Part 17
After dinner Red tugged Xander out onto the balcony for a private chat. Her
little blonde witch was giving the Nibblet a lesson about the tarot deck
while Rupert discreetly sat himself down close enough to supervise just what
information was being shared without seeming to hover. Spike strolled over
to the CD collection, ostensibly to choose new music, really to eavesdrop on
the babble twins though the open window.
"I can't believe how nice you were to Riley. I just wanted to throttle him."
The sweet witch sounded nearly as upset as right before Spike had ended up
engaged to the Slayer.
"Will..." Spike watched though the heavy vertical blinds as Xander
maneuvered himself in front of the pacing witch.
"No! You're a guy. You can't possibly under..." Oddly enough none of Spike's
overprotective instincts were urging him to protect his mate from said
mate's best friend.
"Hello, Anyanka. You still bucking for that job? We could give D'Hoffryn a
call." Xander joked and Spike stifled a snort.
"You weren't there, well you were, but you didn't see how much she was
hurting." Willow said.
"What? You mean when he never called, never wrote - bad enough when he blew
off Valentine's Day, and her birthday, but Joyce? Like with all the covert-y
shit they pull keeping an eye on the Hellmouth he couldn't have least gotten
word to her that he hadn't run out and met death head on during his first
mission?" Xander's voice had been getting louder and Spike watched the
others look toward the window and then pretend to go back to what they were
doing. "God, Will," Xander continued in a softer tone. "Know what she went
through? I lived it. Still do, although it gets easier. You think I don't
wake up wondering about An? Wonder how she is? If she's alive? Hell, for all
I know she packed up and didn't make it as far as the city limits before
someone or something got her!"
"I'm sorry. I... you seemed so okay, since you and Spike...I didn't ask,
because ... well, I thought you wouldn't..." Willow had wrapped both of her
hands around one of Xander's, looking up at him as she babbled.
Xander cut her off. "I'm good. I feel guilty I'm so good. I just...Listen,
up until Friday I would've been right with you on the `let's lynch Riley'
train, but ... I..." He faltered, looking away.
"Xand?" Spike suddenly had to be there - he had to hold his boy - but
unbelievably was able to rein in that urge as Red wrapped her arms around
Xander.
Xander held her tucked under his chin, "It would have made you sick to see
me. The way I laid into him in the library was nothing compared to the
buttons I pushed to get him to tell about Rayne."
"You had to! Xander, if we hadn't known about ... the body count..." Red
stepped away and leveled a glare at Xander. "No one but you could have got
us out of this with out losing anyone. No one. Are you listening to me,
Alexander LaVelle Harris? Even Jeff will be out of the hospital in a few
days. You cannot hold yourself accountable for the Initiative losses. They
would have had a lot more dead if Ethan Rayne had gotten control of the
Hellmouth."
"You talked to Jeff?" Xander's attention skipped to another track and years
of experience enabled Willow - who most likely had the same fragmented
thought processes - to keep up.
"Yeah he's fine, well, fine for being zapped. They're keeping him until
Tuesday under observation, but he has his laptop and he wants to talk to you
about implementing a permanent patrol schedule." She smiled and tugged
Xander to sit down next to her on the ancient glider he had scrounged from
somewhere.
"Did the taser fry his brain?" Xander asked.
"Xan, a lot of people have spoken to Jeff and Jonothan about this. They're
not blind. Buffy isn't here to watch out for them and, hey, they have
younger brothers and sisters - it won't be long before some have kids of
their own. They aren't the same trusting fools that their parents are."
Willow put her head on Xander's shoulder.
"I don't know," he said.
"We don't have to talk about this now...How are you?" she asked.
"Good. Really good." He hesitated, then pulled his shirt off.
"Oh my G...Xander!" Whap! She hit him. "What the hell are you thinking?"
"It's not what you think..." He started.
"You are so not passing this off as kinky sex." She stood up and glared down
at him, hands on her hips.
"Not kinky. Not sex, not just sex...more. Will, I don't have the words but
this means something," he said.
"What?" she asked suspiciously.
"Spike and I...we're not just fooling around," he said.
"Duh! You think I can't tell that by the way you look at him? Xander, we've
know each other since we were mewling babes - as the last demon who ripped
out your heart pointed out - I know you're in love with him." She cocked her
head and contemplated the subdued young man.
"Will, this is real - this is forever," he whispered.
"You sure you know what you're doing?" She sat back down, reaching toward
the healed bite, hand hovering just above the mark.
"Not a clue," he shook his head ruefully. "But," he said, "my heart tells me
this is right."
She pulled him up into a tight hug. "I love you, you know. Always have,
always will."
"I know," he whispered. "Same here."
Spike moved away from the window and put a Bonnie Raitt disc in, replacing
the angry young woman bemoaning her love life that had been playing. He
crossed to watch over the Nibblet's shoulder. The soft voices from the
balcony tickled at the back of his consciousness but he resolved to give
them as much time as they needed.
Eventually they came in; Xander had put his shirt back on. Tara was wrapping
up Dawn's lesson. Rupert said good night and invited them all over for pizza
and a clean up party at the store the next day before leaving. The girls
stayed to make root beer floats and made the appropriate `ewww' when Spike
drizzle blood into his.
~~~~~~
Finally, shortly after dark, they were leaving. Xander, of course, insisted
on seeing the girls to their car. It was Willow's parents' car but since
they weren't scheduled back from the seminar in Paris until September she
had the use of it. Dawn and the witches lingered another half an hour in the
parking lot, talking about nothing. Spike stopped his growl of frustration
by burying his face in Xander's neck. Standing behind him with both arms
wrapped around him he looked up to glare at Dawn and the blonde witch, who
were giggling as Xander and Willow chattered on, oblivious to Spike. Spike
had shifted to his demon face mid-glare, with no effect. Even through
Xander's shirt Spike was aware of the bite above the young man's collarbone;
his very scent had changed and Spike could smell himself on Xander, the
scent now part of Xander. They really need to get to bed.
Spike desperately wanted to be alone with Xander but shifting his
yellow-eyed glare to Willow didn't even register with her as she gushed,
"Jeff wants you to give him a call. I gave him your e-mail address and once
you review the timetables he's drawn up, let him know what you think.
Jonothan has some good ideas - but I kinda get the feeling that he needs
your okay before he does anything."
"You sure you think that this is a good idea? I mean ..." Xander bit his
lip. His grip on the forearms which Spike had wrapped around him tightened.
Spike nuzzled Xander's temple and purred when the young man leaned back
against him.
"We can't do it all ourselves - not forever." Willow sighed and pushed back
her hair. "Even the Watchers don't know if or when they'll find the new
Slayer - I have a bad feeling about that." Tara moved closer to Willow and
took her hand. Willow continued, "I kinda got the impression that they
thought we would be a bad influence on a Slayer anyway. I don't think that
they would send a Slayer here - unless we screwed up big time and all died."
She turned to smile at Tara and seemed then to realize at the same time as
Spike released his growl of frustration, that it was time to leave.
Xander kissed him absently and said, "All right. I sorta feel guilty
dragging them all into this..."
"They volunteered," Willow interrupted and gave Xander her `you're not
responsible for everyone' look, which had been making an appearance often
lately.
"You know they have no idea..." Xander shook is head.
"They have some idea," Willow interrupted, "and they'll either stick with it
or run and hide. We were a lot younger when we started."
"Okay," he laughed, "just so I don't have to bring donuts for all of them. I
don't - they're not coming to the meeting, are they?" he added with a bit of
panic.
Willow shook her head with a smile and said, "Read Jeff's proposal. Xan, we
gotta go. Someone," she inserted a raised eyebrow into her significant
pause, "is giving us pointed looks."
Willow gave each of them a kiss before the girls got into the car and drove
off.
Spike purred and stepped up his public - even though they were alone -
molestation of his mate. Xander, instead of blushing or pulling away, turned
in his arms and began to reciprocate. After a few minutes of heavy groping
Spike pulled back to look into Xander's lust-dilated eyes. He had intended
to make a leering suggestion, but was mesmerized by the look in Xander's
eyes. Reverently Spike lifted his hand and stroked Xander's lips with
the pad of his thumb. Xander looked at him as though Spike were the most
precious thing that the young man had ever seen. Spike was so enthralled by
the feel of the smile spreading across those lips he almost missed the
mischievous gleam enter Xander's eyes just before his thumb was lodged
firmly between his mate's teeth. Teasingly, Xander held it trapped but did
not bite down.
"It's all right if you do," Spike said softly.
Xander shook his head, still holding the thumb and laughed. He released it
and kissed the indents his teeth had left on the vampire's thumb before
saying, "I don't want to hurt you. Let's make quiet love tonight. I want
soft touches and pretty words." His breath ignited tingles across Spike's
skin and Xander added, "Will you give me pretty words?"
"Anything, Pet. Anything you want." Spike looked up at the night sky, almost
devoid of stars due to all the lights. He looked back at the man who held
him and said, "You are my sun, my golden boy. Your dark-eyed mirth ties me
to life. Your taste - your touch - your scent bind my heart and cage my
beast. My only want, my only need, my only desire is to be yours for all
time. Shine my Sun - light my shadows - drive back the darkness." Spike
spoke hardly above a hushed whisper.
Xander quietly kissed his temple, then drew back to look into his eyes.
"It's beautiful," he whispered.
"It's drivel, not worthy of you," Spike snorted, looking away.
"It's mine." Xander poked Spike hard in the center of his chest. "And I say
it's beautiful."
Spike laughed and said "Yes, Pet. Whatever you say, Pet."
Xander rewarded his compliance with a kiss. The boy didn't care if Spike
read the back of the cereal box to him. Xander listened with the same rapt
expression on his face if Spike read Kerouac or Jackie Collins - when Spike
spoke them the words were worth listening to. Not that Xander couldn't
recognize drivel in general. Some of the many small gifts Xander constantly
hid for Spike around their apartment had been books of poetry. One had been
a book of heinously bad verse. They laughed together when Spike read it
aloud. Spike chose not to mention that the only reason his own work wasn't
in there was because he had been too much the sniveling coward to attempt to
publish. No, Xander's only real blind spot was Spike's voice. Once Spike
started to read aloud Xander's eyes would start to glaze over, in a good
way. There was nothing like looking down into the dark eyes of the man who
lay with his head in you lap and hear him pant out as he reached down adjust
himself, "Oh God, read that part again." Dru, poor dear, had had trouble
following a conversation without the subtle language and allusions of verse
- although she had loved nursery rhymes. Harmony had never looked past Cosmo
as the ultimate literary source. Xander, however, said `read that again' at
all the right passages. The boy's academic career might have been quite
different if Sunnydale High had just been staffed with hot young teachers in
tight jeans with sexy voices.
Xander broke the kiss to breath. Spike watched Xander contemplate him and
wondered just what was going on in the man's head. It had been a rough
couple of days - even to sleep through. Although it was still obscenely
early for a vampire, it was late for a human who had to work the next day.
Yet Xander showed no intentions of wanting to go to sleep, what with both
hands firmly griping Spike's ass and his brown eyes sparkling with desire.
Not that necking in the parking lot wasn't appealing but Spike was ready to
throw his mate over his shoulder and run him up the stairs when Xander
whispered, "Let's go to bed."
They made the quiet love Xander had requested. They spooned, with Xander's
warmth wrapped around him. Spike was treated to a long slow fuck peppered
with words of endearment tickling his ear as Xander's warm breath sent
tingles in its wake. Spike would have given Xander all the pretty words he
wanted except he seemed to have lost the power of speech. As Xander stroked
Spike's cock in time to their languid coupling, Spike pondered that the boy
had words. He suffered a giddy moment of envisioning them like the three
sisters in mythology who passed one eye around between them. Maybe he and
Xander had only one voice and since Xander was now using it, Spike would be
mute. With his mate's warm length rocking gently inside him Spike really
didn't mind and began to purr.
~~~~~~
Spike headed over to the magic shop shortly after Passions the next day.
Part of him thought that it would be best if Xander talked to the Watcher
and another part thought that since Xander had talked to Red that he should
be the one to approach Giles. Fortunately, Rupert was out when Spike dodged
in through the back door of the shop. *Really should talk to the bloke about
installing a tunnel access in the cellar, can’t rely on these dark, rainy
days all the time.* More out of boredom than guilt over trashing it, Spike
set about putting the training room to rights while ignoring Giles' nervous,
quiet assistant out front.
He was surprised when Willow showed up early and after stashing her books
and purse in one of the storage cubbies regarded him solemnly.
"You bit him," she said. The witch's eyes were full of concern.
"No. Well, yes. But it wasn't... I marked him, Red. Marked him as mine -
anything goes after him it has to come through me. Understand?" Spike
admitted to himself that it wasn't the subject matter that made him
uncomfortable so much as that this tiny woman was Xander's family -
practically the only family that the boy had had growing up.
"I guess... I guess today isn't that different from last week... but I don't
like the idea of anyone biting Xander. Does it hurt him when you bite?" she
asked.
If she hadn't been biting her lip and almost trembling Spike might have
snarked out something cruel. Instead he said, "What did Xander say when you
asked him?"
"He blushed and babbled but really didn't tell me anything. Spike, you don't
hurt him...this isn't dangerous is it?" she said in a breathy,
oh-God-I-unchipped-the-vampire-boffing-my-best-friend voice.
"It hurts. It hurts in a good way." At her wide-eyed look he continued,
"Think of it as another form of penetration, luv." It was tempting to use
her embarrassment to cut off this line of questions, but Spike wanted her on
their side when Rupert found out. "Willow," *Do I use her name so rarely
that she looks so shocked when I do?* "Xander and I are bound, `til dust or
death takes one of us. I won't hurt him. I'll kill anyone - including you -
that does."
She sniffed, blinking her bright eyes as if to dry the tears she hadn't shed
and said, "Right back at you blondie - you hurt him and I'll make your time
with the Initiative look like a health spa." There wasn't a light show and
her eyes stayed the same human green as always but Spike was intensely aware
of the power that thrummed through the young woman and how she had used it
against the hellgod.
"Fair enough." He crossed his arms and asked, "Shouldn't you be in class?"
"Semester break." At his puzzled look she added "Hello, Fourth of July?
Spike, how long have you been in this country?"
"Enlighten me, oh Red, White and Blue," he snorted, thankful that she had
changed the subject.
"Tara and Dawn are poring over Joyce's recipe books as we speak and will be
baking Dawn's favorite blueberry pie. Over the next two days they'll make
fried chicken and homemade ham salad and the jello thing with the little
marshmallows, cole slaw and red potato salad. Wednesday, those of us who do
not burst into flames out in the sun will go to the parade and in the
evening we'll pack up all the food and head to the picnic area of the park
to sit under the stars - it is supposed to stop raining by then - and watch
the fireworks. Welcome to the United State, William the Bloody, hope you
stay awhile - just don't put blood in the jello thing."
Spike went down to the store room to set it right and Willow busied herself
at the computer in Giles' office. He was pleased with how their chat had
gone. After they had covered his opinion of American holidays Willow had
informed him that Xander has volunteered him, with his connections, to help
she and Tara find a nice, `reasonably-priced', two-bedroom, near campus.
With all the extra courses and summer work the witches had pursued, they
would both be seniors this year and wanted out of the dorms. When Spike had
cocked a curious eyebrow at the two-bedroom specification Willow had said
she wanted Dawn to have her own room there for when she stayed. It wouldn't
be long before Xander would be thinking the same thing. Giles had moved his
study from his flat to the store and Dawn had her `real' room there. But she
had spent a few Friday nights on Xander's couch, because - as she had
confided in Spike - she loved what a big kid Xander was on Saturday
mornings. So whether it was girls nights giving pedicures in the dorms or
Japanese monster-movie marathons with the boys or a relaxing evening writing
in her journal on Giles' sofa, Dawn lived with all of them.
Spike sensed Xander when he entered the building. He was sure he did. But
when Xander didn't call down or come in search of him he started to second
guess the feeling. Unable to shake the suspicion that he hadn't been wrong
Spike went upstairs. He tensed when he heard raised voices coming from
Giles' office - the whole `cone of silence' spell had been lifted during the
evacuation. Stopping at the corner Spike saw that Xander had his back to the
window in the office door and angry Rupert was visible over the young man's
shoulder.
"Yes, but you didn't see fit to tell me." Rupert's voice was hard with
controlled anger.
"I'm telling you now." Xander reasoned in a monotone.
"Xander, this is...I can't believe...What are you thinking? Are you
thinking?" From anyone else Xander would have responded with sarcasm or
scathing humor but since the tirade was coming from Giles he dropped his
eyes and hunched his shoulders.
Spike had had enough with eavesdropping. He wasn't about to just lurk about
in the corridor when Xander appeared unwilling to defend himself. Now that
they were mated it wasn't as if he didn't have a right to butt in, he
reasoned, and opened the office door. "Now, Rupes, ease up. You've been
letting that nancified Sire of mine and his pet Watcher fill your head with
all sort o' speculation." He pulled Xander into his arms and wrapped himself
around the human much as he had the previous night. "I'll tell you same as I
told Red, no one - no one, we clear? - hurts him. Anyone that tries comes
through me. Vampires mate `til dust - he's mine."
"Oh, dear." Giles sank to the seat behind the desk and Xander groaned and
buried his face in both hands.
"Pet?" Spike lifted a hand to gently tug at the barrier of Xander's hands.
"Xander," Giles said through clenched teeth, "was there something else you
wanted to tell me?"
Xander lifted his face from his hands and let Spike keep one; he used the
other to pull down the collar of his shirt to expose the scar, white now
against his tanned skin. "Look, Dad. We got hitched."
Giles shot up out of the chair. He started forward then began to pace. Twice
he started to reach out toward Xander's collarbone and twice he pulled his
hand back. He started to mutter about blood bonds and turned back to a shelf
behind he desk and pulled out a book.
"Wait, what was the row about if you didn't tell him about us?" Spike asked
the resigned young man in his arms.
"I told him about the chip, Dipshit." Xander's tone was long-suffering and
he brushed a kiss over Spike's temple. Deciding that he had been forgiven -
not that he had felt guilt, but he hated having Xander angry with him -
Spike shifted to game face and buried his nose in the crook of Xander's neck
and purred loudly. He was ready to say `vampires do not sodding purr' should
Rupert take note of it but the man seemed far too distracted.
Giles but down the book on the desk and stepped over and examined the scar.
He seemed wary of Spike but that didn't stop him from glaring at him and
saying, "You expect me to believe that after all your talk about bathing in
our blood that your love for Xander will somehow prevent that? That we're
all safe?"
"No." Spike dropped his street thug stance and accent, unwrapped his arms
from Xander and stood squarely in front of the Watcher. "No, you've all been
safe from me since the night Buffy died. I... I promised her I'd take care
of Dawn. Taking care of Dawn means all of you have to be kept safe. I take
my promises just as seriously as you do, Rupert Giles."
"Did this promise cover the rest of the populace? Happy meal with legs, I
believe was what you called them." Giles' heart was beating a mile a minute
and Spike could smell fear, but the man showed no outward signs.
"No. But I promised Xander I wouldn't kill..." Spike started.
"He promised he wouldn't hunt," Xander interrupted. "Giles...he will kill,
but not unless he has to. You can't expect him to not defend himself - not
after what those bastards at the Initiative did to him."
"Well, I can see my opinion isn't going to matter on this," Giles said.
He turned back to the desk and studied the book. He looked as if he were
going to speak but was stopped by Xander's quiet words. "Of course it
matters. I...I really want you to be okay with this - with us. I'm sorry I
didn't tell you about the chip before, but with the invasion and all, the
project moved from R and D to field testing way ahead of schedule."
"And the blood bonding?" Giles asked.
"Come on, you knew about us." Xander crossed to the older man and sat on the
corner of the desk next to the text Giles was focusing his attention on.
"You've watched us dance around each other forever and you had to know - I
mean, this is Spike. He just doesn't do discreet."
"Standing right here, Pet," Spike said.
Giles lifted his gaze from the book and offered Xander a small,
commiserating smile and said, "Angel wanted to speak with you
regarding...well, this."
Spike growled and stepped closer so he could grip one of Xander's arm and
card the fingers of his other hand through Xander's thick hair. Xander
ignored him and said, "Yeah, I told him we'd talk...Giles? Does he know
anything? I mean... Was he given some sort of handbook or users manual when
he got turned that Spike traded for a bottle of JD?"
"Standing right here, Pet," Spike said.
Xander absently pulled the vampire onto his lap and kissed him quick before
saying, "Shhh," and turning expectantly back to Giles.
Giles regarded them both and smiled again. "Xander, you do have a way of
hmmm... `cutting through the bullshit' I believe is the way it is expressed.
My own research on blood bonding has not been very rewarding - the little
that is known is speculative in nature and not from what I consider reliable
sources. Angel did admit to being somewhat in the dark regarding it and
could give no concrete reasons for his misgivings - other than the obvious
one of it involving Spike..."
"Hello, I'm in the room with you. Would you like me to leave?" Spike was
pleased that his words prompted Xander to hold him tighter.
"Shhh, be good and I'll do something nice for you." Xander whispered
suggestively in his ear, causing the Watcher to blush. "How about this,
Giles? You continue to research - I'll answer any questions you want, as
long as it's for you and not the Council - and I'll talk to Angel."
Spike growled and shifted to game face. He wasn't at all opposed to Xander
talking with the poof over the phone, but he knew if he growled Xander would
do what he was doing now - nuzzling his neck and saying, "Shhh." Spike was
beginning to like that sound; it made Xander's breath ghost along his skin.
"I'm not saying I'll believe him or that it will influence us in any way,
but he can talk all he wants," Xander continued. "In return...just...give us
a chance. Okay?"
Giles agreed. The conversation moved on as Xander handed the older man a
disc for his computer and they discussed the details of the plan for
patrolling Sunnydale that one of Xander's minions had devised.
Willow had taken her car to pick up Tara and Dawn. The girls arrived with
bags from Boston Market. Willow, in full mommy-mode - as Xander called it -
had decreed that they were eating too much junk food. She covered the long
makeshift table, still standing in the far end of the training room, with a
plastic cover before laying out a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Dawn
bubbled over with excitement and chattered about the picnic she and Tara
were planning. Spike caught Xander's eye across the table and shared a
moment of complete understanding. This was something neither of them had
ever had - family. They had built it with iron will and perseverance. And if
anything tried to take it away, then the Gods of Heaven and Hell had better
help them.
The End
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