To Save a Life
"Xander! Don't die. Please don't. You need to breathe. Breathe or me. Don't do this to me....Please!" Anya was beginning to scream frantically. She couldn't lose him now. Not like this. She wiped the blood from the side of his mouth with her hand. Then cleaned it off on the clothes she was wearing.
"Stay calm Anya," she said to herself, "stay calm. You can help him. You just need to think of how." Anya's other hand rested on the back of Xanders neck while her eyes darted around Xanders body trying to come up with something for her to do. "He's not breathing and...OH! There is that...that CPR thing. Yeah, he did that to Buffy when she was dead." Anya placed both of her hands on his sternum feeling around for what felt like a place she could push in. "All right girl, you can do this."
She chose a spot and gently pushed in. She released it and pushed again, this time a little harder. "This looks right...right?" she asked the unconscious Xander. But he still gave no response. She repeated the compression's hoping that this would work. "Come on Xander. Why aren't you breathing? Maybe...Aren't I supposed to breathe into your mouth too," Xander laid there in silence, "yes, yeah, that it." She tilted Xanders head back and breathed into his mouth several times. Then she resumed the compression's.
She continued alternating between the two actions, not sure what she was going to do if it didn't work. Tears were still streaming down her face, and Anya feared she would be doing this forever. If she stopped she would have to accept that Xander was dead. She couldn't do that. She still loved him. No matter how much he had hurt her, she still didn't want him dead. She still wanted him in her life.
Xander suddenly started coughing, snapping to attention at the same time. "Xander! You're alive" She hugged him tightly as the tears came even faster. She had done it. She had saved Xanders life.
"Ahn..." Xander squeaked, "Ahn.... You're choking me.
"Oh, sorry," Anya said instantly letting go. Xander fell back to the ground. His head hit the ground with a sickening thud.
"Oh! Sorry again," Anya said wiping the tears from her face. "But, you're alive. And that is better than dead, so..."
"Yeah the pain is always a good reminder of being alive," Xander muttered. He groaned a little as he sat up and Anya went to lend him support. She held his back so he would not fall back down, and made sure he was completely steady before letting go. Xander looked at where she gripped him, and then up to Anya, "Thanks."
Anya instantly pulled her hands away slightly embarrassed. She wasn't sure why she should be though. "You're welcome Xander."
"So what happened?"
Fighting the redness in her cheeks Anya pointed towards the mouth of the cave. "Well, when you walked into this," she stooped picking up a rock and tossing it at the entrance. It caused a blinding flash as Anya continued, "field protecting the entrance, your heart stopped. I had to do CPR to save you."
Xander looked over at her again. If it wasn't for the purple spots in his eyes from the blinding flash moments ago, he would be able to see Anya's expression clearly. But as it was he wasn't sure what she was thinking. "Thanks again is in order then."
Anya blushed again, "Don't mention it," Anya turned, "besides, I will need your military survival skills if I want to survive for any period of time while I'm here. You do come in handy with those kinds of things."
Xander smirked, "Well, I am fine now so we should probably try and find another way out." Xander picked up a handful of pebbles off the floor. He figured it would be a good idea to take the lead and toss them every couple seconds. Didn't want to scare Anya like that again. He looked back to her as they started through the tunnel. It was going to be interesting to be with her alone after all this time."
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"Any good news?" Buffy inquired of Giles getting up from the chair in the bedroom. She hadn't left them alone in case they received another scare from their two unconscious friends. She wasn't sure what had happened, but had a feeling that Anya had something to do with it. Right before Xander began breathing again, Anya had muttered several phrases protesting Xanders death. Whatever was happening to them, they were definitely connected somehow.
"Well, we have a little. I have found the summoning spell for Halfrek. I sent Willow to the Magic Shop to get the ingredients a while ago. She should be back momentarily," Giles said taking his glasses off to clean them, "how is Xander doing?"
"He seems fine now. Everything checks out A-OK. His pulse is beaty, and his breathing is good too. I just wish I knew what was happening."
"Giles?" Willow yelled as she came up the stairs.
"In here Willow," Buffy and Giles walked out of the room greeting her in he hallway.
"Well, I have the stuff."
"Good, we will do the spell downstairs," Giles said taking the items from Willow.
"I'll go down too. In case Halfrek tries to do anything, I want to be there."
"Let's perform the spell in the kitchen." Giles said to the others. Giles and Willow began setting up the items and Buffy took a seat in one of the chairs. She knew that if the spell worked she had to get the amulet from Halfrek. She was pretty sure she could do that. After all, she always was good at simple hand to hand combat and all she had to do was grip the amulet and rip it off. "It will be several minutes before we are done mixing and setting up Buffy."
"All right. I am going to get Dawn to watch them while we are down here. Make sure we have someone up there to make sure everything works out once we break the wish." Buffy ran back upstairs to find Dawn already sitting in the room with Xander and Anya. She walked in quietly, "Are you OK Dawn?"
"Oh, hi Buffy," Dawn said not really turning her head to acknowledge her sisters presence. "Yeah I'm fine. I'm just scared for them."
"I know, we all are," Buffy said as she rested her hands on Dawns shoulders.
"It will be all right though," Giles found the summoning spell, so as soon as Halfrek gets her, we will be able to break the wish."
"I hope so" Dawn said as Buffy hugged her sister while she was still sitting.
"Can you stay up here with them? Just make sure they are all right, while we are down there with Halfrek?"
"Yeah Buffy, I'm not going anywhere."
"That's my sis. Just yell down if anything happens. With any luck the yell will be one to let us know they are awake."
"Buffy! We are ready down here," Willow yelled came from downstairs. Buffy let go of Dawn and sprinted to the kitchen. Taking a seat, she watched as Giles began to work his mojo.
"Halfrek, I beseech thee," Giles said, cutting some sage root and throwing it into a pot. "In the name of all children scorned-come before me!" with the last word spoken, Giles lit a chalice filled with herbs on fire. There was a puff of smoke and then nothing. Giles looked around, expecting Halfrek to show up any second.
"Did it work?" Buffy asked. As she did the Chalice suddenly melted. "What was that?"
"Damn!" Giles muttered. "The spell worked fine actually. But the chalice melting does show one thing."
"What is that?" Buffy asked not sure how the spell could have worked yet no Halfrek was present to be killed.
"It proves that Halfrek truly is dead. That is what happens to a summoning spell when calling upon a dead Vengeance Demon." Giles fell into the seat with an upset look on his face.
"So if Halfrek really is dead, then what the hell is going on?" Buffy asked, not sure what their next plan of action was going to be.
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And now another one for the books. I won't even comment on why it took so long to get this up. But here it is for those of you that want it. Another chapter added to the story. And with it a couple more questions are asked. We get to see Anya in an actual hero sort of role today. Plus, how did Halfrek cast a wish of her own making on them? Especially since we now know she is dead. Is it even Halfrek? Only I know the answers to those questions, and that's the way I like it. Of course, all will be revealed eventually. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, because Anya and Xander, along with the rest of the Scooby gang still have a lot they will go through in this journey.
On a side note, I might edit this chapter before I finish. Nothing major, I am just not too happy with the frantic Anya talk at the beginning. I need to switch some around, but I am not sure what to do to it quite yet. So I just figured I would post and move on until I do figure out how to write it. I will make a note of it in the summary if I do edit and change any chapters in case you want to know. I will also leave word in the chapter that is posted afterwards so that everyone is in the know. So if you hate it or like it please review and tell me.
Oh and thank you to those who have reviewed the story so far.
HISTORY:
-When Anya commented on the CPR saving Buffy's life, that was from the season 1 finale "Prophecy Girl"
-And of course the military reference came from the Season 2 Halloween episode when Xander was turned into a commando
- Also the summoning spell for Halfrek is the same one that Giles used to summon Anyanka back in Season 3. I was going to make it different but figured they would be about the same since they were both Vengeance Demons.
"Xander! Don't die. Please don't. You need to breathe. Breathe or me. Don't do this to me....Please!" Anya was beginning to scream frantically. She couldn't lose him now. Not like this. She wiped the blood from the side of his mouth with her hand. Then cleaned it off on the clothes she was wearing.
"Stay calm Anya," she said to herself, "stay calm. You can help him. You just need to think of how." Anya's other hand rested on the back of Xanders neck while her eyes darted around Xanders body trying to come up with something for her to do. "He's not breathing and...OH! There is that...that CPR thing. Yeah, he did that to Buffy when she was dead." Anya placed both of her hands on his sternum feeling around for what felt like a place she could push in. "All right girl, you can do this."
She chose a spot and gently pushed in. She released it and pushed again, this time a little harder. "This looks right...right?" she asked the unconscious Xander. But he still gave no response. She repeated the compression's hoping that this would work. "Come on Xander. Why aren't you breathing? Maybe...Aren't I supposed to breathe into your mouth too," Xander laid there in silence, "yes, yeah, that it." She tilted Xanders head back and breathed into his mouth several times. Then she resumed the compression's.
She continued alternating between the two actions, not sure what she was going to do if it didn't work. Tears were still streaming down her face, and Anya feared she would be doing this forever. If she stopped she would have to accept that Xander was dead. She couldn't do that. She still loved him. No matter how much he had hurt her, she still didn't want him dead. She still wanted him in her life.
Xander suddenly started coughing, snapping to attention at the same time. "Xander! You're alive" She hugged him tightly as the tears came even faster. She had done it. She had saved Xanders life.
"Ahn..." Xander squeaked, "Ahn.... You're choking me.
"Oh, sorry," Anya said instantly letting go. Xander fell back to the ground. His head hit the ground with a sickening thud.
"Oh! Sorry again," Anya said wiping the tears from her face. "But, you're alive. And that is better than dead, so..."
"Yeah the pain is always a good reminder of being alive," Xander muttered. He groaned a little as he sat up and Anya went to lend him support. She held his back so he would not fall back down, and made sure he was completely steady before letting go. Xander looked at where she gripped him, and then up to Anya, "Thanks."
Anya instantly pulled her hands away slightly embarrassed. She wasn't sure why she should be though. "You're welcome Xander."
"So what happened?"
Fighting the redness in her cheeks Anya pointed towards the mouth of the cave. "Well, when you walked into this," she stooped picking up a rock and tossing it at the entrance. It caused a blinding flash as Anya continued, "field protecting the entrance, your heart stopped. I had to do CPR to save you."
Xander looked over at her again. If it wasn't for the purple spots in his eyes from the blinding flash moments ago, he would be able to see Anya's expression clearly. But as it was he wasn't sure what she was thinking. "Thanks again is in order then."
Anya blushed again, "Don't mention it," Anya turned, "besides, I will need your military survival skills if I want to survive for any period of time while I'm here. You do come in handy with those kinds of things."
Xander smirked, "Well, I am fine now so we should probably try and find another way out." Xander picked up a handful of pebbles off the floor. He figured it would be a good idea to take the lead and toss them every couple seconds. Didn't want to scare Anya like that again. He looked back to her as they started through the tunnel. It was going to be interesting to be with her alone after all this time."
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"Any good news?" Buffy inquired of Giles getting up from the chair in the bedroom. She hadn't left them alone in case they received another scare from their two unconscious friends. She wasn't sure what had happened, but had a feeling that Anya had something to do with it. Right before Xander began breathing again, Anya had muttered several phrases protesting Xanders death. Whatever was happening to them, they were definitely connected somehow.
"Well, we have a little. I have found the summoning spell for Halfrek. I sent Willow to the Magic Shop to get the ingredients a while ago. She should be back momentarily," Giles said taking his glasses off to clean them, "how is Xander doing?"
"He seems fine now. Everything checks out A-OK. His pulse is beaty, and his breathing is good too. I just wish I knew what was happening."
"Giles?" Willow yelled as she came up the stairs.
"In here Willow," Buffy and Giles walked out of the room greeting her in he hallway.
"Well, I have the stuff."
"Good, we will do the spell downstairs," Giles said taking the items from Willow.
"I'll go down too. In case Halfrek tries to do anything, I want to be there."
"Let's perform the spell in the kitchen." Giles said to the others. Giles and Willow began setting up the items and Buffy took a seat in one of the chairs. She knew that if the spell worked she had to get the amulet from Halfrek. She was pretty sure she could do that. After all, she always was good at simple hand to hand combat and all she had to do was grip the amulet and rip it off. "It will be several minutes before we are done mixing and setting up Buffy."
"All right. I am going to get Dawn to watch them while we are down here. Make sure we have someone up there to make sure everything works out once we break the wish." Buffy ran back upstairs to find Dawn already sitting in the room with Xander and Anya. She walked in quietly, "Are you OK Dawn?"
"Oh, hi Buffy," Dawn said not really turning her head to acknowledge her sisters presence. "Yeah I'm fine. I'm just scared for them."
"I know, we all are," Buffy said as she rested her hands on Dawns shoulders.
"It will be all right though," Giles found the summoning spell, so as soon as Halfrek gets her, we will be able to break the wish."
"I hope so" Dawn said as Buffy hugged her sister while she was still sitting.
"Can you stay up here with them? Just make sure they are all right, while we are down there with Halfrek?"
"Yeah Buffy, I'm not going anywhere."
"That's my sis. Just yell down if anything happens. With any luck the yell will be one to let us know they are awake."
"Buffy! We are ready down here," Willow yelled came from downstairs. Buffy let go of Dawn and sprinted to the kitchen. Taking a seat, she watched as Giles began to work his mojo.
"Halfrek, I beseech thee," Giles said, cutting some sage root and throwing it into a pot. "In the name of all children scorned-come before me!" with the last word spoken, Giles lit a chalice filled with herbs on fire. There was a puff of smoke and then nothing. Giles looked around, expecting Halfrek to show up any second.
"Did it work?" Buffy asked. As she did the Chalice suddenly melted. "What was that?"
"Damn!" Giles muttered. "The spell worked fine actually. But the chalice melting does show one thing."
"What is that?" Buffy asked not sure how the spell could have worked yet no Halfrek was present to be killed.
"It proves that Halfrek truly is dead. That is what happens to a summoning spell when calling upon a dead Vengeance Demon." Giles fell into the seat with an upset look on his face.
"So if Halfrek really is dead, then what the hell is going on?" Buffy asked, not sure what their next plan of action was going to be.
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And now another one for the books. I won't even comment on why it took so long to get this up. But here it is for those of you that want it. Another chapter added to the story. And with it a couple more questions are asked. We get to see Anya in an actual hero sort of role today. Plus, how did Halfrek cast a wish of her own making on them? Especially since we now know she is dead. Is it even Halfrek? Only I know the answers to those questions, and that's the way I like it. Of course, all will be revealed eventually. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, because Anya and Xander, along with the rest of the Scooby gang still have a lot they will go through in this journey.
On a side note, I might edit this chapter before I finish. Nothing major, I am just not too happy with the frantic Anya talk at the beginning. I need to switch some around, but I am not sure what to do to it quite yet. So I just figured I would post and move on until I do figure out how to write it. I will make a note of it in the summary if I do edit and change any chapters in case you want to know. I will also leave word in the chapter that is posted afterwards so that everyone is in the know. So if you hate it or like it please review and tell me.
Oh and thank you to those who have reviewed the story so far.
HISTORY:
-When Anya commented on the CPR saving Buffy's life, that was from the season 1 finale "Prophecy Girl"
-And of course the military reference came from the Season 2 Halloween episode when Xander was turned into a commando
- Also the summoning spell for Halfrek is the same one that Giles used to summon Anyanka back in Season 3. I was going to make it different but figured they would be about the same since they were both Vengeance Demons.
