Part Thirty Seven: Once Bitten

Xander struggled to stay awake as liquid life was drained from his body by his worse nightmare made undead flesh. Of all the vampires that could have killed him why did it have to be Willow that did the deed?

As more of his awareness left him Xander felt liquid being forced into his mouth, liquid that he eagerly took because he no longer remembered the consequences of doing so. Then just before he had had his fill the liquid turned into bitter dust, chocking his weakened lungs.

All Xander could think of as he closed his eyes for a little nap is that the red blur sounded so sad. She should never sound sad.

Xander swung his sword with a deadly grace decapitating the vampire just as its fangs pierced the skin of Harmony's neck. He may not like the girl, but he had promised everyone that he would protect them if they fought, and he wasn't about to break that promise.

"Thanks," said Harmony as she put a hand on her wound.

"No problem," said Xander as he tried to ignore the way his mouth began to water when he spotted the blood dripping from the injury. "Just get to the secondary point like we practiced."

Harmony nodded and started to sprint towards the fallback point while Xander scanned the area to see if there was anyone else that needed his help, but found none. It appeared that between Angel and himself no students were getting anything worse than a few broken bones as they retreated through the group of vampires the Mayor had ordered to keep the students in one place.

"Looks like the sun is about to come back into play Deadboy so you may want to think about retreating somewhere shady," said Xander as his sword cut through another vampire.

"Thanks for the heads up Halfbreed," said Angel as he plunged his stake into the heart of another vampire. "I can take care of myself though."

"I know, but Buffy would kick my butt if anything happened to you while you still had your soul," said Xander as he killed the final vampire.

"So nice to know where you stand as far as my life goes," said Angel just before the school blew up.

"Just make sure you tell Buffy goodbye before you leave. If you don't I'll track you down and drag you back here to make you apologize to her," said Xander as he sheathed his katana.

"Same to you," said Angel just before he retreated from the afternoon sun.

"Jerk," muttered Xander as he made his way towards the rest of the Scooby Gang.

"Wesley is going to be okay," said Buffy as she divided her attention between the retreating ambulance and looking around as if she was searching for something.

"He made it through the fight," said Xander as he figured out what, or more accurately who Buffy was searching for. "I threatened him with bodily harm if he didn't say goodbye, so expect him to visit you when it gets a bit darker."

"Thanks," said Buffy with a sad smile.

"Hey none of that, we survived, this is a time for Snoopy Dances, not sad Buffy's," said Xander.

"I know, it just that everyone is leaving now, so it's hard to be happy," said Buffy.

"Hey, I'm only leaving for the summer, and you will still have Willow and Oz to do the college campus thing with," said Xander.

"You sure it's only going to be for the summer?" asked Buffy. "Ever since Vamp Willow you haven't been too happy yourself."

"Hey, sad time is allowed when you almost get turned into a vampire by a demonic double of your childhood friend," said Xander as he stuck his hands into his pockets. "I just need some time to figure some things out."

"Like the strangeness of both Giles and Wesley drooling over you?" asked Buffy innocently.

"Gah, bad Buffy! No putting images like that into my head," said Xander with an exaggerated shudder. "Besides its geek drool at me being a one of a kind freak of nature."

"Hey, what did I say about the freak talk?" asked Buffy as she lightly punched him in the arm.

"That it comes with physical pain?" asked Xander as he rubbed his arm. "Okay not a freak, but still one of a kind. After all neither of them had found any reference to anybody being made half vampire and half slayer due to a vampire bite and a magical transfusion of slayer blood to keep said person from turning."

"That's just because no one was lucky enough to have me and Willow as best friends before," said Buffy. "Besides some one had to have heard of it happening before because there was already a name for it. What did they call you, a damper?"

"Dhampir," said Xander with a wince. "I don't think it counts though because I'm pretty sure that Wesley got it from a D & D game."

"Oh," said Buffy with a frown. "It still doesn't mean that you are a freak and that you should leave us forever."

"Again, not forever," said Xander. "Just a summer road trip up to New York to meet with a guy named Whistler to get some supplies for Giles, and them I'm coming right back here."

"Promise?" asked Buffy.

"Promise," said Xander. "Nothing less than some kind of old vampire blood god could keep me away."

"And if you find one of those, you can always call us for backup," said Buffy with a true smile. "We could even make the Counsel fly us First Class."

"Or I could just kill it by sending it over to you guys in Economy Class, right in front of the screaming baby," said Xander, causing Buffy to laugh as they reached their friends.