The Witch, The Warrior, and the Vampire

Chapter 13
Intensity

Willow, Angel, and Buffy rode in silence back to Revello Drive. After Willow parked her car in the driveway, they got out and the three of them stood looking at each other. Finally Angel broke the silence. “Buffy, can I talk to you, in private please?”

“Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front Willow.” Buffy answered, still miffed at Angel’s earlier actions.

“It’s just that, um, are you sure you can trust Spike?” Angel couldn’t bring himself to meet Buffy’s eyes. If asked, he couldn’t have explained why he was doing this. He’d shocked himself with his reaction to Xander. Fortunately, Spike had had the sense to stop him. Spike wasn’t here now to stop him from being an ass again. He felt the twinge from his conscience telling him what he was doing was wrong. The answering tug in his demon was louder however, and told him to separate Buffy and Spike. He listened to the demon.

“Why shouldn’t I trust him?” Buffy’s eyes narrowed into slits. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she was positive Angelus was talking and not Angel. Ever since he’d stormed into her house tonight, she’lt tlt the difference.

“He’s a vampire! He’s tried to kill you repeatedly! I know he’s been helping you for a while, but Spike’s the most despicable, untrustworthy, creature I’ve ever known. What kind of proof do you have that he won’t switch sides on you?” Angel’s voice got louder with each word. He’d worked himself into a shouting frenzy by the time he finished.

“You’re a vampire, Angel. You’ve tried to kill me over and over again. Spike’s worked with me longer than you have.” Buffy’s voice was soft and cold as ice.

“But it could all be part of his master plan to kill his third Slayer! How do you really know he won’t turn on you?” Angel was getting more and more frustrated by what he perceived as the slayer’s blindness towards Spike.

“You want to know how I know?” Angel nodded. “Spike proved to me years ago that I could trust him.”

“How?” Buffy looked like she had had about enough of this conversation.

“He helped me kill you.” Buffy started to go inside but Angel grabbed her arm and roughly turned her back around.

“He only helped you to get Drusilla back.” Angel punctuated the sentence with a high high-pitched giggle that Buffy knew only Angelus used.

“Do you think I don’t know that?” She hissed. Slowly she reached for the stake tucked into the back of her waistband. Angel might not have lost his soul yet, but he was damn close.

“I need more proof than that Buffy.” Angel spat the words out.

“And tell me why what you need matters to me?” Buffy retorted equally as venomous

“Because I lo…” The look of frigid ice in Buffy’s eyes halted him.

“You stop right there. Don’t even try to say it. You have no right to ask these questions of me Angel. You lost your right a long time ago. But, I’ll answer you anyway. Spike came to me and offered my assistance to stop you from ending the world. I’ll grant you, when he first got the chip, he helped because we paid him, but that changed when he fell in love with me.”

“He doesn’t know what love is.” That earned him a slap across the face that almost knocked him down, a fuming Buffy standing before him.

“How can you say that? He’s changed his entire existence for me. He got tortured by a hellgod and didn’t give up Dawn. Because he loves us. When I was dead? He didn’t leave. Spike and Xander are the only two men in my life that have never left me. And believe me, I tried like hell to make him leave. He kept his promise to protect my sister. Why would he do that if he didn’t love me?” Buffy’s stake was forgotten by now.

Willow was looking anxiously back and forth between them. She could sense the difference in Angel and was getting scared.

In her anger Buffy shoved Angel backwards and got right in his face. “I wasn’t here. I was dead. It’s not like he was showing off for me. When I got back? He kept me from killing myself. He stopped me from turning myself in for a murder I didn’t commit by letting me beat him to a bloody pulp. Spike has had every opportunity in the world to kill me. I even begged him to, but he didn’t. But it all comes down to this: Spike proved I could trust him because. Of. You. You got what you came for, Angel. Leave. Don’t come back to my town until you can treat me and mine with the respect we deserve.” Buffy turned on her heel, grabbed Willow and went inside.

Angel stood and watched the house for a long time. His emotions were in turmoil. He couldn’t explain why he’d said what he had, but he felt the truth of the words. Angelus’ words. He’d known Spike longer than anyone else. He knew for a fact that Spike had to have some kind of ulterior motive for helping Buffy all this time. He felt it in his bones that the good good-for for-nothing vampire was up to something. He just didn’t know how to prove it. But he would. There was a stop he had to make before going tok tok to LA. It was time for him to have a pair of eyes and ears in Sunnydale and he knew just where to get them. It was obvious the Scooby Gang were delusional when it came to Spike. Once he had the proof Spike was up to his diabolical schemes, Buffy would see reason. Spike could not be trusted. Angelus giggled again, as his soul twisted in agony.

Buffy leaned against the back of the front door. She was shaking she was so angry. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

“Guess you told Angel, huh?” Willow’s soft question pierced Buffy’s thoughts.

The words were offered in an effort to lighten the mood, but they had the opposite affect. Buffy broke down into tears. “Oh Buffy, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” Willow wrapped an arm around Buffy’s shoulder and walked her into the living room. It looked like everyone else had already gone to bed. After all, tomorrow was the last day of school for all the witches.

Buffy sniffled and found a tissue to blow her nose. “It’s not you Willow, I promise.” Reaching inside for her inner optimist, Buffy found a genuine smile for her best friend. It wasn’t a big one, but it wasn’t fake either. “Xander tried to…and where does Angel get off? He left me. Three years later I’m supposed to care about his opinion? He’s mated to Cordelia for god’s sake, and he’s questioning my judgement!” Both girls were giggling now. Cordelia Chase the May Queen, head cheerleader, and supreme bitch of Sunnydale High School, was a seer, part demon, step-mothend mnd mated to Buffy’s ex. Only on the Hellmouth, but then it hadn’t exactly happened on the Hellmouth had it?

Sobering up, Willow decided it was time to talk about what really had her friend upset, Xander. “Buffy, that wasn’t Xander that attacked you. You know that don’t you?”

“Yes... No... Maybe... He has his soul Willow, shouldn’t thean ean something? I didn’t expect him to try to kill me. He didn’t try to kill you, did he?” Buffy finally let the hurt come through her words, and Willow felt a sympathetic pang.

“He didn’t attack me like he did you, but yeah, it was touch and go. He had to drink a whole bunch of blood before he could push the demon back. And even then, he didn’t seem to be completely comfortable with me, unless Spike was touching him, or I was sitting all the way across the room.” Buffy’s expression of concern seemed to loosen up slightly at Willow’s statement.

The girls heard the sound of the back door opening and went to the kitchen to see what was going on. Giles, Dawn, and Tara were deep in conversation. Tara was the first to notice Willow and Buffy. Readtheitheir auras was second nature to Tara now. Moody witches and Slayers weren’t easy to be around. Immediately she knew they were both upset. She reached out and held Willow’s hand. “What is it? Is everything ok?”

“Yes, how is Xander?” Giles inquired.

“What’s he like? Is he different? Is he all pale now? Did you see him drink blood?” Dawn’s enthusiasm was disturbing, but everyone knew she only curious.

“Go ahead Willow. You had more interaction with him than me.” Willow searched Buffy’s face for clues as to how to precede and decided not to tell them he’d attacked Buffy.

“He’s still Xander, but he is different.” Willow decided to make a pot of tea, it would give her something to do with her hands and help her think. She’d felt a difference in her life-long best friend but was having to a hard time putting it into words. When the kettle was full and warming on the stove she continued.

“I don’t really know how to explain it…” She sat down on a stool at the island and racked her brain for the right word. “There’s this intensity about him he didn’t have before.” She looked at Buffy to see if she knew what she meant. When Buffy nodded, Willow continued.

“He’s Xander. He’s paler, he’s cold, thinner, but he still made with the wisecracks after he pushed the demon down. You know how when Spike is around, the air’s charged? Like you can tell he’s different? I always felt it but never knew how to describe it. When vampire me was here she felt the same way, Angel too. Now that I’ve seen Xander turned, I can pinpoint the difference. He’s Xander, but he’s more Intense Xander.” Willow gave up tg tog to explain and shrugged her shoulders. She looked at Buffy and silently pleaded with her to finish.

“Giles, he’s powerful. I’ve only met a few vamps that were as strong as he is. Darla, The Master, Angel, Spike, Drusilla, Kakistos, Dracula…” Buffy watched her Watcher’s reaction to her words carefully.

“Good lord Buffy, are you trying to say he’s already as strong as a Master Vampire?”

“Yes… Maybe… I don’t know Giles.” Buffy sighed deeply and rubbed her temples. Explaining what the Slayer within her sensed was almost always impossible. “No, he’s not as strong as a Master Vamp, but he’s stronger than any vampire I’ve ever dusted straight out of the grave.” Uncomfortable still with what had happened when Xander saw her, Buffy changed the subject. “Where were you guys, anyway? Dawn, don’t you know it’s a school night? And Tara, don’t you have your last exam tomorrow?” The shifting feet and guilty expressions on their faces told Buffy more than their silence. “What happened?”

“We had a visitor after you left, and then an errand to run.” Giles’ answer wasn’t an explanation at all and he knew it.

Buffy didn’t miss the evasiveness and her eyes narrowed. “Who?”

Giles shot Tara and Dawn both a warning look before he answered. “I can’t tell you yet. When the Lawe’s get back and Xander is able to be around all of us at once, I’ll explain.”

“But--” Giles saw Buffy gathering steam for her protest, and cut her off.

“No buts, Buffy. It’s not the time.” Giles He continued before Buffy could protest again. “I have some research to do first. Right now I only have questions.” He had taken Dawn and Tara with him to question the powers. He’d only gone to them once before. To question them about the Sisterhood of the Jhe. Fortunately tonight they’d been more responsive than they had then. While they hadn’t answered any questions per se, they had overwhelmed him with visions. Now he needed to write them down and figure out their meanings.

“I’d like to suggest we all get some rest and focus on the tasks at hand. You girls will be done with school tomorrow. Your training will consume much of your time then. Buffy we need to continue your training with Spike.”

“I don’t think we’ll be doing that for a while. Spike wants to start training Xander, and I can’t exactly be around him yet.” Buffy half-whispered.

“Whatever do you mean?” All eyes were focused on the slayer.

“He tried to kill me.” Not yet ready to answer any questions about the attack, Buffy scurried out of the kitchen and went to her room. Leaving Willow alone with three sets of questioning eyes.

*

Spike was out on Xander’s balcony smoking. He was restless. He’d tried to find something to watch on the telly, but the sounds coming from the bedroom had made that attempt futile. He was a vampire for god’s sake! He wasn’t supposed to be hanging out in the other room. He was supposed to be in there with his childe! He could have joined in if he’d wanted to, but his heart wasn’t in it. His heart was at 1630 Revello Drive. He sent a quick and silent prayer to whoever listened to vampire prayers that Xander would have enough control to be left alone with Anya. Soon. It had been quiet in there for about thirty minutes, but he knew Xander wasn’t asleep. He could feel his childe’s restlessness, so he wasn’t surprised when Xander joined him on the balcony.

“Have a nice shag?” He asked as he flicked the cigarette over the balcony rail.

“Yeah.” Xander let his awareness spread out into the night. It felt good, but the pull he’d felt earlier was stronger. He needed something, but he didn’t know what. It wasn’t blood, he’d fed plenty that night. It wasn’t sex. He didn’t think that even with his vampire stamina he could have gone another round.

“Better now, innit?” Spike cocked a scarred eyebrow at his childe.

“Sex? Yeah. Not that it wasn’t good before, but now it’s just more *intense*. It’s like I can almost feel what Anya’s feeling and what I’m feeling all at the same time.”

“Mind blowing, yeah?”

“Yeah, it is.” They stood watching the night in silence for a few minutes before Xander spoke again. “There’s something missing.”

“What?” Spike lit another cigarette and blew smoke rings out over the night.

“I need something but I don’t know what. It’s not blood, I don’t think I could drink anymore if I had to.”

“Youn’t n’t feed from Anya, did you?” Spike’s gaze pinned Xander in a way that felt almost physical.

“NO!” Xander exclaimed then added sheepishly, “I wanted to, but I didn’t. It isn’t blood and it isn’t sex, but I need to…” Xander trailed off trying to pinpoint what he needed.

“Kill something.” Spike offered with a smirk.

Xander swallowed hard before he replied. “Yes.”

“Go get dressed, nothing like a good spot of violence before bedtime.” Spike’s own demon was screaming for violence as well.

“Y-y-you’re going to take me hunting?” Fear and trepidation crashed over him. He knew Spike was right. He needed to kill something, but his soul was screaming at him not to take human life.

“No, you bloody idiot. We’re gonna patrol. If we can’t find some nasties to kill, we’ll spar a little at the Magic Box.”

“Oh, um, ok, give me a minute.” Xander glanced down and realized for the first time he was buck-naked, he ran inside to get dressed. Spike noticed Xander’s embarrassment at his nudity and chuckled. A few minutes later Xander was back wearing his khakis, a button up oxford shirt, and his construction boots. Spike jumped over the balcony railing and landed gracefully on the grass three stories below. He looked up at Xander and noticed his hesitation. “Come on now, you’re a vampire. Little jump like that won’t ‘urt you.”

So Xander jumped. Much to his own surprise, he landed on his feet as gracefully as Spike. “Um, Spike, don’t we need weapons if we’re gonna patrol?”

“We’ll swing by the crypt and pick some up. Feel like running?”

The cool night breeze blew across Xander’s face, carrying scents he recognized but couldn’t name. The restless energy that he’d felt earlier was stronger now. Suddenly he realized running sounded like a fine idea, which surprised him. As a human he’d hated running. All it did was make him out of breath, and he never could keep up with Buffy even when she tried to set a leisurely pace. “Yeah, I do.”

“Let’s go then.” Spike took off with Xander on his heels. Ten miles and ten minutes later they arrived at Spike’s crypt. Xander had never felt better, more alive in his life. He smirked at the irony of that, but decided to keep it to himself. Spike shoved the lid of the sarcophagus aside and started rummaging through his arsenal. “Well come on, pick out some weapons.” When Xander still didn’t join him, Spike turned his head and looked at him. Xander was in game face, eyes closed and breathing deeply. “What’s your problem, Harris?”

“What. Is. That. Smell?”

Now it was Spike’s turn to be embarrassed. He knew immediately what scent the fledgling had picked up on. It permeated his crypt, even after it’d been blown to smithereens. “Sex.”

“No, it’s something else. My bedroom doesn’t smell like this.” Xander continued, trying to hone in on the scent.

“That’s cause you don’t sleep with the Slayer,” Spike said simply.

The demon receded immediately. The memory of what happened when he saw Buffy overwhelmed Xander. He sat down on the sarcophagus and fought back tears. “How can you be that close to her and not kill her? I tried so hard not to, but it was like a reflex. I couldn’t stop myself.”

“That’s something I’ve asked myself a million times, Harris.” Spike said as he sat down beside his childe. “Can you keep a secret?”

Xander nodded.

“I’ve never wanted to kill Buffy.” Spike’s azure gaze pierced Xander’s brown.

“What? But you tried to so many times.” Xander, for his part, looked like he had just been told that Christmas didn’t exist.

“Not really, most of that was for show.” Spike leaned back on his forearms, smiling.

“It sure as hell didn’t look like a show.” Xander was doing an admirable job of processing the information that had just surprised the hell out of him.

“Good.” Spike paused and lit another cigarette. Not because he needed it or even for show, because it gave him time to think. “I came to the Hellmouth because I thought it would restore Dru’s health. I didn’t want any trouble so I offered my services to the Annoying One. In order to get in with ‘his crowd, I offered to kill the Slayer. Made a big show about being the Slayer of Slayers and all that rot. Meant it to. Then I saw Buffy at The Bronze dancing with you and Willow. Knew immediately she was the Slayer. She was so beautiful, pure, and powerful. My demon didn’t want to kill her. It wanted to claim her as a mate.”

“You wanted her as your mate?” Xander was shocked. He’d wanted Buffy for his own since the first time he saw her. As a vampire, all he wanted was her death. He couldn’t understand how any vampire could be in her presence and not attack.

“I did and still do. All I ever wanted was a partner, an equal, as a human and a vampire. The demon in me knew Buffy was the one. She’s my equal and I’m hers. She just hasn’t come to terms with it yet. Why do you think we’re both still alive?”

“What do you mean?” Xander’s brow furrowed.

“Don’t be daft, Harris. We could have killed each other a hundred times over. Neither of us can do it.” Spike crushed out his cigarette with the heel of his boot. In a quiet voice, with a totally different accent, he muttered, “I think we’re fated.”

Xander laughed so hard he snorted. “Fated? By the powers? A Vampire and a Slayer, have you lost your mind?”

“Have you forgotten the prophecy and our history?” Spike wasn’t offended by his laughter.

That sobered Xander up. In his mind’s eye, he recalled Buffy and Spike’s history. Spike could have killed her at the Parent/Teacher conference. Joyce braining him with an ax wasn’t enough to stop him. He could have killed her that Halloween everyone turned into their costumes. When the spell was broken, Buffy had roughed him up a little and then Spike had ran. When Buffy had gotten trapped with those freaky kids who wanted to be vampires, they hadn’t so much as exchanged blows. When Spike had returned to Sunnydale for a love spell, they hadn’t fought then either. Spike had had the fabled Gem of Amarra. Instead of killing Buffy, he’d taunted her, playeth hth her. Then he’d gotten chipped.

True, he’d sent the Order of Taraka after her, but that was to keep Buffy off his scent while he restored Dru. The Judge hadn’t been Spike’s idea either. Merely a present for his princess to keep her occupied while his spinal injuries healed. He’d teamed up with Adam, but in the end, when it really mattered, he’d helped the Scoobies. When Tara had cast the demon-hiding spell, Spike had saved Buffy’s life. Then he’d proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Tara wasn’t a demon. Spike had always saved the day. When it mattered.

Now that he could see Spike without his ingrained prejudice, Xander saw their history for what is was. A series of events contrived by the Powers to build trust between two natural enemies. Realization dawned on him. It had been in front of everyone’s face the entire time. They hadn’t killed each other not, because they couldn’t, because they hadn’t wanted to. And the Powers wanted it that way. “Oh.”

“Let’s go kill something, Harris.” Spike said as he hefted his sword and pocketed a stake. Xander nodded and armed himself like Spike, and the vampires headed out into the night.

*

Angel held a glass full of Spike’s blood under Connor’s nose. His eyes flew open and gulped it down. “More.” So Angel filled the glass with Xander’s blood. Connor drank it down quickly and settled into a natural sleep.

“What’s wrong, Angel?” Cordelia asked hourter,ter, as she slid her arms around his waist. Angel had been watching over his son since he went back to sleep, deep in thought about over his actions during the night.

“Angelus almost broke through tonight. The closer I got to Sunnydale the crazier I became. I said terrible things to Buffy and almost raped Xander.”

“It’s the Master’s pull, you know that.” Cordy rested her head on his shoulder.

Angel nodded, deeply ashamed of his actions. Especially setting spies on Spike. “I thought that when I anchored my soul with the spell Giles gave me, things like this wouldn’t happen.”

“You’re still a vampire, Angel, and the Master is the head of your line. Next time, instead of going to Sunnydale and risking it, why don’t you use the phone?”

“How’d you get to be so smart?” He kissed the top of Cordelia’s head.

“It’s the demon in me. Let’s go to bed, Connor’s fine.” Without waiting for an answer, Cordelia turned and headed towards their bedroom.

*

Spike was proud of Xander. They’d patrolled every cemetery in Sunnydale, ; they hadn’t found any nasties, but his fledgling had blended perfectly with the shadows, followed his lead, and hadn’t spoken unnecessarily. “Wanna give up and spar?” Xander nodded so they made their way to the Magic Box. Spike let them in with the key he had to the back door. He didn’t bother turning on the lights, as neither of them needed it.

“How are you going to train me?ndernder was curious. He’d helped Buffy with her training for years, but only as a practice dummy. He could hold his own and defend himself bar brawler style, but he didn’t really have any fighting skills.

“I’m not.” Spike shrugged out of his duster and tossed it over a chair.

Completely confused now, Xander’s only reply was “Huh?”

“The demon that inhabits you already knows how to fight. It’s going to train you.” Spike sighed.

“Again with the huh?” Xander still had a blank look on his face.

Had Xander always been so slow? Spike smacked himself on the forehead at his own stupidity for asking the question. He’d never met anyone as thick as Harris. “Once again, slower this time. The Demon knows how to fight. You’re going to let it out and it’s going to teach your body what to do.”

“If I’m patrolling with Buffy and let out the demon to fight, what’s going to stop me from trying to kill her again?” Worry had replaced incomprehension in Xander’s expression.

“You won’t be patrolling with Buffy until you learn how to control your demon. Even then you won’t patrol with her without me. So shut up, let your demon out, and let’s try out your hand to hand skills.” Spike moved over to the sparring mats.

“Aren’t you gonna let your demon out?” Xander followed his sire.

“Don’t need to, to fight the likes of you. Hope you’re not as big of a wimp as a vampire as you were a human.” Spike chose his words carefully to enrage the demon in his childe. He wasn’t disappointed.

Xander’s true face emerged and he threw himself at Spike. He got tossed into a wall for his efforts. Picking himself up he began to circle his sire. Roundhouse kick to the head, blocked. Two right jabs followed with an uppercut, blocked. Left roundhouse kick followed by a right elbow, blocked.

“Is this the best you can do? You’re disappointing me boy.” Spike smirked, only enraging Xander more.

Jab, punch, kick, kick, punch, punch, left cross, all blocked. Suddenly Spike was on the offensive, and in seconds Xander was on his ass with a bloody nose. “Let it out. Just give in. You’re holding yourself back I can tell. You won’t hurt me and if you do I won’t punish you. Show me what ve gve got.”

Somersault to his feet, spinning kick to the head, too slow, his feet were swept out from under him and he was on his ass again. “Maybe I should have let Maverick have you if this is the best you can do. You’re born from my demon. The only demon in the history of the world to kill two Slayers on his own. Come on whelp, give it me good.”

With a roar of anger, Xander attacked. He let his consciousness fall back and the demon take over. He was landing punches and kicks now, blocking some too. The smell of his sire’s blood tickled his awareness. ‘Call me a wimp now, Spike.’ He was on his ass again. ‘How the hell did that happen?’ He became aware of the bruises littering his body and wondered if Spike had held back at all.

“Stop that.” Spike commanded in a sharp tone Xander had never heard before.

“Stop what?” He looked blankly at Spike.

“Breathing. You don’t need to do it, and it gives your location away. So stop.” Spike offered Xander a hand up, he took it. “Want some more?”

Xander stood up straight and winced, was that a broken rib? “No, you beat the hell out of me.”

“Yeah, fun though innit?” Spike grinned, waiting to see what Xander would admit to.

Xander thought about it for less than a second “Yeah. It felt…natural.”

“It is for demons. You did well though, first time out. Got some nice moves on you, but you’ve not figured out how strong and fast you really are. Give it some time, a lot of practice and you can kick some major ass.”

“Did you hold back on me?” Xander had to know. He’d never taken a beaten that brutal in his life.

“Yeah.” Spike admitted, he hadn’t wanted to hurt him after all. “Give it a couple of weeks. I won’t have to hold back and you’ll be able to take it. I’ll quit holding back on you when you figure out how to use your new strengths.”

“Spike, I’m hungry and we’re out of blood.” The bloodthirst was starting to dominate the younger vampire’s thoughts again.

“Still feel up to some mischief then?” Spike knew he himself certainly did.

“What have you got in mind?”

“Thought we could sharpen your hunting skills and break into the blood bank at the hospital.” The blonde gathered his duster and headed for the door.

A wicked grin spread across Xander’s face the idea really appealed to his demon and his soul concurred. It was better to steal blood than kill for it. “Let’s do it.”

“That’s my boy.” Spike chuckled. He locked up the Magic Box and they headed for the hospital.

An hour later they had enough blood to last the two of them the rest of the week. “Xander, don’t tell Buffy what we just did.”

“Are you kidding? She’d stake us both.” The two vampires laughed together as they jumped up onto the balcony from the ground and let themselves back in the apartment. When the blood was stored safely in the refrigerator, they made themselves a mug each and sat down on the couch.

“Spike, what’s gonna happen tomorrow?”

“Anya’ll go to work, figure you’ll call your job and tell ‘em something. We can go to the Magic Box and train. You could stay here and sleep and I could go train with Buffy. I dunno, possibilities are endless. S’long as you stay out of the sun.”

“Can we go get me some new clothes?” Spike wasn’t sure he’d heard Xander correctly.

“What’s wrong with the one’s you’ve got?” Harris wanted to shop with him? Now that was interesting.

“Nothing really, but they belong to someone who’s dead.” Ok, that even sounded cold to Xander. Hastily he added, “As loose as these pants are, I figure I’ve lost some weight and nothing’ll fit right anyway.”

Ahh, it was an image problem. The vampire didn’t want to be reminded of Harris the whelp and glorified bricklayer. That was something Spike could understand. He’d shaken off William as fast as he could. Of course, running railroad spikes through everyone that had taunted him when he’d been human wasn’t really an option for Xander.
“You’re right; you have lost weight and you’ll lose more over nextnext few weeks. Demon metabolism is faster than human’s. Training, patrolling, and shaggin’ll take off the rest of it.”

“Really?” That intrigued Xander for about a second. He knew Spike had already figured out what the problem really was. “I’m not the same as I was and there’s no need to pretend that I am. I want some new clothes. These just don’t feel right anymore.” He pointed to his preppy oxford shirt and khakis.

“Tell you what, wait a couple of weeks for the changes in your body to taper off. No need spendin’ money on stuff that’ll be too big for you in a week or two anyway. Then just wear what makes you comfortable.” Spike added mentally, ‘ sho should be interesting.’

“What do you mean, wear what makes you comfortable?” Xander enquired.

“Angelus always wore the ponciest clothes around, still does if you ask me. Height of fashion, most expensive, stuff he could find. Said it was the richness of the fabrics that drew him. I think it appealed to the gentry in him. Darla was the same really, but she’d sacrifice fashion for sex appeal. See, Darla was a whore before she was turned. Nothing changed for her, she was a whore alive and she was whore undead. Dru never changed her style, wore the same type of clothes for 140 years. She was so broken by the time she was turned, she clung to what she knew.”

“What about you?” Spike grimaced under Xander’s perusal of him.

“Was an upper-class romantic fool before Dru and Angel delivered me from mediocrity. I ditched my fancy clothes, name, and accent first chance I got. Had to shake off the pussy I was when I was human. Went straight to what compares today to jeans and t-shirts. Wasn’t ‘til the seventies I added the duster.”

“I want to at least get a new pair of jeans tomorrow, and some more of these undershirts.” Xander insisted.

“What you really need is a good leather coat.” Spike said authoritatively.

“Why is it vampires think they have to wear leather all the time?” The brunette asked, a hint of a joke in his question.

“All the fightin’ we do, leather’s the toughest fabric there is, keeps the rest of your clothes from gettin’ destroyed. An’ it smells good.” Spike was no fool; he knew what Xander thought of his wardrobe.

Xander nodded, that made sense. “I think I’m gonna go to bed. I’ll try to settle up my affairs tomorrow with work and all that. You might as well train with Buffy.”

“If I leave you here tomorrow, you’d better damn well stay here. You’re not to go anywhere unless I’m with you, understand?”

“Yeah I do. After what happened with Willow and Buffy, I finally get it.” The brown-haired vampire looked contrite for his questioning of Spike’s methods earlier.

“And for god’s sake don’t let anyone in that isn’t me or Anyanka.”

“Got it.” He stood and headed towards the bedroom. Looking over his shoulder he asked, “Coming?” Immediately embarrassed he followed up with, “Just in case I wake up hungry and can’t handle it.”

Spike wasn’t fooled for a second. Xander was comforted by his presence, as it should be. “You wanna drink first?” He bared his neck while he asked and was pleased to see Xander’s fangs drop at the offer.

“You’re not gonna fuck me, are you?” Fear flashed across Xander’s features and the demon receded. He wanted the blood and he wanted Spike to sleep with him and Anya. But he really, really, did NOT want anymore sexual intimacy.

“Not unless you beg, and probably not even then.” Spike sed aed at Xander.

“Not a chance in hell of that.” Xander said before he sank his teeth into his sire’s neck. Nothing in the world compared to sire blood. Unless it was drinking sire blood while Spike was drinking from him. Which he was.… and, that was damn near ecstasy.

They drank both drank deeply for a co of of minutes. Finally Spike pulled away and let Xander have a few more swallows before he growled out the command to stop. Xander pulled away reluctantly. All the wounds on his body were healed. They went to the bedroom. Xander stripped down to his boxers and settled in beside Anya, pulling her in to his arms. Spike stripped down to his jeans, and lay down on the other side of Xander. Sighing contently, Spike threw an arm around both of them. ‘If only Buffy was here,’ he thought before drifting off to sleep, ‘I’ in in heaven.’