Lycanthrope, Vampirism, and Magick

Lycanthrope, Vampirism, and Magick Chapter Fifteen

The roar Xander gave as he collapsed to the floor made chills run down Spike’s spine and he knew the werewolf was seriously hurt. He quickly killed the demons he was fighting and rushed towards him even as Paige was orbing to his side. They reached him simultaneously, and Spike grabbed Xander’s shoulders to hold him still so the witch could examine him.

“Fuck. He’s going to swallow his tongue! Hold his legs Slayer!” Buffy was just standing there with her hand to her mouth and wide eyes. He finally got through to her and between the two of them they were able to hold him still.

“What the hell is happening down here?” A demanding voice from the stairs and Spike looked up to find the Cheerleader making her way down the stairs. She’s been up with Lorne, Fred and the children, still weak from her coma.

“I don’t know, he just started howling. He…saved me and I’ve been so…”

“Such a bitch. Get over yourself Buffy, of course he saved you. That’s who he is.” The woman sat on the floor by Spike and handed him her belt to put in his mouth. He nodded thanks to her, both for the help and for pointing things out to the Slayer. “What’s wrong with him Blondie?”

Paige had managed to pull out the dart in his stomach and handed it to Spike. “Fucking silver nitrate, it’s in his blood stream, poisoning him from the inside out. If it was a bullet we could cut it out but this…”

Cordelia just nodded and turned to Paige. “Paige we need Leo. If he can heal me he can heal Xander.”

Paige shook her head. “It wouldn’t work, Leo can only heal humans and I don’t think Xander counts anymore.”

“But… Wait, I have an idea.” Cordelia tugged the witch away from where they were holding Xander down and he was left with only Buffy to help Xander. The fight was mostly over but he kept an eye to the front, looking to make sure they weren’t attacked again as well as signs of the other group coming back as reinforcements.

Buffy was crying quietly but Spike ignored her. He only had eyes for Xander, trying to help soothe the convulsions and give him the courage he’d need to fight to stay alive. It didn’t look good though, the young were couldn’t hold his form, and it was painful to watch. Spike could hear the muscles stretch and the bones crush together trying to decide on a form and cringed in sympathy.

Finally Paige and Cordelia returned, the witch’s Book of Shadows opened to a page and Cordelia beside her. “I’m going to try something Cordy suggested, but Spike…this will hurt. A lot. I’ve got a spell that will help him sleep afterwards but he’s got to survive this. I’m sorry.”

“Just do it! Not like he’s going to survive without the help now is it?”

Paige nodded and looked at Cordy who added her hands to Spike’s on Xander’s arms. “Everyone hold on, tight. Ready?” Spike nodded. “Silver Nitrate!”

The Witch called on her powers to orb items and Xander was surrounded by white lights so bright Spike had to squint to see. It was as if the silver was being pulled from his veins through the pores of his skin and Spike could understand the warning about it hurting. Xander struggled in their arms but they didn’t let go.

Finally it stopped, Paige’s magic had removed every trace of the silver and Spike sighed in relief as he tried to wipe the clammy sweat off of Xander’s brow and removed the belt from his mouth. There was some blood where he’d bitten his tongue a little but no permanent damage.

“Is…is he going to be okay?” Buffy sounded worried and a part of Spike’s brain was thankful that this episode had at least done a little bit of good. Xander may not be able to mend the friendships he once had with the Scoobies but at least they’d part on better terms.

“Yes, but he needs to rest.” Spike barely even heard the spell as Paige chanted but he could tell the difference, the last bits of tension left Xander’s face and he had a slight smile. Spike ran a fingertip over his lips. It was amazing to him how attached he’d gotten to the pup in such a short time.

Xander wasn’t one for hiding his feelings and gave every bit of emotion that he could to his lovers and Spike treasured that. He might love his Sire, but Angel was always reserved. That was why they needed someone like Xander, to help them meet in the middle.

“Spike? Why don’t you take him up to Lorne and Fred? We can’t leave the Lobby unguarded and they’ll take good care of him, I promise. Just put him in my bed.”

Spike gathered Xander up in his arms and started up the stairs before turning to look at Cordelia. “Where you gonna be if he’s in your bed?”

“I’m stopping the damsel in distress act and taking Xander’s place guarding the front. You just put him to bed and get your skinny English ass back down here!”

Spike opened his mouth to argue and jumped when he heard a voice behind him. “Don’t even bother arguing sugar-buns. That’s our Cordy’s command voice and you don’t stand a chance. Come on, I’ll help you put brown-eyes here to bed. Sounds like he’s had a tough time.” Lorne put a hand on his arm and squeezed it and Spike nodded and followed him up the stairs.

As he rounded the corner he heard Cordelia taking charge, making sure the back was secure and getting Buffy back to her position and he chuckled. He could see why at one time both Xander and Angel had been interested in the woman; she was beautiful, smart and not afraid to speak her mind.

“Now where the freaking hell is Angel? Did he stop on the way back to fix his hair because I’ve got to say nothing is going to help…”

Yeah, he could defiantly see why they were attracted to Cordelia. If he didn’t already have two mouthy brunettes in his life already he might have had a go.

*****

“Do you even know how to use that thing?”

“Yes, you insert the pointy side into the bad guys.” The cheerleader swung the sword experimentally and Spike fought back the urge to duck. “Don’t worry Blondie, Angel had started training me before the Pod-Cordy took over.”

“Right.” Spike’s fingers itched for a cigarette. It had been a half hour since Xander was hurt and the others still weren’t back. They were all walking that edge of nerves and boredom and he longed for something more to fight. At the very least if he had been with Xander they could have snogged some but here with the Cheerleader…he just didn’t know what to do.

“So…how was the coma?” Cordelia glared at him. “What? Not like I know what it’s like being in a coma. Know being dead pretty well by now, and burning to death, now that wasn’t fun. Never been in a coma.”

“Well I’d say it’s a step above the burning to death but probably doesn’t top your first death.”

Spike looked at her with wide eyes. “What? Please, I’m not stupid, I work for a vampire. I know pretty much how vamps are made and I’m pretty freaking sure Dru’s hands didn’t stay above the waist while she was asking her Daddy-dearest for you as a pressie. And Angelus, remember I’ve met him; he’s a horn dog. It’s a wonder he ever got around to trying to destroy the world he was so busy trying to get in Dru’s pants, and Buffy’s, and other peoples, and I so don’t want to know about any wheel-chair escapades the two of you might have had back in Sunnydale. Ick.”

Spike looked at her and saw the laughter in her eyes and he threw back his head and roared with laughter. Most mortals didn’t even want to know about that aspect of becoming a vampire, and here she was joking about it.

“You’re quite a woman Your Majesty, I’m honored to be fighting by your side.” Spike gave a mock bow and mimed kissing Cordelia’s hand.

“You just remember the praise I’m due as Queen Bitch and I think we’ll get along great Spike.”

The grinned at each other and the tension had gone down between them. Now all they needed was the others to come back, do that spell to blast Wolfram & Hart back to hell and he could nurse Xander back to health by not letting the wolf out of bed.

“Stop thinking that!”

Spike gave innocent eyes. “What?”

“You’re a vamp Spike, and you didn’t have a “I’m about to rip the spine out of my enemies” look so you must have been thinking about sex. Stop it. I don’t need to have any more x-rated pictures running through my head.”

“Any more? Why Queen Cordelia, do tell.”

“I think I hate you as much as I hate Xander right now. Shut up.”

*****

“Where’s Xander?” Angel was beyond tired; the fight at Wolfram & Hart had been unexpected and bloody. Leo had a concussion so they couldn’t even orb back to the Hyperion. He was looking forward to when this was over. “What is Cordy doing out of bed, you shouldn’t be up. Spike why did you get her get up?”

“Hey, no one’s ‘letting’ her do anything. Her Majesty is her own woman and if you want her to lie back down you tell her. Just remember you have a sucky history with women holding swords.” Spike looked bone tired as well; this night hadn’t been easy on either half of their team. “Xan got hit by silver nitrate. Don’t worry, he’ll be fine, Paige fixed him up. He’s resting. Where are the others?”

“I knew you guys were in trouble and Leo had been knocked out so I ran back. You sure that Xander’s going to be all right?”

“Seems so, he was resting quietly. What the fuck happened that made you lot take six years?”

“We’d like to know that too.” Buffy, Paige and Cordelia circled the vampire and Spike snickered at the look of fright his Sire gave him. Spike just shrugged. He’d learned his lesson at dealing with powerful women. The best way of handling them…was not to.

“Long story short, Eve had protection spells around her, can’t cut anything off so we decided just to kidnap her and bring her back here. Wolfram & Hart’s security team disliked the idea and we had a conference together till we worked out something mutual.”

“Mutual? Do I even want to know what that means?”

“We thought they should die, and they though we should die. Turns out we were right.” Angel looked at his former seer. She was slightly pale and shaky still, but there wasn’t any way he was going to tell her to rest. He knew that look. If he even tried he’d probably find his blood mixed with holy water or something.

“Anyone hurt?” Paige looked worried.

“Most of our team has injuries, Leo got hit by some sort of spell and he’s dizzy, your oldest sister has a mild burn and Phoebe, Gunn, and Wes all have bruises and a few sprained limbs. Nothing too bad. They’re following with Eve. Do you think you can adjust the spell to use her, and not just a bit of her?”

Paige nodded. “If Piper went along with the kidnap idea then she thinks it can. And whatever stands between Piper and keeping the boys safe had better run for cover. If she has to she’ll push Eve in the Hellmouth. I’ll go get the first aid kit and make sure we have bandages.”

She moved off and Angel found himself facing only Buffy and Cordelia. Spike was still smirking in the background. The blonde bastard would pay for throwing him to the…females.

“Angel are you all right?”

It was on the tip of Angel’s tongue to answer Buffy with the truth. No, he was tired, sore, and he thought he might have a few broken ribs. He was worried for Xander and while he really liked the Halliwells he wanted nothing more for this all to be over with and everyone to go back home. Except for Xander who he and Spike were keeping. Gunn could even go with Phoebe, he was at the point he wouldn’t mind, having to smell their arousal all night had been annoying as hell.

“Yes Buffy…I’m fine.”

“When Xander gets better…will you or Spike please let him know I want to talk to him?” Angel glanced at Spike and his Childe cocked his head and then nodded.

“When he feels up to it, we will. Why don’t you go keep an eye out for the others, help them get Eve in, okay?”

“Sure.” She walked slowly out the door, a sad glance behind her and Angel wondered what had happened that had changed her attitude.

“Angel, sit down.”

“I’m fine Cordy.”

“Pfft. Fine, that’s why you have a rib going in the wrong direction?” Her voice was full of its normal sarcasm and he smiled, realizing once again how much he had missed her. “Bleach boy here is going to give you first aid, without the mouth to mouth part please, and I’ll go heat up some blood for you both while ordering dinner. Do not get used to this, I refuse to wait on you hand and foot simply because it takes too long for your stupid undead self to realize pain. It’s like a freaking dinosaur, step on your foot and two days later you say “Ow!””

Angel caught her had as she turned away. “Cordy…I’m glad your back. We missed you.”

“Really?” There was something in her voice, a note of sadness and Angel felt so sorry he hadn’t noticed the changes in her and helped her before the entire Jasmine thing started.

“Really.”

She sniffed. “Well good, it’s only right you should miss me. Just don’t be too glad, you’re too close to perfect happiness as it is and I think your boy toys would get mad if I staked your ass.” Spike growled from behind them. “See, Bleachy’s getting all upset. Best comfort him. Then go up and check on Xander, that is if you think the fighting is done for the night.”

“It should be, we put a pretty big dent in Wolfram & Hart, literally. Piper blew up a couple floors of the building she was so mad.”

Spike stood up from where he was leaning against the wall and started running his hands over Angel’s chest, prodding at the bruises and breaks. “Of course that only means that tomorrow they’ll be more than happy to wipe us off the face of the earth.”

The Lobby doors opened, the others trailing through with Buffy and Gunn holding a struggling Eve. They were all tired and dirty, blood streaking a face here and there. Paige came in with the first aid kit and rushed to her two sisters. Piper just brushed her off and spoke up. “They’ll be after us alright, we had to kill a tail, as if they didn’t know where we were going. Which is why as soon as we rest and get something to eat we’ll do the spell tonight. By dawn we’ll know if it worked and Wolfram & Hart will have their powers bound so tightly they couldn’t even open a window, much less the gateway to hell.”