The Viking Hunter

Part 16

Spike brought Xander back to his apartment as he didn't think the boy would want to spend the remainder of the night and the next day stuck in a musty old crypt. He knew he'd made a mistake when Xander realized where he was.

"Anya! Oh God, Spike she's gone. I'll never see her again, she's dead."

"I'm sorry pet, I wasn't thinking. I shouldn't have brought you here, not tonight."

"No, I need to be here. I...I haven't been able to grieve for her. I need to let her go."

"You want me to go? Let you have some time alone?"

"Um, yeah but.... could you come back? maybe in a couple hours? I don't want to be alone tonight. I'm scared."

"Of course pet. I'll go check in with the watcher, pick up my things. I'll come back in a bit."

"Promise?"

"Promise pet. I'll be back, Xander."

Spike walked out of the apartment building to see Angel putting his phone in his pocket and turning away from the building. He wondered what his Sire was doing lurking about.

"Oi, Angelus! What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure that you and Xander were alright."

"Yeah, about that. I fucked up Sire. I brought him here, Anya's dead and I took him back to their apartment. What the Hell was I thinking?"

"You probably weren't. He needs to be there Spike, sooner or later he's going to have to come to terms with everything. Better to face it all at once. Dragging this out wouldn't help him."

"Thanks Angel. For the that and for fighting for me. I appreciate it."

"I know. Look Spike, I know I'm not Angelus, but I still feel like your Sire. I do love you, even when I don't like you. I'll always be here for you, as long as your not killing innocents."

"Thanks. I told the whelp I'd give him a couple of hours. I'm heading to the watchers to pick up my gear, wanna walk with me?"

"Sure, I was actually just headed there myself. I was going to pick up some blood for you guys and drop it off before heading home."

"So your leaving then?"

"Have to. Cordy will come down here if I don't get back soon. She knows I'm with 'family' and that makes her nervous. Go figure."

The vampires shared a smile and continued their walk to the ex watchers place.

Xander crawled into the bedroom he and Anya shared and sat on the floor at the foot of the bed. He was overcome by the scent of her surrounding him. His grief tore at him knowing that he would never see her again, never hold her, touch her, tell her that he loved her. It was too much. With a blinding rage he vamped out and leapt to his feet, he lashed out at the closest object in the room, his dresser, and it shattered to pieces.

"Excuse me? If your about finished wrecking the furniture can we talk?"

Xander spun around, yellow eyes blazing, fangs bared, and growling.

"Anya?"

"Xander. Sit down, we need to talk."

"How? I saw... your dead?"

"So are you!"

"Okay, okay. Just trying to understand here. Are you a vampire? You don't feel like a vampire."

"No. When I died, D'Hoffryn gave me my old job back. It was supposed to be this way. One human lifetime and then I'd get my powers back. I didn't know."

"So you're Anyanka now?"

"Yes. I am. But don't worry, I'm not going to wreak vengeance on you for sleeping with Thor. He was your Sire after all. And technically we're both dead so our relationship ended when we stopped living."

"What now? Are you staying?"

"I can't, I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay. I'm happy Xander, don't be sad for me. You have a very long life ahead of you, find someone to share it with. Just not a human, they're too fragile and they'll die on you and then you'll be sad again. Maybe you should hook up with Angel or Spike."

"Eeewww! Angel? NO WAY!"

"I see you didn't eeww about Spike. Xander I have to go. I'll check in from time to time. Thank you for making my human life worth living. You were a great boyfriend and friend. Bye."

"Bye Anya."

Anya vanished in a flash of blinding light. Xander smiled and left the bedroom. He walked out to the kitchen and pulled a beer from the fridge. Anya was okay, she was happy, and she wanted him to find someone to make him happy. But Spike? Did he really want to pursue a relationship with an unsouled, vampire who only helped because he had a chip in his head? The same vampire who had comforted him, held him and made him feel safe? Yeah, he did.

When Angel and Spike arrived at Giles apartment, the rest of the Scooby's were still there. Willow and Tara were curled up together on the sofa, Giles was in his chair sipping from a cup of tea, and Buffy was pacing. She looked up when the two vampires entered the room.

"How is Xander? Is he here? Where is he?"

"Calm down slayer. He's alright, he's at home. He wanted some time alone to miss his girl."

"Oh, damn I hadn't thought of that. Poor Xan, after everything else he has no one to look after him."

Angel heard Spike growl at Buffy's comment and raised an eyebrow at his Childe. Spike had the decency to look contrite but didn't apologize.

"He's not alone, he has you lot, when he's ready he'll call you. 'Sides I'm just here to get my things and then I'm going back over."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"He asked me to come back, I'm going back!"

Spike gathered his things, which consisted of some blood packets in the fridge, a couple of CD's and a spare pack of cigarettes, and headed for the door. Angel stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Hold on, I'll drive you back."

"Angel? Are you leaving already?"

"Yes Buffy, I have to get back to LA, I have a business to run. Besides I left my credit cards with Cordelia."

"In that case you better hurry!"

A quick round of goodbye's were exchanged and the vampire's were once again outside in the Sunnydale night. Angel unlocked the car and him and Spike drove silently back to Xander's. Once they were parked out front of the building Angel turned to Spike and cleared his throat to get the younger vampire's attention.

"Spike, can I ask you something?"

"Sure peaches, don't mean I'll answer you."

"What's going on with you and Xander?"

"Nothing mate, nothing at all."

"And that's the problem?"

"Yes. No. Hell I don't know! Before this soddin' chip, I was going to take red and the whelp. I would have turned them, they're mine! Wouldn't dream of it now, not Willow anyway. She's too powerful, if the demon got control of her power, she'd put Angelus to shame. But Xander, well he was taken from me. And yeah I'm pissed, but I'm sorta happy 'bout it too. He's immortal, strong, and there's none of that Sire/Childe crap to get in the way. If he decides to be with me it'll be because he wants me, not because he has to. You understand?"

"Yeah I do. But Spike, he's Xander, Xander Harris?"

"That he is Sire, and I like him just the way he is."

"Well good luck, I guess. Never would have figured Xander as your type is all."

"Yeah well, I got to know the real Xander, not the donut-boy you knew, he's a good man Angel, you should try to get to know him. But hands off eh? He's mine."

"Nothing to worry about there Spike. You take care of your self. Call me if you ever need to. Or just if you want to. I have missed you."

"Missed you too, tell anyone and I'll deny it! See ya."

Angel drove away into the night as Spike headed back up to Xander's apartment to see how the younger vampire was coping. Hopefully there would still be furniture to sit on.