Vikings, Sires and Siblings

Part 5

Buffy ran through the streets of Sunnydale. It was only minutes before sunrise and Xander was still missing. When she had gotten the call from Spike earlier that morning, she knew something was wrong.

Spike had told her that he'd turned in early, since Xander needed some time alone and didn't want company on patrol. He said he'd woken up sometime in the middle of the night to Xander thrashing and screaming in his sleep. He had tried to wake him - to soothe him, but he had been struck in the head full force by his mate’s fist.

When he came to, it was hours later and Xander was gone. With the sunrise only a little while off, he didn't know what to do so he called Buffy. Which was why she was now running towards Spike's old crypt. Willow had done a locator spell and determined he was there. Buffy just hoped she made it in time.

As she rounded the gate, she heard him. He was sobbing piteously and it broke her heart to hear it. She had no idea what had sent him out into the early morning, but it had to have been bad for him to react like this. She had never seen Xander cry before. And he'd had a lot of reasons in his life to do so.

Climbing up onto the roof of the crypt, Buffy dropped to a crouch beside him. Xander turned his face toward her and she gasped at the sight of blood tears running freely down his face, the look of utter anguish on his demon features. It wasn't often that Xander vamped out, mainly during fights or when feeding. If he was all bumpy now, it had to be caused by severe emotional distress.

"Xander, you have to come down off here. The sun's coming up."

"I know. Leave me Buffy, I deserve to die."

Buffy blinked in confusion.

"Why? What could you have possibly done that you think you deserve this?"

Xander sobbed harder and managed to choke out a reply.

"Killed them, oh God. I killed them all."

Now Buffy was shocked.

"Who did you kill, Xander? Spike said you were having a nightmare or something and cold-cocked him. He didn't mention you killing anyone."

Xander didn't seem to hear her and kept talking.

"Tara, Willow. I... I ripped them apart with my bare hands. I staked my mate. I don't know what came over me, I was so... angry."

Xander hung his head and Buffy scooted closer. She put her arms around him and he shrugged her off. She did it again, only this time she was prepared for him to fight the embrace.

"Xander, calm down. No one's dead. You didn't kill anyone."

Xander turned confused yellow eyes to her and his bumpy forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"I didn't?"

"No. You gave Spike a hell of a shiner, but other than that, he's fine. So are Wills and Tara."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Spike called me this morning after he woke up; he was worried. Willow's with him right now. Tara stayed behind to make sure Dawnie got to school. Everyone is fine, Xan. I promise."

"Oh, thank God!"

Xanders shoulders sagged with relief and he allowed Buffy to help him to his feet. They jumped down off the roof and made it inside the crypt just as the first rays of sunlight broke over the horizon.

~!~

Spike hung up the phone and let out a relieved sigh. Xander was safe - not toasting himself to a fiery cinder on top of his old crypt. Willow handed him a cup of tea and sat next to him on the sofa. Spike sipped absently at the herbal mixture and wondered where she had found it in his and Xander’s kitchen.

"Xander's okay?"

"Yeah. Slayer found him in time; they're holed up in my old crypt for the day."

"Hmmm. Can't say I envy them that."

"Nope. Me either. Kinda got used to living in an actual home now, don't think I'd be too happy living in a crypt no more."

The pair fell silent. Willow gently took Spike's hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. He smiled sadly at her and shook his head.

"This whole thing is my fault. If I hadn't... well you know, with that bint in the cemetery, none of this would be happening."

"You can't blame yourself, Spike. You had no control over what happened to you."

"If it was you and Glinda? Would you honestly not blame yourself? I look at him, I see the hurt, the pain that I caused him. Whether it was intentional or not, I made him feel that way. Me. I can't not blame myself, Red. I just can't."

Willow nodded her head in understanding.

"I know, and you're right. If I did that to Tara, I'd blame myself too."

~!~

It was only minutes after sundown when the door flew open and Xander rushed inside. For all Buffy's reassurances, he couldn't quite allow himself to believe that it wasn't true - that he hadn't killed his mate, his best friend and her lover in a pique of jealous rage. He flew across the room and pulled Spike into his arms. He kissed him so hard that their lips bled, causing both to morph into game-face.

Buffy cleared the doorway and watched in shock as Xander scooped Spike into his arms and carried him from the room. She looked over to see that Willow was just as startled as she was.

"So much for talking things out, huh?"

Willow giggled and walked toward the kitchen. Buffy shook her head and followed her. Once they were seated at the small dinette table, Buffy told Willow what had caused Xander to run out into the night and wait for the sunrise. Willow opened her bag and put several things on the table. Buffy recognised them as spell ingredients and raised an eyebrow in question.

"I think someone has put a spell on Xander."

"Really? Why do you think that? I mean, couldn't he have just had a nightmare?"

Willow shook her head.

"If it was just Xander, I might think that, but after what happened to Spike... Buffy, he wouldn't do that to Xander. Someone, or something, is messing with them."

"Okay. I believe you. How do we find out who it is and what they did? It can't happen again, Willow; you didn't see him, my God... He was so broken."

Willow felt her eyes well up with tears at the look on Buffy's face. It must have been pretty awful for Buffy to be this upset.

"I need to do a revealing spell on both Spike and Xander. But seeing as they're busy right now, it'll have to wait."

Buffy grinned at her friend as the sound of howls tore through the house.

~!~

Upstairs, Xander was in the process of reclaiming his mate over and over again - not that Spike was doing anything to discourage him from his task. In fact, the blonde was begging for more.

Xander couldn't stop touching Spike, kissing him, holding him, stroking his skin. He wanted to bury himself so deep inside of his mate that they became one being. It wasn't possible - physically, at least - so he settled for the only option available to him.

Turning on his side, cock still deep inside the smaller vampire’s body, Xander pulled Spike’s face to his throat and then let his own fangs pierce the flesh of his mate’s neck, as well.

Through the blood, Xander could feel everything that Spike felt, his pain, his worry, his disgust with himself, his love for Xander, his fear that whatever was happening would eventually tear them apart for good. Xander tried to send reaffirming messages to his lover through his own blood. To let him know that he didn't hold him responsible for what had happened and that everything would be all right.

They had never taken so much blood from one another before, usually only exchanging blood during climax or if one of them was injured. This was different. It was like a melding of their demons - and Xander’s soul. It was being as close to one another as possible and still remaining separate entities. It was, in a word, awesome.

After almost completely draining one another, they both instinctively retracted their fangs and licked at the punctures until they closed. Xander was still hard within Spike’s body and the blonde squeezed his muscles around his mate’s shaft. Xander groaned and claimed Spike’s mouth in a bruising kiss while rolling the smaller man beneath him. He never left the softness of Spike’s lips as he drove himself deeper and deeper inside his welcome, willing body.

Spike moaned into the kiss and pulled Xander in deeper. As long as he was there, as long as he was being held and kissed and fucked through the mattress, he knew that he was loved. That whatever had happened that had scared Xander off, it was over. For now, at least, and that was enough.

~!~