Sunnydale Hospital
"Hey!" Willow smiled as Buffy walked back in. "I'm glad you're
back. He's been muttering things, I think he's trying to wake
up."
"Really?" Buffy said, hopefully. She walked over to Xander's
bedside, and took his hand in hers. "Hey, Xan. You gotta wake up.
I've got some really important things to say to you. As soon as
you're out of this place, that is. There is a reason to live, I'm
sitting right here."
"Can't a guy get some sleep around here?" Xander said softly
without opening his eyes, his lips turning up in a grin.
Buffy almost fell over, but Willow pushed a chair behind her just
in time. "You're awake," she sobbed, and started crying from the
overwhelming relief.
"Hey," Xander frowned, and opened his eyes. He looked over at
her, and stroked her hair lovingly. "Don't do that. I don't
_ever_ want to be the reason you cry."
Buffy laughed, and stood up, leaning over to hug him, laying her
head on his chest. "There's a difference," she said. "These are
happy tears."
"Oh, I suppose that's okay then," Xander said, and put his arms
around her. He looked over at Willow and smiled, "Hey, Wills. So
was it you that saved our butts again?"
"I helped," Willow shrugged. "I'm glad you're okay, Xander. How
about cutting down on the heroics for a while, though? I don't
think Buffy can take the stress."
"Asking me not to look out for Buffy is like asking me not to
breathe," Xander replied. He let go reluctantly as Buffy stood
back up. She sat on the side of the bed next to him, taking one
of his hands again.
"That's not even funny to joke about," Buffy said with a frown.
"Because I think you did that more than once already. And scared
me to death in the process."
"Sorry," Xander replied. "I'm feeling okay now, other than the
feeling of being run over by a semi-truck. Hey, was I dreaming or
was that Spike???!"
"You weren't dreaming," Buffy shook her head. "I warned him not
to come back to this town. Now it's time for him to find out that
messing with me and my friends was a bad idea. "
"Don't go after him alone," Xander said, a worried look on his
face.
"I won't," Buffy said, smiling. "Don't worry. Oz, Willow, Giles
and I are going to hunt him down together and kill him."
"What, I don't get to participate?" Xander replied with a frown.
"No!" Buffy replied.
"But--"
"You think I'm kidding, but I'm not," Buffy said. "You almost
died, Xander. And I have no intention of repeating the last 24
hours ever again. So the answer is a very emphatic no."
"Buffy--"
"Do you really want to argue with me when I haven't slept for
over 24 hours?" Buffy asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Okay, I give," Xander replied with a chuckle. "Ow, laughing is
not a good thing right now," he added, clutching his stomach.
"Oh, I'd better go tell the doctor you're awake," Willow said,
and ran out the door.
Xander looked down at Buffy's hand holding his. He looked back up
at her, and gave her a puzzled look.
"What?" she asked.
"Did you lose it?" Xander asked.
"Oh, that," Buffy smiled. "No. I took it off."
"Why?" Xander questioned.
"Because, a lot of reasons," she shrugged.
"You know you're one of the few people I know that can answer a
question and not answer it at the same time," Xander replied with
a shake of his head.
"Sorry," Buffy smiled. "I'm not trying to be difficult. And I do
plan on talking to you about it, but not here. I hate hospitals
enough, but they're definitely not good for serious
discussions--"
As if to prove her point, the doctor and several nurses barged in
then and basically shoved her out the door, barking orders.
*******
"Hey!" Willow smiled as Buffy walked back in. "I'm glad you're
back. He's been muttering things, I think he's trying to wake
up."
"Really?" Buffy said, hopefully. She walked over to Xander's
bedside, and took his hand in hers. "Hey, Xan. You gotta wake up.
I've got some really important things to say to you. As soon as
you're out of this place, that is. There is a reason to live, I'm
sitting right here."
"Can't a guy get some sleep around here?" Xander said softly
without opening his eyes, his lips turning up in a grin.
Buffy almost fell over, but Willow pushed a chair behind her just
in time. "You're awake," she sobbed, and started crying from the
overwhelming relief.
"Hey," Xander frowned, and opened his eyes. He looked over at
her, and stroked her hair lovingly. "Don't do that. I don't
_ever_ want to be the reason you cry."
Buffy laughed, and stood up, leaning over to hug him, laying her
head on his chest. "There's a difference," she said. "These are
happy tears."
"Oh, I suppose that's okay then," Xander said, and put his arms
around her. He looked over at Willow and smiled, "Hey, Wills. So
was it you that saved our butts again?"
"I helped," Willow shrugged. "I'm glad you're okay, Xander. How
about cutting down on the heroics for a while, though? I don't
think Buffy can take the stress."
"Asking me not to look out for Buffy is like asking me not to
breathe," Xander replied. He let go reluctantly as Buffy stood
back up. She sat on the side of the bed next to him, taking one
of his hands again.
"That's not even funny to joke about," Buffy said with a frown.
"Because I think you did that more than once already. And scared
me to death in the process."
"Sorry," Xander replied. "I'm feeling okay now, other than the
feeling of being run over by a semi-truck. Hey, was I dreaming or
was that Spike???!"
"You weren't dreaming," Buffy shook her head. "I warned him not
to come back to this town. Now it's time for him to find out that
messing with me and my friends was a bad idea. "
"Don't go after him alone," Xander said, a worried look on his
face.
"I won't," Buffy said, smiling. "Don't worry. Oz, Willow, Giles
and I are going to hunt him down together and kill him."
"What, I don't get to participate?" Xander replied with a frown.
"No!" Buffy replied.
"But--"
"You think I'm kidding, but I'm not," Buffy said. "You almost
died, Xander. And I have no intention of repeating the last 24
hours ever again. So the answer is a very emphatic no."
"Buffy--"
"Do you really want to argue with me when I haven't slept for
over 24 hours?" Buffy asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Okay, I give," Xander replied with a chuckle. "Ow, laughing is
not a good thing right now," he added, clutching his stomach.
"Oh, I'd better go tell the doctor you're awake," Willow said,
and ran out the door.
Xander looked down at Buffy's hand holding his. He looked back up
at her, and gave her a puzzled look.
"What?" she asked.
"Did you lose it?" Xander asked.
"Oh, that," Buffy smiled. "No. I took it off."
"Why?" Xander questioned.
"Because, a lot of reasons," she shrugged.
"You know you're one of the few people I know that can answer a
question and not answer it at the same time," Xander replied with
a shake of his head.
"Sorry," Buffy smiled. "I'm not trying to be difficult. And I do
plan on talking to you about it, but not here. I hate hospitals
enough, but they're definitely not good for serious
discussions--"
As if to prove her point, the doctor and several nurses barged in
then and basically shoved her out the door, barking orders.
*******