Demon

 

Demon

 

Xander walked slowly along, wondering why he even bothered anymore. It seemed like Buffy, Willow, and Spike were the ones who did all the work. All he was good for was bait. Sighing, he looked up just in time to see a demon’s fist surging into his face. Xander collapsed.

 

“Oi, Slayer, the bloody whelp’s down!” shouted Spike, attacking the demon fiercely. The blood rage coursed through him and he reveled in the feeling. Once he was finished with the demon, he turned to see Buffy and Willow continuing on with the patrol.

 

“Spike, are you coming?” asked Willow.

 

“What about the whelp?” asked Spike.

 

“He’s dead. Let’s go!” yelled Buffy.

 

“But, you’re not just going to leave him here?” Spike was confused. Xander was always there for the others, and he couldn’t believe Buffy and Willow could just leave the boy like that.

 

“Look, Spike,” said Buffy as she whirled around, “we’ve got a lot left to patrol. If you want to babysit the body, fine. It’s not like the authorities aren’t used to finding bodies all over town anyway.”

 

Shocked, Spike just stared as the two walked off into the night, apparently unconcerned about leaving one of their friends dead. Spike turned and looked at the fallen male. “Not what I expected, whelp. Always thought I’d be the one that got you.”

 

Suddenly Xander started glowing a bright emerald green. Spike watched, stunned, as the body before him changed: the hair lengthened to reach mid-back, nails twisted, changed, and grew into sharpened silver claws, the canines on the top and lower jaw extended and became fangs.  Then the glow stopped and Xander opened his eyes, looking straight at Spike. Spike gasped, instead of the warm chocolate orbs, he found himself staring into glowing, emerald green eyes.

 

“Spike,” said the Xander-thing. His voice held the hint of a growl and seemed a bit deeper than normal. “I didn’t know you cared.”

 

Spike backed up a bit. “Uh, pet, of course I care.”

 

Xander stood up and approached Spike, who backed away until his back hit the side of a mausoleum, “No where to go, little vamp. Looks like you didn’t leave yourself a way out. What’s the matter, Spike? You act like you’re scared of me.” Xander smiled widely at Spike, showing off his new fangs.

 

“Well, pet,” Spike said, nervously, “you were dead, and now you’re not. And you don’t look like you, uh, used to.”

 

Xander glanced at his hands and retracted and contracted the claws for a minute, then looked back at Spike, “Did they ever tell you that I was possessed by a hyena when I was fifteen?” Spike shook his head. “Well, it looks like the demon-spirit left a bigger mark than they thought. You see, they couldn’t actually banish it completely, the hyena was always caged in the back of my mind. Kind of like Angel and his caged demon.”

 

“If it was an animal, they should’ve been able to fully get rid of the spirit,” Spike said.

 

Xander’s eyes flashed, “Did I say it was an animal possession? Spike, I was possessed by a demon, one quite similar to the one possessing you. Giles caged it, hoping it would never be set free. Guess he never realized this could happen.”

 

“So, you didn’t die?” Spike felt very confused, he didn’t think he’d ever heard of anything like this before.

 

“Oh I died alright. That allowed the demon to be set free and it could finish taking over my body,” Xander smiled at the horrified expression on the vampire’s face. “Well, do I have a pulse?”

 

Spike listened for a minute, then mutely shook his head.

 

Xander watched in amusement as the vampire struggled to understand what had just happened. He decided to step things up. “You know, Spike,” Xander purred, stroking the vampire’s cheek with one claw, “you’re very pretty. We could make a deal here.”

 

Spike stepped into the touch, “What kind of a deal, luv?”

 

“You teach me everything you know about torture and killing, and I can help you get the chip out.” Xander stroked the blond vampire’s hair, “I shag you, you shag me. We both get something out of this.”

 

“How can you get the chip out?” asked Spike.

 

“Almost right after you got the chip, Giles found a spell that will disable it. But he decided it was safer to keep you chipped. Especially when he found out you could hurt demons,” Xander snickered. “However, he failed to keep the information as secret as he thought. None of them even notice the ‘Zeppo’ anymore. I found his notes on the spell a couple days ago.”

 

Spike was furious, he batted Xander’s hand away and snarled, “Fucking bloody Watcher! Thinks he’s better than me!”

 

“Shhh, don’t set the chip off, Spike,” Xander resumed petting the blond’s hair. “We can make Giles do the spell, and then you and me can paint this town blood red!”

 

“Why would you do this?” asked Spike. “Hell, Pet, you don’t even like me.”

 

“Easier to pretend I didn’t like you, than admit I wanted a blood-thirsty demon, now isn’t it?” asked Xander, amused.

 

Spike gaped at Xander for a moment, then started laughing, “We’re going to have so much fun, luv. I always thought you’d make a good vampire. Hell, you were going to be the only one I turned once the chip was out.”

 

“Not a vamp, but just as much fun,” Xander purred. “We just have to make a quick stop at my place, then we can hit the Watcher’s place.” Xander started off into the night, with Spike following.

 

 

The first thing Xander did when they reached his parents house was to change into a pair of skin-tight jeans and a tight tee-shirt. He glanced over at Spike and said, “We’re going to have to get me some new clothes.”

 

“I agree, pet. Why’ve you been hiding in those nasty clothes anyway?” asked Spike, leering appreciatively.

 

“Hides the bruises better. Everybody’s too busy trying not to look at the shirts that they just don’t notice.” Xander sighed, “Of course, you’d think friends would notice, regardless.”

“That why we’re here, luv? To off your parents?”

 

“Duh,” Xander grinned, the goofy smile marred only by the fangs and oddly glowing eyes. “Wish you had the chip out already, but I’ll let you have the Slayer.”

 

“Ta, pet.”

 

Xander led Spike up the stairs and into the living room, where his parents were sitting, drunk.

 

“What’re you doin’ up here, boy?” slurred Xander’s father, glaring menacingly. “Thought I told you ta stay outta my sight.”

 

“Got some unfinished business,” said Xander, approaching the older man. He extended his claw, tearing out his father’s throat. His mother whimpered and bolted. Spike caught her and pushed her toward Xander, who grabbed her by her hair.

 

“Why, Xander?” she asked pitifully.

 

“You never once stopped him, never tried to help me. Did you enjoy watching him beat me? Did you know he raped me, too?” Xander answered his own question, “Of course you did. But you couldn’t be bothered to call the police. I am just your son, after all. And when he was beating and fucking me, well, that was a relief because he wasn’t doing it you. Right?”

 

She struggled to get free. Xander smiled and started choking her. He watched as she struggled, laughing the whole time. Her hands clasped his wrists, but her pitiful struggles were no match for his enhanced strength. Finally she gave one last desperate yank, as he crushed her windpipe. He let go, watching dispassionately as her limp body fell to ground. Xander turned to Spike, smiling, “Shall we?”

 

“Of course, pet. Of course,” Spike said, smiling back at the brutal menace that was exuded from the dark male before him.

 

 

Giles looked up from his book as Willow and Buffy came in from patrolling. He noticed Xander was missing, “Girls, where’s Xander?”

 

“Oh, some demon got him,” said Buffy dismissively. “He’s dead. Spike got all huffy and stayed with the body. It was weird.”

 

“You left Xander?” Giles was aghast.

 

“We had to finish the patrol, Giles,” said Willow. “Xander’s not important anyway.”

 

Giles couldn’t believe it, Willow was Xander’s best friend and she was talking about his death as though it was something that happened on a tv show. And Buffy’s obvious disinterest was a shock as well. Finally, he asked the girls to leave, having decided to speak with them about their lack of concern tomorrow.

 

About fifteen minutes after they left, there was a knock at the door.

 

“Mind if I come in?” asked Spike, pushing past the startled watcher. “Come on in, pet,” Spike called over his shoulder.

 

“Surprise,” growled Xander, stepping through the doorway.

 

Giles was stunned, he stared at the boy, taking in the changes. Xander was watching Giles and laughing. He knew how he must look to the shocked man. “Xander, what happened? The girls said you died.”

 

“I did,” came the growled reply. Xander fiddled with a hair tie he had picked up at his house, then pulled his hair back and secured it. “We need a favor, G-man.”

 

“I-I have asked you not to call me that,” Giles said nervously. He wasn’t sure what had happened to Xander and didn’t want to upset him.

 

“Whatever. Anyway, we want you to perform the spell to disable Spike’s chip,” Xander said, grinning at the shock and horror on Giles’ face.

 

“How did, I mean, what are, no… what spell?” stammered Giles.

 

“Oh, come on, Giles. I found the notes. You know which spell. You found it not long after Spike was chipped,” Xander laughed at Giles. “Not quite the Zeppo you thought I was, huh? Told you I wasn’t gonna be anyone’s butt-monkey anymore.”

 

“I, well, why should I do this?” Giles hoped to stall them long enough to get help.

 

“If you do, I promise not to kill you,” said Spike.

 

“How can I be sure you’ll keep your promise?”

 

“I am a demon of my word. You’ll just have to trust me,” Spike smirked evilly and quirked an eyebrow. Xander just watched the exchange, understanding what Spike wasn’t saying.

 

“It’s going to take a bit of time to get the ingredients assembled,” said Giles.

 

“Well, get on it,” said Xander impatiently. “Oh, and don’t bother trying to call Buffy. I already disconnected your phone. No distractions.” He smiled malevolently.

 

Giles gulped nervously and went to gather the necessary spell components. Soon everything was prepared, and Giles drew a circle on the floor, asking Spike to sit in the center. He complied and Giles sprinkled herbs on and around Spike. He began chanting and cast several small rods of various metals into the circle. The chanting picked up momentum and Giles traced a symbol on the back of Spike’s head. Then he collapsed onto a chair. “It’s done.”

 

“That’s it?” asked Spike. “Nothing else?”

 

“I’ll stay here. Why don’t you go find out if the spell worked?” suggested Xander. Spike left and Xander leaned against a wall, calmly watching Giles. After a few minutes Spike returned triumphantly.

 

“The spell worked, luv! I’ve got my bite back.”

 

“Marvelous,” Xander said, stepping away from the wall and walking over to Giles. He calmly reached out and thrust a suddenly clawed hand into the man’s chest.

 

“But, you… no…” Giles said weakly, in immense pain.

 

“Now, now, ducks. Only said I wouldn’t kill you. Didn’t say nothing about the whelp here,” Spike smirked as Xander pulled the human’s heart out of his chest with a sickening slurp.

 

Giles saw Xander taking a bite out of the still moving organ before plunging into the dark of eternal sleep.

 

“Beautiful, luv,” said Spike as Xander finished his grisly meal. “You’ve got good instincts. Don’t know if there’s really going to be much that I’ll have to teach you.”

 

Xander wiped his mouth, grinning at the vampire, “Let’s go see the girls. Let them know I’m okay. Since they were so worried about me before.”

 

 

Willow frowned as she looked out her window. She could have sworn there was something looking in on her just a minute ago. Shrugging, she returned to her desk and picked her book back up. A book she had taken from Giles, one with dark magics he didn’t want her using. Quickly getting absorbed again, she didn’t notice the glowing green eyes that stared at her through the window.

 

After several minutes of watching Willow, Xander smiled when she looked up again. This time he didn’t dart away as fast. He waited near the window while she got up to investigate. Just as she reached the sill, someone started banging on the backdoor. Muttering, she withdrew and went to go see who it was.

 

“Spike? What are you doing here?” she asked, suspiciously. “Have you been lurking around my window?”

 

“No, Red. You’ve got to be careful. Something’s happened to the Watcher. His heart was ripped right out of his chest. I think whatever got him is coming after all the Scoobies. Let me in!” said Spike, sounding scared. Willow didn’t know if he trusted the chipped vampire or not.

 

“Well, alright. Come in, Spike,” she said.

 

“Did you say you saw something outside your window?” asked Spike a bit gleefully.

 

Willow didn’t notice the mirth in his voice, and nodded, “Yeah, glowing green eyes.”

 

“It’s here then, the creature that killed the Watcher had green eyes, too.”

 

“How would you know?” asked Willow, beginning to get frightened.

 

“Because he was with me, Wills,” said Xander, stepping into the room.

 

“Xander! But, you died! We saw you die!” Willow stammered.

 

“So I did. And now I’m here with you,” he said, smiling at the terrified witch.

 

Willow turned to run, but Spike caught her easily. “Now, now, Red. You’re spoiling all the fun.”

 

“Let me go!” she spat angrily, wrenching out of Spike’s grip. She turned to Xander and began yelling, “How are you still alive? That demon was supposed to kill you. Did Spike turn you?”

 

Xander narrowed his eyes, “No, Spike did not turn me. Could I have come into your house otherwise? Are you so quick to forget the hyena?”

 

“The hyena?” asked Willow, caught off-guard.

 

“Yes, the hyena demon, that’s demon, not spirit, that possessed me was caged in my mind. It couldn’t be gotten rid of. When I died, it took over.”

 

“So, you’re a hyena demon?” Willow said skeptically.

 

“Duh!” Xander grinned, shocking Willow with his fangs. “Spike, you can have her, if you want.”

 

“Don’t mind if I do, pet.” Grabbing the girl, Spike vamped out.

 

Willow freaked out. “You’re still chipped! You can’t hurt me!”

 

“No, luv. Giles disabled the chip before his appointment with Death.” Spike laughed at the witch’s feeble attempts to escape before plunging his fangs into her neck. He drank deeply, savoring the heady flavor of her blood. Even with all the black magic she had been doing recently, she still tasted like innocence. Too soon, he held a lifeless corpse in his hands.

 

Xander took the body from him, then, in the same way he had done with Giles, he ripped the heart out and ate it. Spike watched, anxious to finally kill the Slayer. “Let’s go, mate. Night’s going fast.”

 

 

Buffy sat in her room, thinking about the evening’s patrol. Willow’s spell had worked, summoning a demon that was completely under her control and they had both thought it very funny when the thing caught Xander totally off-guard. Buffy still couldn’t believe it had only taken one punch to kill the boy. “But, then again, it was Xander, so I shouldn’t be too surprised,” she said aloud.

 

At first, she had been upset about Willow’s obsession with the darker magics, but she had to admit that the spells were really cool. And being able to call up demons to help with her fights would really tip the scales in her direction. And Buffy really wasn’t too upset about sacrificing Xander to the demon, the boy was always in the way and he wasn’t much help at all.

 

“I wonder what Spike ended up doing,” she said to the walls. “Why would he want to stay with Xander? That was weird.”

 

“Maybe because he cares,” whispered a British voice in her ear.

 

“Spike! Aagh!” Buffy screamed, whirling around. “You scared me. What are you doing here?”

 

“Me?” He inspected his black nail polish, before looking back up at the Slayer, “Why I’m here to see you, luv. Why else would I be here?”

 

“Go away, Spike,” she said, annoyed that the vampire was bothering her in her own room.

 

“Y’know, Xander’s with the Little Bit right now,” Spike said casually, walking out of Buffy’s room.

 

He was immediately slammed into the wall, “What do you mean, Spike? Xander’s dead.”

 

“So’m I. Doesn’t stop me from getting around,” he said, leering at Buffy.

 

Buffy snarled at Spike, furious, “Did you turn Xander? Is that why you stayed with him? To make him a demon?”

 

“Of course not, luv. He had his own demon already. It was just waiting to be uncaged, that’s all,” Spike laughed as Buffy released him. Xander came down the hall, blood smeared on his face.

 

“You’re not done yet, Spike?” asked Xander.

 

Buffy started at the way Xander’s voice sounded, deeper, rougher, with a growling undertone. “Xander! You’re alive!”

 

“Nope, undead,” he smirked at her. “And all thanks to you and Willow. Lovely demon she conjured up. Too bad she won’t be casting anymore spells.”

 

“What do you mean? What have you done to Willow?”

 

“Me? Nothing. Well, I ate her heart when Spike was finished, but that’s the way it goes,” Xander flexed his claws and flashed Buffy a fang-filled smile.

 

Turning away from the unnerving picture Xander made, Buffy smacked into Spike, who grabbed her arms, “Y’know, I’ve been waiting to do this for a while now.” Before she could do anything, Spike vamped out and sunk his fangs into her neck.

 

After draining her about halfway, he pushed her away. “Xander? Your turn.”

 

“Thanks.” The last thing Buffy saw before passing out from blood-loss was Xander leaning over her and tracing a claw over her heart.

 

 

Back at Xander’s apartment, Spike paced excitedly. Xander sat on the couch, brushing his newly grown locks and amusedly watching the hyper vampire. “Calm down, Spike. You’re going to burst something.”

 

“Oi, pet. I’m just a bit excited about having my bite back.” Spike stopped in front of Xander, “What’re we going to do next?”

 

“Well,” Xander pulled the vampire into his lap and kissed him thoroughly. “First I thought we’d shag, then I was thinking… I haven’t been LA in a long time. We could stop by and see Deadboy.”

 

Spike rubbed himself against the boy and laughed, “Sounds good to me. We have to bring Peaches up to speed anyway.”

 

 

The End