Title: Between Life and Death
Rating: R or M…depends on what system you want to go by.
Chapter: 4
Author: White Werewolf
Category: Xander/Georgia Spoilers: Post "Chosen" in BTVS, post "Haunted" in DLM
Summery: During a mission from Giles, Xander has an unfortunate accident. But just how unfortunate is the question.
Disclaimer: Buffy: the Vampire Slayer is owned by Fox, UPN, Whedon, and ME. Dead Like Me used to be own by Showtime, now Sci-Fi airs it, so I really don't know who owns it anymore. Not me though. If I did, I'd put it back on the air in a heartbeat.
Author Notes:I know I promised a return of one of my older fics, but when I saw Dead Like Me on Sci-Fi I got intrigued. Bought the dvds, and was hooked. Now, I just want Sci-Fi to start airing new episodes if ratings are high enough.
With DLM, it's very used to having the main character speak in her point of view. So, if I want to focus on her as a main character, I thought this be a POV piece. Think A Hairy Situation, but with two characters, not one.
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Well, everything at this moment came crashing down. Not only am I apparently dead, but apparently I'm going to meet this girl's boss.

"So, if you're…"

The blond answered, "I'm actually a grim reaper."

I nodded. So, I guess the hooded cloak and scythe is a fabled clothing scheme. Makes sense, considering that white lighters don't look actual angels and witches don't have the triangular hat or skin covered with warts.

A stereotype is what I'm looking for.

"If you're a reaper," I face the man walking toward us, "Does that mean he's the angel of death?"

She shook her head, "Nope. Just another reaper. Never met Death myself."

"George!"

He started to slow down as he reached us.

"What are you doing here, Rube?"

He looked at her and then at me. The man sighed, "I assuming this is A. L. Harris."

I rolled my eyes, "Please, if we're going to be talking like this, call me Xander. I prefer that name."

She nodded, "Yeah, this is him. I reaped him like the post-it said."

"Wait. Post-it! My name is on a post-it? Is that all I ever amounted to on the great book of life, a simple post-it." I could feel myself getting a little irritated.

George looked at me, "Take it easy, Xander. Believe me, I understand." She glared at Rube. "I understand what it's like to find your name on a post-it. But what I want to know is why are you here?"

He actually chuckled a little, "Well, I actually just had an interesting meeting with Death."

George's eyes widened, "You talked to Death?"

Rube shook his head, "Actually, no. More like a post-it was left on my door." He turned to Xander, "As it turns out, our Mr. Harris here wasn't supposed to die."

I nodded slowly, "So I'm going back?"

George took a step toward him, "Death made a mistake? I thought death doesn't make mistakes."

He shrugged, "That was before the Powers that Be got involved."

The mention of them only caused my eyes to roll, "What do they want now? Lemme guess, I'm actually part of a prophecy?"

Rube looked at me, "Apparently. Seems his death isn't due for a while."

George turned to him, "Prophecy? What, death is so afraid to make a mistake, that they need some outer source to cover its ass?"

Her boss added, "I don't make the rules, Peanut."

"Yeah, you're just follow the rules guy." George said a little annoyed.

I could see that Rube wasn't too thrilled by that comment, so I decided interrupt, "As much as I like to find out who's the blame here, what exactly is going to happen to me? And what pray tell do the powers that be have planned for me?"

Rube looked at me, "They didn't say. All I know is that you're going back."

I glanced back at the door, "Will that demon still be there?"

Rube asked, "Demon?"

George replied, "I think he means graveling."

Xander nodded, "Yeah, that small annoying Houdini demon. He kept appearing and disappearing."

She added, "I thought people couldn't see them. Except for Ronnie, but we went over that."

Rube looked like he was in thought for a moment.

I shrugged, "Seeing demons are nothing new to me. Try living on a Hellmouth all your life."

"Hellmouth?" George asked.

---

Hellmouth?

What the fuck did I get myself into with this guy?

I turn to Rube to see if he has any words of great wisdom on any of this. And for this moment, nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

What was with this guy? Vampires? Demons?

It was as if nothing phased guy. Maybe that's why he could see gravelings? The problem is I don't really know. I want to get an answer, and my usual answer guy isn't answering me.

Even so, I want to know what he's talking about. It would make things run a whole lot smoother. And God knows that is something I definitely would be in favor with.

"Forgive me for being close-minded, but what's the Hellmouth?"

Xander smirked, "Just about the dimensional window between our Earth and every demonic dimension throughout the universe."

I look at him blankly, "Huh?"

"Think of it this way, Peanut."

He lives! Finally.

It's about fucking time.

"There's more to this world then what we already know."

And the most vague answer to any question award goes to Rube.

Xander summarized, "Let's just say that everything your mom ever told you as a kid to try and scare you is actually true. Vampires, werewolves, witches, ghosts, demons, mummies, and just about anything else."

He chuckled.

"Well, except leprechauns."

He thought for a moment.

"On second thought, they actually do exist. But, I believe they prefer the term vertically challenged."

I just stared at him in disbelief. Ghosts, sure I believe it. I'm talking to one. Grim reapers, I am one. So, maybe…

Maybe…everything he said can exist.

Dammit.

My unlife can't get any more complicated, can it?

Rube brought up, "As much fun as it is that we are talking about these matters, I suggest we take this conversation inside."

Xander nodded and went for the doorknob. His hand went right through it.

"You're a ghost, remember." I reminded him.

He chuckled softly, "Right. Only temporarily though." Xander then saw his hand go through the door as he started to walk through the threshold. "This is definitely weird."

After Xander went through the door, Rube opened it to allow us both to come inside. When we got in, Xander was already kneeling down by his body.

He chuckled, "I guess this is what you call an out of body experience."

I knelt beside him, "Looking at a dead body is never easy."

Xander then looked at me, "Try slaying vampires for eight years."

He then turned to my boss, "How do I get back to my body?"

Rube said, "Just go back to it. The wound on the back of your head will heal right up."

Xander said, "Fair enough. Wonder if Buffy ever met a reaper that time" He then got to his feet and walked over to the body. "Here goes nothing."

---

Bright light hit my eyes the instant I found myself back in my body. Instinctively my hand went to cover my eyes. Taking a breath, I started to open my eyes.

The remnants of my blurriness started to clear up as the shades of bright colors started to melt away and form the sharp images.

After I removed my hand, I looked up and saw George standing in the same position as just few moments before.

One thing was different though…

I was starting up at George, and not Millie. For some reason, I dunno, I didn't see her undead self.

"How do you feel?" She asked.

I pulled myself into a sitting position and grazed my hand down the back of my head. The wound was in fact was healing.

"Well, my wound is healing." I said repeating my previous thought.

I got to my feet. "Oh and it seems I don't see you as Millie anymore."

She looked at me strangely, "You don't?"

I shook my head, "Nope. It's George-vision. 24 hours a day, nothing but George." With a smile, "And I'll tell you this. I am definitely seeing the more superior reaper."

George smiled back at me. Turning back to her boss, she asked, "Why can he see me as me? It isn't Halloween."

I suggested, "Maybe because I saw the real you, and seeing the supernatural is nothing new to me."

Rube added, "That could be very well the answer, George. People seeing us as our real selves is something that we might have to look into."

George asked, "Who you going to ask? You never see Death when he gives you our assignments."

I had to sigh. "That's just my luck. I'm always the butt monkey."

Rube looked at his watch, "Well, I got to go meet up with Roxy. Why don't you explain things to one another. If Death wants Xander alive, then he should know what we're dealing with. Meet me back at Der Waffle House at 7:00."

He said his goodbye and walked out of the hotel room.

"So…" I drawl out as Xander went to the bed and sat down. "You really can see me as me."

He nodded, "Yeah, I can. When you were here before, I saw Millie, but after this whole incident, I see you as George."

"Figures the one guy who can see me is needed for some other reason."

I sighed. "Yeah, life can be a real pain." With a little remorse, I continued. "But, life does have its pleasures."

George looked at her feet, "Yeah, but I never really had any pleasures. I was 18 years old and then a toilet seat from the Mir Space Station hits me and I die. Then I find myself becoming a Grim Reaper. Never aging, no one on Earth can see me."

I said to her, "I can see you."

She smiled, "Yeah you can. Which is a perk I guess. But everyone around me is going to die. And I don't know when I'm going to stop reaping. Sometime I'll reach my quota then go somewhere, but right now, I'm bound to Earth as an outsider."

Just by the way she was talking, I could tell that she was dealt a bad hand. "Seems like you and my friend Buffy would get along."

"Buffy?" She asked bewildered.

I nodded, "Yep, Buffy. Buffy's a vampire slayer. She's been destined to fight vampires ever since she was 16. Always being dealt the bad hand. If it was for us, she'd die years ago. The life span of a vampire slayer isn't that long. They usually live to they're 18, 19, 20, or even some time before that. Buffy's been a slayer for 8 years. She died twice, and she's going strong still."

George looked at me in disbelief. "She died twice?"

I confirmed, "Once when we were 16, she drowned after meeting the resident vampire master. I brought her back to life with CPR. Then she died again five years later when she sacrificed herself to save the world when a Hell goddess opened a portal back to her home world."

"Wow." The blond said in realization. "And I thought I had it bad."

I added, "One thing that made her live this long was the friends she had. Namely, me, Willow, and Giles. We were there for each other. We still are. I'm sure you got some friends looking out for you."

She smiled, "Yeah, I actually do. Besides Rube, there's Mason, Daisy, and Roxy. They've been reapers for many years. They're always looking out for me."

I grinned, "Well, that's good. Great even. And you can add me to that list. Assuming I don't die anytime soon. And judging by what Rube said, I don't think that will be for a while."

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TBC