White Knight, Black Knight

White Knight, Black Knight Chapter Fifteen


Xander couldn’t help but tense up at Giles’s swearing but he had promised himself he wasn’t going to let his friends regret his decision. He was also going to try and not let them ruin he extremely good mood, but he kinda doubted that would happen.

“Hey G-man! What’s up for tonight? Hey did I tell you my boss thanked you for translating that stone thingamajig we found a couple of weeks a He’ He’s gonna move the site so that they don’t disturb the Warsaw demon that’s trapped there.

“Please don’t call me that and it’s a Wracklaw demon…Xander what is Spike doing here?”

“Come to keep my boy company today, nice and gloomy out you know? Besides Xander has a new job as of today and the Slayer and her toy aren’t going to like it, have to lend my support like any good beau would.”

Xander found himself smiling at the term beau. He had a beau. “Spike… beau? That’s so southern.”

“Spent some time down south with Dru after New York didn’t I? Great food Pet, I’ve got to take you sometime.”

Xander just smiled, he rather liked the term beau. Of course the proper term would be mate but there wasn’t any reason to give Giles a complete heart attack. Cause beau seemed to be making him faint.

“Giles man, you okay?”

He had fallen into a chair at the research table and had taken off his glasses and was pinching at the area between his eyes as if what he had heard and saw could be driven away. He felt Spike nudge him from behind.

“You go lock up Love, and I’ll make the Watcher some fortified tea. We’ve got time before the others show up, we’re early for once.”

Xander did as he was told and soon Spike had a cup of tea so laced with brandy even his nose could smell it. He watched as Giles sipped at the tea and then sputtered.

“Spike!”

“What? You needed the pick me up, admit it.”

Giles looked ready to blow a gasket, and Xander found himself stepping closer to Spike, their shoulders touching. He really wanted to make it obvious to the man that was closer to him than his own father that he was happy and he wanted this relationship with Spike.

“Xander you have no idea what you’ve done! Why…”

“Wrong Giles, I’m not stupid, I know. I’ve read the books from res restricted section and everything. Hell Giles we’ve been flirting for weeks and dating for a while now. You can’t say you really just noticed. Yeah I was discreet at first but I did tell you I couldn’t patrol Saturday cause I was going out on a date with Spike.”

Okay so he hadn’t used the word date, but he had said he was going out, that counted didn’t it?

Spike was being oddly quiet, something that Xander was kind of glad for. He didn’t want to end up fighting this early and he figured that if anyone would understand it would be Giles. Like he said he wasn’t stupid, he knew Giles wasn’t as straight as he pretended to be, although he really didn’t want to bring up the name Ethan, that would bring the Ripper out in Giles for sure.

“You…weeks? Date? Spike? What…?”

“Look Pet, you’ve made the Watcher speechless.”

“You didn’t help by getting him sloshed this early Spike. Look Giles we’re in love. You know Spike can love, okay so it’s not human love but hey he’s not human. I’m okay with that and let’s face it, it’s not a surprise that I ended up with Spike. Once we stopped arguing and bitching at each other it was a given that we’d get together.”

He can feel Spike preen at the comment that it wasn’t human sort of love, and had to stop from rolling his eyes. In truth most of Spike’s notions of love was more human than Anya’s or Cordy’s ever were, but he’d not tell his mate that. He just wanted Giles to know that he was sure about what he was doing.

They let the watcher sit in peace for a bit and eventually the glasses went back on. “Well I cannot say that I approve but there seems to be nothing I can do about it. I would like to know how Spike was able to mark you but I doubt you would tell me. You do realize how difficult this…relationship of yours will be for the others to accept.”

“No Watcher, he’s stupid, or course he knows!”

Xander noticed Spike didn’t mention the chip, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to bring it up.

“Yes Giles, I know. Both Buffy and Willow are going to freak, that’s kinda why I was hoping you wouldn’t. I mean, you know more than anyone else the gray areas between black and white and they don’t get it. I mean you have demon friends and all that…”

“Yes, well. There is that. I shall withhold my judgment then.”

Spike shuffled beside him and he could almost hear the wheels turning in his lover’s head.

“Listen Watcher, why don’t you come over Sunday when the shop’s closed eh? Xan’s teaching himself to cook and I’m a bit biased about his skills. Boy went out and bought proper Irish Guinness for me even, we’ve got to teach him how to drink it rather than that American piss he’s so fond of.”

“Hey, Sam Adams isn’t that bad. Founding Father of the United States I’ll have you know you…British man!”

The snarking was comforting and routine, but still Xander felt all warm and gooshy inside. He knew that Spike didn’t like Giles all that much, so he’d invited him to dinner for Xander’s sake and that…that meant a hell of a lot to him.

“So you’re coming to dinner Giles?”

A deep sigh. “Yes, it seems I am. As long as you assure me that you’re not hurting Xander.”

Spike growled and Xander couldn’t help but agree with that sentiment. “Giles he isn’t going to hurt me. Well no more than most couples hurt each other. Anything else that happens…is between us okay?”

He can almost feel the heat of Giles’s stare and he was kinda glad that Spike was already dead, cause he was getting a pretty good death glare now. And he could felt the growl starting in Spike, low for now but it will get worse if Giles continued to challenge him. He shifted his feet and made the chair he was standing by scrape the floor.

Both men jump at the noise and Spike aims narrowed eyes at him. He just smiled apologetically. He wasn’t really sorry though; he just didn’t want Spike to rip out anything Giles might miss someday, like his tongue or his spine.

“Yes, well…I believe Spike mentioned you had a new job?”

“Umm, yeah. See my boss and some of the other people on the town council are worried about the Initiative coming back in town, even if it’s just a small unit. They didn’t really give people the warm fuzzies last time they were here you know? And they know I work with you and Buffy so they want me to be a go-between. Make sure the soldier boys are only getting the bad guys and there’s no problems with innocent people getting hassled. I promised that Spike and I will patrol the demon parts of town, and because that’s quite a lot to do I’m kind of on paid leave till we make sure everything will go okay. What do you think?”

In fact Xander was very excited about this idea. He’d get paid to do what he liked to do anyway and be able to spend time with Spike and he’d be useful. He liked that Mr. Long, Mr. Winter and the others felt he had skills he could contribute, it made him feel proud of himself and his decisions.

“Well that is reasonable I suppose. I can imagine that parts of the demon community are anxious hearing about the return of the Initiative.”

“Part? Giles do you realize that they had demons down there in their labs that were total innocents? People lost family members, friends. It’s like having only a few KKK members moving into a black neighborhood. Something bad will happen; I just hope that we can prevent it.”

“Well one can hope that nothing will happen and cooler heads will prevail. There are plenty of unscrupulous demons in this town for them to chase after, no need to bother the peaceable ones.”

“Right Watcher, and the good guys will all wear white hats so we can tell them apart from the evildoers.”

Suddenly there was a tapping on the glass to the door of the shop and Xander looked up. It was the others, all at once. He shared a look with Spike as he moved to unlock the door.

“Hey Xander…why’s the door locked?”

“Oh hey Wills, umm, we were talking to Giles and locked up so no new customers could come in. Sorry I just locked it without thinking, I should have just flipped the open sign to close.”

The rest filled in after Willow and Xander closed and locked to door again. He nervously sat on the steps to the loft and watched as everyone else got settled. Dawn immediately went for Spike by the counter and Xander smiled at the pair. The contrast was kind of beautiful, age and innocence. Spike whispered something in her ear and she looked at Xander and grinned.

Giles had remained at the research table, and Willow, Tara, Buffy and Riley joined him there, with Buffy on Riley’s lap. Part of Xander wanted to roll his eyes at their lovey-dovey act, but part of him was jealous. Even after their relationship came out he really doubted anyone would be comfortable with Xander sitting in Spike’s lap, or vice versa. Unless they were in a safe place or one that was deserted they rarely even held hands in public, not because they were ashamed but because they didn’t want to be tangled up in each other if they were attacked. And unfortunately Xander could see the possibility of one or the other of them being attacked by Riley at least, if not from his friends themselves.

Spike leaned over and whispered in Dawn’s ear and she nodded.

“Hey Buffy? Can I go down to the corner for some snacks or something? Chocolate sounds good right about now.”

“Sure, but why not let Xander go? He can get us all something.”

Xander shook his head. “Sorry Buff, gotta talk to you guys about my new job. Besides it’s early yet, she’ll be okay.”

“I…I could go with you if you want Dawn.”

“Sure Tara! That would be great! See you later guys! Oh, Xander, Spike, the Homecoming Game is next Friday and I’m in the Queen’s Court. You two will be there, you hear? No matter what.”

Xander flicked a glace at Spike and nodded. He got what the girl was saying, that no matter the outcome of their coming out of the closet tonight she wanted them to be there for her. And they would.

“Sure Niblet. We’ll be there.”

“Course we’ll come Dawnie. Hey want us to sneak in after hours and stuff the ballet box so you’ll be Queen?”

“Xander! I’m a Freshman. You have to be a Senior to be Queen. Gosh how many years has it been since you were in high school, fifty?”

“Nope, I just didn’t pay much attention. But we’ll be there, promise.”

As the two left Spike casually sauntered over and sat down on the step above Xander. It took all his willpower not to lean into his lover’s space and inhale the smell of smoke and leather and Spike.

Evidently Giles had seen something in his face, the man got up rather quickly and paced over to the counter. If Xander remember correctly that was where the brandy Spike had used in his tea was stashed. Great, he’d driven the man to drink.

“Yes, well we’d better get started without Tara and Dawn. Xander’s employers have proposed something and I must say I rather agree with them. Not that we are inclined to distrust you Riley, it’s just that the Initiative has a rather bad name around town. Xander?”

During Giles’s speech he’d seen Spike flinch at the thought that they’d trust Riley and there had been nothing more he wanted to do than put a hand on his leg or something and reassure the vampire. Instead he stood up and stood to the side, in-between where Riley and Buffy was sitting and Spike.

“Mr. Long the…gentleman who owns my company is also on the town counsel and along with a few others they are hesitant about the Initiative returning to Sunnydale, even if it is just a few men under your command Riley.”

“What? How did they even find out, it is supposed to be a covert mission! Did you tell them?”

“Well duh, of course he did. Didn’t I tell you Riley? Xander works for a bunch of demons. I’m not sure what he’s thinking half the time anymore.”

Xander gritted his teeth. Damn it Buffy could be so snide when she wanted to be, and evidently it was still a sore spot with the Slayer that there were good demons out there she couldn’t stake.

“Yes, I told them. Spike and I are going to be patrolling the demon areas in town each night. All night. If your soldiers have a problem with someone I want to know about it so we know you’re not going to be killing someone for playing their breed’s version of hopscotch with their kid. There are more than enough fledges around for everyone to have loads of fun staking but if a Master or Childe shows up in town Spike will take care of it. I am also going to be the mediator between the Initiative and demons. If you arrest someone or if an innocent disappears I’ll come looking on your base and if I find out they’re in one of your labs there will be hell to pay.”

By the time he was finished he was having to keep a rein on his temper. Just the thought of what some of the idiots in the government could do to some of his friends made his blood boil. Bobby wouldn’t hurt a fly, and for one of the many species of cat demons he was remarkably even tempered. He’d never survive one night of…questioning if they got too rigorous. He didn’t even want to think what they’d do to someone as kind hearted as Clem either.

“If they’re so good why are they living on the Hellmouth Harris?”

“Because they fit in here Finn.” He couldn’t keep the snarl out of his voice. Riley could be so damned condescending sometimes. “There are other demons and they don’t have to hide all the time. But don’t make the mistake that it’s just here it happens. Most cities that have a halfway decent population size have demons, both good and bad, living there.”

“Back in the late 70’s there was even a bloke elected to your congress that was a demon Pet. Don’t rightly remember his name, didn’t care then, but it just goes to show that you never know.”

Xander smiled over at his lover while both Buffy and Willow questioned him. Xander didn’t know either, had asked throughout the day who it was but Spike had said that at the time he was far more concerned over killing the Slayer in New York and the Ramones. Funny thing was he believed him; it wasn’t like Spike to get involved in elections.

Riley nudged Buffy off his lap and stood up. “What I don’t get is why you’re helping them, instead of your own kind. And why you’re going to be out with Spike of all people. Oh, right he’s not a person, is he?”

Xander bristled at the statement and he didn’t have to look over at Spike to know the vampire was on the verge of attacking. Luckily Giles said something before he could make things even worse.

“Really! I would think that by now you would have learned that not all demons are out to get you Riley. I have many friends of the…non-human variety shall we say. And to be perfectly honest not a one of our group here would qualify as a pure human except with the possibility of yourself. Buffy is super powered thanks to her slayer linage and Willow, Tara and I are all magic users. If your group is going to be effective you must have a more open mind about such things.”

“Look from what I’ve seen demons bad, humans good, that’s all I’m saying.”


”Yet it was your precious Dr. Walsh that created Frankendemon and shs hus human wasn’t she?” Spikes words were growled out and Xander stepped closer to him in hopes that it would help the vampire keep calm. So far no one had really looked at him close enough to notice his claim mark but he knew it would happen, and soon if Riley didn’t get out of his face.

“She also managed to put a collar on you Spike. How’s the head? Any headachetelytely?”

“God you were they type to poke at the tiger at the zoo weren’t you Riley?” He just had to get the soldiers attention off his mate before Spike did something that Xander would regret, because he knew Spike wouldn’t. It was hard though, the way Riley had been acting since coming back to town he was ready to pull his spine out too, the only difference was that Spike could actually do it.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What it means is you love poking at predators that can kick your ass five ways from Sunday as long as they can’t hit back. Not very sporting. I’d be careful if I were you.”

“Are you threatening my boyfriend Xander?” Great now Buffy was getting into the argument and they hadn’t even gotten to the Spike and Xander lived and unlived happily ever after part.

“No Buffy, just stating a fact.”

“Ummm, guys?” Willow actually had her hand up as if she was back in high school and Xander laughed just a litat tat the picture of it. Giles must have found it amusing too, his face had lost its pinched look.

“Yes Willow?”

“Giles you said none of us would count as human but you left out Xander…I mean he’s human, isn’t he?”

Xander stepped back towards Spike as Giles gave them the eye. “Xander I believe you wanted to explain that?”

He held his head up high and a cool hand found it ‘s way to his back out of his friend’s field of vision. “Well not really. I wassesssessed twice so even before I doubt if I counted as normal, but now I’m not.”

Both Buffy and Willow looked confused and upset but he could almost see Riley calculating in his mind. Finally it was Willow, dear sweet Willow who asked. “What are you Xander? When?”

He wasn’t going to touch the when part with a ten-foot pole, they didn’t need to know. “Well I’m still physically human, mostly. It’s just who I am that has changed. I am Spi cla claimed mate. It kind of makes me different.”

What happened next was so quick he almost didn’t see it; he wouldn’t have if he hadn’t been expecting something like it to happen. Still he’d been too slow.

At his statement of being Spike’s mate Buffy had moved quickly, pulling the stake from the back of her waistband and rushing forward. Xander tried to intercept her but only got stabbed in the shoulder on her way to kill his lover instead. Willow’s eyes had turned black with power and Giles was trying to keep Riley from killing Spike.

And Xander realized it was too late to try to keep the fact that the chip didn’t work a secret, because Buffy had hurt his mate Spike was in total gameface and had the Slayer by the neck and she was turning blue. He pressed a hand to his shoulder and went to his lover’s side. Willow had stopped when she saw that Spike held Buffy hostage.

“Everyone calm down. Willow shut off the damn magick; it’ll only piss him off more. Damn it Buffy for once could you listen to me instead of attacking?”

He waited till they did what he said and he saw the look of hurt and anger on his oldest friend’s face and the disgust on Riley’s. Right now that didn’t matter, the only thing that mattered was keeping Spike from racking up his third slayer. The sad part was he kind of understood; he’d be ready to kill if Buffy had dusted Spike.

“Spike? Spike, I’m okay. Buffy’s not going to do anything else. Let her down, please?” No response. Spike was all hatred and fangs and pure vampire right now, beautiful and terrifying in his anger. Xander really doubted that William would get a better reaction, Spike hated his human name.

“Benedick? Benedick please Love, let her go.”