*****

***A court is in session, a verdict is in
No appeal on the docket today
Just my own sin
The walls are cold and pale
The cage made of steel
Screams fill the room
Alone I drop and kneel
Silence now the sound
My breath the only motion around
Demons cluttering around
My face showing no emotion
Shackled by my sentence
Expecting no return
Here there is no penance
My skin begins to burn***

Xander tossed and turned in his sleep. No. He hadn't done anything! Nothing *bad*, atleast! I just wanted to *help*!

***So I held my head up high
Hiding hate that burns inside
Which only fuels their selfish pride
We're all held captives
Out from the sun
A sun that shines for only some
We the meek are all in one
I hear a thunder in the distance
See a vision of a cross
I feel the pain that was given
On that sad day of loss
A lion roars in the darkness
Only he holds the key
A light to free me from my burden
And grant me life eternal***

Okay. This is so *wrong*! What I do? I'm just trying to help someone! Okay! Some evil sadistic killer, sure, but this? Hell and torment is what I get? Xander rolled and groaned.

***Should have been dead
On a Sunday morning
Banging my head
No time for mourning
Aint' got no time
So I held my head up high
Hiding hate that burns inside
Which only fuels their selfish pride
We're all held captive
Out from the sun
A sun that shines on only some
We the meek are all in one
I cry out to god
Seeking only his decisionv Gabriel stands and confirms
I've created my own prison.***

"No!" Xander woke breathing heavily, the words echoing in his head. Had he? Had he created his own prison? Shit. He *had*. Too late he noticed the alarm clock was blaring out CREED. Damn! Would he *never* stop setting that thing in his sleep? He quickly shut it off before CREED could start to preach more to him. God damned preachy rock bands! All he needed to hear was Pity For A Dime! He chuckled mirthlessly to himself as he snuggled back into the covers and Spike. Hadn't they scared him enough? He just started to drift back to sleep when the phone woke him.

"Yeah?" He mumbled in greeting.

"Um...hi. Xander? Hi. It's.um.it's Willow."

Fuck.

"Hey, Wills. Kinda early isn't it?"

"It's one, Xander."

Huh? Why the fuck was his alarm going off at one in the afternoon?! "One, you say?" Shit! Carla! "Yeah. One. Umm...Wills, can I call you back later?" Fuck.

"Yeah. No problem. But, um...Xan?"

"Yeah?"

"Did, um, Spike tell you I came by?"

Well *of course* he hadn't been kidding. Xander let out a sigh. "Yeah, Willow, he told me. And we can talk about that later, can't we?" He got no response. "Willow? We *can* talk about it can't we?"

"Oh! Yes! Sure we can. Later. I, uh.I just wanted to make sure he hadn't killed you or turned you into his, um.hisloveslaveoranything." Willow giggled nervously into the phone.

Xander sighed, relieved. God bless Willow. "I'm okay, Willow. Very okay. With everything." Xander told her, sitting up and looking around for his jeans. "I'll call you later and we'll go out. Or I'll meet you for lunch or something, kay? You and me?" He snatched up his jeans and pulled Carla's number from the pocket.

"Yeah. You and me. And, uh.Spike?"

Xander gave a real laugh. "Yeah, Wills. You, Spike, and me. Out. I 'll call you, kay? I promise."

"Okay. Bye Xander." She ended the call. Xander kept the phone at his ear, listening to the drone of the dead line, while he looked at the paper in his hand. He'd loose her. Loose his Willow. His best friend.

"Bye Willow."

He dialed the number.

"Whozit?"

"Ah.it's Xander. Remember me? From last night?"

"Um.yeah. The cute bartender with the neutered, jealous, vampire lover. You okay?"

"Me? Sure I am. *I* didn't drink a fifth of scotch!"

A chuckle came from the other end. "Xander, honey, I hate to tell you this, but your boss does some *serious* watering down of his liquor! I had to hit up the mini bar to get a good buzz on!"

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know. I'd have gotten you good stuff if I had known."

Another chuckle. "That's okay. If it was the good stuff, I might not have remembered our conversation and our commitment to de-neuter your vampire. What say I pick you two up in, oh, say three hours?"

"Well, Spike can't go out in the sun."

"Yeah, yeah. I've arranged for a nice limo with blacked windows for the drive. You can cover him enough to make it to the car, can't you?"

"Yes. We can do that. Three o'clock it is. Pick us up at.." Xander gave her directions to his house and hung up the phone. The feeling of dread he had felt ending his conversation with Willow had left. He felt good. Happy. Expectant, even. He lay back down next to Spike. He kissed the vampire's pale shoulder and whispered, "I'm going to get you all better, Spike." into his ear. Spike heard, grinned, and said nothing.

********************************************************************

The first thing Spike saw upon entering the limo was legs. Legs encased in silk stockings and ending in four-inch heels. The legs crossed so that the short red skirt rode up even more against the tightly muscled thighs when Xander came into the limo and sat down. Xander began to pull the tarp from his head. Good bloody thing he came in first. Bloody *cow*.

"Welcome, Xander." Carla uncrossed and re-crossed her legs. The twat. "And you too, vampire. Are we all ready for our adventure?"

"We are at your whim, lovely one. Do with us what you will. We are but your play things." Spike murmured, picking up her hand and kissing the back of it. He laid it to rest on his thigh, giving her his most charming smile.

"Oh, my, but you do clean up all pretty, don't you?"

"On rare occasions, I do try." Spike gave her a melting smile. Xander coughed, and Spike turned his limpid gaze on the boy. "Okay, pet?"

"Um, yeah. Just something caught in my throat." Spike snarled silently at him, one side of his mouth turning up. Xander coughed again, choking on a laugh.

"Well, the first thing we are going to do is go to a clinic I know where we can get Cat Scan. See what's in there and if I can take it out."

"And then?" Xander asked while Spike kept playing with her hand. He was doing that on *purpose* the shit!

"Well. Most *micro* chips don't use a metal that is drawn to magnates, but we can't be too sure. I've never encountered this type of brain modification before. This is new and radical." She grinned at the pair. "It's very exciting! I'm curious to get a good look at it."

"Once you get it out of me 'ead, that is, right, pet?"

Carla giggled and blushed. "Of course. Don't worry. I won't kill you on the altar of my curiosity! I promise!"

Spike patted her hand. "Well, good, then." He smiled at her again. "Never fear, pet. Once you get this thing out o' me 'ead, I'll be your willing labrat. Good?"

"Yes!" She smiled. "Thank you! I wasn't sure you'd be willing, ah, Spike."

"Please. Call me William."

"Well. William, then. I won't want to keep you *long*. A few days at the most, I'm sure."

Xander gasped.

"A few days for a life time? That is no bother, sweets. No bother at all." Spike told her.

********************************************************************

It was after sunset by the time they made it to the clinic in Los Angles. Xander and Spike followed her into the darkened building.

"Did you ever see HOLLOWEEN 2?" Xander whispered to Spike as they followed Carla through the empty halls.

"Oh yes! When Mikey went to the hospital and killed every one? Hilarious! Loved it!"

"Yeah, well, bully for you! It scared the shit out of me! I don't like this!"

"Here we are!" Carla pushed open a door and motioned the other two inside.

"Juan? Mike?" Carla shouted over the loud music blaring.

A white-coated technician came from another room, sucking on a large lollipop. "Doc!" He placed a clipboard down on a computer panel and came over the hug Carla. "What's up? How's things with you?"

Spike took care to turn himself and Xander away from the tech's view.

"Good. Real good, Mike. But I need a favor. I want to scan this guy."

"Sure. No problem! Gimmie the control sheet."

"That's just it. He doesn't have one. He's not a patient. No insurance."

"Doc."

"I know. I'm a shit for asking you. But what I'm asking is that you take your break and you come back and we'll be gone."

The tech gave her a doubtful look. "I don't know Doc. What if Myer's comes-"

Carla laughed. "You *know* that fool is *not* going to come in after hours! Not even if his wife had an aneurysm! Please. Do this for me?" She walked closer and whispered into his ear.

"Sure. Okay, Doc. I need to go get an espresso, anyway. Half an hour? And if an urgent comes in you do it?"

Carla gave him a sharp salute. "To the best of my ability, sir."

"Fine. Go to it."

"Thanks, Mike." The tech headed out and Carla grabbed Spike. "Strip down to your skivvies, handsome."

"All the pretty ladies end up saying that to me, *Doc*." Spike told her as he began to strip.

"I'm almost sure they do."

"Come on. We don't have a lot of time." Carla pulled him into another room once he was down to his silk boxers.

"Lay down." She urged him on to a narrow table and then began to strap his head in place. Spike gave her a wicked grin. "Oh, I like these games, pet, I do."

Carla snickered. "Maybe we can play more later. For now, keep your head still." She walked out shutting the door behind her. She went to the control panel and began to push some buttons. Xander watched as screens lit up. She pushed a few more buttons and the table Spike was strapped to began to move. Soon Xander could see what he assumed to be Spike's head and brain appearing on the screens. "Yes! See here? This is a bone window. He *has* had a craniotomy! And this! This right here! Foreign object! Small, but right there! Oh, yeah. I can cut this thing out! Not gonna be a problem!" She pushed a few more buttons. "You know, this is really outrageous! His brain has look of a fully functional one!"

Xander took offense. "He *has* a fully functional brain! He's *Spike*!"

Carla chuckled. "Xander, he's *dead*. No heart beat. No heart pumping blood. Medically speaking, *nothing* should work! Every organ in the human body needs blood *flowing* to it! How does he *work*?!"

"He's *not* human, Carla. He's a vampire."

"You're right!" She smiled at Xander. "Come on! Go free your vampire and let's go *do* this!"

*************************************************************

"Where to now, then, Doctor?" Spike asked, once back in the limo.

Carla clutched Spike's CT to her chest. "We go to my place and remove your chip." She grinned at him. "What's your pain tolerance?"

"Give me a good dose of Jack Daniel's and I'm up for most pain."

"No. Thins the blood. And I don't want to put you to sleep. I don't want you out of it."

"You're plannin' to cut me' 'ead open and not put me out! Not even offer me a drink? You *are* loopy, you bloody co-"

"What Spike means to say is.Ow. Won't that *hurt*?" Xander asked.

"Maybe. Don't know. Did it hurt when they put the chip *in*?"

"I was OUT!"

"Well, that's just too dangerous. I don't know enough about your physiology to put you out safely and cut into your head. I need you to tell me what you feel. Don't worry. I'll numb the area."

"*Numb* the area you say? Like it was a *tooth*?

"Yes. Like that. I'll shoot you full of some really nice drugs. Don 't worry. What's your drug tolerance? For painkillers? Stuff like that? Do you get loaded?"

Spike growled. "What? Like do I down seconal for kicks?"

Carla smiled. "Yes. Have you? *Can* you?"

Spike sighed. "I *can* get loopy off pharmaceuticals. I just prefer *not* to."

"Good for you. And Xander. You're a big fellow. You can spare a pint or two of blood."

"No!" Spike yelled.

Two pairs of startled eyes turned to stare at him. One in curiosity the other with hurt.

Just what was so wrong with his blood? Xander thought. Spike had taken in alot of his bodily fluids, damn it, what was so wrong with his blood?

"Can't we stop some where and get some animal blood?"

"You mean, you can survive on *animal* blood?" Carla asked.

"In a pinch, pet." Spike smiled at her.

"But then why kill people?"

"You eat meat, pet?"

"Yes. I love meat. Never made it to the vegetarian way, no matter how much more healthy it is."

"Like hamburgers?

"Sure."

"But don't you like the taste of a nice juicy steak better?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do-ah.I see. It's a matter of taste. Of choice."

"Yes."

"Well, no matter then. I have plenty of animal blood."

Neither vampire nor mortal had the nerve to ask why.

Xander did have the nerve, however, to lean down to Spike's ear and demand to know just what was so wrong with *his* blood.

"Just keep quite, pet. And if this loopy cow tries any crazy shit, you *run*! You get the fuck away from her! And you'll need all your soddin' *delicious* blood to do that! Got it?"

"I am so touched, Spike." Xander whispered back.

"Xanpet? Sweetxan?"

"Yes?"

"Shut the fuck up."

"Kay."

If Xander hadn't already been in love the hateful, soulless vampire, he would have fallen right then and there. Yep, he decided. He was one sick puppy. The thought made him grin.

**************************************************************

"Follow me boys."

And they did. Into a Gothic looking mansion Angelus might have giving his draining teeth for. There were even gargoyles as big as Spike perched on each corner of the roof. But still they followed her, as she led them into what looked to be the "family room". One wall had a large screen TV and stereo system with speakers as tall as Xander. A large sectional leather sofa dominated the middle of the room and the back wall was lined in floor to ceiling bookcases. The two held hands as they watched Carla walk to the bookcase and pull out one particular book. A panel opened and she walked down.

"Come along, boys."

Hands squeezed tight together as they followed her down into a dungeon laboratory complete with hospital bed and what from they could tell, all types of hospital equipment.

"Bleendin' Jesus Christ. She's bloody Dr. Fraknesiten!" The door shut behind them when they were half way down the staircase. Xander jumped.

"Um, doc?" Spike called out.

"Yes? What is it?"

"Could you open that door again, and maybe *keep* it open? Don't mean to be a pain in yer arse, but I'm a bit claustrophobic, what with me spending me first years in crypts and graves and such, but I'd feel a *whole* lot more relaxed it you'd open up that door!"

"Huh? Sure." She went to a panel on an island in the middle of her-operating room-and hit a button causing the door to slid open. "Did you see that, pet?" Spike whispered to Xander.

"Yeah. Third red knob from the left."

"There's a good Xan, then. You remember that if she starts slicing out pieces of my brain, pet!"

"Spike! I am *not* going to let her start-"

Spike let out a put upon sigh. "You do as I *say* pet!"

"Okay, Spike." Xander let it go. No way was he going to let this crazy bitch hurt his Spike. Not when this whole thing was *his* fault.

"Don't think I won't haunt your ass, Xander!" Spike hissed at him.

Xander laughed. He couldn't help it.

"Okay. Lets get started." Carla called out. Without them noticing she had set up. Several bags of blood hung from and IV pole along with a clear liquid they couldn't identify next to a hospital bed covered in black plastic.

"Take a seat, Spike. Xander, come hold his hand, like a good wife."

Once Spike was seated, Carla picked up his arm and began to swab his hand with disinfectant.

"Needles don't bother you, do they vampire?"

"Not when I'm pushing them into someone, they don't."

Carla smiled and began slapping at his hand. "You're funny. Are all vampires comedians?"

"Just the funny-ha-ha ones." Xander offered.

"Mmm." Carla mumbled, pushing a butterfly needle into a vein on top of Spike's hand. "There. Very nice." Blood began to rise into the tubing and she quickly went to a valve that pushed blood into, rather than pulled blood out of Spike. She looked up and into his eyes. "Fascinating! How does blood flow with out the heart to move it?"

Spike grinned at her. "Vampire magic. Take the chip out and I'll tell you all about it."

"Yes. You will." She smiled and shoved another IV into him.

"What is that?"

"Salin. Just in case. We don't want him to get dehydrated, do we?"

"Um, no, I guess not."

"We don't. Turn over and lay face down. Does your hair grow?"

"Yes. Why? Are me roots showin'?"

"They are, but I'm going to shave your head a bit."

"Why? The bloody fucks that put it in didn't shave my head!"

"Do you know how long you were out after they put the chip in?

"No."

"Then how do you know they didn't shave your head?" With that Spike heard the ominous sound of clippers being turned on. Carla made quick work of baring the patch of skull she wanted. "All done, and what a pretty skull you have."

"Fughu" Spike said into the bedding.

"Now just calm down. This will sting a bit." Xander watched as Carla picked up a large syringe with a long needle and jammed it into Spike' s neck. She pushed the plunger in and withdrew the needle before either could voice protest.

"What the hell was that?" Xander demanded.

"What the 'ell did you shoot me with, woman?"

"Mild sedative. You'll be a bit dopey but nothing major. Like smoking a joint."

"Oh, and I bet you know all about that!" Spike snipped.

"Sure. Just relax. Xander?"

"What?"

"Pet him. Relax him, okay?" She began to busy herself with looking over sharp looking knives and evil looking clamps. Xander leaned over to lie into Spike's ear. "I still feel good about this, Spike. She's not so nuts. She can do this."

"Xan?"

"Yes? What is it, Spike?"

"Com'ere. Where I can see you."

"Yes, do. Move Xander. Let's switch sides. Keep him talking."

Xander moved to the other side and kneeled down so he could look into Spike's eyes. "Hi, Spike."

Xander got a little nauseous when Carla began sticking a needle into Spike's head. She had put on a mask, leaving only her eyes revealed. "Just a little prick, Spike. Just to numb you up. You won't feel a thing."

"Xanpet?"

"What?"

"This drunken' dozy mare you foun' is a bleeding liar! Little prick, *my* prick! It bleedin' 'urts!" Xander winced in sympathy. "Oh. Never min' Xan. I don' feel a bloody thin'"

"That's good, bade." Xander murmured as he watched her slice into his scalp and blood pour forth. Lots of blood. She pulled his scalp back from his skull and began to clamp. Yuck. "Xander?" She asked, not looking up from Spike's head.

"Huh?"

"You see that clamp on that second tube of blood? Yeah. That's it. Release it. That's a good boy. Kay. Let's see what we have in here." She picked up, what looked to Xander like a dentists drill, and began to *drill* into Spike's skull.

"Bloody hell! Wha's she doin?"

"Nothing!" Xander said quickly.

"Doesn't *soun* like nuthin'! soun's bloody awful!"

Xander's panic filled eyes flew to Spike's when Carla lifted a section of the vampire's skull and dropped it into a tray at her side. "How you doin' babe? Spike? You okay?"

"Yeah. Why? Wah she doin'?"

"I've opened a section of your cranium, Spike. I cut along the previous incision, so displacement shouldn't be a problem. And I see the implant. Its not imbedded deeply. There are a few wires going to different sections of your brain, but I'm lifting those, now. Do you feel anything?"

"No.shou' I?"

"No. I have the wires out and I'm picking up the chip. Still, okay? Spike? You still feel okay? I want you to wiggle your toes and fingers for me, okay?"

Spike wiggled his toes and flipped her off.

"Still feel okay, Spike?"

"Yeah, yeah. But Xan is green. Shou'e be green?"

"Yes. Xander should be green. He should be really sick soon."

When Carla tossed the chip and it's wires over her shoulder and replaced Spike's skull, Xander thought he'd be fine. He'd made it, and more importantly to him, Spike had made it. But when he watched as she picked up tiny *nails* and a hammer and began to *pound* into his Spike he lost it. He fell back in a dead faint. Spike watched it happen in slow motion. "Carladoc?"

"Humm?" Carla asked as she pounded the last nail in and began to sew the scalp back together.

"Fix, my Xannypet!"

She chuckled as she tied off the last stitch. "Your Xander is fine. Your brain was just too ugly for him to bear. He fainted is all."

"Oh. Carladoc?"

"What?"

"I bet my brain was as fuckin' gorgeous as th' res 'o me!"

"It was. It really was."

"Well. Good then. Now fix my Xanpet!"

Carla pulled off her mask and stripped off her surgical gloves. "He' ll be fine. Just let him sleep. You *both* need sleep."

"He canna sleep down *there* withou' *me*!" Spike tried to reach down to Xander.

"Hey! Cut that out! Wait!" She came over and rolled Xander out of her way. Spike growled, softly. His foggy mind registered the fact, that while his head throbbed a bit, it wasn't an incapacitating pain, and he most assuredly wanted to kill her for touching what was his. He grinned.

Carla came back pushing another gurney with her. She pushed it next to Spike's. "Now you *don't* move!"

"Kay. Won' move. Gimme my Xander!"

Carla reached down and began to slap at Xander's cheeks. "Xander!" She yelled sharply. "Xander! Wake up!"

"What? Stop that! Spike?" Xander came to and looked into the drug-fogged eyes of Spike. He offered a small smile. When it was returned Xander stood and hugged Carla.

"Thank you!"

Xander heard the faint growl. He quickly made his way over to and onto the gurney that had been placed next to Spike's. He grabbed Spike's hand and held it tightly. "How you feeling Spike?"

Spike grinned faintly. "Good enough to eat." His eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep. Xander lay his head down and began to drift off himself.

"Make sure he doesn't toss and turn, Xander."

"He doesn't." Xander told her without opening his eyes. "He sleeps like the dead."

"I'll check back in a few hours. Or eight hours. I think you two can use eight hours."

*************************************************************

"Absolutely fascinating!" Carla murmured, checking on Spike's incision.

Xander woke in an instant. "What? What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing! It's perfect! Almost *healed* in fact. Remarkable, really."

Xander smiled at her before running his hand across his face. "Maybe you just do good work, Doc."

"I *do* do good work. I do fantastic work, but this healing.this healing is beyond anything I've ever imagined. He's even got *hair* growing back!"

Spike sat up, knocking Carla's hand away. "I bloody damn well *better* have hair growing back!"

"Spike?"

"What is it, pet?

"Did it work? Can you tell?"

Spike stretched and jumped from the bed. He pulled the tubes from his hand, tossing them aside. He bounced on the balls of his feet as if getting ready to run. "Only one way to find out, pet!"

He reached out a hand and grabbed Carla by the neck, bringing her flush to his body. He grinned into her fear filled eyes and ignored her flailing arms as he shifted to game face and sank his fangs into her neck. Spike damn near became weak in the knees when the first hot rush of fear tainted *human* blood poured into his eager mouth. He brought his other hand up to clutch a handful of her hair, wrenching her head back and to the side, as he sucked at and tore into her neck. He slurped and suckled like a wild, starving animal. And that was what he felt like. What he was. Some wild predator held too long captive in a cage, feed only dog food, while *this*, this *feast* waited for him, just out side his cage doors. When he pulled deeply at her neck and drew forth no more blood, he held her limp body up by her head.

He smiled into her dead eyes. "*Fascinating*, wasn't it, pet?" He let her limp body drop at his feet and smiled at Xander. "Give us a kiss, then, pet."

~the end~