Brothers?

Disclaimer: Same as the previous times.
Thank you all for the reviews!!! For a certain reviewer (you know who you are) a previously written story that is Highlander/ Kindred the Embraced will be posted on FFnet soon, soon as I get a chapter or two typed, it’s handwritten at the moment. My name’s the same at that site as here.
Any pairing suggestions? I’m stuck!!!!


Awakening. Who are you?


“Time for some more juice!” Confused green eyes fluttered open at the sound of a vaguely familiar voice. He managed to focus on the younger man leaning over him.

“Who?” His voice was a bare croak but the other guy still jumped.

“Hey, you finally with me?” He nodded wearily.
“Bout time you woke up properly, I was getting worried.”

“Who?” His voice was a little better, but not much. Where was he?

“Oh, sorry. Name’s Xander, you’re in my apartment in case that was your next question. You got a name? Can’t call you ‘hey you’.” Xander grinned and he noticed the eye patch for the first time.

“Alex.”

“Nice to meet you Alex. Need help sitting up or have you got it” Alex tried to push himself up but collapsed back to the pillows.
“That’s okay, you lost a lot of blood so don’t be surprised if you feel weak for a bit more. Plus you’ve been living on liquids since I found you.” Alex tensed as Xander put his arms around him.
“Hey relax. I’ve been doing everything for you the last five days.” He lifted him to a sitting position against the headboard and handed him a glass of watered down orange juice.
“Let me know if you start feeling sick, I’m running out of clean sheets. If you manage to keep all that down you can try some soup and toast later.” Alex nodded and took careful sips, accepting his help when his hand began shaking too much to hold the glass steady.

“What happened?”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Xander helped him settle back amongst the pillows. Alex let his gaze wonder what he could see of the apartment, he’d never seen it before. It seemed an interesting mix of old and new, all new appliances but really old books and decorations. Were those real swords on the wall?
“Hey, you still with me?” He brought his gaze back to his host, giving him a puzzled look.

“What?”

“Ok, maybe you should get some more sleep. I don’t think you’re as awake as you think you are.”

“Who are you?”

“We already did that one. I’m Xander and you’re Alex.” He shook his head.

“Do you work for them?”

“Them who? Alex?” But he didn’t hear him.

Xander sat back and sighed before grabbing the phone.

“Hey pet.”

“Hi Spike. He woke up for a good ten minutes. Even had a sort of conversation.”

“Anything interesting?”

“His name’s Alex and he’s still very fuzzy. Also wanted to know if I work for ‘them’, whoever they are.”

“Really learned a lot Xan.”

“Give me a break Fangless, he kept drifting off. I think he likes the apartment though.” Spike laughed.
“If he wakes up later tonight I’m going to try him on some soup and toast.”

“Sounds good. You ok?”

“Tired but what’s new? Never thought I’d find something more exhausting than patrolling but guess what? I did.”

“Thought of calling someone in for help?”

“Yeah…I think this is something I have to do by myself.” There was silence for a few seconds.

“Alright, talk to you later.”

“Sure. Hey Spike?”

“Yeah Whelp?”

“Thanks.” Xander put the phone back and went to stretch out on the couch. He was glad for the apartments open layout, it enabled him to watch the bed and its occupant from the couch in the living room. In reality the place was three rooms. One large room serving as living room and bedroom, another as kitchen and dining room and the third being a luxurious bathroom. He sank further into the couch, exhaustion taking it toll as he slipped into sleep.

------
Xander rolled of the couch, coming up into a crouch, stake in hand. He blinked and looked around trying to figure out what had woken him. A groan from the direction of the bathroom had him moving. He stepped up onto the raised platform that held the bed and bathroom and looked down. Alex lay sprawled half way between the bed and bathroom door. He pocketed the stake and quickly knelt beside him.

“You alright?” He got another groan in response.
“Come on, let’s get you back into bed.

“Bathroom.”

“Oh. You should have yelled for me. You’re not up to this by yourself yet.” Alex just studied the carpet as Xander helped into the other room. He was soon tucked back up in the warm bed.
“Think you can stay awake long enough to eat and finish the conversation you fell asleep in earlier?” That earnt a puzzled look.

“Who are you?” Xander groaned.

“Not again! Ok, my name is Xander and you’re in my apartment.”

“Where?”

“Chicago. You remember anything from last time you woke up?”

“Last time?”

“I’m going to take that as a no. Still want to know what happened?” Alex nodded.
“Okay then, we’ll try this again. What’s the last thing you remember clearly?” Alex frowned in concentration, as Xander got comfortable, settling into a sprawl on the bed beside him.

“DC.”

“Washington DC, ok. Anything else.”

“A park, it was night, someone singing.” He thought some more.
“That’s it.”

“Ok, sounds like it was probably the night you were grabbed.”

“Grabbed?”

“Yeah, when I met you, you were the unwilling gust of a psycho by the name of Druscilla here in Chicago.”

“I don’t remember.”

“Not surprising. Don’t worry, most of it will probably come back in time. Want me to tell you the bits I know from what she said and what I know about how she works?”

“How do you know how she works?” He was too tired to work up his usual amount of suspicion but he managed some.

“She showed up in my hometown a few years ago and caused a bit of havoc. I also rang her ex for help this time. You’re lucky, she usually would have killed you back in Washington. I was hoping you’d remember a bit more about why she grabbed you. So, you want the story?” Alex nodded, keeping an eye on his so-called rescuer.
“Okay, some of this will sound really crazy but I swear it’s true. Here goes. Basically the world is older than people think and it didn’t start out as a paradise, it was ruled by demons. Eventually humans threw them out but one of them mixed their blood with a humans creating the first vampire. That one bit another and so on and so forth through time. Over one hundred years ago a young woman by the name of Druscilla was turned by Angelus, she later turned William the Bloody who is now known as Spike. Those three, along with Angelus’ sire Darla became known as the Scourge of Europe, the most feared vampires of well, a long time. Angelus eventually snacked on the wrong person and was cursed with his soul, becoming Angel. He killed Darla a few years ago. Then Dru and Spike showed up and did the whole mayhem thing before eventually leaving. Spike now has his soul to and died to save the world but is back as ghost, haunting Angel. Dru showed up in LA a year or two after dumping Spike and then we lost track of here, except an odd killing here and there, nothing we could track though. Five days ago you started to stalk me so I decided to turn the tables and followed you back to a supposedly abandoned warehouse where you met up with Dru. I left, grabbed a few more weapons and then returned to stop her. She’s dust now and you’re on the mend.”

“Why was I helping her? Why did you help me?”

“Dru was… I guess you could say physic. The stars talked to her or something. She could get glimpses of the future and stuff. Somehow she found out about a ritual to bind a human to a vampire as a mindless slave. She used that ritual on you. The only way to break it is too kill the vampire. As to why I helped. One it’s my job, two I was her next target and three no one deserves that. Do you believe me?”

“You’re crazy.”

“I’ve been doing this since I was fifteen so I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m not entirely sane, after all I’m the ‘normal’ one of the group. Once you’re back on your feet I can take you hunting to prove it if you want.”

“Why can’t I remember?”

“Even without the ritual Dru could do some sort of hypnotism thing, she probably had you under most of the time, that would be the singing you remember. It’ll come back in bits, you’ve been having nightmares already.”

“Why not dump me at an Emergency room?”

“Because as soon as you started to remember, if you tried to tell anyone you would have ended up in a straightjacket. My hometown was built over an active Hellmouth and people still refused to believe. Vampires were gangs on PCP and attack victims had either fallen on barbecue forks or been attacked by wild animals. People only see what they want to, if it doesn’t fit they find some way to rationalise it. I refused to turn my back on it and it’s cost me my family, a lot of friends, even my eye but I can say I’ve helped save the world multiple times, even if only a small group know about it. Soups done.” He rolled off the bed, leaving Alex to mull over what he’d been told. Vampires? Either Xander was insane, he’d been fighting aliens without knowing it or the supernatural did exist. He wasn’t sure which would be worse. He managed to sit up by himself as Xander walked back in with a bowl and plate.
“Eat slowly, it’s the first solid food you’ve had in a while. Do you remember what the date was before she grabbed you?” Alex thought about it while he slowly sipped the soup.

“January seventh.” Xander’s jaw dropped slightly and he stared.
“What?” Alex stopped eating.

“She… she…”

“What! Please.”

“She had you for nearly a year.” Alex stared in shock.
“Makes sense in a way, I’ve been in Africa the last two years and she wanted me too but I only got back recently.

“I’ve lost a year?”

TBC…