Author: Gypsy_gray
Email: Gypsy_gray@msn.com
Summary: I challenge y'all to write a fic where Spike is human temporarily. Like the witches cast a spell on him and he becomes human for a few days. That’s pretty much the only requirement. Oh yeh, gotta have some Spike/Xander slashiness. MyKa HoLLy.
Rating: NC-17 (Au. Spoilers for past seasons of both shows. However, this is definitely an AU. In my world Doyle didn't die.)
Archive: Anywhere you want. Just ask me first. (This isn't a series. It's one story. Please archive it that way.)
Feedback: Please (Isn't it sad when a grown woman begs.)
Disclaimer: Joss Whedon and the WB own all things "Buffy" and "Angel", and they're the only ones making any money off of these lovely creatures.
Author Notes: This is not a part of either of my series or "Baphomet's Knight." This is a separate story and an answer to a challenge. This is also an mpreg. If you don’t like it, don’t read it.
The battle was on. Demons of every imaginable size and shape were swarming them. Buffy was wielding a stake in one hand and a sword in the other. She and Angel were back to back. The ax in Angel's hands cut and cleaved almost faster then the eye could follow. Gunn and Wesley were defending a spiked out and pain wracked Doyle. One vision after another slammed into him; leaving him helpless. Cordelia was behind Angel's car firing her crossbow as fast as she could reload it. Her aim was perfect. Giles, Willow, and Tara were chanting; surrounded by blue light coming from the broken stone Tara held.
A simple geode. That was the cause of all this. Someone had found and broken open the stone. An army of homicidal demons had been released. The PTB had called in the L.A. crew before the Scoobies even had a chance to handle things. But the demons had a seer of their own. One who could both receive and send visions. With Doyle out of commission the only thing they could do was try to reseal the stone.
Unfortunately, the spell to do that had been lost. No Doyle meant no link to the Powers. That left them only one option...a restoration spell. Giles and the witches were trying to "heal" the geode. But the spell took all their energy and attention, so they couldn't defend themselves. Which was why Spike and Xander were armed...automatic weapon armed. They were the only ones who knew how to use them. Well, Angel or Giles could have. But they were otherwise occupied. That left the Big Bad and the Zeppo to guard the magic users.
For once things went as planned. Almost. The blue glow started pulling the demons back into the stone. When it got close to Angel he jumped behind his car. Doyle was pulled out of its reach by Wes and Gunn. Spike dodged the light, but he bumped into Willow. She fell clutching her side and he staggered back clutching his head. The light hit him.
The screams were horrible. Sparks shot from the back of his skull and he fell to his knees. His body twisted and jerked. A tearing sound almost overrode the screams. Then there were two voices. One a human in pain, the other a demon enraged. Two forms were in the light now. A bleached blonde demon in black and an unrecognizable human in nothing. The demon howled, the human fell backwards, and the light disappeared. The demon went with it.
Xander was closest. He slowly turned the collapsed body over to look at its face. A boy. Long golden blonde hair, sharp cheek bones, he looked younger then Xander. For a moment the brunette didn't know who he was looking at. Then the eyes opened.
"Spike?!”
“What happened? I don't feel it. Is it gone?! Oh please God let it be gone!!" The voice was as cultured as Wesley's or Giles'. The eyes were guileless and full of desperate terrified hope. Xander felt his heart break inside those eyes.
"It's alright. You're gonna be ok...Wil."
Angel had reached them. He leaned down to get a closer look at the blonde, but he wasn't prepared for the reaction he got. The human's eyes grew as big as saucers. He screamed and staggered up onto shaky legs. Naked, terrified, and completely disoriented, he recognized Angel.
"No!! Please no!!!! NO!!" Xander caught him when he was about to fall. The terrified boy clutched Xander and buried his face in the brunette's neck. Sobs shook his whole body. "Please don't let him...don't let him hurt me anymore. Don't let him bring it back!"
Giles' apartment was full of angry, worried, shouting voices. Buffy was screaming at Angel and Giles. Giles was trying to find a book to explain what happened and completely ignoring Buffy. Angel's attention was focused completely on the golden haired boy sitting on Giles' couch. Willow and Tara were arguing with Cordelia and Gunn about what should be done with the boy. Wesley and Doyle were trying to calm them down. Xander was sitting on Giles' couch with an exhausted frightened boy. Wrapped in Angel's too big coat and sipping from a cup of chamomile tea, Wil hadn't left Xander's side.
"Wil, you remember...everything?"
"Yes. It's like...like watching a television program starring yourself. Only you have no say in the script. It wasn't me...but it was."
"What do you mean?”
"Druscilla for example. It, the demon, it cared for her. But so did I. And with you. It trusted you, so do I."
It was the eyes. They were sucking all the good sense right out of Xander's brain. When Wil looked at him with a shy little smile and those big blue eyes it was impossible for him not to reach out and brush the tangle of gold off the boy's forehead. According to the truth they'd finally gotten out of Angel, Wil had been only 17 when Dru had turned him. Insane as she was, he'd have been just a minion or as crazy as her if Angel hadn't "adopted" him. But Angelus had been resentful of the beautiful boy that made heads turn everywhere they went. He was used to getting all the attention from strangers and from Dru. He'd punished Wil severely and brutally for it.
That was when Spike appeared. In an effort to protect himself, the young vampire took on the persona of a guttersnipe and a brat. This insured that Angelus regained the attention he was missing, and that he rarely bothered with Spike. When he did it was only to command the boy to his bed, something that even as a vampire Wil hadn't liked. Angel believed it was because the boy had been a complete virgin when he was turned. It was this little revelation that had Buffy screaming her head off.
"Wil?" Angel's voice interrupted the newly forming connection between Xander and the blonde. But this time Wil didn't try to run. He scooted closer to the brunette and met Angel's eyes squarely. The vampire was sitting on the coffee table, leaning forward to be closer to Wil.
"Wha..What do you want?"
"I'm sorry Wil. Of all the things I've done, what I did to you I regret the most. I won't let it happen again. I promise.”
"Like with Darla."
"What?"
"You let Druscilla turn her. If it comes to it will you kill Dru for me? I doubt it."
"Wil..."
"You can't fix me. You can't undo it all. Just leave me alone."
"Wil please listen..."
"No." Xander's voice was calm and deadly. Angel's conversation was over. The look in his eyes made it plain that if the vampire tried to get near Wil again they'd need a whisk to get him off the rug. Angel was impressed. "You have nothing else to say to him."
Angel stood and walked over to Doyle. The smaller man allowed himself to be pulled into his lover's arms. The half-ling caught Wes' eyes from across the room. The ex-watcher stole a kiss from Gunn and then followed his friend’s eyes to the couch. Xander was cradling a shaking Wil in his arms. The boy's face was buried in the brunette's neck. Xander whispered softly to the boy and Wil pressed closer to him. Oblivious to what was happening right in front of her Buffy continued to yell. When Wes saw the boy cringe and press closer to Xander he made a decision. Whatever happened, Wil would not be hurt anymore. No matter what.
Xander led a much calmer but very tired blonde into his apartment. He'd known the boy would be staying with him, but he was surprised when Wes, closely seconded by Doyle suggested it. It was odd, but it saved him having to deal with Buffy and it got Wil away from Angel. That was the important thing. The phone call to Anya had not been so easy. Telling her there would be no sex because of the boy wasn't hard, it was listening to the whining and the screaming that pissed him off. He was tired of her only concern being her orgasms and her presents. When she threatened to break up with him if he didn't leave Wil at Giles' he calmly told her goodbye and hung up. As far as he was concerned, they were over.
The boy was looking around the place with a small smile on his face. It was a sweet slightly nervous smile, but it was genuine. He touched the kitchen counter, the back of the couch, and finally stood directly in front of Xander. He dropped his head and picked at imaginary lint on Angel's coat. Xander's heart started to race. Wil nibbled softly on his bottom lip and looked up at Xander from under his eyelashes. Xander felt his whole body twitch.
"Wil?”
"I know. I feel it. I'm scared."
"Me too. I won't hurt you."
"Have you done this...with a man?"
"No, but Anya..."
"Oh."
"Angel...?"
"Doesn't count. It and him, not me. This is me."
Xander pushed the coat off the smaller man's shoulders. It fell to the floor revealing the body underneath. Wil watched in silence while the brunette removed his own clothes. Naked, the older boy took the ex-vampire's hand and led him to the bedroom. Gently guiding the slim form down to the bed, Xander laid on top of him. Wil's legs opened to cradle Xander's hips between them. Two hard shafts rested against each other. A shiver ran through the blonde's body, and Xander kissed him.
Hands tangled in gold, cock rubbing against its match, the brunette devoured the hot lush mouth beneath his own. Wil responded eagerly, wrapping his arms around Xander and arching against him. Xander tore his mouth free and latched onto an already hard nipple. Pink and hot it tasted fantastic. He suckled and nibbled and then moved to the other one when Wil's hands came up to hold his head in place.
Xander worked his way down the body moving beneath him. He paused to kiss a flat stomach and run his tongue along the navel rim. Wil moaned and gasped. Xander didn't pause again. He wasn't quite sure how to do this, but he knew what he liked and he knew what he wanted. One slow lick up the throbbing vein, and then he fastened his mouth on the head of Wil's cock and began to suck. Flicking his tongue over the slit, he moaned at the taste.
Wil thrust up and he sank down on the shaft about a third of the way. Resting his hands on the slim hips he encouraged them to move. One long fingered hand twined in his hair while the other caressed his shoulders and upper back.
Wil moved slowly at first. As he grew comfortable, Xander's jaw relaxed and he was able to take more. Wil began to pick up speed and Xander took hold of the base of the shaft. His hand moved in tandem with the blonde's thrusting and soon they had found their rhythm.
"Xander!!"
Liquid flooded the brunette's mouth. He did his best to swallow it all but some escaped him. He continued to suckle until the flesh in his mouth was lax. Then he slowly licked up what had spilled. Working his way up the trembling body beneath him he was rewarded by a renewal of the spent shaft and a deep kiss. Wil ran his hands over Xander's body. Delighting in the warm sweat-slicked skin of his lover.
"Are you ok?"
"Mmmm Nummy.”
"Huh?"
"That's how it thought of you, as it's Nummy Treat. Suits you."
"You think I'm nummy, huh?”
"Yes. Are you going to take me?"
"Yes. That ok?"
"Yes."
Wil leaned against the windowsill. His attention was focused completely on the figure asleep amidst tangled sheets. Xander...Nummy. He shifted his weight to the other leg and was reminded of how the sheets arrived in their present state. He had no memories of pleasure from that act, Angelus had used it for punishment. He never imagined that he would agree to such a thing. But Xander had been so gentle and so honest. There were no hidden motives in the act for him. He simply wanted to make love to Wil. Despite a limited amount of experience, he'd been patient and calm. When they were finally joined there was no pain, and the blonde knew that for the rest of his life he would carry the beautiful memory of Xander's face as they moved together.
When they found release their was kissing and smiling and laughter. They'd been giddy with pleasure and happiness. Wil recognized the feeling, love. He was completely and inarguably in love with Alexander LaVelle Harris. And there was nothing finer in the universe then being able to fall asleep in his strong warm arms, listening to their hearts beat in harmony. It was only a century of survival instinct that woke him. Without even thinking about it he rose from the bed to close the curtains. Even in sleep he felt the sun.
It was the warmth on his back that pulled his attention from the bed. Warmth, but not burning. The sun was rising. Wil stood in the window and watched the sunrise. It seemed so close, as though he could reach out and touch the orb at its center. Like a painting with a thousand different hues of orange and red and yellow, running like watercolor into the oils of violet and black.
"Wil? What's wrong?" Arms he knew wrapped around him. A warm body pressed against his back and a stubbly cheek rested against his head. And the sun was up.
He couldn't look away, not even for the worry in that beloved voice. Not even when he felt warm fingers trace a wet path down his cheek. He didn't even know he was crying until he felt Xander's fingers wipe the tears away.
There were no words. No way to explain the crashing joy that washed through his soul. He was drowning in sunshine, free of the shadows. There was light and hope. There was finally a morning after endless night.
It was the phone that pulled them from peace. Xander squeezed Wil one last time and then moved away to answer it.
"Yeah?"
"Xander, bring Sp...Wil to the shop at once.”
"Giles? What's up?"
"There's no time to explain. Just do it."
"You found away to fix the geode. To put all the demons back for good."
"Xander we don't..."
"You're gonna let it loose. You're gonna make Wil into Spike again."
"Look, will you just..."
"FUCK YOU!!!"
The phone cracked from the force he slammed it down with. Going to the closet he pulled two large hiking packs out. Drawers were opened and slammed as he began quickly packing. The entire operation was accomplished in silence. He was done in under five minutes, it was obviously something he'd been prepared for, for a long time.
When he looked up Wil was wearing a pair of sweats tied tight around his hips and a gray t-shirt. The clothes were too big and obviously not his, but he was dressed and ready to leave. Xander handed him one of the bags and moved the dresser away from the wall. Kicking the baseboard in he reached inside and pulled out a strongbox. It was shoved into one of the bags and then they were ready.
They nearly flew down the stairs to Xander's car. But before he got to it, Wil was pulled to a tarp-covered shape. A Camaro. A black, gleaming, 1968 "fuck you cops" fast Camaro. Xander stowed the bags in the back, pushed Wil into the passenger seat, fastened their safety belts, and started the car. The engine purred to life. The brunette threw the car into gear and pealed out. They were doing 55 in under a minute, and Wil braced himself when Xander shifted gears again.
They still hadn't said a word. There was nothing to say. They were running. From the demon, from the Slayer, from Xander's friends, from the good fight. Xander had spent his life from the time he was 15 doing the right thing for the good of the world. After years of swallowing shit and blood and pain, he finally found someone worth all of it. No one was going to take Wil away. No one.
The hotel was cheap and clean. The Terlax demon at the desk didn't say a word when they signed in as J. Smith+1. There was a page full of Smith, Doe, and Jones already. The room was in back and hidden from the two-lane road that ran past. It was the kind of place you didn't find unless you were acquainted with the right people.
Wil watched as Xander dropped the packs on the one chair and then went back to the car. They'd been on the interstate for three hours when the brunette pulled off onto a little used exit. A small town consisting of a diner and a Mom and Pop general store was the first stop. The diner yielded breakfast and sandwiches for the road. The store was picked through for t-shirts, jeans, socks, under clothes, and a pair of black high top Converse. Toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving kit, deodorant, and a small pair of silver John Lennon style reading glasses joined their purchases, and the whole lot was stuffed into an empty backpack. Finally, a plain black leather jacket that hung at mid-thigh was purchased from the trunk of a fellow diner patron's car. All in Wil's size. And all paid for out of the strongbox.
More hours of driving on back roads and what were barely more then paved paths brought them to the hotel. It was just after sunset. They ate the last of the sandwiches. Separate showers were taken. And now they were lying in bed beside each other. Wil was pretending to read a paperback mystery novel he found in the draw of the nightstand. A process made much easier by his glasses. Funny to be wearing them again after so many years, but nice not to have to squint at the words or hold the book just under his nose.
Xander was staring blankly at an old black and white movie on TV. They had spoken. "What color do you want?" "Do they have chicken?" They'd laughed at Wil's rediscovery of food and his first encounter with jello. They hadn't discussed the time they had to pull off the road so he could make use of the bushes. The ex-vampire felt stupid for being happy that he had to relieve himself, but the half smile the brunette gave him told Wil he understood.
But they hadn't "really" talked. They hadn't discussed the car or the strongbox. Or the phone call. Wil closed his book and took off his glasses. A deep breath and the old forgotten gestures, pinching the bridge of his nose and pushing his hair back. And then he turned his whole body to face his...
"Are we lovers? I mean, committed to each other?"
"We should be committed, but...yeah. I want us to be."
"Good. Now, as your lover, I feel I should ask about..."
"Ask about?"
"Well, umm, I ah...this. All this."
"It was after Dracula. It finally hit me that I might not die, that I could really get turned. I didn't want to be dusted. Not by Buffy. So I started making plans. Selling stuff Drac left behind. Buying the car. Finding places to hide. Setting up a Swiss bank account. Buying my building. Making some long term investments. Preparing."
"Good Lord. I'm married to an entrepreneur."
Xander laughed loudly. The shadows that sat in his eyes faded. He pulled Wil into his arms and kissed him. With the somber mood broken they cuddled up together and kissed gently and sweetly.
"I want an orb of Thesely. In case."
"I know where to get one. I even learned the spell."
"Xander they're going to find us."
"I know. We're not running, we're getting them into our territory. No reason to give them the hometown advantage if we don't have to. We'll be there by tomorrow night. The others are probably waiting on us."
“Where? What others?"
"Shh. You'll see. Goodnight my Wil.”
"Goodnight Xander.
The road led way back into woods that hadn't seen humans since Indians roamed free and white men weren't even stories. A forest actually, and Wil felt both swallowed up and protected by it. His lover seemed perfectly at ease here, pulling Wil across the seat to sit with his arms around him as they drove up the old dirt road. The end of the road was greeted with deep kisses and a low purring growl from the body that held him close.
From the end of the road they shouldered the packs and walked. The forest grew denser, deeper, and darker as the sun set and the last of civilization was left behind. The cabin loomed out of growing twilight and the figure on the porch let out a whoop and came barreling down the path at them. A girl with dark hair falling down her back and laughter in her eyes threw herself into Xander's arms. He swung her around while she crowed in delight.
Bodies came rushing out of the house. Young people, all Xander's age and all...different. Without the demon Wil had no power of his own, but over a century as a non-human had left him sensitive to certain things. These people were not quite human. A familiar figure came out of the cabin at last and the blonde turned a questioning look to his lover as Oz walked over to them.
"Wil this is my home. And except for a few strays, these are my pack."
"Pack?"
The girl Xander had been holding stepped away and began circling Wil. She waited until they were facing each other and then leaned into him. A delicate sniff at the side of his neck and she leaned away to smile at him. Then she threw her arms around him and he was hugged as tightly as Xander had been. He heard a growl and turned to see Xander stepping closer. The girl released him and stood beside a tall boy that Wil thought he recognized.
"Xander has a mate. Xander has a mate." Her voice was sing-songy and the words dripped amusement and satisfaction. The group started laughing and Wil would have been insulted except strong arms circled his waist and pulled him back against his lover's chest.
"Rhonda...enough."
"Sorry Xan, just teasing."
"He's pretty. Where did you get him?" A slim girl with short hair and an eyebrow ring separated herself from the group.
She stood next to Rhonda and the tall boy. From within the group two more figures made their presence known. One broad shouldered and tall moved to stand beside the tall boy with Rhonda. Another shorter boy moved away from Oz and stood directly in front of Xander.
"Everything's ready. We even have a surprise."
"A surprise Kyle? Show me."
The boy ducked his head in an unmistakable show of respect. He turned and led them into the cabin. Wil noticed that Oz walked beside them, followed closely by the group of two girls and two boys. The rest of them followed behind the smaller group. The boy, Kyle, led them to a room at the back of the cabin. Inside were two glowing orbs.
"Xander, wha..."
"I called them from the hotel. Oz knew where to find them." Xander placed a kiss in the palm of Wil's hand. Pulling his lover into his arms he whispered softly to him. "No one will ever take you from me. We'll never be apart."
Xander leaned against the window frame. The sounds of the shower almost drowned out the crickets and other night sounds. He could hear the scurrying of tiny feet as field mice ran from the eyes of owls. Owls with rustling feathers that sounded like popcorn kernels shaking in their bag. Since the hyena incident his senses had been heightened. Not as much as the cop on that Sentinel show, but more then the average person. His strength and speed were also increased, something he'd been very careful to keep hidden. Being not quite human around Buffy was a sure way to end up dead. Unless your name was Angel. Slayer thy hypocrisy knows no bounds.
After the hyena thing he'd tried really hard to put it all behind him. But Kyle and Rhonda still nodded to him in the hallways. Tor and Heidi stepped aside when he walked past them. The connection was still there. They were still a pack and he was still the leader. He kept their connection a closely guarded secret, and used the excuse of a road trip to satisfy his instincts. The cabin and the surrounding ground were purchased with money the others collected from the nests and hordes of various demons. It was a simple set up really. The Scooby gang killed the bad guys, and then Xander called in his pack. Anything valuable and mundane was taken to a regular pawnshop, the arcane was fenced through Willy. Every cent was squirreled away for one purpose. A safe haven for the pack.
Oz came after escaping the initiative. He'd been adopted into the clan and claimed Kyle for his mate soon after. Xander didn't mind. Oz and Kyle were his only real rivals for the alpha position. Oz didn't want it, and with Kyle as the werewolf's beta he was no longer a potential rival. Instead the two of them became Xander's seconds, caring for the pack in his absence. Returning to Sunnydale had been a difficult, but necessary choice. He needed a mate. Rhonda was the obvious choice. She was the alpha female. But there was no desire between them. He saw a sibling when he looked at her, not a lover. The same went for Heidi and the other females. It hadn't occurred to him then that his mate might be male.
Anya had seemed perfect, but even from the beginning he knew it wasn't her. The sex was acceptable and she was able to meet his needs, but as kind as he tried to be to her he simply couldn't deal with her whining all the time. She was almost as bad as Buffy. Still, there had been plenty of time. His pack was safe and growing. Thanks to the influx of individuals and small groups seeking a haven from the world. And thanks to Rhonda.
Relentless pestering and a discovered talent for fertility magic had led to a remarkable number of pregnancies. Nearly 60% of their female population with mates were pregnant within a week of agreeing to Rhonda's plans. A little more magic, and those females who had mates who could not give them children (mostly other females) were carrying children. Further magic, and much yelling by Rhonda about everyone doing their part, and there were pregnant men all over the place.
Which was one of the reasons Xander was waiting for Wil to get out of the shower. After showing them both the orbs, Kyle had announced that he was going to have a child with Oz. They had seemed so happy, Xander had truly been pleased for them. Then Rhonda struck. Hands firmly planted on hips, she demanded that as their leader he fulfill his obligations and give them an heir. Wil had turned bright red. Rhonda had smiled. Arms across her chest, chin jutted out, she calmly informed them that if Spike were pregnant before he was rejoined with the demon then he could carry the child to term with no ill effects to him or the baby. Wil turned purple.
A long conversation and much floor pacing had followed. When all the debating, demanding, begging, and reassuring was done a decision had been made. Now they had to deal with the consequences of that decision. When the water turned off Xander turned around to face his lover. This was not going to be easy.
"Doyle, what did you see?" Wesley's voice was a whisper.
He and Doyle had been discussing ways to throw the group of raving morons further off the trail. The entire bunch of assorted idiots had set out on the trail of Xander and Wil as soon as they realized the two of them had run. Their collective efforts to track the supposed fugitives had revealed some very interesting facts.
First, since graduating from high school Xander Harris had disappeared. He'd had no jobs, signed no contracts, had no mailing address, paid no taxes, and received no mail. While living at his parents' home Xander's mail had come to LaVelle Harrison. All his jobs had him listed the same way. Since moving to his new apartment his name had become Alec LaVelle. Willow had even been able to pull up copies of Mr. LaVelle's birth certificate, driver's license, high school diploma, motorcycle license, several deeds, the balance of his bank account in town, and instances where funds had been transferred to and from what could only be multiple Swiss bank accounts.
Alec LaVelle owned the shopping complex where the "Magic Box" was located, a few residential neighborhoods (including the ones with the Summers, Rosenberg, and Harris, homes in them), The Bronze, and the land containing the rubble of Sunnydale High and the Hellmouth. He had close to two million dollars in his account in the local bank and an undisclosed sum spread out in his Swiss accounts. There was an impressive stock portfolio and tax and payroll records showing him as the sole owner of a successful construction company and a few other small businesses. Xander was filthy fucking rich. And Buffy was seriously pissed off.
Some of the money had been there for awhile, but a huge infusion of cash, stocks, and overseas properties had come fairly recently. When Willow compared the dates it suddenly became apparent what happened to all of Dracula's things. They hadn't vanished into thin air, they'd liquidated themselves into Xander's pockets.
While the Scoobies were incensed, the L.A. group was suitably impressed. Cordelia was discussing ways to get Xander into the firm as a backer and Gunn was trying to find out the exact size of charity donations that would be useful as tax right offs. Angel was another story. He'd made it clear that he didn't care if Xander owned the Empire State Building and was planning to climb it and swat down airplanes, his only concern was Wil. He absolutely didn't approve of rejoining the boy and the demon. He wanted Wil protected at all costs. So when Wes had gotten the idea of an orb of Thesaly, the vampire had taken Gunn and begun searching or one. The two of them had returned only moments before Doyle had been struck with a vision.
"They’re safe. They’re not far, just a coupla of days drive. But we need more time. We 'ave to keep everyone 'ere 'til sunrise, then we can tell the Slayer."
"Time for what?"
"Ta finish, and ta use our orb."
"Our...they have one of their own?"
"Yes." Doyle's voice was a whisper. Wesley pulled him further into the shadows of Giles' hallway.
"Francis, what do we need our orb for?" The former watcher's voice was quiet and gentle. He had a feeling he knew where this was going. Doyle and Angel loved each other completely, but because of the curse it was impossible for them to consummate their relationship.
"It...for Angel. They showed me...there's a spell, at the lad's place. It can change the curse....his soul will be permanent."
"Xander knew this?"
"No. He just thought it would work if someone else was turned. He didn't know it could help Angel."
"I'll go to the apartment. You tell Angel."
"Don't go alone. Tis a Hellmouth ya know."
"Gunn will accompany me. Be careful Doyle, if Buffy finds out..."
"Aye. I'll not be givin her royal bitchness a reason ta shorten my life."
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"A child, our child...yes Xander. I want this. It's the only chance we'll ever have."
"I love you Wil.”
"Show me."
The taller man pulled his companion into his arms. Their mouths met in a slow kiss. Wil stepped away from his lover and walked to the center of the room. Looking Xander in the eye, he dropped his towel. Placing his hands on his shoulders, he slowly ran them down his body. Over his nipples, past a flat stomach, through a tangle of sandy curls that still held drops of water, left hand down to cup his sac, right hand stroking slowly up and down his hard shaft. He was beautiful, wanton, and everything Xander ever wanted in the world.
The dark haired man stared in awe at his mate. The man was too beautiful to be real. Xander felt the hyena growl in his head. He only realized he'd growled out loud when Wil's hips jerked forward and the blonde gasped. The larger man charged across the room. Pinning his mate to the mattress he forced the smaller man's hands above his head. When he was sure Wil wouldn't move he grabbed the lube from the nightstand. Slicking his shaft with one hand and pulling Wil onto his knees with the other.
One long constant push connected them. When he was fully inside his lover, Xander shifted them until he was lying on his back with Wil straddling him. The smaller man braced himself against his lover's shoulders and began moving at once. Raising and lowering himself, he set the pace and controlled their lovemaking.
They moved together slowly. The hyena had already claimed its mate, now it simply thrilled at the sight of the other's pleasure. Wil removed his hands from the shoulders beneath him and entwined the fingers of both hands with that of his lover's. Their eyes remained locked on each other, and release came to them both quickly.
Xander held Wil as they both recovered from their intense lovemaking. Wil raised his head and reached for the vial on the nightstand. Pulling out the cork he drank the purple liquid in one gulp. They both felt the magic take effect. It moved through the blonde like a lightening strike and the he shook with the force of it.
"That's it. I can feel it. It's worked."
"One day. We only have to get through one day. Rhonda said that with the acceleration spell it will be safe to use the orbs in just under 24 hours."
"They'll know where we are by then."
"I know"
"If anything happens to me..."
Wil was cut off by an angry growl. Xander pulled the smaller man closer and growled again. Low rumbling, it was a sound of rage and fear, the hyena would not tolerate any threat to its mate. But they were in their own territory and the others were getting ready for the worst the Scoobies had to offer. The guards had been doubled and his fighters were the best at what they did. Larry and Tor were organizing patrols to scout the forest. They would know the moment the Slayer arrived.
Thinking of Larry brought a smile to Xander's face. Even with all the new and different races of non-human that showed up looking for refuge, he hadn't been prepared when the big football player had walked out of the trees. Everyone had thought that Larry was killed at graduation, but the body they buried had actually been in a kind of stasis. Larry hadn't even known he wasn't human; at least not until he woke up to the sounds of his parents digging him up.
Larry was something called a Sim'arg. Not a demon, but definitely not human. Incredibly strong and fiercely loyal, Sim'args were highly respected beings. Larry's parents had chosen to settle on the Hellmouth for one simple reason, his mother was half-human. When Larry had shown no signs of the horns and purple skin that marked his species his parents had decided to live somewhere that their son could be with other humans. It wasn't until after he was "killed" that his parents realized his nature was simply laying dormant.
The larger man had received another shock when he found himself being actively pursued. Jonathon had found his way to their haven by chance and need, but had become invaluable almost immediately. The quiet young man's gentle nature endeared him to everyone, and he quickly became the de facto baby-sitter for all the parents. It wasn't long before he'd advanced to the position of honorary teacher. It was made official just before Larry arrived, and the bigger man met his match when he came up against Uncle Jon.
It was only a few weeks after the two became lovers that the news spread through the group, Uncle Jon was going to have a baby. Their son, Zac, was the first of four. And Jonathon was carrying the fifth now. He and the others who were carrying children, as well as the children, had moved to another location deeper in the forest. Somewhere they would be safe from what was coming. Kyle had gone with them. Only the fighters had stayed behind.
Xander snuggled Wil closer and let himself join his lover in sleep. They would need all the energy they could get for this fight. But even as he drifted off, his mind was trying to find some way to convince Wil to join Jonathon and Kyle. The blonde would never go willingly.... Maybe he could tie him up in the covers and get Larry to carry him to safety. Maybe...
The blue light began to fade into mist. As he was revealed by the slowly dissipating magic, Angel opened his eyes. The world didn’t look any different; the sights, smells, and sounds were all the same ones that his vampiric senses had observed and catalogued before the spell had started. And yet...
Everything was different. He could feel it in his mind and his soul. It was like he’d spent years holding on to the last rungs of a ladder and now someone had set his feet on solid ground. His body ached liked he’d been pounded by a particularly nasty bad guy, but he knew it was from the magic that had bound his soul to him for all time.
“Angel?” Doyle’s voice was soft and a little afraid. They’d all known that if the spell went wrong he would lose his soul. Forever this time. That was why they’d waited until they were back at the mansion. The entire LA crew plus Tara and Giles were gathered in the old house where Angel’s team was staying.
Wesley had been prepared to work the spell alone, but as they were leaving the Summers’ house Giles had caught his eye. When Wes lingered the older Brit had simply told him that he and Tara knew what was being planned, that they would keep the secret, that their help was needed and they would gladly provide it, and that they all needed to talk. An hour later they were all back at the mansion and Tara was performing the spell assisted by the two ex-watchers.
Doyle had been watching Angel with his heart in his throat, knowing this was the night that their life together would either begin, or that they would both end. He hadn’t told anyone about the knife in his coat. He hadn’t told anyone that if the spell went wrong and Cordelia had to use the crossbow she’d kept trained on Angel the whole time, he would be slipping the poison covered blade into his own chest. Gunn would be too busy making sure Angel was dust if Cordy missed, and everyone else was too far away to stop him.
But the spell worked. Angel was smiling at him, Angel was hugging him, Angel was kissing him.
“You can put the dagger down now.” Tara’s quiet voice stopped time in the crowded room. It was Angel that pulled the knife out of the inside pocket of Doyle’s coat. It was Angel that smelled the poison. But everyone present knew what it was for.
“Doyle?” Cordelia was somewhere between tears and anger. The half demon was calm when he answered, but he never took his eyes off Angel. “It's alright darlin. I won’t be needin it.”
No one was surprised when the taller man’s eyes flashed gold and Doyle was carried to the back of the house. It could have been a very long day, but Wesley cast a silencing charm on the room. No sound would go in or out. They would not be hearing the sounds of Angel finally claiming his mate, and no one would hear the conversation that was about to take place.
Angel was furious. He all but threw Doyle on the bed and then used his strength to pin the smaller body beneath his own. He growled at his mate in full gameface, but Doyle didn’t even blink.
“Have you lost your mind?! How could you even think about using that thing?! Well?!! You owe me an answer Doyle!”
“The beginning of everything or the end of everything. We both knew that if this ever happened that’s what it would be. Just like we both know that sooner or later you’ll turn me and it’ll be you watching someone cast a spell with a stake in your pocket. Ready to use it on me and then yourself if the spell doesn’t work. This is what love is for us. Soul or no soul, half-human or not, it doesn’t matter. We both know that now that we’re together we can’t survive apart. We wouldn’t want to if we could. Its what we are. We’ve known all along.”
Angel didn’t bother to answer. Doyle was right and they both knew it. Instead of wasting time he showed his love that he understood and agreed with what he’d said in the best way possible. He kissed him.
“You said we needed to talk.” Wes watched everyone get comfortable and tried to analyze the look that passed between Giles and Tara.
“Tara, perhaps you should begin.” At Giles’ nod the blonde witch started to speak. Her voice was strong and clear, no sign of shyness or uncertainty. No trace of a stutter.
“My name is Tara. I am a witch. I did runaway from my family because of the way they treated me. But I didn’t run to Sunnydale. I ran to a small camp hidden in a forest. I didn’t know then that the land was enchanted, that I only found my way because I needed to. The people that lived there were different. Yes, some of them weren’t human and some them were. But that’s not what I mean by different. I mean they treated each other differently. They acted like everyone belonged, like everyone had a place and a right to live their lives.
“When I learned a new spell or mastered a skill when I was with my old family, I had to hide it, or things would get worse. I’d get punished. But with this new family, everyone was so proud when I learned something. They encouraged me and they were grateful when I used what I could do to help out. But they were just as grateful and just as kind if all I did was help baby sit or sew curtains for someone’s new cabin.
“The man that founded the camp was kind and fair, and he had created a home for people who either didn’t fit in the outside world or who weren’t wanted by the world. When it was decided that he would return to the town he’d come from to find a mate, I volunteered to return with him. To use my magic to help him in anyway I could and to keep in contact with our family.”
“Xander. You came here with Xander, after he came back from his trip senior year.” Wesley didn’t know whether to be fascinated, awed, or appalled. “He didn’t...please tell me he didn’t instruct you to seduce Willow.”
“No. He sent me ahead to get settled on campus. I knew Willow had been his friend that was why I joined the wicca group. But I was only suppose to help him keep an eye on her and Buffy on campus. I fell for Willow because she’s...she’s Willow. Can you understand that?”
“Yes. I understand.” Wesley let his eyes drift to Gunn, who was gazing back at him with a crooked smile. “Please finish your story Tara.”
“That’s really it for my part. I’m in Xander’s pack. And I’ve been praying since this started that it won’t cost me Willow.”
“You’ve also been in contact with Xander the entire time.”
“No, but I have been in contact with the camp. I was suppose to delay Buffy’s finding out where the camp is by interfering with any spell that Willow cast. But I haven’t had to do anything. First, because Willow hasn’t cast a locator spell. I know she’s gathered the ingredients, but she hasn’t even mentioned the possibility to Buffy. I think she might be willing to help. I hope she is. But the second reason I haven’t had to do anything is you. You and Doyle have kept Buffy so focused on the secrets Xander was keeping, she’s nearly forgotten Wil exists. Nice trick.”
“Yes, well...We all know that Buffy’s reaction to Spike getting his demon back will be to stake him. Especially, when she figures out he’s no longer under the control of the initiative’s digital muzzle.”
“Of course, the sparks. The chip was meant to control a vampire. It isn’t a biological organism. Just like only the demon was clothed, only one of them could’ve had a chip. The magic’s separation of demon and human has more then likely short-circuited the appalling thing. If Wil is rejoined with his demon, he won’t be chipped.”
Giles’ explanation of Wes’ words brought silence to the room. The idea of an unchipped Spike was scary, but a Spike fully supported by Xander and his pack was terrifying. The Scoobies and the L.A. crew wouldn’t stand a chance. Especially since there was a better then good chance that a few members would be defecting.
“Giles how are you involved in this?”
“Come now Cordelia, do really think I would open a shop with out knowing who owned the lease? Not to mention living anywhere on the Hellmouth that I’m not absolutely certain the landlord isn’t likely to have corpses stored in the basement. Due give me a little credit. I agreed to keep Xander’s secret because I saw the logic in it. Also, because the idea of having a completely safe place to hide if necessary was and is extremely appealing. Particularly when Buffy and Willow’s reactions to all this are taken into consideration.”
Wil was watching the sun come up again. Only this time Xander wasn’t holding him. The brunette had been up for hours, taking only a brief nap with Wil before taking over the final preparations. The pack was ready for what was coming, the Scoobies and Angel’s crew didn’t stand a chance. Soon it would all be over. The geode would be sealed permanently, he would be a vampire again, the orb would be used to secure his soul, he would turn Xander and the second orb would be used on him.
Then within another 5 days he would give birth to their child. Rhonda had offered to tell him what sex the child would be, the spell to find out was a simple incantation, but he’d refused. He didn’t care if his baby was an asexual were-hyena with a blood fetish, it would be his and Xander’s child.
Of course, Rhonda had assured them that while the child would not be fully human it would not be a vamp or a hyena. Their child was going to be the first of a new species. There was no one else in the world like his Nummy, naturally his Nummy’s child would be just as unique and wonderful.
But as delighted as he was about what the future now held for him, he was also plagued by a deep sadness. His hours in the sun were finite. Every moment a tick of the clock closer to the time when he would again become a creature of the night. And even though he knew that shadow would never again consume him, he was left facing the fact that he would never escape its touch. He was a creature of darkness. And no mattered what good he did or what service he provided to the powers, he would never again be able to walk in the light of day.
Angel watched his mate sleep. He could feel the sunrise and was fighting slipping into the deep sleep he normally endured during the day. He needed the rest. The night ahead would be spent traveling and trying to think of away to protect Wil without putting the rest of his family at risk.
And that was something else he would have to deal with, no matter what Wil’s feelings were about Angel as far as the older vampire was concerned Wil was family. He had so many wrongs to try and make up for with the other man. And no matter what he did it would never be enough.
But those were concerns for sunset, right now he only wanted to rest with his mate in his arms. Vampires didn’t dream often, but when they did it was normally just to relive memories of past experiences. With any luck he would be dreaming of the night he’d just spent in his lover’s arms.
“Holy shit! Giles is a double agent, Tara’s spy girl, Xander’s double’o billionaire and he just stole my 'making Buffy look like a total spaz through the most effective use of a kick in the head with the reality boot' trophy. Let’s hear for the Zeppo.”
Cordelia was pacing. After the revelations from Giles and Tara she was completely blown away. Her natural defense mechanism kicked in as a result, hence she was in full on bitch mode. This was not necessarily a good thing. Buffy and Willow were due at the mansion at anytime. They needed a way to distract the Slayer from the couple in Angel’s bedroom, and they did not need Cordy blasting away at the other women when they said or did something stupid. It was Gunn who provided the solution.
“Wes call Buffy and Willow and tell them will meet them at Giles with breakfast. When Buffy asks about Angel will just tell her he’s sleeping the day away. If she asks about Doyle and Cordy we’ll tell her they’re going through Angel’s books to see if they can find away to help Wil. Cordy, I know you wanna rip the Slayer a new one and normally that’d be all good, but right now we gotta keep things cool until tonight. Doyle said the Powers are cool with us rolling out then. So we just gotta hang tight till then.”
“You’re right. I’ll be bite my tongue girl, but when this is over Buffy the clueless slayer is so getting a newsflash via my left foot.”
“Wil? You okay?”
“Other than the fact that I’m male, pregnant, and about to be turned into a vampire? I feel splendid. And you?”
Xander’s arms were strong and warm when he wrapped them around the smaller man. They were facing that window with the brunette’s chin resting on Wil’s shoulder.
“I’m scared out of my mind. I finally found the one I’ve been looking for, and the people who are suppose to be my friends are trying to take him away. I’ve been fighting the bad guys since I was fifteen and for the first time I’ve got something to lose. I can’t be without you, I won’t.”
Wil turned in his mate’s arms, he could barely hold back his own tears when he saw how wet the other man’s eyes were. “You won’t have to. Nothing will separate us. I’ll kill anyone who tries. I learned a few things from Spike and I promise you anyone who tries to take you away from me will pay for it. I swear it.”
The kiss was deep and fierce. But it was also full of love.
Sunset came to Sunnydale the same way it always had. But for the group trying desperately to keep their secrets from Buffy and Willow it seemed to crash into the town with no warning, hours before it should have. They were packing Angel’s and Giles’ cars and Gunn’s truck when the vampire and his mate joined them.
Doyle and Angel were careful to keep a distance between them, but everyone except the Slayer and the Witch could see the connection they shared. So it was no surprise that they managed to end up in the back seat of Angel’s car with Cordelia driving and Tara riding shotgun.
Giles took Willow and Buffy, following behind Angel’s car with Gunn and Wesley in the truck behind him. The surrounding of the slayer and the witch was not intentional, but it was still reassuring to the others on a subconscious level. It reinforced the secrets their shared and the fact that whatever happened they would be on Xander and Spike’s side in the confrontation they were headed to.
Willow was in the back seat of Giles’ car feeling guilty. She ran her hands over the bag in her lap, inside it were all the ingredients necessary for a locator spell. She could’ve found Xander and Spike within minutes of them leaving. But she hadn’t cast the spell. She hadn’t even mentioned that she could. Tara knew. But Tara hadn’t said anything.
Willow knew that she and Tara together were strong enough to work the spell to heal the geode and re-vamp Spike without Wil being there. Neither of them had told the others. They hadn’t even talked about it with each other. Just like they didn’t talk about where Tara got the money for school. Or where she had lived after she left home before coming to school.
She’d always assumed that Tara had lived on the streets or in some shelter. It was horrible to think of her beautiful sweet girlfriend in places like that, so she didn’t think about it. And she didn’t ask Tara. But now she was thinking, she couldn’t stop.
She was thinking that wherever Xander was, was were Tara had been. She was thinking that shy Tara had made friends with Xander so easily because they had already known each other. She was thinking that Tara was on Xander and Wil’s sides. She was thinking that Xander was her friend and she had done something to make him believe that he couldn’t trust her with the truth of his life for years. She was thinking that Wil was an innocent who didn’t deserve to spend eternity trapped with a demon.
She was thinking about the small green bottle in the bottom of her bag. The bottle with a blue potion in it. The potion not even Tara knew she’d brewed. The potion that would knock Buffy out until the spell Willow had memorized was used to wake her up.
Buffy was trying not to think. But there were so many things that even she couldn’t make herself not see, and she was the queen of denial when it came to personal relationships. That was the problem though. She hadn’t let herself see so many things for too long. She hadn’t seen that even though Xander had come back to Sunnydale, he’d never really come back to the Scoobies.
She hadn’t let herself see the strange friendship that was forming between Spike and Xander. And when it came to Willow she’d closed her eyes completely. Her slayer senses had told her Tara wasn’t completely what she seemed, but she’d been proven human and she made Willow happy. So Buffy had kept her mouth shut.
Maybe she’d done it because of Xander. Because she’d known that somewhere along the way she’d lost her brother and she was willing to close both her eyes to what was going on if it meant she could keep her sister.
But that hadn’t worked either. There were walls about two hundred feet high between the three of them. The first time she’d allowed herself to see it she’d gone to Giles’ to ask their father to help heal the rift between his children. She’d made it as far as the door to the magic box before a new and horrible reality had smacked her in the head, Giles was gone too.
That was why she’d thrown herself into Riley. She’d wanted so much to feel like she was with family again that she’d clung to the first hand anyone held out to her. Even when it had turned out to be the wrong hand. For a while she’d been so lost she’d considered going to Angel. But even she could see the connection he and Doyle shared. It was stronger and deeper than anything the two of them had shared.
And she didn’t begrudge Angel that. She wanted him to be as happy as he could. She wanted all of them to be happy. And she wanted her family back. So she was trying not to think about the unstoppable army of demons that would be released on the world if they didn’t re-vamp Wil.
She was trying not to think of how much Xander was going to hate her when this was all over. She was trying not to think about how hurt Willow was going to be when Tara sided with Xander. She was trying not to think about the fact that Giles had been jobless and broke when he took over the magic shop, and that Xander was very rich and very much the owner of the store.
She was trying not to think. But there were some things that even she couldn’t not see. No matter how hard she tried.
“Xander they’re on the road. I give ‘em a day tops to get here. Unless they get a little push, what do ya think?”
Rhonda was rocking back and forth on her heels, chewing on her bottom lip. Everything about her screamed her eagerness to get this thing started. His people were ready, Wil’s pregnancy was past the twenty-four hour mark, and all they were doing was waiting. Everyone was going to start getting wound up and antsy. That could lead to mistakes. Rhonda was right.
“Get the magic users on it. I wanna ‘em here in two hours. Get word to Tara and Giles. And spread the word to our people, no mistakes and no heroes. This goes by the numbers. Scoobies, geode, Spike and me.”
Xander watched Rhonda practically sprint across the yard to the building that was used as the magic workshop. He walked across the yard in the opposite direction, leaving the spot where he’d been leaning against the gate. He’d been there for hours getting reports from his people on where everything was set up and who had come up with a new idea or another way to do something.
He was amazed by all of them. All he had to do was tell them what he wanted to do and they came up with ways to make it happen. The grounds, for example, he’d wanted to keep it open to people who needed a place to be safe; but he hadn’t wanted to take a chance on hunter’s being able to find them. So his people had come up with a spell that made the land empathic, if it sensed that you had any ill will for the people in the camp the land kept you out.
But now that spell would be stopped, just long enough to let the invaders in. Then the spell would be turned back on and it would work in a new way. It would keep Buffy and the others from getting out. And when the geode opened the land itself would fight against the demons that came out of it.
“Giles, do you feel that?” Willow was whispering. For the past hour she was sure they were being watched. And now something else was happening. It was like something was pushing them. Some force was moving them faster than they should be able to. They were covering miles in seconds.
“Yes, but it doesn’t seem to be hindering us. I believe we should let it run its course.”
Buffy said nothing. She didn’t turn her head to look at Giles. She didn’t ask Willow if there was a way to stop what was happening. It was Xander, she knew it somehow. He was pulling them to him faster and faster. Her time was running out and she knew it.
She’d been trying not to think. She’d failed. Her mind was racing, trying desperately to come up with a way to fix this. To stop the geode from opening without having to revamp Spike. To not have to fight her brother. To keep her sister from having her heart broken. To save her family.
Tara was crying. Not great sobbing wails or theatrically pretty sobs. She was still and quiet as tears rolled gently down her pale cheeks. She was crying for what was about to happen and for the lies she had already told. She wasn’t sure if Willow would ever be able to forgive her or if the other witch would hate her, but she would be finding out very soon.
She recognized the spell that was being used on the vehicles. She wrote it. And she could tell that Rhonda was working it. They would reach the camp in two hours. In two hours she would have to face the woman she loved and the lies she had told. She’d never been so scared or so sad in her life.
The two cars and truck pulled quietly into the entrance of what looked like a small frontier town. Something out of an old western. It seemed to center around what was probably the town hall; a seesaw and a tire swing in front made it easy to guess that the building also served as the school. There were houses, all neatly kept and well made, immediately around the main building. Then came what appeared to be the businesses. A cafe with a hand painted sign advertising home cooked meals suitable for all species. A small store that seemed to have everything from canned goods to an expresso machine, hanging over it’s door was a sign saying that cash, trade, or labor were acceptable currencies.
Sharing a porch with the store was, according to it’s sign, the lending library. In the window was another sign that read, “Congratulations Erin and Janet on the birth of your new baby girl. To allow the new mothers time to adjust to Baby Lena, Ryan will be making the mail run for the next two months. He is requesting that all letters and packages be here to be loaded into his truck no latter then 9 am on every second Wednesday. Thank you.” Next was a small whitewashed building with another hanging sign, this one said simply “Doc’s.”
“They’re here.”
“Stay inside until we get the geode.”
“Xan, I can...”
“Please. Please, for me, stay inside until we have the geode.”
“Alright Luv.”
Wil watched as Xander’s people melted out of the shadows. The magic users were inside the library casting spells to help with stealth and concealment. The most important part of the whole thing was to get the Scoobies and the L.A. crew surrounded. If they could lure them in and circle around them Xander’s people could get the geode and stop this whole thing without anyone getting hurt. If not, they would have to fight. If they fought, someone was going to die, and no matter how angry Xander was with his former friends, he would still tear himself up if he were responsible for their deaths.
So far things seemed to be working. The slayer’s group was moving slowly forward. When they were in front of the library Tara paused, she glanced briefly at the entrance and then moved on. She had sensed the magic, but no one else gave any sign of noticing it. Willow passed by without pausing.
It was Xander himself that lured them to the center of the settlement. He stepped out onto the porch and walked down the steps with an air of total indifference. Angel stopped moving forward first, and his people followed his lead. Willow stopped next, Buffy kept walking. She stopped directly in front of brunette with barely four feet between them.
“This is over Xander. No more lies. No more games. You lose. Where’s Spike?”
“No more lies Buf? If you say so.” Xander smiled at the small woman in front of him and then jerked his chin up. Giles and Tara, who were standing behind Buffy, moved forward. They passed the slayer and took up flanking positions behind him.
“Tara?“ At Xander’s prompting the blonde help up the geode. “You’re right Buf. No more lies. No more games. You lose.” The taller man began to laugh. A wild, animal sound that at first seemed to echo all around. And then it wasn’t an echo, it was dozen’s of voices laughing their own wild laughs.
Wil felt it when the magic users stopped casting. It was like someone had taken a pair of glasses with the wrong prescription off his eyes. What had been empty shadows was now full of Xander’s pack. Their alpha’s triumphant voice told them it was time to show themselves. The enemy was weakened and vulnerable. The enemy was now prey.
Men and women slipped from the shadows with the speed of fear. They were all laughing, all armed, and all ready to kill. It took less than a second for the Scoobies and the L.A. crew to be completely surrounded. The pack waited for the enemies to attack. Waited for the Slayer to try to harm their alpha.
Buffy held herself still. Her slayer senses were screaming at her to attack. If she moved quickly she could dodge Xander and get the stone from Tara. But Xander would attack then, he would have no choice. They would fight. Someone would die. She wasn’t sure which of them it would be.
She couldn’t let this happen. Xander was her brother. There had to be a way to fix this. She looked a Giles and Tara standing with her brother and felt her heart clench. Tara was her sister’s mate, she couldn’t bring herself to look at Willow. She didn’t know whether she would see tear streaked betrayal or sad understanding. She didn’t know which would her more.
“Wills, you can go stand with Tara if you want. I don’t mind.” She spoke to her sister, but Buffy’s eyes never left her brother’s. They were cold and blank. If her words had any effect, the green glow masked it. Buffy felt the tears that were pooling in her eyes start to run down her cheeks. This couldn‘t happen. There ahs to be away to save her family.
“Xan, I’m so sorry. I messed up real bad and I don’t know how to fix it. You’re always so good at fixing things. You always help figure out what to do. With the Master, and Angel, and that time at the Bronze, and with Riley. Only with Riley it was too late, I was too late cause I didn’t listen to you. I don’t wanna be too late. Please help me fix this. Please be my brother again.”
“I won’t give him up. I won’t let Wil go for you. I can’t Buff.” It was Xander. Those green eyes were fading to chocolate, and that was her Xander’s voice. Her sweet, strong, wonderful Xander.
“I know. I don’t want that. I don’t want to hurt you or Wil. But the demons, Xan a whole army of demons are coming and I can’t let them loose on the world. What do I do? Giles, what do I do?”
Rupert Giles saw all three of his children look at him for help, for the answer. His son and his daughters. For the first time in days he felt hope. Maybe his family wasn’t lost. He’d regained his son after almost losing him and he had a new daughter in Tara. But he’d been sure that Buffy and Willow were lost to him, to them. He’d been hurting over their loss for so long that he had never considered there might be a chance to fix it.
Maybe they weren’t lost to him. He saw Willow clutching her bag to her chest and looking desperately between him and Tara. Her eyes swung to Buffy and she hugged the bag tighter. Giles wondered what she had brought to try and stop Buffy from hurting her brother. The Slayer was staring at him like he was her last hope. Tears streamed down her face and she was shaking so badly her shadow seemed to be trembling.
“Trust your brother Buffy. Step back.”
For a moment, she didn’t move. He saw what would happen as clearly as he saw Larry standing behind Angel waiting to put the vampire out of the fight. Buffy would launch herself at Xander while he seemed distracted. But he was waiting for it and would bat her aside like a fly. The pack would be on her then. Heidi and Rhonda would rip her limb from limb. When Willow tried to interfere Tara would use magic to stop her. Then the others would join the fight. People would die here, his daughters would be the first to go.
Buffy stepped back. Her eyes locked with Xander’s and she stepped back. The blonde nodded, one swift certain movement. Then she waited for whatever would happen.
“Tara, sweetie are you alright?” Willow’s voice was soft and wavering. But her eyes were full of love and worry. Tara’s nod reassured and she turned to her brother. “Xander we have to hurry. The stone will open soon.”
“Not a problem witchy woman. Rhonda, Tara.” The two girls immediately ran with the stone to the center of the clearing. The magic users surrounded them and they began setting up the spell to reseal the geode permanently. “Wanna give ‘em a hand Wills?”
Brother and sister hugged, and then the little redhead ran over to Tara. The others watched while the two women hugged and then kissed. Rhonda called their attention away from each other and they went back to helping with the spell preparations.
“The spell takes time and they can’t start it until the demons are out. There’s gonna be some serious butt kicking going on while they do their thing. You want in on this Buff?”
“You just point in the right direction…brother.”
The hug was awkward and sincere and the first step in a very long road to getting things fixed. But it was a step they were taking as a family. Things would be ok now, if they lived through the night.
They were ready. The stone was beginning to crack under the strain of the demons inside trying to get out. The combined efforts of the magic users had resulted in hastily made but effective charm for Doyle that would protect him from the other seer. Wil was locked in their cabin sulking.
He had tried to join the fighters, but when Rhonda announced that a battlefield was no place for a pregnant man Giles had ordered him back inside. The former watcher was furious that Wil would even think of putting himself and Giles’ grandchild in danger. The others had been in complete agreement and Gunn had threatened to stand guard at his door if he didn’t behave.
A loud cracking sound was the only warning they had that time was up. One moment they were alone, the next the settlement was overflowing with monsters. The beasts sprang forward ready to take advantage of their victims shock. They expected to be dealing with the same few defenders as before. They were many. They were mighty. They were in for a big surprise.
As the first wave of demons moved forward, the pack closed in on them like a tidal wave. The great army found itself divided into small groups that were being run all over the compound. It didn’t take long for the leaders to realize that their would be victims were hunting them. A small group would be set running trying to get away from their attackers. One at a time a demon would be cut from the bunch and taken down by one or two of the hunters, while the rest of their prey was kept moving and unable to regroup.
The leaders had no time to commend their troops to stand and fight. They were facing their own hunters. Their magic users were among the first casualties. They had sensed the spell to imprison them being worked and had tried to destroy the three women acting as the center for those attempting the spell. A shadow with golden eyes and white hair and fallen on them and ensured that they would never have to be trapped inside the hated stone again.
If the swiftness of their deaths had allowed for them to choose between imprisonment and this end, most would have looked on their killer as a savior and thanked him for his mercy. But their deaths were too swift to allow for even the knowledge of it to come to them.
The dealer of these merciful deaths slipped back into the shadows. He watched as his sire and his sire’s mate let their true faces show and destroyed any who came near them. He saw the human woman and the dark male standing back to back with sward and ax cutting down any who got close to them. The watchers were a glorious site to behold. They were shoulder to shoulder with the Slayer. The three of them reveling in the battle.
A figure in the heart of the battle caught the shadow’s eyes. It stared in awe as the man moved through the battle leading his pack, leaving a path of destruction in his wake. He was beautiful…otherworldly…perfect…”Nummy.” Gold eyes gleamed with want. But now was not the time. Now it had other things to attend to. Part of it was missing and had to be found. Slipping back into the shadows it disappeared as unnoticed as it had arrived.
Wil was terrified. It was here. He could feel It. He’d spent lifetimes with It, he knew It, It was here. He wouldn’t be killed, the demon wanted him back, he could feel that. But what about his baby. If the demon reclaimed him and escaped before the orb could be used, would the demon harm his child? And Xander, where was Xander? He could hear the battle, but how had It gotten to him without anyone knowing? What if they did know? What if It had killed Xander?
“Mine…mine is not leaving It. Mine belongs to It.”
The voice was a growl. Barely understandable. But it wasn’t angry. Their was none of the expected rage in the sound. Instead there was sadness, a pitiful loneliness that made Wil’s chest ache.
The demon moved out of the room’s shadows and stood in front of the human. Golden eyes looked longingly at blue. Wil shifted as the demon scented the air. It whined and fell to its knees in front of him. Cool arms wrapped around his waist as the demon rubbed it’s face against his stomach. The acceleration spell had advanced his pregnancy and their was a slight roundness to his abdomen now.
“Childe…mine is having a childe?”
“Yes. I’m having a baby.”
“Nummy is childe’s sire.”
“Xander is my mate. This is our baby.”
“Mine can not leave It. It needs Mine. Please.”
“No, I won’t leave you. You won’t be alone. I won’t leave you…”
“Let what was broken again be whole, to seal the rift and heal the stone. Bind the beasts from all the realms. And in this prison they shall dwell.” The voices roared across the battlefield like thunder through a storm. One moment they were fighting, the nest the demons were gone. No lights, no screams, just gone.
“That’s it. Giles that didn’t even rhyme.”
“Yes well, it does lose something in the translation Buffy.”
“Is everyone here? Did we lose anyone? Larry report.”
“We’re all fine Xan. No casualties. Permission to send someone for the others.”
“You and Heidi. Make it quick. I want our people home before sunrise.”
The compound was controlled chaos. Members of the pack were removing the demon bodies as quickly as possible, every trace of the battle was being removed. Their wounded packmates were being taken for treatment. Teams were putting out small fires that had been started by the demons. Other teams were going from building to building determining what needed immediate repair for the safety of the settlement and what could be handled after people had rested.
“The demon, where’s Spike’s demon?” The pack were all shocked by the fear in their alpha’s voice. They had never heard it before. When he and the outsiders ran for his cabin the packed followed. They stopped at the sight of their alpha’s mate sitting on the porch steps with a demon’s head in his lap. The human was calmly petting the demon’s white blonde hair and whispering to it that he would not leave it alone.
“Wil?”
“I’m alright my love. Come and meet Spike.”
Xander stepped forward slowly until he stood in front of his mate and the demon. The demon stared at him with golden eyes and snuggled closer to Wil.
“It’s alright Spike. Nummy isn’t mad it you. He won’t take me away from you.”
“Nummy will not take Mine? Mine will not leave It alone?”
“No, Nummy won’t me away. But we have to do the spell now.”
“Magic to put It and Mine back together.”
“That’s right. The spell will put us back together. But it will be different this time. We won’t be you and I separate in one body. We’ll be together. One person in one body.”
“Mine will stay with It always?”
“Yes, Mine with stay with you always.”
With Spike’s consent the spell was easy to perform. In moments he was whole again. The bleach blonde vampire stood passively while the orb was used to merge his soul and his demon. When it was over the others quietly filed out of the cabin, leaving Spike and Xander alone together.
The blonde was afraid. Before he was ripped apart he hadn’t felt fear in a long time. Not real fear. The initiative had scared him. But they hadn’t made him feel real bone deep fear. After he was split in two he felt it almost constantly. The human Wil’s fear of being made a monster again, and the demon’s fear of being alone forever.
“Wil…Spike… what should I call you?”
“I’m still your Wil, but I’m Spike too. To everyone else I’ll always be Spike. But I am always your Wil.”
The kiss was slow and sweet. Two figures becoming one as the taller guided them to the bed. The smaller figure cradled his mate close and watched as the strong neck was bared. As he leaned forward to drink from his lover, the smaller figure felt the first movement from the life he carried inside. His child was well, soon his mate would be with him always. He would never be alone again.
**Epilogue**
“What exactly is wrong with the name Conner?”
“Aside from the fact that it gives me the creeps. Not a thing. But I’ll be buggered before you call my son that.”
“You were buggered pet, its how you got the little nibblet in the first place.”
“Spike, do not call the baby nibblet. It’s distinctly unnerving.”
Buffy was leaning against the reception desk in the lobby of the Hyperion. It was four days before Christmas and their family had gathered in L.A. for the holiday and the birth Doyle and Angel’s second child. The only one missing was Oz, but Kyle had given birth to their second child the week before and he was uncomfortable with them traveling while his mate was still vulnerable.
Spike was sitting on the back of the couch keeping one eye on his mate and the other on his daughter. Sarah Louise was toddling from person to person getting hugs and, when her target thought her father’s weren’t looking, cookies. Willow had gone into a cookie making frenzy when Doyle had gone into labor. Some people paced, she baked.
Tara was smiling indulgently at Gunn as he fussed over Wesley. The former watcher was sitting in a high-backed chair unconsciously stroking his gently rounded tummy. Doyle and Angel were sitting on the couch cradling their three day old son between them. The name argument had raged since the two of them had decided to have a child. And Buffy was relieved that Willow and Tara had already picked names for their children.
The witches would graduate in a few months and had made plans to have two children. Cordy was even thinking of having babies. She and Lindsey had gotten serious lately. The slayer watched as her father sat next to her brother on the sofa and calmly took a plate of cookies from him. It was replaced by a plate of veggies immediately and under the combined glares of Giles and Spike, Xander just heaved a sigh and crunched a carrot.
Buffy was grateful that he didn’t argue. If she had to hear Spike lecture Xander on how too much sugar was bad for the baby one more time she was gonna scream. Xander’s stomach was still flat but he was already certain he having a boy. He had told her and Willow that he and Spike were going to call the baby Jesse.
“And when can I expect some grandchildren from you young lady?”
“You know most normal mothers want their daughters to at least have a boyfriend first.”
Joyce just smirked at her daughter and scooped up Sarah Louise. Buffy watched her mom join the others on the sofa and was grateful that she let that conversation drop. She was grateful that her family was all here. She was grateful for the holidays or any excuse that brought them together. With some them in L.A., some in Sunnydale, and some in the settlement it took planning for all of them to be together at once. But that was alright. Even living in different places they were family. And she was grateful.
The End.