cornerofmadness

This was one of those prompts that could have us churning out dozens of drabbles per character, there's been so many sacrifices on the shows. Wonderful! Here's my offering

Giles - 1970's - Locked Away

He had glimpsed Deirdre on the street and was instantly reminded all he had given up. Armoring himself in tweed and library mold, Giles had thrown himself headlong into his new life. It couldn’t undo the things he had done with Ethan and the others, pay back the life Eyghon had taken but maybe he could save others from similar demons.

But seeing his friend, remembering the joy he had known, Giles couldn’t help thinking about the dreams he had locked away, sacrificed on the altar of his redemption. Sometimes he wondered if the price was too high. Dreams die hard.

Buffy S 6 - Her gift

Buffy didn’t consider leaping off the tower her truest sacrifice. She had to protect her ersatz sister. In truth, she had been almost hoping for the end of her battles. Her life was a pilgrimage of pain and sacrifice since Merrick darkened her door. The leap had merely been the latest in a long line of forfeitures.

No, the true sacrifice, the one that came the hardest was remaining here now that she had been dragged back. Buffy knew what waited on the other side. Not embracing death, not chasing it with both hands, it was her defining moment.

Angel S 3 - Nothing Left to Give

Angel cradled the teddy bear to his face, drinking in his son’s scent. What more could he give? How many sacrifices did he have to make to repay for the wickedness he had wrought? He had spent a hundred years taming his demon and the Powers that Be didn’t seem to care. They had allowed his baby to be stolen from him.

Every path he tried to take to Connor was a broken road that led nowhere. Did he need to sacrifice something more? But deep down he knew this was retribution. A son for a son. The scales were balanced.

Connor - S 4 - Death of the Soul

Family, a place to belong, it was the only thing he had ever wanted. He had it now. Jasmine would bring peace and love to everyone. All his pain and loneliness growing up had finally born fruit. Only, something was dreadfully wrong. Ever since Cordelia’s blood had mixed with his, the joy Jasmine had filled him with had begun to fade. The harder he fought to keep it, the faster it trickled away. Deep down Connor knew sacrificing thousands to his daughter was too steep a price to pay for what she gave. Now he had to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Connor - S 5 - Epiphany

He finally saw in shades of grey and it was like the world opened up to him. Seeing Angel’s sacrifices for him, Connor suddenly understood that things didn’t need to be black or white. Angel had loved him so much that he had given him up, rearranged the world just to make him happy.

And now he was willing to die just so Connor could live. That was a sacrifice he couldn’t let his father make. He wasn’t called The Destroyer in the darkest of hells for nothing. A feral grin on his face, Connor joined the battle, love for love.

Angel/Connor - future - Shanshu Realized

Angel thought briefly on the shanshu he had sacrificed. Was it even possible to give up something that was prophesied? Wouldn’t it find him regardless if it were truly meant for him. Angel didn’t care. He didn’t need to become human again. He had finally given back to the world something for the things he had taken, had been given a type of mortality.

Blue eyes, misted with tears, met his as Connor put the infant in his arms. "Meet your granddaddy, little one. Isn’t she beautiful, Dad?"

Angel cradled her, feeling her tiny fingers brushing his cheek. "Beyond beautiful."

Xander - future - Retrospection

Xander looked at his knobby arthritic hands as they paged through a thick book. His Slayer was depending on his help. Older now than he ever thought he would be, the things he had given up for this life nagged at him. He was just a regular guy, could have had a normal life. That ship sailed nearly fifty years ago.

He had sacrificed normalcy, had foolishly given up Anya, even suffered a gouged out eye. And sometimes he thought it was all for nothing. Buffy had never noticed his heart, never understood he loved her too deeply. She consumed him.

As always X-posted to open_on_sunday