know. I hope you know too, about how we feel about you. You do know, don’t you, cause it might make me break the guy code if I actually have to put it down on paper. Then again, I’ve been a card carrying member of the “Just One of The Girls” club since before Buffy, so I’ll just say it. We love you. None of us had the best male role models in our lives. Willow’s dad was never there, Buffy’s pretty much quit on her and mine, well, I won’t get into how un-parental like my old man was. But we struck gold when we got you. So, yeah, you rock and you’re the best non-biological dad we know.
You might not want to know how, but you do probably want to know why, right? They’re my girls, Giles. Enough said. I’m not strong enough to kill one of my girls. You might not know Faith like I do, but she’s my girl just as much as Buffy, Willow, Cordy and Dawnie ever were. She’s had it rough and she’s made a lot of mistakes, but she’s learned from them, grown from them. I hope you will give her a chance to prove it. And encourage the Scoobs to give her a chance too. Believe it or not, I really think they’ll follow your lead on this.
Don’t think for one moment that you could have stopped this, or that you should have prevented us from helping all along. This was how it needed to happen. I don’t have any doubts about that.
I’m a better man for having known you and fought by your side. I learned a lot from you, more than I ever did from my own dad, on how to be a stand up guy and good man.
I have no regrets. Take care of my girls for me.
Love, (yeah, I said it, there goes my manly-man card)
Xander
Giles pulled off his glasses and used his handkerchief to wipe away the tears that clung to the lenses. He did nothing about the tears falling down his cheeks, he just let them fall. It was if wiping them away would somehow dishonor the young man they fell for.
A half hour and a stiff drink later, Giles finally worked up the courage to pick up the phone. Now he just had to find the will to dial.
Previous Chapters
Author: Xanfan
Rating: Mature
Pairing: various, including M/M Slash
Summary: Response to challenge found here http://beyondcanon.brain-insane.com/challenges.php?chalid=38. The Scoobies discover that Buffy’s resurrection has allowed the First to gain a foothold in this world. Xander is told that the balance must be restored, and the only way to do that is for a Slayer to die. Who does he choose? Buffy or Faith?
Spoilers: Up to season 7 of Buffy and 4 of Angel. Cordy never comes back from being a higher being, so, no beast master.
Warnings: SLASH, CHARACTER DEATH
Banner and Icon by spuffy_noelle
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.
____________________________________________
Previously:
“Xander did what needed to be done. Does that really surprise you? It’s not like it was the first time,” Wesley said quietly.
“Why him?” Giles asked.
“Why did he do it to himself? Who would you have him kill in his place? Why did they choose him? I believe they wanted to see what he would do. He had a history of doing the unexpected,” Wesley said sardonically.
“That he did,” Giles admitted.
After a few moments of mutual silence, Giles spoke. “What do we do now?”
“You need to tell the others. After that? I haven’t a clue,” Wesley admitted sadly.
******
Giles hung up the phone and waited. Wesley had said that Xander had written them all letters. The other former Watcher would be magicing them to him momentarily. He had protested about using magic for such a thing, but Wesley had quietly pointed out that it was the fastest way to get the letters there without opening them and violating the privacy not only the recipients, but of Xander. The raspy voiced Englishman also advised that delaying the inevitable by sending them through the mail wouldn’t be of benefit to anyone. A pop sounded and a small stack of letters appeared on the desk in front of him. Giles hesitantly reached his hand out towards the pile, almost afraid to touch the letters. Touching them might make this whole thing real.
But he couldn’t lie to himself. It was real. Xander was gone and someone else was wearing his face.
The ex-Watcher picked up the envelope with “G-Man” scrawled across the front, smiling slightly at the oft-lamented nickname. His hands trembled slightly as he carefully opened the flap and extracted his letter.
Dear G-Man, I mean Giles,
So… I guess you’ve heard by now, I mean you better have, cause some serious butt is going to be kicked if they didn’t tell you before they gave you the letter. If I can kick butt, from wherever I am. I guess we’ll see, huh?
I could give you a whole explanation for how I figured out about the slayerness and stuff, but I’m thinking that at this point you don’t really care. Yeah, you love your books and your knowledge, but you love us, the Scoobies, more. You might not say it, but, we know. I hope you know too, about how we feel about you. You do know, don’t you, cause it might make me break the guy code if I actually have to put it down on paper. Then again, I’ve been a card carrying member of the “Just One of The Girls” club since before Buffy, so I’ll just say it. We love you. None of us had the best male role models in our lives. Willow’s dad was never there, Buffy’s pretty much quit on her and mine, well, I won’t get into how un-parental like my old man was. But we struck gold when we got you. So, yeah, you rock and you’re the best non-biological dad we know.
You might not want to know how, but you do probably want to know why, right? They’re my girls, Giles. Enough said. I’m not strong enough to kill one of my girls. You might not know Faith like I do, but she’s my girl just as much as Buffy, Willow, Cordy and Dawnie ever were. She’s had it rough and she’s made a lot of mistakes, but she’s learned from them, grown from them. I hope you will give her a chance to prove it. And encourage the Scoobs to give her a chance too. Believe it or not, I really think they’ll follow your lead on this.
Don’t think for one moment that you could have stopped this, or that you should have prevented us from helping all along. This was how it needed to happen. I don’t have any doubts about that.
I’m a better man for having known you and fought by your side. I learned a lot from you, more than I ever did from my own dad, on how to be a stand up guy and good man.
I have no regrets. Take care of my girls for me.
Love, (yeah, I said it, there goes my manly-man card)
Xander
Giles pulled off his glasses and used his handkerchief to wipe away the tears that clung to the lenses. He did nothing about the tears falling down his cheeks, he just let them fall. It was if wiping them away would somehow dishonor the young man they fell for.
A half hour and a stiff drink later, Giles finally worked up the courage to pick up the phone. Now he just had to find the will to dial.
Previous Chapters