Chapter 5

After the hugs, kisses and the tears they picked there fallen vampire off the floor and began the journey back home. Buffy was tired and in pain but managed a cuddle for each of them as they left the library, the doors flapped closed behind them as a roof tile fell from the ceiling and crashed onto the hard wood floor.

Darkness had set in by the time they had walked to the cars and Buffy was nearing exhaustion as she piled into the back of Giles' Miner, a car he had only recently purchased because of its classic English heritage. A fact he liked to point out on numerous occasions was that Americans had no heritage; Xander had often argued if having a heritage meant having a crappy looking car then he'd rather be without.

On the quiet ride back to the magic box Dawn cried into her sister's shoulder, not saying a word as she let out all the pain she had been feeling for the last four months. Buffy sat in silence holding Dawn to her shoulder and a single tear slid down her cheek as she kissed Dawn's head softly.

Xander's injuries had long since healed, an apparent side effect of been an immortal was a shock like feeling that seemed to heal almost any injury. He drove behind Giles' car remaining silent, his eyes just catching a glimpse of his best friend in the back seat. He wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve and two single tears split the dirt, mud and blood as he cried for the return of his friend.

Looking in the rear view mirror he caught a glimpse of Willow inspecting him and knew the discussion was to come, but for now it could wait, for now they had their comrade back with them.

There family was complete once more.

Houses and buildings whizzed past them silently in the night, the streets of Sunnydale always seemed empty after the sun went down. Xander had once commented that it was probably a survival mechanism born into every pure bred Sunnydale citizen.

You couldn't fault him for his logic.

The cars pulled up silently at the magic box and they all got out of their respective cars, Xander pulled Spike from the backseat who was still a little worse for wear and hefted him onto his shoulders. As he reached into the car to retrieve his sword he noticed Buffy curiously studying him as she wrapped Giles' earlier claimed jacket around her shoulders.

Loading the weapons back into the chest in Giles' supply room they all settled down into the chairs at the table that was the centre of the magic box. Xander had placed Spike down on the floor with his back resting on some books as he murmured quietly in his unconscious state.

"Again, I'm so glad that you've returned to us Buffy. These last months without you have been tremendously awful" Giles started them off.

Dawn nodded her agreement as she wiped her eyes clean for the twentieth time in 5 minutes and Buffy smiled at her sister.

"Well I don't know about you guys, but coming back from the dead really takes it out of a girl. I'm assuming our house hasn't been foreclosed or anything and I'm hoping Mr. Gordi is still in his place" Buffy said and crossed her fingers with a smile.

"Well Willow really did want him but Spike argued his case Buff, it's the way it had to be"

Buffy's mouth opened in shock and she looked back at the vampire on the floor with disgust. She was about to give the demon another head injury to worry about when she caught the wink from Xander and she just grinned in return.

"Everything's fine Buffy, I mean we did have some trouble at first but Giles had the council pull some strings with some very nasty English swear words" Willow said with a grin "he even used the word damn at one point. I was shocked and appalled"

Giles grumbled in a good natured manner "I'll have you know I used the charm I was born with dear girl."

While they were all tired, hurt and one case unconscious they decided to stay if only for ten minutes just to hear each other speak. A few laughs were had in such a short time and each one of them felt a little more complete with her around.

After more hugs they Buffy decided that she really should return home for the rest she so sought after and rest wholeheartedly agreed with that sentiment. Xander offered to drive the Summers girl's home and they accepted the offer.

Before they had a chance to leave the shop Willow did broach the silence with a clearance of her throat.

"Tomorrow we can talk about your miraculous healing powers Xand"

He smiled at her and nodded "Sure thing Wills, as long as there's no needles involved I'm game."

On the journey to Buffy and Dawns place it was pretty quiet; Dawn had fallen asleep from emotional exhaustion at the return of her sister. That left just Buffy and Xander and neither of them knew what to say, which left them both feeling slightly uneasy.

"So..."

He turned his eyes to her and smiled "So..."

"Healing power huh, how's that working out for you"

Xander snickered at first, followed by a hearty chuckle and before he knew it he was in the throes of a full belly laugh and Buffy couldn't help but join in. They tried to get their breath on several occasions but failed hopelessly.

A few minutes passed and the laughing subsided slowly, he smiled at her.

"It's kind of new and I'm choosing to not knock it since I'd have a pretty badly broken arm still if it hadn't done its funky chicken dance up and down my arm"

Buffy looked at him strangely "You do say the oddest thing"

"Yea well... you've got four month long bed hair"

"I was dead. You can't say that to a former dear person. There's etiquette and all kinds of rules for that sort of abuse"

He chuckled softly at her outrage "I missed you".

"I know" she replied sadly, "I would say I missed you guys but to be honest I don't really remember anything from when I was gone"

"I remember everything..." He murmured quietly to himself.

She looked at him funny but chose not to comment, the car pulled to a stop outside her house and she sat there for a moment just looking up the path to her front door.

"You want to come in?" She offered.

He shook his head softly "I'd love to, but you two are beat and I need my beauty sleep before the ribbing I'm going to get tomorrow morning"

"Kay"

Buffy reached back and nudged her sister softly awake; they exited the vehicle and walked up their path to the front door. Xander watched them the whole time and as the door closed he saw Buffy's eyes connect with his and he offered her a soft smile before she disappeared inside the house.

The journey back to his apartment was a blur, his mind going over the day's events and his emotions finally realising the impact of what had transpired. Stopping outside his apartment building he turned the engine off and got out of the car, he couldn't help the smile on his face and the tears accompanying it.

Before Xander knew it he had showered, his clothes had been put in the garbage, he had a Heineken in his hand and was watching a TiVo'd episode of sports centre.

"Life doesn't get much better than this"

The beer emptied quickly and Xander's eyes started to waiver as he leaned back onto his sofa and watched a blurry Chris McKendry disappear into darkness.

He was in a pitch black room, his eyes struggling to grasp onto any given light from anywhere but there was nothing. It seemed to stretch on into everything and everywhere. Never-ending darkness that filtered the universe and he was stuck in the middle just hoping to escape. Then suddenly something was happening. The darkness began to glow with an eerie white after effect and images started to appear like a reel on a very old cinema screen.

Ancient ships were fighting wars that had been over for a thousand years. The great pyramids burning to the ground and been rebuilt bigger and stronger than ever. Empire after Empire and war after war he saw them all stretch back into history and the one constant was he could see himself in every image. Suddenly the images became a blur and he struggled to grasp onto any single image as they flew backwards through time further and further.

Then the images suddenly came to a complete stop and one pictured lingered for what seemed like a lifetime. It was a picture of him, muddy and filthy in a pitch black cave, he was in a fetal position against the wall with tears falling down his face.

All Xander could do as he looked at the fear in his mirror image was scream and so he did.