White Knight, Black Knight

Spike listened to Xander try to keep quiet as the boy moved towards the crypt. He was getting better actually. Instead of sounding like a herd of elephants he only sounded like a herd of cattle. Not bad considering Xander’s natural state was loud, both in his clothes and his volume.

After finding Harris out alone last night while hunting up something to kill and watching all night, Spike felt he knew the boy so much better. The hostility he had shown both Spike and his poofter of a grandsire was understandable if he had staked his best friend. It also explained some of Xander’s weird behavior recently and why he looked like something a Neko demon dragged in.

Spike would not mention anything he heard, wouldn’t even say that he saw the boy. He knew all too well how hard it was to keep a stiff upper lip, and while Xander joked around Spike now knew how much of that was a mask. He would not deny Xander his odd type of dignity.

The boy stopped outside his door and paused. He was the only one of all the Scoobies that knocked, even Dawn just barged right in most of the time. “Might as well come on in Harris! Could bloody well hear you from fifty paces!” He turned to watch Xander come in.

“Gee Spike, I think that was a compliment, two weeks ago it was a hundred paces! I must be getting better!” He was laughing. That was a good sign; Spike couldn’t deal with an evening of brooding. If he wanted that he would have gone to L. A. to bother his Grandsire after giving up on Buffy.

“Yeah, I suppose even whelps have a chance to improve.” Spike took note of Xander’s scent. Citrus, sawdust and sugar. No sign of depression or anything like that. He didn’t smell as happy as that weekend when he had that bloody Star Trek marathon going on, but that was okay. Spike could stand only so much babbling about whoever that Seven woman was before wanting to stake himself.


Spiked jumped up and sat on the sarcophagus that was in the upper level of his home. Xander joined him. “Talked to Clem today, said there was some great beastie down in the tunnels eating whatever it could lay its paws on. You up for it Harris?”

Xander gave it a moment’s thought. “Did he say like how big? All I’ve got is an ax and stakes. Okay for fledges and minor uglies, but not for something big. You think that’s what got those two being planted out there today? vesdvesdropped a bit, and from what I could tell there was barely enough to put in a casket.” Xander’s nose wrinkled as he thought of the different possibilities.

Spike thought for a moment. “Clem didn’t say what it was or anything, just that there was something looking to snack on the populace and didn’t care if it was human or demon. Come on down, I think I’ve got something that might just do.” Spike climbed down to the plain part of the crypt and Xander followed.

There were a few candles lit to give just the smallest amount of light so Spike lit a few more so the boy could see. He had actually done well getting down here without falling, Spike tht. ht. He’d realized something not long after they had first mended fences. Xander wasn’t as stupid as he let on, and the only reason he didn’t know things, like how to fight or the easy way to research, was because no one had ever taught him anything, and Spike had been trying to change that.

Spike remembered his short stay in the boy’s basement. His parents either totally ignored him or seemed to delight in embarrassing him with their own certain flare. Course it was easy to do that last one with Anya almost always there. The American school system sucked, leaving Xander to flounder with his grades to graduate. Spike may not have liked the discipline of an English boarding school like the one he’d hated when he had been human, but they did make sure you got a decent education.

What really shocked Spike though, is that in nearly six years the Watcher had never taught him any self-defense. What little skills he had, Xander had either taught himself or they were from half-forgotten memories of a soldier. That was one weird Halloween.

Spike shook off his musings and bent down to dig under his bed. He pulled out a couple of swords in their sheaths, and then a couple of knives. “Know how to do anything else with these pig stickers rather than just swing and hope?”

He watched as Xander tried to lift the hand and a half sword. It was awkward, too heavy and too long for him to use it. Spike picked up the katana and held it out to him. “Here, try this. Doesn’t have the impact of that big bugger, but it will be a bit easier for you to handle.”

Xander did know some basics, but Spike took a few minutes to show him how to block and a few other tricks. Course the boy had to joke. “There can be only one!”

“What, think you’re immortal just because you got a fancy sword Harris?” Spike couldn’t help but smirk at the look on the boy’s face. “What, you think I only watch Passions? Like that Kronos bloke I do, he had some good ideas about destruction.” He was almost laughing at the look of astonishment on Xander’s face.

They made their way to the entrance to the tunnels. “How’s you night vision? Think you can get used to almost complete dark or do you need a torch? I have one around here somewhere” He was hoping for the former.

Xander thought for a moment and replied “Even if my vision sucks I think I’d be better off without a light, down here it would just make me a better target. And you’ve got your lighter if I really need to see, so I think I’ll pass on the neon sign proclaiming come and get it, thanks.”

So he had grasped the problem. Very good.

As they moved their way through the tunnels, Spike tried to point out landmarks and the like, so if they were separated the boy would be able to figure out where he was and could find his way out on his own. You never knew what could happen.

They had been walking for quite some time. Spike could feel that the sun had finally set up top. He was getting very sick of this, of the smells down here in the sewers, of the twisting and turning. After the first bit the boy had gone quiet. Spike couldn’t tell if it was use use of the boy concentrating, being depressed like he had the night before, or something else altogether.

Spike was just about to suggest they call it a night at this hunt and go up top when he froze. There, just about 200 yards or so ahead he heard something. It was hard to tell, mainly because as soon as he stopped Xander’s heartbeat had quickened, making it hard to hear anything else.

That was taken care of in a flash as both men heard a terrible roar that sounded close. Whatever it was roared again, closer. Spike turned to face whatever it was that was now barreling down the tunnel towards them, and braced himself. Whatever the hell it was, it was big, pissed, and knowing their luck had a lot of sharp pointy teeth. The better to eat you with my dears.