Xander stood in the lapseless room pacing the floors he's trained, he's read, he's watched the show again and still hasn't got a clue about what the hell that light was that saved Cordy. Don't get him wrong he's glad he did, it's just... just… he'd like something to focus on besides the fact that he kissed Cordy. Petty my middle name is Lavelle.

Xander groaned as he laid down on the floor. He's starting to lose his mind in this place. If only he had some petty spending cash he could… the road trip funds. He can go out get some new clothes so the guys don't question him. All in all only lose about a half hour.

Xander grabbed the Zyusouken he'd like to spend his time maturely but he can't stay in here for weeks on end.

Xander teleported back into the lapseless room and looked down at his right wrist looking at his watch. '34:29:27' Might be a waste of a half hour but he enjoyed the time on earth nachos just aren't as good here. Problem was he thinks the clothes he brought were to catch the eye of a certain cheerleader. "Can I go one measly hour without thinking of Cordelia?"

Xander groaned as the water in the lapseless room showed the cheerleader talking with her friends. Well Sunnydale High had career day, that's nice… everyone gets to play what's my line except him. However, he doesn't understand how Cordelia got motivational speaker, but maybe it's her influence on the weak minded and the like.

He looks as Harmony talks and sees the almost sad face on Cordelia. Has she always had that face? He looked up behind her and saw something that caught his eyes. A man in a blue hood with a compound bow, what the hell is this? For the moment Xander just watched the man in the hood, if he attacks anyone he's a whistle away.

Two hours later and the cheerleaders finally started breaking off from each other. Xander watched as the man in the blue hood seemed to depart from the group but only followed one girl, Cordy. Damn it, well if he had his dragon buckler he'd probably be saying back to earth.

Xander materialized at the fire ladder. With a quick climb up he silently approached the man in the blue hood and saw a ring on his finger.

Blue looked at Cordy wearing a domino mask between that and the hood; most of his face was covered. He took a fighting stance and quickly turned around tagging Xander in the face with a roundhouse kick. "Stay Down!"

Xander got to his feet and saw Blue take a jump off the roof and land on a passing 18 wheeler. Xander looked at him and this guy can't be that good. How the hell did he know a truck would be there to break his fall? He runs to the edge of the roof and hops off onto the truck.

Blue rolled his eyes turning to the thud from when Xander landed. "You're very annoying." He saw an alley and took the opportunity to jump down.

Xander landed right behind him. "And you sound like Soundwave from transformers."

Blue innocently shrugged. "Voice changing technology."

Xander looked up and saw the bow now in his hands with three arrows in the bow. Oh crap he's good. Xander dived to the left as the arrows made a hole in the right. Xander pulled out his sword and the zyusouken. He really hopes this works. The sword but the Zyusouken not so much. He puts the blades together as a beam of energy shoots out of the sword heading straight for Blue.

Blue sees the attack but easily jumps over the beam. He rolled his eyes but quickly split in the other direction hopping the wall. Xander wasted no time and pocketed the Zyusouken chasing after him with the sword and hopping the wall.

Xander hopped the fence and landed with a thud seeing Blue speaking maybe Latin and holding some kind of artifact in his hand as fire surrounded him. "This can't be good." He pulled the Zyusouken out and threw it at the artifact knocking it out of the archer's hands.

Blue glared at him and quickly took out the long bow. "And now you're pissing me off." He fired an arrow and on instinct Xander swung his sword and deflected it. Blue loaded it up three more times to similar results.

Xander looked at him with a smile. "I can get used to this."

Blue ran up and tried to hit Xander with his bow as a melee weapon but Xander ducked under the first attack. And quickly swung his sword high and low but Blue easily blocked both attacks with his bow before kicking Xander in the back and knocking him back.

Xander turned around and saw Blue with another arrow aimed. "You do realize one of the definitions of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result right?"

Blue took his shot and Xander swung his sword ready to deflect it. When the two steels collided the arrow exploded knocking Xander off his feet and dizzying him so much the teenager was practically unconscious. "Yes I know that's why I made the arrow a low explosive nothing more then a firework. Sorry about the ears, you should be OK by the time you wake up... you're lucky she wants you alive." He grabs the dazed Xander and punched him in the face hard knocking him out.

Xander opened his eyes groggy. "Ow!" Xander held his head. "What the hell happened?" The realization of what happened sunk in. He passed out on earth! He quickly looks down at his wrist. '33:37:21' Well at least he didn't lose too much time. He almost wonders if Drusilla used that guy to flush him out. He looked next to him and saw the Zyusouken left next to him and the sword back in it's sheathe. Thank god this happened at noon instead of midnight. He can't imagine how bad this would have gone?

Xander sat in the lapseless room in the water all day until he healed up a bit and the bruises hurt less. One bright side to archer boy is getting blown up a bit took his mind off Cordy. But, now it's time for round two. "Show me the Blue guy, we have unfinished business." Xander waited but to his surprise the water showed nothing. Well that was disappointing. "Show me Buffy."

Xander watched as the water created a picture of Buffy laid down on a bed catching some sleep. He looked over the apartment and saw not a mirror in sight. Oh dear god she's at Angel's. "Turn it off, turn it off!" The water quickly changed back to normal. OK maybe a good night of sleep is in order.

Cordelia looked at Buffy's house the next day. Why is she doing this again? Oh yeah, kiss and bail is off the grid, and Giles can be unbelievably scary when he needs to be. She looks around and sees no one here. But she doubts Giles will take that. She sees the window open and easily hops through. "Buffy, are you home?" She waits for a literal split second but hears nothing. "Whatever" She opens the door and to her surprise she's greeted by a geek in glasses. "Who are you?"

"Good day. I am Norman Pfister with Quintessence Skin Care and Cosmetics. I was wondering if I could interest you in some free samples?" The Salesman asked.

Cordy had a bit of a smile. Free cosmetics he said. "Come in"

Xander woke up wiping at his eyes. No pain, he feels a lot better then he did last night. He quickly gathers up clothes for today but it's not like he's going anywhere. Once he was dressed he looked down and sees Buffy in school talking to a mysterious girl. Well it's not like Buffy can't take care of herself. He focuses on Willow and sees her talking to some guy. What is she doing? That guy is too… short, he's a dwarf and nothing is more dangerous then an angry little dwarf.

Xander shook his head. Who's he kidding he's just trying to take his mind off Cordy. He watches as the cheerleader in question shows up talking to someone in Buffy's house is that a bible person at eight in the morning?

"I'll have you know that I'm a winter and a summer."

Xander looked at it before quietly knocking his head on the rock next to the water twice. Yeah, he kissed… her, and yet he's the one that takes crap at school… he misses taking crap. One free sample is the key to any Cordy has. He looks up and sees a bunch of mealworms in the guys arm. He looks into the glasses and sees the eyes of a monster… not good. He quickly grabs his sword and dagger.

Cordy looked at him. "Is this all you have?"

Norman looked at her disgusted. "Are there any other ladies in the house?"

Cordy shook her head absent mindedly going through his supplies. "You sure you don't have anything…" She tilts her head up a bit seeing the worms in his sleeve. "So, you were just leaving now and…" She watches more and more bugs come out from sleeves and his ears. "And I'm going to scream…" She screamed as loud as she could as the front door was kicked open by Xander.

Xander turned to him and saw the display definitely not human he ran up to Norman sword in hand and promptly cut the bug man's head off.

Norman's head fell to the floor and exploded into a heap of insects his body following suite. Xander looked and shook his head. "Basement"

Cordy ran in Xander right behind her as he closed the door and grabbed his sword stabbing the bugs that crawled through the cracks. Xander sheathed the sword and grabbed a roll of duct tape. "Cover me"

Cordy nodded and went for the sword causing Xander to instantly pull back.

"With the broom Cordelia." Xander added as he taped the crack under the door shut. Cordelia swinging the broom at any bug she sees.

With the door taped up Xander hopes this won't take too long for Buffy to pull the big save, he's become quite the swordsman but swords don't mean squat against ravenous, hungry bugs, he needs a flamethrower.

Buffy walked into the library with her brand new little sister slayer in hand. Only in her life can there be another slayer. She looked at Ethan and glared at him. "Where's Giles?"

"Haven't the foggiest idea." Ethan answered. "So anyone else try to kill you then?"

Buffy looked over to her new friend. "No one, except her, she claims she's the slayer."

"Oh, so that rumor I heard was true." Ethan replied none of them have a look of evil in her eye.

"What rumor?" Buffy asked concerned. "And keep in mind as soon as you reach a flight of steps I own you."

Ethan looked. "Yes, well that was just in bad taste. But I heard you died last year a case of sleep with the fishes."

Kendra looked at her in a smile. "So ya did die."

"Only for a minute" Buffy whined. "I drowned the guy that broke Ethan's leg brought me back."

Ethan shrugged. "While all true the sad truth is rather a second or for eternity dead is dead."

Buffy frowned she should be happy she has help but she doesn't get along with Kendra, probably has to do with seeing her is proof that she actually died last year. "So where is Giles anyway Wheels?"

Giles came through the door as if on cue with Willow right behind him. His face showing distinct concern as he saw Buffy, the order of Taraka are after her. Spike isn't exactly throwing kiddy punches here. "Have anymore assassins shown themselves since yesterday?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, none that I can tell."

Willow came into the room and smiled seeing the new girl. "Oh, who's this?"

"This is Kendra, she's a slayer that likes to kill people then ask questions. She attacks people for no reason." Buffy introduced the Jamaican woman.

Kendra looked at the other. "I had good reason, I tought you were a vampire, I saw you kissing one."

Willow just let out a loud tut. "Buffy would never do that." She looks at Buffy's glare and remembers her undead American boyfriend. "Except, when she does that."

Buffy turned to Kendra. "Angel is different."

Kendra looked at her in disbelief, sympathy to vampires no wonder she died. "He seemed the same to me when I…"

Buffy glared at her. "When you what?"

Before long Kendra divulged how she saw Buffy kissing Angel. How she followed Angel to the bar knowing for sure what he was. How she saved an 'innocent' man from the vampire. Buffy didn't say a word and just led the other slayer out hoping she's not too late.

Xander leaned back against the wall not believing this crap luck, what the hell is he doing? "How long have we been down here?"

Cordy looked down at her watch. "Hours, I don't take it you have a plan to get out of here?"

Xander walked up to the window and only saw a swarm of mealworms hit it. "Nope, there's gotta be another way out of here."

Cordy looked at him. They've been down here for hours. "Don't you think we would have found it by now?"

Xander rolled his eyes. "Doesn't mean I'm not going to stop looking. I can take him when he's chubby glasses guy I just need something for the worms… where's a bottle of raid when you need it?"

Cordy shrugged. "Great I'm stuck here while you're looking for bug spray. Why don't you use your glowy thing on him?"

"Because I don't know how it works." Xander admitted.

Cordy looked at him in disbelief. "Well that's just great… I'm stuck here with a loser!"

Xander looked at her half temped to mouth off but chose tranquil fury. "Wasn't that long ago you hand no problem kissing this loser."

"Temporary insanity!" Cordy shouted.

"Insanity!" Xander shouted. "Insanity is saving you; insanity is spending time down here with you. Insanity is having thirty eight hours left and spending five of them so far with you!"

"Loser!"

"Tramp!"

"I hate you!"

"I hate you!"

The two looked at each other before quickly grabbing each other and attacking each other's mouths in a mad passionate kiss. They stayed like that for a while until Cordy realized something Xander said and pushed him off. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, what do you mean you only have thirty eight hours left?"

Xander frowned leave it to Cordy to get him so riled up. "Just drop it."

"No" Cordy decided.

"Just let it go." Xander pleaded somberly.

"No, thirty eight hour until what?"

"Cordy"

"Until what?"

"Until I die alright!" Xander shouted. "Thirty eight hours until I die!" Xander looked down at his watch 29:27:12. "Well, less then thirty now."

Cordy looked at him. "How stupid do I look?"

"You really want me to answer that?" Xander asked causing her glare to return.

Cordelia caught her breath. "How can you know when you're going to die?"

"It's a curse from Halloween, I got all the fighting talent but I also only have X amount of time to live." Xander explained.

Cordy looked at him. "Do Buffy and Willow know?"

Xander shook his head. "No, and I don't want them to."

Cordy looked at him almost in disbelief. "Wow, you really mastered the art of giving up haven't you? What about Giles?"

Xander smiled gee wish he'd thought of that. "I know if I told them they'd keep looking non stop just like I've been but there is no way out of this that I can find. I looked high and low all month and all I could find was a dark magic ritual that sacrifices six vampires to bring back an already dusted vampire. It can't... be... stopped."

"Well if you don't do something you're gonna be dead this time tomorrow night." Cordy pointed out suddenly feeling terrified. She likes Xander they're bantering; no one is as good at it as he is. She can't lose him in a day.

Xander sat down. "There's a room I can go to. It's not pretty but it lets me see all my friends and it freezes the clock while I'm in it. When I'm not training, watching TV, or checking in on my friends I'm researching one page at a time desperately looking for a cure. There's no way out that I can see and I don't want Buffy and Willow crying their eyes out until the clock runs out. I just want to fade away if that's the case out of sight, out of mind, the Sunnydale standard. Please, I will get down on my knees and beg you if I have to. Just don't tell them."

Cordelia weakly nodded. "Fine I swear…"

"Both hands up." Xander insisted.

Cordelia glared but put her hands up. "I swear I will not tell Buffy, Willow, Giles, or Ms. Calendar even."

Xander nodded sadly. "Thank you"

"You're welcome, now we gotta get out of here because I'm not spending another minute down here with you like this." Cordelia insisted. "If he's in human form you chop his head off and we run."

"Bug form?" Xander asked.

"We just keep running." Cordy told him as she got to the door.

Xander looked at her as he took out his sword. "Are you ready?"

Cordy nodded and Xander opened the door. Xander walked with Cordy slowly to the front door. Cordy looked around and something came to her. "I don't think he's here anymore."

At that the swarm of mealworms fell on Cordy who shrieked as the two ran out the front door.

"Get them off me!" Cordy shouted.

Xander went for the hose and turned it on hosing Cordy down blasting the bugs off of her. Cordy turned around letting him spray her back as she turns around to get her front.

"OK, OK, let's get out of here."

Xander tuned her out and kept the hose running.

"OK, let's go!" Cordy shouted running to her car.

Xander watched the mealworms swarm out Buffy's front door. "You go, I'm gonna try to kill this guy."

Cordy nodded and drove off. Xander pulled out his sword and the Zyusouken. Please let this work. Xander played a different song on the Zyusouken as it glowed in a bright green light. He put the two blades together and pointed at the mealworms causing a green beam of energy to impact on the mealworms causing a small explosion taking out a chunk of them.

The mealworms quickly reformed into a one armed Norman as he tried to crawl away. Xander walked over and stabbed the bug man where his heart should be with his sword and Norman instantly stopped.

Xander looked at the body and he guesses that's it. he looks around and no one is here. He plays the Zyusouken and with any luck he won't be needed again any time soon.

Norman got up once Xander disappeared. He loves this fleshy package he can make.

Buffy sat down after a Buffy style career day. Most students learn about their future, she gets shot at by a cop; sometimes it really sucks to be her. She watches the door open as Cordy storms in wearing a gym outfit. Kendra was instantly alert ready to attack. Buffy got between them. "Down girl"

Cordy looked between the two what happened out there. "Was career day sponsored by the NRA or something?"

"We had a, a rather violent visit from the Order of Taraka… why are you in gym clothes?" Giles asked.

Cordy glared at him and pointed. "Don't even start with me English man I just ran into king freak of the order of Taraka because you sent me to Buffy's house. Alone!"

Giles looked at her shocked given they hunted her down here he guesses he should have expected a home attack. "Good lord, are you alright?"

Cordy nodded. "Yeah, Xander got me into the basement and then out of the house. I'm fine"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah thanks Xander, because he couldn't actually come here and help. So Cordy what's this…?"

Cordy wasted no time and punched her in the face knocking her down. "You have no idea!"

"Cordy"

Cordy snapped back into reality and listened to Buffy. "I wasn't listening what did you say?"

Buffy looked at her the assassin must have really spooked her... or she's just being herself. "I said what does this guy look like?"

Cordy wiped at her hair until a mealworm fell out to her revulsion. "To answer your question that and I'm taking another shower."

Xander sat in the lapseless room watching the scoobies plan out tonight. Drusilla has Angel but Xander hasn't said a word to god since he was a little kid so a church is a church to him. He sees Buffy and the new girl question a sleazy bartender and before long Buffy runs headfirst into Angel, because this isn't a trap. Guess he's going to be spending more time on earth. Isn't that special? He'll go two blocks from the church so Buffy can't hear the song that brings him to earth.

Cordy came into the library everyone was gearing up. She looked at Ethan. She said she wouldn't tell Giles but maybe Ethan could be useful. She walked up to him but Kendra came in briefly after not giving her a chance to talk to Ethan. "Buffy is suicidal, she's walking right into a trap to save Angelus."

Giles nodded as everyone geared up the British man grabbing a crossbow as he glared at Ethan.

Ethan looked at him. See there's the eyes of the Ripper. "Relax Ripper, I'll hold down the fort."

Willy barges through the door and strides into the nave with the vampires and assassin escorting Buffy close behind. "Its payday, pal. I got your Slayer."

Spike strode up the aisle angrily to meet him. "Are you tripping?! You bring her here?! Now?!"

"You said you wanted her." Willy complained.

Buffy sees Angel and Drusilla tied together at the altar as Spike fumed. "In the ground, pinhead! I wanted her dead."

Willy shook his head. "Now, that's not what I heard. Word was there was a bounty on her dead or alive."

"You heard wrong, Willy." Spike replied.

Buffy looked over and quietly whispered. "Angel."

Spike looked at her and smiled moving close to her. "Yeah. It bugs me, too, seeing him like that. Another five minutes, though, and Angel will be dead, so... I forebear. Don't feel too bad for Angel, though, he's got something you don't have."

"What's that?" Buffy asked ready to shove an entire church pew through Spike's heart.

Spike smirked he's going to enjoy this even if it's not by his hand. "Five minutes. Patrice!"

Patrice took aim ready to fire until something collided with her skull leaving her on the ground woozy. Buffy looked down and saw the censer from the altar. Spike turned around and saw Xander approaching Drusilla stake in hand as the vampire ran for the altar jumping over the steps and landing next to Xander. Buffy was taken back by the door breaking open and Kendra doing a series of back flips landing next to Buffy taking out two vampires with a pair of kicks as the original slayer frees herself.

Xander looked at Spike and well he got his attention… what was the next step again. Xander tried a boot that the vampire simply caught him and threw him backwards as Xander landed back first on the floor. Spike rushed him but Xander put his hands behind and slightly above his head as his back arched back on instinct and his legs went up about halfway. To his own surprise he used his arms to launch himself into the air in a kip up and dropkicked Spike in the chest knocking the vampire down and him in the almost same position as before as he quickly kipped up to his feet using his hands as a springboard. "How the hell did I do that?"

Spike got up and smirked apparently this one learned a thing or two. "Let's see how good you really are, whelp." He went to his game face and pulled himself up as Xander went to his side and back pulling out his sword and the Zyusouken respectively.

Buffy knocked down another vampire and saw Kendra handling Patrice as the others came in when Giles shot a vampire in the back. She saw Xander with Spike, teh vampire easily dodging his swings and ran up to the altar. "No, this one's mine!"

Xander smiled and hopped down and joined the battle royal quickly running his sword through a vampire's back before pulling it out and taking his head off.

Spike looked at Buffy with a smile. "Rather be fighting you anyway."

"Mutual" Buffy replied.

Giles watched a little bit taken back seeing Xander fighting a swarm of vampires with merely a sword and a dagger. His main strategy seems to be stabbing them with the dagger and cut their heads off with the sword.

Kendra easily knocked Patrice through a bench in a fit of rage for carving up her shirt. She grabs a stake and quickly joins the fray with Xander, Willow, and Giles.

Xander looked at the last vamp in his way Willow watched as he tried to bring his knife down but the vampire caught it centimeters from him. Instead of moving it down Xander pushed forward having the Zyusouken make contact on the vampire's skin and he slid it down to the disgusting sight of blood and other fluids… he missed sparks but quickly fixes the problem by decapitating the last vampire with his sword.

Buffy blocks Spike's thrust, and then kicks him in the face and again in the gut. He doubles over and falls to the floor. Spike got to his feet and threw a punch. Buffy blocked the punch from Spike, and another, but then he punches her in the stomach and face. She blocks his next swing and holds his arm while she punches him twice in the face. She grabs his coat and pulls him around and throws him over several pews and into the wall. Behind another pew Willy gets up. Spike growls as he stands back up and sees Willy trying to sneak out of the church. He rushes over and grabs him by the back of the neck.

"Where are you going?"

Buffy seizes the opportunity to run to the altar and pull the dagger out of Angel and Drusilla's hands.

Willy looked at Spike nervously. "Now, there's a way in which this isn't my fault!"

"They tricked you." Spike finished.

Willy nodded. "Mm-hm! They were duplicitous!"

Spike glared at him. "Well, then I'll only kill you just this once." He goes for the bite.

Drusilla looked at him weakly. "Spike!"

Spike stops before biting Willy and looks over at her. He sees Buffy trying to untie them. He lets go of Willy and rushes over to the altar. Spike grabs Buffy and shoved her to the floor. He backhand punches her as she gets back up, knocking her down again. Willy wastes no time running out of the church. Spike grabbed a torch of the wall and threw it at the tapestry starting that will eventually burn down the church

Spike ran up and freed Drusilla from Angel as he picked her up and carried her down the isle.

Xander put his weapons away and looked at Spike; no way is he getting away again. He knows whatever is up there is going to help him with this one. He ran across the pew meeting Spike in the isle way. He slid down trying to sweep Spike's leg with his own to trip him but Spike jumped at the very last moment. Xander put his foot up at the last second and clipped one of Spike's feet tripping him up and making him land awkwardly on the way down and struggling to keep Drusilla in his arms as he slams into the church organ side first and wobbled to the floor making sure he landed back first protecting Dru.

Spike looked at Xander anger clear in his eyes. Whoever this is just signed his own death certificate. "You're going to pay for that whelp."

Before Spike could even move Drusilla off of him both men looked up and saw the organ wobbling. Xander watched as the organ crumbled under its own weight and crushed them.

"Well, that was easy." Buffy quipped she struggled against Spike for months now and all Xander did was one little kick and she uses kick lightly.

Xander looked around the room and realizes they're short one. "Where's Cordelia?"

Xander got the answer hearing grunts and screams as he ran out. He expected to see a lot of things. Cordy being bitten, Cordy in trouble, Cordy being covered in mealworms. What he got was Cordy jumping up and down on a paper full of mealworms. Cordelia Chase just took down an assassin. Day just keeps getting weirder.

Cordy looked at him confused. "What? Is there something wrong with my hair?"

Xander shook his head. "No, just didn't think you had it in you."

Cordy looked at him. "Well bug man pissed me off and got bugs all over me had to shower three times lost all my conditioner. Did you tell them?"

Xander looked at her. "No, and I'm not going to."

Cordy rolled her eyes she doesn't even know why she cares. This time last month it was the great moron vs. hooker debate. Those were simpler times. "Just promise me you're not sitting back waiting to die. I need a good sparring partner." He's the only one that shoots back instead of staring at her tits or just blindly obeying like a dog. Willow will fire back but her comebacks are like secret atomic bombs. She and Harmony almost failed computer class that year thanks to the deliver button.

"I'm not sitting back waiting to die." Xander assured her. There's still so much he wants to see and do. "A couple days ago I was reading about this thing with statues. I might go back to it. Could be useful."

This was the moment Buffy came out with Kendra and Angel. "What are you idiots doing? This whole place is burning down we got to get out of here."

Xander and Cordy let the subject drop for now. And both hurry out behind Giles and Willow.

Xander looked at everyone they all seemed to be fine. "Everyone ok?"

Everyone nodded their head, Angel might have but Xander didn't really care to look at the moment.

Giles looked at Xander. "What are you doing here?"

Xander pointed at the original slayer. "I saw Buffy enter a church while patrolling, it raised every red flag I had."

Giles glared at the boy he's being reckless, but he's young, maybe he has to make his own mistakes just like he has. "You should have got the rest of us."

"Gun at Buffy's head, I just reacted." Xander replied. "Gees Giles you need to relax, eat a twinkie or something."

Giles looked at him. "Xander I refuse to eat those culinary abominations."

"Yeah well that's because you're old and British. Try one." Xander countered.

Buffy looked at Angel. "Are you going to be OK?"

Angel weakly nodded. Two hundred years, twenty of them living in trash and rat blood but he's never felt weaker then he does right now. "I've been better but I'll live which is more then I can say for Spike and Drusilla."

Buffy looked to Kendra. "Do you mind helping me get him back to his place?"

Kendra shook her head no. The dark power has been dealt with, so now she can just help a friend.

Cordy looked to Giles. "He has research to do."

Giles looked at her not exactly surprised that the cheerleader would order him around. But he has plans tonight. "I'm fairly certain Spike and Drusilla are dead Cordelia."

"Yes, and last time the big bad was dead I got hung up and almost bled out like a piece of cattle. I'm not doing that again." Cordelia replied. "Resurrection rituals... just in case."

Giles took off his glasses. "Yes, I believe I umm have some research to do."

Xander smiled at seeing Giles put in place by Cordelia and a fairly nice use of loophole abuse to get Giles to look into resurrection rituals.. "I'll take Cordy and Willow home."

Xander sat in the back of Cordy's car with Willow in front and Cordelia driving. He looked at the rearview mirror and saw Willow look away from it. "Will, I can literally feel you staring at me, what is it?"

Willow looked at him. "I just miss you is all. I miss my best friend."

Xander looked down as the car stopped. "Willow I missed you too."

Willow looked at him. "Can you at least tell me what you're doing?"

Xander looked at her. "I'm learning sword skills and magic."

"Can you show me some?" Willow asked.

Xander shook his head. "Right now it just comes and goes. That's why I'm learning to control it."

Willow looked at him. "Well learn quick OK. I'm missing my best friend." She got out of the car ready to go back.

Xander nodded. "Willow, I'll… I might not always be around. But you'll always be my best friend, you know that right."

Willow nodded knowing how he felt about her… unfortunately. She hugged him and quietly whispered. "I know, goodnight."

"Goodnight" Xander replied walking Willow to her house. And Back to Cordy's car.

Cordy looked at him. "You don't have to waste your time you know."

Xander looked at her as he hopped in the passenger side. "I know I want to make sure you get home safe that's all."

Cordy turned the corner seeing her house coming up. "There's something I have to know?"

"Go for it." Xander said he already dropped the dying bomb on her albeit accidentally.

Cordy looked at him and studied his face. "Aren't you scared with the clock constantly running against you every second on earth?"

"Terrified" Xander let out in a weak little whisper. "I'm scared of this more then any vampire. It was one stupid little thing I did and it's probably going to kill me from it."

"You can't think like that dweeb." Cordelia replied.

Xander frowned. "Well it's kind of hard not to. This killed the last guy."

"Well we're not in his world. You're in ours. You can't give up already." Cordy said with a stern look on her face.

Xander shook his head. "I'm not going to stop looking just a bit worried… we're here."

Cordy looked at him as they got out of her car. She doesn't know, if its denial, stupidity, or the noblest thing she's ever seen. Keeping his friends in the dark so they don't go through what he's going through, and using the little time he has left to help them. Cordy looked at him a moment before pulling him into a deep passionate kiss. Xander pulled her closer as the two lose each other in a trail of kisses that only stop when both come up breathless.

Xander looked at her almost panting. "Wow, what was that for?"

Cordy looked at him with a smile. "Wanted to say thank you for staying with me today. Now go figure out how to not die."

"Yes Ma'am." Xander replied. Cordelia watched him leave and put two and two together the flute was from Xander. Well when the master died they got three months of peace. Hopefully the same will be true with Spike.

The next night at that church the debris that was once the church started to shake. Something was digging its way out as an arm punched through the debris. Another arm broke free as Spike merged from the debris game face on. He easily ripped through the debris and pulled Drusilla out. The vampires had metaphorical color on her cheeks but her back was broken. He doesn't know who the swordsman was but he's going to find him and cut his throat right over Drusilla's mouth.

Spike looked at his angel in the night and saw a chunk of wood lodged in her head. "Isn't right Dru. You should be fixed now, not broken again." He pulled the slab of wood out of her skull. "I swear to you luv the slayer's little swordsman is going to pay for this."

Author's Notes

Thanks for the reviews

I couldn't find a place to end this. Eventually I covered the whole two parter.

Up Next: Really Bad Food.