TITLE: In Death, Life Goes on

DISCLAIMER: Joss owns Buffy, James Cameron owns Dark Angel, Davis Panzer/Gregory Widen owns Highlander, other crossover to come.

PAIRING: Xander/Cordelia

RATING: R.

SPOILERS: Dark Angel is set at the end of season 2. Buffy is set in season 2 during the "Killed by Death" episode. Highlander is set after the Series, but before "Endgame".

Summary: A continuation of Innocence Lost. Xander and Cordy have settled into their lives as transgenics. Now, the flu season has hit full blast. And what is up with Giles?

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is based on Challenge 1405: Not so broken world submitted by Ladeia and Challenge 400: Immortal Revelation by Teri both posted at Twisting the Hellmouth.

Prologue

…Welcome to Cemetery Drive…

A pair of black, leather gloves hooked around the back of the vampire's neck. The head was pulled down to smash painfully into the raised knee of Cordelia Chase.

Another vampire, not far away was backhanded twice by the black clad Xander Harris. He followed this move up with an uppercut to the jaw. This took the vampire off its feet to sail ten feet away and land on the ground in a painful heap.

Spinning, the May Queen plunged a stake into the demon's heart as, in the same instant, Xander plunged his own stake into the heart of the vampire he was tangling with.

"That makes five," the young woman said as she dusted ashes off of her clothes in an almost prim manner.

"Okay," Xander spread his hands wide, "so we're even."

"You know," the young woman said as she moved to his side, "Half the school is out with the flu, luckily we don't get sick otherwise we'd be in bed too."

"Hell," Xander said as he ran a hand through his hair, "that's one thing Manticore was good for, other than no longer needing to study so hard for my grades."

Cordelia shared a smile with him as Xander stepped closer.

"Why didn't we ever hook up back then?" he asked her as his arms stole around her waste.

She looked up at him as one of her hands went up to caress his barcode as the other held onto one of his arms, "I couldn't get past you looking like Ben, I saw my brother every time I looked at you."

"I definitely don't look like brother Benny now," he said thickly as he leaned down a bit more.

"You sure don't…" she was cut off as they shared a deep kiss.

The shrill tones of Xander's cell phone had the pair pulling apart reluctantly.

"What?" the young man snapped with more force than usual.

The transgenic listened intently to the person on the other end and his eyes widened as he looked down at Cordy.

"Buffy's in the hospital," Xander said as his eyes held deep concern for his friend.