Yet to Nature True, Part 3 (BTVS/AtS)
Now for the conclusion...
Part 1
Part 2
Yet to Nature True, Part 3
****
Xander's world slowly came back into focus. The first thing he was really aware of was, "Oww."
"Careful. Don't move too fast." A woman's voice. Familiar woman's voice. Buffy's voice. "Whatever they hit us with beats the worst hangover I ever had."
"And then some," Xander agreed, leaning against her as she helped him sit up. He opened bleary eyes to survey their current locale. Groaned. "Severe déjà vu. What is it about the post-modern sewage tunnel that's such a hit with today's demons?"
"Dark, dank, and smelly, what's not to love?" She smoothed his hair back. "How are you feeling?"
"The head's still attached. My stomach would love to part company but that's getting better. Sort of."
"You're right on schedule."
"How long have you been up?"
"'Bout an hour. The bars are solid. I think they go down at least a few feet into the concrete."
"And they say demons don't take pride in workmanship anymore." He performed an internal sound check, decided to try standing. Buffy helped. "Any sign of the bad guys?"
She shook her head, steadied him against the wall. "They left presents." She pointed to the matching band aids they both had on their arms. "I thought I saw something right after I woke up. Walked upright, had horns, wore Brooks Brothers. I don't think I was all there."
"No, all there. Sounds like Wolfram & Hart. You remember, we told you about them. Local lawyers for low-lifes."
"Glad to know I'm not delusional."
"Just trapped."
"Delusional's gaining appeal."
**
The extended scooby gang, plus Kate Lockley, sat in Angel's office. Well, some of them sat. Angel, Giles, Riley and Kate all paced. At first they'd had to step around each other to avoid crashing. Now they'd settled into a pattern any self-respecting air traffic controller would have been proud of.
However, not even Spike felt any urge to laugh. Spike would never admit it, but he did owe both the Slayer and the kid. Plus Xander was... his Sire's. He'd laughed when he'd first heard about that, had to come to L.A. to see for himself. He'd seen all right, and that made this a family obligation.
It had been two days. Two days of fruitless searches, dead ends, and informants that knew less than nothing.
Angel slowed his steps, came to a stop, frowning. Nine voices immediately asked, "What?"
"Something's different."
"Than it was a minute ago?!" Kate asked incredulously.
Riley glared at her, and Angel, just for the heck of it. "What is it?"
"I don't--" Angel broke off, not sure he could explain, or even name, exactly what it was.
Spike smoothly detached himself from the wall, eyes and senses intent on his Sire. "You feel him?"
Slightly stunned, wholly frightened brown eyes locked with the ice blue of his childe's. "Yes."
Both Giles and Wesley stared, grasping the implications immediately.
"That's not possible," Giles said.
"Shut up," Spike ordered. "He awake then?"
Angel nodded. "He's scared and not... well, but awake."
Giles made as if to interrupt again, was stopped by a glare from Spike and Riley. "You can track him?"
An unpleasant smile twisted Angel's lips, behind his eyes a cold rage flared, nearly ready to break free. "I can." Voice like Death.
Abruptly everyone in the room remembered that Angel was, in fact, a Master vampire.
**
Buffy had finally tired of pacing and had joined Xander on the floor, absently leaned her head on his shoulder. He slipped an arm around her, each taking comfort from the other.
"You know," she began conversationally, "After much thought and communion with my inner Slayer, I've come to the conclusion that the whole 'waiting to be rescued' gig really sucks."
He chuckled, "Can't argue with you there. But being the rescu-ee is less stressful than being the rescu-er."
"Oh?"
He nodded. "Pacing aside, we're getting plenty of rest. And we know we're ok, and where we are--kind of."
She pondered that for a moment. "Good point." Several vivid images flitted through her mind, a mix of memory and imagination. "They're freaking, aren't they?"
"Major freakage is pretty much a given."
"Riley and Angel?"
"Beyond freaking."
She frowned, "Which is what, exactly?"
"I don't know. But Angel and Riley are doing whatever it is."
"They're gonna find us."
"I know."
"And the minute someone opens that door, Attack-Slayer springs into action."
A faint smile, "I know."
They were silent for a moment. "I think I want some stress now. It's not actually wrong to want stress, is it?" she asked.
"No--" he broke off as she tensed, then he heard it. Footsteps. Multiple. Coming closer. "Ask and ye shall receive."
They both got to their feet, and she instinctively stepped in front, protecting him. Xander stifled the urge to laugh--Angel did the same thing. It was cute, unless it was annoying. Right now and from her, it was just comforting. Through good and bad times on the friendship side, he'd always been able to count on Buffy for this.
A smiling face came into view, flanked by three enormous demons. "Ah Mr. Harris, Ms. Summers, I'm so glad you're awake."
"Always happy to oblige," Buffy replied. "Don't think we've met. I always try to at least know the names of my kidnappers. Helps to keep the bodies straight afterwards. So who the hell are you?"
"Charming manners. We'll take care of that later. If you'll step away from the door, we can keep this civil, at least for the time being."
"Can't say that I'm feeling all that civil right now, sorry. Xander?"
"I'd have to go with not civil also. But I'm not sorry."
He stopped smiling. "That's too bad." He stepped back, let the demon gorillas take point. "Vohl, Traz. If you'd take care of this."
A key turned in the lock and Buffy stood ready, not too close to the door, but close enough. It wouldn't be easy to take the demons, but she'd survived worse odds. She never really got a chance. The minute the first demon was through the door she charged, but he had a weapon, fired twice. The first shot missed, the second didn't.
Electricity coursed through her body, left her gasping in pain. She never even noticed when she hit the floor, barely heard Xander shouting her name. She thought it was his blurry form coming her way, but he never got to her, was securely restrained by gorilla demon number two. Who was taking him out of the room.
"Wait!" She meant to shout. It came out a croak. "Leave him alone!" That was better, but not quite achieving the "obey me now" effect she was going for. It was harder to issue orders when you were still twitching on the ground. She painfully hauled herself to her knees, "I'm the Slayer, if you're going to take someone, take me."
Xander's protest was muffled by the scaly hand over his mouth. She ignored him, intent on Mr. Smiley. "Take me. That's why I'm here, right?"
He smiled wider. "Actually, no. You were an accident. A happy one, but still an accident. Mr. Harris is the only essential part of this... operation."
She glanced at Xander, saw that he was as baffled as she was. "And what operation is this?"
"Corporate recruitment."
The Q&A session ended, the two demons dragging Xander out of the room and locking the door behind them before she could even lurch to her feet.
**
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Riley asked. They'd been walking the tunnels for over an hour. A car would have been faster, but Angel couldn't be out in the daylight and giving directions from the trunk lacked a certain practicality. As in any. Waiting was not an option.
"Yes," Angel fairly growled it out.
"Are we getting closer?"
"Yes." Definite growl and a flash of yellow in his eyes.
"I'd shut up if I were you," Spike smirked. This was almost like old times, except more sane. To his surprise, he was enjoying the change.
Silence reigned for a few more minutes and several dozen yards, then Gunn cleared his throat. "Uhm, does anyone else think this is too easy?"
As if on cue, over a dozen demons and vampires sprung from the shadows.
"You had to say it, didn't you," Cordelia muttered, raising her crossbow and taking aim.
**
The fight was fast, furious, and confusing. Before Spike knew it, he'd been separated from the others. He thought he'd seen the blonde cop go down, seemed to recall the Watcher going after her. Riley, Gunn and Cordelia had been holding their own against a trio of Kloshek demons but the rest had concentrated on him and Angel. Not so much on killing them, as separating them. From each other and from the rest of the group.
He didn't like it. And he took it out on the last remaining demon. It felt so good to kill, even if it was more or less his own kind. He'd never been all that picky.
Now free and clear, he concentrated, intent on finding his Sire. This had something to do with Angel. It had to. He was the only bloody thing the whelp and the Slayer had in common as far as he knew.
There. Angel was moving further away, but was still close enough to sense.
Spike ran down the tunnel, pace quickening as that inner sense told him he was getting closer to his Sire. The sounds of battle up ahead didn't hurt either.
As he expected, as soon as he rounded the corner he saw Angel. In full Gameface, which was also expected given the circumstances. But the savagery in his gaze, the way the elder vampire grabbed the lone surviving demon and literally tore his heart out of his chest--that was more Angelus' style than Angel's.
Spike approached a tad more cautiously. "Angel?"
Yellow-brown eyes turned his way with a snarl. "Not quite, Pet."
"Angelus." Spike cemented his composure in place. "What a surprise, heard you were gone for good."
"You heard wrong." Angelus moved as he spoke, hurrying down the tunnel.
A moment's debate found Spike following. "You still going after the boy?" Spike asked as he caught up.
Angelus spun, claws out and closing around Spike's throat as he thrust his childe against the wall. "His name is Xander. And he's mine. No one touches what's mine. No one. We clear?"
"Crystal," Spike croaked out.
Angelus dropped him and continued on his way, pace even faster. No debate this time--Spike did not want to follow. But he knew his Sire. Knew what he would do if he left him now. Shaking his head, Spike ran after him.
**
Buffy heard the sounds of fighting, levered herself up and over to the bars. Although these guys were annoying enough to have lots of enemies, she was willing to bet that Angel and company were taking their turn today. "Over here! Angel--Riley--Giles!! Anybody, I'm over here."
The battle sounds grew louder, closer. She caught a glimpse of one of the demons who'd been in the cell earlier. She grinned as a very pissed off Riley kicked it in the gut and followed that up with a knife between the ribs. A spurt of icky purple goo later and the creature went down for the count. In seconds, Riley, Cordelia and Giles converged at the door.
"Ugly should have a key," she told them. Giles nodded and after a quick visual survey of her, went to get it.
Riley opted for more verbal confirmation, "Are you ok?"
She nodded, "You?"
He smiled through the cuts and bruises on his face, "I'll live."
"Where's Xander?" Cordelia injected.
"They took him away, couldn't be more than 20 minutes ago."
"Why?" the former cheerleader asked as Giles returned.
"No idea. Creepy smiling guy just said something about corporate recruiting."
Three puzzled faces turned her way. She shrugged, "Don't look at me, I didn't say it and he was one of those annoying villains who doesn't explain." She saw Giles thumbing through several keys, "I think it's that one."
He tried it and it worked.
"Where's the rest of the gang?" she asked, stepping out of the cell and giving Riley a brief hug.
"Willow, Tara and Wesley are holding down the fort back at the office," Cordelia informed her.
"Second line of defense," Riley elaborated.
She nodded, "What about Angel and Gunn?" Buffy automatically took the lead as they moved down the corridor.
"Gunn's taking care of Kate, she's a policewoman friend of Angel's. She got hurt when we ran into the welcoming committee. He's taking her out of here. We lost track of Angel, and Spike," Giles told her.
"Spike's here?!"
"Yes," Giles replied absently. "Did the man who took Xander say anything else? Anything at all?"
Shaking off her surprise, Buffy focused, "Just that it was Xander they were after all along. I was just in the right place at the right time." She eyed her Watcher. "Giles, you have the Uh-oh Face. Why do you have the Uh-oh Face?"
"Because we may be in trouble."
"Duh, Giles, obvious much?" Cordelia rolled her eyes.
"She's got a point," Riley hesitantly agreed.
Giles was too worried to spare either of them an annoyed glance. That did not bode well. "How much worse trouble are we in than we think we are?" Buffy asked.
"They took Xander to use him for something. Corporate recruitment, you said. There's really only one person they might be using him to recruit."
A few seconds of silence. "Angel?!" Cordelia burst out. "No way."
"Not Angel. Angelus."
"Whoa--I thought he was gone, permanently," Riley said.
"We know he's supposed to be," Giles replied tightly.
"But you think Wolfram & Hart found a way to use Xander to bring him back?" Cordelia asked. "Does this have something to do with how Angel could track him?"
"Perhaps... Let's hurry, shall we?"
"Wait--Angel can track Xander?"
"Not now, Buffy."
**
Spike had no doubt Angelus could lead them to Xander as easily as Angel could. For the first time, he started wondering if that meant something.
He didn't have long to wonder. As they went around the last bend, they spotted three Zalusk demons guarding a larger chamber beyond. He caught a glimpse of flickering candles, and a bound figure on a concrete slab. Undoubtedly Xander. He stifled a sigh. Seen one human sacrifice, you've seen them all. But he had to do something about this one, or risk becoming vampire dust--if he was lucky and Angelus was in a good mood. The odds weren't good.
Before Spike could do more than vamp-out, however, Angelus was on the first demon, had sent the horned orange brute sprawling against the wall, followed that up with a stake through the eye. Messy, but effective. Spike went to take care of the others, who were advancing on his Sire, when an unfamiliar voice stopped all of them.
"Nice work. But there's no need for more violence. Vilosh, Grevol, stand down please."
"Who are you?" Angelus asked, still battle-ready.
"The man responsible for your release." The human male stepped forward, his sandy brown hair thinning but impeccably groomed, a smile on his face and body completely relaxed in his Armani suit. "My name is Holland Manners. I represent Wolfram & Hart. Your... alter-ego has dealt with us quite extensively in the past. In an adversarial capacity, of course."
"Why did you--"
"Do you such a large favor?" Holland's smile widened a fraction, "A show of good faith. We hope to have much better relations with you than your predecessor. I'm sure we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement."
"You want me to work for you."
"We can use a man of your talents in a variety of different areas. You would be amply compensated, of course."
"Of course," Angelus smiled thinly. "And the boy?"
"Yours to kill. As you can tell, he's still alive. We placed him in a stasis bubble the moment the spell was complete. One minute for us is merely a second for him."
"You're still cutting it close," Angelus said, taking a measured step forward.
Holland shrugged. "We tracked your progress. We have several minutes--you're actually a bit early."
"I've always prided myself on my punctuality." Angelus smiled, eyed the warlock by Xander and nodded to him, "Agholek."
The warlock showed no reaction as both Spike and Holland glanced the man's way, curious at the unfamiliar word. Spike knew the warlock was at least half demon--he could smell it--figured that it was just some weird greeting in the half-breed's language. He knew a lot of the demon tongues, but both Angel and Angelus had spent a bit more time reading up on fellow members of the demon world. Angelus had always said it paid to know who you were dealing with. Angel probably had nothing better to do.
Spike went back to watching his Sire and immediately tensed as he moved closer to the trio by the altar. To the uninitiated, Angelus looked calm, even amused. Spike knew better. The older vampire was one tiny step away from a bloody explosion. Very bloody.
Spike scanned the room surreptitiously. Two Zalusk demons left, the warlock standing over Xander, the human, who was undoubtedly armed--holy water probably, more reliable than a stake--and an unknown number of demons waiting in the wings. Not the best odds for an open fight, especially with a warlock in the mix. It wasn't like Angelus to overlook a magic user, especially since the gypsies had been at him. His Sire usually preferred better odds on the demon-front, too--at least knowing how many.
Mentally, Spike nodded. He would take out the Zalusks. Then reassess. If it looked like Angelus was winning, he'd do his bit, get in on the fun. Otherwise--people powerful enough to crack a spell set by The Powers That Be could probably get the damned chip out of his head, too. And pretty much anything Angelus could do, Spike could do--and better.
That was all the time he had before Angelus acted. He expected Angelus to go for the warlock first. Instead, he took the human, had him by the neck before the git could blink. Spike took out the first Zalusk nearly as quickly, tore the arm off the other almost as an afterthought and shoved the clawed end into its soft belly. As the bloody demon carcass fell, he heard a grunt from his Sire and glanced over, wondering if that was his cue to switch sides.
Steam rose from Angelus' face, the holy water had gotten him and good. But he was ignoring it, his grip on the mortal never faltering and his eyes on the warlock. Who held a large, shiny knife over Xander's chest.
"Do it and I won't let Spike kill you," Angelus hissed.
The warlock froze. The little mortal's legs twitched, confusion plain even through the red on his face and his bulging eyes. He held on to Angelus' arms with both hands, feebly trying to dislodge him, eyes darting to the warlock. Who still did nothing.
That wasn't right. Spike frowned, got closer. It made as much sense as Angelus' threat.
"Lucas.. do ..." the human choked out, couldn't say any more as Angelus tightened his hold.
"Lucas isn't going to do anything. Is he?" Angelus grinned. "You should pick your helpers more carefully, Holland. Never get all your important information from someone who's bound in servitude. Especially when your enemies know how to end it."
Spike glanced from his Sire to the warlock, saw the tiny mark on his left hand. Yup, that was a lifetime bonded mark all right. And apparently Angelus knew how to break it--maybe there was something to all that research crap. Ok, so the warlock-slave wanted to die and Angelus knew how to be his executioner. Not all that surprising, really. But Spike still felt like he was missing something.
"The mummy spell was clever. Your idea or the half-breed's?" Angelus asked. The human didn't answer at first. "I asked you a question." He punctuated his words with violent shakes.
The human shook his head, "Not-not me. Lin-Lindsey--" Voice weak and fading.
"Ah, Lindsey. I should have known." Angelus' eyes glowed yellow for a moment, his face hardening. Spike had no idea who Lindsey was, but he had a feeling it wouldn't matter for long. "You know, you really only made one mistake. You shouldn't have used Xander."
The human looked confused, almost as confused as Spike felt. Yeah, Angelus was a possessive wanker, homicidal about it, actually, but this was a bit much. The offer from Wolfram & Hart had been a good one. His Sire didn't like owing anyone but he was smart. He could have worked with them, gotten something back even. He couldn't have turned them down over Xander, could he?
"He's not just the puppy's Mate, asshole. He's mine, too. Did you really think I was going to thank you for killing my Mate?" Angelus whispered, voice harsh, the menace barely contained. "Do you know how long it would take me to find him again? You're lucky I don't have more time." With that he ripped out the mortal's throat and tossed him aside.
Claws still dripping blood, he turned to the warlock. Lucas was staring at him, pale, but unmoving. "Release the time spell. Call his soul back."
The half-demon nodded shakily, whispered a few words and began gesturing over Xander's body.
"Spike, the minute he's done take the corpse's heart and make sure you squirt some blood over the mark. Smear it on both palms, and over his face and neck. Then cut his throat where the blood's coating it." Angelus didn't take his eyes off Xander's face.
Spike didn't much like orders, especially Angelus', even when he told him to kill. But this time he was grateful for something to do, moved mechanically to Manners' still-warm body. Xander Harris was Angelus' Mate. And Angel's. Bloody fucking hell.
His Sire caressed the young man's face, leaned down to kiss him as his body started to convulse. But his grip on the boy never faltered.
Spike knew he could kill Angelus right then. And it was oh-so tempting. But in the end he couldn't do it. Blood called to blood and Angelus--and Angel--was his Sire. He couldn't do what Angel had done to Darla--twice--no matter how much he might hate him sometimes. And he did like the whelp. Not that he'd ever tell him that.
So he did as he was told, killed the warlock when the spell was done and waited for Angel to regain control of his body.
It took less than a minute. When the older vampire raised his face again, his eyes were brown and his face smooth.
"We need to leave. Now," Angel said hoarsely.
Spike nodded, let his Sire pick up the boy. No way was he getting between them. Angel might be in control, but he'd bet that control was tenuous right then and he wasn't about to try it.
"Can't wait to hear how you explain this to the bleedin' Watchers," Spike muttered as he trailed after Angel.
**
They searched for Angel, Spike and Xander but couldn't find them. Over an hour of wandering around increasingly slimier and dirtier tunnels later, they admitted defeat and began heading out the way they came, hoping that Willow and the others could do a spell to help them locate their missing friends.
"You lot ready to go home then?" The disembodied voice came as they passed a tunnel on their left.
Shock held them still as they turned and spotted Spike calmly blowing smoke rings as he rose and strolled toward them.
"Spike! We've been looking all over for you. Where--"
"Oh? Been here for a while." He smirked, glancing at their dirty and torn clothing. "Took some time off for slug hunting?"
Buffy glared, "Where's Angel? Did he find Xander?"
"Boy's probably tucked in by now. Peaches left me here to tell you," he sighed, plainly bored. "I repeat, can we go now?"
"Are they all right?" Giles asked.
Spike nodded sourly. "Yeah, the bleedin' Poof's fine and the boy looked all right. Not awake though."
Giles' face tightened a bit at that and Cordelia shot him a sharp look. "What?"
"What?" Giles repeated.
"You. Doing the Uh-oh Face again. Which I did not miss, by the way."
"It's nothing."
Four exceedingly skeptical faces turned his way.
"It may be nothing," Giles qualified.
Buffy and Cordelia each raised a brow, almost in sync.
He relented, "Spike, were you there when Angel found Xander?"
The blond wonder nodded.
"Did you recognize the spell they were attempting?"
"I didn't. Peaches did. He babbled something 'bout mummies."
"Oh, dear."
"Giles!" Three young exasperated voices and another smirk from Spike.
"There's a particular spell, it calls for summoning the soul of a mummy's beloved in order to entice it to follow it into the Afterlife."
"Angel is not a mummy," Buffy said.
"His situation is... unique, but there are similarities."
"Nevermind that, why is this bad for Xander?" Cordelia asked.
Giles hesitated. Another sharp glare prodded him. "If the beloved is dead, no-no harm done. If she or he has been reincarnated... the summoning, it... separates the soul from the body. If the separation is brief, there may be no... damage when the soul returns."
"What kind of damage?" Riley asked.
"Mental damage," Giles replied, voice low, eyes cast down.
"But that didn't happen, right? I mean the spell didn't work. Angel didn't lose his soul, he rescued Xander," Cordelia said quickly.
"Actually, Ducks, if you want to get technical about it, Angelus was the one who rescued the boy," Spike put in.
"What?!" From Riley and Buffy.
"By the time I caught up with 'im, Daddy Dearest was feeling a lot more like his old self."
"How long was Xander under?" Giles asked, forestalling further questions from Buffy and the others, and firmly pushing aside his own on why Angelus had done anything for Xander.
Spike shrugged, "Dunno." He hesitated a moment, then added, "The kid was in a time pocket."
Giles looked at him sharply, gaze intent, "You're sure?"
Spike nodded.
"Giles?" Buffy asked, hope and fear on her face.
"It's a chance."
****
Lindsey waited for a phone call all weekend. He knew they could try the rite on Sunday just after the rise of the new moon. But Holland never called, and any time he tried Holland's cell, he got voice-mail. None of his sources were talking either.
He barely noticed the tension in the building as he walked in on Monday morning, fully intent on his goal. He was all set to barge into Holland's office when a wholly unexpected sight stopped him cold. Beth was sitting at her desk, crying.
"Beth... what is it?"
She told him. The words sank in slowly. Holland was dead.
Dead.
She couldn't say how, didn't know why, only that Lucas was also missing, suspected dead.
Lindsey turned away without another word, brain buzzing. They must have tried the spell. Without him. And something had gone wrong.
Lindsey went back to his office, sat all day and stared at papers he couldn't make any sense of.
Holland had tried the spell without him.
Why?
Something had gone wrong.
Why?
But there was no one he could ask who would answer.
****
Willow was sitting with Xander when he woke up. Angel was there, too. In fact, he'd never left. Had hardly moved. Barely spoke, aside from some kind of argument with Giles just after the group had come back from the sewers. Willow didn't know and didn't want to know.
What Angel and Wesley--mostly Wesley--had explained to them when Angel had come back with Xander was bad enough. She didn't want to think-- couldn't think about Xander being-- so she didn't. He would be fine.
And now, look, he's waking up.
"Xander?" she sat up, hopeful.
Angel said nothing, just leaned ever so slightly forward, dark eyes burning and fixed on Xander's face.
The young man stirred restlessly on the bed, turned on his side, burying his face in the pillow. For a moment hope died a cruel death. Then he groaned. "What hit me?"
"Xander?" Willow leaned closer, hand on the bed.
Xander slowly shifted toward her. Blinking lots. He finally seemed able to focus. "Willow?"
She smiled, wide and bubbling happy. "Hi. Welcome back."
"Thanks--what happened to your hair?"
"Huh?"
"Xander?" Urgent, low from Angel.
With that Xander seemed to notice the other person in the room. "Who are you?"
****
"You know, we're really quite lucky. This... it's a good outcome," Wesley offered, trying to be cheerful as they sat around sipping cold coffee in the office.
Cordelia sent him a glare--more reflex than anything else. She felt too depressed to make the effort. "He remembers hating me. He doesn't remember Angel at all. Or you, or Gunn, or even Buffy. Willow is the only one he does remember in any kind of positive way. How is this a good outcome?"
"He might not've woken up at all," Wesley said bluntly, tried to ignore her flinch. "And if he did, he might've had the mind of a three year old." He waited for a quip about that being Xander's true age but Cordelia barely blinked. He forced some cheer back into his voice, "This is just a spot of amnesia. And it's getting better already--he remembered Giles and the library this evening."
"I know. I'm sorry. It's just--"
"You miss him. So do I."
"I know." She sat up, made an obvious effort to get her mind out of Gloomsville. "You're right. It could be a lot worse. And he just woke up this morning. All he needs is a little time to get the rest of it back, right?"
Wesley nodded and put on his "I'm an optimist, dammit" smile. "Right. Time."
**
Giles trailed Angel out of the master bedroom, where they'd left Xander sleeping post a light dinner.
"Angel," Giles began, slipping his glasses off.
"Save it, Giles, the subject is closed."
"He's handling this remarkably well, all things considered, but the person lying in there is not the Xander who is your-your--"
"Lover," Angel supplied, an edge to the word.
"Yes, your lover. In large part, he's just a fifteen year old boy. He--"
"I already told him."
"You what?!"
"I told him. This afternoon."
"Angel--"
"It's not your decision to make. He's my lover, Giles. We live together. You think he wouldn't notice that? He's a little confused, he's not stupid."
"But--"
"He coped just fine."
"What did he say?"
Angel half-smiled, the first time in days such an expression had crossed his face. "'Good to know I grow up to have great taste,'" he quoted.
"That's it?"
"He also approves of the décor in the bedroom."
Images of the rock-n-roll and cartoon posters adorning said bedroom--definitely not Angel's contribution to the room--flashed in Giles' head, "Of course he does. But--"
Angel glared, "This is none of your business."
"Yes it is," Giles replied, steel in his voice and a glint of Ripper in his eyes. "They're all my business and they bloody well will always be my business."
Angel backed down first, a brief nod of concession on this point and this point only. "He's all right with it. He just wants to take it slow. Date maybe."
"Date?"
"Date."
Giles thought about that for a moment, a soft smile lighting his face. Xander was far more level headed than any of them had ever given him credit for. His smile faded as his gaze went back to Angel. "And the rest of it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Angelus."
"What about him?" Angel crossed his arms.
"Why didn't he kill Xander?"
"He didn't have the chance," Angel replied, eyes on the pattern of the Persian rug.
"Spike said he was the one who actually saved Xander. That your soul was already gone by the time you arrived at the chamber."
"Spike's a liar."
"Yes he is, but he wasn't lying about this, was he, Angel?" Ripper flashed again behind the deceptively soft-spoken and rational manner.
"What do you want me to say?"
"I want the truth." Light blue eyes held dark brown uncompromisingly.
Angel said nothing at first, then reluctantly admitted, "Angelus thinks of Xander as his Mate."
An instant of shocked silence. "You bloody, self-centered, irresponsible fool!" Scathing and cold. "How could you--"
"I didn't," Angel snapped back. "There was no choice here, Giles. I didn't choose to love Xander, and I sure as Hell never wanted Angelus to. But I do. We do."
"You're not the one who has to live with the consequences for all eternity."
"No?" Angel smiled without humor. "I love him. I'll always love him. And I know that because of me, his soul will always be hunted by Angelus. No matter where he is, what body he wears, Xander will never be free of the demon. If I become human, or get staked--the demon is free. He'll fight to possess another body, and he'll win."
"You've given him incentive to." Bitter.
"I know."
Ripper stared at him from Giles' eyes for a long moment. Then in a voice that belonged to the warlock Giles had refused to be for a very long time, he began, "I lay a Geis upon you, who name yourself Angel. I charge you with the soul of the one called Alexander Lavelle Harris: You shall be ever by his side, his sworn protector, your life for his from now until the end of time. In the name of Annan and the Dagda, in the name of Eriu, Banba and Fodla, I Bind you, I Bind you, I Bind you."
As the Gaelic chant ended, Angel felt the Binding take place, like a current of icy lightning. It paralyzed him for a moment, then he shuddered, dizzy, nearly fell. Giles never moved.
When he could look up once again, he whispered, "Thank you."
A thin smile, in a face that looked much too old, "I didn't do it for you."
**
Xander came out of the light doze, heard raised voices intruding from outside the room. For a moment he tensed, remembering another dark bedroom and voices raised all too often. He pushed the memory aside, identified the voices in the here and now.
Angel and Giles.
//Wonder why they're fighting.//
He hesitated, but slipped the covers off his body and sat up, eyes on the door. The voices died down and he waited, poised to rise or sink back into the bed. No one came in, so he decided to get up.
It was the first time he'd been awake and alone all day. Wills had stayed with him for most of the day, as had Angel. His lover. A man. Who was also a vampire. And Willow was a witch. He shook his head, thinking he really should be more wigged about this, but he wasn't. It felt... normal.
And according to Wills and pretty much everyone else who'd come and talked with him, it was. Actually, it was harder to accept that "everyone" included Cordelia Chase, who was apparently one of his best friends. He supposed that stranger things had happened.
Xander grinned suddenly--he was sleeping with one. A total hottie, no question. But also of the strange by pretty much anyone's definition.
The gay thing should bother him, too. In high school, it certainly would have. But although his memories blurred and faded after the beginning of sophomore year, he knew, knew, he was no longer that 15 year old boy.
With a shrug, he dismissed the topic of "Why Xander Isn't Wigging" from his mind and glanced around the bedroom with real curiosity. This was where he lived. And slept. And had sex with the hot vampire. He couldn't help grinning again.
Dragging his mind away from some... stimulating... speculation, Xander moved around the room, debated turning on the bedside lamp. Decided against it. The Marvin the Martian nightlight //has to be mine// gave enough light to keep him from bumping into things and get a sense of the stuff scattered throughout the room. He knew Willow and some of the gang had gone out to dinner, but enough were left. A real light would not go unnoticed and he didn't want company just yet.
He picked up a wooden box on the dresser, thumbed it open. Charcoal, pencils, eraser. Art stuff. Couldn't be his. So, tall, dark and hunky was an artist. Cool.
He checked a couple of drawers, found clothes, and, ehem, supplies. Flavored. And hand cuffs. Blushing, trying to tell himself the shiver was not anticipation, he moved on.
The closet seemed safe enough. There were a lot--a way lot--of clothes. Mostly dark colors, although that might have been the lack of light. Many of them soft. Silk, he realized. His? Or Angel's? Nice either way. He ran his hand down the rack, stopped at something cool and smooth. Leather.
Blushing and grinning, he pulled out the pants, "Wonder what tales you have to tell..." Impulsively, he brought the material to his cheek, felt its buttery softness against his skin. Took a deep breath, inhaled musk and sweat and semen and something oddly... dry. Earthy. Frowned. Took a deeper sniff. There was something else, too. Something... metallic? What was...?
Xander shook his head, the scents swirling in his mind as he tried to remember...
/Cool breath against his neck./
/Knees hurting, body aching and arm twisted back./
/Whispered words against his throat, the fangs almost there./
/Long, dark hair, sing-song voice, insane./
/Jesse's face, but not. Shimmering away./
/Buffy crying./
/Fire in a church./
/Kendra falling./
/Cordelia lying still, something black and sharp sticking out of her stomach, gleaming with her blood./
/Willow screaming./
/Hands at his throat, unable to scream./
Xander fell to his knees. Images avalanched through his brain at a sanity-straining pace. His mouth was open, but he couldn't make a sound. He knew what he wanted, though. Needed. His whole being knew it.
Angel
**
Upstairs in the office, Angel paused in the act of taking out one of his books.
Wesley looked up from the Egyptian spellbook on his lap, "Angel?"
Giles and Cordelia looked up from their own reading, Gunn glanced away from the computer. The slight clinking of Gunn's mug on the table as he set it down made them all jump. Angel looked at the cup for a moment, then ran out of the room and down the stairs.
A beat later the other four followed.
**
Xander was finally asleep. Giles paused by the door and exchanged a look with Angel, who held the sleeping man closer. Giles' expression darkened for a moment, then he pulled the door shut behind him.
"He's going to be all right," Cordelia said quietly.
Giles still jumped a bit but managed a "Quite."
"Angel will take care of him."
Blue eyes flickered to her then away. "I know."
****
"I thought they'd never leave." Xander closed the bedroom door firmly behind him with a sigh of relief.
"They're just happy you're ok," Angel said, even though he emphatically agreed. It had barely been two days since Xander had woken up and he was in desperate need of alone-time with his lover. His Mate.
"I know that, and the whole spontaneous make-up birthday party was great and everything. But I'm kinda more interested in... other aspects of the birthday tradition."
Angel spied a wicked gleam in his lover's eyes despite the innocent expression on his face. "Like what?"
"Oh," overly casual shrug, "y'know." Tiniest of smiles. "The birthday sex."
"The birthday sex." Angel started to grin.
"It's tradition." Very solemn face.
"Really."
"Oh yeah," Xander began, walking over to stand in front of him, "very key part of the whole birthday celebration thing. Main event even."
"How does it go?" Angel tried for innocent but he'd never been very good at it and judging from Xander's expression, that had not suddenly changed. Xander played along anyway.
"Well... it involves you," Xander knelt on the bed, nudged Angel's legs apart, "me," his arms rested on Angel's shoulders, fingers digging into the silky, spiky hair as he tilted Angel's head up, "this bed," he whispered against a cool mouth, "the cuffs," a slow lick over slightly parted lips, a grin, "and the new peach lube we got from Spike."
Angel's laughter was cut off by a hard kiss and a hot, wet tongue that also prevented any objection he might have wanted to make. Not that he did.
"How do you want me?" Angel asked once Xander relinquished his mouth.
Xander chuckled, sending soft puffs of air against Angel's skin, "Naked. Cock-side up." He prevented compliance as he took his vampire's mouth once more, toppling them both onto the bed.
A short time later Xander came up for air, rested his forehead against the older man's. "The clothes have really got to go. Strip, Gelboy."
Angel stole a kiss, "I will if you will."
"Hmmm, let me think..."
Angel rocked his hips once, twice, licked behind Xander's ear.
"Ohhh-kay, done thinking. Mutual strippage it is."
Xander quickly tore off his own grey henley and shucked his jeans and boxers, then eyed his lover, who was still unbuttoning his dark blue silk shirt, "Uhm, you could pick up the pace a little. You know, things to see, people to do."
"People?" An arched brow and a pause in the disrobing.
"You're people."
The disrobing resumed. Xander watched as Angel's muscled chest was exposed, the nipples already stiff. He couldn't resist a taste, dipped his head and took one in his mouth, biting gently, pinching and twisting its mate as Angel gasped and arched beneath him, his free hand slipping down to cup and squeeze his lover's ass.
"Xan--Xan, oh god that's... what about the... oh, yeah... cuffs?"
"Fuck the cuffs," Xander muttered against Angel's chest.
A husky laugh, "I'd rather fuck you."
"No points, too easy," Xander said. "Besides," he bit a little harder, "my turn."
"Whatever you want."
Something in the way Angel said that made Xander look up. His lover's mouth was open, panting for unneeded air. His neck was tense, the corded muscles sharply defined. And his eyes burned, a tiny hint of yellow in them as he stared at Xander.
"Whatever you want," Angel whispered.
There was raw truth in his lover's words, the soul-deep reality of it shining in his face. Xander had to kiss him or choke on the emotion threatening to overwhelm him. Angel loved him. Would love him forever. It was still hard for him to get his head around that. So he didn't. He concentrated on the now, on the faint taste of chocolate cake hiding in his lover's mouth, on the slick tongue caressing his own, on the hard body undulating beneath his and the hands that roamed restlessly over his back and down his bare thighs.
Xander eventually licked his way out of Angel's mouth, kissed his chin, then along the strong jawline down to rest at the base of his throat, sucked hard. Angel squirmed, moaning, tilting his head to give Xander better access.
Smiling against the soft, cool skin, he licked at the mark he had made and blew on it, sending a shiver through his lover and eliciting another soft moan. With a parting kiss to Angel's throat he started traveling down his lover's body, teasing with light fingers first, then licking and nipping at the smooth skin, taking his time.
But there was still a barrier to his ultimate prize. With an impatient twist he unbuttoned the black jeans and unzipped them, slid his hands beneath the curve of his lover's ass and slipped the offending denim off. Angel had gone commando again. Good.
He paused, admiring the view and wondering how in the world he'd gotten this lucky.
Angel had problems with the pausing. "Xander," he growled out, thrusting his hips--and incidentally his iron-hard cock--up as a reminder.
"Oh, did you want me to help you with that...?"
Another growl, louder.
Xander grinned. Without warning, he swooped down and swallowed as much of Angel as he could.
The other man nearly yelped off the bed, body arching, a moan echoing through the room. Xander sucked hard, used just a hint of teeth, one hand holding tight to Angel's hip, the other busy playing with his balls.
"Shit, I... I'm going to... oh god that feels so good..."
Hands twitched at his hair, fingers coming close enough to touch then pulling back as the vampire fought not to rush him, not to make him go faster. //And the reward for good behavior boys and girls--mostly boys--is a gentle squeeze of the balls, then a pinkie right in there...//
Xander timed his entry into Angel's body, sucking harder as he breached the ring, humming a little as the questing finger found and pressed the prostate. Angel came with a roar, nearly choking Xander with the force of his thrusts, the silky semen hitting the back of his throat. Xander pulled back to swallow, riding out his lover's orgasm.
Slickening his fingers with his own saliva, Xander slipped them into Angel even as the last aftershocks rolled through the vampire, heard the satisfied groan as Angel opened to him and bore down on his fingers. He reached for the peach lube, barely had time to thumb it open and squirt some out before Angel knocked it away.
"I'm ready." The vampire reached for him. Xander hesitated. "Now," Angel said more firmly, eyes shining with need.
Mental shrug, Angel got that way sometimes. And if that's the way he wanted it... A hasty dab of lube later and Xander entered his lover in one smooth thrust, his own moan accompanied by a hiss of pleasure-pain from Angel.
Once inside Xander could pause, took the time to savor the tightness that never faded, no matter how often they did this, to feel Angel's acceptance of him, his body's welcome, to watch the fire behind Angel's heavy-lidded eyes.
//Oh yeah, I want to die right here...//
Slowly he began to move, setting an easy pace. Angel was having none of that, either, squeezing him with every thrust, drawing him deeper with his legs and his body. He still tried to pull back, not wanting to rush this, "Angel..."
"Xander." A harsh whisper, eyes more yellow than brown. "I need you."
Xander swallowed heavily, staring at his lover for one long moment. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, to tell Angel... But then Angel clenched around him again and all he could do was groan, eyes shut tight, body and soul lost in feeling.
Any semblance of control Xander had left died a swift and unlamented death. Soon he was pounding into Angel, sweat pouring freely down his body, breaths hard and loud, awareness narrowed to the tightness around his cock and the need building higher within him, rushing on until it crested and with a final clench of Angel's muscles, sweetly broke.
Xander fell onto his lover, heard Angel's cry of completion and felt a wetness against his stomach. Strong arms enclosed him as he slipped out of his lover's body, strong hands gently soothing him until his breathing evened out.
"I've been thinking about this all day," Xander murmured, nuzzling contentedly into the smooth throat as sleep rose to claim him.
"I think about this every day," Angel whispered back and held him closer. "Happy birthday."
****
A few days later...
"All right, I'm here. What the fuck d'you want?" Spike asked as he leaned into Angel's open car window and met the cool brown eyes of the older vampire.
"I have a proposition for you."
**
Angel watched as the doctor cut a small hole in the back of Spike's head and inserted a hollow fiber optic camera probe. The equipment behind them showed the probe's path and they could easily see when they'd reached the chip. A second later the doctor slipped a thin wire through the camera's tubing until it touched the chip.
"You'll feel some pain," the doctor said, voice utterly expressionless as he reached for the switch.
Spike merely nodded, prepared for this. The man flipped the switch and he felt the jolt throughout his body, barely kept in a gasp. But a second later the pain and the charge dissipated, much like the faint trail of smoke coming from the open cranium.
"Is that it?" Spike asked.
The doctor nodded. "That's it."
Cautiously Spike rose, feeling the hole close up even as he did so. "Can't believe it's that simple."
"Removing it wouldn't be. Short circuiting it... " the doctor shrugged.
"Yeah," Spike replied absently. He didn't feel any different. But then, he hadn't felt different when the chip was first implanted. The doctor wheeled his equipment out, leaving him alone with Angel in the shell of the burned building's once grand entrance. "I want my proof."
Angel hesitated a fraction of a second, then nodded. "This way."
Angel led him up the main staircase, which had miraculously survived more or less intact, and down a scorched hall. They stopped in front of a door, steel, unmarked. New. Inside Spike could hear a heartbeat, smelled sweat and dried urine, wrinkled his nose.
Wordlessly, Angel took a key out of his pocket, unlocked the door.
"Who's there?" Immediate, scared, from a brown-haired man bound in the chair in front of them, his eyes secured with a thick blindfold. "Angel--Angelus, is that you?"
Spike glanced at his Sire, said nothing as they both stepped into the room.
"Who is it? Morgan? Do you want money, I have lots of money," the young man tried again, his voice raw, desperate, lips chapped and dry. Spike wondered how long he'd been there, but wasn't curious enough to ask.
Spike took another step closer, hands twitching, wanting to strike out so bad but... afraid after all this time. The realization was enough to spur him on and he sank a fist into the young man's chest, immediately pulled back prepared for the pain, almost convinced the human's cry was his own.
But there was no pain.
With a widening smile Spike straightened, his fangs descending as his true face emerged.
"Please, please..." the young man said, his breaths ragged. "Don't, please..."
Spike ignored him, turned back to Angel, who had watched impassively. Spike nodded once. He would keep his word. Hell, he was sick and tired of California--sick and tired of the whole bloody country. The music alone was enough to drive the undead back into their graves, the beer was weak as tea and they had no idea how to play proper football. And there would be other Slayers, other Watchers. "It will take days," he whispered, vampire soft, holding his Sire's gaze.
Angel nodded and walked away.
"Why-why are you doing this?" the man gasped out. "Angel? Who are you?"
A very dry chuckle, "No angels here, Pet." Spike leaned in close, "Y'know, you really shouldn't mess about with other people's Mates."
**
Angel crept in to the bedroom, soundlessly slipped under the covers and pulled Xander close. The young man yawned, resisted for a moment.
"It's me," Angel whispered, kissed him on the nose, got a sleepy smile before Xander settled onto his chest, mumbled a "cold."
Angel pulled the covers higher in response, rubbed his lover's back in soothing circles, lulling him back to sleep.
Angel stayed awake, watching him, fingers playing over the young man's smooth, hot skin, tenderly twirling through his silky hair, feeling the moist breaths against his neck, inhaling the scent of sex and life. He brought a lax hand to his lips, kissed the fingertips, licked one. Xander sighed and a smile crossed his face but he slept on. Angel smiled, tightened his hold ever so gently, and closed his eyes, content, both demon and soul satisfied. For now.
Fin
*Author's note: I considered changing the final scene with Lindsey after the airing of the 12/19/00 Season 2 episode of Angel, but finally decided against it. Though there's some similarity between what happened in the ep and in this story, I didn't copy it. My betas can attest to that and this story has been in the writing for months (I'm s-l-o-w). So pardon to any who might feel offended/ripped off. Wasn't intentional, just wacky timing.
Also, sorry I haven't revised to include Fred, though I like her. As I said, this is AU as of S1 AtS and was completed in early 2001.
Thanks for reading
Part 1
Part 2
Yet to Nature True, Part 3
****
Xander's world slowly came back into focus. The first thing he was really aware of was, "Oww."
"Careful. Don't move too fast." A woman's voice. Familiar woman's voice. Buffy's voice. "Whatever they hit us with beats the worst hangover I ever had."
"And then some," Xander agreed, leaning against her as she helped him sit up. He opened bleary eyes to survey their current locale. Groaned. "Severe déjà vu. What is it about the post-modern sewage tunnel that's such a hit with today's demons?"
"Dark, dank, and smelly, what's not to love?" She smoothed his hair back. "How are you feeling?"
"The head's still attached. My stomach would love to part company but that's getting better. Sort of."
"You're right on schedule."
"How long have you been up?"
"'Bout an hour. The bars are solid. I think they go down at least a few feet into the concrete."
"And they say demons don't take pride in workmanship anymore." He performed an internal sound check, decided to try standing. Buffy helped. "Any sign of the bad guys?"
She shook her head, steadied him against the wall. "They left presents." She pointed to the matching band aids they both had on their arms. "I thought I saw something right after I woke up. Walked upright, had horns, wore Brooks Brothers. I don't think I was all there."
"No, all there. Sounds like Wolfram & Hart. You remember, we told you about them. Local lawyers for low-lifes."
"Glad to know I'm not delusional."
"Just trapped."
"Delusional's gaining appeal."
**
The extended scooby gang, plus Kate Lockley, sat in Angel's office. Well, some of them sat. Angel, Giles, Riley and Kate all paced. At first they'd had to step around each other to avoid crashing. Now they'd settled into a pattern any self-respecting air traffic controller would have been proud of.
However, not even Spike felt any urge to laugh. Spike would never admit it, but he did owe both the Slayer and the kid. Plus Xander was... his Sire's. He'd laughed when he'd first heard about that, had to come to L.A. to see for himself. He'd seen all right, and that made this a family obligation.
It had been two days. Two days of fruitless searches, dead ends, and informants that knew less than nothing.
Angel slowed his steps, came to a stop, frowning. Nine voices immediately asked, "What?"
"Something's different."
"Than it was a minute ago?!" Kate asked incredulously.
Riley glared at her, and Angel, just for the heck of it. "What is it?"
"I don't--" Angel broke off, not sure he could explain, or even name, exactly what it was.
Spike smoothly detached himself from the wall, eyes and senses intent on his Sire. "You feel him?"
Slightly stunned, wholly frightened brown eyes locked with the ice blue of his childe's. "Yes."
Both Giles and Wesley stared, grasping the implications immediately.
"That's not possible," Giles said.
"Shut up," Spike ordered. "He awake then?"
Angel nodded. "He's scared and not... well, but awake."
Giles made as if to interrupt again, was stopped by a glare from Spike and Riley. "You can track him?"
An unpleasant smile twisted Angel's lips, behind his eyes a cold rage flared, nearly ready to break free. "I can." Voice like Death.
Abruptly everyone in the room remembered that Angel was, in fact, a Master vampire.
**
Buffy had finally tired of pacing and had joined Xander on the floor, absently leaned her head on his shoulder. He slipped an arm around her, each taking comfort from the other.
"You know," she began conversationally, "After much thought and communion with my inner Slayer, I've come to the conclusion that the whole 'waiting to be rescued' gig really sucks."
He chuckled, "Can't argue with you there. But being the rescu-ee is less stressful than being the rescu-er."
"Oh?"
He nodded. "Pacing aside, we're getting plenty of rest. And we know we're ok, and where we are--kind of."
She pondered that for a moment. "Good point." Several vivid images flitted through her mind, a mix of memory and imagination. "They're freaking, aren't they?"
"Major freakage is pretty much a given."
"Riley and Angel?"
"Beyond freaking."
She frowned, "Which is what, exactly?"
"I don't know. But Angel and Riley are doing whatever it is."
"They're gonna find us."
"I know."
"And the minute someone opens that door, Attack-Slayer springs into action."
A faint smile, "I know."
They were silent for a moment. "I think I want some stress now. It's not actually wrong to want stress, is it?" she asked.
"No--" he broke off as she tensed, then he heard it. Footsteps. Multiple. Coming closer. "Ask and ye shall receive."
They both got to their feet, and she instinctively stepped in front, protecting him. Xander stifled the urge to laugh--Angel did the same thing. It was cute, unless it was annoying. Right now and from her, it was just comforting. Through good and bad times on the friendship side, he'd always been able to count on Buffy for this.
A smiling face came into view, flanked by three enormous demons. "Ah Mr. Harris, Ms. Summers, I'm so glad you're awake."
"Always happy to oblige," Buffy replied. "Don't think we've met. I always try to at least know the names of my kidnappers. Helps to keep the bodies straight afterwards. So who the hell are you?"
"Charming manners. We'll take care of that later. If you'll step away from the door, we can keep this civil, at least for the time being."
"Can't say that I'm feeling all that civil right now, sorry. Xander?"
"I'd have to go with not civil also. But I'm not sorry."
He stopped smiling. "That's too bad." He stepped back, let the demon gorillas take point. "Vohl, Traz. If you'd take care of this."
A key turned in the lock and Buffy stood ready, not too close to the door, but close enough. It wouldn't be easy to take the demons, but she'd survived worse odds. She never really got a chance. The minute the first demon was through the door she charged, but he had a weapon, fired twice. The first shot missed, the second didn't.
Electricity coursed through her body, left her gasping in pain. She never even noticed when she hit the floor, barely heard Xander shouting her name. She thought it was his blurry form coming her way, but he never got to her, was securely restrained by gorilla demon number two. Who was taking him out of the room.
"Wait!" She meant to shout. It came out a croak. "Leave him alone!" That was better, but not quite achieving the "obey me now" effect she was going for. It was harder to issue orders when you were still twitching on the ground. She painfully hauled herself to her knees, "I'm the Slayer, if you're going to take someone, take me."
Xander's protest was muffled by the scaly hand over his mouth. She ignored him, intent on Mr. Smiley. "Take me. That's why I'm here, right?"
He smiled wider. "Actually, no. You were an accident. A happy one, but still an accident. Mr. Harris is the only essential part of this... operation."
She glanced at Xander, saw that he was as baffled as she was. "And what operation is this?"
"Corporate recruitment."
The Q&A session ended, the two demons dragging Xander out of the room and locking the door behind them before she could even lurch to her feet.
**
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Riley asked. They'd been walking the tunnels for over an hour. A car would have been faster, but Angel couldn't be out in the daylight and giving directions from the trunk lacked a certain practicality. As in any. Waiting was not an option.
"Yes," Angel fairly growled it out.
"Are we getting closer?"
"Yes." Definite growl and a flash of yellow in his eyes.
"I'd shut up if I were you," Spike smirked. This was almost like old times, except more sane. To his surprise, he was enjoying the change.
Silence reigned for a few more minutes and several dozen yards, then Gunn cleared his throat. "Uhm, does anyone else think this is too easy?"
As if on cue, over a dozen demons and vampires sprung from the shadows.
"You had to say it, didn't you," Cordelia muttered, raising her crossbow and taking aim.
**
The fight was fast, furious, and confusing. Before Spike knew it, he'd been separated from the others. He thought he'd seen the blonde cop go down, seemed to recall the Watcher going after her. Riley, Gunn and Cordelia had been holding their own against a trio of Kloshek demons but the rest had concentrated on him and Angel. Not so much on killing them, as separating them. From each other and from the rest of the group.
He didn't like it. And he took it out on the last remaining demon. It felt so good to kill, even if it was more or less his own kind. He'd never been all that picky.
Now free and clear, he concentrated, intent on finding his Sire. This had something to do with Angel. It had to. He was the only bloody thing the whelp and the Slayer had in common as far as he knew.
There. Angel was moving further away, but was still close enough to sense.
Spike ran down the tunnel, pace quickening as that inner sense told him he was getting closer to his Sire. The sounds of battle up ahead didn't hurt either.
As he expected, as soon as he rounded the corner he saw Angel. In full Gameface, which was also expected given the circumstances. But the savagery in his gaze, the way the elder vampire grabbed the lone surviving demon and literally tore his heart out of his chest--that was more Angelus' style than Angel's.
Spike approached a tad more cautiously. "Angel?"
Yellow-brown eyes turned his way with a snarl. "Not quite, Pet."
"Angelus." Spike cemented his composure in place. "What a surprise, heard you were gone for good."
"You heard wrong." Angelus moved as he spoke, hurrying down the tunnel.
A moment's debate found Spike following. "You still going after the boy?" Spike asked as he caught up.
Angelus spun, claws out and closing around Spike's throat as he thrust his childe against the wall. "His name is Xander. And he's mine. No one touches what's mine. No one. We clear?"
"Crystal," Spike croaked out.
Angelus dropped him and continued on his way, pace even faster. No debate this time--Spike did not want to follow. But he knew his Sire. Knew what he would do if he left him now. Shaking his head, Spike ran after him.
**
Buffy heard the sounds of fighting, levered herself up and over to the bars. Although these guys were annoying enough to have lots of enemies, she was willing to bet that Angel and company were taking their turn today. "Over here! Angel--Riley--Giles!! Anybody, I'm over here."
The battle sounds grew louder, closer. She caught a glimpse of one of the demons who'd been in the cell earlier. She grinned as a very pissed off Riley kicked it in the gut and followed that up with a knife between the ribs. A spurt of icky purple goo later and the creature went down for the count. In seconds, Riley, Cordelia and Giles converged at the door.
"Ugly should have a key," she told them. Giles nodded and after a quick visual survey of her, went to get it.
Riley opted for more verbal confirmation, "Are you ok?"
She nodded, "You?"
He smiled through the cuts and bruises on his face, "I'll live."
"Where's Xander?" Cordelia injected.
"They took him away, couldn't be more than 20 minutes ago."
"Why?" the former cheerleader asked as Giles returned.
"No idea. Creepy smiling guy just said something about corporate recruiting."
Three puzzled faces turned her way. She shrugged, "Don't look at me, I didn't say it and he was one of those annoying villains who doesn't explain." She saw Giles thumbing through several keys, "I think it's that one."
He tried it and it worked.
"Where's the rest of the gang?" she asked, stepping out of the cell and giving Riley a brief hug.
"Willow, Tara and Wesley are holding down the fort back at the office," Cordelia informed her.
"Second line of defense," Riley elaborated.
She nodded, "What about Angel and Gunn?" Buffy automatically took the lead as they moved down the corridor.
"Gunn's taking care of Kate, she's a policewoman friend of Angel's. She got hurt when we ran into the welcoming committee. He's taking her out of here. We lost track of Angel, and Spike," Giles told her.
"Spike's here?!"
"Yes," Giles replied absently. "Did the man who took Xander say anything else? Anything at all?"
Shaking off her surprise, Buffy focused, "Just that it was Xander they were after all along. I was just in the right place at the right time." She eyed her Watcher. "Giles, you have the Uh-oh Face. Why do you have the Uh-oh Face?"
"Because we may be in trouble."
"Duh, Giles, obvious much?" Cordelia rolled her eyes.
"She's got a point," Riley hesitantly agreed.
Giles was too worried to spare either of them an annoyed glance. That did not bode well. "How much worse trouble are we in than we think we are?" Buffy asked.
"They took Xander to use him for something. Corporate recruitment, you said. There's really only one person they might be using him to recruit."
A few seconds of silence. "Angel?!" Cordelia burst out. "No way."
"Not Angel. Angelus."
"Whoa--I thought he was gone, permanently," Riley said.
"We know he's supposed to be," Giles replied tightly.
"But you think Wolfram & Hart found a way to use Xander to bring him back?" Cordelia asked. "Does this have something to do with how Angel could track him?"
"Perhaps... Let's hurry, shall we?"
"Wait--Angel can track Xander?"
"Not now, Buffy."
**
Spike had no doubt Angelus could lead them to Xander as easily as Angel could. For the first time, he started wondering if that meant something.
He didn't have long to wonder. As they went around the last bend, they spotted three Zalusk demons guarding a larger chamber beyond. He caught a glimpse of flickering candles, and a bound figure on a concrete slab. Undoubtedly Xander. He stifled a sigh. Seen one human sacrifice, you've seen them all. But he had to do something about this one, or risk becoming vampire dust--if he was lucky and Angelus was in a good mood. The odds weren't good.
Before Spike could do more than vamp-out, however, Angelus was on the first demon, had sent the horned orange brute sprawling against the wall, followed that up with a stake through the eye. Messy, but effective. Spike went to take care of the others, who were advancing on his Sire, when an unfamiliar voice stopped all of them.
"Nice work. But there's no need for more violence. Vilosh, Grevol, stand down please."
"Who are you?" Angelus asked, still battle-ready.
"The man responsible for your release." The human male stepped forward, his sandy brown hair thinning but impeccably groomed, a smile on his face and body completely relaxed in his Armani suit. "My name is Holland Manners. I represent Wolfram & Hart. Your... alter-ego has dealt with us quite extensively in the past. In an adversarial capacity, of course."
"Why did you--"
"Do you such a large favor?" Holland's smile widened a fraction, "A show of good faith. We hope to have much better relations with you than your predecessor. I'm sure we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement."
"You want me to work for you."
"We can use a man of your talents in a variety of different areas. You would be amply compensated, of course."
"Of course," Angelus smiled thinly. "And the boy?"
"Yours to kill. As you can tell, he's still alive. We placed him in a stasis bubble the moment the spell was complete. One minute for us is merely a second for him."
"You're still cutting it close," Angelus said, taking a measured step forward.
Holland shrugged. "We tracked your progress. We have several minutes--you're actually a bit early."
"I've always prided myself on my punctuality." Angelus smiled, eyed the warlock by Xander and nodded to him, "Agholek."
The warlock showed no reaction as both Spike and Holland glanced the man's way, curious at the unfamiliar word. Spike knew the warlock was at least half demon--he could smell it--figured that it was just some weird greeting in the half-breed's language. He knew a lot of the demon tongues, but both Angel and Angelus had spent a bit more time reading up on fellow members of the demon world. Angelus had always said it paid to know who you were dealing with. Angel probably had nothing better to do.
Spike went back to watching his Sire and immediately tensed as he moved closer to the trio by the altar. To the uninitiated, Angelus looked calm, even amused. Spike knew better. The older vampire was one tiny step away from a bloody explosion. Very bloody.
Spike scanned the room surreptitiously. Two Zalusk demons left, the warlock standing over Xander, the human, who was undoubtedly armed--holy water probably, more reliable than a stake--and an unknown number of demons waiting in the wings. Not the best odds for an open fight, especially with a warlock in the mix. It wasn't like Angelus to overlook a magic user, especially since the gypsies had been at him. His Sire usually preferred better odds on the demon-front, too--at least knowing how many.
Mentally, Spike nodded. He would take out the Zalusks. Then reassess. If it looked like Angelus was winning, he'd do his bit, get in on the fun. Otherwise--people powerful enough to crack a spell set by The Powers That Be could probably get the damned chip out of his head, too. And pretty much anything Angelus could do, Spike could do--and better.
That was all the time he had before Angelus acted. He expected Angelus to go for the warlock first. Instead, he took the human, had him by the neck before the git could blink. Spike took out the first Zalusk nearly as quickly, tore the arm off the other almost as an afterthought and shoved the clawed end into its soft belly. As the bloody demon carcass fell, he heard a grunt from his Sire and glanced over, wondering if that was his cue to switch sides.
Steam rose from Angelus' face, the holy water had gotten him and good. But he was ignoring it, his grip on the mortal never faltering and his eyes on the warlock. Who held a large, shiny knife over Xander's chest.
"Do it and I won't let Spike kill you," Angelus hissed.
The warlock froze. The little mortal's legs twitched, confusion plain even through the red on his face and his bulging eyes. He held on to Angelus' arms with both hands, feebly trying to dislodge him, eyes darting to the warlock. Who still did nothing.
That wasn't right. Spike frowned, got closer. It made as much sense as Angelus' threat.
"Lucas.. do ..." the human choked out, couldn't say any more as Angelus tightened his hold.
"Lucas isn't going to do anything. Is he?" Angelus grinned. "You should pick your helpers more carefully, Holland. Never get all your important information from someone who's bound in servitude. Especially when your enemies know how to end it."
Spike glanced from his Sire to the warlock, saw the tiny mark on his left hand. Yup, that was a lifetime bonded mark all right. And apparently Angelus knew how to break it--maybe there was something to all that research crap. Ok, so the warlock-slave wanted to die and Angelus knew how to be his executioner. Not all that surprising, really. But Spike still felt like he was missing something.
"The mummy spell was clever. Your idea or the half-breed's?" Angelus asked. The human didn't answer at first. "I asked you a question." He punctuated his words with violent shakes.
The human shook his head, "Not-not me. Lin-Lindsey--" Voice weak and fading.
"Ah, Lindsey. I should have known." Angelus' eyes glowed yellow for a moment, his face hardening. Spike had no idea who Lindsey was, but he had a feeling it wouldn't matter for long. "You know, you really only made one mistake. You shouldn't have used Xander."
The human looked confused, almost as confused as Spike felt. Yeah, Angelus was a possessive wanker, homicidal about it, actually, but this was a bit much. The offer from Wolfram & Hart had been a good one. His Sire didn't like owing anyone but he was smart. He could have worked with them, gotten something back even. He couldn't have turned them down over Xander, could he?
"He's not just the puppy's Mate, asshole. He's mine, too. Did you really think I was going to thank you for killing my Mate?" Angelus whispered, voice harsh, the menace barely contained. "Do you know how long it would take me to find him again? You're lucky I don't have more time." With that he ripped out the mortal's throat and tossed him aside.
Claws still dripping blood, he turned to the warlock. Lucas was staring at him, pale, but unmoving. "Release the time spell. Call his soul back."
The half-demon nodded shakily, whispered a few words and began gesturing over Xander's body.
"Spike, the minute he's done take the corpse's heart and make sure you squirt some blood over the mark. Smear it on both palms, and over his face and neck. Then cut his throat where the blood's coating it." Angelus didn't take his eyes off Xander's face.
Spike didn't much like orders, especially Angelus', even when he told him to kill. But this time he was grateful for something to do, moved mechanically to Manners' still-warm body. Xander Harris was Angelus' Mate. And Angel's. Bloody fucking hell.
His Sire caressed the young man's face, leaned down to kiss him as his body started to convulse. But his grip on the boy never faltered.
Spike knew he could kill Angelus right then. And it was oh-so tempting. But in the end he couldn't do it. Blood called to blood and Angelus--and Angel--was his Sire. He couldn't do what Angel had done to Darla--twice--no matter how much he might hate him sometimes. And he did like the whelp. Not that he'd ever tell him that.
So he did as he was told, killed the warlock when the spell was done and waited for Angel to regain control of his body.
It took less than a minute. When the older vampire raised his face again, his eyes were brown and his face smooth.
"We need to leave. Now," Angel said hoarsely.
Spike nodded, let his Sire pick up the boy. No way was he getting between them. Angel might be in control, but he'd bet that control was tenuous right then and he wasn't about to try it.
"Can't wait to hear how you explain this to the bleedin' Watchers," Spike muttered as he trailed after Angel.
**
They searched for Angel, Spike and Xander but couldn't find them. Over an hour of wandering around increasingly slimier and dirtier tunnels later, they admitted defeat and began heading out the way they came, hoping that Willow and the others could do a spell to help them locate their missing friends.
"You lot ready to go home then?" The disembodied voice came as they passed a tunnel on their left.
Shock held them still as they turned and spotted Spike calmly blowing smoke rings as he rose and strolled toward them.
"Spike! We've been looking all over for you. Where--"
"Oh? Been here for a while." He smirked, glancing at their dirty and torn clothing. "Took some time off for slug hunting?"
Buffy glared, "Where's Angel? Did he find Xander?"
"Boy's probably tucked in by now. Peaches left me here to tell you," he sighed, plainly bored. "I repeat, can we go now?"
"Are they all right?" Giles asked.
Spike nodded sourly. "Yeah, the bleedin' Poof's fine and the boy looked all right. Not awake though."
Giles' face tightened a bit at that and Cordelia shot him a sharp look. "What?"
"What?" Giles repeated.
"You. Doing the Uh-oh Face again. Which I did not miss, by the way."
"It's nothing."
Four exceedingly skeptical faces turned his way.
"It may be nothing," Giles qualified.
Buffy and Cordelia each raised a brow, almost in sync.
He relented, "Spike, were you there when Angel found Xander?"
The blond wonder nodded.
"Did you recognize the spell they were attempting?"
"I didn't. Peaches did. He babbled something 'bout mummies."
"Oh, dear."
"Giles!" Three young exasperated voices and another smirk from Spike.
"There's a particular spell, it calls for summoning the soul of a mummy's beloved in order to entice it to follow it into the Afterlife."
"Angel is not a mummy," Buffy said.
"His situation is... unique, but there are similarities."
"Nevermind that, why is this bad for Xander?" Cordelia asked.
Giles hesitated. Another sharp glare prodded him. "If the beloved is dead, no-no harm done. If she or he has been reincarnated... the summoning, it... separates the soul from the body. If the separation is brief, there may be no... damage when the soul returns."
"What kind of damage?" Riley asked.
"Mental damage," Giles replied, voice low, eyes cast down.
"But that didn't happen, right? I mean the spell didn't work. Angel didn't lose his soul, he rescued Xander," Cordelia said quickly.
"Actually, Ducks, if you want to get technical about it, Angelus was the one who rescued the boy," Spike put in.
"What?!" From Riley and Buffy.
"By the time I caught up with 'im, Daddy Dearest was feeling a lot more like his old self."
"How long was Xander under?" Giles asked, forestalling further questions from Buffy and the others, and firmly pushing aside his own on why Angelus had done anything for Xander.
Spike shrugged, "Dunno." He hesitated a moment, then added, "The kid was in a time pocket."
Giles looked at him sharply, gaze intent, "You're sure?"
Spike nodded.
"Giles?" Buffy asked, hope and fear on her face.
"It's a chance."
****
Lindsey waited for a phone call all weekend. He knew they could try the rite on Sunday just after the rise of the new moon. But Holland never called, and any time he tried Holland's cell, he got voice-mail. None of his sources were talking either.
He barely noticed the tension in the building as he walked in on Monday morning, fully intent on his goal. He was all set to barge into Holland's office when a wholly unexpected sight stopped him cold. Beth was sitting at her desk, crying.
"Beth... what is it?"
She told him. The words sank in slowly. Holland was dead.
Dead.
She couldn't say how, didn't know why, only that Lucas was also missing, suspected dead.
Lindsey turned away without another word, brain buzzing. They must have tried the spell. Without him. And something had gone wrong.
Lindsey went back to his office, sat all day and stared at papers he couldn't make any sense of.
Holland had tried the spell without him.
Why?
Something had gone wrong.
Why?
But there was no one he could ask who would answer.
****
Willow was sitting with Xander when he woke up. Angel was there, too. In fact, he'd never left. Had hardly moved. Barely spoke, aside from some kind of argument with Giles just after the group had come back from the sewers. Willow didn't know and didn't want to know.
What Angel and Wesley--mostly Wesley--had explained to them when Angel had come back with Xander was bad enough. She didn't want to think-- couldn't think about Xander being-- so she didn't. He would be fine.
And now, look, he's waking up.
"Xander?" she sat up, hopeful.
Angel said nothing, just leaned ever so slightly forward, dark eyes burning and fixed on Xander's face.
The young man stirred restlessly on the bed, turned on his side, burying his face in the pillow. For a moment hope died a cruel death. Then he groaned. "What hit me?"
"Xander?" Willow leaned closer, hand on the bed.
Xander slowly shifted toward her. Blinking lots. He finally seemed able to focus. "Willow?"
She smiled, wide and bubbling happy. "Hi. Welcome back."
"Thanks--what happened to your hair?"
"Huh?"
"Xander?" Urgent, low from Angel.
With that Xander seemed to notice the other person in the room. "Who are you?"
****
"You know, we're really quite lucky. This... it's a good outcome," Wesley offered, trying to be cheerful as they sat around sipping cold coffee in the office.
Cordelia sent him a glare--more reflex than anything else. She felt too depressed to make the effort. "He remembers hating me. He doesn't remember Angel at all. Or you, or Gunn, or even Buffy. Willow is the only one he does remember in any kind of positive way. How is this a good outcome?"
"He might not've woken up at all," Wesley said bluntly, tried to ignore her flinch. "And if he did, he might've had the mind of a three year old." He waited for a quip about that being Xander's true age but Cordelia barely blinked. He forced some cheer back into his voice, "This is just a spot of amnesia. And it's getting better already--he remembered Giles and the library this evening."
"I know. I'm sorry. It's just--"
"You miss him. So do I."
"I know." She sat up, made an obvious effort to get her mind out of Gloomsville. "You're right. It could be a lot worse. And he just woke up this morning. All he needs is a little time to get the rest of it back, right?"
Wesley nodded and put on his "I'm an optimist, dammit" smile. "Right. Time."
**
Giles trailed Angel out of the master bedroom, where they'd left Xander sleeping post a light dinner.
"Angel," Giles began, slipping his glasses off.
"Save it, Giles, the subject is closed."
"He's handling this remarkably well, all things considered, but the person lying in there is not the Xander who is your-your--"
"Lover," Angel supplied, an edge to the word.
"Yes, your lover. In large part, he's just a fifteen year old boy. He--"
"I already told him."
"You what?!"
"I told him. This afternoon."
"Angel--"
"It's not your decision to make. He's my lover, Giles. We live together. You think he wouldn't notice that? He's a little confused, he's not stupid."
"But--"
"He coped just fine."
"What did he say?"
Angel half-smiled, the first time in days such an expression had crossed his face. "'Good to know I grow up to have great taste,'" he quoted.
"That's it?"
"He also approves of the décor in the bedroom."
Images of the rock-n-roll and cartoon posters adorning said bedroom--definitely not Angel's contribution to the room--flashed in Giles' head, "Of course he does. But--"
Angel glared, "This is none of your business."
"Yes it is," Giles replied, steel in his voice and a glint of Ripper in his eyes. "They're all my business and they bloody well will always be my business."
Angel backed down first, a brief nod of concession on this point and this point only. "He's all right with it. He just wants to take it slow. Date maybe."
"Date?"
"Date."
Giles thought about that for a moment, a soft smile lighting his face. Xander was far more level headed than any of them had ever given him credit for. His smile faded as his gaze went back to Angel. "And the rest of it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Angelus."
"What about him?" Angel crossed his arms.
"Why didn't he kill Xander?"
"He didn't have the chance," Angel replied, eyes on the pattern of the Persian rug.
"Spike said he was the one who actually saved Xander. That your soul was already gone by the time you arrived at the chamber."
"Spike's a liar."
"Yes he is, but he wasn't lying about this, was he, Angel?" Ripper flashed again behind the deceptively soft-spoken and rational manner.
"What do you want me to say?"
"I want the truth." Light blue eyes held dark brown uncompromisingly.
Angel said nothing at first, then reluctantly admitted, "Angelus thinks of Xander as his Mate."
An instant of shocked silence. "You bloody, self-centered, irresponsible fool!" Scathing and cold. "How could you--"
"I didn't," Angel snapped back. "There was no choice here, Giles. I didn't choose to love Xander, and I sure as Hell never wanted Angelus to. But I do. We do."
"You're not the one who has to live with the consequences for all eternity."
"No?" Angel smiled without humor. "I love him. I'll always love him. And I know that because of me, his soul will always be hunted by Angelus. No matter where he is, what body he wears, Xander will never be free of the demon. If I become human, or get staked--the demon is free. He'll fight to possess another body, and he'll win."
"You've given him incentive to." Bitter.
"I know."
Ripper stared at him from Giles' eyes for a long moment. Then in a voice that belonged to the warlock Giles had refused to be for a very long time, he began, "I lay a Geis upon you, who name yourself Angel. I charge you with the soul of the one called Alexander Lavelle Harris: You shall be ever by his side, his sworn protector, your life for his from now until the end of time. In the name of Annan and the Dagda, in the name of Eriu, Banba and Fodla, I Bind you, I Bind you, I Bind you."
As the Gaelic chant ended, Angel felt the Binding take place, like a current of icy lightning. It paralyzed him for a moment, then he shuddered, dizzy, nearly fell. Giles never moved.
When he could look up once again, he whispered, "Thank you."
A thin smile, in a face that looked much too old, "I didn't do it for you."
**
Xander came out of the light doze, heard raised voices intruding from outside the room. For a moment he tensed, remembering another dark bedroom and voices raised all too often. He pushed the memory aside, identified the voices in the here and now.
Angel and Giles.
//Wonder why they're fighting.//
He hesitated, but slipped the covers off his body and sat up, eyes on the door. The voices died down and he waited, poised to rise or sink back into the bed. No one came in, so he decided to get up.
It was the first time he'd been awake and alone all day. Wills had stayed with him for most of the day, as had Angel. His lover. A man. Who was also a vampire. And Willow was a witch. He shook his head, thinking he really should be more wigged about this, but he wasn't. It felt... normal.
And according to Wills and pretty much everyone else who'd come and talked with him, it was. Actually, it was harder to accept that "everyone" included Cordelia Chase, who was apparently one of his best friends. He supposed that stranger things had happened.
Xander grinned suddenly--he was sleeping with one. A total hottie, no question. But also of the strange by pretty much anyone's definition.
The gay thing should bother him, too. In high school, it certainly would have. But although his memories blurred and faded after the beginning of sophomore year, he knew, knew, he was no longer that 15 year old boy.
With a shrug, he dismissed the topic of "Why Xander Isn't Wigging" from his mind and glanced around the bedroom with real curiosity. This was where he lived. And slept. And had sex with the hot vampire. He couldn't help grinning again.
Dragging his mind away from some... stimulating... speculation, Xander moved around the room, debated turning on the bedside lamp. Decided against it. The Marvin the Martian nightlight //has to be mine// gave enough light to keep him from bumping into things and get a sense of the stuff scattered throughout the room. He knew Willow and some of the gang had gone out to dinner, but enough were left. A real light would not go unnoticed and he didn't want company just yet.
He picked up a wooden box on the dresser, thumbed it open. Charcoal, pencils, eraser. Art stuff. Couldn't be his. So, tall, dark and hunky was an artist. Cool.
He checked a couple of drawers, found clothes, and, ehem, supplies. Flavored. And hand cuffs. Blushing, trying to tell himself the shiver was not anticipation, he moved on.
The closet seemed safe enough. There were a lot--a way lot--of clothes. Mostly dark colors, although that might have been the lack of light. Many of them soft. Silk, he realized. His? Or Angel's? Nice either way. He ran his hand down the rack, stopped at something cool and smooth. Leather.
Blushing and grinning, he pulled out the pants, "Wonder what tales you have to tell..." Impulsively, he brought the material to his cheek, felt its buttery softness against his skin. Took a deep breath, inhaled musk and sweat and semen and something oddly... dry. Earthy. Frowned. Took a deeper sniff. There was something else, too. Something... metallic? What was...?
Xander shook his head, the scents swirling in his mind as he tried to remember...
/Cool breath against his neck./
/Knees hurting, body aching and arm twisted back./
/Whispered words against his throat, the fangs almost there./
/Long, dark hair, sing-song voice, insane./
/Jesse's face, but not. Shimmering away./
/Buffy crying./
/Fire in a church./
/Kendra falling./
/Cordelia lying still, something black and sharp sticking out of her stomach, gleaming with her blood./
/Willow screaming./
/Hands at his throat, unable to scream./
Xander fell to his knees. Images avalanched through his brain at a sanity-straining pace. His mouth was open, but he couldn't make a sound. He knew what he wanted, though. Needed. His whole being knew it.
Angel
**
Upstairs in the office, Angel paused in the act of taking out one of his books.
Wesley looked up from the Egyptian spellbook on his lap, "Angel?"
Giles and Cordelia looked up from their own reading, Gunn glanced away from the computer. The slight clinking of Gunn's mug on the table as he set it down made them all jump. Angel looked at the cup for a moment, then ran out of the room and down the stairs.
A beat later the other four followed.
**
Xander was finally asleep. Giles paused by the door and exchanged a look with Angel, who held the sleeping man closer. Giles' expression darkened for a moment, then he pulled the door shut behind him.
"He's going to be all right," Cordelia said quietly.
Giles still jumped a bit but managed a "Quite."
"Angel will take care of him."
Blue eyes flickered to her then away. "I know."
****
"I thought they'd never leave." Xander closed the bedroom door firmly behind him with a sigh of relief.
"They're just happy you're ok," Angel said, even though he emphatically agreed. It had barely been two days since Xander had woken up and he was in desperate need of alone-time with his lover. His Mate.
"I know that, and the whole spontaneous make-up birthday party was great and everything. But I'm kinda more interested in... other aspects of the birthday tradition."
Angel spied a wicked gleam in his lover's eyes despite the innocent expression on his face. "Like what?"
"Oh," overly casual shrug, "y'know." Tiniest of smiles. "The birthday sex."
"The birthday sex." Angel started to grin.
"It's tradition." Very solemn face.
"Really."
"Oh yeah," Xander began, walking over to stand in front of him, "very key part of the whole birthday celebration thing. Main event even."
"How does it go?" Angel tried for innocent but he'd never been very good at it and judging from Xander's expression, that had not suddenly changed. Xander played along anyway.
"Well... it involves you," Xander knelt on the bed, nudged Angel's legs apart, "me," his arms rested on Angel's shoulders, fingers digging into the silky, spiky hair as he tilted Angel's head up, "this bed," he whispered against a cool mouth, "the cuffs," a slow lick over slightly parted lips, a grin, "and the new peach lube we got from Spike."
Angel's laughter was cut off by a hard kiss and a hot, wet tongue that also prevented any objection he might have wanted to make. Not that he did.
"How do you want me?" Angel asked once Xander relinquished his mouth.
Xander chuckled, sending soft puffs of air against Angel's skin, "Naked. Cock-side up." He prevented compliance as he took his vampire's mouth once more, toppling them both onto the bed.
A short time later Xander came up for air, rested his forehead against the older man's. "The clothes have really got to go. Strip, Gelboy."
Angel stole a kiss, "I will if you will."
"Hmmm, let me think..."
Angel rocked his hips once, twice, licked behind Xander's ear.
"Ohhh-kay, done thinking. Mutual strippage it is."
Xander quickly tore off his own grey henley and shucked his jeans and boxers, then eyed his lover, who was still unbuttoning his dark blue silk shirt, "Uhm, you could pick up the pace a little. You know, things to see, people to do."
"People?" An arched brow and a pause in the disrobing.
"You're people."
The disrobing resumed. Xander watched as Angel's muscled chest was exposed, the nipples already stiff. He couldn't resist a taste, dipped his head and took one in his mouth, biting gently, pinching and twisting its mate as Angel gasped and arched beneath him, his free hand slipping down to cup and squeeze his lover's ass.
"Xan--Xan, oh god that's... what about the... oh, yeah... cuffs?"
"Fuck the cuffs," Xander muttered against Angel's chest.
A husky laugh, "I'd rather fuck you."
"No points, too easy," Xander said. "Besides," he bit a little harder, "my turn."
"Whatever you want."
Something in the way Angel said that made Xander look up. His lover's mouth was open, panting for unneeded air. His neck was tense, the corded muscles sharply defined. And his eyes burned, a tiny hint of yellow in them as he stared at Xander.
"Whatever you want," Angel whispered.
There was raw truth in his lover's words, the soul-deep reality of it shining in his face. Xander had to kiss him or choke on the emotion threatening to overwhelm him. Angel loved him. Would love him forever. It was still hard for him to get his head around that. So he didn't. He concentrated on the now, on the faint taste of chocolate cake hiding in his lover's mouth, on the slick tongue caressing his own, on the hard body undulating beneath his and the hands that roamed restlessly over his back and down his bare thighs.
Xander eventually licked his way out of Angel's mouth, kissed his chin, then along the strong jawline down to rest at the base of his throat, sucked hard. Angel squirmed, moaning, tilting his head to give Xander better access.
Smiling against the soft, cool skin, he licked at the mark he had made and blew on it, sending a shiver through his lover and eliciting another soft moan. With a parting kiss to Angel's throat he started traveling down his lover's body, teasing with light fingers first, then licking and nipping at the smooth skin, taking his time.
But there was still a barrier to his ultimate prize. With an impatient twist he unbuttoned the black jeans and unzipped them, slid his hands beneath the curve of his lover's ass and slipped the offending denim off. Angel had gone commando again. Good.
He paused, admiring the view and wondering how in the world he'd gotten this lucky.
Angel had problems with the pausing. "Xander," he growled out, thrusting his hips--and incidentally his iron-hard cock--up as a reminder.
"Oh, did you want me to help you with that...?"
Another growl, louder.
Xander grinned. Without warning, he swooped down and swallowed as much of Angel as he could.
The other man nearly yelped off the bed, body arching, a moan echoing through the room. Xander sucked hard, used just a hint of teeth, one hand holding tight to Angel's hip, the other busy playing with his balls.
"Shit, I... I'm going to... oh god that feels so good..."
Hands twitched at his hair, fingers coming close enough to touch then pulling back as the vampire fought not to rush him, not to make him go faster. //And the reward for good behavior boys and girls--mostly boys--is a gentle squeeze of the balls, then a pinkie right in there...//
Xander timed his entry into Angel's body, sucking harder as he breached the ring, humming a little as the questing finger found and pressed the prostate. Angel came with a roar, nearly choking Xander with the force of his thrusts, the silky semen hitting the back of his throat. Xander pulled back to swallow, riding out his lover's orgasm.
Slickening his fingers with his own saliva, Xander slipped them into Angel even as the last aftershocks rolled through the vampire, heard the satisfied groan as Angel opened to him and bore down on his fingers. He reached for the peach lube, barely had time to thumb it open and squirt some out before Angel knocked it away.
"I'm ready." The vampire reached for him. Xander hesitated. "Now," Angel said more firmly, eyes shining with need.
Mental shrug, Angel got that way sometimes. And if that's the way he wanted it... A hasty dab of lube later and Xander entered his lover in one smooth thrust, his own moan accompanied by a hiss of pleasure-pain from Angel.
Once inside Xander could pause, took the time to savor the tightness that never faded, no matter how often they did this, to feel Angel's acceptance of him, his body's welcome, to watch the fire behind Angel's heavy-lidded eyes.
//Oh yeah, I want to die right here...//
Slowly he began to move, setting an easy pace. Angel was having none of that, either, squeezing him with every thrust, drawing him deeper with his legs and his body. He still tried to pull back, not wanting to rush this, "Angel..."
"Xander." A harsh whisper, eyes more yellow than brown. "I need you."
Xander swallowed heavily, staring at his lover for one long moment. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, to tell Angel... But then Angel clenched around him again and all he could do was groan, eyes shut tight, body and soul lost in feeling.
Any semblance of control Xander had left died a swift and unlamented death. Soon he was pounding into Angel, sweat pouring freely down his body, breaths hard and loud, awareness narrowed to the tightness around his cock and the need building higher within him, rushing on until it crested and with a final clench of Angel's muscles, sweetly broke.
Xander fell onto his lover, heard Angel's cry of completion and felt a wetness against his stomach. Strong arms enclosed him as he slipped out of his lover's body, strong hands gently soothing him until his breathing evened out.
"I've been thinking about this all day," Xander murmured, nuzzling contentedly into the smooth throat as sleep rose to claim him.
"I think about this every day," Angel whispered back and held him closer. "Happy birthday."
****
A few days later...
"All right, I'm here. What the fuck d'you want?" Spike asked as he leaned into Angel's open car window and met the cool brown eyes of the older vampire.
"I have a proposition for you."
**
Angel watched as the doctor cut a small hole in the back of Spike's head and inserted a hollow fiber optic camera probe. The equipment behind them showed the probe's path and they could easily see when they'd reached the chip. A second later the doctor slipped a thin wire through the camera's tubing until it touched the chip.
"You'll feel some pain," the doctor said, voice utterly expressionless as he reached for the switch.
Spike merely nodded, prepared for this. The man flipped the switch and he felt the jolt throughout his body, barely kept in a gasp. But a second later the pain and the charge dissipated, much like the faint trail of smoke coming from the open cranium.
"Is that it?" Spike asked.
The doctor nodded. "That's it."
Cautiously Spike rose, feeling the hole close up even as he did so. "Can't believe it's that simple."
"Removing it wouldn't be. Short circuiting it... " the doctor shrugged.
"Yeah," Spike replied absently. He didn't feel any different. But then, he hadn't felt different when the chip was first implanted. The doctor wheeled his equipment out, leaving him alone with Angel in the shell of the burned building's once grand entrance. "I want my proof."
Angel hesitated a fraction of a second, then nodded. "This way."
Angel led him up the main staircase, which had miraculously survived more or less intact, and down a scorched hall. They stopped in front of a door, steel, unmarked. New. Inside Spike could hear a heartbeat, smelled sweat and dried urine, wrinkled his nose.
Wordlessly, Angel took a key out of his pocket, unlocked the door.
"Who's there?" Immediate, scared, from a brown-haired man bound in the chair in front of them, his eyes secured with a thick blindfold. "Angel--Angelus, is that you?"
Spike glanced at his Sire, said nothing as they both stepped into the room.
"Who is it? Morgan? Do you want money, I have lots of money," the young man tried again, his voice raw, desperate, lips chapped and dry. Spike wondered how long he'd been there, but wasn't curious enough to ask.
Spike took another step closer, hands twitching, wanting to strike out so bad but... afraid after all this time. The realization was enough to spur him on and he sank a fist into the young man's chest, immediately pulled back prepared for the pain, almost convinced the human's cry was his own.
But there was no pain.
With a widening smile Spike straightened, his fangs descending as his true face emerged.
"Please, please..." the young man said, his breaths ragged. "Don't, please..."
Spike ignored him, turned back to Angel, who had watched impassively. Spike nodded once. He would keep his word. Hell, he was sick and tired of California--sick and tired of the whole bloody country. The music alone was enough to drive the undead back into their graves, the beer was weak as tea and they had no idea how to play proper football. And there would be other Slayers, other Watchers. "It will take days," he whispered, vampire soft, holding his Sire's gaze.
Angel nodded and walked away.
"Why-why are you doing this?" the man gasped out. "Angel? Who are you?"
A very dry chuckle, "No angels here, Pet." Spike leaned in close, "Y'know, you really shouldn't mess about with other people's Mates."
**
Angel crept in to the bedroom, soundlessly slipped under the covers and pulled Xander close. The young man yawned, resisted for a moment.
"It's me," Angel whispered, kissed him on the nose, got a sleepy smile before Xander settled onto his chest, mumbled a "cold."
Angel pulled the covers higher in response, rubbed his lover's back in soothing circles, lulling him back to sleep.
Angel stayed awake, watching him, fingers playing over the young man's smooth, hot skin, tenderly twirling through his silky hair, feeling the moist breaths against his neck, inhaling the scent of sex and life. He brought a lax hand to his lips, kissed the fingertips, licked one. Xander sighed and a smile crossed his face but he slept on. Angel smiled, tightened his hold ever so gently, and closed his eyes, content, both demon and soul satisfied. For now.
Fin
*Author's note: I considered changing the final scene with Lindsey after the airing of the 12/19/00 Season 2 episode of Angel, but finally decided against it. Though there's some similarity between what happened in the ep and in this story, I didn't copy it. My betas can attest to that and this story has been in the writing for months (I'm s-l-o-w). So pardon to any who might feel offended/ripped off. Wasn't intentional, just wacky timing.
Also, sorry I haven't revised to include Fred, though I like her. As I said, this is AU as of S1 AtS and was completed in early 2001.
Thanks for reading