White Knight, Black Knight

White Knight, Black Knight Chapter Twenty

Xander was in hell. To be honest, it wasn’t the real hell. It wasn’t even the Hellmouth, because Wal-mart was on the opposite side of town from the old high school. No, Xander was in a special kind of hell.

Shopping hell.

They had a sort of plan worked out, and had split into teams. Tara and Giles were gathering any and all magical weapons they could get their hands on. Spells, talismans, anything that might be useful. They would meet up with them at Giles’s place, so that the man could pack a few clothes.

He, Spike and Fred were getting together mundane weapons. He shouldn’t call them mundane, from what little he could understand of Fred’s science babble. But they didn’t require magic and that’s all he knew.

Giles had asked him to make sure that nothing “untoward” happened. Xander didn’t see how he could prevent it. Fred was very friendly, he liked her himself and she babbled just as much as he did.

They’d gone to the apartment first so that Xander could change into a pair of pants that a vamp hadn't chewed through and to feed the cat. The entire time, she and Spike went through different options of homemade weapons, shanks, and how to make smoke bombs.

Now he was in Wally World with the terrible twosome, pushing the cart and trying not to wonder what the condoms and tube socks were for. And trying keep a straight face at the sight of about ten rolls of duct tape being thrown in the cart, because he really had seen way too much television.

Of course, hearing Fred ask in a small voice if Spike thought Tara could spell a roll of the tape so that it was strong enough to keep vampires from breaking it had tested his limits. Spike had been egging her on all night and when they went to LA to meet up with Deadboy and his two stooges, Xander was almost ready to feel sorry for him.

Almost.

Wal-mart was unusually empty tonight. Being open all night on the Hellmouth meant that they had demons in management and sold certain items only at night for the non-human population. Xander had first found that out not long after he and Spike started hanging out together; he’d gotten slimed with some type of demon goo that, according to Giles, wouldn’t come out of his clothes. Or his hair.

Faced with the idea of having to shave his head bald, Xander had, admittedly, whined for a good half hour before Spike got sick of him and dragged him out to Wal-mart. He had been surprised to see it was just as busy at three am as it was during the day.

At night, however, all the demons came to shop and there were weird items on the shelves. Special chairs for non-humanoids, blood by the gallon, and slime remover, just to name a few.

At first it seemed weird, but then he had shrugged. It was the Hellmouth, after all.

They finally made their way to the registers. Xander was anxious to get out. He was worried about Dawn and wondering about what side would Buffy and Willow be on. He couldn’t imagine Buffy handing Dawn over without a hell of a fight but the Initiative weren’t known for their honesty. He could imagine Riley Finn comforting Buffy over the disappearance of her sister and all the while knowing where she was.

“The boss said you guys don’t have to pay for this batch, he’s gonna say it’s for charity.”

Xander looked at the cashier. He looked like any twenty-something guy, but there was a flash of red eyes that let Xander know he wasn’t human. He looked at Spike and his lover nodded.

Xander turned back to the cashier. “Thanks. I guess you know what we’re getting supplies for then?”

The kid nodded. “Nick, our boss, his cousin in LA has gone missing. We hope you guys find them, or at the very least put a hurt on the people that took them. It’s kind of nice, knowing that there’s people out there that care about the normal demons of the area.”

“Don’t you worry, mate, we’ll be putting a big hurt on them, just you wait and see.”

As they left, Xander just shook his head. Only on the Hellmouth would you get a discount for taking on an evil government agency. Fred was talking to Spike as they walked out of the store and her comment just made the night even more surreal.

“This town is really so neat. I don’t see why Cordy moved away. Everyone here is just so nice!”

*****

Spike found himself pacing in the Watcher’s kitchen. He was eager to go and they were ready to do…well, something at the very least. Problem was, they didn’t know where to go. Glinda was busy doing locater spells, one each for Buffy, Willow, Dawn and Buffy’s toy soldier. Fred was at her side, ready to mark the map as soon as the spell pointed out their location.

“I suppose I must give one of these to you.” Giles moved towards him and handed Spike a leather thong with a rock on the end. The words lacked their usual distaste. Perhaps the Watcher had gotten used to him being in Xander’s life finally.

“Thanks, mate, what the hell is it?”

“It’s a Shieldstone. It should stop any fast moving projectiles or energy headed your way, including arrows. It will also protect you from any tazer shocks. Xander asked for that especially.”

Spike smiled a bit at that. Trust Xander to worry about him getting electrified again. “What about spells?”

Giles adjusted his glasses before shoving his hands down, trying to keep from fiddling with them. “I assume you mean on Willow’s part, given her…predicament with Tara? No, it will not stop that but I have added extra protection for Tara. Quite truthfully, I doubt she will try that with anyone else. However, if she does I will have to take care of it. Tara’s magic deals more with healing and greenwitchery.”

”Whereas your mojo’s got more of the chaos and destruction vibes going on, eh? Makes sense.”

Giles grimaced, as if being reminded of his past left a bad taste in his mouth. Spike didn’t see why it should, it was the past and the skills he used then could be used to their benefit now. It was a human thing, he supposed, being ashamed of who he was even though he had changed. Silly waste of time if you asked him, but Spike supposed the Watcher didn’t so he wouldn’t say. Their truce was still too new, too fragile.

Spike sighed as he looked at Xander. His lover was doing some last minute preparations. They’d gotten bags for everyone and each held short swords, a few smoke bombs, spells that anyone could use like confusion and sleep spells, and other essentials. Spike had been helping him earlier, making sure there were enough to be able to give the LA gangs some weapons. He’d waited long enough, he didn’t want to get to LA and have to wait for them to get their asses together.

He nudged Giles with his elbow and pointed discreetly at Xander with his chin. “He’s gonna be right in the middle of everything, no matter what I say or do, you know that right?”

Giles grimaced. “To be honest, I was rather hoping you would…persuade him otherwise.”

Spike snorted. “What, beat on my chest and refuse to let him go? Treat him like some breakable object? You forget, that’s the type of attitude that has him pissed at Red and the Slayer. Hell no, he’s going in there and I’m going to be right beside him. I have to trust him to watch my back while I watch his. And I don’t want you to say a bloody thing about it. Bad enough that you never bothered to teach him anything, always too busy dealing with Her Buffyness, you’re gonna have to trust him to stay alive.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“Simple, I’m turning him. I don’t think you’d believe me, though, if I said I’d rather not, at least not right now. He’s not ready for it.”

Xander must have felt them talking about him because he looked up. Spike gave him a smile and a leer and Xander laughed and went back to work. Spike loved hearing his mate’s laugh, even if it was a small chuckle. Xander was meant for laughter and, because of the way his life was, it seemed like he never had the chance to do it.

Spike pulled Giles by the arm further back into the apartment. The other man looked as if he’d tasted something bad. Probably the thought of Xander at Spike’s Childe as well as his mate.

“Why didn’t you ever teach him, fuck, teach any of them to fight beside the Slayer? Hell, you can see little kids half Nibblet’s age in those damn karate studios learning how to kick some arse. Glinda doesn’t even know as much as Xan does about taking someone down, and you know with judo a person’s size and strength doesn’t matter. Why not, tell me that!”

He couldn’t keep the growl out of his voice. Sure, three, four years ago he was glad the Slayer’s groupies couldn’t seem to fight worth a damn. Made it easier for him, only having to worry about one real threat.

Then things changed. He found himself thinking of the Slayer’s little sis as a friend, and Tara had always been kind to him. Even Anya had been a sort of friend; they had understood each other, understood what it was like to miss the kill. After she had left and he had given up on Buffy, he’d fallen in with Xander and noticed how much the younger man wanted to make a difference. He’d started teaching Xander long before he realized that he could fall in love with him.

Now he looked at the man who had been guiding these humans for years. Xander had improved a hundred percent in a few short months but he’d really be dangerous if he had years of training under his belt.

The Watcher looked stunned for a moment, and then guilty. “I suppose I thought that if I trained Xander, trained any of them, that they would take foolish risks. I was hoping that they would stay back and let Buffy and me handle most things.”

Spike ground his teeth and tried not to shake the man in anger. “Do you know how many times that I know of that Xander’s almost died, thanks to you trying to treat him with kid gloves? Stupid idiot even stood up to Angelus without a stake to protect him!”

Spike clenched his fists. They didn’t need any infighting right now, but he was damned frustrated. No wonder Xander had all but jumped for joy when Spike offered to show him a few moves. His lover wasn’t the type to just sit back and let someone else take the risk for him.

“You’re a bloody fool, Ripper, I hope you realize that. The more knowledge and tools you give these people to fight with, the better chance they have to survive. Thought the dust up with Glory would have taught you that. What would have happened if your precious Slayer had died that day, or you? What would happen to the Hellmouth then? You think Xander would run away? Any of them? Got more balls than brains, the lot of them.”

Giles paled at the thought and took off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. He was about to say something when Spike cut him off.

“Don’t say anything. You’ll come off looking a bigger fool. After we get through this crisis I’m making sure every one of these people know how to fight. That goes for Dawn and if her sis doesn’t like it she can shove it. Hell, if Angelus don’t want to treat Tex like the warrior she could be, I’ll make sure she knows how to fight too. You can either help, or you can try to stop me. I can guarantee you won’t like the results of the second option.”

He quickly turned and walked away. For Xander’s sake he’d been trying to be nice to the other man, but just thinking about how Giles had dismissed Xander’s talents made him want to rip something off of him, preferably something opposable.

He made his way to where Xander was watching Tara and Fred work and wrapped his arms around his love’s waist. Xander leaned back into his embraced and arched his neck, just a little so that Spike could nibble and kiss the marks left from his fangs on his lover’s neck. Spike wondered if Xander knew just how much trust he was showing his lover, to give him that beautiful neck.

“Mmmm, they just about finished, Xan? M’sick of sitting here and waiting. Need to find the Nibblet and the others and get the hell out of town before the bloody soldiers know we have a clue. I’m surprised they haven’t bust in here already.”

“Just about. So far we know that the girls are all at home. So that’s good. She’s just looking for Riley now.” Xander spoke quietly, and Spike inhaled as much of his scent as he could. Worry, fear, tension. Add to that a good dose of having a busy night already and his mate was tired. He’d make sure to drive the SUV and let Xander sleep on the way to LA. They’d probably have to wait till the next night to “storm the castle”, so to speak.

“Gonna at least stay near me when the fighting starts, pet, so you can watch my back?” What he told the Watcher was the truth; the worst thing he could do for Xander was tell him to sit on the sidelines because it was too dangerous for him. But if he treated Xander as an equal, then the boy would feel valued and wanted and would stick close to Spike in order to help him. And Spike could keep a closer eye on him than if he charged ahead, trying to prove something.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way, Spike. I really don’t want those bastards getting close to you.”

Just then Tara interrupted them. The pendulum she had been using to find Finn had stopped. “We got him.”

******

Spike stood back with Xander as Tara stood on the edge of the lawn. They’d gotten another big bit of luck and he was starting to worry that they would use it all up before getting to the Initiative compound outside of LA.

Not only were Willow and Dawn home but Buffy was having a sleepover with her boy. All the people they needed to collect, for one reason or another, were in the same spot. They had argued for a bit. The Watcher was all for going up and knocking and being all polite.

Spike, however, had other ideas. He didn’t know if Riley had tipped off the Slayer to what was happening, if she was working with him again or what. They didn’t have time to nancy about explaining things to the Slayer and then again in Los Angeles. He’d put his foot down and Xander had backed him up.

Amazingly enough, Tara had agreed. Spike figured she was still a bit wary of Red mucking about in her brain again. There hadn’t been time to talk to her before but maybe on the way to LA he’d have a chance.

Now Tara was going to spell everyone but Dawn in the house in a magical sleep. They wouldn’t wake up until she brought them out of it. That way they wouldn’t have to fight with the soldier, and wouldn’t have to hear the Slayer’s screeching and arguing. They’d explain to Dawn to pack things for her sister and Willow and throw the sleepers in the back of the SUV.

They’d deal with the fallout in La.

“It’s done. They’re all asleep.” Tara looked tired after the casting and Fred helped her to sit in the SUV. They had fixed up a bed of sorts in the back for Willow and Buffy. Giles was taking his car and would drive Fred and Dawn. Riley was going to be restrained and locked in the boot.

Just for the hell of it.

“Right. Let’s get this over with. It’s past two but I’d like to get to LA long before the dawn so we can sort out the poof.”

~~~

Just so everyone knows, if you want to keep up with my fics and don't have a live journal, you can now find updates here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AA_Scribblings/