New Order

A/N: Keep reviewing and let me know what you think!!



Xander stared around the office wondering what exactly he was supposed to do while the vampires were on their mission. He poked around the desk for a few minutes but didn’t really feel like he should read any of the paperwork scattered there. Maybe once he knew more about the operation, he would be able to contribute more.



He moved over to the weapons cabinet and admired the collection held there. Angel knew his weapons and kept them in beautiful condition. The cabinet needed some work though and Xander realized his carpentry skills could be useful around here. It was an old hotel after all. He was sure he could find a project or thirty to keep him busy while the vampires were doing their thing.



Of course that didn’t help him figure out what to do today. He needed to ask Angel about getting some tools. Actually, he really needed to figure out how he was going to get his stuff from England to here. Clothing was becoming a real issue. Not that he minded wearing Angel’s clothes. They were somehow comforting, but really not his style. And if he sent for his things, it would be a signal to his friends that he wasn’t planning on coming back anytime soon.



Well, he had some money put aside from the odd jobs he held and Giles paid him a small salary for his work with his new Watcher’s Council. He could access his money and maybe buy some clothes and tools online.



He moved to the computer and surfed around for a while, and ordered a few outfits online. He looked at the tools but preferred holding the items in his hands, testing them out a bit before he bought them. Well, he was sure there was a hardware store around somewhere. He’d have to make a trip.



Xander quickly became bored with the computer and decided to explore around the office some more. He found Angel’s books and glanced through the titles. Most of them weren’t in English so he couldn’t really even see what they were about. He assumed they were for research and suppressed a shudder. He still hated to research and only did it when there was no one, and he meant no one, else able to do the job.



He found some more interesting reading near the bottom of the shelf and pulled several books from the shelf to flip through. He didn’t really read very much but enjoyed a good thriller as much as the next guy. Angel’s reading didn’t tend to come from the best seller section though so he put the books back and moved on.



A leather bound book near the end of the row caught his attention and he pulled it out. Nothing was on the cover so he flipped the book open and gasped. It was a journal. And not just anyone’s journal. It was Cordelia’s.



Xander wanted to just shove the book back in place and pretend he never touched it. But knowing about his former girlfriend and her life here with Angel was too tempting. He wanted to learn about her life when she worked with his new lover. Had she felt the same feelings around him? The confusion and anxiety and intense loyalty were nearly overwhelming to Xander and when he added in the passion and security, he just didn’t know what to feel.



As he settled into Angel’s desk chair with the journal, he hoped that Cordelia’s words might shed some light on things. He was quickly caught up in the pages, laughing as he could almost here her voice in the words there. Reading about how she’d bumped into Angel at a party, about the mysterious Doyle and his visions. The team they built together and the work they accomplished.



Xander laughed as he read of Cordelia’s search for an apartment and knew that Angel had probably freaked when she tried to move in with him. He could just imagine her with a mountain of designer luggage piled at her feet, moving into the vampire’s space and taking over.



When he read the story of “Phantom Dennis” he was intrigued. Only Cordelia could inspire such devotion from a ghost. He continued reading for a few minutes, learning of Doyle’s death and the transfer of the visions to Cordelia. Of Wesley’s rogue demon hunter days before joining the team and of more memorable cases.



After several hours, Xander realized that he was exhausted. The past few days were wearing on him and when he looked at the clock he realized it was after midnight. He figured he might have to change his schedule to accommodate his night prowling lovers but for now, he would go on to bed.



Xander snuggled into the sheets, smelling his lovers in their pillows before tucking them tightly up against his body and falling asleep.



Angel and Spike returned near dawn, exhausted but successful. They moved to the office, expecting to find Xander there. After a moment of panic they realized that the human had probably tired and headed up to their room. This was confirmed by a minion and after passing out a few orders for the next day, they headed upstairs to join him.



They both paused at the door to drink in the sight of Xander asleep in their bed. He was so beautiful that they wanted nothing more than to snuggle up to his warmth. But as they were both covered in varying degrees of demon blood, both turned towards the shower.



Once clean, Angel and Spike slipped into the bed on either side of Xander. They gently pulled their pillows from around him and quickly settled into the vacated spots. Lulled by his warmth, they both drifted to sleep.



Xander woke the next morning in his new favorite position, the center of a Angel-Spike sandwich. He reveled for a moment in the feel of his lovers bodies around him. He gently touched each of them, reassuring himself that they were okay and uninjured from the nights fight. Realizing they were both fine, he tried to figure out a way to get himself out of bed and into the bathroom without waking the pair.



Eventually replacing himself with pillows and tucking their arms around each other, Xander was able to squirm himself out of bed and showered and dressed for the day. He was eager to do some shopping for tools and some additional clothing and decided to head out for a while. On impulse, he searched through Angel’s address book on the desk and grabbed Cordelia’s old address.



He paused before leaving the security of the hotel. The minion at the door requested that he not leave without Angel or Spike, but he just brushed the vampire aside and gestured to the sunlight. He figured he was perfectly safe as long as he was home before dark.



The minion was concerned but hadn’t received any orders to keep the human in the hotel so he let him pass. Xander didn’t notice as one of the Kor’Chuk demons followed him quietly from the hotel.



He grabbed a taxi at the end of the block and asked to be taken to the nearest hardware store. Once there he spent a couple hours poking through tools and picking out a few things to do some basic carpentry at the hotel. Loading his purchases into another cab, he directed the driver to a super store so he could pick up a few more necessities. The driver agreed to wait as Xander went in and bought a couple changes of clothes and some toiletries.



Hurrying back to the cab, Xander took a quick glance at the time. It was just after two. He could still check out Cordelia’s old apartment and make it back to the hotel well before sundown.



He had the cab drop him at the complex and unloaded his packages. He wasn’t really sure how long he was going to be but didn’t want to pay for the cab to sit and wait. He could always get another later.



And he headed towards the apartment.