RATING: PG
CONTENT: one bad word, mild violence
SPOILER WARNINGS: Becoming II
SUMMARY: An alternate ending for Becoming II. If Xander had told Buffy the truth.
DISCLAIMER: Tain't mine. Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, the WB et al own these folks.

"Willow says . . ."

It was the hardest thing Xander ever had to say. He saw Buffy's fire, her determination. Might telling the truth not kill that fire? Make it easier for Angel to kill her?

But did he have the right NOT to tell her the truth? Wasn't it her call to make?

"Willow says . . ."

And did he really want to have Willow go through all that for nothing? There was his choice. Guarantee the destruction of the man he hated most in this world -- for killing Jenny Calendar, for torturing him and his friends, for hurting Buffy, for STEALING HER AWAY FROM HIM -- it was a tempting choice. Angel deserved to die.

But it wasn't his choice. It never had been. If Angel was going to die, he couldn't be the one to kill him.

"Willow says . . . she's going to try the spell again." He took a deep breath.

Buffy whirled. "What?" She shook her head. "Never mind. Change of plans. Get Giles free and come back. I may need you." He hesitated. "Please?"

And that was it. She was going to be in trouble, he couldn't say no. Even if it meant bringing deadboy back. He came to a realization then and there. He loved Buffy too. Not in the possessive, immature hormonal way, either. He loved her like he loved Willow. And, he grudgingly had to admit, he loved Cordy too.

"Let's go. One more thing. Spike's on our side. He wants Angel dead. Too bad we're going to have to disappoint him." Xander couldn't spare the time to gasp as they sprinted off towards the house. Love makes people do funny things, he thought. Buffy told him as they ran NOT to let Angel pull the sword from the demon's chest. They broke into the mansion. Buffy beheaded a vamp and made a beeline for Angel, not bothering with the one-liners. She just kicked him in the face. Angel got up and said something about how stupid she was. Then Spike hit Angel over the head with a tire iron.

Xander couldn't just gawk, though; there was a Watcher to save. He slugged a vampire and ran to a back room to find Giles. He was badly beaten and tied to a chair. The Watcher muttered some things about this being an illusion, which Xander studiously ignored in his haste.

He shooed Giles out into the sunlight and told him to run for it. Then he went back. The vampire he'd slugged had jumped Buffy, who'd lost the sword. She was pounding it mercilessly, but without weapons -- Spike was fighting with Drusilla and Angel was reaching for the sword in the demon's chest. Buffy regained her weapon.

Without hesitation he rushed at the demon, stake raised. Angel stopped and grinned at Xander as he charged. He backhanded Xander --

Or tried to. Xander dropped and slid into Angel's feet, knocking him off balance --

and INTO the statue! It toppled towards him. Buffy ran over and caught it before it crushed him.

By now Spike had strangled Druscilla into submission. He saw Angel dust himself off and stand up. Spike threw Dru over a shoulder and said, "Well, Slayer, looks like you're in a spot of trouble there." Buffy, straining to hold the statue just inches from Xander's face, couldn't disagree. "Oh well," the blond vamp said, patting Dru's head. "I got mine. Later." He shrugged. "Well, probably not." He walked off.

Xander lay trapped underneath the statue. It wasn't hurting him but he couldn't get free. And Buffy needed both hands to stop the demon's stone figure from crushing him.

Angel said "Let me take that off your hands, lover." Buffy said nothing. "What's the matter? End of the world got your tongue? The way I figure it is this. I kill you, the statue falls, Xander dies. You drop the statue and kill me, Xander dies anyway." He clapped his hands together. "A happy ending either way."

"Uh -- Buff -- I DON'T like the sound of that." Xander said.

He heard footsteps moving behind Buffy. He felt Buffy stagger and the statue shifted. Angel was poking her from behind! Sadistic bastard, Xander thought. He never should have told Buffy about the soul --

With a monumental burst of strength Buffy threw the statue up two feet. Xander squirmed partially free; now it would only crush his legs. Buffy kicked Angel and caught the statue imperfectly. Angel hit Buffy. Then again. Then again. The statue dropped . . .

And Angel caught it. "Buffy," he said woozily. Buffy walked up to him and looked in his eyes.

"Angel?" She said skeptically. "Is that you?"

"Buffy? I don't remember the last few months. What happened? I saw this statue falling and . . ." Buffy kissed him, and after a second he kissed her back. No sarcasm, no snide comments. Xander sighed. That plus, well, evil Angel never would have saved him. Good Angel he gave 50-50.This was the deadboy he knew and loathed, alright.

"Umm, guys? Guys?" Wordlessly, staring into each others' eyes, they lifted the statue enough for Xander to squirm free. He did so and stood up.

A car crashed through the garage door outside. Probably Spike and Druscilla leaving. Oddly, he suddenly realized what he and Spike had in common. They'd both hated Angel for stealing their women. They'd both wanted him dead. And there was the difference between the two of them. Xander had been able to overcome his desire to see Angel perish. No -- just realized that his desires WEREN'T what was important here --

A goofy-looking guy wearing a hat walked in. Xander jumped back as Buffy and Angel turned to look at him. "Never been happier to be wrong, I gotta tell you. I just had this picture in my head, you know? You having to kill Angel to save the world. Glad to see you never had to make that choice." He walked up to Xander. "I must say I'm shocked. Happy, but shocked. Amazing how one guy doing the right thing can change the world, ain't it? By the way, I'm Whistler. I'm a demon, too." Xander jumped back. Not another one --

Buffy pulled out of Angel's embrace and said, "Relax, Xander. This one's a good guy. I think." She glared at the demon. "I just wish you hadn't been so damned cryptic." She suddenly had a thought and looked up at the exhausted Angel.

Whistler said, "Hey, where do you think he got the idea?"

Xander stood back and watched the banter. Watched Angel and Buffy together. And in his heart he bade her a firm good-bye. He gave her up for good. To the killer. To her lover. To Angel.

But it was her choice to make. He'd finally realized that.

After all, isn't that what love is?

The End