Quantum Xander II: In Wake of the Curse
folder
BtVS AU/AR › Slash - Male/Male › Spike(William)/Xander
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
65
Views:
20,530
Reviews:
119
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
BtVS AU/AR › Slash - Male/Male › Spike(William)/Xander
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
65
Views:
20,530
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 16~
Part 16
Buffy came, but she wasn’t alone. Willow, Tara, Dawn and Anya were all with her. Xander sighed and opened the driver’s door and Buffy scooted into the middle between him and Anya.
“They insisted on coming with.”
“No big.”
“So, where to?”
“Where do you think? Back to the hellmouth, source of the big evil. Some vamp said she saw a bunch of robed guys dragging Spike in there earlier.”
Willow popped her head in between Xander and Buffy.
“And you believed her? ’Cause I’m thinking, you know, vamps not so big with the honesty.”
“There’s a lot of that going around.”
Buffy put her hand on Xander’s thigh and squeezed it in support. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
“I’m sorry, I’m just a little frustrated. Yes I believe her; I have my reasons to, and can we just go and check this out without the second-guessing. Please?”
No one said anything else until they were at the school and standing in front of the blood-covered wheel that was positioned in front of a big bronze-looking thing in the floor.
“The Seal of Danthazar.”
“Huh? The seal of who?”
“Danthazar, Buffy. It’s bad. Very, very bad.”
Xander looked at his ex-fiancée and saw the way she was slowly backing away from the seal.
“What’s this thing do, An? I mean other than sit here and look evil.”
“It opens. And then bad things happen. If it’s been opened - and by the blood I’d say it has - then trouble is on its way.”
“Okay, that doesn’t tell me a whole lot, An.”
“I’m sorry, Xander. But that’s all I know. If I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”
Anya teleported out and Xander was left standing there looking down at the seal.
“Okay, people. What say we bury the satanic manhole cover and call it a night?”
Xander left the room and returned shortly with an assortment of shovels. Everyone grabbed one and got to work. Xander was silently going insane; he could smell Spike’s blood on the wheel and he was scared something horrible might have happened. By the time the seal was buried, everyone was tired and Xander drove them all back to Buffy’s house.
After Dawn went to bed and Willow and Tara were immersed in books researching the seal, Xander slipped out the back door and sat wearily on the step. Buffy joined him moments later.
“Hey, Xan. How you holding up?”
“Okay. Well, I could be better. You?”
“About the same. What happened at Willy’s? You look like you haven’t slept in days.”
“Just a bit worn out. I kinda turned a bar full of demons into kittens.”
Buffy gaped at Xander and then snorted in laughter. She tried to cover it with her hands but couldn’t hold it in. It was infectious and Xander soon found himself joining in despite the desperate situation they were all in.
“Oh, God. I’m so sorry, it’s just… Kittens? Cute, fuzzy, little kittens?”
“Yep, cute and fuzzy. Now imagine Willy having to clean up after all those kittens.”
Xander smiled and Buffy laughed again. Soon her laughter turned to sobs and Xander pulled her close and held her. He rocked her and made soft shushing noises while she pulled herself together.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t keep doing that. I need to be focused; strong.”
“Nothing wrong with leaning on a friend, Buff. It’s what makes you better than other slayers, your ability to trust others to be there for you. Besides, if anyone knows how you feel, it would be me.”
Xander looked at her seriously.
“How do you feel, Buffy? It might be none of my business but… Do you love him?”
“I… I don’t know. I care about him, Xander. But I don’t know if I love him.”
“That’s okay. You don’t have to make any decisions yet. But just so you know, it’s okay if you do.”
“Thank you.”
The pair sat in silence for awhile longer. Then Tara opened the back door and they looked up at her.
“I’m sorry to interrupt. Willow and I were thinking - maybe a locator spell would help? We could use it to try and find the First - I could try it.”
Buffy and Xander both stood. Buffy smiled at the shy witch and nodded her head.
“It couldn’t hurt, right?”
Xander groaned noiselessly. Leave it to Buffy to jinx the whole thing. He followed the two women back inside where Willow was sitting in front of her computer still researching the seal. He knew she had sworn off magic - only performing the one spell since his disappearance and that was a locator spell to find him. He was proud of her, even if he was still angry for her actions. Perhaps he could learn to forgive her in time - as long as she stayed away from the magic. He didn’t trust her when it came to spells - she abused her gifts.
While Tara set up the spell, Xander watched Willow. He could see her resolve not to participate, and it melted some of the ice that had formed around his heart. He still wasn’t ready to forgive and forget but this was as least a step in that direction. He was brought out of his musings by Tara’s screams.
Xander was shocked by what he saw. It had to be the First; there was no other explanation. Tara slumped to the floor crying, saying that she could still feel it - that the evil was inside of her now. Buffy and Willow both held her and assured her she would be okay. Xander shook his head ruefully. It wouldn’t be okay, not for any of them. This was way more than anything they had ever faced before.
“Hey, Buff? I’m gonna head home.”
“You sure? We could make up the sofa?”
“Nah. Thanks anyway. I got a few things I have to take care of at home.”
“Okay. Xander?”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful. Don’t do anything… stupid. Okay?”
“Okay. Nothing stupid.”
Xander drove home at breakneck speed and took the stairs up to his apartment. He knew there had to be a way to find Spike. They should have done the spell on him instead of the First, but after what had happened to Tara he couldn’t ask her to try again. No, he would do it himself this time. Then, he would get Buffy and they would rescue the vampire.
Buffy came, but she wasn’t alone. Willow, Tara, Dawn and Anya were all with her. Xander sighed and opened the driver’s door and Buffy scooted into the middle between him and Anya.
“They insisted on coming with.”
“No big.”
“So, where to?”
“Where do you think? Back to the hellmouth, source of the big evil. Some vamp said she saw a bunch of robed guys dragging Spike in there earlier.”
Willow popped her head in between Xander and Buffy.
“And you believed her? ’Cause I’m thinking, you know, vamps not so big with the honesty.”
“There’s a lot of that going around.”
Buffy put her hand on Xander’s thigh and squeezed it in support. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair.
“I’m sorry, I’m just a little frustrated. Yes I believe her; I have my reasons to, and can we just go and check this out without the second-guessing. Please?”
No one said anything else until they were at the school and standing in front of the blood-covered wheel that was positioned in front of a big bronze-looking thing in the floor.
“The Seal of Danthazar.”
“Huh? The seal of who?”
“Danthazar, Buffy. It’s bad. Very, very bad.”
Xander looked at his ex-fiancée and saw the way she was slowly backing away from the seal.
“What’s this thing do, An? I mean other than sit here and look evil.”
“It opens. And then bad things happen. If it’s been opened - and by the blood I’d say it has - then trouble is on its way.”
“Okay, that doesn’t tell me a whole lot, An.”
“I’m sorry, Xander. But that’s all I know. If I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”
Anya teleported out and Xander was left standing there looking down at the seal.
“Okay, people. What say we bury the satanic manhole cover and call it a night?”
Xander left the room and returned shortly with an assortment of shovels. Everyone grabbed one and got to work. Xander was silently going insane; he could smell Spike’s blood on the wheel and he was scared something horrible might have happened. By the time the seal was buried, everyone was tired and Xander drove them all back to Buffy’s house.
After Dawn went to bed and Willow and Tara were immersed in books researching the seal, Xander slipped out the back door and sat wearily on the step. Buffy joined him moments later.
“Hey, Xan. How you holding up?”
“Okay. Well, I could be better. You?”
“About the same. What happened at Willy’s? You look like you haven’t slept in days.”
“Just a bit worn out. I kinda turned a bar full of demons into kittens.”
Buffy gaped at Xander and then snorted in laughter. She tried to cover it with her hands but couldn’t hold it in. It was infectious and Xander soon found himself joining in despite the desperate situation they were all in.
“Oh, God. I’m so sorry, it’s just… Kittens? Cute, fuzzy, little kittens?”
“Yep, cute and fuzzy. Now imagine Willy having to clean up after all those kittens.”
Xander smiled and Buffy laughed again. Soon her laughter turned to sobs and Xander pulled her close and held her. He rocked her and made soft shushing noises while she pulled herself together.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t keep doing that. I need to be focused; strong.”
“Nothing wrong with leaning on a friend, Buff. It’s what makes you better than other slayers, your ability to trust others to be there for you. Besides, if anyone knows how you feel, it would be me.”
Xander looked at her seriously.
“How do you feel, Buffy? It might be none of my business but… Do you love him?”
“I… I don’t know. I care about him, Xander. But I don’t know if I love him.”
“That’s okay. You don’t have to make any decisions yet. But just so you know, it’s okay if you do.”
“Thank you.”
The pair sat in silence for awhile longer. Then Tara opened the back door and they looked up at her.
“I’m sorry to interrupt. Willow and I were thinking - maybe a locator spell would help? We could use it to try and find the First - I could try it.”
Buffy and Xander both stood. Buffy smiled at the shy witch and nodded her head.
“It couldn’t hurt, right?”
Xander groaned noiselessly. Leave it to Buffy to jinx the whole thing. He followed the two women back inside where Willow was sitting in front of her computer still researching the seal. He knew she had sworn off magic - only performing the one spell since his disappearance and that was a locator spell to find him. He was proud of her, even if he was still angry for her actions. Perhaps he could learn to forgive her in time - as long as she stayed away from the magic. He didn’t trust her when it came to spells - she abused her gifts.
While Tara set up the spell, Xander watched Willow. He could see her resolve not to participate, and it melted some of the ice that had formed around his heart. He still wasn’t ready to forgive and forget but this was as least a step in that direction. He was brought out of his musings by Tara’s screams.
Xander was shocked by what he saw. It had to be the First; there was no other explanation. Tara slumped to the floor crying, saying that she could still feel it - that the evil was inside of her now. Buffy and Willow both held her and assured her she would be okay. Xander shook his head ruefully. It wouldn’t be okay, not for any of them. This was way more than anything they had ever faced before.
“Hey, Buff? I’m gonna head home.”
“You sure? We could make up the sofa?”
“Nah. Thanks anyway. I got a few things I have to take care of at home.”
“Okay. Xander?”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful. Don’t do anything… stupid. Okay?”
“Okay. Nothing stupid.”
Xander drove home at breakneck speed and took the stairs up to his apartment. He knew there had to be a way to find Spike. They should have done the spell on him instead of the First, but after what had happened to Tara he couldn’t ask her to try again. No, he would do it himself this time. Then, he would get Buffy and they would rescue the vampire.