The Witch, The Warrior, and the Vampire

Chapter 17
Friendship

The sun set at 8:04 that evening. Spike and Xander had reached the Magic Box long before sundown. After Xander’s initial freak-out, he’d settled down and Giles worked with him on his form and precision.

Spike whiled away the time punching Buffy’s speed bag. ‘Bloody, buggerin’ hell, how does she train like this? It was insipid, and boring,’ and in Spike’s opinion, a general waste of time. A warrior should train with live partners. But then, she had been training with him hadn’t she?

Two hours of boring mindlessly repetitive punching later, Giles determined it was time for Xander and Spike to spar. So far, today’s sparring session hadn’t been the demon-released free-for-all they’d had the night before. Giles had forced them to perform specific combinations of punches and kicks. When he was satisfied that Xander had grasped what he’d been teaching, he let the demons break loose.

So here they wenterntering their sixth hour of training. Game face on, plastic stakes in hand. Spike had “staked” Xander an even twenty times now. To give Xander his credit, he’d gotten one in on Spike as well. Giles and Spike both beamed with pride when it had happened. However, true to Watcher methodology, Giles had immediately listed every mistake Xander made up to that point. Then he made them begin again.

‘Merciful Zeus! How had Buffy ever survived training with Giles?’ Xa was was more tired than he had been in his entire life, or unlife for that matter. He knew it was showing too; his kicks weren’t as high, punches not as hard, and--oof, now he was on his ass, stake pressed against his heart. Again.

Spike took one look at Xander and knew it was time to stop; he was too pale. His yellow eyes were hungry. “Watcher, he’s beat. I think we’re finished for today.”

Giles stopped writing in his Vampire Journal and looked at the clock. “Yes, I believe you’re correct. Xander, you made excellent progress tonight. If Buffy had trained as hard as you…” Giles shook his head. “You did well, now go home and get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow at sundown.”

“Hungry?” Spike asked.

“Starved.” Xander struggled to subvert his demon face behind his human, brown eyes finally winning out over yellow.

“Right then, we’ll swing by Willy’s and drink up his stock and head home to your demon bird.” Spike grabbed his duster and smokes, and with Xander in tow, headed out of the Magic Box for Willy’s.

Surprised to find Willy in the bar alone, the vampires quickly drank enough to take the edge off their hunger and then headed to the apartment.

Spike sensed Buffy’s presence the instant they entered the building. He slid a sideways glance at the younger vampire. Xander hadn’t sensed her. ‘Hmm, maybe now was the time. Xander was tired. He’d been surrounded by Buffy’s scent for hours, probably best to get it over with now.’ With this in mind he didn’t warn Xander that Buffy was in the apartment, best just to see what will happen.

He didn’t have long to wait, as the two men stepped into the apartment, Xander’s head shot up and his face transformed. He growled in warning. The Slayer was sitting beside his woman. His woman, who was also a demon. Fearful of the proximity of the two women, he grabbed Anya and pulled her off the couch and into his embrace. rowlrowled loudly as he looked at the Slayer before uttering the warning, “Mine.”

“Yours.” Buffy smiled and agreed immediately. She knew this was a serious moment and had to stifle a giggle. Who would have thought a couple of weeks ago, that Xander would be protecting a demon from the Slayer?

Xander stood still for several minutes waiting for the Slayer to attack. He stared her down, expecting something, anything, to happen. When the Slayer took another sip of wine and settled back on the couch and started talking to Spike, the demon retreated. “Buffy?” Xander was looking at her. She hadn’t seen his human face since he’d been turned.

“Hey Xander, how are you doing?” Buffy cautiously answered, not wanting to scare him again.

“Oh God, Buffy, I’m sorry, so sorry, I didn’t mean…” Xander trailed off as tears began to stream down his face. Buffy started to stand and go to her best friend, but Spike’s hand on her shoulder stopped her. “Be patient luv, you’ve got to let him make the first move.” Buffy stayed on the couch regretfully and waited. She watched in fascination as Xander’s face rapidly switched back and forth. A soft whine escaped his lips and immediately Spike gathered him into his arms, whispering softly to comfort his boy.

“Kitten, could you heat us up something to eat? We trained hard today and stopped for a snack at Willy’s but I’m still feeling peckish, I’m sure Xander is, too.” Anya nodded and retreated to the kitchen. Spike could feel Xander trembling in his arms. He could smell the fear, sorrow, regret, shame, and a multitude of other emotions Spike couldn’t even begin to name. Spike closed his eyes and concentrated on his feelings for Buffy. When he had blocked out everything but the love, admiration, respect, and loyalty he felt for her, he offered his neck to Xander. Immediately he felt fangs pierce his jugular. Xander drank long and deep, experiencing his sire’s feelings for the enemy.

Buffy’s mouth gaped open as she watched the exchange. Both men had let their demon visages take over. Both had their eyes closed, expressions of ecstasy on their faces. In all her time as a Slayer she’d never seen vampires feed from each other. It was…different. When Spike shifted slightly and bit into Xander, she stifled a groan. She could feel something coming from the vampires. She concentrated as hard as she could and realized with surprise, both of them were emitting an almost sub-sonic purr.

The familiarity of their embrace and obvious need for the other affected her in a way she would never have expected. She was getting turned on. Somewhere inside her a voice she’d never heard before demanded acknowledgement; she wanted to feed Spike. She wanted that look of ecstasy to belong to her and her alone, not to be shared with anyone, his sire, his childe, only her.

Anya returned with several bags of warm blood. Her enhanced senses caught the barest whiff of Buffy’s arousal and she grinned. “They’re beautiful to watch, aren’t they?” She casually set the blood down on the coffee table and sat back down beside Buffy. As if the sight of two vampires feeding from each other in her living room were an every day occurrence. Well, maybe it was.

Spike released his bite on Xander and looked at Buffy. Her familiar tang spiced the air. Of all the reactions he’d expected from her, arousal had been the last. Disgust, revulsion, anger, fear, pity, he’d expected. Not even in his basest dreams had he expected arousal. Still concentrating on his feelings for the Slayer, he motioned for a blood bag. Anya tossed him one and he bit into it. Xander was drinking more than he’d ever let him take before. As long as he had blood to replenish it, he would never deny him. Especially when new new he needed it. He tossed the empty bag on the table and his face shifted back to human. He met Buffy’s eyes unashamed. This was what he was. He would never hide it from her again. Spike felt Xander's drinking slowing down and reached up and stroked his ridges. The ridges melted away under his touch, but Xander continued to lap at the bite marks he’d left on his sire.

The demon inside him Xander was reeling. He was high, high on sire blood and the odor of Slayer in the air. He had tasted what his sire felt for the Slayer. It unnerved him. But his soul understood. He too knew and loved Buffy. It was time to meet her as a vampire, scent her as he had Willow and Giles. He stepped out of his sire’s embrace and walked to Buffy. She sat perfectly still on the couch and met his eyes. “Spike, I…” Xander hesitated, he wanted to touch her but was afraid of what would happen. Immediately Spike was standing between them. With one hand he reached for Buffy and pulled her off the couch. The other hand tightly grasped Xander’s arm.

Feeling reassured at his sire’s touch, Xander inhaled deeply. Sunlight, innocence, devotion, power, strength, confidence, light, dark, his sire, cemetery dirt, purity, laced with the spice of her arousal, and the sweet undertones of her shower-gel layered over the richness of her blood. God, the smell of her blood rushing in her veins, the pounding of her heart, a sound different from every human heart he’d heard.

Her pulse was slower, stronger, louder, intoxicating, hypnotic. The power her tiny body held overwhelmed him and more than anything he wanted to sink his fangs into her and gulp it all down. Drown in Slayer blood, bathe in Slayer blood, devour everything that she was and ever would be.

The demon screamed to be let out, but he held onto it. Barely. Another deep breath. Spike was all over her, so were Willow, Giles, Anya, and the distinctive scent of the Magic Box. But underneath it all, he finally found it. Pure Buffy. Loyalty, honor, strength.

A visual of Buffy the first time he ever saw her, friendly, nervous, anxious to make friends and deny what she was flashed through his mind. Buffy was the truest friend he’d ever had. In some ways truer than Willow. He had tried to rape her once, and she had never mentioned it again. It was his fault she didn’t know Willow was going to perform the curse on Angel. She’d sent her lover to hell, and never reprobated him for the lie. His fault Sweet had arrived in Sunnydale and killed dozens of people. His fault Dracula had almost killed her. His fault he had encouraged Willow to find a way to bring her back. His fault she’d not known what Riley was feeling before he left. So many things that had gone wrong in Buffy’s life were his fault. And here she was, smiling softly waiting for him to accept her as friend and ally.

His soul surged forward and kicked the demon in the balls. Buffy was his friend, and she always would be no matter what. He had no right to keep her at arm’s length and he would be damned if he would continue to do so any longer. He pulled her into a hug and buried his face in her hair. Elation swept through him when she returned the hug. Xander let out a deep breath, he wasn’t aware of holding. “Friendship. Scent of Buffy is friendship.” No one said anything for several long minutes when Xander finally spoke again. “Uncompromising righteousness. The scent of the Slayer is Uncompromising righteousness.” He released Buffy from his hug and stared into her eyes.

“Can you forgive me?” It was pure Xander shining through those eyes, not a trace of demon.

“For what?” Confusion clouded Buffy’s face, she looked to Spike for the answer but he shrugged helplessly.

“For everything I ever did that hurt you. For my reaction to you the other day. For…for everything.”

“Xander.” Buffy whispered and held his large callused hands in her tiny ones. “You’re my friend. Forgiveness is automatic. I’m just glad you’re still here. If you had died…” Tears welle in in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall so; she swallowed them back. “If you had died and left us forever, I wouldn’t have been able to go on. You’re here now and you’re still you and that’s all that matters.” A moment of heavy silence hung in the air and Buffy desperately needed to lighten the tone. She giggled and waggled her eyebrows at Spike. “At least now, you accept my boyfriend.”

Xander looked back and forth between Spike and Buffy and chuckled. His eyebrows shot up and he grinned at Anya. Now he could be Xander. If his sense of humor was different than it used to be, it didn’t really matter. As if he had sensed Spike’s decision to not hide what he was any longer, Xander vowed to himself that he would never be ashamed to be a vampire. “Well, I don’t know about accepting him as your boyfriend Buff, but I will admit he’s a damn good lay.”

*

Angel, Wesley, and Gunn, ran for the streets to intercept the van. Lorne and Fred headed to the roof, both carrying crossbows. They were too late, the van sped past all of them. Angel howled in fury and recognition. Trinity was in that van. One of his siblings, his only sister. He knew they were headed to the Hellmouth and that he couldn’t stop them. Sluggishly everyone went back inside.

“You didn’t stop them did you?” Connor asked.

“No, I’m afraid we didn’t Connor. But I’m sure we know where they’re going.” Wesley answered.

“So, should we all pack up and go, or should we call?” Cordelia asked and shot a pointed look at Angel.

“We’ll call. Let them know what happened here. I’ve got to warn them of something else too.” Angel paused and felt his demon trying to overcome his soul. “Trinity was in that van. This is going to be a harder battle for Buffy that I thought.”

Not realizing no one else knew whom Angel was talking about Fred asked “Who’s Trinity?”

“Trouble personified.”

*

In the van Trinity was laughing. Hysterically. The look on Angelus’ face when he’d felt her was priceless. She couldn’t wait to tell the Master his plan was working. She’d felt the turmoil in her brother from blocks away. It was why she’d instructed the driver to go past his hotel. That stupid gypsy soul was withering away as planned. Soon, Angelus would be returned to the fold and the real fun would begin. Tonight was a good night to be her. She had the scrolls, she’d destroyed the Master’s enemies, and she’d felt the strength of her brother rising again. Soon they would be reunited. They would stand on either side of the Master and rule the world.

*

Willow couldn’t stand it. Dawn had gone to bed hours before. Tara was in the kitchen pouring over their assigned reading from Morgaine. Buffy was off who-knows-where, and Spike was with Xander. Here she was sulking in her bedroom. Alone. Again. She was so tired of being alone. Tired of battling her inner urges. ‘Don’t do too much magick, don’t push Tara too hard, be a good roommate, be a good friend, be a good student, be a good daughter, be a good role model for Dawn, be a good good--AAAHHH it was too much.’ Her skin was crawling and she felt like she was going to explode from the build up of too much magick in her blood. Angrily she got out of bed and stormed down to the kitchen.

“What is it going to take, what do you want from me?” Willow demanded as soon as she saw Tara.

“Wh-what are you talking about Willow?” The other Wiccan looked bewildered, at her former lover.

“Everything. I can’t stand it. You’re here, but you’re so far away. There’s so much power zinging through my veins, I feel like I’m on heroin. And I’m tired of dealing with it by myself. What can I do to get you back? I can’t stand feeling this way. Why is this happening?” Willow was pulling wildly at her hair and yelling at Tara. “And there’s this big EVIL THING out there testing me. I can feel it in the air, in the earth, all around me. I can’t fight it. Make these feelings stop, I can’t stand it. I can’t stand it. I can’t stand it. I can’t stand it. I can’t stand it. I can’t stand it.”

Willow was on her knees beating her hands on the floor chanting the words, oblivious to Tara who was now backed against the door, terrified. She could feel the build-up of power in Willow; she knew her lover was about to erupt. She’d been trying so hard with no reward for too long. Everyone knew you rewarded good behavior, right? When she realized Willow more in control, and wasn’t going to shoot lightning at her from her fingertips, Tara approached her cautiously.

She sank down on her knees and wrapped an arm around Willow, pulling her into her lap. She chanted a calming spell in her mind and released it slowly as she stroked Willow’s hair. Gradually, Willow calmed. She wasn’t talking anymore, she was just crying. Tara felt the dam break as her beloved sobbed helplessly in her lap.

Eventually Willow’s tears slowed. Tara continued to stroke her hair and tried to figure out what to say to make it all better.

“Willow, shhh, it’s all right. I’m here. I’m not going to let you go. I know its hard, I I…I… I can feel it out there too. I know it’s big and scary, but you’re not alone. You have the Scoobies, and Morgaine, and and me. I’m here for you, Willow, I always will be. I could never leave you. I could never stop loving you. Let it all out, baby, let it all out.” Tara pulled Willow into her arms and rocked her slowly. “I love you, my Willow Tree. Only you. Forever. Shhhhh.”

Willow’s senses were overwhelmed with Tara’s proximity. She’d not felt her touch in so long. She wrapped her own arms around Tara’s waist and nuzzled against her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Tara, I don’t know what came over me.”

“It’s ok, Willow. You just had to let it out. It’s going to be ok. I’ve got you. I’ve always got you.” The two witches clung to each other in the Slayer’s kitchen floor. Tara gently pushed Willow away. She stood and extended her hand. Willow grasped it and allowed Tara to pull her to her feet.

Wordlessly, Tara put her arm around Willow’s shoulder and led her upstairs to Willow’s bedroom. The sleigh bed they had shared so many nights together called to her. The time for punishing Willow for her mistakes was at an end. They had both suffered at their enforced separation and Tara was going to end it. Now.

Languidly Tara walked around the room. She stopped at each unlit candle and blew at the wick until it leaped into flame, she repeated the process at each candle. Soon candlelight was dancing merrily all around the room. She stood beside the bed and slowly pulled her green sweater over her head. She unfastened her long denim skirt and let it pool at her feet. Her plain white cotton briefs and bra soon followed.

Willow was mesmerized by the vision in front of her. Tara’s ripe, luscious, curves, no trace of a girl, pure woman. Tara’s sleepy, sexy, doe eyes met Willow’s and she gasped at the desire she saw in her lover’s eyes. Willow quickly shed the pajamas she was wearing. They stepped together in the soft glow of the candles. Their lips met for the first time in months.

They poured their pent-up emotions into the kiss, and soon tumbled head long onto the bed. As they made love, they shared their magick. For the first time since Buffy’s resurrection, there was no trace of darkness in Willow’s power and Tara opened herself fully to Willow. She vowed to never let Willow lose her way again.

*

“Well, I don’t know about accepting him as your boyfriend, Buff, but I will admit he’s a damn good lay.”

Silence filled the room much as it usually did when Xander made a bad joke, but this time the silence was charged. Xander could feel Spike retreat within himself. He felt Anya’s amusement at the statement. He heard Buffy’s gasp. Damn it, he’d done it again. Always sticking his foot in his mouth. When would he ever learn?

Buffy’s eyes flicked from face to face. Spike and Xander had had sex. She’d suspected it all along. Even if she hadn’t, watching them feed from each other, told her as much. But to hear it out loud. What was it Anya had said? They’re beautiful to watch?

“Is that beautiful to watch too, Anya?” Buffy asked slowly, processing.

“Beautiful doesn’t begin to describe it, Buffy.” Anya had known from the second that she’d sensed Buffy’s arousal before that this revelation was far less painful or shocking to the slayer than had been anticipated.

“So, do I need to kick your ass, for stealing my boyfriend, Xan?” A small smile tugged at the corners of Buffy’s mouth.

“Oi! No stealing’s been done, Slayer. I’m yours and yours alone. That was just…” Spike looked adorably awkward as he fumbled for words. Inside, his brain was singing, ‘boyfriend, she said my boyfriend.’ He tried to keep the goofy smile from his lips.

“Necessary to his turning, I know.” The smile grew into a full-fledged grin. “Just remember Vampire o’ mine. I’m the Slayer and I don’t share.” She thought Spike flustered was one of the most adorable things she’d ever seen.

“No need to worry about sharing, Buffster. Not something I’d do now that I’m back in my right mind.”

“Oh you should have been here, Buffy. That demon of his is insatiable. It took both of us hours to tire him out.” Anya stated enthusiastically.

“So, no more eight-minute man?”

If Xander had been alive, he would have blushed purple at that last comment. Finally he shrugged and scuffed the toe of his boot along the carpet.

Buffy could feel the tension rippling through Spike, and had to let him know there were no hard feelings. “So, Spike, I thought we had a date for tonight.”

“Oh, I rented videos, we could have a double date.” Anya clapped her hands in glee and rushed to the kitchen to prepare snacks for the movies.

Spike led Buffy out on the balcony. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “Would you rather do something else, luv?”

Buffy turned around to face him. “No, all I want is to be with you. I know that you need to be close to each other for a while.”

“You must have done that research then?” Spike searched Buffy’s face, trying to suss out any kind of latent reaction to the whole thing.

“Yes.” Buffy was silent as she watched Spike speak. She cleared her throat in preparation to ask the hardest question of her life. Spike beat her to the punch, however.

“No luv, no need to worry your pretty little head about it. Nothing happened between the demon bird and me. There really wasn’t--”

Buffy interrupted him by placing a finger on his lips. “I understand, Spike. I know you would never cheat on me. You did what you did because you’re his sire’d l’d like to thank you for not making it worse than it had to be.”

“What makes you think that?” Spike cocked his head quizzically at her.

“Xander wouldn’t have made a joke about it if you’d hurt him or abused him.” She felt the tension drain out of Spike and pulled him closer. “And I want to thank you again for protecting Xander from Angel.”

“Hush luv, I would never let anyone hurt him. I protect him same as I protect Nibblet.” The relief that coursed through Spike at Buffy’s warm words, her gratitude, made him feel like their forced separation had been worth it. She knew and respected what he did. He kissed her forehead softly.

“I had a long talk with Anya tonight. About things. I understand now what I’m supposed to do. I had a Slayer dream about it too. I’m sorry I ran out like I did.” She snuggled in closer to her vampire, wanting him to see how much she had missed him.

“Shh luv, don’t apologize to me. I didn’t react much differently than you did when I found out about it. Didn’t want you to have to touch the evil in me.”

“Is that why you’ve never vamped out on me during sex?” Her face was buried against his chest, but her words were clear as a bell.

Spike was floored. “You talked to Anya about a lot of stuff tonight, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.” Buffy met Spike’s eyes and held them for a long time. How could she have ever dou his his love for her? It was written in his eyes. It projected from his body. It had shown in his actions. But did she love him? She loved to fight him, argue with him, touch him, talk to him, taunt him, and look at him. She loved the way he made her feel. And the things his body could do to hers, she really, really, loved. She trusted him. Had for a long time. “Let me see.” She hadn’t meant to sound so needy and breathless, but it was out and couldn’t be taken back now.

Spike released his demon. Buffy reached up and caressed his forehead the way she’d seen him touch Xander. He gasped at her touch. Hazel eyes met amber and held for eternity. Buffy traced his fangs with her fingertip then stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips across his. She could feel the demon begin to retreat. “No, like this, don’t hide from me.”

She brushed her lips across his again. “Don’t ever hide from me again.” Her Slayer senses were tingling more than they usually did when she was with him, but not in a bad way. She parted her lips and flicked her tongue across his lips seeking entrance. He opened his mouth slightly, and their tongues brushed for less than a second. She felt the difference in that brief, glancing touch and needed more. The hand that had been touching his ridges slowly worked into his hair, the other reached for the nape of his neck. Their lips were fused, tongues touching for brief seconds before darting away, when Spike fisted one hand in her hair and the other curved its way around her back.

Buffy sighed and plundered his mouth. When Spike kissed her back and she felt his rough-textured tongue massage her palate, she moaned. She poured everything into the kiss. Her longing for him, trust in him, need for him and him alone. She ground her hips against him and a deep thrill of excitement made her knees weaken when she felt the evidence of his desire hard as steel against her.

He felt her pulse spike, taste her need, smell her desire, feel the way her body responded to his. He wanted her and he wanted her now; it felt like eternity since the last time they’d touched. But they had never kissed like this before and he wanted to hold onto it as long as possible. It was different. She was different. She was giving so much of herself with this one kiss. She’d never given him anything but lust before. He could tell she was pouring every thing she felt for him into the kiss. Hope blooin hin his chest. She accepted his love for her. Another moan escaped her and Spike growled in response.

Slowly they pulled away from the kiss. Buffy was gasping for air and was pleased to see Spike doing the same.

“Luv, Buffy, that was.”

Again she shushed him with one finger on his lips. “I just need a little bit more time and then…” She stuggled to calm her racing heart.

Spike pushed the demon away and rested his forehead against hers. “And then.” Spike agreed. “How about we see what movie Anya’s got for us?” He led her back inside and the four friends settled down to popcorn and soda and a movie.