Wishes

A HUGE thank you to Alterian, Slasher Girl, xanderspike, Daeomae, Lockheart, Jenny, stasha and Anon for the reviews I really enjoy reading what you think. It is great to hear that so many of you are feeling for the characters, that tells me I'm starting to get the job done right! So thanks so much for your reviews.

Slasher Girl I'm not much of a reviewer either (I never know what to say!) so I definitely appreciate the effort!

For those of you that were hanging out for this chapter (and I still find it hard to believe that any one is!!) I'm sorry it took so long but I had my university graduation yesterday and that sort of swept me up for a few days!!

Happy reading

Suede
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Buffy rocked back and forward on the balls of her feet. Xander hadn’t called them after “the date” and she was dying to know how it had all gone. Looking across at Willow who was bouncing one foot and chewing on the end of a stand of hair, she was feeling the same.
“Wils” Buffy watched another group walk past and giggle at the two of them sitting on the steps.
“Buffy?” She didn’t move, eyes still trawling for Xander.
“Does it seem to you there is a joke we aren’t aware of?” Buffy groaned and rolled her eyes as Cordelia and her group sauntered past chatting about the events of the bronze last night. Buffy listening to their conversation with half an ear.
“You totally should have been there!” Harmony was practically cackling. “The look on his stupid face when his ‘boyfriend’ ditched him. It was awesome!” She sobered a little “I was a bit disappointed he didn’t cry” The others giggled.
“Thought you would have enjoyed it more after all he did to you” Harmony turned to face Cordelia raising her eyebrow at her.
“He was just pretty messed up last night, not that I care, he deserved it for cheating on me”
Now they had her full attention Buffy shot to her feet.
“Xander?” The group looked over at her.
Cordelia nodded “Yeah Xander’s boytoy ripped into him when he found out about the wish, curse whatever it is and he took off.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he can’t show his face here again! There was this girl in Oxnard…” Cordelia raised her hand cutting Harmony off mid sentence
“Harm! I’m talking here”
“Whatever”

the group began to walk away leaving Cordelia with Buffy and Willow. Cordelia leaned closer. “Was he Spike? He was Spike wasn’t he? Did you know?” Cordelia frowned at the look on Buffy’s face “Fine, either you don’t know or you’re being thick on purpose and either way I’m wasting my time”. She turned to walk away but jerked backwards when Buffy closed her hand around her wrist and pulled.
“I think you should start from the beginning”

Spike woke to banging. At first he thought it was the after affects of the excessive drinking from last night then he realized it was coming from the front door as well. He staggered from his bed and towards the main door pulling it open and leaning forward just in time to meet Buffy’s fist head on.

Buffy stepped over Spike and into the darkened room, Willow and Giles following after shuffling around Spikes prone form.
“Buffy that really didn’t solve anything”
She looked over at Giles flashing him a feral grin “Nope. But it was a damn good start”

Spike woke for the second time that day on the floor in front of the door. He staggered to his feet and into the main hall. Hoping the Slayer to be a hallucination, granted a very vivid hallucination with a mean right hook. He groaned upon seeing that wasn’t the case. Was Willow holding a shovel or was that just a trick of the light. Either way it was too early for this. He groaned.
“To what do I owe the ‘pleasure’ of you visit”
All three stiffened at his tone, which should have been his first warning. But the alcohol seemed to have short circuited his self preservation instincts.
“What’s the matter slayer? Lose one of your pets?
All three surged to their feet. Giles blocking the girls as they lunged forward.
“Ohh I hit a nerve. It would have to be the donut boy, seeing as he’s not here and all” Spike was pleased that he’d kept the tremor out of his voice.

Giles pushed the girls back a little.
“It’s not worth it girls. Concentrate on why we are here, don’t let him make you lose focus”
“I don’t know why your worried, no big loss there at all you’ll just have to get your own jelly filled” Spike had a half second to smirk at the looks on their face before he felt a fist in his stomach. His eyes flashed to two very surprised girls before looking back to the watcher who withdrew his fist and began polishing his glasses once again gesturing that they should take a seat at the table. Buffy slumped into the nearest chair muttering about raging British hypocrites and Willow sat glaring at Spike before fixing Giles with the resolve face “Fine. But it’s my turn to hit him next”

Footsteps from behind him told Spike that he wasn’t the only one who had woken to the Slayer. Cruz walked back into the room rolling his eyes at Spike on the way past and walking straight to the table where he addressed Giles talking in low tomes that sounded like a buzz to Spikes ears due to the alcohol. Gone was the pretense of minion. Now Cruz looked every bit the childe, well on the way to being a master in his own right. They didn’t look too surprised though, so he must have been out longer than he thought. Then he focused enough to hear what they were saying and he REALLY wished he hadn’t.
“No luck finding Alexander specifically. But there is news. Could be bad, could be very bad” he turned to face Spike fixing him with a determined yet sympathetic face.
“Spike. Drusilla is back and the rumour is she has taken a new childe.” He paused closing his eyes briefly before continuing. “A boy with dark hair”
For the second time that morning Spike wound up out cold on the floor.

The phone woke Angel from yet another nightmare of his past, in fact he would have been glad to wake if it wasn’t for the fact it wasn’t even noon yet. Barefoot he moved into the kitchen with the phone held loosely in one hand scratching the back of his neck with the other. His emotions changing as the conversation progressed. Xander was missing; annoyance, slight worry. This time Spike had lost him; Surprise especially how he was acting not too long ago. Drusilla was back and the rumor she’s recently taken a new childe: and finally an emotion he was all too familiar with, dread.

Spike was awake (again) and fully sober. And he was cursing every minute of it.

*Spike’s POV*
Daft git had no idea all along. Didn’t know anything about the curse.

You know part of me suspected as much.

But I still let my pride take hold and I ripped him apart. I threw him away before he had a chance to explain. Bints said he ran into the night and no one has seen him since. What the hell kind of friends are they! Should be out looking for my boy. Bringing him here to me. Bloody sun. Hours left till sunset and I’m free to go find him. Gits probably holed up somewhere with a few boxes of Twinkies.
He’ll have to make it up to me making me worry like this.

Poofs here. Like I’m not suffering enough as it is. He’s skulking around brooding at everyone. For the most part he’s worried about Dru. He’s sure my dark princess has turned my boy. Don’t know how I feel about that. No, I do know how I feel about it! He’s mine; it’s not her place to turn him! I snarl at him on his next pass. He responds by cuffing me over the back of my head, what is this? Hit Spike day? Didn’t see that on the calendar, better nick a more comprehensive one next time. Slayers leaving to hit up Willy again. Like he’s learnt anything new in the last twenty minutes.

Time passes agonizingly slowly. I hear Cruz returning I turn to face him and he sighs and shakes his head that was the last of my sources tapped dry. I look at the clock and wish the hours gone. My minions have searched as far as they can via the tunnels and the slayer, watcher and little witch are roaming the cities sunnier areas. My hand reaches for the statue behind me and I wind back to throw… but can’t. I can remember the blood, pain and fear wrapped around him and how warm he was in my arms and my demon rages at being denied that comfort now.

I look out at the sun dappled courtyard and curse loudly again. I need to be out there now. I need to do something. Waiting has never been my strong point but right now I’m getting awfully close to killing something or someone if he broods close enough again.
I begin my sixty-first trek across the room and the poof pauses his almighty brood-fest to look at me.
“Childe” I snap my eyes towards him. Like I really need all this ‘Spike I am your master’ crap now. He can’t be doing what I think he is?! He has opened a wrist for me?!
“Peaches?” he can’t be serious.
“Feed Childe, then sleep. You will need all your energy to hunt those who hold your boy” I nod despite myself. Follow the orders of my grandsire drinking from the offered wrist then slip into sleep once more.

I wake in bed not long after sunset. Wondering for a moment if that whole day was a dream until, I see her.

My dark princess is standing in the doorway like she’s been here all along.
“Dru luv what are you doing here?”
She giggles coming closer to bounce on the edge of my bed. “I found a kitten in the park. So young he didn’t even have his eyes open”
“A kitten Dru?” I have the feeling I’m missing something, but I can’t grasp what.
“Darkest brown but brightest white” She bounces again. “His boy lost him and he cried. I was going to make him mine and open his eyes but Miss Edith says that I’m not supposed too, not yet.”
She giggled and began twirling a strand of dark hair through her fingers.
I realize then that we are alone. The building is completely empty.
“Dru? Where is everyone else?”
Her smile turns coy. “Searching for the kitten but his mummy cat has hidden him away” Her laughter trails into a meow and she bats at my hand. All these years of deciphering Dru’s cryptic messages and the one time I really need too I had missed all the bloody signs. Stupid. I surge from the bed standing with it between Drusilla and myself. Her next words ringing in my ears.
"Even as they look so close he's far away because I sang to him and his heart was ready to listen"
“You have Xander?”
She turns serious and seems surprisingly lucid when she replies.
”You cast him away Spike. If the stars had not sent for me he would be lost to us”
“Dru luv where is he?”
“You fail him again Spike and they will take him from you. We are not given his gift lightly.” She rises from the edge of the bed gliding towards the door.
“This place sings to me. But not as nicely as the home you made for me. I wonder if its singing to my kitten?”
“The factory Dru? That place isn’t safe for him!” its falling apart big areas of the roof have fallen already. Searchers already reported no sign of life within.
She snarls, her game face fully in place. “Mummy knows best William”
She throws me a bag. Its contents make me glad these kinds of things don't make me blush any more.
“Toys for the kitten.”


Even with supernatural strength the trip feels like slow motion. I move from room to room knocking more rubble loose in my haste. I'm desperate to hear his heart beat and suddenly there he is sleeping on the dust covered bed. My hand shakes as I brush the hair from his face and he begins to wake. Sleepy chocolate eyes focus on me again. Only now they hold suspicion and fear instead of lust and mischief. His face a picture of confusion. So I sit on the bottom of the bed and I talk until I think he understands. Then I wait, pretty sure rejection is going to be his response. Instead he laughs and it’s my turn to look confused.
“Xander Harris demon magnet is still firmly in effect then” He turns his head towards me a little more and smiles.
“So this" He gestures between us "is a curse then?” The cheeky grin is back though his body is still tense like he’s ready to flee. Oh no he doesn’t! About time the boy realized he’s mine and he's not going any where.
“My kind of mojo” I mummer back before I set about claiming his too warm mouth good and proper. Letting him know just who he belongs too, but from the way he reacts I don’t think he has forgotten just yet.

I let him catch his breath before diving in again. One more, just to be sure.

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Hope you enjoyed it review and let me know.

Next chapter: The line in the sand

Suede
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