Never Quite Sane In The Night
By Danii
Disclaimer: I own no
one and nothing…Everything (minus a couple of original characters) belongs to
Joss Whedon and Comp.
Distribution: Take
it if you wish, just tell me where you put it after you do so. You don't even have to ask. Just give me the URL afterwards. As long as my name is on it, I'm cool with
it.
Rating: If you watch
the show, you should be okay. No
graphic love scenes or anything.
Dedication: This is
dedicated to Lori Bush, whose wonderful stories have truly lightened many a
day; Justin, who's always told me I'm cool; Jai L, who has inspired me more
than he knows; Pete M., for writing some of the best stuff in the world; and
Jarod.
NOTE: If some things
confuse, they shall be explained. It's
all apart of the story…
And now:
Chapter 1:
Battle.
Summary: Xander
saves Buffy…for a cost that could damage his relationship with the other
Scoobies.
I hate battles.
Sure, we call it a battle.
You can't really refer to the conflict between good and evil as anything
as childish as a 'skirmish', or as simple as a 'scrap'. No, when fighting evil, you have to call it
a battle. Even if it's as dirty, and
painful, and chaotic, and dangerous, and frenzied as a good old brawl.
But that doesn't mean it felt great when I got hit in the
face. It never feels great, no matter
how noble or important.
Of course, Lily was helping me as best she could. Despite the rather constraining clothing she
was stuck in, the dancer was doing a really great job (as always) of helping me
and the rest of the Scoobies fight off the vamps. Well, mostly she was helping me, but that was normal. I was quite aware of the huge crush Lily had
on me, even if it wasn't really reciprocated.
Luckily, she understood that, and the fact that I didn't intend to risk
trying it out.
Giles was fighting next to Spike, the two actually
complimenting each other in battle as much as they insulted each other in
conversation. It was actually kinda
funny. They tended to find one another
in fights, I'd noticed. I figured it
was because they were the only ones who understood the British curses and
phrases the two of them grunted out in the course of the battle.
Jesse, as always, was protecting Willow, and of course Tara,
though that was always secondary in Jesse's mind. I swear, I wish he'd told her long ago that he loved her, but of
course, he'd never even considered trying when Willow was in her Xander-crush
mode. Now, well…now was not a good time
for him to tell her. But he could
protect her.
However, my own eyes were focused on Buffy. Actually, they were focused on the vampire
trying to kill me at the moment, but whenever I got the chance, I checked on
the Slayer's fight with this week's big bad, a particularly nasty-looking demon
named Skla-something-or-other.
She looked fine the first time I looked, but then I noticed
something on the second glance. The
demon wasn't really fighting her so much as moving her. Initially, I couldn't figure out why, but
then I noticed the tree a few feet away from Buffy. The tree, but more importantly the sharp branch sticking out from
the tree, which could very easily impale Buffy if she didn't notice it.
As I continued to watch (and Lily continue to make sure I
didn't get my throat slashed out), I was sure that pushing Buffy into the
branch was exactly what the demon planned to do. And, unfortunately, Buffy hadn't noticed it at all.
Immediately, I shouted over to Jesse for him to get over and
catch Buffy, but he was far too busy with the two vamps that were trying to get
Willow, and I certainly wouldn't want to kill one friend to save another, even
if…
Then I looked over to Lily, but before I could even ask, I
realized that should she leave, Anya (who was fighting by my side and thus
being helped by Lily as well) would be overtaken as well as myself. She couldn't stop what she was doing without
dire consequences.
So I did the most dangerous, frightening, stupid thing that
I could have possibly done just as the demon kicked Buffy backwards toward the
branch.
I leapt out of my body, let it drop to the floor, rushed
behind my Slayer, and caught her before she hit the tree.
Buffy, shocked and amazed at the hands she no doubt felt but
could never see, turned to look at who had caught her and why. But of course I was invisible, so all she
was able to make out was the branch that could have very easily been her
death. Then the demon got a kick into
her side and Buffy was back into the fight, moving as far from that tree as she
could.
Fear struck me as I realized just what peril I'd put myself
in when I saw Anya looking down at my body, which was starting to look a bit
gray. I knew I had to get back in soon.
Sure, I was nowhere near my limit, but you don't leave your
body vacant any longer than necessary, especially on the Hellmouth.
Right away, I slipped back into my body, the tingling
feeling reassuring me that I was in fact returned to my flesh. Lily, who had defended my body with the help
of Anya, gave me a smile, and Anya herself gasped with relief that I had woken
up. I guess she had thought I'd been
concussed.
Suddenly, I heard a dull crunch noise from where the demon
had been battling Buffy, and from the rather grunt-like cry, I figured out that
the Slayer was indeed the victor. This
fact was then confirmed by Buffy herself, as she made her way over to help the
rest of us finish the vamps, which went quickly enough. I guess the vamps were a little disheartened
by the death of their leader.
When she was done, Buffy walked over to where I was still
lying on the ground and helped pull me up.
"You okay, Xand-man?" she asked good-naturedly, "Looks like
you took a bit of a fall there…"
"I'm good, Buffster…" I answered cheerfully, "Just another
addition to my list of all the times I've been knocked on my ass…"
"What're you up to?"
"Three hundred, forty-two point five." I answered with a straight face. Jesse, though, couldn't keep one and began
to giggle from his nearly permanent position behind Willow. Lily, with a poker face straight out of a
Western, just raised an eyebrow.
"Point five?" Willow asked, poking up behind Buffy with Tara
in tow, "How did you get point five?"
I sighed and shook my head.
"Well, you were my math tutor.
You tell me…"
"I doubt she could…" injected Giles, who was making his way
slowly towards the rest of us. He
looked like he was a little sore, which I could definitely understand. Hell, I was in some serious pain myself. There are REASONS why most people don't
regularly leave their bodies…
"Eh, Red's pretty smart…" Spike argued as he swaggered up to
the group. I swear, that's the only way
he can walk. A swagger. I'm pretty sure all other walks have given
up on him. "She can figure out just
about anything, even the mental workings of the droopy over there, though I'm
sure that would be one hell of a job…"
Yeah, it would be. I
don't even want to think of what could happen if she went into my head. There are too many secrets and dark
places. It wouldn't be a good
thing. I want her to always think of me
as happy funny Xander. Her buddy and
pal. I wouldn't want her to see that.
Wait, I didn't snap back at him. Can't have that.
"Hey…" I complained lamely.
But luckily, I was saved by Buffy.
"That actually brings me to something important, guys…" she
started, "While I was fighting that demon-"
Oh god no. Please
don't say she noticed. Please don't
say-
"He kicked me, and as I fell back, I could swear I felt
hands catch me and stop me from falling…It was wacky."
Oh damn, she noticed.
"Good move, genius…" muttered Jesse right in my ear. I replied back in a whisper for him to stuff
it, which only served to make him giggle.
"What?" Giles asked,
obviously still working on the adrenaline from the fight.
"Somebody invisible caught me."
"Someone…invisible…" the Watcher asked hesitantly. Then he took a closer look at Buffy. "Did the Skla'Rakin demon hit you in the
head?"
Immediately, as I expected, the Slayer exploded.
"What do you mean, did I get hit in the head!?" Buffy
replied with a huff and a small pout, "What's so crazy about someone
invisible? I mean, don't you remember
that girl from high school that went invisible? And tons of demons do crazier things than that!"
"Yeah…" Spike agreed, sounding almost earnest until a sneer
made it's way to his lips, "Except what idiotic demon would SAVE your bony
behind, Slayer?"
"Oh, Shut up, toothless wonder…" I defended. No one, but no one insults Buffy's
behind.
"Get bent, you little-"
"CHILDREN!" Giles interrupted, "I-"
"I am over a hundred bloody years old, Watcher…"
"Fine." Giles said with a sigh, "Children and evil
blood-sucking fiend…"
"That's better…"
Another sigh. Damn,
you'd think he'd patent that thing. He
does it often enough.
"Buffy, do you think that perhaps you could show me where
the invisible creature you say caught you…caught you?"
Buffy nodded, then proceeded over to the tree, it's branch
still sticking dangerously out into the clearing. She pointed to the spot right in front of the branch that my
spirit had been in only moments before.
"Here." The Slayer
explained simply. Then she moved till
she was in about the same position as when she'd been kicked. "I was standing here when the demon knocked
me back, I guess trying to shish-kabob me on the branch here, when I felt those
hands catch me and stop me from moving back."
"Buffy," Willow started to say, "It's not-"
"The funny thing is that they felt familiar…"
"But Buffy…"
Buffy finally figured out that Willow was saying something.
"Huh?"
"Buffy," my best friend began as she walked over to where
the Slayer was standing, "It's not possible.
No one could have caught you if you were in that spot."
"Why not?" she asked, the beginnings of annoyance showing on
her face. Sure, most wouldn't spot it,
but once you've dealt with her for five years, you start to figure out
things. Especially a certain time of
the month.
"Because, you blonde twit…" Spike cut in, "If they'd been
standing behind you, the bloody tree branch would have been halfway, if not all
the way through, their chest…"
"Oh," the Slayer replied in what even I had to admit was not
her best wit. Now was the time for me
to squash this investigation. To
dismiss it. To keep it a forgotten
anecdote. But for the life of me, I
couldn't think of anything good to say.
"Must've been the wind…" I told her with as much confidence
and smooth cavalier-ness as I could muster.
If there is one thing I've learned, it's not necessarily what you say,
but how you say it. What else could
explain why the German's cheered Kennedy's speech, even when he called himself
a doughnut?
Oh, I could go for a doughnut…
All nice and rich, with lots of chocolate glaze and…
Real world. Real
world. Or as real as my world gets.
"The wind?" Buffy asked me incredulously, "The wind."
"Yeah, the wind…"
This earned me a little smile and a small giggle.
"Oh Xander…"
And then she began to walk over to me to, I don't know, hug
me or slap me on the back or something, but she tripped on a piece of wrecked
pavement.
I did what came naturally.
I caught her.
For a moment, there was silence between the two of us as the
others asked if Buffy was okay, or overly tired, or injured or whatnot. Then those hazel-green eyes turned up to
mine in a silent question which I knew my eyes were answering truthfully even
as I wished they wouldn't. It was then
that the shout rang out.
"Xander!"
