Unfinished and Neverending

Author: Michael Wilson <wyrdradio[at]yahoo.com>

My website: http://www.angelfire.com/hero/wyrdradio/

My Yahoo! Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Collected_Works_Of_Wyrdradio

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Joss, Mutant Enemy, and a lot of other people own the characters from Buffy. The Crow is owned by James O'Barr and Miramax Films. The song "Burn" is by The Cure. I get nothing by writing this except maybe some kind words of encouragement and a few cheers... at least I hope.

Spoilers: The Gift... then beginning of Season 6

Summary: Xander dies and is brought back as a Crow... but can he return to what he once was.

Author's Notes: This story is a Buffy/The Crow crossover. " " as always means talking... while * * means thoughts. # # is the voice of the crow

Feedback: Yes please!!!!!

Distribution: If you like it... please feel free to place it on your site... but please tell me first.


Xander ran up the stairs to the top of the tower. He got there just in time to see Spike fall over the side... and the Doc begin to cut into Dawn.

"Hey! Back away from her, Doc!"

Doc turned around and glared at Xander.

"You fool... do you really think you can stop me. The blood must flow..."

Without looking, Doc sliced across Dawn's stomach, causing her to cry out in pain. Xander growled and ran forward... sword in hand... and sliced Doc in half... one half falling to the left while the other fell to the right... and grabbed on.

Xander rushed over to Dawn and began untieing her.

"Hold on, Dawnie.. everything is going to be..."

Just then, Doc crawled back up far enough to grab onto Xander's ankle.

"If I go... you're going with me!"

Xander looked down as Doc let go and fell off the tower... taking Xander with him. As Xander vanished off the side, Dawn screamed in terror.

"XANDER!!"

As Xander fell, he looked up and saw Buffy arriving at the top. He could see her talking to Dawn and then saw her looking around in shock. Xander then noticed the swirling lights lighting up the sky.

*It's opening...*

Then everything stopped with a thud as he hit a walkway and stopped... still high above the ground... the impact breaking a few ribs and doing much internal damage.

"Buffy...."

Xander could feel the tower shaking as he watched Buffy finish untying Dawn and then move her to the stairs.

"... I love you..."

Just then, the tower jerked roughly and Xander was knocked free. He began falling toward the ground again... with his eyes locked on Buffy. He knew he was going to die.. killed by Glory... and he wanted to have Buffy be the last thing he saw. What he saw next shook him to the core. As he watched... Buffy ran to the edge and jumped into the light.

"... no... Buffy...."

Xander watched in terror as Buffy's body was engulfed in the light, being attacked from all sides... being killed... then suddenly he hit the ground and there was nothing but darkness.

*****

"Oh God.. NO!!!!"

Willow ran to where Xander fell and pulled his head into her lap.

"NO!!!!!!!!!!!"

Xander's eyes were open and dead... and just feet away, Buffy matched him perfectly.

"Please... no...."

Giles moved over to Buffy's still form and fell to his knees next to her... just as Tara moved over to Willow... who was crying over the broken body of her best friend.

"This isn't happening... they can't be dead...."

*****

Light filled Xander's eyes and he found himself on a bridge over a ravine. He looked around in confusion and then looked down over the edge.

"Whoa.."

The air shimmered and there was this ripple-effect going on about 30 feet down from the middle of the bridge.

"Xander..."

Xander looked up and saw someone standing in the mist covering the other side of the bridge.

"Who.. who's there?"

A figure stepped out of the mist and Xander smiled.

"Buffy..."

Buffy nodded and walked a few steps onto the bridge.

"Xander... you.. why did you do that?"

Xander shrugged and just smiled at her.

"Cause I love you... always have.. always will."

Buffy nodded, a tear in her eye, and smiled.

"I.. I can see that now... because.. because of this place..."

Xander looked around.

"What is this place?"

Buffy smiled.

"A waiting room... to see if you choose to stay.. or go..."

It was then that a wave of sadness filled Xander as he realized that he wasn't going to be with Buffy. The sadness was so powerful that he curled up into a ball on the bridge.

"It.. it hurts..."

Xander looked up... and Buffy was gone.

"Buffy... Buffy.... BUFFY!!!!!!!"

A crow flew past his head and Xander looked up at it. It was staring at him and cawing loudly. Xander climbed to his feet and looked down over the edge... watching the swirling shape below.

"I don't ... I can't go on without her..."

A tear fell from his eye and hit the ripple... causing it to vibrate and glow golden. Xander climbed up onto the edge and dived over... falling head first into the effect... only to disappear.

*****

One Year Later...

Willow placed the urn on the grave and began laying out everything else she needed. On her right was Tara and on her left was Dawn and her boyfriend David.

"Now.. we just form a circle and then I can begin..."

David cleared his throat and raised a hand. Willow nodded.

"Yes David?"

David bit his lower lip. He had been a Scooby for close to 3 months.. but he still felt like an outsider.

"Shouldn't we.. like.. dig up her coffin first? I mean.. if this works.. won't she have to like claw her way to the surface?"

Willow's eyes widened in shock and she nodded.

"I.. I didn't think of that. Thank you.. thank you very much, David."

David blushed and smiled as Dawn kissed his cheek.

"You're so smart.."

They then spent the next few hours digging up the coffin.. then prepared once again. Willow began casting the spell and then they stepped back. A light filled the coffin and the coffin began to shake. Once it stopped moving, David's face lit up with some emotion unreadable by everyone else and he ran over and opened the lid. There.. lay Buffy Summers... alive and well.

"Whoa... what happened... how long was I asleep?"

Buffy sat up and stared at David.

"Who the hell are you?"

David smiled and shook his head... backing out of the way as Willow, Dawn, and Tara all rushed to hug Buffy.

"Whoa.. hold on.. what's going on? Last thing I remember I was on the tower.. then I jumped.. and... oh god.."

Buffy climbed over the edge of the coffin and puked onto the grass. Once done, she looked up at them... and the coffin.. and turned pale.

"I.. I died... and.. Xander.. oh god Xander!"

Dawn nodded and pointed to the left. Just one grave over was the grave of Alexander Lavelle Harris. Buffy crawled over to it and began to cry. The girls came up behind her and bundled her up into their arms.

"He's gone.. oh god.. he's gone..."

As she cried... her tears fell onto his grave like rain... and none of them noticed the crow sitting on a tree branch high above them.. watching.. waiting.

"Come on, Buffy... let's get you home."

Buffy nodded and slowly got to her feet.. then let Willow, Tara, and Dawn lead her home... with David following behind them. Once they were gone, the crow jumped down and landed on Xander's tombstone and began pecking at it... as if trying to wake up the dead...

*****

"There.. there.. now you just get some sleep and everything will be better in the morning."

Buffy looked up at Willow, her eyes red from crying, and shook her head.

"Will it, Willow.. will it really? Are you going to bring Xander back too?"

Willow paled and frowned.

"I.. I can't. He died from the fall... whereas you died from magic. I can't do anything..."

Buffy stared up into the eyes of her friend and saw the truth... and it killed her inside.

"Oh god.. how can I go on without him..."

Willow nodded and kissed Buffy on the forehead.

"I've been asking myself the same thing.. for a year. You live.. you go on.. cause you know he would have wanted you to."

Buffy sniffed and nodded.

"Yeah.. he would... I.. its just.. I love him, Willow."

Willow smiled.

"I love him too... and yes, I know how you mean it. I saw little glimmers when you looked at him... you were itching for some Xander- lovin.. weren't you."

Buffy blushed and laughed. It felt good to laugh.

"Yeah.. and its a good thing he's not here to hear this.. cause he would be doing his dance right now."

Willow joined Buffy in laughing and nodded.

"Yeah.. and you would have a very happy.. horny.. Xander in your hands."

They both stopped laughing as the image hit them both at the same time... then both of them began laughing so hard they almost fell off the bed.

It was a start... a whole new beginning...

*****

Three weeks passed and life pretty much returned to normal. Buffy did her slaying gig. Dawn did well in school. Willow and Tara got engaged. Everything was fine.. except for one thing... he wasn't there.

It was like there was a hole in them... in their lives... a Xander- shaped hole that nothing would fill... but they just kept on... living each day... knowing that he was somewhere safe...

*****

Later that night... a storm hit town. Rain poured from the sky as if angels were crying. Lightning crashed down and struck several tombstones in the cemetery where Xander was buried... but none hit his.

Then.. as if waiting for something.. the crow from before landed on Xander's tombstone and began cawing at the ground. Minutes passed and soon the ground began to shake. Slowly... the dirt moved and a hand exploded up out of the ground... followed seconds later by a full human body as it exploded out of its grave.

Xander hung in midair, momentarily, as he exploded out of his grave... his scream echoing in the night... then he fell to the ground, crying. He opened his eyes and cringed at the pain. All around him there was lightning crashing and it made it hard to see... especially if you had been dead for over a year.

Xander crawled over to his tombstone and came face to face with the crow. It cawed at him and suddenly Xander was looking at himself... seeing out the crow's eyes. He lurched away in fear.. then calmed at he felt the crow speaking to him in his mind.

It wasn't really words he heard, he just felt them in his head.

#Be calm.. I will explain... just be calm.. and follow me..#

The crow then took flight and headed off out of the cemetery... headed toward Angel's mansion. Xander followed, stumbling as he moved. He stumbled out of the cemetery and down the street... following the crow as it flew high above him.

It took minutes... but Xander arrived at the mansion. He ran inside and came face to face with someone. He cried out and hit the... glass? It was a mirror... and Xander was seeing himself.

*Me?*

He was covered in mud and leaves and looked like something that had died... He paused then.. remembering he had died.

Images flashed across his mind.....

/// Falling...

Seeing Buffy jump....

Watching her being killed in mid air....\\\

Xander screamed and smashed his fist into the mirror. It shattered and shards of glass cut open his fist. Xander looked down and gaped in shock as he watched his hand heal itself.

"What.. what am I?"

Xander backed away from the broken mirror and stumbled over a box. As he hit the ground, he looked inside the box and saw his things.

Willow had moved everything to Angel's mansion after Xander died. She was unable to have them with her, for they brought too much pain, but yet at the same time.. she couldn't throw them away... so she was storing everything in the mansion.

Xander stared at a picture of himself, Willow, and Buffy and picked it up. As his skin touched it, images flooded his mind as he remembered in perfect detail that day.

/// Sitting in the park...

Buffy smiling at him...

Willow sitting in his lap as Buffy moved over to lay her head on his leg as they posed for the picture... \\\

Xander dropped the picture and backed against a wall. It was too much... too much to remember. He cried out and fell to the ground... his face landing near a large shard of mirror.. and what he saw scared the crap out of him.

His face was white... clown makeup white.. and there were black lines coming from his eyes and around his mouth. He looked like a mime.. only deadly.

"What... what am I..."

He climbed to his feet and ran outside into the rain. Xander screamed into the night stared up at the sky.

"WHAT AM I!!!!!"

Thunder exploded and lightning crashed nearby, illuminating Xander, as he raced off into the night... running like the wind, with the crow hot on his tail. Xander ran... jumping over fences and benches.. moving faster and faster.. until he was almost flying... until he ended up outside Buffy's house.

*How... how could I get here to fast?*

The crow landed on a tree branch outside Buffy's window and stared at him.

#You are faster now...#

Xander looked all around in shock.

"Who's there? Who said that?"

#I'm up here... and you don't have to speak, I can hear your thoughts...#

Xander looked up at the crow and it nodded.

*What are you? Better yet.. what am I?*

The crow pecked at the wood for a second then stared back at Xander.

#You are a Crow... and I am your guide. There is a legend.. that when someone dies, a crow takes his soul to the land of the dead... but sometimes, just sometimes, the soul brings along with him a great sadness.. and therefore he cannot rest... and then sometimes... just sometimes.. he can come back to make things right. When they do... they become Crows. There have been a few of them in this century. The latest was a man named Eric Draven. He was last seen in Canada... somewhere.#

Xander swallowed in shock and walked over to the tree. With a small jump, he was up into the air and landed on the branch next to the crow. He crouched down... perched on the branch.. and looked at the crow.

*So I came back.... then.. why am I here? Buffy's dead.*

The crow cawed and looked at the window.

#Check again...#

Xander frowned and looked in the window... and gasped at what he saw. Buffy was in bed, asleep, and the moonlight was shining on her face. She looked like an angel. Xander looked at the crow and frowned.

*If I'm here to right a wrong.. then how can she be alive?*

The crow jumped onto Xander's knee and ruffled its feathers.

#The witch... she cast dark magics... brought her back. You were already called... couldn't stop the change.#

The crow looked Xander in the eyes.

#You're stuck here...#

Xander nodded slowly. He knew that his friends would think he was a vampire.. or demon or something. After all... he was dead. He'd just have to play from the shadows... watch them and keep them safe.

*I'm staying... and maybe I can help.*

The crow took flight and moved to the roof of the house.

#Good.. then follow me. Vampires are all over town tonight... and the Witch and her love still aren't back yet.#

Xander looked up.

*Willow!*

He leapt off the limb and ran down the street, his tattered clothing trailing behind him. ..

*****

Willow smiled at Tara and leaned into her embrace. They had seen a late movie and were walking back through one of the town's many cemetarys.

"Are you sure this is ok... I mean.. Buffy isn't here. She's asleep at home.."

Willow laughed.

"We're witches... we have crosses and stakes.. we'll kick any undead butt that comes near..."

Just then, they heard a laugh from behind them.

"Oh really... want to give us a try?"

The girls spun around and saw they were surrounded by seven vampires.

"Uh.. I was just joking..."

The vamps growled and attacked....

*****

Xander followed the crow, seeing through its eyes to the cemetery, where he saw Willow and Tara fighting what looked like seven vampires.

*Hold on.. I'm on my way...*

Xander ran harder and faster... and soon reached the edge of the cemetery. It was then he noticed the high rock wall. Without thinking, Xander leapt into the air... and over the 10 foot wall... landing smoothly on the other side. He could see the group at the other end of the cemetery.

*****

Willow shoved her cross into the face of one of the vamps as she tried to prepare a spell... but got distracted when she heard Tara scream. She spun around and saw her with a vamp trying to bite her neck.

"Tara!"

She moved to help her when suddenly... the vamp turned to dust and Tara fell forward to reveal... a strange man in tattered clothing and a white and black face. For a second.. Willow could have sworn he looked like Xander... but then the man was a blur.. moving amongst the vamps, killing them one by one so fast she couldn't almost see it.

Within minutes.. all the vamps were dead.

Xander looked around... amazed at what he had done.

*I.. pulled off their heads.. and smashed my fist through their chests... how?*

He heard movement behind him and cringed. He didn't want Willow to see him... not like this... so with a jump, he leapt over the wall again and disappeared into the night... leaving a stunned Willow and Tara behind.

"Was he a vampire?"

Willow shook her head.

"I don't know... but whatever he is... he saved our lives... come on.. lets get home before any more show up..."

The ran out of the cemetery... and didn't stop till they got home. Once there, they woke up Buffy and told her everything. They then decided to keep an eye out for the guy.

"He might be ok.. but he might also be dangerous. You all just be careful..."

Buffy moved to the window and looked out into the night... wondering what was going on...

*****

Xander ran back to the mansion and then went inside. He felt calmer now and decided to look through his things. Inside the box, he found a black t-shirt, some black combat boots, and a pair of black jeans. Xander put them aside and went into Angel's bathroom to clean himself up some.

He emerged about 10 minutes later and got dressed. He then moved to a second mirror...

*Man.. Deadboy had a lot of mirrors...*

... and saw his reflection. The white and black makeup was gone.

"What the hell?"

The crow flew in and landed on a chair nearby.

#The mask is there only when you need it, are in pain, or are angry. You have calmed.. so it receded into your skin.#

Xander touched his face and nodded.

"Beware all evil... The Crow is here..."

*****

Days passed and time and time again, Xander made appearances each time any of the girls was out alone at night. Four times he rescued Dawn, three times he rescued Willow and Tara... and he even saved Buffy once. He was a regular guardian angel, that is, until Dawn saw his face...

*****

"It's Xander. I'm telling you it's Xander!"

They were in the living room and had just returned from patrolling... and had seen the mysterious figure once again. They had gone out looking for him... hoping they could find him.. ever since the mysterious rumors about someone called The Crow had spread through the vampire community.

"It can't be Xander, Dawn. Xander is dead... he has been for over a year. I know you miss him.. we all do.... but thinking he is... that.. that guy.. is just crazy."

Buffy listened to her own words and hoped in her heart that it really was Xander.

*I don't care if he's human, vampire, demon or what. I just want him back... I miss him so much...*

She turned away from everyone and wiped her eyes.

"I'm.. I'm going to go to bed guys. See you in the morning."

She walked upstairs to her room and got changed for bed....

*****

Xander sat on the tree limb and watched Buffy in bed, asleep. He had been watching over her ever since he got back... and this had become a ritual for him. He couldn't go back to the mansion until he was sure she was asleep. He even sometimes came back to make sure she was ok.. and would watch her sleep...

"Don't look don't look" the shadows breathe
Whispering me away from you
"Don't wake at night to watch her sleep
You know that you will always lose
This trembling
Adored
Tousled bird mad girl..."
But every night I burn
Every night I call your name
Every night I burn
Every night I fall again

Xander couldn't really sleep himself. He had nightmares... flashbacks really.. of the night he died. He would fall.. and scream Buffy's name... over and over...

*Every night...*

He looked in the window and smiled. Buffy was alive... and it made him smile inside.

*She's alive... and I love her so much...*

"Oh don't talk of love" the shadows purr
Murmuring me away from you
"Don't talk of worlds that never were
The end is all that's ever true
There's nothing you can ever say
Nothing you can ever do..."
Still every night I burn
Every night I scream your name
Every night I burn
Every night the dream's the same
Every night I burn
Waiting for my only friend
Every night I burn
Waiting for the world to end

Xander watched her sleeping... knowing he was torturing himself.

*She could never love me... not like this...*

He dreamed of her loving him... but in his dream, she would always say no... and so he just sat there.. waiting... and until the day she knew the truth... he would be waiting, dreaming, in his painted face.

*Sleep well... my love... I'll be here to watch you...*

Xander climbed up onto the roof and jumped off, heading back home.. to bed... knowing he had a purpose... a destiny.. and he had finally accepted it.

"Just paint your face" the shadows smile
Slipping me away from you
"Oh it doesn't matter how you hide
Find you if we're wanting to
So slide back down and close your eyes
Sleep a while
You must be tired..."
But every night I burn
Every night I call your name
Every night I burn
Every night I fall again
Every night I burn
Scream the animal scream
Every night I burn
Dream the crow black dream
Dream the crow black dream.......

The End