Quantum Xander II: In Wake of the Curse
folder
BtVS AU/AR › Slash - Male/Male › Spike(William)/Xander
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
65
Views:
20,528
Reviews:
119
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
BtVS AU/AR › Slash - Male/Male › Spike(William)/Xander
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
65
Views:
20,528
Reviews:
119
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
~PART 14~
Part 14
Xander woke up with the mother of all hangovers. He dragged himself into the shower and sat on the tub floor while the water cascaded over his limp form. He would have stood up if he had had the strength. He barely managed to wash himself and crawl out onto the floor. He must have fallen asleep because he woke sometime later, naked, shivering and sore all over.
Calling himself a fool, he slowly stood and made his way back to his room. He looked at the mostly empty bottle of Jack on his nightstand and felt his stomach roll. Then he looked at the book - his mate’s journal - and the memories of the night before washed over him. He ran back to the bathroom and threw up.
After brushing his teeth and getting dressed, Xander put Spike’s book back in the drawer and headed out to the kitchen. He brewed a pot of extra-strong coffee and then set to work fixing the week-end reports that he had screwed up the day before.
It was almost dark when he left for Buffy’s place - having put off the trip as long as he thought he could get away with. He wasn’t sure why he was avoiding going there. He felt a bit upset over Spike’s choosing to remain there, chained like an animal, over coming home with him but that wasn’t reason enough to avoid going there.
Xander let himself in and headed for the basement. He heard voices and stopped to listen.
“Buffy, you have to kill me.”
“You don’t understand. When I left the room earlier, I heard you talking to someone…”
“Do you have any idea what I’m capable of?”
“I was in the cellar with you. I saw what you did.”
“I’m not talking about the cellar. The people in the cellar got off easy. I’m talking about me. Buffy, you have never met the real me.”
“Believe me, I’m well aware of what you’re capable of.”
“No, you got off easy, too. Do you know how much blood you can drink from a girl before she’ll die? I do. You see, the trick is to drink only enough - to know how to damage them just enough - so that they’ll still cry when you… ’cause it’s not worth it if they don’t cry.”
“It’s not your fault. You’re not the one doing this.”
“I already did it. It’s already done. You wanna know what I’ve done to girls Dawn’s age? This is me, Buffy. You’ve got to kill me before I get out.”
“We can keep you locked up. Keep you here and we’ll figure it out.”
“Have you ever really asked yourself why you can’t do it? Off me? After everything I’ve done to you, to people around you. It’s not love. We both know that.”
“You fought by my side. You’ve saved lives. You’ve helped…”
“Don’t do that. Don’t rationalize this into some noble act. We both know the truth of it. You like men who hurt you.”
Xander had heard enough. He turned back toward the stairs and quietly walked away. Whatever was going on between Buffy and Spike, it was for them to work out. He wasn’t going to get involved this time; he’d just hang back and be supportive of both of them - no matter what decision they came to.
Xander was startled by the appearance of Anya as she materialized right in front of him. He got over his shock enough to smile at her and she shook her head at him.
“They’re coming. Get Buffy now!”
Before Xander had a chance to react, the window was smashed and the front door broke open. Figures in long, black hooded robes carrying sharp knives rushed into the house. Xander and Anya fought off their attackers as Willow and Dawn did the same. The robed figures continued to pour in through the doors and windows; some heading upstairs to the upper level of the house where Tara was last seen.
Buffy came up from the basement and saw that everyone was holding their own; Willow yelled out to her that Tara was upstairs alone and Buffy took the stairs two at a time. She got up in time to stop one of the attackers from stabbing Tara. She pulled off its hood and looked at its mutilated face - where eyes should have been, there were only scarred symbols.
“Bringers.”
Buffy whispered horrified as the creature lunged past her and escaped out the upstairs hallway window. She helped Tara to her feet and escorted her back downstairs. Willow ran to her girlfriend and took her in her arms. Buffy looked around for Dawn.
“Dawn?”
“She’s okay.”
Xander pointed to the corner where Dawn sat on the floor holding her arm against her chest.
“Are you okay?”
“It’s just a scratch. I’m fine.”
Buffy nodded and watched as Xander headed for the basement. In all the excitement, she had forgotten about Spike. She followed Xander down the stairs.
“Oh God.”
“They took him.”
“Why? Why would they take Spike?”
“I don’t know Buffy, but we’ll get him back.”
“How, Xander? We don’t even know where they are.”
“We know what they are, that’s enough to start with.”
Xander held Buffy while she cried into his chest. He could feel the rage building up inside himself; he would not lose Spike, not again. He needed to get out, to blow off some steam, to find the bastards that had taken Spike and make them pay.
Xander woke up with the mother of all hangovers. He dragged himself into the shower and sat on the tub floor while the water cascaded over his limp form. He would have stood up if he had had the strength. He barely managed to wash himself and crawl out onto the floor. He must have fallen asleep because he woke sometime later, naked, shivering and sore all over.
Calling himself a fool, he slowly stood and made his way back to his room. He looked at the mostly empty bottle of Jack on his nightstand and felt his stomach roll. Then he looked at the book - his mate’s journal - and the memories of the night before washed over him. He ran back to the bathroom and threw up.
After brushing his teeth and getting dressed, Xander put Spike’s book back in the drawer and headed out to the kitchen. He brewed a pot of extra-strong coffee and then set to work fixing the week-end reports that he had screwed up the day before.
It was almost dark when he left for Buffy’s place - having put off the trip as long as he thought he could get away with. He wasn’t sure why he was avoiding going there. He felt a bit upset over Spike’s choosing to remain there, chained like an animal, over coming home with him but that wasn’t reason enough to avoid going there.
Xander let himself in and headed for the basement. He heard voices and stopped to listen.
“Buffy, you have to kill me.”
“You don’t understand. When I left the room earlier, I heard you talking to someone…”
“Do you have any idea what I’m capable of?”
“I was in the cellar with you. I saw what you did.”
“I’m not talking about the cellar. The people in the cellar got off easy. I’m talking about me. Buffy, you have never met the real me.”
“Believe me, I’m well aware of what you’re capable of.”
“No, you got off easy, too. Do you know how much blood you can drink from a girl before she’ll die? I do. You see, the trick is to drink only enough - to know how to damage them just enough - so that they’ll still cry when you… ’cause it’s not worth it if they don’t cry.”
“It’s not your fault. You’re not the one doing this.”
“I already did it. It’s already done. You wanna know what I’ve done to girls Dawn’s age? This is me, Buffy. You’ve got to kill me before I get out.”
“We can keep you locked up. Keep you here and we’ll figure it out.”
“Have you ever really asked yourself why you can’t do it? Off me? After everything I’ve done to you, to people around you. It’s not love. We both know that.”
“You fought by my side. You’ve saved lives. You’ve helped…”
“Don’t do that. Don’t rationalize this into some noble act. We both know the truth of it. You like men who hurt you.”
Xander had heard enough. He turned back toward the stairs and quietly walked away. Whatever was going on between Buffy and Spike, it was for them to work out. He wasn’t going to get involved this time; he’d just hang back and be supportive of both of them - no matter what decision they came to.
Xander was startled by the appearance of Anya as she materialized right in front of him. He got over his shock enough to smile at her and she shook her head at him.
“They’re coming. Get Buffy now!”
Before Xander had a chance to react, the window was smashed and the front door broke open. Figures in long, black hooded robes carrying sharp knives rushed into the house. Xander and Anya fought off their attackers as Willow and Dawn did the same. The robed figures continued to pour in through the doors and windows; some heading upstairs to the upper level of the house where Tara was last seen.
Buffy came up from the basement and saw that everyone was holding their own; Willow yelled out to her that Tara was upstairs alone and Buffy took the stairs two at a time. She got up in time to stop one of the attackers from stabbing Tara. She pulled off its hood and looked at its mutilated face - where eyes should have been, there were only scarred symbols.
“Bringers.”
Buffy whispered horrified as the creature lunged past her and escaped out the upstairs hallway window. She helped Tara to her feet and escorted her back downstairs. Willow ran to her girlfriend and took her in her arms. Buffy looked around for Dawn.
“Dawn?”
“She’s okay.”
Xander pointed to the corner where Dawn sat on the floor holding her arm against her chest.
“Are you okay?”
“It’s just a scratch. I’m fine.”
Buffy nodded and watched as Xander headed for the basement. In all the excitement, she had forgotten about Spike. She followed Xander down the stairs.
“Oh God.”
“They took him.”
“Why? Why would they take Spike?”
“I don’t know Buffy, but we’ll get him back.”
“How, Xander? We don’t even know where they are.”
“We know what they are, that’s enough to start with.”
Xander held Buffy while she cried into his chest. He could feel the rage building up inside himself; he would not lose Spike, not again. He needed to get out, to blow off some steam, to find the bastards that had taken Spike and make them pay.