Kin of the Soul
Once upon a time there was Kin of the Heart where Angel and Xander learned to be friends. Now we're working towards something entirely different.
Kin of the Soul
Slash: Angel/Xander, Angel/Spike
Rated: ADULT
banner by objectivelypink
Prompt: rhinoceros
A new day, a new danger!
( Part One ) ( Part Two ) ( Part Three ) ( Part Four ) ( Part Five ) ( Part Six ) ( Part Seven ) ( Part Eight ) ( Part Nine ) ( Part Ten ) ( Part Eleven ) ( Part Twelve ) ( Part Thirteen ) ( Part Fourteen ) (Part Fifteen ) ( Part Sixteen ) ( Part Seventeen ) ( Part Eighteen ) ( Part Nineteen ) ( Part Twenty) ( Part Twenty-One ) ( Part Twenty-Two ) ( Part Twenty-Three ) ( Part Twenty-Four ) ( Part Twenty-Five ) ( Part Twenty-six ) ( Part Twenty-Seven ) ( Part Twenty-eight ) ( Part Twenty-nine )( Part thirty ) ( Part Thirty-one ) ( Part Thirty-Two ) ( Part Thirty-Three ) ( Part Thirty four ) ( Part Thirty-five ) ( Part Thirty-Six ) ( Part Thirty-Seven ) ( Part Thirty-Eight ) ( Part Thirty-nine ) ( Part Forty ) ( Part Forty-one ) ( Part Forty-two ) ( Part Forty-three ) ( Part Forty-four ) ( Part Forty-five ) ( Part Forty-six ) ( Part Forty-Seven ) ( Part Forty-Eight ) ( Part 49 ) ( Part 50 ) ( Part 51 ) ( Part 52 )
53
“I can't say that I care if they have some hell god breathing down their necks.” Spike leaned back against the front desk, his sprawl taking up most of the counter.
“Well I care. I care a lot. And even if you don't care about the people, it would be nice if you cared about the whole world going to hell.” Xander went to step forward. Yeah, getting into Spike’s face wouldn’t do much good since Spike definitely thought of himself as higher on the totem pole, but it would make Xander feel better. However, Angel caught his arm and held him. Angel might not be understanding most of the conversation, but he definitely had doubts about letting Xander get too near Spike.
Instead of taking offense that Angel was all suspicious, Spike just rolled his eyes. “There are other dimensions, pet. Quite a few of them are nicer than this one.”
“For humans?” Xander demanded. Spike had the decency to look a little chagrined by that question. As far as Xander was concerned, Earth was home. Letting Earth get sucked into hell would, therefore, be bad. It seemed pretty simple to him.
“Angel, tell him we can't let the world get sucked into hell.” Xander turned to Angel about a half second before his brain could remind him that Angel wasn't really firing on all cylinders. Sure enough, Angel just stared at him blankly. Between the blank stares of the random flinches, Xander was starting to get the feeling that Angel was not entirely sane. Not that Angelus had been all sane boy. Angelus definitely had some insane going for him. But this new Angel had his own version of not sane.
Spike snorted. In the past, Angel would've answered that by slamming Spike into the nearest surface. The new Angel just stared at Spike with more blank behind the eyes.
Luckily, Cordelia jumped into the conversation. “Unless you can promise me that this new dimension you want to run to has Nordstrom's, we are not giving up on this dimension. Period.” Cordelia had her cranky face on, and immediately Spike slipped into that head tilting, lip pursing, cajoling expression that he used when he was trying to get Cordelia to change her mind. Strangely, Spike sucked on that front just as much as Xander ever had. Once Cordelia made up her mind, her mind stayed made up.
“I would vote for saving the world,” Blair added from his spot on the steps. Wesley didn't answer, but he nodded his head in agreement. Unfortunately, Xander figured that Blair and Wesley together had about as much influence over Spike as something with no influence at all. They were all just lucky that Cordelia was on their side.
“It's not like the sods sent anyone down here to help us,” Spike said with a glare before he turned back toward Cordelia, gliding closer to her. “They’re not family, luv.”
“Technically, we told them not to come down here,” Xander pointed out. From the glare Spike gave him, Xander was guessing that Spike already knew that. He knew it, and he didn't care. “If we asked them for help, they would've helped.” This time Spike threw in a growl with the glare. Immediately, Angel stepped forward putting himself between Spike and Xander. And the growl that came out of Angel was way louder. Louder and scarier.
“Knock it off,” Cordelia ordered them both stepping in between them and pointing a manicured finger at each vampire. “I don't care whether they helped us or not. I am not letting any hell goddess send my world to hell. Who does she think she is anyway?”
“A goddess,” Xander guessed. “You have to admit goddess is kind of impressive.” Spike’s snort made it very clear that he was not impressed at all.
“If you define goddess as powerful daemon who controls a dimension, I’m pretty sure we just took on a whole lot of hell gods and goddesses,” Blair pointed out.
“What?” Xander looked over in confusion. He was pretty sure he would have remembered taking on gods. Gods were big and scary and all-powerful and scary.
Blair shrugged. “The Powers that Be wanted to get control over Angel, and I’m pretty sure that they run their dimension, so I think you could apply the term ‘god’ to them.”
“But they’re dead,” Xander pointed out. The guy who Wolfram and Hart hired had killed them.
“No, their messengers are dead,” Blair pointed out. “I’m pretty sure they’re still off in their dimension trying to figure out a way to make the world into some calm version of hell. That’s what Mayet said, that demons are driven to recreate their own dimension, and I suspect Mayet is on the side of the Powers on that front. So we defeated her, too.”
“I’ll bloody work for Wolfram and Hart before I’ll let that lot suck the world into that sort of hell,” Spike said with a glare for anyone who might disagree. Xander could understand because the calm and happy hell would be even more hellish for Spike who liked a bit of violence and blood in his day. He considered fighting in Wolfram and Hart’s gladiator ring a good time. He’d once gone out of his way to get a big old rhinoceros looking demon to attack him so he had an excuse to rip its head off in one-on-one combat. Quiet would kill him. But the Powers and Mayet did seem to want the peaceful sort of end of world. And the clan had stopped them from getting Angel back as a champion. Xander let his hand rest on Angel’s arm as he wondered how many godly plans they’d screwed up by refusing to help the Powers reclaim Angel.
“I’d rather keep the world the way it is now,” Blair said.
“Quite so,” Wesley agreed softly. “It seems rather counterproductive to defeat one Armageddon only to stand by and allow another.”
“I’m pretty much thinking that the hell where I burn to death and the hell that bores me to death are both bad in that I’m still dead,” Xander added. Angel’s growl turned sharp and his eyes yellowed. “Only I’m not dead. I’m safe. Totally safe. Safe as a really, really safe thing… like condoms. I’m safe like condoms,” Xander quickly added as he patted Angel’s arm. Spike rolled his eyes. Only three minions had survived the general cleaning Spike and Faith had done, all three protected loudly by Harmony who insisted that she needed them. One of them, a woman in a worn and dusty business suit froze as she tried to walk from the kitchen to the stairs, a tray in her hands. She looked around, clearly confused and scared shitless by Angel’s growl.
“Keep dawdling and you’ll be dust,” Spike warned. The woman’s eyes yellowed and she practically ran for the stairs, the tray for Graham carefully balanced in front of her. Spike sighed. “We aren’t exactly up to fighting strength. We go down there and we’re on unfamiliar territory with weakened forces. Harmony’s right useless in a fight, and she picked the three most hopeless minions to keep.” Spike took a second to glare at Cordelia. Xander would have withered under the look, but Cordelia glared right back.
“If you need help to do your job, you only have to tell me,” Cordelia said with the sort of sweetness that just made the insult sharper. “However, Harmony picked the three minions who are actually useful for running a hotel, which is what I’m doing.” Cordelia crossed her arms, silently daring Spike to argue with her logic. Spike’s nose flared, but he turned back to the rest of them without contradicting her. Considering that Spike was physically stronger, Xander really had no idea how Cordelia managed to win every dominance fight they had.
“Don’t bloody need help,” Spike said with a snarl. “But if we’re plannin’ on going up there to fight, it’d be nice to have some cannon fodder.”
“Then pick up some in the Sunnydale cemeteries,” Cordelia suggested without much sympathy. “Buffy never did pay attention to the details, so I don’t care what she says, there are plenty of vampires still in town.”
“Whoa, so we’re going to go fight another hell goddess, this time face to face?” Blair asked. He looked a little pale at the thought.
“Bloody hell no. You’re going home,” Spike said. Before Xander had gone back to Angelus, Spike had been uncomfortable having Blair around. Blair was clan enough to send Faith to him when she needed protecting; however, he hadn’t been clan enough to ever live with them. He’d been close enough to be in danger from Angelus, but not close enough to be tied in by any relationship other than his mentoring of Faith. Now, Spike was doing his full-on protective routine with Blair the way he did with Xander. Something had shifted, and Xander was guessing sex was involved. With demons, it usually was. Sex and fighting were their answers for everything.
“Hey, I can help. Okay, so my help would be carrying the suitcases,” Blair said with an exaggerated grimace, “but that means one less fighter carrying his own bag.”
“It means one more vulnerability for the bitch to go after,” Spike disagreed. “You’re going back to your bloody warehouse either on a plane or in the steamer trunk I’ve shoved you in, your choice.”
Blair held both hands up in surrender. “Or I could just go home. No problem. The whole fighting gods things is really not my shtick anyway.”
“Graham needs ta stay here,” Spike said thoughtfully. For all his objections it looked like Cordelia was getting her way again, and they were going to go help the Sunnydale crew fight a goddess.
“I’m staying here,” Cordelia said. Spike’s mouth came open, and from the expression, he was about to really blow a gasket. “Oh no,” Cordelia said firmly, “I am not a fighter, and this place needs to be taken in hand. Angelus did an incredible job of collecting treasure and books, but he didn’t run a tight ship with bookkeeping or with making sure guests paid tribute. While you’re off winning the war, I’m going to make sure we have a home for you to come home to.” Cordelia’s words were a little on the harsh side, but she reached up and rested her palm on Spike’s cheek, worry shining through her eyes. Spike practically melted under her touch, leaning in until they were resting their foreheads against one another. It was a gesture that Xander had seen Spike use with Dru, one he’d seen Faith pick up to use with Graham. It was, more than any kiss, a gesture of such utter devotion that it made Xander’s heart ache. If Spike got killed fighting this hell goddess, he was going to take Cordelia heart to the grave with him. Xander wondered if anyone had ever loved Spike that much.
Xander looked up at Angel. He loved Angel that much, he really did, but his love was caught up in all these other emotions. He had pulled Angel out of heaven, torn the soul away from rest and back into a world so dark that Angel thought he’d been trapped in hell. And Angelus was still in there. Xander could see him in the flashes of anger and fear. Angelus lived in Angel’s heart, and Xander had planned to kill Angelus. The love was definitely tangled up with a whole lot of other emotions. Angel frowned and looked at Xander and then searched the room, his eyes going to every corner as he pulled Xander closer and closer until he hugged Xander like an oversized teddy bear and Xander had to struggle to get in a good breath.
“Let the human breathe, Peaches,” Spike said with a sigh as he turned back to the group. After a second, Angel’s arms did loosen although he still held Xander tightly. “Right then, we have to have some fighters here. Faith will likely want to stay with Graham.”
“I could heal Graham,” Wesley said slowly.
“Man, I wouldn’t. The body does not like that much magic running through it,” Blair countered softly. Wesley got an expression on his face like he had developed a sudden case of constipation, but he didn’t disagree.
Cordelia shook her head. “Faith will be enough. No one is dumb enough to try and take this place, not after Angelus wiped out a good number of demons.”
Spike gave Cordelia a weary look. “That’s why they’re going to want to attack, luv. We just made ourselves the castle on the bloody hill, and every knight who wants to prove he’s got the wrinklies to impress his master is going to take a run at us. We’re going to need ta start running this place with more of an eye to security.”
“So we call in some favors,” Xander said. “The Oden Tal owe us… maybe they could stay here for a while or Lorne could help us find a couple of bouncers.”
Spike turned his weary look on Xander now. “Don’t trust people who aren’t clan, pet. That’s a fool’s game.”
“Then we ask Finn to send some soldiers,” Cordelia said, “but you and Angel need to help out in Sunnydale before Buffy does something particularly blonde. And after Finn managed to miss Jenny Giles' trip to nutsoville, I don’t trust him to protect the world any more than I trust Buffy, and I didn’t trust her enough to let her on my cheer squad.”
“In her defense,” Xander started to say. Cordelia glared at him. “I will not be defending her at all,” Xander finished, closing his mouth and leaning back into Angel’s protection. He had no idea that Cordelia was so terrifying when Angel wasn’t around to make her play nice.
“You can have Wesley. His magic should be useful,” Cordelia offered. Wesley turned a lighter shade of white, but he didn’t object as Spike looked him up and down.
“He’ll be more help than Peaches,” Spike admitted.
“Well, thank you for that rousing endorsement.” Wesley was bouncing right back from slavery better than Xander had expected.
“I need Harmony and at least two of the minions, but you can take one to do the cleaning,” Cordelia mused.
“Gunn,” a voice said from the second story. Xander looked up to see Faith standing on the balcony. “We need people to secure the area, we get Gunn and Alona and their crew. They’re good. Graham and I trained them.”
Spike cocked his head to the side. “They hate vampires. I can’t see them agreeing to protect a vampire lair.”
Faith pressed her lips together and started down the stairs. “I can. Gunn hates vampires, but he’s starting to understand that they aren’t all the same. And he’ll defend Graham as long as Graham is hurt.” Faith took a deep breath, and Blair met her at the bottom of the stairs, his hand finding her arm and offering silent support. The smile she gave him didn’t reach her eyes. She looked back at Spike. “I trust him. I trust his crew. And if he can learn a couple of things from Harmony, that’s a bonus.”
That was Spike’s unhappy face.
“He did look minimally competent,” Cordelia commented, which from her was a rousing endorsement.
“He’s not clan, and I’m not shagging the git,” Spike warned darkly. Xander nearly started laughing, but the cold look Spike gave him made him swallow the urge.
Faith, however, had her devilish smile on. “I’ll tell him-no clan, no sex. He won’t even understand what he’s missing out on.” Faith gave Spike a wink before she turned and headed back upstairs.
“Right then, I guess we’re doing this. Mind you, I think it’s downright barmy to run from one battle to another.”
“You love running from battle to battle,” Cordelia pointed out. Spike didn’t answer. He did, however, sigh dramatically.
“I’ll get packed,” Xander offered. Spike swung slowly toward him.
“You’re not going,” Spike said firmly. Xander could feel anger rise up through his guts and he stiffened.
“Oh yes I am,” he said mulishly.
“Oh no, you’re bloody not.”
“Am too.”
“Are not.”
“Am too.”
“Are…” Spike sighed, and that was an aggravated sigh. “Pet, you’re in the same spot at Blair. You don’t have the skills to go up against a god, and you’ll be one more piece the bitch can grab and use against us. You’re staying here.”
“You can’t make me,” Xander insisted. He looked up to Angel for some sort of support on this issue, but as usual, Angel stared blankly. Xander never thought he’d miss Angelus, but at least he could get Angelus to react to him. Angel was starting to annoy him greatly.
“Pet,” Spike said softly, “if we can get Peaches to let go long enough to take him to Sunnydale, you have to know you’d be a distraction. The sod doesn’t think about much but you when you’re around.”
“And how do you know you can even get him to leave me behind. Maybe he’ll insist on taking me along,” Xander said firmly.
“If so, then Angel can stay back with the wounded. I won’t have you in the middle of the fight, not when Peaches would toss us all out with the trash to get you back.” Spike wasn’t budging, and Cordelia was looking the other direction, and Angel didn’t look like he understood much at all.
“You can’t leave me behind,” Xander said again.
“I can,” Spike countered. “Head-boy there and I can help the idiots out of whatever mess they’ve made. I’d prefer it if Angel went along because he’s good muscle, even without his trolley going to the end of the line, but I can’t have you there.”
“Because I’m weak?” Xander demanded. He could feel tears of frustration threatening to fall, not just because of this but because of weeks of feeling worthless and helpless and lots of other ‘lesses” that he just couldn’t face right now. He wanted to go. He wanted to feel like he was one of the fighter again, even if that meant Spike and Angel were doing most of the fighting while Xander cheered them on from the sidelines.
“Angel?” Xander asked, appealing to him again. He didn’t know how much Angel understood, but he had to understand something. Angel tilted his head.
“Peaches, we need to leave Xander here. Leave Xander in safety while we go meet the danger,” Spike said slowly. Spike was actually pretty good at crazy talk, and worse, Xander didn’t have the words to explain to Angel why he needed to go. He didn’t think the idea of a damaged male ego would register with Angel.
“I want to go with you,” Xander tried.
“The boy shouldn’t be in danger,” Spike said. “Keep Xander safe. Leave him here. Make sure he stays here. Here is safe,” Spike insisted in a lilting voice. Xander could feel Angel slowly releasing him, strong hands starting to push Xander away.
“I can help,” Xander insisted. He hated that he didn’t know how to make Angel understand.
“Here is safe,” Spike said. “Cordelia can take care of him. You know most demons would eviscerate themselves before going up against Cordelia.” Spike smiled proudly at that.
“Xander, we have lots of work to do around here. I could use the help,” Cordelia said. Angel’s hands had pushed Xander away from the shelter of Angel’s embrace, and Xander sagged as he realized he’d been outvoted. Great. He’d walked into Angelus’ lair and survived, but he wasn’t allowed to fight at Angel’s side.
“If you two get killed, I’ll make you sorry,” Xander said, unhappiness filling his chest.
Spike stepped closer to Angel, and Angel growled, his warning clear even if Xander had no idea what was making him unhappy this time.
“I should probably just leave the sod here,” Spike said wearily.
“Where’s the hell god?” Angel asked, looking around like he expected this Glorificus to appear in front of him. His eyes turned yellow and his game face came out, fangs elongating more than Xander remembered. The growl turned so viscous that the hairs on Xander’s arms stood at attention.
Spike’s eyebrows went up. “Then again, if we can point Angel in the right direction, this god might discover that she’s bit off more than she can chew.”
“Spike,” Xander said. Spike turned and looked, and Xander tapped his finger. If Angel was going to fight a god, he sure as hell better have the Ring of Amara on. After all, it wasn’t like Angel was going to retreat when he needed to, not in this frame of mind.
Spike grinned. “No worries, luv. I’ll make sure he’s safe as houses. We’ll show this bitch what it means to take on the Aurelius vampires.” And from the grin on Spike’s face, he planned to enjoy teaching that lesson. Xander just couldn’t keep himself from worrying. Angel couldn’t really take care of himself, and as much as Spike loved Angel, Spike didn’t understand souls or guilt or pain or any of the hundred things Angel might be feeling under all the blankness. Xander’s stomach churned at the idea of being left behind, but he doubted his gut feeling would convince Spike of anything.
“Right then, I’ll go get the good weapons. Price, get any books that might tell us about the bitch and her vulnerabilities,” Spike said. And then, with a gleeful expression, he was off.