Vikings, Sires and Siblings

Part 4

"So, you think you were possessed?"

"I dunno, Red. It wasn't me; I would never do that."

The two were sitting in the kitchen discussing the events of the night before. Willow had been asked to come over by herself and see if she could help. Spike had finally convinced Xander that he hadn't wanted to fuck the female vampire - that he had every intention of staking her, but something had happened to him - it was as if his body was responding to someone else’s will. Once Xander was calm enough to listen, he decided to give Spike the benefit of the doubt. He had been nothing but honest with him since the first night they had been together; he didn't think he was lying to him now.

"I know that. You were with Dru for over a century, you're the loyal type."

"Well, what Dru an' I had was different from what me an' Xan have. He's my mate, Dru was my sire. She owned me in a way, but I had no claims on her. We weren't always exclusive."

"Oh."

"But it wasn't like we were cheating. She and Angelus, well she was his childe and he had certain rights to her - to me too, seeing as I was hers. But mostly it was just the two of us."

"And with Xander?"

"We're exclusive. No one else. I don't want anyone else, Red. I only want him. That's why I need you to figure out what the hell is going on here. I can't lose him over this. I just can't."

"I'll do my best. Now tell me everything that happened that night."

~!~

Xander listened from the other room as Spike told Willow how he had followed the vampiress into the cemetery. He had already heard this; Spike had been adamant that he be allowed to explain after he had come down from the shower. Spike was so obviously upset by it, that Xander had to believe him.

Spike had told Xander that he was just doing a routine sweep. Keeping an eye out for any of the vamps from the other night when he spotted her. He followed her into the cemetery and was going to stake her, but when he looked her in the eye, something came over him. Xander listened as Spike explained how he was there, but not, as he pushed her up against the wall and drove into her with abandon. He said that it all seemed a bit surreal, as if he was watching someone else doing those things. He said the woman didn't even put up a fight, that she seemed to be expecting it. That was when Xander first suspected that there might be magic involved.

So now his mate was in the kitchen telling that same story to Willow, hoping that she could help him, prove him right. Xander had told Spike that he believed him, but Spike wanted to prove his theory anyway. He said he needed to make sure that whatever it was, it wouldn't happen again. It was a good idea, the not happening again, because Xander wasn't sure he could be so forgiving a second time. It was all he could do to keep from actually hurting Spike the first time. His demon screamed for vengeance, to make Spike suffer for his betrayal. It would not have been pretty if the demon had gotten its way.

~!~

Willow told Spike she would look into it, that it almost sounded to her like a kind of thrall. Spike was never any good at that sort of thing and told her as much. She promised to help him get to the bottom of things and then she left for home so she could research in peace and quiet. Xander and Spike fed together silently. Spike still felt horrible about what happened, and Xander couldn't get the image of Spike and this ... woman out of his head.

"Xander? Are we going to be okay, luv?"

"Yeah. We will... eventually."

"I... You know I didn't, I mean I wouldn't... I love you."

"I know. I love you too, Spike. I just can't stop seeing you with some faceless woman. It's stupid, I know, but it fucking hurts."

Spike tentatively put his arms around Xander and when he wasn't rebuffed, he pulled him into an embrace.

"It's not stupid. If things were reversed, do you think I would have handled this any better?"

"No. In fact I'd say you got off easy on account of my soul."

"Damn straight."

Xander sighed and carefully stepped away from his mate and turned his back to leave the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway and then looked over his shoulder.

"I'm going out. I need to kill things."

"You want company?"

"No. I really think I need to be alone right now."

Spike walked to Xander and placed a soft, chaste kiss on his lips.

"Alright, luv. Just promise me you'll be careful. Those vamps from the other night could still be around somewhere."

"I know. I will be."

Xander left and Spike hung his head. He didn't know what to do, how to make this better. He always ended up fucking things up, but he thought this time - with Xander - it would be different. He loved him, truly loved him, and wanted nothing else but to be with him for the rest of his existence. They were mated - bonded in the vampiric equivalent of a marriage. Only in this case, it was forever, no option of divorce. If Xander decided he wanted out, he'd have to stake Spike to be rid of him.

Spike shook his head sadly; as far as he was concerned, if Xander didn't want him anymore, he'd welcome the stake. He walked out to the living room and flopped onto the sofa. Idly he flipped through the channels on the big screen TV and wished he had never gone out last night.

~!~

When Xander returned later that night, Spike was nowhere to be seen. Xander couldn't sense him in the house, so he went back out and began searching for him. He didn't like the idea of Spike wandering off - not with that she-vamp still out there.

Xander made a quick sweep through the cemeteries and looked around both The Bronze and Willy's. He saw no trace that his mate had even been there. He decided to check back at the house, and if Spike wasn't home, he'd call Willow and see if she would do a locator spell. He wasn't being paranoid - just cautious.

Of course, Xander sensed that Spike was home before he was even in the door. He felt himself relax; relieved that his lover was safe and home. He quietly made his way up the stairs toward their bedroom. He heard strange noises and so he quickened his steps. As he turned the corner he stopped in open-mouthed shock.

There on the bed - in their bed - were Spike and a dark-haired female vampire. Fucking. His mate was fucking someone else. In their home. In their bed.

Xander saw red. He knew that most vampires wouldn't keep any wooden furniture in their homes, but he had always liked wood, and right now he was thankful of his insistence that they bought the oak bedroom set he had wanted. He snapped the leg off the table by the door and was across the room before either of the occupants knew he was there.

The woman who had up to this point been riding Spike burst into dust as the makeshift stake impaled her through the back. Spike blinked in astonishment before leaping from the bed. Xander pounced on him. He wrestled him to the floor and was just about to sink the stake home when he heard Willow and Tara shouting at him to stop.

Everything happened in a blur. Xander came back to himself and saw what he'd done. His hands were covered in blood. There were ashes scattered across the floor. Willow and Tara were in pieces - literally - scattered about the room.

"Nooooooooooo!"

Xander screamed and rushed from the room. He didn’t stop running until he found himself outside of Spike's old crypt. He climbed to the roof and allowed himself to cry. He screamed out his anguish - begging for the fates to take it back - to make it right. He had no right to ask for a favour, to demand the restoration of what he had so foolishly thrown away. There was only one thing left for him to do. One way to be with his mate again - to beg for understanding, if not forgiveness.

He was going to wait for the sunrise to come and claim him.

~!~