Part 15

"Xander!" Dawn yelled as she rushed over to where Xander had faded back into existence. She grabbed his hand and held onto in fear of letting him go.

"Xan?"

She pleaded with him to give her a sign he was okay. After a second or two, Xander opened his eyes. They searched for focus, till they came upon the worried face of Dawn, crouching above him.

"Honey," he croaked out, slightly disconcerted at how hoarse his throat felt.

Seeing that he was okay, Dawn wrapped him up in a tight hug, holding onto him for all she was worth.

Xander could feel the tears that fell from Dawn's eyes, dripping onto his neck. Every now and then he could hear the almost silent sobs that emanated from her mouth. He knew she must be really scared. Considering how he was feeling, she must be terrified. He lovingly caressed her back, trying to soothe her pain. "It's okay now."

Dawn lifted her head, not quite believing that all was okay and asked, "what happened?"

Xander knew what the sensation was. He had felt it before, almost eleven years ago. But one look into Dawn's worried eyes told him plainly, she didn't need to hear any theories till he was sure.

"I don't know," he replied trying to sound as convincing as possible.

"But," Dawn interjected, "that looked like what Buffy said happened to you that night." She could tell Xander was keeping something from her, and she knew it was his way of protecting, but she needed to know.

Xander knew he was caught out, and he didn't want to lie to her. But at the same time, he didn't want her getting upset, at least until he knew there was something to get upset about. "The phone," he said hoping to change the subject and give him time to think.

"What?" Dawn asked, before she herself realised the phone was still ringing. Shaking her head at Xander's refusal to answer her question, she reached over and picked up the handset.

"Hello," she answered, her tone a little short.

"Dawn, it's Cordy. Is everything okay?"

"I'm sorry Cordy, we've had a, thing, here," Dawn replied, not knowing exactly how to explain what had happened.

"Umm, look, Wesley has found out some stuff."

Dawn felt that she should tell Cordy that the research wasn't needed anymore. "That's okay, Cordy. We've decided Xander's going to stay."

There was no immediate answer from Cordelia, but Dawn could hear Cordelia whispering something to Wesley in the background.

She was about to say something when Wesley's voice came on the phone. "Dawn, it's Wes."

"Hi Wes," she replied wondering what exactly was going on.

"Is Xander okay?"

Dawn stared at Xander as she responded. "Yeah he's okay," she said on reflex, before realising that Wesley was probably the one person who could help them with what had happened. "No actually he's not. He just faded in and out a few minutes ago." She could hear Wesley curse on the other end of the phone.

"We're coming back to Sunnydale," Wesley told her.

"What's happening?" Dawn asked, getting more frustrated by the minute.

"I'm not..."

"Cut the crap, and don't try to spare me," Dawn said, interrupting him. "You men are still trying to protect a young girl." She added a very pointed glare at Xander as she said the last part.

"Xander may be in trouble," Wesley replied. "But I don't want to say anymore till I do some more research."

Dawn let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. We'll see you when you get here then." She hung up the phone and looked at Xander. "You want to talk to me about it now?"

"I don't know what's happening," Xander started.

That was the last straw. "Don't lie to me! I can see it in your eyes, Xan. You're scared," Dawn replied, her anger at being left in the dark, mixing with the fear something seriously wrong.

Xander felt a little ashamed he had tried to keep it from her. "It felt like what happened eleven years ago," he said, but quickly added, "but I really have no idea what this means. I would tell you if I did."

"You have to tell me what's going on. We're partners, together forever, I thought you said."

"I know. I didn't want to worry you till I knew what was happening."

Dawn gave him a smile and shifted across the floor, till she was sitting right by him. "I'm not Buffy's little sister anymore. I can take it you know."

"I know you can," Xander replied. "But I still want to protect you. I can't help it."

"We'll protect each other, okay?"

Xander grinned and nodded. He liked the idea of Dawn protecting him. "I feel better already. What did Wesley say?"

"He said you could be in trouble. Do you have any idea what he means by that?"

Xander shook his head and pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head. "I really don't sweetie, I really don't."

**********

"What's going to happen, Wes?" Cordelia asked as they drove past yet another turnoff on the highway. They were a little over half way there now, but until Cordelia just thought about it, they hadn't as yet discussed the ramifications of what Wesley had found out.

"I don't really know," Wesley replied.

"But if Xander goes back and changes things, what happens to us?"

Wesley was about to reply, when he suddenly realised that he hadn't given the notion much thought at all. He had been so focussed on making sure he got Xander all the details he could. Then after he found out what he did, making sure Xander would be okay. He hadn't given much thought to what would happen to Cordy and himself.

"I suppose in a way, we'll cease to exist," he replied, after thinking about it.

Cordelia didn't have much of a response to that. She had been wondering if that would be true for the last hour or so. After a few seconds, she replied. "So, should we be helping here?"

Wesley could understand Cordelia's dilemma. Now that he had started to think about it, he also thought about all the other people in the world that would be instantly wiped out, if they changed history. Sure the majority of them would live in the new timeline, but there was no guarantee of anything.

"We don't have to do this, Cordy," Wesley said, part of him scared at what exactly the ramification would be to their lives.

Cordelia smiled at Wesley's attempt to calm her down. She reached over and kissed him on the cheek. "But we do, don't we?"

Wesley couldn't help but grin. Cordy knew him well. "I think we do. You couldn't sentence Xander to death, anymore that I could."

Cordelia knew that Wesley was right. There's no way she would deny Xander whatever help he needed to survive. After all in the past they would all be alive. She knew she just had to have faith.

She just hoped she found that faith soon.

**********

Dawn glanced at the clock on the wall for the umpteenth time in the last 30 minutes. "They should be here by now," she stated. Each second that passed caused her to worry more and more. Each second that passed was another second where she didn't know what was happening to Xander.

"They'll be here soon," Xander replied, coming into the living room with a couple of glasses of coffee. He took a seat next to Dawn, but unlike most other times in their relationship he didn't touch her. There was a tension in the room that needed to be released before any sort of contact was initiated.

They had sat together on the couch, for the last couple of hours, and most of the time, not spent any of that time talking. Occasionally one or the other would give each other a comforting look, but until they found out exactly what was going on neither of them wanted to run through any scenarios.

Dawn felt Xander's arm touch hers and was about to see what he wanted, when she felt him start to shake. Turning quickly to him, she could see he was having some sort of seizure.

"What's wrong?" she asked scared at what seemed to be another attack on her boyfriend.

"It's happening again," Xander squeaked out between breaths.

Dawn went to grab hold of him, trying to calm him down, when he simply faded away before her eyes. "Xan!" she yelled.

Then suddenly he was back again, though this time he wasn't conscious. Once Dawn felt sure he wouldn't fade again, she leant forward and searched for a pulse, feeling an overwhelming sense of joy, when she could feel the steady rhythm of his heart. She tried to wake him, by shouting, but after the first few calls of his name, she knew he was out for the long haul.

Picking up the phone, she started to dial 911. Not that she had any great confidence in the medical profession, but she needed to do something.

She threw Xander a quick glance, making sure he still seemed okay, and was about to answer the operator, when there was a knock at the door. She immediately hung up and went and answered it, overjoyed to see that Wesley and Cordelia had finally arrived.

As soon as Dawn opened the door, Cordelia could tell something was wrong. "Dawn?" she was all she said, though Dawn knew what she was asking.

"He's unconscious," Dawn replied, the worry in her voice growing.

"What?" Wesley asked from behind Cordelia, before pushing past them to get to Xander's prone body.

Cordelia however stayed with Dawn, knowing that she needed support at this time as well.

"How long has he been like this?" Wesley asked.

Dawn and Cordelia both moved into the living room and crouched down next to Xander's body. "It was just a minute ago. He faded away again, but then re-appeared like before, but he's still out of it."

This seemed to convince Wesley that all of his suspicions were correct. "I'm sorry."

It was all Dawn could do, to stop herself screaming at Wesley. She didn't need his sympathy at this moment. She wanted answers. "Don't you think it's about time you told me what's going on?"

Wesley didn't want to tell Dawn by herself, but since Xander was still out of it, and didn't seem to be waking up anytime soon, he felt like he had no choice. He gazed his eyes towards Cordelia, who gave him an encouraging nod. She knew that this would be difficult for him as well.

"There's no easy way for me to tell you this," Wesley started, before halting. He hated to be the bearer of bad news. The glare Dawn gave him however was all the incentive he needed to continue. "Xander may not be able to survive here."

The words made little or no sense no Dawn. "What do you mean, not be able to survive?"

Wesley picked up one of his old books he had brought. "I have been researching some references in here and they seem to back up what Angel said. He can, and only he can go back in time. However as Angel said humans aren't meant to travel in time, and nature is trying to make things right. What that means is that it's trying to take Xander out of this time. But without the Orb to guide the timewinds, he won't be able to go anywhere and will just fade away out of our dimension."

Dawn refused to believe any of it. "One book said that and that's your proof."

"It's backed up in this one as well," Wesley responded picking up another volume in his hand. He could see that Dawn was clutching at straws, and he too was hoping there would be another answer, but from what Dawn had told him had happened to Xander, he could see no other solution. "I'm not stating this as fact, Dawn. I have had to translate some rather obscure and ancient texts to find out all of this. But from those translations and what is happening to Xander it's what I think is correct."

Dawn reached over and placed a hand over Xander's heart, getting a quick psychological pick me up as she felt his heart pulse. "But, he's been back for a year. Why now?"

Cordelia answered before Wesley did. She hoped her voice might make the news a little more palatable for her. "We don't know. I wish we did."

"Well, I'm not giving up," Dawn relied said defiantly grabbing Xander's hand and holding it her chest.

"Neither will we. I promise you that," Wesley replied.

***********

Around ninety minutes later, Xander came too. He wasn't at all accepting of Wesley's conclusions. Anything that meant he had to go back in time, wasn't something Xander was willing to accept.

"I'm sorry, Wes. I know you are just doing what I asked you to do, but there has to be a way around this," Xander said in reply to yet another attempt from Wesley to make sure Xander could see the truth.

"But look at what's happening to you. What're you going to do next time?"

"Maybe there won't be a next time," Xander offered.

"Oh come on," Wesley scoffed, slamming a book shut for added effect.

"Wes," Cordelia cautioned.

"No, Cordy," Wesley silenced her objection with the tone of his voice. He looked over at Xander and fixed him with his most serious gaze. "You can't just ignore what's happening?"

"Why not," Xander replied. "It's easier than accepting I have to leave Dawn." As Xander spoke he focussed in on Dawn, who had been quiet for the last few minutes. Looking straight at her, he added, "I won't do that."

"You'll die," Cordelia stated, knowing that Xander wasn't processing that bit of information, or at least not thinking about it.

Xander was going to reply, when Dawn reached over and grabbed his hand. She had a few tears in her eyes as she spoke. "Can I talk to Xander alone?" she asked, although everyone knew it wasn't a request.

"Of course," Wesley replied, getting up and walking out with Cordelia.

Once they were gone Dawn got up out of her seat and stepped over to envelop Xander in her arms. She squeezed him tight, letting him feel her body against his. "I love you," she whispered in his ear.

Xander wrapped his arms around hers and whispered back. "I love you too."

Dawn stayed locked to him for a minute or so, before she moved back and turned Xander around, so she could look at him straight. "I don't want you to die, Xander. Even if it means you going back."

"But I don't believe it," Xander protested.

Dawn couldn't help but smile at Xander's stubbornness. "I know you don't honey. But what if it's true."

"I thought you didn't believe them either. What changed?"

"Oh, Xan. I'm not saying I want it to be like they say. But look at who's saying it. They are our two best friends. They wouldn't lie to us and give us bad news."

Xander could feel the pain in his heart rising, as he talked about a course of action that could take him away from his love. "I don't want to think about that. I can't..."

Xander looked like he wanted to continue when he suddenly started to shake again. "No!" he managed to yell, before the convulsions took over.

"Xander!" Dawn screamed, not to anyone but out of fear, that if what Wesley said was true, this might be goodbye. She held her heart in her throat for a few seconds till he re-appeared, but unlike the last two times he disappeared again.

Wesley and Cordelia heard the screams from the kitchen and came running into the living room.

"Oh god," Cordelia gasped at the sight of a semi transparent Xander sitting at the table.

Seeing that Dawn was reaching over to Xander, Wesley shouted a warning. "Don't touch him." Dawn shot her hand back and seemed to understand what Wesley was warning her about. The last things she needed was for Xander to re-materialise and have Dawn's hand in his body.

Just then, Xander re-appeared in full. Dawn immediately checked his pulse and felt her own heart beat a little better, when she felt it pump. She had no idea how long he would be unconscious for this time and while she didn't want to do anything that Xander may not agree with, she felt she had no choice.

"I need you to find Angel," Dawn stated looking at Wesley and Cordelia. "He knows more about this than anyone."

"I think I know where he is," Cordelia answered. "He used to stay at this motel not far from here, when he used to travel back to Sunnydale. Angel's nothing if not a creature of habit."

"Time's running out, isn't it" Dawn said softly.

"We aren't giving up yet," Wesley replied.

Cordelia laid a hand on Dawn's shoulder. She could see that the strength Dawn was showing was slowly breaking down. "I'll find Angel. There's still hope."

End Part 15