Title: The Choice – Part 2
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
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.
____________________________________
Last Time:
~~~~~~
Then came the big revelation: the First was gaining a foothold to take over the earth.
Xander knew that this was bad. But he also knew there was always a way, always a solution. They had
averted more apocalypses than you could shake a stick at, they could handle this one too.
Except no one else seemed to believe that they would win or have any idea how to stop this apocalypse.
Xander wasn’t going to leave it to the last minute like they had all the others; he was going to find out how to
end this now, while they still had time to plan a thorough and effective battle strategy.
~~~~~
Xander was visiting Angel in L.A. one weekend when Cordy came to him and told him he needed to visit the
Oracles. So, he went. Cordy accompanied him, as usual.
The Oracles said that the balance that was upset when Buffy came back from the dead. It could be
restored, but a choice had to be made. A slayer needed to die to restore the balance and take away the
foothold, and Xander had to make the choice.
Xander was devastated. Buffy or Faith? Some would say the choice should have been easy: Faith was ‘the
bad’ slayer, Buffy was ‘the good’ slayer, so kill off Faith.
But it wasn’t that simple.
Both of the slayers were his girls, both important to him in their own way. Both of them were important to the
world in much the same way.
Buffy, one of his closest friends, a youthful crush turned forever friends. She was the longest living slayer in
history, a warrior who had proved time and time again that she was willing to take drastic measures to save
the world. She had died twice for her efforts.
Faith, his first lover, his friend, his kindred spirit. Both abused and beaten down by those who should have
loved them, both eventually overcoming that hurt - Xander with a family of his own choosing and Faith, later,
in redemption. They had grown close while Faith was in prison, though truthfully, Xander had let go of his
hard feelings during her coma. Faith had started writing him not long after she turned herself in. He had
written back. They had exchanged phone calls and he had visited her during his trips to L.A. They had
opened up to each other and shared secrets that no one else knew. She meant just as much to him as Buffy
did. She was an amazing fighter, no matter which side she fought on. She had been once and had the
potential to be again, an amazing slayer. She had done bad things, yes. She had also faced up to her
mistakes, more than willing to pay for her crimes.
Both slayers had sought death at one time, unhappy with themselves and their circumstances. Both had
since embraced life and no longer sought to end their own.
And now, he had to choose to kill one of them. How could he make a choice like this?
He asked the Oracles one question before he left. Was the slayer essence tied to the soul or the body?
Their answer had given him his.
Cordelia had known his intentions before he even left the Oracles, and she had yelled and cried, begging
him to change his mind. He hadn’t, he couldn’t.
He called his girls back in Sunnydale, just to chat, reminding them that he loved them, no matter what.
Secure in his love, they weren’t suspicious. Cordy had ranted at him that he couldn’t do it.
He had dinner with the “Fang Gang” relishing one of the few opportunities he had had for ‘guy’ friendships.
He teased and joked with his newest girl, Fred. He sang for Lorne, and swore the demon to secrecy until
after the deed was done. Cordy had screamed at him that he shouldn’t do it.
He went through some of the boxes he had already brought down to L.A. in anticipation of finally telling his
Sunnydale friends about Angel and moving down there permanently. He found what he needed. Cordy had
tried to hit him, but being all formless, she couldn’t.
He wrote letters to his loved ones, explaining his actions. Cordy had wept as she read over his shoulder.
He went to Angel and loved him, body and soul, and kissed him goodbye when his love finally slept. Cordy
had left them alone.
Xander got in his car and drove. When he came to his destination, he paused and took a deep breath.
Cordy begged him to change his mind. She was sure that he would lose himself forever, if he did this.
Part 3
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