Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me

Spike couldn't help the grin on his face. Things were going well. Xander's little friends all knew who he belonged to now, and Xander had willingly come to sit by his side. And while he knew Xander would have something to say about his less than diplomatic way of telling the Slayer that they should team up, Spike knew that his boy would wait till they were alone so they could provide a untied front.

The Watcher took off his glasses and laid them on the table and rubbed his eyes. “And how do we know you're being truthful? You can't just simply expect to walk in here and for us to take you at your word.”

“You could take mine, Giles.”

The Slayer gave a very unladylike snort. “Right. And you've been lying to us for how long, Xander?”

Xander flinched and Spike ran a hand down his lover's back. “Shut your bloody trap. He gave enough clues that you would have figured it out if you didn't have your collective heads up your arses. The cheerleader bint figured it out right off. You lot just didn't care to look too close.”

Cordelia threw up her hand at the looks the others were giving her. “Hey, don't get all pissy with me. You three are the ones who left town all summer. For god's sake, Xander and Bleach Boy over there used to come and play pool at the Bronze. If that isn't being out in the open, I don't know what is. And there were days that if I had to hear one more word about Spike I was going to puke all over my Pradas. “ The girl turned to look at the redhead, Willow. “Xander told you his boyfriend's name, that he was older, English and wasn't nice. If that doesn't describe Spike, I don't know what is. It's not my fault, or Xander's, for that matter, that you people can't connect the dots. And you people think I'm self involved. Sheesh.”

Spike grinned at the girl. “Ta, ducks.” He wouldn't even growl at her at the Bleach Boy comment.

The Slayer came over to stand a couple feet in front of him and Spike could feel her nearness. It was almost like standing too close to a lightning strike and he felt his demon wanting to come to the front. He could tell they were going to dance, but for how long and how seriously? He looked out of the corner of his eye to see Xander biting his lip and looking worried. He'd promised his boy to go easy on his friend but he wasn't going to let himself be staked, either.

Spike tipped up his head and met the Slayer's eyes. “Got something to say, Slayer?”

“Yeah. I'm beginning to wish I'd never given Angel the chance. After all, the Slayer's Handbook says the only good vampire is a dusty one. I may not have read the thing cover to cover but I do know that much. Give me one good reason not to kill you right here and now.”

Spike could feel Xander tense and he was glad that he'd made the boy promise to keep quiet. He knew this would happen; it was inevitable. There had to be a pecking order between him and the Slayer and it was going to take a fight to prove it. He curled his tongue behind his teeth for a moment and looked the small blond powerhouse up and down. “Because, Slayer, the truth is that you need me more than I need you.”

She snorted again and Spike slowly stood up. Xander scrambled to his feet but stayed where he was, thank all the powers. He couldn't do what he had to do if Xander doubted him, if only for a moment. It would give the Slayer and her minions a flaw to exploit to drive a wedge between them. He gave his best devilish grin. “Come on, Slayer, take your best shot.”

She rushed him, and her anger caused her to telegraph nearly every move, so that Spike could almost see what was coming two moves ahead. They moved to the open area of the library, the other humans jumping to their feet and standing uncertainly, the redheaded girl's eyes impossibly large.

Well, they were all on their feet except for Cordelia and the Chaos Mage. They both looked like they had just gotten into a pay-per-view fight for free. Spike had to grin at that, and knew that given the chance he could actually accept those two humans as friends. They both were a bit more immoral than the others; it would be fun seeing just how far he could go with them.

The Slayer either didn't like him grinning during a fight or didn't like that he wasn't giving her his full attention. She sped up her blows and kicks, trying to drive him back, but Spike easily kept pace with her. And for once she wasn't running her mouth and Spike had to force himself not to feel sorry for her.

But part of him did. He, of all beings living and undead, knew how Angelus could fuck with your head, twisting it around. How honeyed words would flow past his lips and you would find yourself believing anything he said.

He shook his head and ducked under one of the Slayer's wild swings, and landed a fairly hard blow to her ribs. He quickly backed away and bounced on his toes. “What's the matter, Slayer. There's no witty banter, no quick come backs. Don't you love me anymore?”

The last was said with a fake leer and batted eyelashes and Spike could hear Xander's chuckle on the other side of the room. Good, that meant the boy knew he was playing.

“Talking while fighting only divides your attention.” This was said as if it was something she had heard over and over and Spike found himself feeling even more sorry for the girl.

“Fuck that. That's Angelus talking through you. He's been working on you, hasn't he? Trying to make you into the perfect pet. Taking away your unique strengths and molding you. He wants you for a pet, you know. It would give him power, to have the current Slayer, naked and chained at his feet.”

Again her anger pushed her into making moves that were too easy to avoid or block, but Spike let her push. It was oddly fitting, that he was helping the Slayer deal with some of her anger at being used and lied to by Angelus.

He blocked yet another right hook to his head and made a mental note to let the Watcher know how predictable the Slayer was if she fought for more than a minute or two. They'd have to do something about that; by now Angelus knew all of her moves and patterns and knew exactly how to stop her. How to break her.

“You know Angelus has planned this for a while, eh? Bet he got himself invited into all of your houses. Had tea with your Mum, let her get to know the nice boy that was dating her daughter.”

“You shut the hell up about my Mother! She put you in place and she can take care of herself!”

The Slayer was all but throwing a temper tantrum and Spike knew he had to twist the knife in her heart a bit more. They all had to know just how far Angelus would go.

“You really think a middle aged woman with a metal ax stopped me? Bloody idiot. I can move faster than the human eye, Slayer. Just how fast would I have had to be to take that ax away from her?” He stopped coddling the girl and really started fighting, kicks and punches and jabs, until she was backed up against the desk.

“You need to go back and remember that night, Slayer. I was just playing with you, testing the waters. Didn't kill your Mum because when I kill a Slayer I want it to be clean kill. I've killed two and they've both had family, the last even had a little nipper following her along and I didn't go for the child. I like the thrill of the fight, and right now, you fucking well can't because Angelus has your head on so backwards that you can't see what's in front of you.”

He finally stopped and the Slayer was winded and leaned against the desk, her eyes bright with tears. He stepped back into the middle of the room. The Watcher's mouth was set in a grim line and he knew he'd gotten most of his message across.

Spike could have killed her. In front of everyone, and there wasn't a thing that anyone could have done to stop him.

Well, anyone but Xander, but he had a feeling the Watcher knew that already. He stuck his hands in the pocket of his duster and thought about lighting a cigarette. A good fight was like a good fuck and you just had to light one up afterwards, but Xander's lungs didn't like them and more and more Spike found himself curbing his habit.

It was a damn fucking shame when a Master Vampire stopped lighting up because he didn't want his human lover to have asthma.

“So. Now that we've proven who has the bigger bollocks, let's get to setting things straight. One, you lot are total fucking idiots to hang about in a public school!”

“Yes, one never knows who might wander in.”

Spike grinned at Ethan. “Too right, all sorts of bad influences could drift in.”

It was kind of good to know that he wasn't the only bad influence on the group of white hats. In fact, he figured he and Ethan would be the group's biggest assets because, like Angelus, they didn't play fair all the time.

“Right, next order of business, show of hands, who's invited Captain Forehead into their house?” There was a series of confused faces, with the exception of Xander, who was chuckling behind his hand. “Hello, Angelus people! Fuck, if you lot are the smart ones, I'd hate to see the stupid.”

There was a series of “heys!” and other protestes and all of a sudden everyone started talking at once. Finally, the Watcher stood up and gestured for silence.

“Quiet! While I may not like Spike, and, Xander, you and I will be having a talk later, young man, he does raise some interesting points. And it is correct that we will have to safeguard out homes. I'm sure Ethan and I can find an uninvite spell, and if it makes you feel better we'll have to do it at our flat, as well. Now, Buffy? Willow?”

The Slayer just nodded, so evidently that meant she needed the spell. Willow raised her hand and stepped forward uncertainly. “He-he was in my room, when Ford was here.”

“Right. Cordelia? Has he been in your house?”

The dark haired girl snorted. “Hey, I may have flirted with him, but nope. He was in my car, though, so maybe you could do a spell on it? I mean, it's a good car. I don't want any icky stains on the leather seats, especially if those stains are from my ripped out throat.”

Before anyone could say anything-- and really, what was there to say about that statement? ­­-- Buffy looked up at Spike through long eyelashes. “You didn't kill Ford, did you?”

“Nope, not me. Stupid bugger came looking for me but I wouldn't have a thing to do with him. Or that lot that liked to dress up like cheap extras out of Fright Nite. Had...other things occupying my time.” He leered in Xander's general direction.

Buffy, however, wasn't taking the bait. “And what, exactly, is a Blood Feud?”

Spike shrugged. “Exactly what it sounds like. I declare myself a Master Vampire in my own right, which I am, and that I'm leaving the Aurelius Clan to form my own. I try to kill Angelus and all his minions and he tries to kill all of mine. That would be you lot. Then again, I know for a fact that he has plans to turn you into a pet for a good long time before finally turning you, and once he learns about Xander having Dru's gifts he's gonna want to twist him the same way he did my Princess.”

He closed his eyes at the thought. He would kill Xander himself before letting his love go through anything half as bad. And then he wouldn't bother getting drunk; he'd just wait for the sun.

He really doubted that there would be any other dark haired angels out there to save him from himself.

“Simple fact is, the bloody bastard is going to be coming after all of us. Now, I could go and kill half the populous to use as cannon fodder, but they'd be stupid as fuck and I'd have to worry about Angelus and you lot coming after me. If we work together, we'd only be fighting two battles, not three. And while you lot aren't an indestructible as even fledges can be, you can actually find your arses without both hands and a flashlight, so it's a win, win situation.”

“He's telling the truth, guys, really. I mean, I know you're all probably pissed at me, and you have good reason, but...well, I can see stuff now, but I every decision we make changes the future so it sort of...flows. Like a river. It's the same river but not the same water all the time. I can see Miss Calendar dead in one, and Buffy vamped, and me and Willow vamped, and Giles dead, his hands twisted horribly, and it's really not fun shit to see. I'd really suggest we all avoid that, but it's hard. If we work together, though, we can maybe stop the worst parts from happening.”

It was the first thing Xander had said in a while. He'd kept his promise to Spike about keeping his yap shut. Spike grinned and held out his hand, the grin getting even wider when Xander took it. He'd have to make sure to reward the boy for being so good.

He stood there and watched as Buffy and Giles had a silent conversation. It was fascinating to watch, really. The girl should have been more broken at her lover's untruthfulness but she was pulling herself up by her bootstraps and trying to do what needed to be done.

Xander's little friend, Willow, was more quiet than he ever expected her to be. Spike winced. He could see the hurt and anger on her face and knew that, no matter what happened, Xander was going to be hurt when the two finally talked, if only due to his own guilt. Spike wished there was something he could do other than be there for his lover, but he figured it a brother/sister thing. At least on Xander's part. Hopefully his boy wouldn't be too torn up, but if he was, well, Spike would be there to pick up the bits of his heart that were broken and put them back together again.

Spike would always be there. Despite how soppy he was getting.

While stuck in his thoughts, the Watcher and Slayer must have come to some agreement. Spike was only slightly startled when Giles stepped into his field of vision and nodded. “We are in agreement. And I sincerely hope you have some sort of plan.”

“Well, we find Angelus's new lair, and we kill him. A lot. Sound peachy to you?”

*****