Quantum Xander II: In Wake of the Curse
folder
BtVS AU/AR › Slash - Male/Male › Spike(William)/Xander
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
65
Views:
20,544
Reviews:
119
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
BtVS AU/AR › Slash - Male/Male › Spike(William)/Xander
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
65
Views:
20,544
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 29~
Part 29
The drive to L.A. was uneventful. Xander and Willow made small talk, not really wanting to discuss Angelus, The First, or anything else that was going on. At least Xander didn’t want to. He could tell Willow wanted to ask him about what was going on with him. He knew her well enough to know she was practically bursting with concern for him. It almost made him laugh. He wondered if she would still be concerned if she knew the truth.
After parking the car and gathering their things, the two Sunnydale natives made their way to the front of the hotel. Xander whistled and looked up at the big hotel.
“Damn. Deadboy sure likes to show off, doesn’t he? No old factories for this vamp, eh? Gotta be mansions and huge abandoned hotels. Although, you gotta wonder where he gets the money for these things. I mean, does being evil really pay that well? ’Cause if it does, Spike must have missed the memo.”
Yeah, he had already seen the hotel in another reality, but Willow didn’t know that. So he played along, acting as though this was his first time to the Hyperion.
Willow just giggled at Xander and headed up the steps to the door.
“Come on. The sooner I do this, the sooner you can ask him about his investment portfolio.”
The pair walked undetected into the hotel. Xander was suddenly inundated with images of him and Spike and Angel having sex on the floor right where the others were standing. He shook off the images and tried to pay attention to what was going on in front of him.
There was an argument in progress - obviously about Angelus. They listened for a minute, but when the teenager started talking about putting Angelus down, Xander figured it was time to announce their presence. Willow beat him to it.
“I don’t think so. I think you need a witch.”
Everyone turned to look at them and Xander smiled goofily and then asked, “So, who’s the brat with the hard-on for staking Angelus?”
Willow scowled at Xander and walked towards the others.
“Did I come at a bad time?”
Wesley looked at her and then spoke her name. Connor gave her a disgusted look and asked if she was a witch. Willow just smiled and replied that yes, she was a witch.
“And you must be Angel’s handsome-yet-androgynous son. Oh look, and the sneer is genetic. Who knew?”
Xander grinned at the look of outrage on the kid’s face.
“It’s Connor.”
The skinny brown-haired girl stepped forward and introduced herself, then Willow babbled on about Wesley’s new look - something Xander had to admit was working for the guy. If he had looked like this in that other reality, he might have been better able to understand that Xander’s attraction for him. The Marlboro Man image looked good on him.
Willow wanted to look in on Cordelia, so she and Xander headed for the stairs. About halfway up, Xander stopped and concentrated on the uneasy feeling he was getting.
“Hey, Wills? You go on up, I’m going to go back down and talk to Wes; I don’t think Cordy would want me to see her if she’s not well. You know, if she looks bad?”
“Oh. Right. Good idea. I won’t be long.”
Xander went back down the stairs and motioned for Wesley to join him. When the older man came over, Xander threw an arm over his shoulder and drew him away to the furthest corner of the lobby.
“You’re good with the magicks, right?”
“Yes. But I am nowhere near the level of Miss Rosenburg. Why do you ask?”
“Well, it’s just… Look. Some things happened over the summer, and I can feel things. There is something wrong here, upstairs. I think it might be Cordy.”
Wesley stepped back in shock from Xander. He looked at him as though trying to read his mind. Xander sighed and rolled his eyes.
“Look. I don’t have time to explain everything, okay? I was cursed. By a vengeance demon. I spent two and a half months - here time, ten months - my time, hopping from one reality to the next. I learned a few interesting facts. One, I know that you are not as straight as you’d like everyone to think…”
Wesley’s eyes bugged out and he looked frantically over at Gunn. Xander just continued speaking as though he hadn’t just outed the man.
“Two, I have an uncanny ability when it comes to magic. Three, I can restore Angel’s soul to him permanently. Four, I’m not as straight as I thought I was. And lastly, I learned to trust my own instincts. My instincts tell me there is something off about Cordelia.”
“You, you won’t say anything to them about me, will you?”
“No. But you just keep this conversation between us, all right? I haven’t told Willow what happened over the summer. She doesn’t know about the permanent soul spell, either.”
“But won’t you have to perform the ritual then?”
“No. Willow can re-soul him, I’ll anchor it afterwards. So, do we have a deal? I keep your secret and you keep mine?”
“Of course. But what about Cordelia?”
“One crisis at a time Wes. First we get Deadboy back among the soul-having, then we’ll figure out what Cordy’s deal is.”
“Very well. I suggest you keep an eye on Connor; he is very protective of Cordelia.”
“Yeah, and he seems to hate daddy dearest, too. What’s up with that?”
“Long story. If we have time, perhaps I’ll fill you in later.”
Just then a green-skinned man came down the stairs and headed towards them. Xander’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline and he whispered to Wesley.
“Um, is that a good demon, a bad demon, or the love-child of Kermit the frog and Liberace?”
Wesley laughed and shook his head.
“Xander, this is Lorne. He’s an empath demon - he reads auras.”
“But only if you sing something for me.”
Xander thought about what he should sing. Then he smiled and sang softly.
“I’ve paid my dues
Time after time
I’ve done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I’ve made a few
I’ve had my share of sand
Kicked in my face
But I’ve come through
And we mean to go on and on and on and on”
“No, please don’t. No need to go on and on and on, sugar. I’m reading you loud and clear. When the shit has finished hitting the fan, you and me? We need to talk.”
“About what?”
“About a certain former-blond with bad teeth, if you get my drift. I think I can help you.”
“Cool.”
Wesley had no idea what they were talking about. He figured it had something to do with what Xander had told him, but he also knew Lorne wouldn’t betray a confidence so there was no point in asking.
“How is Faith?”
“The same.”
Xander broke in.
“Um, excuse me. Did you say Faith was here?”
“Yes, she apprehended Angelus. She’s changed a great deal, Xander. She’s not the same girl you knew back in Sunnydale.”
“Okay. Anything I can do to help? What’s wrong with her?”
Lorne glared at Wesley and the Englishman returned the look. Xander knew whatever it was, they were not in agreement over it. He wasn’t so sure he wanted to get involved in all of this. He was supposed to just come down here, re-soul Angel, find out about spell options for bringing his Spike back, and go home. Things were never simple. Not even this far away from the hellmouth.
The drive to L.A. was uneventful. Xander and Willow made small talk, not really wanting to discuss Angelus, The First, or anything else that was going on. At least Xander didn’t want to. He could tell Willow wanted to ask him about what was going on with him. He knew her well enough to know she was practically bursting with concern for him. It almost made him laugh. He wondered if she would still be concerned if she knew the truth.
After parking the car and gathering their things, the two Sunnydale natives made their way to the front of the hotel. Xander whistled and looked up at the big hotel.
“Damn. Deadboy sure likes to show off, doesn’t he? No old factories for this vamp, eh? Gotta be mansions and huge abandoned hotels. Although, you gotta wonder where he gets the money for these things. I mean, does being evil really pay that well? ’Cause if it does, Spike must have missed the memo.”
Yeah, he had already seen the hotel in another reality, but Willow didn’t know that. So he played along, acting as though this was his first time to the Hyperion.
Willow just giggled at Xander and headed up the steps to the door.
“Come on. The sooner I do this, the sooner you can ask him about his investment portfolio.”
The pair walked undetected into the hotel. Xander was suddenly inundated with images of him and Spike and Angel having sex on the floor right where the others were standing. He shook off the images and tried to pay attention to what was going on in front of him.
There was an argument in progress - obviously about Angelus. They listened for a minute, but when the teenager started talking about putting Angelus down, Xander figured it was time to announce their presence. Willow beat him to it.
“I don’t think so. I think you need a witch.”
Everyone turned to look at them and Xander smiled goofily and then asked, “So, who’s the brat with the hard-on for staking Angelus?”
Willow scowled at Xander and walked towards the others.
“Did I come at a bad time?”
Wesley looked at her and then spoke her name. Connor gave her a disgusted look and asked if she was a witch. Willow just smiled and replied that yes, she was a witch.
“And you must be Angel’s handsome-yet-androgynous son. Oh look, and the sneer is genetic. Who knew?”
Xander grinned at the look of outrage on the kid’s face.
“It’s Connor.”
The skinny brown-haired girl stepped forward and introduced herself, then Willow babbled on about Wesley’s new look - something Xander had to admit was working for the guy. If he had looked like this in that other reality, he might have been better able to understand that Xander’s attraction for him. The Marlboro Man image looked good on him.
Willow wanted to look in on Cordelia, so she and Xander headed for the stairs. About halfway up, Xander stopped and concentrated on the uneasy feeling he was getting.
“Hey, Wills? You go on up, I’m going to go back down and talk to Wes; I don’t think Cordy would want me to see her if she’s not well. You know, if she looks bad?”
“Oh. Right. Good idea. I won’t be long.”
Xander went back down the stairs and motioned for Wesley to join him. When the older man came over, Xander threw an arm over his shoulder and drew him away to the furthest corner of the lobby.
“You’re good with the magicks, right?”
“Yes. But I am nowhere near the level of Miss Rosenburg. Why do you ask?”
“Well, it’s just… Look. Some things happened over the summer, and I can feel things. There is something wrong here, upstairs. I think it might be Cordy.”
Wesley stepped back in shock from Xander. He looked at him as though trying to read his mind. Xander sighed and rolled his eyes.
“Look. I don’t have time to explain everything, okay? I was cursed. By a vengeance demon. I spent two and a half months - here time, ten months - my time, hopping from one reality to the next. I learned a few interesting facts. One, I know that you are not as straight as you’d like everyone to think…”
Wesley’s eyes bugged out and he looked frantically over at Gunn. Xander just continued speaking as though he hadn’t just outed the man.
“Two, I have an uncanny ability when it comes to magic. Three, I can restore Angel’s soul to him permanently. Four, I’m not as straight as I thought I was. And lastly, I learned to trust my own instincts. My instincts tell me there is something off about Cordelia.”
“You, you won’t say anything to them about me, will you?”
“No. But you just keep this conversation between us, all right? I haven’t told Willow what happened over the summer. She doesn’t know about the permanent soul spell, either.”
“But won’t you have to perform the ritual then?”
“No. Willow can re-soul him, I’ll anchor it afterwards. So, do we have a deal? I keep your secret and you keep mine?”
“Of course. But what about Cordelia?”
“One crisis at a time Wes. First we get Deadboy back among the soul-having, then we’ll figure out what Cordy’s deal is.”
“Very well. I suggest you keep an eye on Connor; he is very protective of Cordelia.”
“Yeah, and he seems to hate daddy dearest, too. What’s up with that?”
“Long story. If we have time, perhaps I’ll fill you in later.”
Just then a green-skinned man came down the stairs and headed towards them. Xander’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline and he whispered to Wesley.
“Um, is that a good demon, a bad demon, or the love-child of Kermit the frog and Liberace?”
Wesley laughed and shook his head.
“Xander, this is Lorne. He’s an empath demon - he reads auras.”
“But only if you sing something for me.”
Xander thought about what he should sing. Then he smiled and sang softly.
“I’ve paid my dues
Time after time
I’ve done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I’ve made a few
I’ve had my share of sand
Kicked in my face
But I’ve come through
And we mean to go on and on and on and on”
“No, please don’t. No need to go on and on and on, sugar. I’m reading you loud and clear. When the shit has finished hitting the fan, you and me? We need to talk.”
“About what?”
“About a certain former-blond with bad teeth, if you get my drift. I think I can help you.”
“Cool.”
Wesley had no idea what they were talking about. He figured it had something to do with what Xander had told him, but he also knew Lorne wouldn’t betray a confidence so there was no point in asking.
“How is Faith?”
“The same.”
Xander broke in.
“Um, excuse me. Did you say Faith was here?”
“Yes, she apprehended Angelus. She’s changed a great deal, Xander. She’s not the same girl you knew back in Sunnydale.”
“Okay. Anything I can do to help? What’s wrong with her?”
Lorne glared at Wesley and the Englishman returned the look. Xander knew whatever it was, they were not in agreement over it. He wasn’t so sure he wanted to get involved in all of this. He was supposed to just come down here, re-soul Angel, find out about spell options for bringing his Spike back, and go home. Things were never simple. Not even this far away from the hellmouth.