Healing

Part 33

Xander sat down next to Spike, and Willow looked at him with concern in her eyes. Xander merely shook his head and frowned at her. She knew better than to push him for information, but she was worried about him, and Spike as well. Spike shifted from Willow's embrace and sat up. He was done acting like a soppy git in front of these people. He needed to at least act like he was okay.

"So, you done torturing Angelus then?"

"For now. So long as he behaves himself."

Buffy asked the question everyone wanted to know, well everyone other than Wesley, Cordy and Tara.

"Xander, what did you do to him?"

"Gave him a face full holy water and shot him in the chest with a bolt."

Spike sat up a little straighter and looked at Xander with awe. The man never ceased to amaze him, he acted like it was nothing, but the firm squeeze he gave Spike's hand told the vampire otherwise. It told him that he would have done anything he had to in order to make Spike feel better, to make him feel safe.

"Why?"

"Not now, Buffy. I had my reasons, that's all I'm going to tell you. Besides, don't we have more important things to discuss other than Angelus? Like how Tara thinks she can break this spell for instance?"

Tara filled Spike and Xander in on the details, namely that Spike was going to have to be the one to cast the reversal spell. It was decided that they would do it the following evening to give them time to gather all the needed supplies as well as train Spike.

Xander got up and went to Giles bedroom, he returned with a shirt which he handed to his lover. He didn't like all the attention that Spike's bare chest was drawing. Spike gave Xander a knowing look but he put the shirt on anyway. After all, he wasn't exactly comfortable with all the attention either. Although it was kinda cute the way the witches kept sneaking looks at him and blushing.

Everyone decided to go back to their own place or hotel to rest now that they had a plan to work with. Xander invited Tara and Willow to drop by that evening to train with Spike. Eventually the only ones left in the apartment other than the captives were Giles, Buffy, Xander and Spike. Giles sent Buffy to lay down in the spare bedroom before ushering Spike and Xander into the kitchen.

"I, er, I wanted to say something to the two of you."

Xander and Spike exchanged a worried glance. Xander set his jaw and looked the older man right in the eye.

"Alright. Go ahead."

Giles took a deep breath, pulled off his glasses and began to wipe them with his shirt tail. The gesture only made Spike and Xander that much more tense. If the man was polishing his glasses it couldn't be good news.

"I think I have some idea of what has being going on between the two of you. Now before you interrupt, I haven't said anything about my suspicions to any one else. I assume this is a personal matter and I will treat it as such. Just know that if you need anything I'm here for you, both of you."

"What is it you think you know watcher?"

"I suspect Spike, that you were attacked by humans, raped by humans. That Xander helped you, and that the two of you have been together since. I also assume that is the reason Xander incapacitated your chip. Am I correct?"

Xander gaped and Spiked growled. Giles raised a hand to the vampire.

"I understand this is something you would like kept from the councils files, and I have no intention of telling them."

"Good!"

"Xander? The boys in the park, were they the ones?"

"Yes."

"Who shot that boy? Was it you?"

"Yes. There was a struggle. The gun went off."

"Yes. I understand that. Were they the only ones?"

"No."

Giles was getting a bit tired of 'yes' and 'no' answers.

"Xander please! How many others?"

"Two others, they ran off after the gun fired. I haven't seen them since. Lucky for them."

Giles could see the threat in the young man's eyes, it was obvious that what he felt for the vampire was genuine, that this struck a nerve with the boy. He wondered if Xander had been through something similar and that was why he and Spike had... bonded. He could also see that this was not the time to pursue this topic.

"Alright then, you two should get some rest. Go home, sleep."

"Sure thing Giles. See you later on tonight."

"Tonight?"

"Well yeah, someone still has to patrol right?"

"Of course. What with all the drama, I had forgotten."

Xander and Spike left, taking the tunnels back to their apartment. Giles looked in on Angelus, who seemed to be sleeping and then went to lay down himself. As he stepped into his room he remembered that they had stashed Ethan in there earlier. With a heavy sigh, he made his way back down stairs and flopped onto the sofa where he tried to sleep.


Willow and Tara went back to the dorm and crawled into bed. Neither girl had slept well the night before. They lay together curled up under the blankets. Tara got an evil gleam in her eye and whispered to her lover.

"So, you and Spike looked pretty cosy earlier. Something I should know?"

Willow lurched up into a sitting position and looked down at her girlfriend, who looked up at her with innocent eyes.

"No! I mean it's Spike. You know, grrrr vampire. And so what if he has really nice skin , or that he has all those amazing muscles and his hair is really soft even though he bleaches it and he looks like some marble statue of a Greek God come to life. Oh Goddess, I'm gonna shut up now. I love you honey, you know that right?"

Tara took pity on her lover and smiled up at her.

"Of course I do, and just because I'm not attracted to men doesn't mean I don't see how good looking Spike is. I mean, did you see his chest? Wow. Xander sure is one lucky guy."

Willow looked at Tara and saw the tiny mischievous smile on her face.

"Why, Tara! If I didn't know better, I'd say you played me."

Tara just smiled at Willow and pulled her into her arms.

"Sleep love, we have a lot of work to do tonight."