Not my universe. It belongs to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. So do most of the characters.

Late night phone calls are never good news.

"Xander?"

"The one and only."

"It's Dawn. Someone got hurt tonight."

"Who?" I'm wide awake now. Nothing like hearing that one of the people you care about more than life itself could be hurt.

"One of the new Slayers. Mary Sue."

First there was a rush of relief that it wasn't Buffy or Faith or one of the slayers I'd brought to the new Council of Watchers. Then the backwash of guilt. Even if I didn't know this girl, she was still fighting the good fight and putting her life on the line for all of us. "I don't know her."

"You're lucky. She's kind of a pain, actually. Acts like she's God's gift to Slayerdom. Maybe this'll teach her a little humility."

"So why did you call me, Dawnie?"

"Kennedy's with her. She's taken Mary Sue's injuries a little hard. We need someone to pick her up and take her home. Kennedy, that is. Not Mary Sue. She's going to be staying where she is for a while."

I'd heard about Will and Kennedy's breakup, of course. It had been bad—not in the "Glowy Eyed Dark Willow" sense, but bad enough. I won't lie and say it didn't hurt to know that Will herself never talked to me about it, but I'd made peace long ago with the fact that I was no longer the person Willow came to for comfort and support.

It's amazing what you can live through…

"So why me?"

Dawn pauses. It's never a good thing when someone has to take that long to reply to a simple question. Either they're going to lie to you, or they're going to tell you something that you really don't want to hear. Either way, it's not of the good. "Willow's out of town with her new girlfriend. Giles is in research mode in England. Faith and Robin are on a mission. And me … well, I've never really gotten along well with Kennedy."

"So what you're saying is that it comes down to either me or Andrew?"

"Yeah. Someone needs to get her out of there before she does something stupid."

"So this Mary Sue … what is she to Kennedy?" If she's Kennedy's girlfriend, there's not a lot that I'm going to be able to do. You don't take a Slayer away from a loved one; not if you want to keep all your limbs intact.

"She's one of her students. I don't think there's anything else going on between them, but Kennedy looks after her own. I'll say that for her."

I swing my feet onto the cold floor. "No promises, Dawnie, but I'll see what I can do. Where can I find her?"

"Thanks, Xander. You're a treasure." Dawn gives me the hospital's address and I jot it down.

"That's what all the ladies say, Dawnster."

"Bye, Xan."

"Bye, Dawnie. Sweet dreams."

It's late and it's cold and I'm missing California. I'm not really looking forward to this, but sleep's going to have to wait until I see if I can calm a woman down who can break me like a bad habit.

Oh yeah. It's good to be me.