Disclaimer: I don't own any of these wonderful characters. I'm just borrowing them for my own entertainment.
Spoilers: This is set after "Phases" in Season 2. Oz is a werewolf, Xander and Cordelia haven't come out of the closet (literally), Willow's nowhere near the closet (figuratively and literally) and Angel is Angelus.
Author's Note: Okay, contrary to what's previously been stated....chapters will run about this length. At least you won't get bored, though. Right?
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"When you say 'grave danger', you don't really mean 'grave danger', do you?" Willow asked anxiously from the back seat. "You mean like grave as in dead, right? As in dead danger? As in non-existent danger? Oh no! Or do you mean dead danger! As in Xander's in dead danger?"
"Willow, breathe," Buffy directed as she turned to face Giles. "Giles, explain."
Giles frowned as he sped through a deserted four way stop. "You said that the demon attacked Xander but it ignored you two, correct?"
"Well...yeah," Buffy said scrambling to get her seatbelt on.
Giles shook his head, "It just doesn't make any sense. The Walken Demon only attacks vampires. There's an unbreakable curse attached to it."
"Giles, fast forward," Buffy said. "Okay, we got it. It's impossible. Except it isn't, because it did. How does this put Xander in danger?"
Giles slammed his brakes on as the light turned red causing Willow to cry out as she was propelled forward and hit Buffy's seat hard. "It used to be a Slayer. It hunts vampires, it's prey."
"What?" Buffy said her brow furrowing. "The demon used to be a Slayer? But how?"
"It's very complex," Giles said stomping on the gas as the light turned green. "The thing that concerns us right now is that once it marks it's prey it hunts it until...well, until he finds it and devours it's heart."
"Oh Xander," Willow breathed being forced back into the upholstery with the forward motion of the car.
* * * * *
"What do you want?" Cordelia asked cradling her phone between her shoulder and ear. There was a pause on the other end of the line and then Xander's voice came across loud and clear.
"Nothing."
Cordelia gave an exasperated sigh. "Then why are you calling me? How'd you get my number anyway?"
"Found it on a bathroom wall," he said. "Though I am disappointed, this hardly qualifies as a good time."
"Whatever. Look, I'm expecting a call from anyone but you. So if you are done tying up my phone..." There was a thud. Cordelia sat up and pressed the phone to her ear. "Xander?"
There was the sound of breaking glass and then she heard a far away sounding Xander say, "Oh shit."
* * * * *
Giles rapped on the door. He could hear the sound of a TV going inside and vaguely heard the sound of two people arguing. He knocked again and the door opened revealing a dark haired woman with her hair in rollers.
"Good evening, Madame," He began urgently. "I realize it's terribly late but..."
"We don't want any," she said swinging the door shut.
"Mrs. Harris, wait!" Willow said quickly stepping out from behind Giles and stopping the door two inches from shutting. "We've got to talk to Xander!"
She frowned, "He's not here."
"What?" Willow asked, panic overcoming her. "Where is he?"
She crossed her arms and stared down at her. "You tell me. He said he was studying with you."
"He's not here," Buffy said, "Something must have happened to him on the way home."
There was the sound of shattering glass and Mrs. Harris turned towards the hallway. There was a yell and the sound of something heavy being thrown around behind closed doors.
Buffy pushed past Mrs. Harris and ran down the hallway towards the noise. She was vaguely aware of Mrs. Harris yelling something at her and WIllow and Giles talking at once. There was another thump to her left and she tried to open the locked door that the sound came from behind. "Xander?"
"Buffy, get it out of here!" Came a muffled shout. She threw her weight into the door and it popped open only to be blocked by an over turned dresser. The opening wasn't big enough for her to squeeze through. Through the crack she could see Xander throwing a desk chair at the demon which only seemed to irritate it more. It swiped at him and he ducked causing the razor edge claws to leave swipes in the wall.
Giles ran up beside her, followed by Willow.
"The door is stuck!" Buffy said, "I'm going around."
"Xander!" Willow screamed as the demon knocked him into a wall.
"Hurry!" Giles called after her as Buffy ran through the open door and made her way to the broken window at the back of the house.
* * * * *
"Xander!" Cordelia screamed into the phone. She heard the sound of a battle going on at the other end. She had heard Buffy's voice and then he had told her to get it out. Whatever it was.
Well...whatever it was, it was bad. She heard Willow screaming and other voices and something that sounded like growling....
This was just like him. Just like him to be attacked in by something that growled. Why couldn't she have a normal boyfriend?
No! Not boyfriend! God no!
Closet Kissing Enemy. Yes, he was simply an enemy that she kissed occasionally in utility closets. Nothing more.
The thought didn't comfort her as the sound of the battle was abruptly cut off by the sound of the dial tone.
* * * * *
Xander fell to the floor and struggled to get up as the demon loomed over him. It bent down and sniffed him.
So this is how I'm going to die, Xander thought. Call him a romantic, but he was disappointed. First he had thought it would involve ridding the world of some kind of evil. Secondly he had always pictured Buffy holding him to her chest for his last few moments on earth and whispering sweet nothings in his ear.
The demon snorted blowing a thin film of slime from it's nose on Xander.
Yep, definitely not romantic, he thought as his outstretched hand reached for a weapon. Any kind of weapon. At least he'd go out with a fight.
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Special Thanks to all my reviewers. Bolo, somedaydreamer, dragon-reborn5, Ceasare and j.m. Your encouragement is deeply, deeply appreciated.