LBSBSS 09
Title: Little Bit Strange, but Still Special
Author: Feygan
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Anita Blake
Characters: Spike/Xander
Spike laid a hand on Xander's shoulder, and Xander felt some of the tension slip away. With Spike to watch his back, they were going to get out of this alive and Penelope would make it home to her parents. He wanted to believe it.
"I thought we were stopping at the hospital," Xander said. He tried not to sound as accusing as he felt, but it was hard when he got the sense that he was being manipulated. He'd heard enough about Jean-Claude to know that the vampire had no problem seeing people as collateral when figuring his plans. If Jean-Claude thought Penelope's presence would give him an advantage, then he would be happy to use her.
"The hospital's the other direction. Jason is taking her," Anita said.
Glancing at Penelope, Xander wondered how much English she understood. Everyone was talking about her, deciding what was going to be done with her.
"Jason won't get in trouble?" Xander asked. "You know, people asking questions about some guy dropping off an underage French girl covered in vampire bites?"
Anita waved her hand. "He knows my number, and I'm planning on stopping by before I go home." She sighed heavily. "I don't think I've had a full nights sleep in five years."
Xander did not roll his eyes at her dramatic "woe is me" tone, but he wanted to. He wondered what Buffy would have said on meeting Anita, and it was no contest about who his favorite vampire slayer was.
"Let us get inside," Jean-Claude said. "We have much to discuss."
Xander turned to Jason before following Jean-Claude. "Make sure you get Penelope to the hospital. I will be checking up on her, and she better be in good condition when I check on her." He glanced at Spike. "Can you make sure Penelope knows what's going on? Like give her our phone number so she can call if she needs anything?"
"Of course, pet." Spike gave Xander a smile before talking to Penelope in rapid French. She looked scared at first, but gradually she relaxed and began nodding agreement. She went with Jason with no fuss, her hand clutching a scrap of paper with their phone number scrawled on it. Xander silently wished her luck.
Then he followed Jean-Claude into the building. The horrifying vampire clowns on the signs weren't exactly relaxing, but he had Spike at his back so he wasn't completely terrified.
*
Jean-Claude's office was the epitome of trying too hard. There was a lot of shiny expensive stuff, but maybe it was too much for one space. Not that Xander would ever complain to Jean-Claude's face.
"Nice place," Xander said.
"Thank you," Jean-Claude said, settling behind the big, glossy desk. "Would you like anything to drink or eat?"
Xander turned toward Spike, ready to give him a blast of the "Don't even think about it" face, but it was too late.
Spike smirked at the Master of the City, all rakish charm and fuck yous to authority. "Xan here could do with a ginger ale, but for myself I wouldn't mind some wolf or leopard blood. In a glass, no ice."
Xander wanted to close his eyes and count backward loudly from ten. He held his face blankly expressionless, wondering where this was going to go. Some fey did enjoy drinking blood, so it wasn't like there wasn't a precedent.
"You would like blood to drink, monsieur?" Asher asked.
"Sure would. There's nothing quite like a cup of the ol' red to perk up a flagging fey." There was no doubt that Spike was enjoying himself, needling where he could because he could. Xander figured Spike was a few sentences short of breaking out the terrible puns and the rhyming verse.
"We don't force our people to feed anyone," Anita said. She'd taken up position on the couch kitty-corner to Jean-Claude's desk. Her wereleopard boyfriend with the green eyes was shirtless on her left and Nathaniel was half-slumped over her lap, his eyes closed to slits as she stroked her hand through his hair.
Xander had the uncomfortable thought that they were about to witness an orgy. Teenaged-him might have instantly popped a boner and been all for watching the show, but adult-him was kinda grossed out. Nobody had asked if they wanted to watch a sex show, which made it all cheap manipulation.
He focused on Jean-Claude. Seeing naked Anita might get him to keep on looking her direction, but it wouldn't be because he wanted her. If she didn't have any respect for herself, he'd at least learned to respect himself.
"Can we skip the sex show tonight?" he asked. "I bought a DVD earlier and I want to watch it before I go to bed."
TBC...
Author: Feygan
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Anita Blake
Characters: Spike/Xander
Spike laid a hand on Xander's shoulder, and Xander felt some of the tension slip away. With Spike to watch his back, they were going to get out of this alive and Penelope would make it home to her parents. He wanted to believe it.
"I thought we were stopping at the hospital," Xander said. He tried not to sound as accusing as he felt, but it was hard when he got the sense that he was being manipulated. He'd heard enough about Jean-Claude to know that the vampire had no problem seeing people as collateral when figuring his plans. If Jean-Claude thought Penelope's presence would give him an advantage, then he would be happy to use her.
"The hospital's the other direction. Jason is taking her," Anita said.
Glancing at Penelope, Xander wondered how much English she understood. Everyone was talking about her, deciding what was going to be done with her.
"Jason won't get in trouble?" Xander asked. "You know, people asking questions about some guy dropping off an underage French girl covered in vampire bites?"
Anita waved her hand. "He knows my number, and I'm planning on stopping by before I go home." She sighed heavily. "I don't think I've had a full nights sleep in five years."
Xander did not roll his eyes at her dramatic "woe is me" tone, but he wanted to. He wondered what Buffy would have said on meeting Anita, and it was no contest about who his favorite vampire slayer was.
"Let us get inside," Jean-Claude said. "We have much to discuss."
Xander turned to Jason before following Jean-Claude. "Make sure you get Penelope to the hospital. I will be checking up on her, and she better be in good condition when I check on her." He glanced at Spike. "Can you make sure Penelope knows what's going on? Like give her our phone number so she can call if she needs anything?"
"Of course, pet." Spike gave Xander a smile before talking to Penelope in rapid French. She looked scared at first, but gradually she relaxed and began nodding agreement. She went with Jason with no fuss, her hand clutching a scrap of paper with their phone number scrawled on it. Xander silently wished her luck.
Then he followed Jean-Claude into the building. The horrifying vampire clowns on the signs weren't exactly relaxing, but he had Spike at his back so he wasn't completely terrified.
*
Jean-Claude's office was the epitome of trying too hard. There was a lot of shiny expensive stuff, but maybe it was too much for one space. Not that Xander would ever complain to Jean-Claude's face.
"Nice place," Xander said.
"Thank you," Jean-Claude said, settling behind the big, glossy desk. "Would you like anything to drink or eat?"
Xander turned toward Spike, ready to give him a blast of the "Don't even think about it" face, but it was too late.
Spike smirked at the Master of the City, all rakish charm and fuck yous to authority. "Xan here could do with a ginger ale, but for myself I wouldn't mind some wolf or leopard blood. In a glass, no ice."
Xander wanted to close his eyes and count backward loudly from ten. He held his face blankly expressionless, wondering where this was going to go. Some fey did enjoy drinking blood, so it wasn't like there wasn't a precedent.
"You would like blood to drink, monsieur?" Asher asked.
"Sure would. There's nothing quite like a cup of the ol' red to perk up a flagging fey." There was no doubt that Spike was enjoying himself, needling where he could because he could. Xander figured Spike was a few sentences short of breaking out the terrible puns and the rhyming verse.
"We don't force our people to feed anyone," Anita said. She'd taken up position on the couch kitty-corner to Jean-Claude's desk. Her wereleopard boyfriend with the green eyes was shirtless on her left and Nathaniel was half-slumped over her lap, his eyes closed to slits as she stroked her hand through his hair.
Xander had the uncomfortable thought that they were about to witness an orgy. Teenaged-him might have instantly popped a boner and been all for watching the show, but adult-him was kinda grossed out. Nobody had asked if they wanted to watch a sex show, which made it all cheap manipulation.
He focused on Jean-Claude. Seeing naked Anita might get him to keep on looking her direction, but it wouldn't be because he wanted her. If she didn't have any respect for herself, he'd at least learned to respect himself.
"Can we skip the sex show tonight?" he asked. "I bought a DVD earlier and I want to watch it before I go to bed."
TBC...