Quantum Xander II: In Wake of the Curse

Part 38

The last couple of days had been better all the way around. Buffy had apologized to Spike - and to Xander for what had happened in his absence. Xander came out - both about his magic and about Spike. Giles was stunned and asked a million questions; Buffy looked hurt, like she had just realized what Spike meant to her and that she had lost her chance with him. Dawn squealed and jumped around the room chanting ‘I was right’ over and over again. Willow smiled. She was just happy to have her best friend back.

Faith and Buffy were getting on okay; things had been a bit strained at first, but they came to an understanding. They were slayers, and they needed to work together on this.

Xander kept a close eye on Andrew; he soon came to the conclusion that he was harmless. Andrew just wanted to belong to something - a feeling that Xander could identify with - so he left him alone about the wish and just let him carry on caring for the S.I.T.s He wasn’t a bad cook, either.

Tonight however, Xander was on his own. He had to go to L.A. again, this time to pick up some supplies for the spell. He had wanted to take Spike with him, but Giles insisted on doing some ritual to reveal what the trigger was that the First was using on him. He assured Xander that it was harmless and Willow agreed. Spike told him he’d be fine and to go to L.A. without him, but not before taking him aside and making sure he knew to avoid Angel while he was there. Spike wasn’t ready to share with his sire yet - head of the clan or not.

Xander had chained Spike to the wall as requested, kissed him softly, and then whispered in his ear about getting a set of manacles for their bedroom before he left. The smoldering look Spike gave him in return was enough of a reason to conduct his business quickly and get back home as soon as he could. Ever since Spike had taken him that first night, they had spent every spare moment they had in bed wrapped around one another.

It didn’t take nearly as long to get everything as he thought it would. In fact, there was only one more ingredient he had to wait for before he’d have everything he needed. Willow’s contacts were amazing; if they didn’t have it, they knew where to get it. Even the final ingredient - something called gherystic -which turned out to be a plant that only grows in a certain demon dimension. He was glad he had worked things out with Willow, otherwise he never would have gotten everything so quickly. It could have taken months of searching to find that - as it stood, it was being shipped from somewhere in China that night and should arrive in a couple of days.

Xander headed home with a smile on his face and a song in heart. He was happy. Happier than he had ever been in his life. Yeah, he knew things wouldn’t be easy at first - living with two Spikes was going to be a real test of his patience - but the pros would far outweigh the cons of the situation. He would finally have his Spike back, and he wouldn’t lose this one either. Xander had never pictured himself as the kind of guy to get involved in a triad relationship, but then again, before the curse, he’d never pictured himself as the kind of guy to get involved with another man, either. Or a vampire. Now he was involved with two of them. Yep, he was definitely a demon magnet.

He pulled into the driveway of the Summers’ house and got out of the car. He was met by Buffy on the front porch. She didn’t look happy, and Xander wondered what had set her off.

“Hey Buff. Spike here?”

“No. He’s probably at your place.”

Xander nodded and turned to go, but Buffy called after him.

“Xander, wait. Can we talk for a minute?”

“Sure, Buff. What’s up?”

“Actually, that’s kinda what I wanted to ask you?”

“What do you mean?”

“What’s the deal with you and Spike? I mean, you told me you were trying to find a way to bring back the other one, so why did you hook up with this one, and what happens to him when the other one gets here?”

“Ah.”

Xander sat on the step and Buffy joined him.

“It’s not easy to explain, Buffy. I love Spike, both of them. I never considered getting involved with this Spike at first; he was in love with you, still is, but things changed. There’s a lot about vampires that you don’t understand; claims being one of them. When I lost my Spike it nearly killed me - seriously. There’s a link between us, and when it was severed it affected my health. One of the other Spikes I met up with helped me. He gave me his blood.”

Buffy scrunched up her nose in a classic ‘eeew’ face and Xander smiled softly at her.

“I knew you wouldn’t get it. The point is, when I got back here I was okay for a little while because of what that other Spike had done for me. Then it started again; it might have been worse because I had been practicing with my power as well, but I’m not sure. Spike… he cut himself - now that I think of it, it was probably on purpose which means he somehow knew before I told him, and boy are we going to have words about that - and I took his blood. That was the beginning. Then there was the incident where he bit me - you remember I told you about that?”

“Yeah. So what? That made it final? He drank from you and that’s it? You’re mated?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, there were words and all that with the other Spike, but we knew we were doing it - claiming each other. This was sort of an accident. It wasn’t complete either. Not until… ”

“I get it! No need for details! Um, when did you … complete it?”

“The morning after I went to L.A. I came home and ran into Anya; she told me what happened, what you said to him. I looked for him all night but finally gave up and went home - he was already there.”

“Oh.”

“I didn’t do this to hurt you, Buffy, I did this because I love him. Because he was hurting - you have no idea what you did to him that night - and because I wanted him. It would have happened sooner but he was still hoping that the two of you had a chance.”

“And you were okay with that? You’re his mate, Xander, and would have just stood back and let me be with him?”

“Yes. If he was happy, if you both were happy, then yes. But that time has come and gone Buffy. I can’t do that now. Not now that we’ve completed the bond. It would destroy me.”

Buffy shook her head sadly and leaned into Xander’s side. Xander put his arm around her and squeezed.

“I really screwed up, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, Buff. You did.”

“I’ve lost any chance I ever had with him, I know I told him it was over, that we could never be together, but I was scared. I loved Angel and looked how that ended. Every time we see each other we cause the other pain. Then Riley; I pushed him away because I was afraid to let him in. Now I’ve done it again with Spike. Am I ever going to find the right guy, Xander? Or have I already found him and let him go?”

“Nah, you’ll find him. The right guy is out there; you just have to wait till he finds you. Or maybe…”

Xander trailed off and grinned at her.

“You ever think about switching teams, Buff? That Kennedy seems to have taken a shine to you.”

Xander ducked as Buffy threw a playful punch at him.

“Go home to your vampire, Xander. Things got a bit out of control tonight; there was an incident with Robin…”

Xander tensed and turned cold eyes on Buffy.

“He’s fine. Robin’s mother was Spike’s second slayer, he was looking for a little payback; he didn’t get it. Spike could have killed him, but he didn’t. He won’t try it again, I made sure of that.”

“Thanks, Buff. I’ll see you tomorrow. Oh, and tell Robin, that if he does try again, he better learn to like Cat-Chow.”

Xander jumped back into the car and drove away. Buffy shook her head and stood up. She looked up at her front door and wondered if she had done the right thing by not telling Xander about Giles’ involvement.

“My life just keeps getting more and more complicated. Things were so much simpler when I was dead.”