Part 12
‘Well, we’ve managed to knock him out of brood mode. Although at least when
he’s all soulful and sorrowful he looks like he has a brain, I’m going to go
out on a limb here and say that since Deadboy looks like he just got hit in
the back of the head with blunt object, deep thought has been disengaged.’
Spike still pinned Xander to the couch, but twisted at his waist to face
Angel, snarling and growling. ‘Great, out of the two of us let’s make the
one who has been reduced to the use of three words, fuck me now, do the
talking.’ Xander squirmed under Spike, not sure if he was trying to convey,
let me up I’ll get rid of him or, ignore the hulking vampire and shag now.
“Xander?” ‘Oh good Angel’s regained the power of speech, wonder if I have?’
“Yeah?” ‘English, yes, good! Now what do I have to say to get him to leave?’
Spike, Mr. I can assume any sexual position and still say things to make
your brain explode, was oddly quiet except for the continuing low growl,
which Xander felt more than heard.
“Xander, what are you doing?” Angel looked baffled.
“Grouting the bathroom.” ‘Score! I think I just instigated a total mind
meltdown, he looks even more puzzled. And in a startling display of sympathy
for the big guy, I feel guilty for getting some when he’s got the whole
curse thing going. Not much, but maybe I should let him off the hook.’
“I, ah,” struggle, squirm, ‘at least let go of my hands, you smarmy
bastard,’ “I’ve been fixing up the place, before Dawn sells it.” ‘Yes! Right
hand free. I can now take over the world.’ Xander used his new freedom to
stroke Spike’s shoulder, arm and chest trying to sooth him out of over
protective the guard dog mode. While this didn’t succeed in turning Spike’s
suspicious yellow gaze off Angel, it did free Xander’s other hand.
“Xander, he’s a vampire,” Since Xander had a lapful of about one hundred and
fifty pounds of growling, yellow eyed, ridge faced and fang filled vampire,
he considered suggesting Angel apply for a job with the watchers.
Xander looked at Angel, looked at Spike, looked back at Angel and said, “No,
Really?”
“Xander?” Willow’s voice came from the foyer, and she peeked around Angel’s
large frame. “There you are.” She slipped past Angel, who was still rooted
in the entrance, followed by Tara. Willow sat beside Xander, with Tara
sitting on her right. “What busy work did you pretend absolutely needed to
be done tonight?” She showed she was teasing but poking his ribs and
giggling.
“Hey, not busy work, I re-grouted the master bath.” Xander smile and thought
it was lucky nothing had come out of Willow and his first, stumbling,
startled recognition of ‘wow look male and female’ and that they had never
tested out their interlocking parts. Because nobody could drive all thought
of sex from his mind and body like the tiny redhead could when she looked at
him with the concerned face.
Which she was giving him now as she said, “You know Xan, eventually we’ll
get to a point where we have to bite the bullet and call a broker.” Then she
turned the concern look on the room and the house in general. Tara reached
over and clasps Willow’s hand entwining their fingers in one of her
trademark quiet shows of support. Willow sighed and then looked at Angel.
“Stop looming and take a seat, I want to here what Xander thinks about the
Thing.”
Well the couch was out, because while not overly crowded with the three of
them sitting there, after all Spike was sitting on Xander, it didn’t really
have room for a fourth. But the closest chair to the couch was next to Spike
and that obviously wasn’t going to happen. So Angel sat on the far side of
the room looking as if he wanted to be anywhere else, including a short
vacation back to hell. “So what do you think?” Willow asked putting away the
concerned look and bouncing slightly.
“What do I think?” ‘I think I probably should have asked Spike how it went
out at the bluff before jumping him. Well, never let it be said my academic
career was a complete waste, nobody has had more experience pretending they
know what is going on than me.’ “About the Thing?” ‘Now if I can just figure
out what the Thing is.’
“Yes, tell Red what you think about the Thing Pet.” Spike’s voice oozed with
encouragement and he morphed from the yellow-eyed protector into the blue
eyed tormentor. ‘Oooh, Smug Spike, keep it up and no nookie for you wait
that would mean nookie for me. That would be bad.’
“So, you think this Thing will work?” Xander ventured vaguely. ‘I could just
tell her I have no idea what we’re talking about, it wouldn’t be the first
time.’ After briefly considering the rest of their audience, Xander decided
to wait it out; nothing was likely to come bursting through the wall, now
that Glory was dead.
“Yeah, it could be helpful, unless this is a trick,” and the concerned look
was back and Willow bit her lip.
“No,” Tara said. “It was a good idea, I think the sprites really wanted to
help.”
“And they gave you the Thing?” Xander asked. ‘I need more information’ In a
subtle attempt to persuade his lapful of undead lover to help him out,
Xander slid his left hand along the side of Spike’s thigh until it rested on
his ass. Their bodies blocked the view from the witches, but he had to move
slowly so that Angel wouldn’t notice.
“Well they led us to it. There’s sort of a communication problem. Didn’t
Spike tell you?” Willow finished with a pensive tilt to her head.
“Well, Spike,” Xander shrugged dismissively. “I’d rather hear your version.”
“Oy!” Before Spike could launch into a diatribe of English slang, Xander
squeezed hard on his butt check and transformed whatever he had been about
to say into a low rumbling purr.
Willow’s eyes widen and she looked at purring Spike, and she looked at
panicking Xander and in true Willow form said, “Oh God we’re interrupting
sex.”
“No!” Said Xander.
“Yes!” Said Spike. Glares were exchanged.
~~~~~
The five of them took two cars, back to the shop. Willow and Tara had
stopped at the Summers’ neighbors and brought Dawn a change of clothes so
that she could spend the night. Spike filled Xander in on the ride over in
between complaining about the interrupted sex.
Sprites were glowing, gossamer entities that dance and tumbled on air
currents. They did not like vampires but did apparently like Cordelia. Spike
said Giles had thought it had something to do with her visions. Since air
was practically everywhere and they were basically air; Sprites were
excellent sources of information. The problem was they didn’t have an index.
When you ask a question you had to be very careful how you worded it. It
gave information overload a whole new meaning when hundreds of tiny being
swirled around you trying to do a core dump on everything they knew about a
given subject.
Although they had tried to keep their questions closed ended with limited
answers, as close to yes or no as possible, in the excitement and open ended
question had been unintentionally ask and pandemonium ensued. After becoming
frustrated at the human’s inability to comprehend their message the little
critters had swarmed and led the humans to a thing buried beneath an ash
tree. The Thing looked similar to the dracon sphere that Glory had
destroyed. The etchings on it were different and Giles and Wesley were
currently researching their meaning. The problem was although both agreed
the marking predated both the Germanic and Celtic languages it had
properties of each. Yet if the translation leaned toward Celtic it meant one
thing, and if it was Germanic it meant practically the opposite. So they
weren’t sure if the Thing would stop whatever was tampering with the
Hellmouth or if it was what the bad guys needed and would therefore come
after.
More good news, when Angel had done a sweep of the old high school ruins
earlier that evening, he had found signs of recent activity. Nothing
definite enough to tell them who or what was prowling around but he said it
felt like magic had been being used, whatever the hell that meant. Willow
had wanted to set up a warding spell like the one she used to hold off the
crusade that killed the Winnebago and tried to take Dawn. Giles had vetoed
the idea. He said it would be too draining on Willow’s vitality to keep it
up for a long period. He felt that whatever it was would just wait until she
was too weak to maintain it and attack when she was vulnerable.
Back at the shop Wesley launched into a detailed description of what they
didn’t know, which was a lot. Xander tried to stifle a yawn but Giles
noticed and cut off Wesley’s speculation. “We’ve cast spells to warn us if
anything happens, tonight at least. Willow you and Tara have classes in the
morning and Xander has work. Go home get some sleep, whatever does happen
you’ll need to be alert tomorrow.” Wesley, Angel, Giles and, to Wesley and
Angels obvious surprise, Spike stayed to hit the books.
Before leaving to take the witches back to the dorm Xander stopped in the
kitchen, Spike was heating his dinner. “So you’re doing the book thing?”
Spike gave a depreciating shrug and just smiled. Since Spike and he were
‘might as well admit it’ living together, Xander had picked up on many
signal that pointed out that Spike was highly educated and a great deal
smarter that his street persona. Not only did Spike not like to admit this;
he went out of his way to hide it. “When do you think you’ll be home?”
Before Spike could answer stopped in the entrance to the small kitchen.
“Um, sorry,” Angel looked uncomfortable, and he really had no reason to be,
he wasn’t even interrupting sex this time. “Giles said there was...”
“Blood? Help yourself Peaches.” Spike took his mug and pulled Xander out of
the galley to give Angel room to get in, or maybe just as an excuse for a
quick grope. ‘Yeah, like he needs an excuse.’
In a blur of movement Angel grabbed Spikes wrist. “That’s human.” ‘Let’s
give it up for the vampire super senses. And do you want to let go of him
asshole?’ Xander waited for Spike’s reaction, as long as they weren’t
physically trying to kill each other, or upsetting Dawn, he didn’t feel it
was his place to interfere in whatever freaky vampire type family thing they
had going.
Spike seemed more amused than angry. “That’s right,” he said and took a
slow deliberate sip from his mug. “What did you think it would be? Pig?”
“Xander, you know about this?” Angel turned an incredulous look on Xander.
‘So much for staying out of it.’
“Well it’s pretty well marked. Check out the fridge. We keep most of it at
home but there should be a selection of types.” Xander deliberately
misinterpreted the question.
Evidently two could play that game because Angel said, “You mean like cow
and pig?”
“Actually I meant ‘O’ ‘B’ ‘AB’ and ‘A’,” enough sparring Xander though.
He was tired and just wanted to go home and wrap himself around Spike.
Spike had other plan and threw a taunting smirk. “He takes good care of me,
my Xander. Guess your humans don’t care if you eat right.”
Normally, Xander took exception to the possessive pronouns but he let it
slid. He wasn’t blind. Ever since Angel had strutted his over-gelled ass in
here Spike had been giving or waves of insecurity. Xander remembered that
feeling. Angel had had the same effect on him at one time. He had always
felt that if there was a place for Angel in Buffy’s life that there might
not be a place for Xander. He should have trusted her. She had tried to let
him know that they each were very dear to her in different ways.
Suddenly he felt sorry for Angel. He had missed the last two years of
Buffy’s life. Her starting, and finding her feet in collage. The time she
suspected her roommate was a demon, and had been right. Discovering the
hazards of dating and drinking on the Hellmouth. Her brief engagement to
Spike. ‘Snerk.’ He hadn’t been there to see what Xander had. What was it
Giles had said about Willow ‘what a wonderful young woman she had become’?
Angel had missed it. He had dated and fallen in love with the girl. Xander
had loved the girl and the woman. All in all Xander though he had the better
deal.
“I’ve gotta bail, I’m beat and I still have to take the witches home. Don’t
kill each other; err any deader than you already are.” Xander left giving
Spike a semi-chaste kiss and receiving his promise to wake him when he got
home.
Spike and Angel were still discussing diet issues when he left with Willow
and Tara. He hoped the two of them would find away to if not get along then
to at least work together.
This was the first threat of the Hellmouth nature since they had lost Buffy.
A day didn’t go by that he didn’t miss Buffy. He missed the friend things.
Like the way she would listen to him try to learn to play the harmonica
without bludgeoning him to death; because she had given it to him for his
birthday two years ago and should have known better than to do that to
someone with no musical talent. Right now thought, he missed the slayer. He
missed her take charge attitude and the way she marshaled their resources.
Buffy could have had Spike and Angel working together or at least tolerating
each other with a few well-placed quips. Xander had a feeling that they were
going to need both of them on this and had no idea how to make it work.
He would just have to wait and see what tomorrow would bring.
Part 13
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