Disclaimer:Not mine!!!! Do you seriously think that I'd be so mean as to break up Buffy and Angel and then create Riley??!! You'd be right to say NO!!!! Down with Riley! Nevermind! That has nothing to do with my story.....
Rating:G
Summary:Xander decides to do something to cheer up Buffy.
Author's Note: When I wrote this I thought that it was about time that Xander did something nice for Buffy and Angel. And I decided to post it now cause I felt so sorry for poor Xander. He's barely used anymore!!!!!!! I like Xander!!!!! He's Funny!!!!!!! He makes me laugh! In a good way!!!! Not like when I laugh at Riley, that's only because I think he's so pathetic!!!!! Well, here goes! By the way, I wrote this before Season 4 started so Riley does not exsist! And it's better that way!!!!!!!

"Hey G-man! where's our favorite slayer?" Xander asked Giles as he, Willow and Oz walked into his appartment late one night,

"Eh, she- she called in sick again. She didn't patrol tonight." Giles answered.

"Again?! Poor Buffy! She's been sick an awful lot this year!" Willow replied.

"Yeah, but I thought Buffy hardly ever got sick." Oz said.

"So did we." Xander sighed. He knew why Buffy was always "sick"- and it had nothing to do with a weak immune system. And he intended to do somethign about it....

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy sat staring out her window. She knew she should be patrolling but she jsut didn't have the heart to anymore. It was as if Angel and sucked the life out of her when he left. She was glad now that she'd gotten a dorm by herself, she was supposed to get a dorm with Willow but her parents wouldn't let her stay away from home, so Buffy got one by herself. But she was glad. She wouldn't wasnt Will worrying aobut her. *Oh god, Angel! I miss you so much! I wish you'd come back!* She prayed silently, even thoughshe knew it was no use.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Xander snuck out of his house late that night, no one would miss him, if they noticed that he was gone. he sighed, not able to believe what he was doing. *For Buffy, remember? Your pal, the one who has saved your life time and time again? God! Glad you could reacall that!* he told himself then started off to the bus station. This time, it was his turn to save Buffy's life.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Angel got up from his nightmare filled sleep. How he actually slept at all he was surprised. He'd probably has at least a dozen dreams about Buffy being hurt or dying becasue he wasn't there to protect her. *This was to protect her remember? She doesn't need someone to protect her from all the evil out there. she's the Slayer, she can protect herself.* he reminded herself.

"But it doesn't stop the pain... It doesn't stop me from missing you." he sighed. His life was empty without her. She was the one who gave him a reason to live, she was the one who made him want to live again, she was the one who made him feel human, not like a monster. He loved her and he knew he would until the end of time. he'd never loved anyone that much before, so much that he would do anything for them, he would walk into hell to keep her safe. And yet, he left her, he smashe dhis head into the wall,

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" He shouted.

"Angel, you're a moron...." He told himself,

"A complete and utter moron....." he sighed.

He knew he left the only person who'd be able to love him despite who he was and everything he'd done, and no matter how much he tried to convince himself that it was better for her this way it never was enough. Still, he knew he couldn't go back now. *She probably has a new boyfriend by now, she'd probably forgotten all about you.* He told himself and had a sudden urge to run out into the sun, which wouldn't work considering it was night. *Don't be feeling all sorry for yourself! YOU left her! YOU told her to forget about you and move on!* He told himself as he slipped on a pair of pants and a shirt.

"But still I love you Buffy...." he sighed. He was shocked out of his reverie by a knock at the door. He went to open it and was shocked to find Xander standing on the other side....

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hey! Angel man! What's up? You know, you're a really tough guy to find! Did you know that I've looked in 10 other towns in the part three days? Xander asked.

"What the Hell are you doing here? What do you want?!" Angel demanded, not happy at all too see someone who was a close friend of Buffy's. Xander stopped joking around and suddenly became very serious, more serioud than Angel had ever seen him before. Xander walked straight into Angel's appartment without being invited.

"To bring you back to Sunnydale. To bring you back home," he replied.

"You want me to go back to Sunnydale?! I thought you'd be throwing a party the second I left!" Angel laughed.

"Look, Angel, I know you think that I don't like you, and I know you think I was jumping for joy the second you walked out of Sunnydale but the truth is, well, that...... it's, not true.... You know, I'm still going through that teenager thing, you like a girl. you get jealous and hate anyone who dates her, I started to ahte you without a real reason and now, well, I feel bad about it," Xander explained. *I can't believe I'm saying these things outloud! It'll ruin my macho-man reputation!* Xander thought jokingly.

"But that's not why I'm here, I'm here because of Buffy," Xander continued.

"Did something happen to her?!" Angel asked panic stricken.

"No, she's fine, other than the fact that she'd dying of a broken heart," Xander told him.

Angel turned away from him.

"You have to come back Angel! The Buffy we know is dying just becasue you're not there!" Xander pleaded. *Oh great, now I'm begging!*

"I thought you just said she was alright,"Angel hissed.

"Phisically, yes, but emotionally, she's gone, our buffy, YOUR Buffy, the one who talks back to Giles, the one who makes sarcastic remarks to all the vamps before kicking their asses! That Buffy's gone. Infact, she hasn't even patrolled in weeks!" Xander recounted.

Angel just sighed.

"She'll find someone else," Angel told him.

"Yeah, sure, that's why she'd put down all nine guys who've asked her out so far this year!" Xander almost shouted.

"Why would you even care? Why would you care that Buffy and I aren't together? Isn't this your chance? Your chance to finally date Buffy?" Angel teased.

"You know, I used to be that way, but I'm not anymore. Buffy loves you, not me. Ang she's my friend and I want her to be happy. And... and I want you to be happy too..... well, maybe semi-happy..." Xander said.

"I can't belive this! you're just doint this so when I don't agree to go back to Sunnydale you can tell her all about what you trie to do and she'll start liking you," Angel scoffed.

" No! No! No! I wouldn't do that! I really seriously want you and Buffy together! I used to think that your relationship with Buffy was silly and pointless, but not anymore. You made it through everything, you two. you even stayed together after everything that happened two years ago! And to tell you the truth, I'm pretty impressed. I mean, I kiss Willow once, I get caught and Cordelia is bent on making my life a living hell. You go and..... do all that stuff, and you two still manage to pull through. I kow I sound corny, but I admire that." Xander said. *Goodbye dignity! You just flew right out the window!* Xander thought.

"What I'm really trying to say is, after all that work, to make things work, do you really want to throw it all away?" Xander asked.

"No, no I don't," Angel replied,

*Yes! Yes!* Xander silently cheered.

"But it's better for Buffy this way," he finished.

*No! No!* Xander whined to himself.

"It's not! Trust me! You don't see her everyday, the way the life seems to be drained from her more and more each day, the way the sparkle in her eyes just dissapeared. You don't hurt for her everytime you tell a joke to try and cheer her up and she doesn't even crack a smile. It's not better for her! Unless you want her dead! Just please come home! For Buffy!" Xander begged.

"Sunnydale isn't my home anymore. 'Home is where I hang my hat'" Angel said,quoting some line from a poem or something he'd heard once.

"No, I think the saying goes more like 'Home is where the heart is'. Now, where's your heart? You can NOT seriously tell me you don't love Buffy anymore cause that would be a load of crap!" Xander asked.

Angel looked down at the ground and didn't answer the question.

"It's in Sunnydale still isn't it? With Buffy? I thought so..... So? Will you come?" Xander asked. *Say yes or get a sharp wooden stick through your heart!* Xander silently threatened. Angel sighed.

"Fine! You convinced me! You happy now?" Angel asked.

"Yes! Misson accomplished! I may go home free of guilt! And with a present for Buffy!" Xander cheered. Angel rolled his eyes.

"Just wait a bit and let me pack a few things," Angel told him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy, Willow, Oz and Giles sat around in Giles' appartment.

"I'm starting to worry! We haven't seen Xander in two nights!" Buffy exclaimed.

I called his house, his parents said they don't know where he is either," Willow told everyone.

"Oh God Will! What if he's...." Buffy trailed off, she didn't even want to think it.

"Don't worry, Xander can pretty much hold his own. I mean, he's no slayer but he can kill a vampire if he needs to." Oz comforted her.

"Yes Buffy, Oz is quite right, Xander should be fine.... Are you feeling allright? You're looking kindof pale, why don't you go home and rest Buffy." Giles told her. Buffy sighed,

"Allright, see you guys," Buffy said and left.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"We're taking the bus?" Angel complained as he and Xander enterd the bus station.

"Well, unless you want me to drive, although I can't guarantee that we'll get back to Sunnydale in one piece." Xander said, insulting his own driving abilities. (note: I wrote this BEFORE I knew anything about what was going on on Angel so I didn't know Angel could drive)

"I can't believe I have to spend an hour in a bus with you!" Angel sighed.

"Hey! It's no treat for me either!" Xander retorted as they bought their tickets. Afterwards Xander ran to the payphone.

"What are you doing?" Angel asked, getting irritated.

"You'll see." he replied and began dialing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy had just walked back into her dorm when the phone rang. She ran over to it and picked it up.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey! Buff!" came a cheery and familiar voice on the other end.

"XANDER!!! Where are you?! We've all been so worried about you! We thought you were...." she didn't finish.

"Dead? Who me? Ha!" he replied.

*There's a thought...* Angel thought. He mentally kicked himself. *No, you can't do that. And that's besides the point that Buffy would stake you.*

"I'm in L.A." Xander told her.

"L.A.!!?? What in Hell are you doing there?!" Buffy asked him.

"Oh nothing, just decided to take a little vacation..." he told her.

"Are you crazy??!! You're parents are probably going to kill you!" Buffy scolded him.

"Eh, I'll get myself out of it, I always do. Besides I'm coming home tonight," Xander told her.

"Good! You'd better be!" Buffy told him.

"Yes mother! Jeez Buff! What's gotten you all strung up?" Xander asked.

Angel looked as if he were about to suck him dry for insulting Buffy.

"You, you dolt! You dissapear without a trace and expect me to not get upset? I was worried about you!" Buffy repleid.

"Why Buffy! Now, what would Angel say about that?" Xander asked her. He turned and grinned at Angel who was standing impatiently by the phone. A low growl from Angel made Xander's grin turn into a frown.

"Xander...." Buffy replied softly while wiping away tears.

"Oh jeez, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to mention 'You Know Who'" he apologized glancing beside the phone. The vampire rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, here's something tha will cheer you up! I got you a present!" Xander announced, trying hard to keep from laughing. Angel sighed at Xander's lame joke and leaned back against the wall.

"Really?" Buffy asked, a small smile spread across her face.

"Yep! I'll stop by to give it to you when I get home. I'm sure you'll like it....ALOT!" He said.

"What would I do without you Xand?" Buffy sighed.

"Oh, I think you could manage..." he told her.

"Don't say that!!!" she shouted.

"Okay! Okay! Sorry! I'll see ya! Bye Buffy!" Xander replied.

"Bye Xander." Buffy answered and hung up the phone.

"What did she say?" Angel asked him anxiously.

"Oh, besides scolding me for dissapearing inot thin air, nothing much. Let's get going." he told the vampire.

"Yeah, the sooner I get to Sunnydale and Buffy and away from you the better!" Angel retorted.

"Just get on the bus!" Xander yelled.

Angel smirked at him then climbed on.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "This is Buffy's dorm. I'll just be going home now. If my parents have noticed that I'm gone then I'm in for some bigtime punishment so I may as well get home fast." Xander told him.

"I thought you wanted to see her," Angel asked.

"Nah, I'll let you two have some "quality time"" Xander told him. Angel rolled his eyes again and Xander moved down the hallway.

"Wait! Xander?" Angel called after him. Xander turned around.

"What?" he asked.

"Thanks," Angel replied. Xander shrugged and turned the corner.

Angel knocked on Buffy's door and waited.

"Just a second!" he heard her call from inside. She sounded so sad, like she'd been crying. He wondered why. What if it was because of him? He hated to see her cry, and hated it even more if it was his fault. He hoped he could do something to cheer her up. Suddenly the door flew open and a sad sick looking Buffy stood in the doorway. She looked up at him and gasped.

"A-Angel?" she asked in a whisper, *Tell me this is real! Please let this be real!* she prayed. He smiled and nodded.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Someone made me realize that my life is worthless without you. So I came back, besides.... I missed you.... alot..."

"You-you mean.... you're staying?" she asked, almost as though she was afraid to hear the answer.

"I am. I love you..." he replied softly.

Buffy choked back a happy sob and threw herself into Angel's arms.

"I love you too." she managed to reply.

And they stayed that way, holding onto each other, determined to never lose each other again.

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