Xander walked along that evening, sticking close to the edge of the woods.
Close access to a lot of stakes, he thought wryly.
He chose a spot and stood there, his hands in his pockets, waiting for Buffy. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something move and turned to see a newborn vampire crawling out of a grave.
Unsure of what to do, Xander ripped off a branch from a tree, holding it tightly as he crept up behind the vampire.
At least I'm not in danger of dying, he thought. At least I hope not.
With a battle cry, Xander leaped onto the back of the vampire. It snarled and threw him off. Xander landed with a grunt on the ground. He regained his footing quickly and raised his stake. The vampire grabbed his wrist and its eyes widened in surprise.
"You don't have a pulse. But you're not one of us."
"No I don't and no I most certainly am not," Xander replied as the vampire twisted his wrist, forcing him to drop the makeshift stake.
The vampire growled, baring its teeth. "Well it doesn't matter because you tried to kill me and I'm going to do the same to you, even if I have to rip you apart with my bare hands!" He grabbed Xander by the throat and pinned him against a tree. Xander winced. Although he didn't have to breathe, having his windpipe crushed by the vampire's beefy hand was uncomfortable.
Xander saw a flash of blond hair behind the vampire and he smiled.
"What are you laughing at?" the vampire hissed.
Xander watched as the tip of a stake suddenly protruded from its chest, apparently having been pushed in through his back. The vampire exploded into dust, revealing Buffy.
Xander coughed, rubbing his throat. "Hey Buff. Thanks for the save."
"You shouldn't be doing stuff like that," Buffy reprimand him. "It's dangerous."
Xander shrugged. "I figured I'm dead already. Can't get any deader."
Buffy smiled at that then paused. "Vamp." She spotted it before Xander did and shoved him out of the way. He fell to the ground near the woods but didn't attempt to get up, content about watching Buffy in action. She dodged the vampire's clumsy blows then delivered two of her own. She knelt, sweeping the vampire's legs out from under it.
Xander was so intent on watching Buffy kneel and stake the vampire that he didn't hear the other vampire behind him until he felt a sudden pain in his back. He arched his back and grunted in pain. He heard Buffy shout his name as he struggled to turn around to see his attacker. It was a female vampire, holding the stake he had dropped before.
Xander slumped to the ground as Buffy ran forward and staked the vampire in one swift motion. She ran to Xander, cradling him in her arms. The scene was all too familiar.
"Oh God, Xander," she said, gently inspecting the wound.
"It's ok," he gasped out, grimacing in pain. "I'm dead, this can't hurt me much. Except for the pain."
Buffy gasped, staring at his hand. "No, Xander, it is hurting you." She held up his hand.
"What? What is it?"
"You're hand. I-it's disappearing." Suddenly Buffy's fingers slipped right through it. "I can't see it anymore." Her eyes were wide. "You getting hurt must somehow be making the spell wear off."
"No it can't," Xander muttered.
"Oh God, no," Buffy whispered, pulling Xander closer. She gripped his hand tightly as though holding it would keep it visible. "No, Xander, please don't leave me again." Her eyes filled with tears. "Do…do the spell again."
"I can't," Xander said miserably. "I can only do it once." He could feel the spell wearing off, now creeping up his torso.
"Xander, I love you," Buffy said, her voice cracking.
"I love you too," Xander reached up with his invisibly hand to touch her cheek.
Buffy wrapped her arms around him tighter. Xander closed his eyes. He wouldn't be able to stand it. In a second, Buffy wouldn't be his anymore.
Suddenly, agonizing pain swept through Xander's body. He cried out, grimacing in pain. For a second, his vision clouded over and Buffy disappeared from his view. After another terrifying minute the pain subsided and Xander lay still, panting.
I guess that's how the spell ends, he thought sadly.
"Xander?"
Buffy was staring at him with wide eyes.
Xander frowned. "Buffy?"
"Xander, I-I can see you," she said in disbelief.
"What…" Xander panted heavily. Then he realized. He was breathing. His wound throbbed. He could still feel. With a trembling hand, he lifted it to his throat. There was a pulse.
"I-I'm alive," he said in disbelief. He laughed, almost giddily. "Buffy, I'm alive!"
"Wh-what?"
He grabbed her hand and pressed it to her neck. He smiled broadly as he saw her eyes widen in shock. Then he grabbed her and gave her a long kiss. The most miraculous kiss of his life.
"God, Buffy I can't believe it." Xander got to his feet. "I'm alive…and okay still injured." He almost fell over but Buffy caught him.
"How is this possible?" Buffy asked in amazement.
Xander shook his head. "I don't know. But it doesn't matter because I'm back, baby!"
Buffy laughed then stopped. "Wait. Everyone else thinks you're already dead. You've got a grave and everything."
Xander's eyes naturally wandered over to the spot where his tombstone should be. Only it wasn't there. He pulled Buffy over to the area and knelt, feeling the grass. Then he looked up and shouted, "I love you guys! You think of everything!"
"They must've fixed it so that no one remembers you died," Buffy said slowly. She paused. "But I remember. I wonder if the others do."
"We'll come to that when we get there. Right now, I have a question."
"Yeah?"
"Can I pass out?"
"Wait till we get to the hospital."
Buffy held Xander close all the way there.
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Epilogue coming soon!
Close access to a lot of stakes, he thought wryly.
He chose a spot and stood there, his hands in his pockets, waiting for Buffy. Out of the corner of his eye he saw something move and turned to see a newborn vampire crawling out of a grave.
Unsure of what to do, Xander ripped off a branch from a tree, holding it tightly as he crept up behind the vampire.
At least I'm not in danger of dying, he thought. At least I hope not.
With a battle cry, Xander leaped onto the back of the vampire. It snarled and threw him off. Xander landed with a grunt on the ground. He regained his footing quickly and raised his stake. The vampire grabbed his wrist and its eyes widened in surprise.
"You don't have a pulse. But you're not one of us."
"No I don't and no I most certainly am not," Xander replied as the vampire twisted his wrist, forcing him to drop the makeshift stake.
The vampire growled, baring its teeth. "Well it doesn't matter because you tried to kill me and I'm going to do the same to you, even if I have to rip you apart with my bare hands!" He grabbed Xander by the throat and pinned him against a tree. Xander winced. Although he didn't have to breathe, having his windpipe crushed by the vampire's beefy hand was uncomfortable.
Xander saw a flash of blond hair behind the vampire and he smiled.
"What are you laughing at?" the vampire hissed.
Xander watched as the tip of a stake suddenly protruded from its chest, apparently having been pushed in through his back. The vampire exploded into dust, revealing Buffy.
Xander coughed, rubbing his throat. "Hey Buff. Thanks for the save."
"You shouldn't be doing stuff like that," Buffy reprimand him. "It's dangerous."
Xander shrugged. "I figured I'm dead already. Can't get any deader."
Buffy smiled at that then paused. "Vamp." She spotted it before Xander did and shoved him out of the way. He fell to the ground near the woods but didn't attempt to get up, content about watching Buffy in action. She dodged the vampire's clumsy blows then delivered two of her own. She knelt, sweeping the vampire's legs out from under it.
Xander was so intent on watching Buffy kneel and stake the vampire that he didn't hear the other vampire behind him until he felt a sudden pain in his back. He arched his back and grunted in pain. He heard Buffy shout his name as he struggled to turn around to see his attacker. It was a female vampire, holding the stake he had dropped before.
Xander slumped to the ground as Buffy ran forward and staked the vampire in one swift motion. She ran to Xander, cradling him in her arms. The scene was all too familiar.
"Oh God, Xander," she said, gently inspecting the wound.
"It's ok," he gasped out, grimacing in pain. "I'm dead, this can't hurt me much. Except for the pain."
Buffy gasped, staring at his hand. "No, Xander, it is hurting you." She held up his hand.
"What? What is it?"
"You're hand. I-it's disappearing." Suddenly Buffy's fingers slipped right through it. "I can't see it anymore." Her eyes were wide. "You getting hurt must somehow be making the spell wear off."
"No it can't," Xander muttered.
"Oh God, no," Buffy whispered, pulling Xander closer. She gripped his hand tightly as though holding it would keep it visible. "No, Xander, please don't leave me again." Her eyes filled with tears. "Do…do the spell again."
"I can't," Xander said miserably. "I can only do it once." He could feel the spell wearing off, now creeping up his torso.
"Xander, I love you," Buffy said, her voice cracking.
"I love you too," Xander reached up with his invisibly hand to touch her cheek.
Buffy wrapped her arms around him tighter. Xander closed his eyes. He wouldn't be able to stand it. In a second, Buffy wouldn't be his anymore.
Suddenly, agonizing pain swept through Xander's body. He cried out, grimacing in pain. For a second, his vision clouded over and Buffy disappeared from his view. After another terrifying minute the pain subsided and Xander lay still, panting.
I guess that's how the spell ends, he thought sadly.
"Xander?"
Buffy was staring at him with wide eyes.
Xander frowned. "Buffy?"
"Xander, I-I can see you," she said in disbelief.
"What…" Xander panted heavily. Then he realized. He was breathing. His wound throbbed. He could still feel. With a trembling hand, he lifted it to his throat. There was a pulse.
"I-I'm alive," he said in disbelief. He laughed, almost giddily. "Buffy, I'm alive!"
"Wh-what?"
He grabbed her hand and pressed it to her neck. He smiled broadly as he saw her eyes widen in shock. Then he grabbed her and gave her a long kiss. The most miraculous kiss of his life.
"God, Buffy I can't believe it." Xander got to his feet. "I'm alive…and okay still injured." He almost fell over but Buffy caught him.
"How is this possible?" Buffy asked in amazement.
Xander shook his head. "I don't know. But it doesn't matter because I'm back, baby!"
Buffy laughed then stopped. "Wait. Everyone else thinks you're already dead. You've got a grave and everything."
Xander's eyes naturally wandered over to the spot where his tombstone should be. Only it wasn't there. He pulled Buffy over to the area and knelt, feeling the grass. Then he looked up and shouted, "I love you guys! You think of everything!"
"They must've fixed it so that no one remembers you died," Buffy said slowly. She paused. "But I remember. I wonder if the others do."
"We'll come to that when we get there. Right now, I have a question."
"Yeah?"
"Can I pass out?"
"Wait till we get to the hospital."
Buffy held Xander close all the way there.
************************************************************************
Epilogue coming soon!