Rota by Part One "Damn lousy job." Xander muttered as he threw his keys at the table. "Hey, watch it pet." Spike yelled as the keys missed their destination and hit his booted feet on the floor. "Shut it Fangless." Xander growled. Spike, who was used to growling whined a little from his position tied to the chair, he didn't do sympathy when he was hungry and right now Xander was in the kind of mood that he would let the Vampire starve. Xander obviously sensing Spike's distress loosened his bindings and gave him a bag of blood, Spike ripped at the bag as if it were a human throat and thought nothing of allowing his game face to come through. Xander sighed and sank into the arm chair and flicked on the TV, he ought to be used to this, he and the Vampire had been living together since Giles needed his life back, it appeared that Xander did not have a life to speak of so he had been lumbered with the blonde. Not that Xander would admit it but he usually didn't mind the company, but tonight the last thing that he needed was Spike's caustic wit. Xander was just beginning to doze off, his mind on the last time that he had been with Anya when the doorbell rang. Xander made his way to answer it a stake in one hand and a dollar bill in the other, it would get rid of the two greatest evils anyway, vampires and girl scouts. Opening the door Xander readied himself for a confrontation that never came, he was about to close the door when he noticed the embossed white envelope that lay on the door mat (a plain one after the effect of a "Welcome" mat had almost caused him to lose his life to Vampires.) It was a plain white heavy-duty paper envelope with no distinguishing features apart from the scripted gothic handwriting that read; "Master Alexander Harris". Living on the Hellmouth had given Xander a sense of curiosity that made him open the envelope carefully but quickly, as he shut the door his eyes widened in surprise. "What is it Xan?" Spike asked with uncharacteristic concern. Wordlessly Xander handed Spike the letter and Spike read it aloud: "Dear Mr Harris. Please find enclosed a gift of welcome and acceptance from we at the Alliance. Over the last decade we have watched your progress into the young man that you have become today and feel that now is the time for us to make ourselves known in your life. We wish to invite you to join our ranks. In accepting this offer you will be provided with all that is needed for you to fulfil your destiny." There was no signature on the letter and the enclosed gift held no further clues. "What is it?" Xander said holding up the pendant of a pentagram surrounded by an uroboros, the alchemists' symbol of a snake biting it's own tail. "Bloody hell." Spike said finally, apparently not having heard Xander's question. "It looks like you've been chosen." "By who?" "The Alliance mate, don't tell me you haven't heard of them. The Watchers and Slayers have been fawning over them for centuries, they control almost everything but nobody knows who they are." "Why do they want me? I'm just Xander Harris." Xander said. "Maybe they made a mistake, I'm a demon magnet after all." "I think that we need to call the Watcher, maybe he knows something, in the mean time keep hold of this, it'll watch over you." Spike said slipping the pendant over Xander's head. The Talisman of Rota, the wheel would keep him safe, after all with the right power it made its human wearer immortal.
"Xander? Spike? did we have a meeting that I forgot about?" Giles asked as he saw his least favourite scoobies at his door. Angel had sensed them as they approached, if this was the trouble that Cordelia had foreseen he would not be surprised if his once favourite childe was somehow involved. "G-man, What's brood boy doing here?" Xander asked as he entered and took a seat as far away from the souled vampire as possible. Giles noticed the talisman around the boy's neck and answered distractedly. "Some apocalyptic evil....Xander where did you get a rota medallion from?" Spike turned an amused look on the watcher then to his Sire. "Why, you jealous mate? it appears that little Xander has been invited to join the ranks of the Alliance, the cream of the crop no less." "Oh my!" Giles exclaimed, the shock evident in his voice. "We would have noticed his power." Angel answered. "Should have more like, but you were too wrapped up in your little Slutty to see the things that Angelus knew. Surely the fact that every demon under the sun and those allergic to it wanted him and surviving possession that would have driven most people insane three times would give you a ticket for the clue bus." "Well, I think that you came to the right place, we really ought to do some research" Giles said, moving back into the realms of the places that he felt safe. "Actually, that is a little unnecessary." Wesley said appearing from out of the kitchen carrying a tray with tea and blood, the perfect tea party for the mixed society. "You see, Xander is special, the alliance knew that he would come here, that Angel would be drawn to help even though he dislikes the boy, but anything that Xander wants to know he only need ask." "What?" Giles asked. "I'm a Allied tutor." Wesley said simply. "A Watcherof Alliance hopefuls if you will,"he emphasised the term watcher with a snort "I was sent to watch Xander and another that was in the area." "Wills?" Xander asked. "because she deserves this, I don't, I mean what can I offer you but a whole bunch of tips on how to screw up, which I'm thinking a guy like you doesn't really need help with." Angel's inner demon growled at the humour used to disguise the self-hatred. Spike, who was less controlled, audibly growled. "No, Willow is too wrapped up in her other studies, the Wiccans need her, a leader perhaps one day. No, the alliance believe that it is not the fastest or brightest that hold the key but the outcasts, after all true strength is not in agility or speed but in experience. Demons can't hurt you when those that you ought most be able to trust have done it so irrevocably." Wes replied, Xander flinched at the mention of his parents, no one but Spike and Anya knew about their betrayal and hurt. "So, why is Peaches here?" Spike asked, angered that his Sire was not keeping up the bargain that they had to be at least one town away. "For the same reason that you are. I'm not perfect, Xander needs physical strength as well as mental." Wesley answered, "Also I doubt that the slayer will take this well, a warrior stronger than she is will no doubt threaten her ego." "A chance to put one over on Bitchy?" Spike asked, "Where do I sign?" "what if I don't want to be chosen." Xander said finally, still unsure of what his life would be like as a fighter for this Alliance. "You get to keep the talisman and I'd advise that you wear it, You'll continue to be a target for demons as you get stronger with age but you would a normal human." Wesley answered, Giles was about to protest but then saw the glare that Angel gave him. There was something that made the souled Vampire think of the boy as one of his Childer. Spike was sending his own looks to Xander, pouts and puppy eyes that he had learnt from Dru, Xander sighed, if there was one thing that was sexier than Angel getting all protective it was Spike's pouty lips, god how he'd love to kiss them. "Okay, but I swear the first sign of homework and I am out of here."
"I can't do this!" Xander cried as he threw the book across the library in frustration. Since beginning his training as a novice of the Alliance a month before Xander, Wesley, Spike and Angel had been living in the Mansion on Crawford Street, so that only one building would need the protection spell that surrounded them. In cultivating Xander's strength they would be increasing his pull to demon's. Both Angel and Spike had appointed themselves protectors to the boy and were themselves learning a little more about the Alliance. "Xander, you mastered invocation and incantation faster than some of the strongest warlocks that I have trained with, alchemy is no different but you need to find your centre." Wesley chided lightly. "I'm never going to get this, I don't know why you even bother trying to teach me." "Descartes said…" "Cognito ergo sum….I know.." Xander retorted then blushed a little as he saw that Wes had intentionally paused expecting him to finish the sentence, Xander had to admit that he did seem to know a little more now that he spent his time between a well educated watcher and two people who had lived history. God, if only High school had been this interesting maybe he would be in college now. Wesley's words raced through his mind. "Each has his own strength." "Now, Let's try this again. Silver, Pewter, Iron," Wesley said indicating to the metals… "No, Xander stopped him, that's a compound, not pure metal." Then smiled as he realised that he was getting a little better at it. "Okay, that's enough for today, now go do whatever it is that you boys do at night." Xander carefully avoided the rooms where the Vampires slept, usually the three of them would go out or stay in and talk about the things that Xander had learnt that day, but tonight he had something special to do. It was the one month anniversary of him coming here to stay and he wanted to do something special for the Vampires to thank them for their help. It had all started earlier that week when they had been jumped by a gang of youths and Spike had not been able to defend himself, Angel had gone in to a deep funk the same night not being able to even look at the girls that Xander was eyeing up. Both of the Vampires had their curses in life and yet they both gave up the little freedom that they had left to be with Xander. They were outcasts from their own kind and although they had begun to rebuild their own relationship, their afflictions made it difficult for them to fit in anywhere. Xander's gifts would be simple, an anchored soul for Angel and a dampening of the chip's effects for Spike. The simple incantations that Xander had written had taken less than ten minutes to complete and it saddened the boy to see that no one had done it before. All of the preparations were in place, and the spells were ready, all Xander had to do tonight was the recitation.
Bind this soul to the bringer of hope ~~~
This mix of demon and machine ~~~ As the final words rolled from his tongue Xander felt the energy flow from his body, the only thing that he had underestimated was the power of the spell to drain his own energy supplies. Xander wondered in his last moments why the spell seemed to have taken too much energy from him, but this was lost as he lost consciousness. Spike and Angel awoke at the same moment as if evening had arrived, they had felt the surge of energy move through the mansion, going to investigate they found the prostrate Xander in the library, surrounded by burning candles, the spell book he had been reading from burning. The talisman of Rota lay on the table, not able to protect the boy from the spells power. Part Two Xander woke to find two very worried vampires pacing the library while Wesley knelt over him checking that he was still alive. It looked almost light outside and breifly Xander wondered how long he had been asleep. "He's awake." Wesley said needlessly as Xander stood up. Spike ran to him growling and pushed Xander up against the wall. "What the hell were you doing?" Spike said shaking the boy none to gently. Angel looked at the pair with a slight confused look and then raised an eyebrow to Wes. "It worked." Xander said in awe. Spike put the boy down and looked at him questionably, in reply Xander tilted his neck to the Vampire. "Drink." Xander ordered. Spike stared at him, "trust me." Xander added. Spike looked helplessly to his Sire who nodded encouragingly, Spike shrugged a little and began to move towards Xander's exposed flesh. As he vamped out and his fangs pierced the skin four gasps echoed around the library, pulling away after only a mere taste Xander saw the unshed tears that shined in the Vampire's eyes. "You…you…" Spike muttered speechlessly. It was suddenly clear that Xander had given him back his ability to drink. "Don't get too excited Junior, you might be able to drink but you can't kill anything human, think of it as a safety device, at least this way I know that you won't kill me." Xander looked at Angel who was smiling for his childe but there was a pain in his eyes as if he felt alone. "Do you feel any different?" He asked, Angel's brow furrowed as if he were deep in thought then a feeling of enlightenment came over him, the guilt and pain that was usually there in the back of his mind had eased a little and he felt the need to smile. Spike saw the laughter return to his Sire's eyes, something he had not seen since Angelus' reign of Europe. "What…?" Angel asked. "Simple, I absolved you of your sins and made your soul permanent, I guess you could say that the two of you are restored to a little over half your original selves." There was a nervous laugh in Xander's voice but it was covered by a new air of self confidence that was new to him, the spells had not only helped Spike and Angel but also given Xander a belief that he could succeed. "Well, I think that despite the fact that you broke all of the rules of the Alliance, this calls for a celebration." Wesley said. "After all, it's not everyday that you cast life altering spells. At least I am hoping that this was a one off." The two vampires agreed but it was decided that they ought to leave the celebration until after they could go out in the sun, Wesley gave Xander the day off to recuperate and then left him alone in the library, only when he was alone did Xander allow his hand to trail up to the now fading marks on his neck. His hardening erection the only other evidence of the bite. Xander took himself off to bed, falling into sweet dreams about his vampires. Wesley stood in front of the fireplace and smiled at the papers that he held in his hand, it was only a matter of time before the prophecies of the triad would come true.
"I don't feel any different." Spike grumbled to Angel as the two retired to their separate bedrooms, Angel ran a hand down Spike's chest, ending with his hand at his Childe's crotch. "No, you feel the same as you did a hundred years ago." He said playfully, Spike vamped out at the obvious show of dominance and the sign that Angelus was back. "Angelus." Spike spat at the Poof who had for so long not been his Sire. "Oh, relax Childe, you heard Xander my soul is permanent, I was just playing with you." Angel said, Spike returning to his human form, rose an eyebrow to the statement and then it dawned on Angel what he had said, "I was playing with you." He repeated this time with wonder. "Well, I guess that he was right about absolving my sins too." "Does that mean…" "I'm not a broody vampire? I guess so." Angel finished with a shrug. "So, You want to reminisce over old times?" "We going out to commit mass murder, maybe take over the world?" "I was thinking more of a shag, less guilt, less bloodshed, it's better all around." Angel said with a shrug. Spike smiled and pushed Angel towards the bedroom. "Fine, but I get to be on top." Next Index
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