Healing

Part 50

Inside Giles's apartment, all hell had broken loose. Spike and Giles were arguing - quite loudly - over who had the right to beat information out of Ethan. Spike said that it was him, because he had been asked to do it. Giles said that he obviously wasn't doing a very good job since they still hadn't learned anything. They were inches from each others faces and yelling loud enough to wake the dead. Xander and Wesley stood in the doorway watching, frozen in their tracks but what they were seeing.

"Honestly, I think you're out of practise there Spike. Perhaps you should consider changing your name? You certainly don't live up to your reputation any more."

"You bloody well take that back! The only reason I haven't decorated the room in your entrails is because Xander’d bloody well kill me."

"You afraid of a human, Spike? Since when does William the Bloody take orders from a human pet?"

Spike was growling and shaking and three seconds away from ripping the watcher a new orifice.

"Xander is not my pet, he is my mate. And you're damn lucky he likes you, cause right now? I don't."

Spike struck Giles hard enough to knock him out and then none to gently placed him on the couch. Xander and Wesley stared after him as he flew up the stairs toward Giles Bedroom.

"You should go after him, I'll check on Rupert."
"Thanks. I wonder where the hell Buffy, Willow and Tara are? Shouldn't they be refereeing?"

Wesley wondered about that himself but just shook his head and went to check on his passed out former colleague. Xander took the stairs two at a time and stopped outside Giles's door. He listened for a minute but when he didn't hear anything he opened the door.

Spike was lying back on Giles bed, smoking a cigarette and clenching and unclenching his fist. Xander knew Spike was aware of his presence so he sat on the end of the bed and waited for Spike to speak.

"The bloody watcher is insane! Off his fuckin' nut, he is! Asks me - me, to torture that git for information and then has the gall to come in here and criticize my technique!"

Spike got up and began pacing.

"No, no Spike. You're doing that all wrong, the pins should go under the nails. Like I haven't been torturing people longer than he's been breathing for fuck sake! Then, then, he bloody well starts burning the fucker with my lighter! On his nads!"

Xander winced in sympathy. He didn't like the chaos wizard but that had to hurt.

"So then, the room fuckin' stinks of burnt hair an' flesh. His solution? Open the bleedin window! Never mind the highly combustible vampire in the room. The vampire who was asked to be in here in the first place. He could have set me on fire!"

"Giles? Giles did all that?"

"Yeah well, he's more Ripper than Rupert today, I'd say. He's bloody lucky I love you, or I'd 'ave fed him his bollocks to shut him the fuck up!"

Xander Stood and pulled Spike into his arms. He held him and tried to calm him the only way he knew for sure would work. He slipped his hands under the material of his shirt and rubbed along his muscular back. He sucked on his neck, leaving a mark before trailing wet kisses up to his ear and biting gently on the lobe.

Spike hissed in pleasure as he felt Xander’s teeth on his earlobe. He pulled the boy closer and nuzzled into his neck. He licked across his mark and felt his mate thrust his hips against him. He pulled back and looked at Xander with his demon face and was rewarded by having a warm hand reach up to pet his ridges.

Spike purred and rubbed his face against Xander’s hand. Xander slid his other hand around to the front of Spike's jeans and began popping open the buttons. He had gotten pretty good at undoing them single handed. Once he freed Spike's cock he began stroking it gently, continuing to caress his mate's face. Xander couldn't decide if he found Spike more attractive this way or in human guise. He didn't really care, Spike was beautiful either way.

"Xander, fuck pet. Don't stop."

"Wasn't planning to."

Xander leaned in and gently kissed Spike's lips, he slipped his tongue insides his mate's mouth and licked his fangs. Up one side and down the other. Spike began panting and his eyes rolled back in his head.

Xander withdrew his tongue and smiled at the broken wail of protest Spike made. He dropped to his knees and quickly took as much of Spike's erection into his mouth as he could and sucked hard. Spike growled and shot his cum down Xander’s throat. Xander licked him clean before standing back up to kiss him.

"Have I told you how much I love you today, Spike?"

"Might have mentioned it a time or two, luv."

"Well, I do. Thank you for not killing Giles, even if he was irritating the hell out of you."

"Wasn't easy."

Xander chuckled at his mate's pout. He looked around the room and then back at Spike.

"Ah Spike? Where is Ethan anyway?"

"You just noticing now that he aint here?"

Xander smiled sheepishly and nodded.

"So you thought he was here, and you still sucked me off?"

"Er... yeah?"

Spike burst out laughing and hugged Xander to his chest.

"You're one of a kind, pet. The witches had to take him to see a doctor. Seems ole Ripper gave him a nasty set of third degree burns. Red said there was no way she way touching him there to fix him up. Glinda just shook her head and backed outta the room. Should have been here, it was funny as hell."

"So where the hell is Buffy then?"

"School called, nibblet's not feeling well, slayer had to go pick her up."

"Ah."

"So, how went things with the poof's watcher?"

"They went. Can we talk about that later though, vamp hearing and all that?"

Xander motioned toward the bathroom across the hall and Spike nodded.

"Sure pet. I'm about ready to go home now anyway. If I have to deal with Ripper again today, I might just tear him a new arse hole."

"Okay, just let me check on Wes and then we'll go. We can come back later tonight if they need us."


Wesley closed the door behind Xander and Spike and looked toward the stairs. The conversation he had earlier with Xander - about talking to Angel - was weighing on him heavily. He wanted to assure his lover that he still loved him and would still be here waiting for him when this was all over. But at the same time, he was truly frightened of being virtually alone in this place with Angelus, he knew that the vampire couldn't hurt him but he also knew that he wanted to.

Figuring that he would never get the opportunity to speak with Angel in private again, Wesley gathered his courage - as well as the water pistol - and headed for the bathroom to speak to Angel.

Inside the room, Angelus was lying back in the bath tub, knees bent and eyes closed. Wesley stood just out of reach of the vampire and cleared his throat. When Angelus opened his eyes and glared at him Wesley almost lost his resolve to do this.

"Angel... "

Angelus snarled at him at shifted to his demonic visage. Wesley swallowed down his fear and continued.

"Angel, I know you can still hear me and there are some things I need to say to you. I realize that the circumstances are less than ideal but this cannot wait until you are yourself again."

Wesley took a deep breath and really looked at the vampire, searching in those brown eyes for some sign of the man he loved.

"I love you Angel. I admit this has thrown me for a loop, but no more so than it has you I'm sure. I handled things very badly, I panicked and I allowed others to dictate my actions. It is no secret that Rupert has no tolerance where you are concerned but I didn't think about that. I just allowed his negativity to cloud my own thoughts and feelings."

Angelus continued to glare at Wesley, but he continued anyway.

"It is quite humorous actually, I have Xander to thank for making me realize what I was doing. He's grown into a strong, sensitive young man. He told me that whether I realized it or not, I was hurting you. I don't want to do that. We will find a way to fix this, to restore you. I need you to be strong, to fight Angelus. I'm not giving up on you, Angel. Please don't give up on me, on us."

Wesley leaned close enough to run his hand through the vampire's hair before quickly withdrawing. He paused in the doorway and turned back once more.

"Remember, Angel. I love you. We will get through this."