Deep Water Part 3
Title: Deep Water
Author: claudia6913
Rating: NC-17
Genre: H/C, Angst
Pairing: Spike/Xander
Summary: Xander is ill. Willow and Spike rescue him, but will they be able to save him?
Disclaimer: Joss owns all, I but play in the field of his imagination.
Distribution: Vampyre Haven, my journal.
A/N: -Xander’s thoughts- … //Spike’s thoughts//
A/N2: Title and part title’s taken from Deep Water by Jewel
A/N3: This is unbeta’d, all mistakes are my own.
Previous Parts here.
Part 3: But your heart like grape gum on the ground
Being constantly hot sucked, Xander decided. He did not know what time it was, or even what day it was. He drifted in and out of fitful sleep, never really being able to get comfortable in the little hovel he now was forced to call home. He could have sworn he had seen Willow though. Surely, he had not dreamed Willow's voice.
-Great, I get to go mad, in a small cave, all by myself. However, going mad wouldn't be so bad. Maybe it will take my mind off dying.-
Xander knew something was wrong with him. It was more then just the heat getting to him. Aching all over, he barely moved, now unable to feel parts of his body. His left arm was completely numb as was his left foot.
Trying to open his eyes, he groaned and let them fall closed again. He was almost certain he had seen light at the little opening of his cave. It was still light, and then he could not crawl out to get cool. However, Xander was not even sure he would be able to crawl anywhere.
-Sleep. It’s good. It’s my friend. If I could just sleep a bit, then I’ll figure it all out when I wake up.-
His eyes closed and he let sleep take him away willingly. Dreams would not bother him in his fever-induced slumber. Wracked with shivers, even in the heat, Xander’s body convulsed and heaved, causing him to hit the sides of the cave, and still he did not wake.
**********
The three of them had talked away most of the day, reminiscing and catching Spike up on everyone and everything that had gone on since he had died. Apparently, there was a lot to catch up on. Willow told Spike about Buffy and Dawn moving to Italy, Giles going back to the Watchers Council, and Xander running to Africa. Spike listened, pleased to find that most of them had made it out of Sunnydale alive. Willow had offered to call Buffy, but Spike had turned her down. He was not ready to talk to Buffy.
“Sun’s almost down,” Spike said, his internal clock monitoring the sun’s movement across the sky. Just getting away from Angel, Spike felt better about being alive, felt a sort of purpose again.
//Ponce can fool ‘imself all he wants, but he’s not changin’ anythin’, not at that place. After this is done, might check into stayin’ ‘round, seein’ if they need a hand, or just start somewhere new.//
Spike stayed quiet, smoking off in the kitchen while the girls got everything ready for the trip. He had a moment where he wondered why he was doing this, why he was going off to rescue Xander Harris of all people. They had never shared anything except beers and insults. Not exactly friendship building activities. However, somewhere along the way, the insults stopped stinging and the beers became a sort of quiet reflection. It was nothing Spike could pinpoint, but it was there, this need to make sure, at the very least, that Xander was alright and safely in the care of Willow and her girl.
//Just pop in, save his arse an’ pop out.//
It sounded simple, easy. It was not however, that simple, not that easy, no matter how Spike tried to look at it. But, he fooled himself, even if for a bit.
“We’re ready,” Willow called out. Spike doused his cigarette in the sink and walked into the living room.
“Right. Let’s get on with it then. Sooner you get him back, the sooner you can patch his arse up.”
//An’ the sooner I can leave you to it. Don’t know what I was thinkin’. They won’t want me after this.//
Willow reached out, grabbed Spike’s hand, and turned to smile at him. Then, she was reaching in her pocket again, tossing the ingredients for the spell into the air and whispering in Latin. The familiar pop sound came and went, and Spike landed on solid ground a bit steadier on his feet now that he had been expecting it.
Looking around, Spike saw the familiar landscape of Africa and shivered. It had not been too long ago that he had been there, finding a way to ‘give Buffy what she deserved’…and that had turned out in a way Spike would never have guessed.
A soft whimper caught his attention and he saw Willow bending down to look inside of a small pile of rocks. Spike walked over and his senses were hit with sickness. He could taste it on the back of his tongue, like a bitter bag of blood. Willow had been right about Xander being ill, but he was more then that. However, Spike was not going to tell Willow that, not right now. She looked worried enough as it was without having Spike telling her that her best friend would be patiently knocking on death’s door if they did not get him out of there.
“Xander? Can you hear me?” Willow asked. They heard some scuffling from inside the cave and a whine. But, Xander didn’t answer.
“Watch out, Pet,” Spike said, moving Willow to the side.
“Please, Spike, you have to get him out of there,” Willow said, her voice trembling. He could imagine there would be unshed tears in her eyes if he were to look at her.
Nodding shortly, Spike went to the small grouping of rocks.
//How’d he shove ‘imself in there? Not even big enough to fit the Witch, let alone Harris.//
Spike’s thoughts were cut off when they heard Xander cough harshly. Willow sniffled behind him and Spike looked at the pile. It was nothing more then a few rocks propped up against each other. Grabbing hold of the top-most rock, Spike lifted, causing the rest of the rocks to shift a bit.
“Grab ‘im, Pet,” Spike said, his voice strained. He was trying to keep the whole pile from falling in on Xander. When she did not move, he growled.
“Now’d be good.”
“Oh,” Willow said and hurried behind Spike. She reached in and grabbed hold of Xander’s arm and pulled, straining with the effort. The rock shook above them as Spike’s grip started to fail. Small rocks tumbled and debris fell. With one last pull, Xander was free and Spike let the rock fall, this time there was no little cave, just a pile of rocks.
Willow held Xander’s head in her lap, gently stroking his cheek and hair.
“He’s burning up,” she said. Spike looked down at them, and they both looked so lost. Willow was crying freely now, the tears streaming down her face to land in Xander’s hair.
“Should get back, Luv,” Spike said softly, kneeling down to look over the boy. He listened to Xander’s heartbeat, finding it sluggish, like it was having a hard time pumping. His lungs had a wet, gurgling sound to them, and Xander was drenched in sweat.
“Yeah,” Willow said softly, but made no move.
Carefully, Spike bent down and pick Xander up, cradling him in his arms.
//Boy’s lost weight. How long has he been out here?//
Even in the dark of the night, Spike could see the sunken look to Xander’s face, the way the skin was loose, not filled out as he had remembered. A shiver wracked Xander’s body and he turned his head into Spike’s neck. Standing stiff and still, Spike was not sure what to do. He looked to Willow who was still sitting on the ground, crying.
“Need to go now, Red,” Spike said, a little impatiently.
//Great. I came back from the dead to play soddin’ babysitter.//
Willow got to her feet and walked over to Spike. She looked at Xander before looking up into Spike’s eyes. In the dark, he was not sure what he was seeing in her eyes. Silently, Willow took hold of Spike’s hand under Xander’s body, threw the dust in the air, and they were traveling back now, Xander in tow.
Author: claudia6913
Rating: NC-17
Genre: H/C, Angst
Pairing: Spike/Xander
Summary: Xander is ill. Willow and Spike rescue him, but will they be able to save him?
Disclaimer: Joss owns all, I but play in the field of his imagination.
Distribution: Vampyre Haven, my journal.
A/N: -Xander’s thoughts- … //Spike’s thoughts//
A/N2: Title and part title’s taken from Deep Water by Jewel
A/N3: This is unbeta’d, all mistakes are my own.
Previous Parts here.
Part 3: But your heart like grape gum on the ground
Being constantly hot sucked, Xander decided. He did not know what time it was, or even what day it was. He drifted in and out of fitful sleep, never really being able to get comfortable in the little hovel he now was forced to call home. He could have sworn he had seen Willow though. Surely, he had not dreamed Willow's voice.
-Great, I get to go mad, in a small cave, all by myself. However, going mad wouldn't be so bad. Maybe it will take my mind off dying.-
Xander knew something was wrong with him. It was more then just the heat getting to him. Aching all over, he barely moved, now unable to feel parts of his body. His left arm was completely numb as was his left foot.
Trying to open his eyes, he groaned and let them fall closed again. He was almost certain he had seen light at the little opening of his cave. It was still light, and then he could not crawl out to get cool. However, Xander was not even sure he would be able to crawl anywhere.
-Sleep. It’s good. It’s my friend. If I could just sleep a bit, then I’ll figure it all out when I wake up.-
His eyes closed and he let sleep take him away willingly. Dreams would not bother him in his fever-induced slumber. Wracked with shivers, even in the heat, Xander’s body convulsed and heaved, causing him to hit the sides of the cave, and still he did not wake.
**********
The three of them had talked away most of the day, reminiscing and catching Spike up on everyone and everything that had gone on since he had died. Apparently, there was a lot to catch up on. Willow told Spike about Buffy and Dawn moving to Italy, Giles going back to the Watchers Council, and Xander running to Africa. Spike listened, pleased to find that most of them had made it out of Sunnydale alive. Willow had offered to call Buffy, but Spike had turned her down. He was not ready to talk to Buffy.
“Sun’s almost down,” Spike said, his internal clock monitoring the sun’s movement across the sky. Just getting away from Angel, Spike felt better about being alive, felt a sort of purpose again.
//Ponce can fool ‘imself all he wants, but he’s not changin’ anythin’, not at that place. After this is done, might check into stayin’ ‘round, seein’ if they need a hand, or just start somewhere new.//
Spike stayed quiet, smoking off in the kitchen while the girls got everything ready for the trip. He had a moment where he wondered why he was doing this, why he was going off to rescue Xander Harris of all people. They had never shared anything except beers and insults. Not exactly friendship building activities. However, somewhere along the way, the insults stopped stinging and the beers became a sort of quiet reflection. It was nothing Spike could pinpoint, but it was there, this need to make sure, at the very least, that Xander was alright and safely in the care of Willow and her girl.
//Just pop in, save his arse an’ pop out.//
It sounded simple, easy. It was not however, that simple, not that easy, no matter how Spike tried to look at it. But, he fooled himself, even if for a bit.
“We’re ready,” Willow called out. Spike doused his cigarette in the sink and walked into the living room.
“Right. Let’s get on with it then. Sooner you get him back, the sooner you can patch his arse up.”
//An’ the sooner I can leave you to it. Don’t know what I was thinkin’. They won’t want me after this.//
Willow reached out, grabbed Spike’s hand, and turned to smile at him. Then, she was reaching in her pocket again, tossing the ingredients for the spell into the air and whispering in Latin. The familiar pop sound came and went, and Spike landed on solid ground a bit steadier on his feet now that he had been expecting it.
Looking around, Spike saw the familiar landscape of Africa and shivered. It had not been too long ago that he had been there, finding a way to ‘give Buffy what she deserved’…and that had turned out in a way Spike would never have guessed.
A soft whimper caught his attention and he saw Willow bending down to look inside of a small pile of rocks. Spike walked over and his senses were hit with sickness. He could taste it on the back of his tongue, like a bitter bag of blood. Willow had been right about Xander being ill, but he was more then that. However, Spike was not going to tell Willow that, not right now. She looked worried enough as it was without having Spike telling her that her best friend would be patiently knocking on death’s door if they did not get him out of there.
“Xander? Can you hear me?” Willow asked. They heard some scuffling from inside the cave and a whine. But, Xander didn’t answer.
“Watch out, Pet,” Spike said, moving Willow to the side.
“Please, Spike, you have to get him out of there,” Willow said, her voice trembling. He could imagine there would be unshed tears in her eyes if he were to look at her.
Nodding shortly, Spike went to the small grouping of rocks.
//How’d he shove ‘imself in there? Not even big enough to fit the Witch, let alone Harris.//
Spike’s thoughts were cut off when they heard Xander cough harshly. Willow sniffled behind him and Spike looked at the pile. It was nothing more then a few rocks propped up against each other. Grabbing hold of the top-most rock, Spike lifted, causing the rest of the rocks to shift a bit.
“Grab ‘im, Pet,” Spike said, his voice strained. He was trying to keep the whole pile from falling in on Xander. When she did not move, he growled.
“Now’d be good.”
“Oh,” Willow said and hurried behind Spike. She reached in and grabbed hold of Xander’s arm and pulled, straining with the effort. The rock shook above them as Spike’s grip started to fail. Small rocks tumbled and debris fell. With one last pull, Xander was free and Spike let the rock fall, this time there was no little cave, just a pile of rocks.
Willow held Xander’s head in her lap, gently stroking his cheek and hair.
“He’s burning up,” she said. Spike looked down at them, and they both looked so lost. Willow was crying freely now, the tears streaming down her face to land in Xander’s hair.
“Should get back, Luv,” Spike said softly, kneeling down to look over the boy. He listened to Xander’s heartbeat, finding it sluggish, like it was having a hard time pumping. His lungs had a wet, gurgling sound to them, and Xander was drenched in sweat.
“Yeah,” Willow said softly, but made no move.
Carefully, Spike bent down and pick Xander up, cradling him in his arms.
//Boy’s lost weight. How long has he been out here?//
Even in the dark of the night, Spike could see the sunken look to Xander’s face, the way the skin was loose, not filled out as he had remembered. A shiver wracked Xander’s body and he turned his head into Spike’s neck. Standing stiff and still, Spike was not sure what to do. He looked to Willow who was still sitting on the ground, crying.
“Need to go now, Red,” Spike said, a little impatiently.
//Great. I came back from the dead to play soddin’ babysitter.//
Willow got to her feet and walked over to Spike. She looked at Xander before looking up into Spike’s eyes. In the dark, he was not sure what he was seeing in her eyes. Silently, Willow took hold of Spike’s hand under Xander’s body, threw the dust in the air, and they were traveling back now, Xander in tow.