Darkness. Silence. Then a humming noise. What was it? he wondered. Didn't sound like the generator at the job site. And if he was sleeping at the job site, he was in big trouble anyway. He heard voices, indistinct, then loud. Some jackass playing with the radio? Crying. Pleading. Someone explaining something so quietly he couldn't quite make it out. Then silence again.

The next time, he could see light, shining through his eyelids. He pried his eyes open with effort. He was so tired.

"He's awake!" he heard a woman scream. He knew her name. Anya. It was Anya. She was mad at him. He couldn't remember why. Or why she was crying now. He closed his eyes again and went back to the silence.

Voices came back clearer this time. Another woman's voice. Serious. Calming.

"You have to understand that your friend lost a great deal of blood. His lung collapsed and he was actually dead for some time. We were able to resuscitate him, but there may be brain damage from the lack of oxygen. He may never truly wake up. He's breathing on his own, but we'll have to insert a feeding tube if he's not awake in another 24 hours. The IV won't be enough."

"Hey, sick guy here," he croaked. Instantly his hand was enveloped in someone else's. Warm, he thought. Big. Not a girl's hand. "Giles?"

"Xander, thank God you're awake," he heard the deep British voice say. "I'm going to call Buffy."

Xander forced his eyes open again, squinting against the light. "Wait. Buffy loves me," he said. For some reason it was vitally important that Giles knew this. Giles leaned over him and he saw the Watcher smile fondly at him.

"No one has any idea why, Xander, but we all know," the older man squeezed his hand.

"And I love her," Xander insisted, as if Giles had not spoken.

"Yes, son, I know," the Watcher said. He chuckled. "I'm going to get her now."

Giles released his hand and disappeared. Son? Had the Watcher called him "Son"? Xander couldn't shake his head, it was too heavy. But he wanted to.

"Xander?" he heard a tentative voice say. It was Buffy. She took his hand.

"You were expecting someone else?" he managed.

She laughed and leaned over him, her face blocking the light. "If you ever, ever, ever jump in front of a bullet again, I'll….do something unpleasant," she said.

"Something unpleasant?" he asked, looking up into her tired eyes.

"Very unpleasant," she laughed.

"He was going to hurt you and Dawn."

"Well, now he's dead. And you were dead too, for a while."

"One more time and I'll catch up to you," Xander said, offering a tired smile. Buffy shook her head, her long hair brushing his face.

"Your friend needs to sleep now," said the voice that had been talking to Giles earlier.

"All right, Doctor." Gently, she leaned over and kissed Xander lightly on the mouth.

Xander clutched at her hand. "Wait, Anya, is she…?"

Buffy smiled. "You being dead defused any vengency thoughts she had. She is announcing loudly to everyone she meets that you deserve all the happiness in the world and if that's with me, she'll live with that. Then she went back to the store and counted all the money. Twice."

"What about everyone with Spike…? I thought Dawn would be…"

"She was and she is, but she also appreciates that you saved my life twice in one day. It's hard to argue with that. And Willow and Tara came very quickly around to being thrilled for us. And I love you."

"I love you too, Xander said. His eyes got too heavy to hold open, so he let them close.

"Miss, you really need to let Mr. Harris rest."

Mr. Harris. Xander snorted internally. It would take to much energy to snort aloud.

He felt Buffy's lips near his ear, her hair blanketing his face. "I owe you my life, and Dawn's life."

"You'll have to find some way to repay me," Xander joked sleepily.

"Oh, don't worry, Xander," she said into his ear. "I will."

Xander smiled to himself at the promise in her voice and drifted back to sleep, holding Buffy's hand.

FIN