Cander (Cordy/Xander)

Selfless (revised)

Summary: Post S7E5 "Selfless." Starts right after Anya turned human again, but as the title says, it's revised. Cordelia Chase is in town and she helps Anya when Anya gets hurt. In the meantime, Cordy gets hurt, but Xander and Anya work together to help her.

Xander followed Anya outside of the Fraternity house.

"Anya, wait."

"Xander, please. Just go away."

"Whatever's between us—it doesn't matter. You shouldn't be alone in this."

"Yes, I should. My whole life, I've just clung to whatever came along."

"Well, speaking as a clingee—I kinda didn't mind."

"Thanks. For everything."

Xander nodded, realizes this was her rejecting his offer to help.

"Xander—what if I'm really a nobody?"

"Don't be a dope."

"I'm a dope?"

"Sometimes."

"That's a start."

Xander walked away, leaving a teary-eyed Anya to deal alone.

Xander was several feet away when there came pain in her stomach, as someone from behind stabbed her in the stomach.

She looked down to see a knife.

"You should've stayed a Vengeance Demon," the Lister Demon said. "Now I can deal with you."

She gasped in pain.

"Keffron," she managed to say.

Her head rested on his shoulder, as she started to sag to the ground.

Suddenly, she saw Cordelia Chase in view with a loaded crossbow raised.

"Okay, Lister Demon. You can beat me up, you can torture me, and you can kill me. But nobody goes near my friends or hurts them."

Xander heard a noise of a crossbow and what Cordy had said.

He turned around to see the scene. That's when he ran towards them.

She cocked the crossbow.

"Let her go filthy, slimy, no good, rotten moron."

When he arrived, she let an arrow fly and land, sticking out of his shoulder.

The Lister Demon through Anya and growled in pain.

"That hurts, huh?"

She lowered her crossbow and handed her ex an Axe.

"Decapitate him if you can. I'll help Anya."

He nodded, taking the Axe from her.

She ran towards her, knelt by her, and set her crossbow down.

She then set down and opened her kit. She pulled the knife out.

Anya gasped and shook. The former Queen C applied pressure with gauze to her stomach.

Once her wound was taken care of, she gently pulled her into her arms.

"It's okay. You're going to be alright. You're going to live."

No sooner has she spoken, then the former Vengeance Demon started to shiver. The Drama Queen spoke soothingly.

"Relax, Anya. It's okay."

"Why'd you save me?" Anya asked, started to feel better.

"I consider you both an ally and an innocent. No matter what you've done in the past. The past is the past and it doesn't matter. You deserve to live. You don't deserve to die. Plus, I had a vision. You feeling better?"

"Yeah. I am."

"Good."

She helped Anya to her feet.

"You rest by that tree. I'll help Xander kill that demon."

Despite all his efforts, he still hadn't been able to chop his head off. He got a few Axe marks, but that was about it.

Just then, the demon pulled the arrow out of his shoulder and through it behind himself. It landed in the Seer's shoulder from behind and through her collarbone on the right side.

"Cor!" he yelled.

Anya opened her eyes from resting, hearing Xander's yelling.

As soon as she saw the arrow in the Seer, she rushed over to help her.

The Seer staggered back, pain surging through her shoulder and collarbone. Her vision blurred, just as Anya reached her and grabbed her right arm. She started to lose her balance and strength. Her head went back. It lolled, eyes closed. She started to fall and Anya used what strength she had to keep her up.

"Cordelia. Cordelia," she said, as she did her best to hold her up.

Xander pushed the demon to the ground. It looked up at him before the Zeppo decapitated him. He dropped the Axe and ran as fast as he could towards them.

The Zeppo came up behind his first ex and put her arm around his shoulders. He wrapped his free arm around her waist, her head supported by his elbow underneath.

"You got her?" Anya asked.

"Yeah. I've got her," he answered.

She let go.

He picked her up and carried her, Anya following.

"Where are we going to take her?" Anya asked.

"Buffy's."

She picked up the kit.

Twenty minutes later, Anya opened the door for him. He quickly entered and layed her gently on the couch on her side. Anya shut the door and walked up to him.

He looked at his second ex.

"What do we do, An?"

"The only thing we can do."

"Which is?"

"Pull it out, apply pressure to her wounds, and then clean and patch them. I brought her kit."

He stood by watching her work, making sure to remember what she was doing for future reference. He didn't know much about first-aid. Anya and Cordy did , though. After all, his Secret Eyes had saved An's life. An was doing the same for Cor.

Thirty minutes later, Anya sat in a recliner drinking a cup of hot chocolate, while Xander was knelt in front of the couch with his hands in Cordy's.

Ten minutes later, she finally and slowly came to. When she saw him, he stroked her hair and she smiled.

"How do you feel?" He asked.

"Like myself. Thanks, guys."

"You're welcome," he said.

She slowly got to her feet and he helped her.

"You're welcome," Anya said with a smiled.

They smiled at each other.