(no subject)
Title: *POP*
Chapter: 2/8
Early the next morning a phone call from Willow sent him popping off to Spike’s crypt and it being daylight meant the vampire was asleep. He ventured down to the bottom noticing Spike was naked….very naked indeed. He looked away quickly.
He was still wearing what he’d slept in; and even though the residents of Sunnydale didn’t notice much, they would definitely notice a guy running about in his underwear, so he searched around for something to wear.
He’d been looking for a while and finally came up with one of Spike’s many black t-shirts, the one that smelt the cleanest, which he knew would be a bit tight, but he had to have something and an old pair of his own kaki shorts. He looked over at the sleeping Spike, wondering briefly why he had them, but shrugged it off as he put them on.
He was on his way back up to the ladder and to freedom when suddenly Spike spoke.
“You stealing from me then?”
“Can’t be called stealing if it belongs to me. Why do you have them anyway?” he added, not bothering to turn back round.
“Doesn’t matter, just take them and go. I’m bloody tired.”
“Fine.” Xander heard the rustling of sheets and shook his head, sighing loudly. He continued up and out.
* * *
Once back at home he showered and changed and then he was at the Magic Box researching, still without Anya and Buffy who were running late.
The most they’d come up with so far, was that the common occurrence for his popping about was someone saying a name, barring the first time anyway. So now Willow was apologising for something that wasn’t really her fault, but she couldn’t be stopped. When Willow wanted to apologise, she apologised until you couldn’t stand it anymore.
“I’m sorry about this morning Xander.”
“Seriously Willow, it’s ok.” He didn’t blame her for what happened, it could have been worse.
“Only if you’re sure. Being around Sp….um, him that early in the morning is hard for anyone to handle, especially if you’re kind of not wearing a lot of clothes.”
“Er, yeah. So not fond of the bleached menace right now.”
And that was said the same time as Buffy entered the shop, who either oblivious or still angry over the whole shower thing, Xander wasn’t sure which, did the worst thing ever as she came through the shop door and jogged down the steps.
“What about Spike?”
*POP*
“Oh you back then. Weren’t even gone long that time.”
Xander gave a heavy sigh. “It seems so. Though I think we‘re all starting to realise why.”
Xander watched as Spike just shrugged and didn’t bother to move at all really, it looked like he was nearly at the end of watching Passions. “Well, pull up a tomb.”
“I don’t know, I think I should get back to Giles see if he’s found anything out.”
“Sure if you want, but it does seem that you‘re always pulled back here, no matter the detour.”
“I guess.” he paused and thought it over. “I would ask you to send me back, but I’ve started to worry if maybe this whole moving around thing is doing any harm to me. I mean the next time I appear somewhere will my head be the wrong way round, will I be missing fingers…or other more vital parts.”
“You worry too much.”
“Well I can’t help it.”
“Big baby.”
“Shut up!” he sighed. “You know what you could be helpful. Come back with me to the Magic Box.”
“Ha, yeah sure I will.” Spike said, sarcasm lacing the words.
He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, still thinking himself crazy over what he was about to say, “Please.”
Xander watched as he actually thought about it. “Ok I guess.” Xander let out the breath he’d been holding. The first time he’d said please to Spike and meant it had paid off, he hadn’t looked completely like a fool, which was always good.
“Spike.”
“What?”
“Thanks.”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Oh shut up you git and lets get going.” He grabbed up his duster and took the lead.
Xander didn’t really believe Spike was being nice just for him, he thought it was more because his show was over and he’d probably be bored the rest of the day. He would most probably love a chance to annoy Buffy or the rest of them as well.
Xander followed him as they took the sewers to the Magic Box. They stunk to high heaven, but he was sticking with Spike no matter what, he was finally going to stay where he wanted to.
* * *
By the time Spike and Xander got back, Anya had arrived and was sorting out something by the cash register and the others were researching. Spike walked off away from everyone else and Xander picked up a book and started reading.
Research lasted longer then Xander could handle, so as usual he’d gotten bored. Never the one for book reading he glanced round and began to mess with one of the figures nearby.
“Xander! What are you doing? Leave that thing alone.” Giles barked, clearly angry, or more then likely just really annoyed with what he was doing. All eyes turned towards Xander.
“Anya said I could touch it before.” All eyes turned to the ex-vengeance demoness.
“What?! I can’t do proper vengeance anymore, this is all I could do. He deserved it. Dumping me like that.”
Everyone looked shocked at Anya. Giles was the first to turn away and look accusingly at Xander.
“But you said and I’m quoting you here that you didn’t touch any “funky objects” did you not?”
“Well yeah, but this isn’t funky. I think its kind of pretty, I mean its like an angel or something.” His hand itched to touch the small statue again.
“Not really Xander.” Giles started. “Those are raven wings and if you look closely that face has a pig snout and, there’s a hint of a forked tongue peeking out between its lips, not to mention the horns.”
“Oh.” he looked guiltily as he rocked on his feet in a nervous gesture.
“He did it so easily, I probably should of done something worse.” Anya stated in the quiet of the shop.
“Anya!” he shouted, shocked.
“You dumped me! Even if it was mutual, you won’t give me orgasms anymore. It’s all fair.”
“Um, but…yeah.” he said, glad he didn’t understand how her mind worked.
“It took me a while, but I was finally able to reap my vengeance.”
“Did there really have to be vengeance?” he asked pleadingly.
“Yes. It makes me happy.”
Giles stepped in. “Well as great as you may feel about it Anya, surely you know what to do to stop it?”
“Yes.” she said as she picked up her handbag from underneath the till, she started to check inside it.
“That’s good.” Xander smiled, nodding for her to continue.
Once she had the handbag firmly in hand she moved from around the counter and started to walk off. “But I’m not telling you. So now I’m leaving.” she turned round to face Giles once at the door. “I’ll be back when this is all sorted out and it will be paid leave, I’m sure I’ve earned it.”
“Oh, very well…then.” she was already gone.
“You’re still gonna pay her!” Xander shrieked. He couldn’t believe it.
“We-well she is good at what she does.” he shrugged. “But at least we know this..” he waved vaguely at Xander, “..has something to do with that, now we just have to find out what.”
“Spike, any clues?” Xander felt like begging, but he held it in. He was more angry at Spike over his laughing fit during the whole conversation.
He managed to talk after he finished wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes. “I haven’t been around as long as demon girl and thank fuck for that if that many years did that to her face, but yeah. Don’t know anything.”
“What a shock, useless vampire.” Buffy piped in.
“Oy, watch it Slayer.”
Continued
Chapter: 2/8
Early the next morning a phone call from Willow sent him popping off to Spike’s crypt and it being daylight meant the vampire was asleep. He ventured down to the bottom noticing Spike was naked….very naked indeed. He looked away quickly.
He was still wearing what he’d slept in; and even though the residents of Sunnydale didn’t notice much, they would definitely notice a guy running about in his underwear, so he searched around for something to wear.
He’d been looking for a while and finally came up with one of Spike’s many black t-shirts, the one that smelt the cleanest, which he knew would be a bit tight, but he had to have something and an old pair of his own kaki shorts. He looked over at the sleeping Spike, wondering briefly why he had them, but shrugged it off as he put them on.
He was on his way back up to the ladder and to freedom when suddenly Spike spoke.
“You stealing from me then?”
“Can’t be called stealing if it belongs to me. Why do you have them anyway?” he added, not bothering to turn back round.
“Doesn’t matter, just take them and go. I’m bloody tired.”
“Fine.” Xander heard the rustling of sheets and shook his head, sighing loudly. He continued up and out.
* * *
Once back at home he showered and changed and then he was at the Magic Box researching, still without Anya and Buffy who were running late.
The most they’d come up with so far, was that the common occurrence for his popping about was someone saying a name, barring the first time anyway. So now Willow was apologising for something that wasn’t really her fault, but she couldn’t be stopped. When Willow wanted to apologise, she apologised until you couldn’t stand it anymore.
“I’m sorry about this morning Xander.”
“Seriously Willow, it’s ok.” He didn’t blame her for what happened, it could have been worse.
“Only if you’re sure. Being around Sp….um, him that early in the morning is hard for anyone to handle, especially if you’re kind of not wearing a lot of clothes.”
“Er, yeah. So not fond of the bleached menace right now.”
And that was said the same time as Buffy entered the shop, who either oblivious or still angry over the whole shower thing, Xander wasn’t sure which, did the worst thing ever as she came through the shop door and jogged down the steps.
“What about Spike?”
*POP*
“Oh you back then. Weren’t even gone long that time.”
Xander gave a heavy sigh. “It seems so. Though I think we‘re all starting to realise why.”
Xander watched as Spike just shrugged and didn’t bother to move at all really, it looked like he was nearly at the end of watching Passions. “Well, pull up a tomb.”
“I don’t know, I think I should get back to Giles see if he’s found anything out.”
“Sure if you want, but it does seem that you‘re always pulled back here, no matter the detour.”
“I guess.” he paused and thought it over. “I would ask you to send me back, but I’ve started to worry if maybe this whole moving around thing is doing any harm to me. I mean the next time I appear somewhere will my head be the wrong way round, will I be missing fingers…or other more vital parts.”
“You worry too much.”
“Well I can’t help it.”
“Big baby.”
“Shut up!” he sighed. “You know what you could be helpful. Come back with me to the Magic Box.”
“Ha, yeah sure I will.” Spike said, sarcasm lacing the words.
He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, still thinking himself crazy over what he was about to say, “Please.”
Xander watched as he actually thought about it. “Ok I guess.” Xander let out the breath he’d been holding. The first time he’d said please to Spike and meant it had paid off, he hadn’t looked completely like a fool, which was always good.
“Spike.”
“What?”
“Thanks.”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Oh shut up you git and lets get going.” He grabbed up his duster and took the lead.
Xander didn’t really believe Spike was being nice just for him, he thought it was more because his show was over and he’d probably be bored the rest of the day. He would most probably love a chance to annoy Buffy or the rest of them as well.
Xander followed him as they took the sewers to the Magic Box. They stunk to high heaven, but he was sticking with Spike no matter what, he was finally going to stay where he wanted to.
* * *
By the time Spike and Xander got back, Anya had arrived and was sorting out something by the cash register and the others were researching. Spike walked off away from everyone else and Xander picked up a book and started reading.
Research lasted longer then Xander could handle, so as usual he’d gotten bored. Never the one for book reading he glanced round and began to mess with one of the figures nearby.
“Xander! What are you doing? Leave that thing alone.” Giles barked, clearly angry, or more then likely just really annoyed with what he was doing. All eyes turned towards Xander.
“Anya said I could touch it before.” All eyes turned to the ex-vengeance demoness.
“What?! I can’t do proper vengeance anymore, this is all I could do. He deserved it. Dumping me like that.”
Everyone looked shocked at Anya. Giles was the first to turn away and look accusingly at Xander.
“But you said and I’m quoting you here that you didn’t touch any “funky objects” did you not?”
“Well yeah, but this isn’t funky. I think its kind of pretty, I mean its like an angel or something.” His hand itched to touch the small statue again.
“Not really Xander.” Giles started. “Those are raven wings and if you look closely that face has a pig snout and, there’s a hint of a forked tongue peeking out between its lips, not to mention the horns.”
“Oh.” he looked guiltily as he rocked on his feet in a nervous gesture.
“He did it so easily, I probably should of done something worse.” Anya stated in the quiet of the shop.
“Anya!” he shouted, shocked.
“You dumped me! Even if it was mutual, you won’t give me orgasms anymore. It’s all fair.”
“Um, but…yeah.” he said, glad he didn’t understand how her mind worked.
“It took me a while, but I was finally able to reap my vengeance.”
“Did there really have to be vengeance?” he asked pleadingly.
“Yes. It makes me happy.”
Giles stepped in. “Well as great as you may feel about it Anya, surely you know what to do to stop it?”
“Yes.” she said as she picked up her handbag from underneath the till, she started to check inside it.
“That’s good.” Xander smiled, nodding for her to continue.
Once she had the handbag firmly in hand she moved from around the counter and started to walk off. “But I’m not telling you. So now I’m leaving.” she turned round to face Giles once at the door. “I’ll be back when this is all sorted out and it will be paid leave, I’m sure I’ve earned it.”
“Oh, very well…then.” she was already gone.
“You’re still gonna pay her!” Xander shrieked. He couldn’t believe it.
“We-well she is good at what she does.” he shrugged. “But at least we know this..” he waved vaguely at Xander, “..has something to do with that, now we just have to find out what.”
“Spike, any clues?” Xander felt like begging, but he held it in. He was more angry at Spike over his laughing fit during the whole conversation.
He managed to talk after he finished wiping the tears of mirth from his eyes. “I haven’t been around as long as demon girl and thank fuck for that if that many years did that to her face, but yeah. Don’t know anything.”
“What a shock, useless vampire.” Buffy piped in.
“Oy, watch it Slayer.”
Continued