Disclaimer: Joss, WB, UPN et al. own Buffy. George Lucas, Lucasfilm, LucasArts and others own Star Wars. Michael A Stackpole owns the X-Wing and I, Jedi novels. I do not.

Title: Sunnydale Jedi: Chapter 2

Author: Paradigm Shifter

Rating: PG-13 again, people.

Pairing: Err… Xander/Buffy. (I'm gonna try, promise!)

Feedback: Please, I beg.

Thanks: All my reviewers. You know who you are. Also, everyone who made suggestions. They will probably appear somewhere along the line…

Dedication: Morpheus, Zeppo and Jane McCartney, because you like my stories enough to put me on your favourites. Cool.

Continuity: General season 5 (Dawn)

Crossover: Buffy / Star Wars. Old Republic.

*

When Xander slowly limped his way back to the Summers residence, Dawn was waiting by the door with a scowl on her face, and worry in her eyes.

"Xan…" she whined, knowing full well that the tone of voice would probably get Xander to agree to whatever she was going to suggest, "you promised you wouldn't be out after midnight…"

Xander managed to hide his pain quite well considering what he had been through not half an hour before. Waking up in a vampire's lair, especially after having pissed the head honcho off like he had used to be a ticket for instant death, and possibly eternal torment at the hands of a demon. If it hadn't been for his ability to tap into the Force, which Dawn did still not fully understand, Xander would have been quite dead, or far worse, turned and preying on the girl he was meant to be protecting.

"Yeah, Dawn, I know I promised, but I encountered this big group of vampires, and well, it took a while to take them all out." Xander couldn't help but wince at the obvious half-truth. He knew Dawn would see through it almost as soon as he started with the feeble excuse.

Dawn knew it too. With an 'I'm amused now but soon I'm gonna be pissed off' smile on her face, she stepped up to Xander and dragged him inside like a naughty child. In some ways, he was.

After expending so much energy on escaping, Xander was in no position to fight her, and followed her in meekly like a kitten, albeit one who whined at the treatment of his ear. If Dawn was allowed that tone of voice, so was he. Dawn had a hold on Xander that no one had had before, be it Willow, Buffy or Anya. None of them could read him as well as Dawn, and none had been through the shared pain of losing a sister, combined with a best friend. Buffy may not have been all that while Dawn was not in trouble, but once the target of Glory's anger and mad attacks had been determined, not even Xander had guarded Dawn as jealously as Buffy. The sisterly bond the two had only increased when their mother died.

And then Buffy died as well…

Dawn dumped Xander unceremoniously on the couch, and went to find the first aid kit. Well, 'find' was the wrong word, the first aid kit in the Summers house got such a workout that it needed to be replenished regularly. Xander nearly told her not to bother, as with a few hours in a healing trance, he would be better than he was when he went out, but the look on her face told him not to argue, and not to let her come back to find him in a coma for an hour or more.

*

Twenty minutes later, when Dawn had finished patching Xander up, she was grinning like a kid on their first date, with the most attractive guy in school. As far as Dawn was concerned, Xander was far better than anyone she knew at school, and she still had her crush on him. The only difference now was, with them living together under the same roof, she couldn't act on her crush in case she forced him out, and she was left alone, properly alone, for the rest of her natural. Or un-natural, whatever, given that she was the key, and technically not alive.

Dawn looked hard at Xander, who was, in turn, happily in the realm of the firmly doped on painkillers. He didn't seem to quite be able to turn off his nerves; it ended up with similar results to how most stoners looked. A silly grin spread all over their face, and a complete lethargy. Dawn knew it to be deceptive, as his mind was still working nineteen to the dozen, but fine control of minor muscles seemed beyond his capabilities when in a pain reducing state. It might improve with time and practice, but Dawn was unhappy with seeing Xander like this.

"Xander?" Dawn asked.

Xander's face instantly lost the glazed expression and became serious. "Yeah, Dawn?"

Dawn was momentarily put off of the rapid 'recovery'. "You can tell me what happened tomorrow. You can tell it all tomorrow. For now, just sit and listen."

Xander sat up completely straight. "I'm listening."

Dawn took a deep breath. "I think I can get Buffy back."

Xander face remained passive. This was not the reaction Dawn had been expacting. Joy, yes. Elation, yes. Not the passive response she did receive, almost as if he had not heard her.

"Are you listening?" Dawn raised her voice. "I THINK I CAN GET BUFFY BACK!"

Xander shook his head. "Have you been drinking while I was out?"

Dawn looked angry, and hurt at the accusation. Xander hid his teasing too well sometimes. "No. Of course not." She replied indignantly.

"Juts checking. So that means the drinks cabinet is still chock full, right?"

Dawn didn't know where this was going. "Yeah."

"Good, cause I need a drink. And you need one too. Then tomorrow, once we get over the hangovers, it's time to get Buffy back." A grin accompanied this statement.

Dawn just grinned back, and stood up with Xander.

They headed for the drinks cabinet.

*

"Xander?" asked Dawn as Xander raided the drinks cabinet.

"Yeah, Dawn?" he replied, voice muffled by the glass.

"I haven't told you everything we need to do yet. To get Buffy back I mean."

"Right. You haven't. Are you gonna? Do I want to know? Is it gross?" Xander joked.

"No, it isn't gross, but it may be quite difficult. We need Willow, and Giles. We need the new Slayer as well. Or Faith, whichever will be easiest to get."

"OK. What do you want?" asked Xander suddenly.

"What?" asked Dawn, confused.

"Whiskey? Tequila? Or some slightly less lethal stuff?"

"Uh. I'll stick to the soda I think Xand. Don't wanna get you in trouble."

Xander looked thoughtful. "Alright, Dawn."

*

A few hours later, Dawn was still completely sober, having avoided the alcohol offered, while Xander was more than slightly merry. When Dawn complained, Xander realised just how close to getting drunk he was and spent the next few minutes purging his body with a meditative technique Yoda taught him.

"Your no fun, Dawn." Xander complained when he had finished.

Dawn's smile was nearly evil. "One of us has to act like an adult here Xand." She said sweetly.

Xander grimaced. "You know acting my age was never one of my strong points."

Dawn grinned at the opening. "Too true."

Xander just smiled himself as he realised the opportunity for attack he had left. He felt glad Dawn left it at that. "So, how do we get Giles and Will back to good old' Sunnydale? Giles wont come back in a hurry. Willow will want to stay with Tara and away from the place that nearly killed both of them. And Faith? She's still in a coma."

"We could always get the new Slayer."

"How do we do that? Dress me up as some big bad demon and piss the Council off enough to get them to send her? No thank you."

Dawn looked speculative. "Maybe not dress you up. Maybe just, I don't know, send some reports through the right channels? Willy actually works for the Council. That's why he stays alive, even though almost every demon he's ever sold out wants him dead. And that's a lot of demons."

"That is a distinct possibility. Not a bad idea. But lets worry about getting Giles and Willow here first. If we get them back, then we can worry about finding the Slayer."

"OK. Xand?"

"Yeah, Dawn?"

"Why haven't you told me about what happened yet? What happened when you disappeared? I want to know."

Xander sighed. "If Will and Giles come, I'll tell you all then. If not, I'll tell you after we know that they aren't. But Dawn, I'm not proud of some of the things I did while away. I had a year to live, and make mistakes. I learnt a lot, and found a power I never knew I had, but for the life of me, it would be easier if I hadn't…" Xander trailed off, thinking of the problems he caused.

Dawn looked at his sad expression, and got up to hug him. "Come on, Xander. Lets go phone Will and Giles."

*

End of Sunnydale Jedi: Chapter 2.

REQUEST: Could someone tell me how old Dawn is when Buffy dies? I have no idea, and I don't know how to find out without asking someone. Thanks in advance if you respond, either by e-mail or review.

Review!