Spike parked the DeSoto by the curb outside of Xander's house. Leaving the vehicle, he slipped around into the back yard and crept inside the basement door, still ajar from their hasty departure earlier. He looked around the room, nose wrinkling as the smell overwhelmed him. He growled, eyes flashing yellow.

Moving to the center of the room, he looked down at the rug that bore evidence of the cruelty his Nummy had undergone. Snarling, he bent and scooped it up, walking over to deposit it in the washing machine. He couldn't stand the stench of it...a reminder of the horrible violation Xander had suffered.

He stalked into the bathroom, wetting a towel and using it to wipe up the trail of dried blood from the floor. Rinsing it out, he checked to make sure every trace of the blood was gone, then tossed the towel in with the rug, dropping the lid with a bang.

Searching, he found the clothes Xander had worn earlier in the evening, a lifetime ago. The shirt by the laundry basket he picked up, sniffing it. //Ick! Soddin' Vithrell demons and their disgustin' slime!// Not getting any clues from the item, he dropped it neatly into the basket.

The pants were on the floor over by the bathroom, boxers a few feet away near the toilet. Spike smiled briefly at Xander's slovenliness. But neither of these articles of clothing bore any indication of Xander's assailant. No blood, semen, nothing.

Spike frowned. //That means it happened *after* he got back and undressed.// He cocked his head, closing his eyes to better concentrate as he sought out some scent, some clue of who it had been.

Nothing. Not one thing that wasn't familiar from the time he'd spent here over those few weeks. Nothing except the semen, and the still-lingering odor of his Nummy's blood.

His eyes popped open. //What the--?// He sniffed again. Yep, blood. But not coming from the closed washing machine, which should contain every drop of blood and semen spilled down here.

He turned his head from side to side, tracking it. Moving slowly and carefully, he followed the barely-there trail up the stairs into the main house. He paused to make sure no one was around, and picked up only a single heartbeat, coming from up the stairs.

Up the stairs. Where the scent trail led. Unconsciously letting out a low, rumbling growl, Spike moved stealthily up the stairway. At the top, he paused to get his bearings. He looked at the end of the hall.

There. That room. Something in *that* room had his Nummy's blood on it!

He pushed the door open, peering into the dark room. In the moonlight streaming in the open window, he clearly made out the form lying passed out on the bed, snoring loudly. Pants half stripped off, a dark blotch covering the area around the zipper.

The dark blotch. Blood. His *Xander's* blood! Flaking bits of it streaking the limp flesh of the penis that was splayed over a meaty thigh.

A thigh belonging to Xander's father.

Spike's face rippled, melting into its vampiric planes. Yellow eyes glowed in the dark, and he rushed the bed, fingers hooking into claws as he determined to rip this pitiful excuse for a human to shreds.

Before he reached it, he collapsed, hissing and moaning in agony. Hands clutched his head, and he shuddered. //Fuckin' chip!// Apparently, even such a person was considered human enough to activate the chip.

He stood, pacing back and forth beside the bed. Snarling in impotent fury, he glared daggers at the oblivious man. He winced, head pounding.

//Fuck! Can't even bleedin' defend what's mine!// He backed out of the room, still growling. Once in the hallway, he slammed his fist through the wall, howling his rage. Spike pulled it out and punched again, and again. He sobbed at his inability to wreak vengeance, courtesy of the Initiative. He leaned his head forward against the wall, tears running futilely down his cheeks.

Finally, he straightened, wiping his face harshly. He gave the still-unconscious man a last glare. //You'll pay. I'll figure out some way to do it, I don't care what it takes. And you *will* die. Very slowly and *very* painfully. Your last sight on this earth, before I send you to Hell for eternity, will be of me, ripping your heart from your chest.//

Another wave of pain struck at that thought, but he ignored it. Shaking his head, he turned and made his way back downstairs. Back down into the basement, where he grabbed some loose-fitting clothing for Xander to wear later. Then, outside to his car, where he pulled away from the still, silent house.

Spike drove aimlessly for a while, trying to calm himself down before returning to Xander. He didn't want to scare the boy, who would most likely be in a delicate state when he woke. It was just an hour or so before dawn when he pulled up to the clinic again. Parking around back this time, he hurried inside.

Karen looked up from where she was gathering her things together. She flashed him a tentative smile. "Hey. I was just getting ready to leave, my replacement should be here soon. Let me go get Dr. Fredericks for you."

Spike nodded, and she hurried away. Shortly thereafter, the doctor came through the doorway and motioned Spike to follow him. They walked a short distance, coming to a halt outside of a closed room. Spike made as if to enter, but was stopped by a hand on his arm. He narrowed his eyes, growling at the doctor.

"Hey, I'm on your side, here. And you can go in in a minute. There's just a few things I'd like to say, first."

Spike crossed his arms, leaning against the door with eyebrow raised. "Yeah?"

"First of all, I noticed you've staked a claim on William. Considering that he's human, the situation is quite extraordinary, really."

"Is there a point to this?"

"No offense, but I have to ask this. How do I know that, by releasing him into your care, he won't be hurt further?"

Spike snarled, eyes flashing. "You gonna try and stop me from takin' him?"

Dr. Fredericks sighed, holding up his hands. "I'm just saying, he's going to need a lot of care, and extremely sensitive handling. Which is not something that vampires are noted for...at least not with humans."

The blonde huffed, considering. Finally, he decided to be blunt. "Look, I couldn't hurt him even if I wanted to, ok? Which I *don't*! But I got this effin' chip in my brain that fries me if I try something with any human."

"I...see." The doctor made a mental note to ask about that later. For now, he simply began to list his patient's injuries, and the care needed to deal with them.

"Well, the most notable injury, the cause of the extreme loss of blood, was of course the large tear in the lining of William's rectum. Whoever assaulted him used absolutely no lubrication, or preparation of any sort. He could very well have died if you hadn't brought him in." He ignored Spike's angry hiss, continuing.

"I was able to stitch it up without too much difficulty, and the stitches will dissolve in a couple of weeks. But I will have to restrict his diet, to give the injury time to heal. Also, I'll give you an antibiotic salve that will need to be applied to the wound twice a day, as well as some pills that he'll need to take orally. I don't want to risk any infection."

Spike frowned. "You mean, he's gonna have to put this stuff inside himself?"

Dr. Fredericks sighed. "Actually, I doubt he'll be able to. He also has some cracked ribs which have been taped, a dislocated knee that's been bandaged up, and other assorted contusions and muscle strains, mostly minor. I don't want him aggravating anything. That means, no walking, no bending, nothing. Basically, he'll be spending the next week lying in bed with you waiting on him hand and foot." He looked at the vampire challengingly. "Can you handle that?"

Spike nodded tersely. "Yeah. *He* probably won't take to it, though."

"I don't doubt it. However, I have to prescribe what's best for the patient, whether or not he agrees with the treatment. As for the diet...liquids. Nothing that can't be passed easily."

"Not to sound ignorant, but what exactly does that include? I'm sure our ideas of a liquid diet are vastly different." Spike smirked.

"Indeed. Well, essentially, he can have drinks, broths from meat stocks like chicken or beef, Jell-O is always a favorite. Stay away from milk products, though. No ice-cream or yogurt. I can give you a full list before you leave."

Spike nodded again, glancing impatiently at the door. "That it?"

"Basically. I'll write out detailed instructions for you, but that covers the highlights. Oh, and I'd like you to bring him back in a week so I can check his progress."

"Can do. I can go in now, right?"

The doctor chuckled. "Sure, go on in. I took the liberty of placing him in a windowless room, as I figured you'd want to stay with him, and the sun will be coming up soon."

"Ta, mate." Spike opened the door, stepping inside.

"One last thing."

Spike looked back over his shoulder questioningly.

"You might consider getting him to see a counselor of some sort. This...incident is bound to dredge up some extremely painful memories for William."

The blonde tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"During the course of my treatment of him, it was rather obvious from previous patterns of scarring and fractures that he's been subjected to this type of treatment before, most likely repeatedly and probably over the course of years." Dr. Fredericks hesitated a moment before going on. "Generally, this indicates abuse in the home, usually by a relative, in this case male. He's going to need to deal with the trauma."

Golden eyes narrowed to slits, and Spike bared his fangs. "I'll take care of him. He'll be *fine*."

Dr. Fredericks just nodded. "He should sleep a while longer. *I* am going to catch a quick nap in the break room. I'll be back after he wakes. Any emergencies, just press the red button by his bed, and someone will come immediately." He left, and Spike shut the door.

Turning to the fragile-looking mortal in the bed, he felt his heart break a little. "Ah, Xanpet, I wish I could've stopped him. Or killed him. But don't you worry, I ain't gonna leave, and no one's ever gonna hurt you again. Not while I live...so to speak."

Pulling up a chair, he sat beside the still form, holding tight to a pale hand as he kept vigil.

*****
Part 11:

//warm...safe...who? spike. mmm, spike. safe.// Xander fought his way through the fog, not wanting to leave the comfort of unconsciousness, but...*needing* to see...to make sure. With great effort, he pried his eyelids up, searching.

There. He felt... His hand twitched in the cool grasp, and the blonde head lying on the bed by his side stirred.

Xander tried to sit up, moaning sharply as ribs protested.

Spike's eyes shot open, and he sat up, staring intently at the pale boy on the bed. "Pet? You all right?"

Xander whimpered. "hurts. spike...make it stop."

Spike chewed on his lip, torn. "Hush, pet. I'll get the doc, and he can give you something to help." He made a move to stand, but the hand clasped in his tightened.

Panicked, Xander refused to let go, using what little strength he had to tug the vampire closer. "no. don't go. please. don't leave me alone."

"But pet --" Spike stared deep into those sad eyes, finding himself unable to do anything that might bring the boy any more pain...physical or mental. He sighed, settling back down. Scooting his chair closer to the head of the bed, he stroked the thick, dark hair. "Ok, Xan, I won't go anywhere. I'll stay with you." He continued to pet the trembling human until the scent of fear faded.

They remained in silence, Spike gently and carefully running his hands through Xander's hair, down his arms. The boy sighed, inching closer.

Spike leaned in, allowing Xander to press up against his chest. He scowled. //You've lost it. It's over. Exit William the Bloody - Scourge of Europe, enter Spike the pushover - complete putty in Xander's hands. Not that I'm gonna let *him* in on that little fact.// His expression softened, though, as he felt warm breath trickling through his shirt.

Xander drifted, ignoring the twinges of pain in various parts of his body. As long as he didn't move too much...

Spike was so intent on his study of the boy beside him that he didn't notice the door open and a head poke inside briefly. The hand on his shoulder a few minutes later startled him, and he jerked his head up, gameface on and eyes burning yellow as he snarled at the interloper.

Dr. Fredericks quickly removed the offending appendage, holding his hands up in front of him. "Hey, easy now." He looked at Xander, who had shrunk back against the bed, staring at him wide-eyed. He smiled gently. "Hello William, I'm Dr. Fredericks. How are you feeling?"

Xander gave Spike a confused look at the name, and the vampire just shrugged casually. Timidly, Xander peered up at the doctor. "um...ok. i guess." He tried to huddle closer to Spike without actually having to move too much.

Spike soothed him, purring softly deep in his chest, while at the same time casting a baleful glare at the man who'd upset his Nummy.

"Well, how about I give you a little something for the pain? That knee can't be feeling too good, and your ribs are probably bothering you as well."

Xander winced. "no shots. don't like shots. go 'way."

"If you'd rather, I can give you some pills. No shots, I promise." He waited until the boy nodded hesitantly, then opened a small bottle, extracting two tiny pills. He placed them in Spike's outstretched palm, then poured a glass of water from the pitcher beside the bed.

Spike took the pills, then the water. Carefully lifting Xander's head up, he coaxed the pills into his mouth, then held the glass so he could drink and swallow them down. Not taking his eyes off the boy, he handed the glass back to the doctor.

Dr. Fredericks replaced the glass, then took a seat in a chair on the opposite side of the bed from Spike. "William? Can we talk?"

Xander looked at Spike, then over at the doctor. "i...i guess."

The doctor held up a couple of pill bottles. "These are some medications I want you to take. One is a painkiller, you just had some of those. The other contains antibiotics. It's very important that you take these until they're gone, ok?" Xander nodded. "Good. The others you can have up to 8 a day, no more. If it isn't helping enough, I can prescribe something stronger, but I think these will do.

"Now, your vampire friend has assured me he'll be able to take care of you until you're well enough to get around by yourself. So I'll put him in charge of these." The bottles were handed over, and Spike dropped them into one of the pockets of his duster. "This," he continued, holding up a sheet of paper, "is a list of foods you're allowed to consume. If it's not here, don't eat it." He gave Spike a stern look.

Spike snorted, taking the list and folding it up, adding it to his pocket. He looked at Xander, noticing the confusion on his face. "What is it, pet?"

Xander's eyes flickered between Spike and the doctor. "what--? i mean, he knows... i don't understand." His weak, plaintive voice struck a chord deep within the vampire, making him want to gather the mortal close and shield him from the world.

Dr. Fredericks chuckled quietly. "Yes, I suppose it is confusing. Don't worry, we're used to dealing with clientele that is a bit...different. You wouldn't believe how many species come through our doors."

The boy gave Spike a questioning look, receiving only a sheepish grin in response. He cleared his throat, gaze back on the doctor. "I didn't know there was any place like this. Never heard anything."

"Yes, well we try to keep a low profile. The ones who need to know about us do. We don't need the kind of trouble that would come about if certain...unsympathetic parties got wind of us."

"Unsympathetic? You're...just a clinic, right? Why would anyone care?"

Dr. Fredericks sighed, closing his eyes wearily. "We get a lot of patients here who've had run-ins with...shall we say, someone who doesn't take kindly to the presence of demons in this town."

A thought niggled at the back of Xander's mind. "But...aren't demons bad?"

"Saying that all demons are bad is like saying all humans are good. It's just not true. A few nut cases have given the whole lot of them a bad name. Most just try to avoid trouble and make a living for themselves."

Xander frowned and shifted, gasping at the renewed pain in his chest. Spike shot the doctor a worried look.

The doctor stood. "Easy, now. I don't want you moving any more than absolutely necessary. That goes for the next week." He handed over a few pages of paper, along with a small tube. Looking at Spike, he went on, "There's the rest of what you'll need. I'd also like to speak with you privately before you take William away." He glanced at his watch. "It's almost sunset, you'll be able to leave soon." He left the room, closing the door behind him.

Spike watched as Xander stared around the room, withdrawing from him slightly and pointedly refusing to look at him. He sighed deeply. "There a problem?"

Xander twisted the sheet between his fingers as he tried to scoot away from the vampire. His ribs immediately protested, and he subsided. Finally meeting Spike's eyes, he spoke hesitantly. "What...what did he mean? When he said you were going to take care of me?"

Spike debated internally over whether to tell him about the whole claiming bit, then decided that could wait awhile. "I can look after you, you know. I mean, seeing as we're chums an' all."

Xander blinked. "We...we are?"

"Bloody hell, would I 'ave brought you here in the first place if I didn't...like you?" He grimaced at how pathetic he sounded.

"Oh." Brown eyes peeked out from under a fringe of dark hair. "So -- we're...friends?"

Another sigh. "Yeah, pet. Friends."

A small nod, accompanied by a barely noticeable grin. Then the boy steeled himself.

Spike could see Xander visibly pulling himself together, a look of stubborn determination appearing on his face. He cursed to himself, wondering what sort of hare-brained stunt the whelp was going to try and pull.

"Spike? I want to go home now." Xander stared at the vampire, daring him to say anything.

*****