Disclaimer: Joss, WB, UPN et al. own Buffy. I do not.

Author: Paradigm Shifter

Title: Lost Immortal

Rating: Oh, hell. Everything I write is R, cause I don't know what the ratings mean. However: MULTIPLE CHARACTER DEATH!!!

Pairing: No real pairing. Just very slight Buffy/Angel, Willow/Oz, Xander/Cordelia

Feedback: Go ahead. Feedback is good.

Continuity: Up to Graduation. (Season 3 Finale) Then goes totally off track, no road trip, no Angel and Cordy leaving. But, in one respect, they do…

Notes: I said I may not continue, but this is too interesting an idea to leave alone…

*

Xander sat crouched in an LA alley, hoping that no one would notice him, and begin asking uncomfortable questions. At a noise in the street outside, his head shot up and his eyes narrowed.

The sounds of a battle. A violent one. Unsure as to whether he should get involved or stay out of the way, Xander stood up, using the wall as leverage and investigated the sounds.

Poking his head up above a trashcan, he saw two things that turned his stomach. Vampires.

Fighting each other, and not being terribly subtle about it either.

"Damn it…" Xander muttered, thoroughly annoyed that these two had disturbed his nice quiet hiding place. Pulling his knife, a poor replacement for the sword left in Sunnydale, Xander approached as stealthily as he could.

As he neared the fight, the taller of the two staked the other, causing a shower of dust, which quickly dissipated in the night breeze. He did not show any indication of sensing Xander, either by sound, smell… Xander would be the first to admit that nearly a century of failing to wash made you stink to high heaven… or by some other supernatural sense.

Without turning, the vampire spoke. "Come on out, I felt you nearly five minutes ago."

"I was hoping that you were just going to leave, personally. I don't want any trouble…" Xander hoped supplication would work, but honestly, he doubted it.

The vampire turned round, and Xander saw for the first time who it was.

"Angelus…" Xander whispered.

Angel cocked his head, and looked puzzled until Xander stepped fully out of the shadow.

Angel's eyes widened. "You…" he gasped. "Xander…"

Xander nodded his head slowly, aware of Angel's proximity. "Yeah, deadboy. It's me."

Angel's face went from shock to outright righteous rage. "You died! I saw you die!" bringing up a stake, Angel stalked toward him, before halting uncertainly feet away from Xander. "Wait… your not a…"

Xander backed away slowly, knowing that if Angel staked him, it would be hours before he was alive again. "No. I'm not. That was the first question when I woke up."

"How did you wake?" Angel asked.

"I don't know. But I woke up in a coffin. You buried me." Xander's tone was slightly accusatory.

"We thought you were dead… you were dead. That demon killed you…" Angel had trouble pulling his mind from the fact that Xander was standing talking to him, right in front of him, alive and… well… maybe. Smelly, certainly.

"Yeah. He did. I had an eight inch hole in my chest."

"Why did you leave? The gang died with you, you know…" Angel was angry, and showed it in his tone of voice.

Xander pulled a face, that said 'are you stupid? Wait, don't answer that…' and spoke. "Angel. It was very simple. I had died. I didn't know what I was, but was damned sure I would not get a warm welcome from Buffy or anyone else. Remember, deadboy, that things that come back to life in Sunnydale tend to be fangy and rather obsessed with blood."

"But why?" Angel's voice had a lost quality to it now.

Xander shook his head. "Get a grip, man. I just explained that. I left."

"You faked your death?" Angel seemed stuck on the point.

Xander was sick of this now. He nearly shouted, "How could I have faked my death, Deadboy? You saw the wound! It was an eight inch hole straight through my chest!"

"I don't know how you did it, but it destroyed everyone!" Angel shouted back.

"I didn't fake it, Angel. That really killed me. But I'm Immortal." Xander decided to drop the big one and see if Angel could run with the ball.

"What?" Train of thought derailed, Angel was brought up short with the statement on the end, until Xander decided to elaborate.

"I'm Immortal! You know, don't die! Well, except for one thing, but I ain't tellin' you, you might try it out!"

"So you were dead?"

Sighing heavily, Xander nodded. "Yeah."

*

Angel and Xander were sitting in a nearby bar that seemed all too friendly with demons for Xander's liking. Hell, the barman was one, and so was the Host, as he liked to call himself. Angel seemed to be relaxed here, and that was one more reason why Xander decided to be on his guard.

"Do you know what happened to the others after you died?" Angel wanted Xander to know, because if he didn't, when he did eventually find out, it would kill him again.

Xander nodded sombrely. "Yeah. I snuck into Sunnydale about a hundred years ago…" Xander smiled gently and tapped the table. "God, that sounds so weird. I still haven't got used to the fact that I'm gonna live forever."

Angel nodded, slightly disappointed that Xander knew, but also glad he wouldn't have to tell him. "I know what you mean. It took me a hundred and fifty years before I could get over the fact that I was never going to age, while everyone around me did."

"Anyway…" Xander slung his head back violently and downed the drink that had been in his hands in front of him. "Yeah. I saw them. Well, Giles at any rate. I lost my sword in a fight with him. Barely made it out alive really. Don't know what happened to the others, but Giles was dying to tell me. Trying to put me off, you know."

Angel nodded. It was a trick that Angelus used to use a lot. Tell someone what had happened to their nearest and dearest, and they inevitably began to lose it.

The evening was whiled away with small talk, and some drinking. But both knew that they would need to go back…

*

End of chapter 3. Chapter 4 is in the works. Hope you like this.