Binding

Notes:
- Set during Lovers’ Walk (AU – no fluking, bowling date or kidnapping; Amy didn’t turn into a rat)
- Amy’s helping Willow with the de-lusting spell, so Xander’s not there; he’s having a night in with Cordelia, and Oz and the Dingoes have an out-of-state gig
- Spike doesn’t know Angel’s back from Hell

~

Spike hopped merrily down the stairs of the burnt out factory. “Drusilla! I’m home!” He called as he reached the bottom, a half-insane expression forming on his face as he broke out into a pathetic fit of giggles, which quickly turned to sobs. After a minute, he sniffed a few times and wiped his nose on his sleeve.

Seeing what was left of the burned bed, he stepped up to it, steadying himself on a pillar. In despair, he tossed his liquor bottle onto the bed and moved around the column. There on the dresser were a few of Drusilla’s dolls, abandoned when they left Sunnydale. He glared at them as they silently taunted him at his loss of his Princess. He picked one up, and studied it intently. The features on its fine porcelain face could still be seen, but the paint, hair and dress are long gone.

“Why did you do it, baby? Why did you leave me? We were happy here!” He asked the room, receiving no answer. He desperately tried not to break down, but his emotions overtook him. His face changed to that of his demon as he roared at the doll angrily, throwing it hard against the concrete floor. He spun around, searching for something else to destroy. Grabbing a tall iron candlestick, he raises his arm as all his raw emotions swirled around inside of him.

“YOU... STUPID... WORTHLESS... BITCH!” He screamed, alternating the words with blows to a doll, which lay forlornly on the tattered bedclothes. “Look what you’ve done to me,” he whispered, a broken man. He stared down at what was left of the doll, its delicate porcelain features smashed and scattered, limbs torn and singed. Growling, he carelessly tossed the candlestick on top of the remains of the toy. He sighed again and stalked out, deciding that with the coming darkness he would go find some poor sod to drain.

~

A short while later, Spike found himself at a magick shop, with no idea quite how he arrived there or why. He shrugged, walking into the shop through the back entrance and nodding as the shopkeeper looked up. ‘She looks a little tough, but I’m desperate’ he thought.

“Did you come in through the back?” the shopkeeper asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

“Yeah. I need a curse.”

“A what?”

Spike sighed, exasperated. “A curse! Y’know, something nasty. Boils. I wanna give him boils all over his face. You know, dripping pustules. Let’s really go for the gusto here.”

“I’m hearing a lot of negative energy,” the shopkeeper shook her head, unwilling to help him. “And I bet...”

“Leprosy!” Spike interrupted her. “Alright, a spell that makes his parts fall off. That sounds proper.”

The front door to the shop chimed as Willow entered the shop. “We don’t carry... leprosy.” She turned to see Willow walk through the front door. “Would you excuse me a moment?”

As Spike spotted the redhead, he ducked into the back of the shop quickly.

“Blessed be. Anything in particular I can help you find?”

“Yeah. It’s all here on the list. Skink root, essence of rose thorn, canary feathers...”

“Aha! A love spell... Want that old lover to come back to you?” As Spike heard this, he moved closer to the storeroom door. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing, hon?”

Willow’s face reddened and she became flustered. “No. Oh, I mean, yes! I... I know how to do a love spell, but this is more of an anti-love spell. Yeah. Uh, kind of a de-lusting. The supplies are basically the same, right?”

The shopkeeper smiled and nodded as she starts to gather ingredients. “Basically, yes. Although raven feathers tend to breed a little more discontent than canary. Let me just get some things...” She gathered the requested items and brought them to the counter.

From his hiding place behind the bookcase, Spike continued to watch the exchange.

“Okay. Mm-hmm. That’ll be $15.80 for the lot,” noted the shopkeeper, bagging it all while Willow pulled out her money.

“Thanks!” Willow smiled, taking the bag and leaving the shop. As soon as she was gone, the shopkeeper turned her attention back to Spike and hurried back to where she left him.

“So, did you find a spell book?”

Spike jumped out from behind the bookcase. His demon was evident, causing the shopkeeper to gasp in fright. Grabbing her around the neck, he grinned viciously.

“Forget the book.” Spike growled, leaning in for the bite.

He quickly drained her, leaving her on the cool floor of the shop. He looked at the front door where Willow had exited.

“I just got a better idea.”

~

“I got everything,” Willow called as she entered the darkened lab. “You there, Amy?”

“Yeah, Willow,” Amy replied. She wasn’t able to stifle her gasp of fear as she saw Spike standing menacingly behind her friend.

“Amy? What’s wrong?” Willow looked at her fellow witch in concern.

“Hello, Red,” Spike leered drunkenly, causing Willow to spin around. “Love spells now, is it?”

“N-no,” Willow lied, her eyes wide.

Spike grabbed Amy before Willow had time to react. “I want you to make me a love spell,” he snarled, his speech slightly lisping around his elongated fangs.

Willow nodded hesitantly, feeling that she had no choice if the life of one of her friends was at stake. She began to mix the ingredients, looking up every so often to check that he hadn’t harmed Amy. She was more than a little tempted to fake the spell, but one look at Spike’s face told her exactly what he’d do if he found out that she’d done exactly that. “This better work, Red – because if it doesn’t, something very nasty will happen to your little friend.”

Several minutes and an incantation later, Willow smiled shakily. “There, that should be th-that,” Willow stammered, sweat pouring off of her as she moved away from Spike. “Your perfect match should al tal themselves within the next… uh, day or so.”

As he heard this, Spike released Amy with a baleful smile and she hit the ground with a dull thud. “Too late…” he grinned maniacally, his mouth bloodied. Willow gasped in horror as she looked down at Amy, who was bleeding profusely from a bite mark on her neck.

~

Xander and Cordelia settled back into the sofa together, watching “Pretty Woman” for the nineteenth time. Suddenly, Xander yelped as he felt a searing pain in his chest.

“Xander, what’s up?” Cordelia asked, concern clouding her eyes.

“Chest…tight,” he gasped. “Can’t… breathe.”

“Oh my God! Xander… what should I do? Should I call Giles?” ‘No, his car’s way too slow… I’ll call an ambulance, then I’ll call Giles.’ Cordy thought, panicked.

“Cordy!” Xander gasped with the pain. “A little help here please!”

Cordelia knelt to him, brushing his hair off his clammy forehead, holding her cellphone in the other hand as she quickly dialled 911. “Hello, could I get an ambulance please?” She gave the address, all the while stroking Xander’s forehead. As soon as she was able, she dialled Giles’ number, praying that he was home – but then where else would staid British librarian guy be on a Friday night? The Bronze?

“Come on, Giles! Answer your damn phone!” Cordy cursed, mopping Xander’s perspiring brow. Getting no answer, she remembered that he’d taken Joyce out to a sixties theme night at the Bronze – so yeah, he really was at the Bronze. Cursing again, she tried Buffy’s cellphone, praying that she wasn’t mid-kill.

~
Buffy strolled through the cemetery, a wide grin on her face, having just dusted two vamps. She heard her cellphone go off, and plucked it out of her bag.

“Ohhh, God, Buffy you gotta help me! You gotta go to the Bronze and find Giles!” Cordy blurted as Buffy answered.

“Cordy?” Buffy was a little shocked to hear her voice, but was shaken out of her shock by her friend’s tone. “Woah, hey, slow down – what’s wrong?”

“Xander… sick… ambulance… hospital… need help!” Cordy managed to get out through her fright.

“I’ll come right over,” Buffy replied, deciding to swing by the Bronze on the way over to see if Giles was still in a fit state to take charge. “This is gonna sound really dumb, but stay calm, okay?”

Cordelia nodded. “Thanks. I owe you, Buffy,” the brunette replied, clicking the phone off and getting up.

“Unh…” Xander moaned. “Spike?”

Cordelia’s eyes widened at her boyfriend’s use of the bleached vampire’s name. “Xander?”

“Don’t leave me, Spike!”

“Okay…” Cordelia backed away from him, more than a little un-nerved, and picked up her cellphone again, re-dialling Buffy.

“Buffy! How soon can you get here? He-he’s asking for Spike!”

“Spike? Is he back in Sunnydale?”

“Not that I know of… oh, hello Spike.” The tone of Buffy’s voice changed as Spike crossed her path, but she did a remarkable job of keeping her composure.

“Spike’s there?” Cordelia became more hysterical.

“Shh, it’s okay, Cordy. Stay calm, I’ll ‘deal with’ Spike, and bring Giles right over.”

“Spike…” Xander mumbled, jus the the paramedics knocked at the door.

“Okay…” Cordy replied, more than a little hesitant, yet trying to take control. “The paramedics are here now, so I’ll meet you and Giles at the hospital.”

Buffy nodded. “ ‘Bye Cordy.” and clicked off her cellphone, turning to face her old nemesis. “What are you doing in my face?”

“Is that any way to talk to your favourite vampire? Ooh, sorry, second favourite.”

“Don’t tempt me, Spike. What are you doing here?”

The platinum blond vampire grinned evilly. “I came home. Me and Dru, we were happy here.”

“Were?” Buffy questioned.

“She left me for a Chaos demon.” Buffy barely fought back a grin at this news. “It’s not funny, bitch,” he snarled, grabbing her before she had time to get her stake. “Think you can take me down?”

Buffy was just about to answer him when she heard a low growl in the trees behind her, and she kicked out as Spike looked up. “Well, well, my boy, messing with the Slayer, are we?”

Spike smiled as he saw his sire. “Oh, no, Dad – I leave that to you. I must say, masterstroke of yours to rid the world of that Calendar girl.”

“Guess again, Peroxide Boy,” Buffy grinned, prodding Spike with a stake. “Daddy’s not home just yet.”

“Oh God!” Spike groaned. “Not the bloody poof!”

“As Drusilla will no doubt testify… oh, I forgot, she left you!” Angel smirked, still in game face. “I am no poof.”

Spike had no further comeback to this, and he turned and fled, scowling, into the night.

~

A short while later, having advised Angel that it would be better for him to go home, Buffy arrived at the hospital, and found a distressed Cordelia in the ER waiting area. “God… Cordy…” Buffy sighed. “How is he?”

“I don’t… hic… know.” Cordelia said quietly. “They won’t… tell me anything. Did you see Spike?”

“Mm. He ran off when Angel taunted him… Drusilla left him.”

“Angel…?”

“Please Cordelia – not now. I’ll explain everything as soon as Xander’s better.”

“O-kay…” Cordelia replied slowly, barely able to digest this new information on top of everything else.

Just then, two paramedics and a doctor raced past them with a man lying on a gurney that looked uncommonly like… but, no – it couldn’t be. Could it?

“Spike?” Buffy asked, getting up and grabbing the gurney as the paramedics passed her.

“You know him?” the doctor asked.

“Yeah, he’s my… oh God I can’t believe I’m gonna say this …ex-boyfriend. He left me for the other guy that was brought in earlier – with the suspected MI?” Cordelia made as if to object to this, but Buffy kicked her in the shin. “So… I guess what I’m asking is… can we put them in adjacent beds?”

“I don’t see why not…” the doctor smiled. “Wheel him in.”

“What did you say that for?!” Cordelia asked indignantly as soon as the doctor had left.

“To get them next to each other in the ward.” Hearing Giles speak, both girls spun round and saw him nod. “Good work, Buffy. Luckily, Willow was able to reach me on Joyce’s cellphone. She and Amy were forced into doing a love spell by Spike – he wanted to get Drusilla back – when apparently the original plan was to dissipate the mutual attraction felt by both Willow and Xander. It appears that the two spells may have become intertwined.”

“Willow and Xander?” Cordelia was horrified. “If this spell doesn’t kill him then I definitely will!”

“Can we see them?” Buffy asked the doctor.

“Not just yet – I think it would be best if you left until the morning.”

Giles nodded, leading the two girls out of the ER.

~

Spike stirred in his hospital bed, blearily opening his eyes and getting the fright of his unlife when he saw Xander hovering just inches away from his face. “Evening, lover,” Xander purred, in a voice Spike couldn’t recall hearing from anyone’s mouth, let alone a schoolkid’s, since before Darla died.

‘Get away from me, you… gah!’ Spike thought, becoming incredibly frustrated that he was somehow unable to voice his concern at this turn of events. Yet somehow, something was stirring in him – something which disgusted and fascinated him at the same time.

“Xander wants to play…” the brunette purred.

‘Am I going out of my mind?’ Spike wondered. ‘Am I dying?’ Before he knew what he was doing, the blond vamp had climbed out of his bed, and had placed himself in the submissive position – kneeling with his head bowed, not daring to look at or speak to his Master.

“Climb back onto your bed, slave.” Xander ordered. “Place your hands behind your head. Do not make a sound until you are given permission.”

Spike nodded dumbly, doing as he was told. It seemed like an age before Xander made it over to his bed, barking at him to move so that there was room on the bed for both of them. His eyes widened as he saw Xander’s erection tenting the hospital gown. ‘Cor… he’s bigger than Angelus…oh no, bad thought – shouldn’t be thinking of the runt like that!’ the blond vampire reflected, Xander’s first command barely disturbing his musings.

“I said, I order you to suck me off, slave.” Xander’s voice cut through to Spike’s brain like a knife through butter. Not that it mattered what he thought, as it was patently obvious that he had no control over his own actions. It was because of this that he found himself lowering his head to Xander’s crotch, pushing the gown back so it lay nestled behind his – oh so inviting, Spike unwittingly pondered – penis.

Xander tensed as he felt the vampire’s cool mouth envelop his hardness. He’d always been attracted to vampires – hell, he’d admitted to Willow that he’d thought Angel was buff, but he’d never thought about Spike in that way. Until now. There was that familiar bubbling sensation in the pit of his stomach, that he’d learnt was the very beginning of the build-up to his orgasm. From what seemed like nowhere, he brought one of his hands to rest gently on Spike’s head, and watched in wonder as the blonde continued to work his magic. His nails dug into Spike’s shoulders as he began to shudder, silently screaming his name as the salty liquid flowed out of him and down Spike’s gulping throat.

‘Thank you Spike,’ Xander whispered as he came back down to earth.

‘Thank you Red,’ Spike grinned – maybe Sunnydale was going to be worth staying in after all.