Title: Dream Of Angels

Author: Xandria

Rating: 15+

Pairings: Pre Slash Xander/Spike?

Fandom: Buffy

Feedback: Definitely baby!

Spoilers: General Season Five.

Summary: Xander dreams at a Research Party. Spike interprets...sorta.

Archive: If any one wants it, please do so! Note: My sort of answer to the Xander is a fallen
angel challenge, but not quite. And yeah, I am in the middle of the next part of Metamorphosis; this plot bunny just mugged me in the middle of it! :)

Note 2: Xander thoughts /. Spike thoughts ~.

Note 3: Dream sequence divided by @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Warning: Religious themes that may offend...not intentional if so but just in case...

Disclaimer: I do not now own the characters, nor have I done so in the past. Joss owns Buffy and everything involved. However, if he should decide to not own them any longer I can be contacted on the above E-mail. I have nothing and am not making any money out of this...my assets cancel each other out.

Dream of Angels
by Xandria

The Angels of Heaven were rebelling. Led by Lucifer, Son of the Morning, they rose up against their Father to take over.

Angels fought for their Father or for Lucifer, there was no in-between...except for one.

Alexander watched as Michael, Raphael and Gabriel flew up to take on those who would oppose Father.

He was the only one left on the ground and he stood there, watching, in an agony of indecision.

He loved Father, dearly, and the thought of going against him was unthinkable, horrific.

But...William was in Lucifer's host, seduced by a few words and impetuous, he had joined, to go against Heaven itself.

And he loved William, dearly. Born at the same moment, both Angels had been inseparable, till now.

Alexander loved William, he loved Father...and he couldn't choose, so Watched.

And then the battle was over. He Watched the Fall, thousands of his brethren, William included, cast down and down and down.

He cried. They had gone against Father and would never return.

Turning, he saw Raphael and Gabriel watching him in turn with a look of sorrow on their faces, flaming swords in their hands as they advanced on him.

"Why? I did nothing!"

"That is why, Alexander. One word from you, one action, and William may not have gone down as well. So we lose two more of our number."

"But you are not going with the Others, Alexander. Undecided, torn between the two sides, Father has decided you will go to earth instead. Reborn as a human, you must decide like all other humans."

"Will I ever be able to return?"

"Bring William back, redeem him, as you should have stopped him in the first place. Until you do you will be born again and again. Each life, you will have the chance to do so. But if you die and he is not saved, you will die again."

"No!. Don't cast me out, please! I'm sorry, I didn't know! Don't cast me out! Don't..."

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With a scream Xander woke up.

/That dream again. What was that about?/

And then he remembered something and looked over at Willow, Buffy, Giles and Spike, who stared aback at him, wide eyed, even the vampire.

"Xander, what was that?" Giles said, picking up his glasses and polishing them.

"A bad dream I guess. Sorry G-man, but it's been a long week at work and all, let alone the Research party at the end..."

"I mean, what language was that?"

"Yeah, it was really weird. You were asleep and then you started making these noises. And you were crying." Willow said with a frown.

"And we couldn't wake you, and you got more and more upset." Buffy scowled, she didn't like it when her friends hurt.

"I was speaking another language? You sure it wasn't nonsense?" Xander yawned. He didn't want to talk about this. He wanted to go home and get some sleep. Spike was staring at him.

/Why was Spike staring at him?/

"Positive. It sounded like one of the older tongues."

"The oldest, Watcher." Spike said, not taking his eyes off of Xander.

"And how would you know, Spike?!" Buffy sneered, bringing her stake up like she did every time he said a word.

~Why make him come if he wasn't allowed to say anything?~

"All demons know what Angels speak, Slayer." He replied, serious for once.

~Bugger her, he couldn't be bothered with her anymore.~

"What?"

"From the Fall, Buff." Xander said. "When they were cast down for fighting Father."

/How did I know that?/

"Xander, how do you know that?"

/Oh look, an echo./

"I don't ? I don't even remember the dream much, I never do, I just get upset and I wake up crying."

/I don't want to talk about this anymore. I can't talk about this anymore./

"Xander, this could be very important, do you have any idea what it could be about? And you've had it before, you say? How many times?"

"No, I don't and all my life. C'mon G-man, we have to get on with looking up this Demon, remember? Before he eats another bus?"

"This may be more important than that, Xander."

"I can tell you what it's about, Watcher." Spike spoke up.

"No!"

"Xander, it...'

"My dream, it's private! No!" Angry now, Xander got up and stormed out of the Magic Box.

"I'll see if I can speak to him." Willow said after a stunned silence in which everyone had just stared at the door Xander had slammed on his way out

"That was...unexpected."

"No it isn't. He's not supposed to know."

"What?!"

"Spike, tell us what's going on or..."

"I'll tell the Watcher, but none of you lot."

~Especially not you.~

"You can't just tell us..."

"Buffy, out. You need to patrol anyway."

"But Giles..."

"Now."

Muttering angrily to herself, Buffy gathered her slaying supplies and left, giving both the Watcher and the vampire filthy looks as she did so.

Taking a deep breath he didn't need, the vampire spoke.

"One Angel didn't fight...he Watched. He was torn, with love for both sides, and couldn't decide. He was cast down as well, but not to Hell, to earth, he would be born again and again, living life as a human, to decide as a human."

"The Angel who wouldn't, couldn't fight. I remember the story."

"He has to do this without knowing he will be rewarded, Watcher."

"What?"

"That Angel who couldn't decide. He has to make a choice now...but if he dies and doesn't he will die and be reborn until he does...but he has to choose without knowing the consequences."

"Why not?"

"Then there would be no redemption for him or for the other Angel. He has to show he has changed from that first time, when the agony of not knowing caused him to make the wrong decision by not choosing. Or do you want him to go to Hell?"

"Why do you care if he does or doesn't?

"Watcher, the name of the Angel who couldn't choose was Alexander. The name of the former Angel he must choose to redeem now is William." Giles stared at Spike, stunned.

"W...william?"

"Close your mouth, Watcher, the kind of bugs that live on the Hellmouth you don't want to swallow." Without another word, Spike, also known as William the Bloody, left. Giles stared out into space for a few minutes.

"Oh dear."

End