Quantum Xander II: In Wake of the Curse
folder
BtVS AU/AR › Slash - Male/Male › Spike(William)/Xander
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
65
Views:
20,539
Reviews:
119
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
BtVS AU/AR › Slash - Male/Male › Spike(William)/Xander
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
65
Views:
20,539
Reviews:
119
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
~PART 24~
Part 24
Xander sat slumped dejectedly on Buffy’s couch. His call to L.A. had been a bust - not only was Angel not there, he was once again Angelus. So, now he had the added pressure of having to find a way to quietly get to L.A. without Buffy knowing about it. She was needed here, and he could handle Angelus on his own.
Spike sat next to him and opened his mouth to speak, only to grab his head and scream in pain. Xander panicked and pulled Spike into his arms and tried to soothe him. After a minute Spike fell still and silent and Xander let out a breath.
“What the hell was that?”
“Chip went off.”
“For no reason?”
“Yeah, does that now and again.”
“How often?”
“Lately? More than I like.”
Xander realized he was still holding the vampire and rubbing his hand up and down his back - at the same time as Spike noticed. They both drew away from each other somewhat reluctantly and smiled softly.
“How often, Spike? Once a day? Once a week?”
“Used to be just every now an’ then. It’s happened three times already today. Slayer made a phone call earlier, there was a whole ‘Ghost Busters’ moment and everything.”
“Who did she call?”
“Put in a call to Captain Cardboard.”
Xander growled at the mention of Riley, and Spike pulled away in alarm.
“Sorry. I have issues.”
“Yeah, I get that. You do know that this Finn never touched me, right? I mean other than the fake stake through the heart. I wasn’t… violated, or nothing.”
“I know. But he was capable of it. If circumstances had been different…”
“About that, I’ve given it some thought and I think I know what was different in those realities. The Initiative was still active, yeah?”
“Yeah. So?”
“Well, they were pumping him full of drugs here, weren’t they? So what’s to say that they didn’t continue there. Give the soldiers something to make them ruthless, uncaring. Easier to control. No sense of right or wrong, no conscience to make them question what they were doing?”
Xander had to admit that Spike could very well be right. He didn’t care what had driven Riley to do those things to his mate; he did them all the same. He would not regret what he had done in retribution.
“Alright. I’ll give you that. But I still don’t like him.”
“Makes two of us; but if he can get this soddin’ chip to stop firing off, I might just bend over and offer it.”
Spike abruptly found himself on his back with Xander looming over him.
“No. You will not bend over for Riley fucking Finn.”
“Joke, pet. You really think I’d let farmboy stick it to me? Please. Never been buggered by a human before and he’s the last one I’d give that privilege to.”
Xander sat up and ran his hands through his hair.
“Sorry, Spike. I don’t know what came over me. Just the thought of you and him.”
“I know, pet. No worries, eh?”
Just then Buffy came into the room and looked sadly at Spike and then Xander.
“Did he tell you, Xan?”
“About the chip? Yeah. So what’s the scoop? They gonna tell us how to fix him?”
“No. They said that the chip was never meant to be in use this long, that Spike should have starved to death by now or fried his brain. There’s no way to take it out, no way to turn it off, and no way to fix it.”
Xander swore a blue streak that impressed even Spike. He looked back at the sofa where the vampire and the slayer sat side-by-side, both depressed by the news, and felt his anger rise. He couldn’t believe they weren’t even going to try to help him. Spike had a soul now; he wasn’t “just another demon” not that he ever was, but that’s how they thought about him.
Spike gasped and sat up in alarm. Buffy looked at him then followed his line of sight. She too gasped as she saw what had startled Spike. Xander was surrounded by an aura of magic; it crackled like lightning.
Without even thinking about it, Xander grabbed Spike and hauled him to his feet. His hands came up on either side of the vampire’s head and then they were both floating about a foot off the ground. The lightning enveloped Spike’s body and he screamed. Buffy watched, helpless, as Xander and Spike both fell to the floor, the strange light still flickering around them. Finally the light faded and the two men slumped into unconsciousness.
It was over an hour later that Xander stirred and sat up. He glanced around, surprised to find himself on the couch. He immediately looked for Spike and saw Buffy watching him.
“Hey, Buff.”
Xander fell back on the couch. He felt like shit - like he hadn’t slept in days.
“What did you do to him, Xander?”
“I fried his chip. I think.”
“You think?”
“Well, I’m not exactly a doctor here, Buff. Or a scientist. I just… I had to, you know? I couldn’t let it kill him.”
“I know.”
“How is he? Where is he?”
“He’s still out. I put him downstairs.”
Xander struggled to get up and finally gave up on doing it unassisted.
“Hey, Buff? Help a guy out here? I want to check on Spike.”
Buffy helped Xander to his feet and together they went down to the basement. She was just glad that Giles and the S.I.T.s were off in the desert, and Willow and Tara were out picking up food and spell supplies. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep Xander’s secret.
Xander sat slumped dejectedly on Buffy’s couch. His call to L.A. had been a bust - not only was Angel not there, he was once again Angelus. So, now he had the added pressure of having to find a way to quietly get to L.A. without Buffy knowing about it. She was needed here, and he could handle Angelus on his own.
Spike sat next to him and opened his mouth to speak, only to grab his head and scream in pain. Xander panicked and pulled Spike into his arms and tried to soothe him. After a minute Spike fell still and silent and Xander let out a breath.
“What the hell was that?”
“Chip went off.”
“For no reason?”
“Yeah, does that now and again.”
“How often?”
“Lately? More than I like.”
Xander realized he was still holding the vampire and rubbing his hand up and down his back - at the same time as Spike noticed. They both drew away from each other somewhat reluctantly and smiled softly.
“How often, Spike? Once a day? Once a week?”
“Used to be just every now an’ then. It’s happened three times already today. Slayer made a phone call earlier, there was a whole ‘Ghost Busters’ moment and everything.”
“Who did she call?”
“Put in a call to Captain Cardboard.”
Xander growled at the mention of Riley, and Spike pulled away in alarm.
“Sorry. I have issues.”
“Yeah, I get that. You do know that this Finn never touched me, right? I mean other than the fake stake through the heart. I wasn’t… violated, or nothing.”
“I know. But he was capable of it. If circumstances had been different…”
“About that, I’ve given it some thought and I think I know what was different in those realities. The Initiative was still active, yeah?”
“Yeah. So?”
“Well, they were pumping him full of drugs here, weren’t they? So what’s to say that they didn’t continue there. Give the soldiers something to make them ruthless, uncaring. Easier to control. No sense of right or wrong, no conscience to make them question what they were doing?”
Xander had to admit that Spike could very well be right. He didn’t care what had driven Riley to do those things to his mate; he did them all the same. He would not regret what he had done in retribution.
“Alright. I’ll give you that. But I still don’t like him.”
“Makes two of us; but if he can get this soddin’ chip to stop firing off, I might just bend over and offer it.”
Spike abruptly found himself on his back with Xander looming over him.
“No. You will not bend over for Riley fucking Finn.”
“Joke, pet. You really think I’d let farmboy stick it to me? Please. Never been buggered by a human before and he’s the last one I’d give that privilege to.”
Xander sat up and ran his hands through his hair.
“Sorry, Spike. I don’t know what came over me. Just the thought of you and him.”
“I know, pet. No worries, eh?”
Just then Buffy came into the room and looked sadly at Spike and then Xander.
“Did he tell you, Xan?”
“About the chip? Yeah. So what’s the scoop? They gonna tell us how to fix him?”
“No. They said that the chip was never meant to be in use this long, that Spike should have starved to death by now or fried his brain. There’s no way to take it out, no way to turn it off, and no way to fix it.”
Xander swore a blue streak that impressed even Spike. He looked back at the sofa where the vampire and the slayer sat side-by-side, both depressed by the news, and felt his anger rise. He couldn’t believe they weren’t even going to try to help him. Spike had a soul now; he wasn’t “just another demon” not that he ever was, but that’s how they thought about him.
Spike gasped and sat up in alarm. Buffy looked at him then followed his line of sight. She too gasped as she saw what had startled Spike. Xander was surrounded by an aura of magic; it crackled like lightning.
Without even thinking about it, Xander grabbed Spike and hauled him to his feet. His hands came up on either side of the vampire’s head and then they were both floating about a foot off the ground. The lightning enveloped Spike’s body and he screamed. Buffy watched, helpless, as Xander and Spike both fell to the floor, the strange light still flickering around them. Finally the light faded and the two men slumped into unconsciousness.
It was over an hour later that Xander stirred and sat up. He glanced around, surprised to find himself on the couch. He immediately looked for Spike and saw Buffy watching him.
“Hey, Buff.”
Xander fell back on the couch. He felt like shit - like he hadn’t slept in days.
“What did you do to him, Xander?”
“I fried his chip. I think.”
“You think?”
“Well, I’m not exactly a doctor here, Buff. Or a scientist. I just… I had to, you know? I couldn’t let it kill him.”
“I know.”
“How is he? Where is he?”
“He’s still out. I put him downstairs.”
Xander struggled to get up and finally gave up on doing it unassisted.
“Hey, Buff? Help a guy out here? I want to check on Spike.”
Buffy helped Xander to his feet and together they went down to the basement. She was just glad that Giles and the S.I.T.s were off in the desert, and Willow and Tara were out picking up food and spell supplies. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep Xander’s secret.