Wishes

Slasher Girl,stasha, Jenny, Daeomae and Anon for the reviews.

I know I'm late with this one but I'd rather be a little late posting it than rush and write total crap. Its a bit longer to make up for it, just over 2500 words.

I thought this was going to be a short story, but with 33 pages and almost 17 000 words so far looks like the story has a mind of its own! Oh well, I'll keep at it till its done!

Happy reading

Suede
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*Spike*
We spent hours in that warehouse there together. The moon was high when we finally picked our way outside again shifting rubble making the task more difficult. But I had looked at the watch on his wrist and realized we were already fashionably late to meet the others. I was dreading sharing him with them again but I get the feeling that Dru was serious about wanting him. So I guess I need them near to keep him safe. Doesn’t mean I have to like it though.

Almost there and I had the best idea.

*Xander*
I can’t believe I let him talk me into this. First and foremost I feel ridiculous cradled in his arms like some damsel in distress and second and most importantly, Buffy is so going to kill him. If I had spider sense it would be tingling. As it is every other sense is over compensating by predicting major hurt to come. I should have said no but he used the ‘p’ word. And then there was kissage and my brain turned to mush. And that defense will definitely not hold up. I’m doomed

* *
Everyone had been gathered in the main room for almost an hour already. There was no sign of Spike but more importantly no sign of Xander. Cruz and Giles had compiled the search reports looking for a missed clue or area that would become the focus for the next search wave.

Buffy and Willow lent against each other exhausted physically and mentally by the roller-coaster that the day had been. No sign of Xander. Each group had reported in the same. No sign. Nothing. Buffy sagged further against Willow. What the hell is the point of supernatural abilities if they can help you when you need, your friends need it most. No wonder slayers all do it alone; when it comes to situations like this it is awful to be so strong and yet so completely helpless to help the ones you love.

A noise at the door and all turn to face the new comer and then freeze as Xander is carried in limp in Spikes arms. Head pillowed against his shoulder wrapped tight in Spikes duster. Unnoticed by the others Cruz and Angel groan in unison and step back trying to get clear of the area. Both knowing full well it probably won’t help. Spike sighs dramatically and shakes his head carrying Xander past the group and taking him up the stairs towards the bed room his mind firmly on giving Xander some intensive care. Buffy worms her hand into her watchers and leans close for support then just as Spike steps through the doorway, Xander snores.

Xander’s ears are still ringing with the girls happy screams when they release him to sit at the table. Falling asleep was a stroke of genius on his part, though completely unintentional. Even Giles had steeped forward and wrapped him up in a particularly manly type hug. Angel and Cruz not so subtly looking at his neck. Angel even going so far as to move his shirt collar down for a clearer view. Spike had stepped in then dragging Angel out of the room for a snarling match in the courtyard. Buffy finally getting fed up with waiting for their return so Xander could start his story and dragging Angel back in, a pouting Spike following reluctantly.

So now Xander sits comfortably at the table trying to answer questions about Drusilla and what had happened since he had seen them last. Any time he mentions Spike he flicked his eyes to the brooding form of his vampire who is leaning against the wall sulking and he can’t help but stare at the new Willow-fist shaped bruise across his jaw.

His attentions have not gone unnoticed. Catching Willows eye as he looks back she shrugs.
“It was my turn”
Xander wonders if he really wants to know.

After the fifth time Xander says he slept through his time with Drusilla, that he honestly doesn’t remember a thing they call it a night and Giles packs the three of them into his car and drives them to the summer’s residence to catch up on much needed sleep. He can’t help but think as he sees them all inside, that there is something different about Xander.

There was a time when the idea of a sleep over with the girls inspired all sorts of naughty thoughts in Xanders head. Now, sadly when he was faced wit the real thing he is too tired to act on them. His whole body feeling the strain of the past twenty-four hours and desperate to curl up and sleep the day away.

*Spike*
I lean forward across the counter to reach the cup she has placed in front of me. I’m more than a little worried that Xander was asleep before the sun rose and hasn’t stirred since. Boy is as bad as a bloody fledge. But then if Dru’s been ‘singing’ to him he’s going to need to sleep a lot to recover, there probably isn’t a secret left in his head she has seen.

I’m brought out of my thoughts by Joyce placing her cup on the counter next to me.
“Buffy told me everything that’s happened and I don’t think it’s a good idea to take him back to the Bronze so soon.”
“I won’t hurt him, I promised to protect him!” My game face slips into place. I don’t think I’ve ever turned this face towards her before. She doesn’t look phased.
“Was that before or after you ripped his heart out and deserted him in the Bronze?”
I sighed into my hot chocolate prodding at the little marshmallows floating on the top.
“Joyce I’m a master vampire. Hurting humans is what I’ve been doing for over a century.”
“No young man you’ve been serving your own needs for a century. Now is your chance to think about his” and with that she took a sip of her hot chocolate signalling an end to the discussion. Leaving us drinking our hot chocolate in silence.

That is of course until the three of them race down the stairs and dive for the fridge trying to be the one to open it and pushing the others out of the way. Buffy jumps onto Xanders back to reach over his shoulder to grab for the chocolate sitting on the shelf.
“Not for breakfast” Joyce calls out. I raise an eyebrow at Joyce and then look at the clock over on the other wall. its almost eight pm. She laughs
“Old habits die hard”
I find my self smirking flicking my eyes to the wrestling match that is still going on.
“Don’t I know it love”

When they finally calmed down (eventually sharing the chocolate) I throw them the bags I brought with me. Buffy raises one eyebrow and looks at her bag with suspicion.
“There isn’t anything gross in here is there??” Bloody slayer. Can’t she just trust me? Ungrateful bint Cruz should have let me make up her bag. I can think of all sorts of ‘gross’ things to put in there.
Willow and Xander have investigated their bags already. Pulling out the new clothes I had Cruz obtain for tonight. I need Xander to come with me to the Bronze. Need to show them that he’s back by my side. Taking the slayer is a big risk. But with the Mayor recruiting I need to draw a line in the sand and if Buffy can just follow for once in her sodding life I might just be able to pull it off.

* Xander *
The inside of the club hasn’t changed (not that I could really expect it to in forty-eight hours) and I can’t help but shiver as my eyes stray to where it all happened, where I was standing when we fought. The words are running through my head as clear as if Spike had said them again but before I can become too caught up Spike’s hand strays onto my butt and my mind snaps back to the present.
“Sunday” Spike is pulling me towards a badly dressed bleach blonde. She’s the one he’s told me about? Bleh. Just because vampires have no reflection doesn’t mean they should stop taking pride in their appearance.
“Spike. This him?” She casts an eye over me. Don’t think she’s impressed.
“Yep. This is my boy.” An actual smile this time. Not a smirk. And I’m jealous that she gets to see it. Usually he only smiles like that when it’s just us. God I am such a girl.

“Spike” Cruz appears from around the corner with three more men or possibly two men and a woman, who I assume must be some of the other big players in the demon under world. Again I am brought forward and presented. ALEJO and Gl’arth it turns out are brothers and some kind of demon whose name I couldn’t hope to pronounce. Jetta it turns out is a boy after all. Well sort of. He said he’s an incubus and they tend to walk a pretty fine line.

“Thirsty pet?” A hand on the side of my face turns me towards him and I nod.
“Cruz. Take him down and get him a drink. Instruct the slayer to watch him.” Watch me? Like I’m some helpless little puppy? Hell no. I open my mouth to argue and can’t because Spike’s there and kissing me breathless. Damn manipulative sexy bastard.

I’m more than a little dazed when Cruz leads me away and it isn’t until Cruz has dropped me with Buffy and gone for drinks that I realize exactly how worked up that kiss got me. With nothing to really hide behind and the pants Spike insisted I wear tight enough that nothing is left to the imagination I have no choice but make a quick trip to the bathroom to avoid embarrassment.

All club toilets look alike. They are dark enough that you can’t really see how bad you are looking after a few drinks and there is always paper on the floor and the colour of the tiles never matches the décor of the rest of the club, like it is two renovations behind everything else. More than a few minutes to get myself under control and I’m heading back to the girls when I bump into one of the dances on the edge of the floor Dancing being the loosest possible term for the activities of the couple (discovery channel special comes a little closer). I start when I realize the ‘girl’ is actually Jetta. Jetta smirks over his shoulder, dance partner forgotten as he turns to face me.
“Xander” I can barely hear him over the noise of the music and I lean in a bit further to hear. With my closeness he breathes deep and smiles charmingly at me.
“I thought so!” His smile turns coy. “You’re unclaimed. Virgin”
I know I must be blushing. This is rating as high in the embarrassment stakes as turning up in class in my undies thanks to those nightmares coming true a while back. Why the hell do they all have such sensitive senses?
“He hasn’t claimed you yet, that’s odd normally vampires are the first to stamp ‘mine’ all over the things they like?”
I frown. He hasn’t mentioned claiming since that first night at his place. Seeing the look on my face Jetta starts talking again.
“I’m sure he’s just waiting for you to be ready.” He smiles encouragingly at me now. Trying to cheer me up.
“But he hasn’t, isn’t I mean do you think I’m wantable?” I stutter out. Not really knowing what I'm thinking makes it had to get the point across.
Shock on his face for half a second then he looks straight into my eyes.
“I’d do you in a minute” He laughs out loud “Although what I have in mind will take a lot longer than a minute I can assure you” He waggles his eyebrows at me and I laugh
“Put one of those highly manicured hands on him and I’m going to tie you up and spank you Jetta” Spike is walking down stairs towards us and suddenly the fear kicks in. I’m so sure he’s mad even though his voice is light and he’s laughing.
“Promise?” And Jetta leans forward on the railing and smiles coyly up at Spike.
I’m just waiting for the other boot to fall in true Xander Harris style, and leave me, once again in pieces. Because I’ve no idea what I’ll do when he sends me away again. .
Spike reaches the bottom step and his smile vanishes.
“What’s wrong luv?”
I flick my eyes to his face then stare at the ground.
“Pet I can smell your fear. What’s wrong?” Spike looks back over his shoulder and nods as he reaches out and pulls me into his arms.
“Did the girly boy scare you pet?” Gl’arth and Cruz are coming down the stairs and Jetta sticks his tongue out at Spike and then bounces up a few steps to rub against Gl’arth as he stops a few steps up from us. Buffy and Willow pushing through the crowd towards us worry lining their faces.
And even though I really don’t want to talk about it with them all here I can’t stop myself from blurting out “Why haven’t you claimed me? Don’t you want me?”

Spike’s whole body stiffens. And by whole body I am talking whole body, a certain part more than most. And I start to wonder if I was wrong about what he wants.
He kisses me and its hotter than any of our previous kisses and I let go. Trusting him to hold me up when my legs aren’t up to the job any longer. He moves to my neck kissing and nipping at the pulse point and then pulling back to whisper in my ear.
“You ready to wear my mark Pet? Be the Claimed of William the Bloody. No going back after this” He takes my face in his hands. “You’ll be mine for as long as you live pet”
I pull myself together enough to nod and whisper, hoping that it’s heard by his ears alone.

“Yours”

And he heard because he kisses me again and I can feel the graze of a fang against my lips, a sure sign he’s loosing control.
Pulling away to let me breathe Spike smirks over the group. “We’ll have to finish this tomorrow night. Something has just come up.”


* *
Watching the pair walking out of the club Jetta giggled “Something’s up all right!”
Gl’arth sighed before turning and half dragging half carrying the excited young incubus back to his brother. They might as well enjoy what’s left of their evening

Cruz slipped out of the club to hurry up the minions in the work team, seems like his master will need the gift for his claimant sooner than he thought. He leaves the Bronze with Sunday walking swiftly beside her and talking about strategy as they walk along.

Sharp gold eyes had watched the evenings proceedings and now wondered exactly who would be interested in the identity of the Master of Sundydale’s Claimant and just how much they’d pay to find out.

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Let me know what you think! I really look forward to reading your thoughts.

Next chapter: The Claim

See you then I hope!

Suede
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