Mbwa Mwitu

Chapter Summary: The group awakens and Willow calls.


It took Xander a moment to come fully into awareness. He could feel Spike's cool body wrapped around him, his strong arms pining Xander to the mattress. It shouldn't have been comfortable and normally Xander would have felt the urge to turn Spike over and dominate him, show him who was really in control. Yet the urge didn't come, so Xander slowly opened his eyes and looked down at Spike's head.

He was in need of a new dye job.

Smiling, Xander pressed his forehead against Spike's, watching as Spike's nose twitched. "Time to wake up, sleepy head. Or did you spend all this time watching me sleep and not catching any rest for yourself."

"Watching you sleep is plenty restful." Spike replied, opening his clear blue eyes. Xander grinned. "What time is it?"

"Looks about four in the afternoon." Xander informed him, glancing over his shoulder. "We should go check on Tara and Oz." Xander sat up, stretching his arms toward the ceiling. He felt Spike's fingers graze across his lower back. Sending Spike a smile, he climbed out of bed. "I wonder if they found anything on Wesley's problem."

"Don't know, love." Spike replied, getting up as well.

They puttered around the room a few minutes, getting dressed and generally waking up. They kept looking at each other, as though shocked the other one was actually alive. Finally, they had spent enough time dressing, and made for the door. Before they could reach it, however, Xander reached out and grabbed a hold of Spike, pulling him into a hard hug.

"I thought I had lost you." Xander whispered into his ear.

"Never." Spike told him, pulling back and kissing him lightly on the lips. "You'll never get rid of me, pet. I'm yours for eternity."

"Mine." Xander growled, yanking Spike into a deep kiss. His tongue forced it's way into Spike's mouth, sliding along the vampire's tongue and teeth. Xander ended the kiss with a sigh. "Yours."

"That's right. Mine." Spike agreed, smiling. Spike slipped his hand into Xander's and tugged him out the door. They ignored the sounds of Angel and Doyle talking in the library and instead went next door to Tara's room.

Spike carefully opened the door, pausing when the smell of sex hit his nose. Next to him, Xander released his hand and stepped further into the room. There were two towels on the floor, along with Oz's jeans. Xander stopped at the foot of the bed, his eyes wide with shock. Spike walked up next to him and wasn't that surprised to see Tara and Oz curled up together under the covers. The fact that they were naked only fit the scent in the air.

"Maybe we should leave them alone?" Xander asked.

"Probably a good idea." Spike agreed, slipping an arm around Xander's waist. "How about you head for the library and I'll go get us something to eat, yeah?"

"Ohh, my own servant?" Xander wiggled his eyebrows.

"I might even wear the maid uniform." Spike whispered, leering. With that said, Spike and Xander left the room and continued to the library. They parted after a deep kiss. "See you in a second, love."

"Not soon enough." Xander informed him.

"Oh, gross, stop!" Cordelia's voice gagged. She stood in the library's doorway, a disgusted look on her face. "If you get any more sappy, you'll stick to the floor."

"Har-har." Xander rolled his eyes, pushing past his ex-girlfriend and making for the table. Around twenty books were lined up on the table, each opened to pictures of feline demons. Across the room, Angel and Doyle sat on the loveseat that Wesley had once occupied. Xander adverted his eyes out of respect and Doyle pulled Angel into a light kiss.

"Not you two, as well!" Cordelia complained, when she spotted them. With a sigh, she joined Xander at the table. "They've been pawing at each other for about three hours now."

"Where's Wesley?" Xander asked, pulling one of the books toward him. He stared at the picture a moment, before shutting the book and grabbing the next one. Nearly all of the images looked the same, except for the small details. Thankfully, those details were evident enough for Xander to spot them.

"Gunn put him to bed." Cordelia replied, sitting down next to him. She was quiet for a moment, before speaking in a soft tone, despite the words that left her mouth. "Is it just me, or is everyone turning gay?"

"Tara and Oz aren't." Xander offered, fighting down a grin. He sent Cordelia an amused look. "Thinking of joining the other side?"

"No!" Cordelia snapped, before sighing. "It's just... Every time I turn around my best friends are getting together. Angel and Doyle, you and Spike, and now Wesley and Gunn... Though, Wesley isn't aware of that one yet, so don't tell anyone I said so. I'm without extra senses like the rest of you, but even I can tell that Gunn is head over heals in love."

"He's pretty obvious." Xander admitted, watching as Cordelia thread her fingers through her long hair, almost absentmindedly as she thought. Xander moved from book to book, giving her the moment of silence she needed before speaking again. It was one thing he had learned, since high school, that one of the reasons he and Cordelia failed was because he wasn't patient enough with her. Spike was easy to be impatient with, because the vampire was impatient himself. Cordelia was the type to blurt things out that were cold and uncaring, but when it came to what she really thought you had to wait for the real words.

"I'm lonely." Cordelia whispered.

"Hey, Cordy." Xander reached over and grasped her hand, giving her a smile. "You won't be lonely for long. I don't know when, but there's someone out there for you. Sometimes it just takes a bit longer for it to happen, is all."

"Yeah, you're right." Cordelia wiped quickly at her eyes and gave him a haughty look. "Besides, look at me. I'm hot."

"That's my girl." Xander grinned, before picking up another book. His eyes stared at the picture a moment, before turning to read the passage of text underneath. "Uh-oh. I think I found it."

*****

Tara could feel the lingering traces of her nightmare. Hands grabbing at her flesh. The sound of clothes ripping. The musk of men and the booming grunts that accompanied them. Gasping for breath, Tara sat up, her eyes wide and sweat glistening across her forehead. It took her a moment to realize that there was a warm, overly heated body next to her and that she was naked. Panic laced through her heart and she closed her eyes to keep it down.

"Hmm, Tara." Oz mumbled in his sleep, rolling over and bringing himself closer to her.

Tara stiffened, her breathing coming in short gasps. She tried to control it, but could only feel her panic fighting against the measly control and threatening to take over. Quickly she slid out of the bed, stepping away until her back hit the wall. She stared with wide, gray eyes at Oz's sleeping form. One of his arms slid outward, palm brushing against the bed sheet and searching for her warmth. A slight frown flitted across his face, but he didn't wake.

Tara, unable to find the energy to move, slowly slid down the wall until she was curled up in a ball, arms wrapped around her knees. She lowered her head, her forehead pressing against her arms. She could smell Oz on her, the vague scent of sex still lingering in the air. Her body, despite feeling tense from the panic attack, was aching in a pleasant sort of way.

Body shuddering, her mind tried to force the memories out and away from her. She didn't want to remember what happened. She was perfectly happy to forget, to lose herself in Oz's love, in her pack's embrace. Fighting down tears, Tara looked up at the bed once more. Oz had rolled fully onto his side, his eyes half-open. Tara looked away from his gaze, listening as Oz slowly stood up. She could hear his soft footsteps on the carpet as he moved toward her. A hand, with chipped nail polish, lightly touched her shoulder.

"Sorry." Oz whispered when she jerked away. He tilted his head, nose flaring to take in the scent of fear. A look of sadness entered his eyes and Tara looked away, ashamed. "It's okay... I'll get dressed."

"I'm sorry." Tara replied, dropping her forehead onto her knee. She could hear Oz walking away and picking up his jeans. The sound of a zipper echoed in her ears.

"It's not your fault. What's wrong...? I mean..." Oz seemed to be at a lost for words. "We shouldn't have--"

"No!" Tara interrupted, her head jerking up to stare at him. Oz looked nearly scared, afraid of what she would say. Tara reached for the nearest bit of clothing. Grabbing the still damp towel off the floor she wrapped it around her and stood. "Last night was... I can't describe it. I just... I had a dream."

"Tara." Oz whispered, taking a hesitant step toward her. Tara didn't move, allowing Oz to pull her into a gentle embrace. "I don't know how to help you. I want to protect you from the world, but the damage has been done. I don't know what to do to heal you."

"Love me." Tara said, softly. "Please."

"Always." Oz said, his voice determined. "I will always love you. You hold my heart, Tara."

Tara buried her nose in Oz's hair, breathing deeply. Finally the tension that had lined her body from waking slowly began to flow out as comfort filled her. Oz lightly kissed her shoulder, before gently pulling away. He smiled up at her, the sadness in his eyes easing away. "Stay here. I'll go get our bags from the lobby."

"Okay." Tara nodded, stepping back. Oz watched her a moment, before turning toward the door and leaving the bedroom.

The hallway was empty, but he could hear voices in one of the rooms as well as downstairs. Passing the library, he saw Xander, Cordelia, Angel, and Doyle crowded around the table. Their voices were low and intense. Deciding it was best to not get involved just yet, Oz made his way down stairs and into the lobby. He could hear Spike in the kitchen, humming and singing to himself. Picking up Tara's overnight bag, as well as his own, Oz took a moment to peek inside the kitchen.

"Hey, pup." Spike greeted, piling scrambled eggs onto a plate. "Go get Tara, will you? I've got enough here for you two as well."

Nodding, Oz made his way back upstairs and into the bedroom. Tara sent him a soft, nervous smile, before taking her bag into the bathroom. Oz quickly changed and waited for her to come out. When she did she was dressed in sweatpants and a sweater, much different than the skirts she had been wearing as of late. Oz didn't comment and instead took her hand and gently guided her back downstairs.

"Sleep well?" Spike asked when they entered. He placed a plate in front of them, grabbing a jug of orange juice out of the refrigerator as he passed.

"Just fine." Tara said, blushing lightly. Oz said nothing.

"I'm sure you did." Spike leered, before giving Tara a large glass of juice. "Eat up, you guys need your strength."

"Yes, Daddy." Tara said, her tone teasing. She didn't have the same sparkle in her eye as she normally did when teasing Spike, but Oz figured the words alone were a start. Giving Tara a half smile, Oz picked up his fork and began eating.

"We'll be heading back to Sunnydale soon." Spike informed them, picking up another plate of food. "As soon as--" The shrill ringing of the telephone cut him off. Mumbling something rude, Spike set down the plate and picked up the kitchen's extension. "Yeah?"

"Spike?" Willow's voice asked.

"What is it, Red?" Spike asked, ignoring the watchful eyes of Tara and Oz. "What do you have for me?"

"I managed to hack into Professor Walsh's bank account." Willow told him, her voice sounding watery. Spike had a feeling she had been crying most of the night, now that Buffy's death had some time to sink in.

"And?"

"She bought a plane ticket." Willow said. "I looked into it and it seems she's flying to Washington, D.C. tonight."

"Do you know where she lives?" Spike asked, his voice hardening as he thought about what he wanted to do to Walsh.

"Spike... Are you sure you want to do this?" Willow asked.

"Positive." Spike growled. There was a moment of silence, before Willow slowly told him Walsh's address. "What time does her flight leave?"

"Ten, but you'll need to get to her house by seven in order to catch her." Willow admitted. Spike glanced at the clock, before saying goodbye and quickly grabbing the plate off the counter.

"Eat fast, we're leaving in forty-five minutes." Spike announced, leaving the kitchen. Balancing the plate on one hand, he swiftly made his way up the stairs and to the library. "Oi, love, here."

"Not now, Spike." Xander said, absentmindedly taking the plate before returning to their conversation. "Well, I can't find anything about a cure."

"There has to be something." Angel insisted, pulling the book out of Cordelia's hands. Her protests went unheard. "It's an infection... Surely there is some spell or some way to clean the blood...?"

"Oh, that's brilliant." Xander said, sarcastically. "Let's just put Wesley, who is barely alive as it is, through dialysis. I'm sure he'll survive that." Xander shook his head and sat down at the table, pulling his meal in front of him and stuffing his face. Then, with a full mouth, he continued. "Besides, we don't know how deep his infection goes. It might have already passed the blood stage and has moved onto taking over his nervous system or something freaky like that."

"He has a point." Doyle said, sighing. "We'll have to get him a doctor."

"Well, you lot can do that." Spike said, leaning against Xander's chair. "Me, Xander, the pup, and Tara will be leaving in a few minutes."

"You mean...?" Xander trailed off, his mouth full of toast.

"Willow called." Spike informed him with a meaningful look.

"Shit, this is it." Xander gulped down the rest of his food. "But I'm not ready! I still need to draw some diagrams and we need to build a system of checks and balances so we can make sure we destroy every little inch!"

"I really don't want to know what he's talking about." Cordelia announced, saying what Angel and Doyle were feeling.

*****

"Here." Tara handed Doyle the cup of green liquid, she had poured from one of the pots on the stove. Next to that pot was a larger one, where thick gray matter was bubbling. "That should help Wesley's fever."

In the lobby, Spike was running through a mental checklist, making sure they didn't leave anything. He didn't want to have to visit Angel again anytime soon. While he was thankful that his Grandsire had finally gotten around to helping them, he was still bitter that it had taken so long. Mostly, he was sorry about Wesley. The former Watcher had, at least, wanted to help them from the beginning.

Xander was sitting on the sofa, a notebook in his hands. Oz was next to him, his green eyes shifting toward the kitchen doorway every few seconds, waiting for Tara to join them. Xander let out a thoughtful sound. "I don't know, catching her hair on fire seems a bit much. I don't want to end up having her neighbors call the fire department on us."

"Pet, a few matches aren't going to hurt." Spike informed him.

"Spike." Angel said, gravely, as he walked past them. "I need to know that you won't kill this woman. You know I can't let you do that. Hurt her, I can look past, but not killing."

"Kill?" Spike snorted. "I'd do no such thing." He waited until Angel was out of earshot, before adding under his breath. "Now, whether what we do to her results in death? I can't be certain."

"Xander?" Tara entered the lobby, carrying a large glass. "I think you should drink this now. Hopefully it'll take effect before we get to Sunnydale."

"Ugh, what's in this?" Xander asked, looking inside. "Wait, never mind, I don't want to know." Thankful that he couldn't smell the concoction, Xander raised it to his lips and gulped it down. It slid down his throat like mud, tasting like dead fish. "Oh, yuck!"

"Quit your whining." Spike ordered, fondly, as he picked up their bags. Still grimacing, Xander picked up their other bags and made for the door.

"Be careful." Cordelia ordered. "I want you to call me when this is... Done. Got it?"

"Will do, princess." Spike replied, sending her a smirk. "Tell Wesley to take it easy, yeah? Let us know of you hear anything new."

"We will." Cordelia replied, opening the Hyperion door and watching as all four of them exited into the night.