Trevor forgot all about how Elliot had taken control of the situation when he stepped inside the house. There were girls running towards one of the salons on the heels of a loud boom that actually rattled a few windows.

What could he do other than join them?

There was obviously something going on, and the fact that it was happening NOW was just too coincidental. It HAD to have something to do with Harris.

It took a few moments to push his way through the fifteen or so girls crowding the doorway, and when he did, he stopped and stared.

Andrew… naked and standing with a redhead who seemed to be trying to help a blonde to her feet. The fact that he could see small tendrils of glowing mist surrounding the redhead was what had his brow cocked. And the blonde woman… she had to be the Slayer, judging by how much the… witch… was babbling her name.

He didn’t want to do it, but he didn’t really think he had much choice, and once he’d gathered himself, he stepped forward.

“SILENCE!” he bellowed, using the command voice that was one of the few remainders of his previous existence. He smiled a rather sickly smile when Andrew and the witch turned to stare at him. He saw that the redhead’s eyes were entirely black from lid to lid and sighed. It was just his luck. Not only a witch, but THE witch. The Maiden-Crone.

“I thought you were in South America,” he said by way of greeting. “Andrew,” he nodded to the naked man before taking off his coat and tossing it to him. “The girls,” he explained, smiling a little when the Watcher blushed and covered himself up, Trevor’s coat hanging almost to his ankles.

His eyes shifted to the Slayer who stood motionless, staring at him with a curious look in her eyes. “And I’m betting you’re Buffy Summers. The Slayer.”

Buffy smiled, cocking her head towards the tall, tasty hunk of yum. “You’ve heard of me? I’m flattered. Wish I could say the same.”

Trevor sighed softly. “Of course I’ve heard of you, Miss Summers. I’m a Watcher, after all. I think we’ve ALL heard of you. I’ve just never had the pleasure until now. I’m Trevor Arcady. It’s nice to meet you.”

The blonde flipped her hair back and smiled again. “How is it that we’ve never met? I thought I knew all the Watchers on staff. Or are you new?”

Andrew cleared his throat and moved to stand beside Trevor. “He’s on MY staff, Buffy. And he’s been on special assignment for the last few years. By MY authority.”

“I’m stationed in New York,” Trevor added.

For her part, Willow didn’t know what to do. She was glad the guy had shown up before she’d completely disgraced herself. Imagine a little thing like a spatial portal suprising her so much.

But add to that the fact that she’d never known Andrew had secret Watchers, and the VOICE the man had used… she figured maybe she had a right. She’d been forced to submit to the voice, and… that had never happened before. She shifted her vision to the OTHER plane and gazed at him, swallowing a gasp at what she saw.

“Andrew. Andrew, he’s…”

“I know, Willow,” Andrew muttered. “I’ll tell you later. But trust me, he’s on our side.”

Oblivious to what was going on around her, Buffy grinned and sat down on the couch. “Oh, New York? I’ve always wanted to go there. All those stores… it must be Heaven!” She sighed softly, wishing she could find the time to go there some day. “And what exactly do you Watch in New York? I didn’t know there were any potentials there…”

“Like I said, he’s on special assignment,” Andrew said, trying to rescue the situation.

“Spike,” Trevor said at the same time. “I watch Spike.”

Buffy blinked, then blinked again. “Oh… you mean the incubus that LOOKS like Spike. Yeah, he’s a problem. Did you know he somehow made our Xander think he really WAS Spike?” She frowned. “But don’t worry. We took care of that. Xander doesn’t even remember the real Spike now, much less the Spike-ubus.”

“Spike-ubus?” Willow muttered, shaking her head. “Only Buffy.”

“Andrew,” Trevor said dangerously, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the Slayer, “Tell her. Tell her now, because I honestly… can’t stand being in the same room with her for much longer.”

Gods… the bitch! She’d made Harris forget Spike entirely? He wasn’t sure of how that was possible. She was a Slayer, not a… His eyes narrowed more, turning to the redhead. The bright blush the girl wore answered his unspoken question.

As Andrew moved closer to the blonde, Trevor twitched his fingers slightly placing a tight web around the woman. If she tried to attack his friend, she’d be restrained, and with no chance of escaping until HE willed it. He wasn’t entirely sure of how the Slayer would react to the news, after all, and… better safe.

He closed in on the smallish redhead, his face stern.

“Maiden-Crone Rosenberg… you have been a VERY bad wiccan.”

* * * * *

“That would be me, luv,” Harris heard, something about that voice making him shiver. He almost thought it sounded familiar, but… no. He would remember anyone who sounded so… perfectly Spark-ish.

Harris turned slowly, his eye widening even as his heart skipped a beat. “S-s-sp…”

“Spike, luv,” the vampire said gently, closing the small distance between them. “You can’t tell me you don’t know me. I’m your luv, pet… yours. More yours than I am my own… an’ you’re mine.” He leaned in, his nose skimming lightly down then up the side of his beloved’s neck. “You know me, Xan,” he whispered into the man’s ear, “Intimately…”

Harris shivered again, something within him begging for the man’s touch. He’d never felt anything like the need he felt right then. This guy… he was exactly the way he’d pictured his character Spark and he was more than halfway in love with the character. He groaned loudly, doing his damnedest to keep his hands from touching the body almost pressed against him.

“I… I wish you were right,” he whispered sadly, “But I… I don’t… know… you… at all…” He groaned again as the man pulled back slightly. “I… I wish I… did…”

Spike shook his head and lifted one hand, touching the collar of Xander’s shirt. “You’ve got a scar under there, luv… can’t see it with the shirt on, but it’s there.” His fingers pressed gently against the spot he remembered biting twice.

“You got that scar from me, pet… an’ I’ve got a matchin’ one from you.” He took Xander’s hand in his free one and raised the fingers to the mark on his own neck, gasping softly as the warm fingers pressed his skin. “You feel that, beloved? ‘s a sign of luv… not just lust an’ wantin’…”

Spike sighed, seeing how confused his Xan was. “Believe me, luv… you know me very well indeed. Better than anyone else walkin’ this spinnin’ ball of mud.” His fingers pressed harder against the scar he knew was beneath the shirt and he sighed. “Please, luv… TRY ta remember…” He was going to KILL the Slayer for whatever she’d done to his claimed.

* * * * *

Elliot chuckled silently at the look on Harris’s face. His friend was besotted, which really didn’t surprise him considering it was Will making him feel that way.

He was still worried about what the strange form of amnesia might mean—and it WAS definitely strange. His friend seemed to remember everything but the blond who loved him, but… at least Harris was back where he belonged. With Will. In Will’s arms. They’d deal with the man’s memory issues later.

If anyone had ever told him even a month earlier that he’d be in London right then, hoping a vampire would finish claiming his friend, he would have died laughing. Hell, a month ago vampires were fictional to him. But he’d seen how Harris was when he was with Will. He’d seen how… happy his friend had been. And while a small part of him still regretted that HE hadn’t been the one to make Harris feel that fulfilled, it was just as well. His best friend needed things he’d never be able to give him. But Will could and would give Harris everything he needed. And that made Elliot happy, as well.

Besides, the blond realized, there was Trevor. He wasn’t sure of what the young man would make of his abrupt change in attitude. He’d always been a good bit submissive with him, but with Harris missing he’d called on some of his earlier training and stepped in. Hopefully Trevor wouldn’t mind once he explained. He didn’t want to lose whatever it was they’d started.

A loud groan forced his attention back to Harris and Will and he grinned as he saw the blond’s face buried in the crook of his friend’s neck. Good. At least they were moving in the right direction. Then his eyes were drawn to the very young blond man standing in the doorway of the club watching the couple with confused eyes.

“Robert, right?” Elliot said softly, approaching the man. “This… well, it’s complicated, but…”

He took the young man’s arm and led him back inside, buying him a very strong Jack and Coke at the bar as he explained what little he knew.

“G-gods…” Harris whimpered, his hands gripping wildly at the tense, toned spine of the man who was sucking his neck. “How… how could I ever forget… this… you…?”

Spike smirked, his tongue tracing small, rapid circles over salty skin. “Don’t know, luv,” he whispered, rocking his hard shaft against his love’s. “Guess we just need ta make some new memories, ‘ey…?” He pulled back slightly to meet the hot brown eye with twin blue ones. “Let’s do that, Xan,” he almost begged. “Let’s make some new memories an’ pick up where we left off…”

The fact that this Spike, Will, whatever, knew about his scar was telling, he figured. So was the fact that he called him Xander. Part of him didn’t understand how it was possible that they’d known each other before, but the majority of him… Oh, the majority was shouting at him to give in. To take what he was being offered and revel in it, relish it, swim in it and let it pull him down into bliss and up into nirvana.

For once, Harris was going to listen.

“Gods,” he gasped, unable to catch his breath, “I… where are you staying?” As much as he wanted this, he couldn’t bring the man back to the Watcher House… he wasn’t sure of why, but he just couldn’t. His hips rocked slightly, meeting the other man’s slow thrusts and he moaned.

Spike found himself caught between smiling that his beloved wanted to be with him, even without his memories… and frowning that he hadn’t gotten a room yet. Then again, he’d been hunting his claimed ever since they’d reached land.

“Anywhere you like, luv,” he murmured, leaning in to lick slowly over that soft bit of neck again, “Though I’m partial to th’ Westbury Mayfair…”

Harris groaned again as the man’s tongue stroked him. “Y-yeah… th-that’s fine…” He forced himself to step back, shivering at the need to move closer again immediately. “I should… R-robert…”

The blond chuckled. “Not ta worry, luv… your El’s probably explainin’ things ta him right now. He’ll be fine.”

“I… yeah,” Harris found himself sighing wantonly. He’d never reacted this way to ANYONE. Not ever. But somehow… he just couldn’t help himself. And maybe the blond was right. Maybe they really HAD been… something… to each other once. Maybe ELLIOT was right. If he’d hit his head hard enough, he might not remember doing it in the first place.

“S-so… are we… g-going…?” he asked, hoping the answer would be yes.

Spike smiled and raised one hand, letting out a piercing whistle at the taxis driving past. “Definitely, luv… can hardly wait ta taste you… feel you wrapped around me, your cock drippin’ on your belly while I slip in, all slow an’ sure…”

Harris shivered again, the tone of voice alone dragging his cock even farther towards full mast. “Jesus fuck…” he groaned needily.

“Not him,” Spike purred, “But th’ rest of it? I can work with that, luv.”

He pulled his beloved from the curb and opened the door of the waiting taxi, ushering him in. “Westbury Mayfair, mate… an’ step on it!” he snapped at the driver before returning his lips to the side of his Xan’s neck.

* * * * *

“Wait,” Robert said suddenly. “Trevor’s here. TREVOR. Tall, dark, sexy Trevor?” He couldn’t keep the grin from his face OR his voice.

Elliot chuckled. “Down, boy! Trevor’s MINE. Or he is for now, anyway. But yes, he’s at the Watcher House.” He sighed softly. “Not sure I really understand about you guys. Then again, I only found out about vampires earlier today.” He shrugged.

Robert frowned. “Wait a minute. You’ve been friends with Harrison Alexander for how long and you just found out about vampires?”

The older man sighed deeply. “Well, yeah. It’s not like I grew up on a Hellmouth, right? I always figured Harris’s books were just that. Books. Stories. And you know how popular supernatural stuff has gotten lately. I guess I was… impressed with his creativity. Making high school and college into demon tales? Seemed like a metaphor for life, y’know?”

The younger blond nodded slowly, sipping at his cocktail. He gave the other man an appraising stare. “You seem to be handling it quite well,” he admitted. “I doubt that I could do it so gracefully.”

Elliot smiled. “Well, I’m under pressure. I’ll probably have a screaming hissy fit later, but I just don’t have the time right now. I’m too worried about what’s wrong with Harris.”

Robert nodded. “I don’t blame you. If what you’ve told me is true, then… somebody has obviously altered his memories.” He frowned suddenly. “And since the Maiden-Crone is at the house… Bloody Hell. She never COULD say no to the Slayer. It’s like the Slayer has some sort of HOLD over the Queen Witch.” He sighed.

“So… this is something Bunny did?” He blushed. “I mean Buffy.”

“More like it’s something WILLOW did, but I’m sure Buffy talked her into it. That woman has some sort of power over her.”

Elliot frowned. “It’s a power that needs to be dealt with, then. I don’t know much about witches, but…if she could change Harris’s memories, she needs to NOT be under anyone’s control but her own. Uh, assuming she’s a good person to begin with.”

“Oh, she IS!” Robert exclaimed, nodding repeatedly. “The Maiden-Crone is a wonderful woman! I just wish she could find a wife to make her happy.” He sighed. “If anyone deserves a bit of happiness, it’s her.”

As he finished his margarita, Elliot smiled slightly at the young blond. “So. I’m sorry all of this interrupted your evening with Harris. I… understand the appeal.” He nodded.

Robert blushed brightly. “It’s not because he’s famous!” he said defensively. “He’s just so…” he blushed more.

Elliot chuckled. “I know. We were an item for a while. Me and Harris, I mean. He’s really… intense. There’s something about him that just… makes you want him.”

The younger man nodded, still blushing. “It’s like… when he looks at you, you’re all he sees. It’s… exciting… and flattering, really.”

He didn’t know why he did it, but he leaned in, kissing Robert slowly and deeply. One hand found the small of the other man’s back, pulling him flush against his body. Elliot moaned softly at the way the tongue his own was tangling with was writhing wickedly. “Christ,” he murmured, pulling away from the soft lips, “Wonder how Trevor’d feel about a threesome…”

Robert stared at the older man, stunned by the kiss. “I… think maybe we should find out… unless that was a rhetorical question, of course, and if it was then never mind.”

Elliot laughed and shook his head. “Actually, I’m not sure yet of how much I mean it, but… the idea has some definite possibilities. Drink?” he added, gesturing with his empty glass.

“Drink,” Robert agreed, tossing back the last of his cocktail.

Harris couldn’t count the number of times he’d almost cum in the taxi. Spike’s—he’d said to call him Spike, not Will—Spike’s lips and teeth had been everywhere that was possible while they were fully dressed.

The man had nipped, sucked, licked and nibbled at his neck, his lips, his jaw and even his fingers. By the time they’d reached the hotel, Harris was ready to burst.

Unfortunately, he’d had to climb from the cab, his cock making a very obvious tent in his pants. He was more than happy to hide behind a large potted plant while Spike checked in.

Harris expected to have at least a moment of questioning his own actions, but he didn’t. There was something about this that felt… right. And for the first time since he’d woken up, he didn’t feel ALONE.

No… he felt loved. Wanted. NEEDED. He felt… at home.

It didn’t make sense unless he believed what Spike had said earlier. They were lovers. More, even. They were… right together. Hell, it surely FELT like they were.

Usually Harris was nervous about taking a new lover, but… his eye trailed across the lobby of the hotel and he felt himself breathing harder as he watched the blond standing in front of the front desk.

“I love him,” he told himself nearly silently. “I don’t know how or why, but I know that I LOVE him!”

And suddenly Harris didn’t care whether anyone saw him all hot and hard in his pants.

He crossed the lobby, his arms reaching out to brace on the edge of the front desk to either side of the blond. “Spike,” he whispered, his lips brushing the other man’s ear, “Take me to bed… NOW.”

The blond chuckled softly, even though there was a bit of wonder in the sound. “Granted, luv,” he murmured back, taking the key card from the woman behind the desk.

He turned, pressing himself against his beloved for a moment then ducked under one of his arms. “You comin’, Xan?” he asked playfully, arching his scarred brow.

“Not yet,” Harris mumbled, his eye caught by the way Spike walked, “But soon, I hope…”

It was so close to what his love had said their first time that Spike sighed. He stepped into the elevator as soon as the doors opened, one hand grabbing his Xan’s and pulling him in right behind. As the doors closed, he turned and pressed the taller man against the wall.

His lips devoured his love’s mouth, dropping quickly to that long, warm and fragrant neck again. “Bloody hell, Xan… you taste so good…”

Harris wanted nothing more than to just stop the elevator and strip both himself and Spike naked. Every part of him was screaming to touch, to BE touched… and then the blond was attached to his lips, his neck…

He shuddered, his arms wrapping roughly around the other man. “Gods… SPIKE! YES!”

Spike chuckled, letting just his teeth shift as he scraped them over Xander’s soft neck. He nuzzled softly, pushing the collar of his beloved’s shirt aside with his cheek. “Luv you, pet,” he whispered, his tongue sliding out to lave the scar. “NEVER knew luv like this…”

Harris nearly screamed, but it was a hotel. He didn’t want to disturb the other guests. Instead, his hands rose up Spike’s spine to tangle with his hair, holding him closer, wanting more. “Spike!” he groaned, “Do it!”

He wasn’t sure of what he was demanding, but he knew… he REMEMBERED… that it was something he… needed.

The last thing he could or would ever do was to deny his claimed. There was no chance. He just… couldn’t. Still, he needed to be sure. “Are… are you certain, pet…? Might hurt a bit if I’m not buried deep inside you…”

Spike groaned as the elevator slowed, then stopped, the doors opening. “Hold that thought,” he murmured softly, “Until we’re in our room.”

Harris shivered again as he followed the blond down the hallway, stopping in front of a wide door. “This… this is a suite, right?” He’d stayed in plenty of them in his time, after all, but he hadn’t expected… “I… for me?” Harris bit his lip, his stomach doing an odd little flip at the fact that Spike had gotten something other than an ordinary room.

The blond opened the door and stepped inside, pulling his love with him. He closed the door quickly, pulling the brunette into his embrace. “I’d do anythin’ for you, luv… an’ seein’ as I’m not lettin’ you go til you understand how much you mean ta me, I figured we’d do better bein’ all comfy-like.”

Harris moaned, his legs just about giving out. He collapsed back, the closed door of their room holding him up. “I… what you were doing before, Spike… do that again? Please…?”

The vampire smiled softly and latched his lips to his human’s neck again, lips teasing the scar through the shirt before nuzzling the fabric aside once more. “ ‘s this what you mean, luv..?” Spike asked smugly.

“Oh… GODS, yes…” was all Harris could say.

Even without remembering him, his beloved was so responsive… so wanton. There was no way Spike would ever let him go. All he needed to do was… make the bloke finish the claim. One more bite from him… just one more… and nothinjg would ever be able to come between them again.

Harris moaned louder, feeling the strong, elegant fingers working at the button and zip of his pants. “Jesus… Spike…” He pulled away, stripping himself to skin. “I… I’m sorry. I can’t wait.”

Spike purred low and deep in his chest as he slid from his own clothes slowly. He stood there in front of Xander, unashamed of his nakedness. “Don’t be sorry, luv. Unless you’re about ta tell me you’ve changed your mind…?”

The brunette shook his head wildly, reaching out for the equally naked blond. “Need you, Spike. I… I’m not sure of why, but… I need you.”

And that was all Spike needed to hear.

He took the taller man’s hand and pulled him swiftly to the bedroom. It didn’t matter whether his Xan remembered or not. After this night, he’d be Spike’s completely.

That didn’t mean Spike wasn’t looking forward to trying to remind him, of course.

Buffy had been frowning for what seemed like hours, although she knew it couldn’t have been more than a few minutes.

“Spike,” she said, still trying to wrap her mind around it. “He’s really alive…? And he didn’t want me to know…? But… why, Andrew? I mean, okay, he was right. I never really loved him, but… he was a part of the team! I deserved to know… didn’t I?”

Trevor found himself sighing as he reassessed his opinion of the woman. The Maiden-Crone had given him the short version of the events leading up to this moment, and he supposed he could see how they’d drawn the conclusions they had. Hell, it was almost admirable that the Slayer took her responsibility to her people so seriously. Still…

“We have to break the spell. You know that, don’t you, Buffy? Harris NEEDS those memories if he’s going to do what the Powers have planned for him.”

Willow’s eyes widened but she wisely didn’t ask about the Powers. Yet. For the moment she simply sighed. “That means you need to give me the crystal back, Buff. It’s the only way to restore his memories.”

The blonde blushed deeply and looked down at the couch, her fingers plucking nervously at one loose thread. “That… might be harder than it sounds, Will. I, uh… I kind of…” She blushed more.

“Oh, no,” Andrew said, suddenly worried. “Buffy, what did you do?”

“I… I didn’t want to take a chance that the spell could get broken like it did that one time, Willow, remember?” The Slayer bit her lip. “So I… I put the crystal in a box and… dropped it in the Thames…?”

And suddenly Trevor was back to hating the bitch. His hands clenched repeatedly into fists and he forced himself to turn away. “It’s hopeless, then. All these years of Watching! Waiting for the chance to… and it’s ruined! GODS! Now I’ll NEVER be…”

“Yes you will, Trevor,” Andrew interrupted. “So the crystal is gone. It’s not lost. It’s just… misplaced. We’ll find it.” He meant it, too. They had twenty potentials in the house, most of them highly trained. They had the Maiden-Crone and the Slayer. They had Mr. Giles and Trevor, not to mention himself. “We’ve got the dream team here, guys. There’s nothing we can’t do, right? RIGHT? It won’t be the first time we’ve succeeded against insurmountable odds.”

Buffy stood up from the couch in full repentant-mode. “Right. Okay.” She thought for a minute. “Andrew, you find Giles. Get him to call Robert. We need him back here, with Xander, as soon as possible. Willow, you’re gonna need to come up with some sort of spell to find the box. You know the one. Xander sent it to me for my twenty fifth birthday. The lacquer one with the blue flowers?” She sighed with relief when the redhead nodded.

“Good,” she continued. “And I’ll get the potentials to go down into the cellar. I think that scuba diving equipment from a couple years ago is still down there. Trevor, I’m betting you’re good with the research. Go with Andrew. You guys and Giles need to hit the books. See whether you can find some way to break the crystal from a distance if we can’t find it. Meantime, I’ll hit the phones and canvas all of Robert’s known haunts, just in case Giles can’t reach him. Someone will have seen him or will know where he went.”

Her eyes swept over them and she crossed her arms as they stared at her, stunned. “Well? Get moving people! We’ve got work to do! Shoo!”

And Trevor found himself walking quickly through the house with Andrew. They stopped at the smaller man’s room so he could put some clothes on then continued towards the library.

“The Slayer,” Trevor said as they neared their goal, “She’s… good with the planning.”

Andrew chuckled at the other man’s surprise. “Yeah. But she’s even better when she’s under pressure.”

The brunette nodded. “A commander. She must be going crazy now that she’s not in the field much anymore.”

The former geek nodded, sighing a little. “I know she doesn’t like it, but… she’s stationed in Italy. That’s where the fully trained potentials go when they leave here. Buffy’s the… last line of learning, I guess.” He sighed again. “We can’t risk losing her. She’s lasted longer than any Slayer EVER. That means she’s the best one to teach the girls… to let them in on the realities of what they are and the best ways to fight the… death wish. We Watchers can only tell them so much. We’ll never know what it’s like to be them.”

Trevor nodded slowly. “But Andrew… if you don’t let her be what SHE is, how well can she teach them? She doesn’t get to feel the joy or satisfaction of defeating even a little bit of evil anymore, or not on a regular basis. I’m surprised she’s not really… bitter.”

Andrew frowned. “You actually have a point, Trev, but… one problem at a time, okay? We break the spell on Harris, then afterwards we can talk to Mr. Giles about maybe getting Buffy out more, okay?”

* * * * *

It would have been easier for Willow to find a spell she could tweak if she had her books with her. As it was, though, she hadn’t come to London prepared for much casting, and truthfully the books she knew they had in the house were far too… basic… for what she needed.

Much as she hated to admit it, there was only one thing to do.

She almost ran back to her room, staring from place to place until she saw her cell almost hiding behind the potted plant on the bedside table.

Snatching it up, she scrolled through her contacts, hitting the call button when she reached the one she wanted.

The three rings before the call was answered had her biting her lip almost hard enough to draw blood.

“Willow! Hi!” Dawn chirped. “How’s Operation Xan-man going?”

The redhead frowned. “It… could be better, Dawnie. Um, do you still have my grimoire, by any chance, or did you take it back to my place?”

“No, no… it’s here. Uh, in the bedroom, I think. Uh, Ricky and I were doing some… studying last night…”

Willow couldn’t help but laugh at the sheepish tone of the girl’s voice. “Suuuuuuure… and we’re gonna have a talk about not using THOSE spells just for fun. But right now, I’m just too glad you’ve got it there to be mad, okay?”

Dawn’s relieved smile was right there in her voice. “Fine with me, Will. So, uh, what did you… Hold on.”

“Be quiet!” Willow heard the girl call out. “Can’t you see I’m on the phone with Willow?”

“Tell Red we say hi, BJ,” she heard from a distance.

“Um, Dawnie… who was that? And notice me NOT asking about what BJ means.” Willow blushed.

The younger woman laughed. “Faith and Robin say hi. They stopped by on their way to Japan, or so they say. And Faith seems to think it’s still funny to call me Buffy Junior. BJ.” Dawn snorted. “Hold on, let me get into the other room, okay?”

Willow heard a door closing, the sudden ceasing of background noise a welcome relief. “Um… how do you pass through Guatemala on your way to Japan from Australia?” the witch asked curiously.

Another snort. “The world may never know, Will. I think they really just wanted a Scooby night and I was probably closest. They’re sitting in the living room with Ricky, drinking tequila and telling him stories from the ‘good old days’.” She laughed. “So anyway, what’s up?”

Willow sighed softly and began explaining what she needed and why.

“Close your eye, luv,” Spike whispered, pushing the stunning brunette flat against the bedspread. “Want you ta just FEEL, alright?” He pressed his lips hard against the soft, full mouth beneath his own, his tongue sweeping lightly at lips until they parted.

Harris moaned. The long flexible muscle swept through his mouth depriving him of words, though he had none to say at the moment. The tongue was cool, but warming swiftly against his own. His hands rose, gripping gently at tense, strong shoulders before they were removed, the backs of his wrists pressed against the bed.

“JUST feel, pet… let me show you how good we are together, ‘ey…?” Spike murmured, pulling away from that lovely cavern to nip slowly and delicately over his Xan’s jaw, then to his neck. He paused for a few minutes, the tip of his tongue mapping every small shift in the scar he’d given his love. It was healed already; probably had been since the bloke had bitten him… bloody hell, was it only two days earlier? It seemed like forever.

“I remember the first time I bit you, luv,” he whispered, lips and teeth playing at that mark for a moment more before slipping lower, dancing over strong, toned pectorals. “Had you all spread out beneath me, fillin’ you almost ta breakin’…” His lips closed over one small, budding nipple, teeth latching on and pulling it to a tight, hard point.

“I was rockin’ inside you,” he continued, making his way to his love’s other nipple and nipping it roughly, “Makin’ you whimper an’ moan… yeah, like you’re doin’ now, pet…”

Keeping his hands off the other man was the hardest thing Harris had ever done, but… somehow it all seemed so familiar… the words had him picturing it… Spike’s eyes glowing golden, staring into him as he slammed deeper, harder inside him. It was almost… a memory, he thought. And the way the man—vampire—was touching him… that was more familiar still. He groaned, shifting on the bed as Spike found a particularly sensitive spot.

The blond chuckled softly, scraping sharp teeth at that dip between his beloved’s pecs. He’d discovered the spot almost by accident, but he’d be damned yet again if he ever allowed himself to forget it.

“Never felt anythin’ like you, Xan,” he admitted softly, hands and mouth continuing their slow exploration. “ ‘s been bloody ages since I’ve felt th’ sun, but that’s what bein’ inside you is like, mate… ‘s like standin’ in th’ sun an’ knowin’ it can burn me quicker than anythin’… but it’s such a good kind of burn, I can’t stop cravin’ it. Needin’ it…” Spike groaned and buried his head in Xander’s stomach for a moment, just inhaling the smell of him, absorbing the heat. “Can’t stop needin’ YOU, luv… an’ that first night, when you arched your neck for me…”

The brunette gasped softly, eye clenched shut as he saw it in his head. “You… you came, didn’t you?” he murmured, awestruck. “You came… and you bit me… and then you came again…” His back arched slightly, trying to get even closer to the blond.

“Yeah, luv,” Spike answered, trying not to get too overwhelmed by hope. “Felt you cum between us, that hot, thick spunk makin’ our chests an’ stomachs rub together all slick an’ smooth… an’ I drank you. Drank you down til I was drunk on th’ sensation. Filled you so full, you overflowed…” He chuckled, blowing a soft breath across the seeping tip of his human’s cock. “Made a right mess of my bed, we did, but…”

“But you didn’t care,” Harris moaned out, “Because we were only gonna make it even more messy… Gods… don’t stop, Spike…”

The vampire chuckled again, unable to keep that hope from welling up. It sounded like Xander was starting to remember, and if that was the case, the LAST thing he was going to do was STOP. “Never, luv,” he whispered before dragging the tip of his tongue up that long, thick vein from base to tip, delving into the small, seeping slit for a moment. He purred softly at the flavour he could never get enough of then took that bulbous head between his lips, his tongue swirling slowly, tenderly around it as he settled it in the wet cavern of his mouth.

Harris’s body was so tense, so ready… and Spike’s mouth was so… right. His hands slid over the mattress, grasping roughly at the bedspread. “Gods! Spike!” he yelped, blushing at the way his voice sounded in the quiet room. “Please, I’m gonna…”

And Spike purred, pulling just a bit more of the man’s straining cock into his mouth and sucking gently before taking it in his hand and lifting his mouth away. “Want you ta, Xan… want ta taste you. Want ta feel you explodin’ in my throat an’ know it’s because you’re here with me. Open your eye, luv… look at me.” He waited until Xander caught his breath, then he said it again. “Look at me, pet… want you ta see how much I luv havin’ you in every way.”

There was something about the way the vampire spoke that drove him crazy. That made him want to do nothing but roll about in bed with him forever. And even though he couldn’t quite recall particulars much, he knew Spike had been telling him the truth. They really HAD been lovers before and… something had happened to him—to Harris. Something that had brought them to this place, this time… this time that seemed like the first but also like a renewal.

“I… I love being had… by you, Spike. However I can get you,” he mumbled, finally opening his eye and gazing down his body at the perfect, pale form crouched above his groin.

And that was what Spike had been waiting for. He held that eye with a smouldering golden stare as he dipped his head, taking the long, thick cock in to the hilt. Sharp teeth lightly grazed the velvet skin over steel on the way down, then again on the way up and he purred loudly, his lips tightening as he felt the heavy sac drawing up tight. He purred harder, trying to put all his emotion into his eyes as the shaft twitched roughly then began to spurt.

“G-Gods! Spike! I… yes! Oh, Gods…!” His fingers were suddenly buried deep in short blond hair, but he couldn’t help it. If he didn’t hold on to Spike right then, he thought he might be hurled from the face of the planet the room was spinning so fast. His entire body convulsed wildly, his hips driving up to slam his cock deep into the vampire’s tight throat, not caring if he cut himself on Spike’s teeth or not. Hell, in that moment, even that sort of pain would be welcome. “Spike…” he cried again, his voice fading to a whimper as the blond’s throat pulsed around him, milking every drop he could get, then “Spike…” again, a long, drawn out blissful sigh.

Spike couldn’t help purring more, his tongue caressing the softening shaft in his mouth slowly as he listened to his beloved’s heart rate slow to something approaching normal. He’d barely managed to wrap his lips over his fangs when his Xan had slammed deep, but he’d done it, even though that meant he was bleeding slightly now. Still, that was fine. Better he hurt himself than his beloved. It was one thing to bite the bloke and an entirely different thing to shred such a delicate area through inattention.

He looked up his human’s lean, chiseled form, chuckling softly as he felt the softened tube of flesh between his lips twitch. “Think you liked that, luv,” he said, grinning as he released Xander’s shaft and slowly crawled up his body.

Harris laughed shakily as Spike finally stopped moving, that toned, sexy body pressing down on his own, those soft lips mere inches away from his. “What gave it away? The writhing, the begging, or the part where I more or less raped your mouth… Damn. Do I have a pet name for you? I mean you’re always calling me luv and pet and even Xan. Do I… is there something I called you… before?” He blushed, biting his lip nervously.

Spike laughed, his shaft rubbing against the other man’s stomach as he pressed harder against him, rocking just a bit. “You’d taken ta calling me ‘babe’ just a bit before you went missing, luv… an’ as for rapin’ my mouth?” He smirked and licked his lips, finding one small drop of cum that had escaped him. He purred. “You can’t rape th’ willin’, pet. An’ when it involves your cock, I’m ALWAYS willin’. Got it, Xan?” He arched a brow.

And oh, did he get it. Hoped to get more, if he were going to be honest. “Yeah,” he moaned softly, arching his back just a bit to feel Spike’s cock against his skin more. “Uh… I called you babe? What are you, Cher or something?”

“Bloody hell,” the vampire groaned playfully, “No! I get ta be Sonny this time. Or so you promised when you were in your right mind.” He winked and closed the small distance between their lips, his tongue slipping in to twine restlessly with his beloved’s.

“My right mind…?” Harris echoed, giving the vampire a wicked grin once their kiss ended for the moment, “That must have been before we ever went to bed together, Spike, because I’m for damned sure crazy… about you…”

Spike smiled, his human features reemerging. “No, pet… you luv me. AN’ you’re crazy about me. An’ that’s only fair, seein’ as it’s entirely mutual.” He leaned down again, this time pressing lips and blunt human teeth to the mark he’d given the human. He smirked happily when it got the desired reaction.

“Jesus fuck,” Harris moaned, half hard again already. “I… can we just… please, Spike, I need…” he broke off, blushing fiercely. He swallowed hard, remembering once telling Willow something about being able to say it if you were doing it. “I need you, Spike. I need to feel you…” He sighed and shook his head at himself then closed his eye and just blurted it out. “I need you to be Sonny. Now, Spike. I… I want you so much, I can’t…”

Harris felt the long, strong body over him suddenly shift and he frowned, afraid he’d scared off the vampire somehow, although HOW, he wasn’t sure. Spike wanted him; he KNEW he did, but… He opened his eye only to see the vampire walking away.

“Spike…?” He sat up, tears forming in his good eye. He’d fucked things up somehow. He knew it.

The vampire turned and smelled the salty tinge on the air as he almost flew back to the bed, wrapping the confused young man tightly in his arms. “Luv,” he murmured, “Luv, what’s wrong?”

He felt like an idiot. He truly did. But he shrugged and told the blond the truth. “I… I thought you were… leaving…”

Spike’s brows rose high and he forced himself not to laugh as he pressed kiss after kiss to his Xander’s cheeks, forehead, eyelid… even his eye patch. “Luv… Xan… there’s nothin’ in this whole wide world that could ever make me leave you. Not ever. Not even ta save my own life.” He smiled gently at the young man. “You’re a part of me, luv… an’ I want ta be a part of you. Want ta be IN you, Xan. But ta do that… need a bit of th’ slick, don’t we?” He chuckled ruefully. “Poor plannin’, thy name ‘s Spike. Just seein’ what we’ve got in th’ loo, ‘ey?”

And again he felt like an idiot. “I… yeah. I’m just…” Harris shook his head. “Go. You know where to find me.” He smiled shakily.

His lips caught his human’s hard, giving him a bruising kiss as one hand slipped down, squeezing the burgeoning shaft tenderly. “Won’t be long, luv,” Spike promised. “Don’t move.” And with that he was gone, poking through the bathroom searching for whatever he could find that would let him make love to his human without damaging him.

Harris held himself entirely still while Spike was in the bathroom. Not because Spike had told him not to move, but because of the memories he’d accessed earlier. He could truly remember Spike biting him. Remember that it had felt… incredible. He just couldn’t quite reach the… reliving of it.

He could HEAR Spike’s voice in his head when Harris had suggested changing the sheets and Spike had insisted there was no point… that they’d just need to be changed again in a few hours. But he couldn’t SEE it.

It was a subtle distinction, but it mattered to him.

He didn’t know what had happened that he’d forgotten Spike; that he’d truly believed him to be a character he’d made up. Still, if he really WAS remembering things and not just going insane, then… he wanted to remember more. And more to the point, if he was going crazy, he didn’t care.

Better to spend the rest of his life crazy and with Spike than sane and without him.

Harris nodded sharply at his own thoughts, finally relaxing completely as he understood that he BELONGED with the vampire. Belonged TO him, even… and that that was exactly what he wanted. No matter what, he belonged to Spike and… from what the vampire had said, it wasn’t a one sided thing.

* * * * *

Spike snarled softly, finding nothing in the bathroom that immediately screamed ‘lube’ at him. Sure, there was lotion but it was too thin… and water-based, besides. It would evaporate too bloody quickly and leave his love in pain and that would never do.

He was half of a mind to call down to the front desk and make them send someone out for it. There were benefits to a five star hotel, after all. But that would just make his Xan uncomfortable. Besides, he doubted either one of them could wait that long. HE certainly couldn’t.

Finally, Spike sighed and checked the shower. “Shampoo. No. That’d sting. Make him all tense an’ hurtin’…” And that’s when he saw it.

He checked the contents label just to be sure, then grinned. It would do, but as soon as the sun set tomorrow he was going out for the real deal.

He palmed the two small bottles of conditioner and stepped out into the bedroom again, arching a brow at seeing his beloved in exactly the same position he’d left him in.

“Guess someone doesn’t need a spankin’, then,” he said with a grin as he crossed the room to lay a deep, slow kiss on the brunette.

* * * * *

Harris laughed, although a bit breathless from the kiss. “I… not right now, anyway. Maybe later…?”

“You can bet your sweet ass on it, luv,” Spike murmured, his lips again finding the scar on Xander’s neck. He nibbled for a few moments, his hand finding the other man’s cock and stroking softly. “Sorry, mate… took a bit longer than I thought. You still…”

And just like that, most of Harris’s brain shifted to auto-pilot.

He arched hard into the gentle stroke, the banked fire flaring anew. “Gods, Spike… you have to ask…?”

Spike nodded slowly, his wide blue eyes locked on his love’s brown one. “Yeah… I do. Don’t want ta push you or anythin’… you might have had second thoughts while I was away from you…”

“Second, third, sixtieth, even more… babe. And all about the same thing.” Harris raised one arm, his palm finding Spike’s cheek and holding it. “You, Spike… feeling you inside me. Feeling you… finding out what I’ve been missing.” He shook his head, holding the other man away when he would have kissed him.

“You… you don’t understand. And I NEED for you to understand! I…” Harris swallowed hard. “I woke up today at the Watcher House and… I didn’t remember you. I still don’t for the most part. But I did know that… something was missing. That I felt… alone. And that… that wasn’t right. And now…” He bit the edge of his lip. “And now, I… I think it was YOU I was missing...”

The vampire blinked at that, wanting to hold his human close but that hand on his cheek held him back. Xander apparently needed to say this, so he would let him. And then… he’d do everything he could to make sure that neither of them ever felt alone again. “Yeah, luv?” he said softly, “How so?”

“I don’t know,” the human moaned, the soft strokes to his penis almost derailing his train of thought, “But I think… somehow… a part of me does remember you… remembers what you say we had. And every time we… touch…” He moaned again, his head tipping back with pleasure at the gentle touches. “I think… I’m remembering more each time we’re… close… and I WANT that and I’m… afraid of it… at the same… time…” He frowned as much as he could while Spike was touching him like that. “I know… it makes… no sense…”

Spike shook his head. “Makes perfect sense, luv… you want ta remember…” he stroked that hard, lovely shaft more slowly, “But you’re afraid you might be wrong an’ you’ll end up with nothin’.”

He leaned closer, his human’s hand letting him this time. His lips found the bloke’s earlobe and he nibbled at it gently before continuing the motion down the side of his Xander’s jaw to the point of his chin. “I’m goin’ ta make you a promise, Xan…” he said quietly but sincerely. “No matter what happens, I’m not goin’ away. I’m yours, luv… ta th’ end of time.”

Harris sighed softly and dipped his head just enough to meet Spike’s lips. “I… I really like the sound of that, Spike…”

“Right, then,” Spike said with a smile, pressing another soft, slow kiss to Xander’s lips. “Can we get ta th’ shaggin’ now?”

It was the deliberately suggestive eyebrow wiggle that had Harris laughing. His arms suddenly closed around the vampire’s slightly smaller form and he rolled them on the bed, grinning down into wide blue eyes. “Definitely, Spike,” he murmured, his body throbbing once again. “Just… tell me how you want me. I… anything.”

“What would you say,” Spike asked after a moment or three of staring deep into his beloved’s eye, “If I asked you ta… ride me at a gallop til my legs buckle an’ my eyes roll up?” That particular phrase had always been one of his favourites. He had no idea of whether Faith was still alive, but the chit had had a way with words.

Harris grinned, reaching for the tiny bottle Spike had brought back from the bathroom. “I’d say… that I’m gonna squeeze you til you pop… like warm champagne,” he admitted, “Among other things.”

Spike groaned, his eyes filling with golden sparks. “Bloody hell, luv… have at it, then.”

“That’s it, luv,” Spike whispered, “Loosen yourself up… you can see how big I am, pet… don’t want ta hurt you…”

Harris groaned softly, two of his fingers buried deep in his own ass as he lay beside Spike, his bottom pointed towards the other man’s face. “Don’t care… if you do… Spike… anything to… feel you…” he managed to say, his fingers angling a bit until he brushed that small nodule. He gasped, his body flexing slightly.

“No, Xan,” Spike admonished on a groan as he stroked himself in time with the bloke’s motions, “Don’t touch that. That’s my job… an’ I luv my job, mate…”

Hr groaned again, almost unable to keep his fingers from that spot, but… if that was what Spike wanted, that was what the vampire would get. “Gods… Spike… I want… so much…”

Spike’s throat worked once, twice, before he was able to speak again. “I know, beloved… but you need ta trust me. One more finger, Xan… want ta see it…” he groaned. His sac was already tight but he could hold on. His love was going to ride him and… if he sat up beneath him and offered his neck to the human, who was to know that he’d orchestrated it that way? Other than himself… and his Xander, when and if the bloke ever got his full memories back. As it was, Spike figured he was lucky the human remembered as much as he did. Could have been worse. MUCH worse.

Harris gasped, shivering slightly as he used a bit more of the surprisingly slick conditioner to coat his ring finger. He passed the bottle to Spike for safekeeping and keened softly as he tried to work that now-slick finger into his anus with the first two. “Gods… Spike, I… I don’t think it’ll…” he blushed.

The vampire sat up, placing one hand firmly on the young man’s stomach. “It will, Xan… seen it before, you know.” He smiled and wrapped the fingers of his other hand around his human’s cock, rubbing gently. “Fits a treat… just takes a bit of… effort,” he admitted, groaning as he watched. “Bloody hell…”

Harris gasped and groaned, doing his best. “I… I can’t…” He sobbed softly. “I wish… I could, but…”

Spike smiled a bit, leaning over further to kiss his love. “Pet… let me. Much as I luv watchin’ you do that… I think you’re tryin’ too hard.” He heard the soft squelching noise as Xander pulled his fingers out and smiled. “I’m bettin’ you just need ta be distracted, pet…”

Harris really hoped that was true. But it must be. If he’d had Spike inside him before, he must be able to stretch that far. He just couldn’t believe it somehow. Hell, it had been hard enough to take Elliot at first, and his best friend was a good inch shorter and probably half an inch less in diameter. And somehow thinking about Elliot right then was SO wrong. Harris shuddered and focused on Spike. “Di-distract me… then…”

Spike slicked up his own fingers, sliding them to Xander’s now vacant hole. As he slid the first two in, thanks to the loosening already done, his mouth skimmed down the human’s skin, lips finally wrapping around that seeping cock again. He chuckled silently, feeling his beloved arch into his mouth, and that was when he worked the third finger inside.

His fingers spread willfully and he let his tongue press hard against the thick vein, then the head of his love’s cock whenever the bloke started to squirm from something other than pleasure. Yeah… his Xan had just needed a bit of distraction.

The vampire redoubled his efforts as he let a fourth finger join the other three. He felt his Xan tense up and sucked harder, letting the hard nail bed of his little finger scrape across that nub within his claimed.

He felt Xander’s balls tightening and pulled his mouth from the blissful cock reluctantly, gazing at his beloved’s face. “How’s that feel, Xan…? Good?” His fingers writhed slowly within the stretched anus, avoiding that one spot again.

He was gonna die. He was totally gonna just die from denied orgasm. He could picture the autopsy report. ‘Cause of death: Orgasmus Interruptus’. “Fuck! Why’d you STOP?” he demanded, his body heaving with need.

Spike chuckled. “Because, luv… you’ve got FOUR fingers in your bum, an’ that’s enough ta let you ride me. Or would you rather just cum without?” It was an option, after all. Not that it would stop him from making love to his claimed, but…

Harris blushed again, hotly. “No!” he almost shouted. “Oh, Gods, NO! Want to… you… in me, and…”

“Hush, pet,” Spike smirked, lying back down against the bed. He pulled his fingers from his human’s ass and quickly slicked his cock with the other bottle of conditioner. “I’m right here, luv… an’ I can’t wait ta feel you swallowin’ me whole with that amazin’ ass of yours.” He nodded, one hand still rubbing the viscous cream-like substance up and down, up and down. “C’mon, Xan… been wantin’ this for… fuck, forever, even if it’s only been two soddin’ days. Still feels like forever, pet… please, luv… want ta feel you sinkin’ down on me, envelopin’ me in your tight heat… an’ you’re th’ tightest thing I’ve ever known—bloke OR chit! Even th’ virgins I took before the soul had nothin’ on you…”

Harris couldn’t decide whether to laugh or frown at the reminder of his vampire’s evil phase. In the end, he decided to do neither. That was then. This was… “Now,” he groaned, somehow managing to get up and turn before swinging his leg over the vampire’s groin. He positioned himself carefully, letting the slick head of that cool, hard cock find its way to his opening.

He shifted a bit more, just to be sure he was perched properly, then let his knees slide farther apart, Spike’s body between them as he sank down slowly, his eye going wide as the huge, swollen head pressed against his opening.

“Gods… Spike… I can’t…”

Strong, relentless hands gripped his hips, forcing the slow descent further. “You can, luv… know you can… here…” One hand released his hip, stroking slowly at his shaft.

Harris groaned, the burn still there but lessened by the skillful manipulation of his most sensitive organ. “Fuck!” he cried, pressing back. “Spike…”

Spike gasped, the sound echoed by his love as his thick head passed through that tight ring. He pulled the man down harder but still gently, reveling in every slow inch gained before releasing his Xan’s cock and lifting him again. “There, luv… I’m in. Not so bad, is it…?” He reversed the motion, sliding just a bit deeper this time, his cock rubbing hard against that hidden nodule.

Harris’s eye rolled back. He could barely even think, he was so full of Spike. It felt… familiar. Right. Still, he couldn’t ignore that voice. He gathered breath to speak only to lose it as Spike slid deeper. “Y-y-you… l-l-love me…” was all he could say as he fought the urge to cum long and hard, holding himself up solely with his hands pressed hard against the vampire’s chest.

“Ta th’ length an’ breadth of my bein’, luv… beyond th’ end of time an’ th’ end of th’ world,” he whispered, raising and lowering his Xan again and again until his beloved’s ass was resting flush against his base. “Bloody hell, luv… always feels deeper when you ride me…”

“Feels,” Harris said on a gasp, “Like you’re… Gods…! Like you’re buried… in… my… heart… my soul…” and something about those words seemed familiar, too. He groaned, not willing to lift himself yet. Instead he shifted his hips back and forth, groaning every time Spike’s cock rubbed hard against his prostate. “Oh, fuck… Spike… I… I love you… so much…”

Spike’s eyes were slitted, gazing at his beloved as the man rode him slowly home. “Remember that, do you?” he mumbled, his own hips shifting to increase the pressure against his claimed’s gland. “Or is this somethin’… new…?” he groaned low and deep, the shifting somehow just as exciting as the up and down had been. “I’m so deep in you, luv… so deep, so hard… can feel you tight around me, feel your body beggin’ for me, pet, beggin’ for more…”

His hands grasped Xander’s hips again, shifting him faster, his cock slamming back and forth inside that blissful hole. “Tell me, luv… tell me…” He rocked his hips back into the bed, then up HARD into his beloved as he sat up, wrapping his arms around Xander, his hands curving over the tops of his shoulders. “Tell me what you WANT, luv,” he demanded roughly.

“THIS!” Harris shouted, not caring if the people in the other rooms could hear him. “This,” he said again as his mouth found the scar on Spike’s neck and pierced flesh, a strong and happy moan springing from him as he tasted the vampire again… for the first time.

Spikes eyes flashed to gold in a moment, his teeth sharp and needy. He shifted slightly, his cock still buried deep in his Xan’s ass as his teeth struck home. He groaned wildly, sure he couldn’t hold back but willing to try. He would have warned his love but there was no way he was willing to pull away from his neck. Not now… not ever.

Harris felt the teeth in his skin and it felt… right. More than right, it felt… needed, desired, wished for. He moaned softly, still taking in the pure essence of SPIKE as he rocked harder, his sac tight and ready… but he wouldn’t cum. Not until his lover did. He could control himself THAT much, anyway.

Spike, on the other hand, couldn’t. He was tasting his beloved , and his Xan had his teeth in his NECK! His cock was planted in that hot, tight hole to the root and…

He growled low and deep, his hips thrusting up once, twice, three more times. Then once more as he shivered and exploded strong, hard shots of cum into his beloved’s perfect, clenching hole.

Harris gasped against Spike’s neck as he felt the slightly cool jism wash his insides. He rose up a bit then slammed himself down on the hard, pulsing cock, arching wildly as his own shaft swelled more then began shooting long ropes of semen over their chests messily. He didn’t care, though. He was too busy drinking… and being drank. He felt so… complete.

“Spike,” he moaned, his lips coated with salty-sweet blood. “Spike…”

The vampire growled, his cock throbbing within the hot velvet tightness. “Mine now, Xan,” he whispered, tongue lapping slowly at the reopened wound. “Mine forever, luv…”

And all Harris could do was nod, his hips rocking slowly on the still hard shaft. “Always,” he agreed, small flashes of memory coming to him like pictures seen for a split second before switching to a new image. His teeth returned to the pierced skin, taking in more of that thick rich fluid as the pictures flowed faster, finally forming a seamless whole.

“And you…” he mumbled against soft, pale skin, “You’re mine…”

“Yours… yeah, yours, luv… never goin’ ta be anyone else’s.”

“I know,” Harris whispered wonderingly, and he did know.

Elliot couldn’t help wondering exactly how and why his life had gotten so complicated.

One minute, he was in DC, wishing New York wasn’t so far away so he’d be able to see Trevor more. The next… his best friend was missing, he was in England of all places, and now… well, now he was going to the Watcher House with Robert, who apparently lived there.

That wasn’t the bad part, though. The bad part—the complicated part—was that he was going to see his new lover there while at the same time considering very seriously just how he could work things so he could have Robert, too.

He actually had no idea of how Trevor would feel about that, much less how he’d feel if he knew Elliot wanted the three of them to be together, if only for the duration of their stay.

And that was the other thing that was bothering him.

Aside from a very brief period of time a year or so before he’d even met Harris, much less gotten involved with him, Elliot had always been a one man kind of guy. He’d thrown himself into his relationships with abandon, loving quickly and completely, and for as long as it lasted he never so much as considered straying. And yet, here he was.

He frowned slightly, the three drinks not affecting him in the slightest.

Maybe it was because of how he’d been acting, he decided after a moment of thought. He’d reverted a bit, become the aggressor, and while he’d thought he’d left that part of him behind with his command, obviously he was mistaken. And maybe that was why he was looking at young Robert the way he was.

It was possible, he figured. Hell, probable, even. He’d dusted off a part of his personality that had been carefully buried and now that it was out… well, the Captain didn’t want to be shoved back in the closet, so to speak. That part of him had been as much a top as could be.

His frown became a bit deeper as Robert stopped his car and backed into a parking slot by the curb. He really WOULD have to tell Trevor some of his history. If only so the other man would understand why he… wanted… the young blond beside him. Robert was… well, he definitely wasn’t one to play Master.

Elliot sighed softly as he got out of the car and turned towards the house. “No time like the present,” he muttered, starting towards that large, somehow forbidding edifice.

* * * * *

Robert wondered whether Elliot knew that his face was very expressive, even when he was simply thinking. Of course, since the rapidly changing twitches and frowns had told him that Elliot was bothered about something, he figured it was a good thing. He only hoped it wasn’t him the older man was worried about.

As much as he envied him the attentions of Trevor, the last thing Robert would ever do would be to intentionally come between them. Unless it was in the literal sense, Robert told himself with a sly grin. That he wouldn’t mind even a little.

Unfortunately, it hardly seemed likely. The last time he’d seen Trevor, the tall, dark man had barely acknowledged his existence. He somehow doubted that would have changed.

Still, it was a nice dream. He figured he’d have hours of truly explosive fantasies just thinking about all the things the three of them might have gotten up to together. Not quite as good as he suspected the real thing would have been, but… it could be worse.

He smiled to himself, then grabbed Elliot’s shoulder and pulled him towards a small, nearly hidden doorway. “Collins hates answering the front door after midnight,” he explained as he fit his key into the lock. “I always find it best not to annoy him too much. He tends to find the worst jobs for me when I do.” He winked.

Elliot chuckled softly and followed the other blond inside. “Collins… that’s the butler you told me about, right?”

Robert snorted softly. “Hah. He only pretends to be a servant. I’m approximately ninety-nine percent certain that he actually runs this place.” He grinned playfully and started for the foyer. “You can hang your jacket in there,” he said, pointing to the front closet, “And then I’ll take you to your… to Trevor. He probably has his old room.”

It was only the slightest shade of a tone, but Elliot was sure he heard… regret in Robert’s voice. He frowned and slipped out of his jacket then put it on a hanger and closed the closet door. “Robert,” he said softly, “What’s wrong?”

The young man shrugged and turned away. “I enjoyed talking with you, among other things. But now the evening’s over and it’s time to return you to your… lover,” he said after a moment. “And there’s nothing wrong with that, Elliot. It’s just the way it is.”

Elliot sighed softly. “Robert,” he said, reaching out to take the blond’s shoulder, “Please. Don’t think that I don’t… I mean, you know I would…” He sighed again. “It’s difficult.”

Robert nodded and looked at the older man. He forced a smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Don’t worry about it, Elliot. I’m hardly new enough to all of this that I take a few kisses, nice as they were, and a grope or two as a commitment, you know? It would have been nice to spend more time with you, of course, but… let’s just say that I won’t be joining a monastery any time soon. My heart’s not entirely broken.” He winked, the truth of his own words making him lighten up. “Now, come on. You’ve got a stunning slice of tall, dark and tasty to say hello to, among other things.”

Elliot couldn’t help laughing at how mercurial the other man was. “Wow,” he grinned, letting go of Robert’s shoulder, “You give a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘bounce back’, don’t you?”

“What can I say?” Robert chuckled, leading the other man around a corner, “It’s a gift… OOOF!” He stopped suddenly, finding himself pressed fully against Trevor’s tall, dark form.

“Hey!” Elliot said loudly as he turned the corner as well and ran directly into Robert’s back. “What the…” He blinked, seeing Trevor looking very smug. “Trev… hi,” he said, blushing brightly as he wondered just how much his boyfriend had heard. “I was just coming to… find you…”

Trevor smiled, arching a brow at his lover. “Were you. Because it sounded an awful lot like you were trying to talk yourself out of having a go at young… Robert, is it?… young Robert, here.” He wasn’t sure of why he was acting like he didn’t remember the young blond. Of course he did. Hell, even after six years he’d remembered him well enough to point him out on the street to Elliot and Spike. The child Robert had been when he'd first met him had held a coltish grace that fairly promised to burst into something rich and appealing.

It was a promise that had been completely kept, he couldn’t help admitting to himself.

Elliot’s intensified blush made Trevor smile even more. He wanted to feel badly for teasing Elliot about the young man, but he just couldn’t. He and Elliot were going to have to have a talk later, he knew, but first…

“It’s good that you’re back. You have no idea of what’s been happening.” He stepped back a little and looked at Robert. “Mr. Giles has been trying to reach you for hours. He must have left at least twenty messages.”

Robert frowned and dug his cell from his pocket. “Bloody hell. Battery’s dead.”

“And I had mine on vibrate, but the music was so loud, I…” Elliot figured he looked like a ripe tomato by then, his face felt so hot and red.

“Yeah, well. Where’s Harris?” Trevor demanded, looking around the corner for the other man, “And where’s Sp… Will?”

Elliot grinned hugely. “Well, if they’re not here, then I’m guessing a hotel if the heat they were giving off is any indication.”

And that was either very good or very bad, Trevor decided. He just didn’t know which.

“Okay. Fine. Nothing to do about it now. Unless you know which hotel?” He arched his brow again, sighing when the men both shook their heads. “You two are coming to Mr. Giles’s library and you’re going to tell us exactly what’s happened since you left. Maybe Andrew will have some idea of what to do next, seeing as we don’t have either claimed or claimant on hand. Now, come on.” He turned and headed down the hall, taking the route he still remembered from six years earlier.

Elliot and Robert exchanged one confused look before following the taller man. Apparently a lot more was going on than either of them had any clue about.

“Mmmm…” Harris moaned happily, his face buried in the side of Spike’s neck, “To paraphrase… someone… ‘this is the summer of my content…”

Spike chuckled softly, arching his neck as his human’s tongue swept softly over the healed bite there. “Yeah, pet… an’ it’s always goin’ ta be summer for us. Always hot an’ steamy, sweat drippin’ an’ makin’ you shimmer…” He purred, his arms wrapped around Xander’s back holding him gently but firmly. His hips shifted slightly, moving his cock within his beloved. “Told you I’d fit, luv,” he said smugly, chuckling again.

Harris laughed softly, squeezing that perfect hardness within him. “You did,” he groaned softly. “Gods, Spike, I can’t believe you’re still hard! Fuck, you came… twice!”

The blond smirked wickedly, doing his best not to moan at the tight grasp of his human’s anus. “ ‘s a vampire thing, luv… not goin’ ta let myself go soft til I know you’re done for th’ night. Figure two, three more shags are goin’ ta do it.”

The human groaned again, easing up on his vampire. “Do what? Kill me? Because I have no doubt that’s what’d happen. Shagged to death by William the Bloody.” He let out a happy sigh. “But what a way to go… I’d have the biggest smile on my face that anyone ever saw. All they’d be able to say was ‘but he looks so HAPPY… how can he be dead? And whatever killed him? Let me know’.” He grinned against the soft skin. “You’d have a definite future in assisted suicide, babe.”

Spike laughed for a few moments, his hands stroking up and down his Xan’s back. His thighs supported the younger man, holding him in place by the simple expedient of having his knees bent below the spot where they were joined, the soles of his feet flat on the bed. “ Never said you were goin’ ta be th’ shagee, did I?” he purred suggestively, chuckling even more when he felt his Xander’s cock stir between them.

“Fuck.” It was almost a whimper, but not quite. In fact, it was accompanied by a small, sharp nip at his vampire’s neck. “I… I remember that, Spike. That first… OUR first night. You… Gods. You let me have you… even before you had me, and… fuck, Spike, you were so…” Harris released a shuddering breath.

“You remember,” Spike echoed, “Really…? I mean, you REMEMBER…”

Harris nodded slowly, tasting his own sweat on his lover’s skin. “I… yeah. But it’s not as… immediate as most… memories. I know it happened. I can see it in my… in my mind. I can even FEEL it. But it’s like… it’s like I’m one step away from it, if that… makes any sense…”

The vampire moaned, using the leverage of his feet against the bed to raise his hips, his cock twitching deeper into his love. “ ‘s more than I’d hoped ta have, Xan,” he admitted, his eyes closing as he felt that blissful hole tighten around him again. “Just knowin’ you know… what we had, what we WERE…” Spike swallowed hard to clear the lump in his throat. “What we will be again,” he said determinedly.

The human nodded and lifted his head. “I know that I’ve loved you for years, Spike… I know that when you… died… when I saw you burn, it…” He felt his eye leaking slow, fat tears. “That was the first time I ever really… thought about why I’d been so mean to you before the soul… and even after it, some. And it wasn’t because you were a vampire, or because you were once evil… and still can be at times…” He moaned, raising his hips a good six inches before sinking back onto Spike’s shaft.

“W-why, luv,” Spike whispered, his eyes opening to meet his Xander’s gaze. “What was it, then…?”

“I… wanted you,” Harris moaned softly, shifting back and forth gently. “I saw you giving your heart away… first to Dru even after she betrayed you time and time again, then to Buffy, and… I wanted it to be… me you loved.” He blushed. “I just couldn’t… admit it… not back then. If I wanted a man… male… then that meant… I… wasn’t one…” He groaned loudly. “You’d need to know my Dad to understand…”

The vampire snorted, even as he tried not to roll them and slam harder and deeper into his beloved’s ass. “Met th’ git a time or two, if you’ll recall. Pissant wanker had himself a good number of blokes on th’ side, you know. Could smell them on him when he came home drunk, which was more often than not.”

The human frowned slightly. The old man really had been drunk a lot. “Maybe that’s why he was such a prick. Fighting his true nature.”

Spike growled. “No excuse for the way he treated you, luv… should have made him more open-minded, not less. An’ if we keep talkin’ about the git, I’m goin’ ta lose interest in what we’re doin’. Just lettin’ you know, pet. Can’t talk about him and enjoy doin’ anythin’ other than imaginin’ rippin’ his innards out.”

And for some reason, knowing that Spike wanted to maim and kill his father gave Harris warm fuzzy feelings. In fact, if the shit hadn’t died in Sunnydale, he might have offered to help.

Instead of voicing that reaction, Harris chuckled softly and leaned down, kissing the vampire roughly. “Right. No more talking. Or not about that.” He leered suggestively. “You said something about me not being the shagee…?” he asked, his cock throbbing hard all of a sudden as it swelled fully.

Spike groaned, his own shaft getting harder still from the kiss alone. “Yeah, luv… miss feelin’ you in me. Need that. I can wait if you’re too tired, but…”

“No.” Harris kissed him again. “For some reason I’m not tired at all.” He grinned, trying not to gasp as he lifted himself from Spike’s spike. He lay down beside the other man, one hand rubbing lightly over tight little nipples, soft, twitching torso, then that tight abdomen to stroke lightly at the now warm cock that had been within him for hours. “Uh, do we have any of that…”

The vampire had never moved faster than he did in finding and passing his beloved the remaining half bottle of conditioner. “Remember, luv,” he growled softly as his human stroked him, “You don’t need ta be TOO gentle.

The human smiled, releasing Spike’s cock to open the bottle and shake a bit out into his hand. “Maybe not, babe,” he whispered, “But I want to be. We can do rough and hard later, okay?”

And the promise alone had Spike shivering as he felt those strong, thick fingers dip between his raised legs. “W-wait a tick, luv,” he whispered, “Need ta…” His hand slid down, finding the small base of the gel plug he’d been wearing since his human had left New York. He’d gotten used to it, really.

Harris blinked as Spike pulled the device from his rectum, his brow arching at the four inch length and inch and a half or so diameter at the base. “I am SO not that small, babe,” he complained, looking from the item to his ready shaft, comparing the two. “I think I’m insulted.”

The vampire chuckled and dropped the offending tool off the side of the bed. “Don’t be, pet,” he grinned. “Just… remember how you were all worried about hurtin’ me that first time an’… since you were goin’ ta be away for two soddin’ days, I figured it’d be best ta keep myself… loose enough that you wouldn’t have ta worry again. Hope you don’t mind…”

Warm lips pressed roughly against cooler ones and Harris grinned. “That’s my Spike… always the romantic.” His cream-slicked fingers delved again between strong, pale thighs, brushing lightly over the softly furred sac. “You know,” he groaned, two fingers slipping into the stretched passage easily, “Maybe we should get me one of those… for later.”

“ ‘s already… on… my list, luv,” Spike growled, his hips arching against the bed, trying to pull those fingers deeper. “Not that you’re…” he groaned, “Goin’ ta need it for a while…. Not lettin’ you… out of bed for… at least… a… week… Yeah, luv! Right there!”

The brunette smiled and groaned again as he slid a third finger in to join the first two, pressing against that hard little gland slowly. “Mmmm…” he whispered, leaning over to kiss his vampire again, harder. “In bed with you for a week? I’m petrified. What are you gonna threaten me with next? Enforced tongue baths?” he murmured teasingly against those lips before losing the ability to speak as tongues stroked and writhed, lips were nibbled, and finally, finally, bodies shifted, entering and being entered almost one and the same thing to them both.

“Okay,” Willow said quickly as she strode into Giles’s library office, “This is the best I can do, and trust me when I say it won’t be easy.” Her hair was tucked up into a messy bun on top of her head, six assorted pens and pencils holding it there. “I had to call Dawnie. She’s got the really GOOD spell books. No offense, Giles, but what you’ve got here is kinda… simplistic. Oh, Faith and Robin say hi, by the way…. And Faith wants to know what the HELL we were thinking.”

She blushed and gave them all a guilty gaze. “There just aren’t enough cookies in the world. So anyway…”

Green eyes dropped to the pad of paper in her hand. “Okay. The spell itself isn’t that hard. I could probably do it in like… three seconds. But the problem is… the other spell.”

Giles arched his brow slightly, trying not to smile at the sudden influx of Willow-speak. He’d truly missed the girl, although he understood that her responsibilities in South America kept her quite busy. He sincerely doubted that she would have even been in London had Xander not been involved. “O-other spell?” he said quietly, “Which other spell are you referring to exactly?”

Willow sighed and darted a quick look at Buffy, knowing this was going to make her friend feel even worse. “Um… it turns out we CAN break the crystal from a distance, but… there’s a problem.”

“You already said that, Maiden-Crone,” Trevor gritted out impatiently. He’d been watching the way Elliot and young Robert had been trying NOT to look at each other and he’d be damned if he didn’t want to get himself and his lover OUT of there. They still needed to talk and until they did, Trevor just knew he’d be… Oh, fuck. He was jealous over the interest Elliot had in the younger man. It was a new and entirely unpleasant sensation.

“I know, I know,” Willow answered quickly. “But here’s the thing. Um, without knowing WHERE the crystal is, the breaking spell would have to be spread out over all of London, just to be sure we got it. And unfortunately the spell’s not focused enough to target just that ONE crystal. So basically, if I do it, um…”

Giles groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, suddenly regretting having gotten contacts a few years earlier. At least then he could have blamed the sudden headache on his glasses. “You’re telling us that… every piece of crystal in the entire city of London will… what? Shatter?”

The redhead blushed just as much as Buffy did. “More like explode, Giles… um, violently.” She looked at her scribbled words again. “Um, that includes anything of a crystalline structure… like gems. Certain types of glass. Um… well, you get the idea.”

Andrew winced as he imagined the chandelier in the main foyer with its thousands of crystal prism exploding. “That would be bad,” he said, deliberately understating the obvious.

Elliot sighed. Harris’s friends were the wordiest bunch of people he’d ever come across. All talk, talk, talk and very little action. “Duh,” he said loudly, his eyes sweeping them all. “Look we can stand here and pussyfoot around for what’s left of the night and on into morning if that’s what you guys want, but frankly, I’m getting really bored.” He nodded sharply and looked at the witch. “It’s Willow, right?”

She nodded quickly, her eyes wide. It had been ages since anyone had dared to interrupt her, or at least anyone who hadn’t known her for years. It was… refreshing, actually.

“Good. I’m Elliot. Harris’s friend. And Trevor’s…” he glanced at the tall brunette. “Well, we’re still working that out but I think boyfriend would be the appropriate term for now. You mentioned another spell. What is it, how does it work and how will it bypass the hazards of the one you’ve been talking about? I don’t understand much about what you do, so make it simple. All I know about witches is what I’ve read and since I’m in publishing I know to take that with at least a bucket of salt.”

Trevor caught Robert’s quick but soft gasp and cocked his head, seeing the way the young man was looking at Elliot. Oh… that explained a lot. Yet another thing he and El had to talk about. Still, “Elliot’s right, Maiden-Crone. We need to cut to the chase, here. The longer Harris goes without his memories…”

Willow sighed and put her pad down. “We need to find a locator spell so we can figure out a general vicinity for the crystal. If we can narrow it down some, then the reaction will be less… severe. The difficult part is… we’d need a part of the crystal and I don’t see how that’s possible.”

Giles pinched the bridge of his nose harder, sure his head was going to explode. “So what you’re telling us, Willow, is that we need to have the crystal in order to FIND the crystal. That’s just… bloody wonderful!”

The witch blushed again. “That’s the part I’m still working on,” she admitted sheepishly.

Elliot felt something niggling at the back of his brain. An idea was starting to form there; he could tell. But it was taking its own sweet time. He frowned internally, trying to hurry it along, but considering the oddness of the current situation, he had a feeling it was going to move at its own pace. Of course, then his lover started freaking and he forgot all about it.

“Fuck…” Trevor chanted, “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!” He glared at the redhead and the Slayer. “You two have no idea of what you’ve done! They were meant to be together! Events would have unfolded in a SPECIFIC order that would have affected the entire WORLD because of them and now you’ve completely FUCKED IT UP!” He snarled loudly, as close at he could get to the roar he’d lost. He stalked the room in a broad circuit, unable to stop either mouth or feet.

“If Harris doesn’t REMEMBER, the whole time line is SCREWED! Do you even begin to understand what that MEANS? The world could descend into disorder and chaos, and all because you two… GIRLS, and I’m being kind with that word… decided that it was your RIGHT to kidnap someone you call FRIEND and try to change him to suit your desires!”

He glared more hotly at the two women in question. “You must be the most SELFISH, self-centered BITCHES in HISTORY!” He was panting hard and still striding angrily when the Elder Watcher’s hand fell hard on his shoulder and he found himself pulled around to stare into eyes bordering on Ripper-hood.

“Trevor,” Giles grated out slowly, desperately trying to hold his temper, “I understand that you’re worried about your own redemption but the girls were only doing what they thought was best for Xander. And if you don’t check your… attitude, I will be forced to check it for you. If you’ll recall, you didn’t particularly enjoy that the last time.”

Trevor’s laugh was bitter, his eyes locked intently on the other man’s. “You think I’m worried about myself?” He laughed again, sounding a bit lost. “I’m not, Rupert. I wasn’t being dramatic! Harris HAS to remember! We HAVE to get him back on track! If we don’t… and this is no exaggeration… we might lose. Humans. Benevolent demons. Witches and Slayers… and Watchers! Or have you forgotten the words that brought me to you, Rupert?”

While the others looked on in thorough confusion, Giles’s brow furrowed. The dangerous gleam in his eyes faded and he whispered softly, his voice joined by Trevor’s.

While the others looked on in thorough confusion, Giles’s brow furrowed. The dangerous gleam in his eyes faded and he whispered softly, his voice joined by Trevor’s.

“The Seer still seeing and bound to Death
Shall hold the line ‘gainst all the rest
Death denied may turn the tide
Lest Seer and Death be let abide…

Separate and yearning they shan’t last long
Only together may they be strong
To interfere is madness, to separate insane
For only when joined may the light remain.”

Giles blinked, gripping the other man’s shoulder a little less tightly. “And you think this… verse… refers to Xander… and Spike? I had thought… perhaps Cordelia, because she WAS a Seer… and she died… I thought it was perhaps an admonishment not to try bringing her back…”

Trevor frowned. “That… never even occurred to me. Mostly because Cordelia was already gone by the time I…” he stopped, suddenly remembering that there were people in the room who didn’t know who and what he was— or had been.

“But I think you’re wrong about that,” he went on. “The… thing in LA. That was after Cordy died. I didn’t really know her, of course, but… she was A Seer, Giles. Not THE Seer.” He frowned more deeply. “Besides, I think we mistranslated that part. I’ve been studying it, trying to remember. I don’t think it was ‘Seer’ at all. It was more like… ‘Seeing One’ or ‘the One Who Sees’.” Trevor shrugged. “Not sure of how that applies to Harris, but… it probably does somehow.”

“Oh! OH!” Buffy jumped up, thrilled to finally have something to contribute. “I know this one! That guy… evil priest guy… Caleb! He called Xander that right before he… gouged his eye out! And can I just say eww? SO not something I ever wanted to witness! But he did. He was all ‘you’re the one who sees’ and then he even got all ‘let’s see how much you see now’… or something like that… right before he… did it.” She nodded sharply, her mouth still twisted into a moue of distaste.

“Fine,” Robert broke in. “So Harris is this Seer… sorry, Seeing One. Got that. One question, though.” He leaned back against a bookcase, finally able to pull his eyes away from Elliot’s form. “How does this help us break the crystal?”

Willow sighed softly. “It doesn’t. I just… I don’t see any way around it. We can’t find the crystal without a part of it and we just don’t HAVE one.”

Andrew frowned too, trying to force himself to relax in the wingback chair. “Well, we’ll figure something out, Willow. We don’t have a whole lot of choice, right? Especially considering this new info.”

And that was when the idea Elliot had felt forming clicked into place. “Wait!” he cried out, blushing a bit at his own volume. “Wait,” he said a bit more softly. “Willow… you said you could find the crystal if you had a part of it. Is that true or could it be something that was ONCE a part of it? Maybe not an actual part, but… associated with it?”

The witch looked confused. “What…? I… isn’t that the same thing?”

“Not necessarily,” Elliot replied quickly, his eyes starting to sparkle just a bit with hope. “Just… answer the question. Please,” he begged as her face shut down slightly, “It’s important. I promise.”

Willow shrugged. “I guess if something was a part of it at one time it would work for the locating spell…”

“So… if the crystal is in a box… what about the box? Can you do the locator thing on IT? Because I’m thinking… it was a gift, right? And usually when someone gives a gift, there’s a card… and the card is a PART of the gift, right?” He could feel himself starting to grin as he shifted his gaze to the Slayer. “Trevor told me… Buffy, didn’t Harris send you the box for your birthday? Did you keep the card or anything? Even the wrapping paper or the ribbon… or the box the box was in? Would that work, Willow?” he demanded, still hopeful. “Because I’m thinking… if we find the box, then we find the crystal inside it.”

The redhead blinked once, then once more. “Shit. Trevor, your boyfriend’s a genius! Buffy, you ALWAYS keep cards and stuff! This could actually WORK!” She grinned, almost breaking into her own personal snoopy dance.

And all Trevor could see in that moment was Elliot. He shook off Giles’s hand on his shoulder and crossed the room, completely forgetting that there was anyone else there.

“Elliot,” he said softly, one hand rising to cup the back of the blond’s neck while the other found his hip, “You may have just saved the future…”

Elliot blushed slightly at the look is his lover’s eyes. “Always glad to help,” he said just as softly, the words barely making it past his lips before those same lips were fully occupied with a slow, deep kiss.

Robert sighed softly but smiled, too. They looked good together. “I think we’ve lost them for now, everyone.” He moved closer to the large table at one end of the library and took his usual seat.

The others joined him, leaving Elliot and Trevor in their clench on the other side of the library. And if Robert looked that way more often than not, nobody chose to comment on it.

“So…” Giles said carefully, “The card?”

Buffy nodded quickly. “I kept it, of course. It’s in my special Scooby Scrap Book. Unfortunately, that’s at my place in Rome.”

Giles frowned for a moment before smiling. “Well, we’ll have to hope that a few more hours won’t skew things too much.” He stood and moved to his desk, dialing a number he’d used only once before.

“Yes, Rupert here. I need an item retrieved immediately.” He paused for a moment. “Rome. The Slayer’s apartment.”

He looked over at the table. “Where is the book exactly, Buffy?”

The blond blushed slightly. “Uh, it’s in the big pink box with Barney and Friends on it… under the Rainbow Brite blanket. Uh, the Scrap Book has the original Scooby gang on the cover. From the cartoons.”

Giles passed on the information, trying not to chuckle.

“No… I’m afraid twenty-four hours is unacceptable. This is a very urgent matter. If it weren’t, I would have called someone else.”

“Yes,” he said quietly, agreeing to the terms, “That isn’t unreasonable. I’ll see to it. Yes, the funds will be transferred upon receipt of the item.”

He sighed. “Fine. Half now. It will be in your account within the hour. Thank you, Nina.”

“It’s taken care of,” he announced after hanging up the phone. “We should have the book within twelve hours.” He looked at the clock. “And seeing as it’s quite late, children, I recommend that you all seek your beds. We shall convene back here once the item has arrived.”

“Oh, and Buffy,” he said as the girl stood and started for the door, “Perhaps you might advise the girls that the bathtub is not an appropriate place to test the scuba diving equipment. Collins is becoming quite distressed by the amount of water on the stairs due to their… efforts.”

Buffy groaned. “Oh… shit. I guess I’m waxing the floors tomorrow, huh?”

“Only if you’re lucky, child. Collins is becoming QUITE distressed.”

Giles smiled as the young woman left, an entirely unhappy look on her face.

He briefly considered leaving Trevor and Elliot where they were, but finally decided that he’d rather not have to imagine what they might have gotten up to on his furniture for the rest of his life. “You two,” he said, hands touching their shoulders as he passed them, “I know you have a room. Use it. The library is closed for the night.”

He chuckled softly as the two wandered out, still entirely in their own world. Then he followed, closing the door firmly behind him. “Ah, young love,” he murmured, remembering days long past when the soft sigh of a lover would have had him trembling, as well.

Fortunately, he was past all that for the most part, but he still remembered it fondly.

Harris came as close to purring as a human could get as he stretched on the bed. His entire body was sore, but in the best possible ways. He felt… like he’d been rode hard, rubbed down and put away damp, but not wet. Then again, that was pretty much what had happened, aside from the being rode part. He’d done plenty of riding, though.

His arms spread as wide as his smile as he tried to reach the long, sleek form of his vampire and he frowned, finding only empty mattress. A puzzled frown crossed his lips and he forced himself to open his eye.

He almost panicked for a moment but then he saw the note Spike had left him.

~Beloved Pet…

It’s bloody overcast today. Enough for me to run a few errands… pick up some supplies. If you wake up before I get back, just think of me, and you’ll feel me.

Won’t be long. Just a couple hours.

Don’t think I could stand to be away from you for longer than that, anyway; not after I just found you again.

Order yourself something from room service, love. As long as you’re awake, you might as well eat, right? Can’t have you getting all thin and anorexic. Love you just as you are.

But save room for dessert, Xan… got something long and cool and hard for you, pet. It’s a treat nobody but you gets to have. Ever again.

Should be back by noon, love. And if you’re not awake yet, I’ll just tear up this note.

Don’t want you thinking I’m a great sodding ponce, but I couldn’t stand it if you woke up alone and thought I’d left you.

Love you, Xan. You ARE my better half.

All of me,

Your Spike… YOURS~

Harris smiled, something about the awkward words touching him deep in his heart. Spike was so very good at talking to him, but apparently when he tried to write, he… over-thought, maybe.

Whatever it was, it was endearing.

He folded the note as he got out of the bed and moved into the living room area of the suite to slide it deep into his pants pocket before returning to the bedroom.

Harris picked up the phone and dialed the front desk. “Yeah, uh… can you connect me with room service? I don’t have the menu handy.”

“Of course, Mr. Angelicus… just a moment. And I can heartily recommend the salmon. It’s flown in daily from Scotland.”

Harris’s brow arched at being called Mr. Angelicus, but he didn’t really care. It was better than being Mr. The Bloody, he figured.

A smile crossed his lips at the fact that he was thinking of himself as Spike’s spouse. Hell, it was far too soon to even be considering something like that, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want it.

He cleared his throat as the call transfer was answered and he ordered a very rare steak and two servings of sautéed spinach. He had a feeling he’d need the iron soon, if he didn’t already.

Fortunately for Harris’s peace of mind, the room service staff was very discrete and he got not even a raised eyebrow when he collected his meal at the door clad in nothing but a towel. He wheeled the cart inside himself and sat down, devouring the food like he hadn’t eaten in days… and he supposed he hadn’t. It was amazing that he hadn’t even noticed.

He almost called down to order another helping but then he remembered what Spike had written. “Oh, yeah,” he grinned as he pushed the cart away and stood, “I’m definitely saving room for that dessert.”

That was when he remembered the other part of the note. He moved back to the bedroom and lay down, un-tucking the towel from around him as he thought about his Spike.

Suddenly he felt a… sense… of the vampire. Almost like Spike was in the next room and moving about giving off small sounds to announce his presence.

Harris gasped, the scar on his neck tingling as he let one hand wrap lightly around his own cock.

“Spike,” he murmured, sure he was imagining it, “Gods, babe… get back soon…” Even the imagined sense of his lover was exciting.

He continued to stroke himself, not too hard and not too soft. Just enough pressure to ensure that whenever his vampire DID get back, Harris would be there, ready, willing and able.

“Gods,” he whispered to the empty room, “Love you so much, Spike… love you…” His free hand pressed lightly against the mark on his neck, rubbing and worrying at it gently. He could almost feel Spike’s lips there… teasing, taunting, laving softly… or harshly. Either way was good.

He wasn’t sure of what time Spike had left but he probably had a good hour or so left, and that was more than enough time to give his head a rest from the patch.

He moved his hand from his neck and shoved the eye patch up over the top of his head, letting it rest on the pillow behind him before returning to the prior soft touches. His eye closed and he didn’t even notice it when he drifted off, one hand still on his neck, the other wrapped loosely around his cock, which was how Spike found him less than twenty minutes later.

He’d felt his claimed when he’d opened the link. Felt his desire to be touched, to be held… felt his love swirling over him.

It had been all Spike could do to grab the last few items he was in the store for and have them rung up.

By the time the credit card had gone through and the slip was offered for his signature, the vampire had been all but vibrating to get back to the hotel.

He sincerely hoped his beloved had eaten because he was going to need his strength.

“Back ta th’ hotel,” he ordered the limo driver, relaxing as much as he could with the sensation of his Xan wanting him, missing him. It was lucky that the hotel had had a car and driver available, he knew. Then again, he’d hired their most expensive honeymoon suite for two weeks, so he got some perks. And it was a good thing because neither he nor his claimed had crossed the pond with more than the clothes on their backs.

So he’d bought them both some things to wear, his eye more geared towards what he’d want to see his beloved in than what his Xan might get for himself, but that was fine. He had a feeling he could talk the younger man into just about anything if he set his mind to it.

Of course, his claimed could also manipulate him with just one obviously fake frown, so they were on even ground. It was the first time Spike had ever had a relationship where he was neither the whip-er nor the whip-ee, and it was… Well, he didn’t know what, but he wasn’t going to lose it. He couldn’t, after all. Claimed was Claimed, and Claimed was forever.

One long-fingered elegant hand dipped into the bag from the store he’d just left, stroking over the packaging of one of the many items there. He smiled wickedly, wanting to introduce his beloved to some new things. Apparently his claimed had been a bit less adventurous than he’d thought, judging by his reaction to the butt-plug Spike had removed from himself the night before.

It was time to change that.

He focused on the sensations he could feel from his love, then sighed softly when he realized the man was falling asleep.

That was okay, though… just meant he could wake his Xan in the best possible way… again. And he even had four bottles of differently flavoured self-heating lubricants. Those should last them a day or two, Spike figured.

* * * * *

He waited just long enough to go through the shopping bags and put the bags of blood in the mini fridge. Most of the things he’d bought stayed where they were, the only exception being the shopping bag from the last store.

Even that bag ended up on the floor, though, when he stepped into the bedroom and saw his claimed laying there asleep. He hadn’t ever seen his Xan without the eye patch. Not since the same night that bastard had taken the eye to begin with and Spike figured that didn’t count.

He found himself perched on the side of the bed facing the bloke, one hand reaching out to stroke soft fingers against skin. A small smile creased his lips when he saw the tan lines from patch and strap, only to fade as he noticed the slightly red irritation, as well.

Then again, he figured his human didn’t usually sleep with the thing on. He’d probably only been doing it when he was with Spike and… that bothered him. How could his love think he’d care about a little thing like a missing eye? That was such a minor thing to him that he hadn’t even considered it as an issue, but obviously it was.

Spike frowned deeply, even as he pulled his hand back and stood, quickly shedding his clothes before sliding carefully back into the bed. He lay on his side, propping his head up with one hand as the other stroked slowly up and down Xander’s torso, ghosting over small, tightening nipples and smooth, tanned flesh.

His head dipped, lips pressing lightly to the lid of the good eye before moving to his beloved’s forehead. He traced the pale, pink-edged line within the tan slowly with his tongue, hoping to sooth both the irritation and his love’s spirit as he followed that mark to the other eye. “Love you, pet,” he whispered, his top leg covering Xander’s closer one as he pressed himself closer to the human.

* * * * *

It was a perfect transition from sleeping to wakefulness. Spike was back, and was beside him… Harris would have purred if he’d known how, but as he couldn’t, he simply mumbled softly and contentedly for a moment. Until he felt the soft, cool lips against his empty socket.

“Gods, I… I’m sorry, I…” His hand searched the pillows frantically, trying to find the missing eye patch. “You don’t have to… don’t, Spike, please!”

“Hush… hush, luv,” Spike murmured, “Want to, don’t I?” He laid a gentle kiss on the lid covering the empty socket, his arm and leg holding the man’s body still when he would have moved away. “Xander… pet… stop, luv. Don’t… don’t do this…” It took a bare moment to shift himself, laying fully atop his beloved and staring into his face. “Don’t you get it, Xan? Doesn’t matter ta me. Luv you. YOU. An’ that’s more than just your outsides, alright?”

Xander swallowed hard, still wanting his eye patch back. “Spike…” he tried to say, his voice choked and trembling.

The vampire smiled softly and shook his head. “Luv… if this is goin’ ta work, you need ta accept that there’s nothin’ about you that isn’t perfect ta me.” He lowered his lips the scant few inches, placing soft, wet kisses around the empty socket. “Know how you lost this, pet. Was there, wasn’t I?” His hands moved to hold his human’s head gently. “Don’t know why you’re shamed by it, though. It was war, yeah?”

Spike sighed as his love’s good eye closed. “Xan… that git tossed me AN’ th’ bloody Slayer about like soddin’ feathers in a strong wind. Killed more than one of th’ chits. He was bloody well STRONG… nothin’ you could have done other than die, what with bein’ just human an’ all.” He growled at the idea, then kissed the young man’s lips harshly. “But you didn’t, luv,” he continued after a moment, “You lost an eye but you lived, pet! An’ knowin’… how an’ why you lost it just makes you that much more stunnin’ ta me…”

Harris wanted to believe it. He really, really wanted to. But this was different from that man Collins seeing him like this. This was SPIKE and… Gods, he knew what he looked like without the patch on. He couldn’t imagine anyone as gorgeous as the vampire wanting to look at that… ugliness. His head shook despairingly. “I… I’m not, Spike. I… maybe if I’d never… met Caleb, I could have turned into someone… stunning for you, but… like this? I’m… fuck, Spike. I’m damaged goods and you know it.” He sighed softly. “I… I need my patch, Spike. It makes me more…”

The vampire growled again, his fingers digging into his human’s skull angrily. “You’re wrong,” he grated, “Told you before, precious. Luved you after the eye was gone. Luved you every minute of every day after I came back. Would have come for you if I’d had any thought that you could still be alive, even knowin’ you could never want a demon like me, even with a soul of my very own.”

“But… Gods! I DO want you, Spike! You’re… YOU! And I don’t care about the whole demon thing, you KNOW I don’t! It’s just… it’s a part of you and if you weren’t a vampire, I never would have known you, never would have had the chance to LOVE you, and…” his voice trailed off as he opened his eye and saw Spike nodding, a smug smile on his lips. “And… that’s exactly your point, isn’t it?”

White blond hair shone softly in the dim light of the room. “You see, luv? Knew you were a right smart bloke,” he said softly, dropping his lips to caress the younger man’s face, returning again and again to the socket in question. “Never would have seen you, luv, known what you had inside you—your strength, your courage… your great heart—if you hadn’t shown everyone once that eye was gone. I don’t see it as makin’ you ‘damaged goods’, Xander. I only see it as… makin’ you mine.”

And the voice was so sincere… so full of love and need and such a desire to make him understand, that all Harris could do was swallow hard. He gave his love a shaky smile and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him down hard to his chest. “I… Gods, Spike. I wish I could promise to always believe that. I mean, right now I believe it because you said it so… well, but…”

The vampire chuckled quietly, rubbing his cheek against his claimed’s shoulder. “ ‘s alright, beloved… I’ll just have ta make a point of remindin’ you whenever you need it.” He purred softly, shifting his hips against his Xan’s, soft shafts rubbing gently against each other and growing harder by the moment. “Just never stop believin’ I luv you, right? Not again. Anythin’ else, we can deal with.”

Harris moaned softly, his hands sliding firmly up and down the long, sensual spine. “Yeah, I… that I can promise you, babe… I don’t think I could ever forget again. I…” he smiled a little uncertainly, “I can… feel you. I don’t know how or why, but when I try, I can… FEEL you. Feel your… love…”

“Good, pet,” Spike murmured, lifting his head as he pressed harder against the thickening shaft beneath him. “Because I can feel you, too. ‘s how I knew what was botherin’ you, after all.” Lips curled, lowering to the scarred neck, tongue sliding slowly over fragrant skin. “Now, enough with th’ talkin’, precious. Was just away from you for almost three bleedin’ hours. Need you ta remind me of how good you do me, luv… missed you so bloody much.”

And that was one demand Harris had no problem acceding to. He’d missed his vampire, too.

“Bloody hell, luv,” Spike groaned, watching Xander swallowing him whole, “You have no idea of how beautiful you are… all bent over, those soft lips of yours wrapped so tight around my cock…” He arched into the hot mouth, driving the last half inch slowly into his beloved’s throat. “Yeah, Xan… bloody… yeah, mate… do it just… like… unggghhh…”

Harris was smirking on the inside as he swallowed hard, his throat contracting tight around d the seeping tip of Spike’s shaft before he loosened up again and made the long pull back until that thick, pulsing head filled the cavern of his mouth. His tongue swirled rapidly, reversing directions at will as one hand gripped the hefty staff below his lips, stroking firmly. His eye darted up at the face of his kneeling lover and he moaned at the game-faced vampire’s obvious bliss. It was a bliss he shared and he was well aware of the fact that he would have blown already any number of times, just from the way Spike was moaning.

Fortunately he’d remembered about that bootlace Spike had used on him because that was the only thing that had stopped his aching body from cumming so far.

The next advance of the hot lips had Spike whimpering with the need to cum long and hard, filling his human’s mouth, throat, stomach. His hands clenched into fists as Xander swallowed around him again, over and over before easing back. “Xan, luv, pet… precious, beloved… claimed… mine…” He couldn’t seem to stop the words from pouring past sharp fangs. He felt that hand on the length of him again, his human’s tongue prodding deep into that tiny slit and he almost howled, his sac drew up so tight and hard. “B-bloody… hell… Xan! I’m goin’… ta…”

Far from warning him off, those words had Harris redoubling his efforts, his fingers moving faster, squeezing more firmly around the satin-over-steel flesh. His tongue swirled like a dervish, manipulating the foreskin wickedly as he moaned loudly, sensing that Spike was even closer. He needed this. Needed to taste his beautiful lover, feel him explode unwillingly. He needed… to know that he could do that to him. ‘Please,’ he whispered silently, ‘please, Spike… cum for me…’ His hand moved to the base of the thick, ready shaft then below, cupping the tense balls then sliding behind them to press lightly at the perineum before pressing one finger lightly against that tiny pucker between the flexing cheeks.

His entire body was shaking with the effort to hold back but then he felt those touches, that pressure, that vibrating moan, and there was no way he could stop. His fingers dug deeper into slightly shaggy thick brown hair and he howled wildly, his head thrown back, eyes gleaming golden as he tightened and thrust deeper into his Xan’s hot mouth. “LUV!” he bellowed, his back arching until his head almost met the bed, “XAN…DER!”

Harris’s eye gleamed with pure pleasure as the amazing flesh slammed to the back of his mouth. He moaned again, softly this time, as he felt the first powerful jet of thick white semen in his throat. His lips tightened around the throbbing shaft, taking it in and out a bare inch at a time as his finger worked quickly through that tight ring, driving deep. His eye closed with delight as the copious shots of fluid continued, sliding effortlessly down his throat as he continued the motion of his digit, seeking and finding that special spot.

He didn’t need to breathe, but he HAD to. His cock was wrapped in his second favourite heat and… bloody hell, he was glad he wasn’t human anymore. If he had been, the brunette would have killed him. He felt the top of his head touch the mattress and Spike thanked everything he could think of once again for vampiric flexibility as he gasped and rocked, finally spurting his last. “Bloody… hell…” he gasped, the bowed form of his body heaving as he felt his Xan’s lips slowly release him with a wet popping sound. “Bloody hell… luv… what was… that for…?”

Harris sat back, smirking as he stared at the slowly collapsing shape of his lover. “For me,” he said softly. “Because I… hell, Spike. I love it when you cum in my mouth… love the taste of you… the feel of you all heavy and wanting between my lips.” He took a deep breath, letting the air renew the flavour in his mouth. “And I love it,” he added, crawling over Spike when the other man finally straightened out on their bed, “I LOVE it that I can make you explode even when you don’t want to.”

“Only you, Xan,” Spike admitted with a small smile. “Kind of sad, really. I’m a bloody Master Vampire, yet here I am with the one and only person—human or otherwise—who can override all my strength with just a little extra effort.” He chuckled ruefully.

“You complaining?” Harris asked, pressing his body down over the slightly smaller one.

“Fuck no,” the blond said with a grin, feeling just how hot and swollen his claimed’s shaft was. “I’m luvin’ every minute of it, ta be honest. Just never had anyone suck me so good an’ so right… an’ never for close ta an hour. Was amazin’, pet. Luved it.”

“Good…” he said softly, his lips finding the scar on his vampire’s neck. “Because I’m nowhere near finished with you, babe…” He grinned at the strong shiver he felt rush through the older man’s body. His mouth nibbled and nipped slowly up the side of Spike’s neck, finding his ear and biting at the lobe before whispering low and deep. “Hell, I’ve barely even started…”

Fuck… it had been far too long since he’d heard his beloved use that tone on him… that voice. Almost four days, in fact, and… oh, Spike was glad to know that whatever had been done to his claimed, he was finding himself again. Of course, that was secondary at the moment to what that tone was promising. “Fuck, luv,” Spike moaned, his hands grasping hard at the long, thick muscles beside the other man’s spine, “Hope you never finish…”

Harris chuckled quietly, rocking against Spike’s thigh and gasping at the sharp combination of pleasure and pain in his restrained cock. “I’ll be… happy… to start again once I… do. Shit.” He rolled swiftly from his lover and swallowed roughly. “Roll over, babe… let me…”

He could see how swollen and purple his Xander’s cock was… how painful it looked. He frowned slightly, his eyes shifting from that angry-looking appendage to his beloved’s face. “Xan,” he said unhappily, “Luv, you’re hurtin’ yourself like that.”

The brunette shook his head sharply. “No, I…” he groaned and had to close his eye when one cool, pale hand reached out, touching him lightly. “Gods, Spike, don’t…”

“Hush, pet.” He still craved the deep touch of his human inside him, but there was no way he’d let the man hurt himself. “We’ll just call this an intermission, ‘ey?”

Spike didn’t wait for a reply. He simply pulled the loose ends of the tie, cupping the purpled balls gently. “Let it go, beloved… for me, yeah?”

The pain was suddenly much more present than the pleasure as his sac was touched. Harris’s entire body tensed unpleasantly as his released shaft throbbed, then ejected rough, desperate spurts across the sheets so hard he had to fight to remain conscious. As it was, he didn’t pass out but he did sob softly, trying to curl around the affected part of his anatomy. “S-s-sp…”

The vampire growled, pressing himself gently against his beloved, letting the coolness of his body soothe the pain he could feel radiating from the young man’s body. “Shh… ‘s alright, Xan. Pain’s goin’ ta pass in a minute. How long were you all trussed up, pet? You humans can’t take that for long… an’ not as tight as you tied yourself…” He growled again, stroking soft skin gently, even while he wanted nothing more than to take the man over his knee and show him just how much he wasn’t allowed to hurt himself ever again.

Harris lay there shivering, silently admitting Spike was right. He hadn’t planned on spending so long on the blow job, but the vampire had tasted so good, he hadn’t been able to resist. “G-guess I should have…”

“Let yourself cum an’ waited while you bounced back, luv?” Spike said snarkily. “You think, pet?” His hands continued their slow, soothing touches on his human’s side and arm, but his eyes were hard as they met Xander’s brown one. “You will NOT do that again, pet. If you want ta be tied, you can just say so. I’ll handle it til you know how much you can take, got it?”

The human blushed deeply and nodded, looking like an ashamed child for a moment. “I just wanted…”

“Don’t care what you wanted, Xan. Doesn’t matter.” And he meant it, too. “Meant ta do, wanted ta do…? Makes no difference. Intentions don’t count for anythin’ in this case, luv.” His eyes got even harder. “In case you missed it th’ hundred or so times it’s been said, you’re MINE, Xan. An’ I’m th’ only one what gets ta hurt what’s mine.” He nodded sharply as the other man’s eye widened. “Now, if that’s what you want, I can hurt you as much as you like. It’d make me happy ta give you what you need, no matter what it is. But you don’t get ta hurt yourself. Especially not a-purpose. Do. You. Understand.”

Harris swallowed hard, sensing how much Spike meant it. “I… yeah. But Spike, I… you need to teach me how to…” He sighed, blushing again. “Gods, I feel like a ten year old asking his parents about sex.”

The vampire chuckled as he felt the last of the severe pain ease from his love. “Bloody hell, Xan, if you were ten we’d definitely not be havin’ this conversation… an’ not while naked an’ in bed.” He pulled the young man closer, tighter against him as his lips moved to a hairsbreadth from his ear. “An’ I’m goin’ ta teach you so many things, pet… goin’ ta luv every moment, I am.”

And just like that, Harris found himself hardening again. There was a small amount of pain from his recently abused cock, but somehow it only added to his need. “Spike,” he moaned softly, “Can I... can we…”

Spike chuckled again, feeling his beloved’s shaft twitching against his stomach. “Well, well… I’d say our li’l intermission’s over, then.” He pulled his head back, features shifting to human in less than a moment. “How did you want me, pet? On my belly, wasn’t it?”

It was lucky that Spike had remembered about the lubricant he’d gotten earlier. Otherwise, Harris knew, he’d have found himself trawling the halls looking for a maid service cart and more of that conditioner.

It had taken barely a moment for him to get out of bed and dig through the bag, his brow arching at some of the other items he saw there. Spike apparently really WAS going to teach him a few things.

He was blushing yet again when he ran across the living room area to hang the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign outside the door. The last thing he wanted or needed was for some strange English woman to wander in while he and his vampire were… busy. Hell, if she were English, she’d probably have a heart attack.

Harris was chuckling as he stepped back into the bedroom, only to stop at the beauty he saw before him. Spike. Laying on his stomach, two pillows beneath his hips. His legs were bent and splayed against the bed, his rear high and exposed completely. Long pale arms stretched out to either side of him and his head was turned on the mattress, one cheek pressed to cotton as those bright blue eyes watched him. “Gods, babe… I… if you could see how… amazing you look right now…”

Spike chuckled silently. He knew his beloved looked bloody well brilliant in this position so he supposed his Xan might share that opinion at seeing HIM that way. “You can take a picture next time, pet. Now get your bloody luvly cock over here an’ IN me, before I have ta use that paddle I know you saw in th’ bag.”

He had to take a few deep breaths as he imagined exactly what Spike could do with that same item. His cock strained, pulling as gasp from him as he opened the eye he hadn’t been aware of closing. “Jesus fuck, babe… don’t say things like that…” He moved closer to the bed, almost stalking, although he didn’t know it. His empty hand stroked slowly down from his vampire’s waist as he sat beside the stunning display, then down over one rounded and toned buttock to an equally toned thigh before it shifted, coming back up on the matching thigh, buttock, side of the waist.

His other hand opened the flip-top of the raspberry-scented lube and he held it over the sweet, deep cleft of his lover’s ass, squeezing a long flow at the top and watching as it viscously dripped its way down, finally pooling against the back of the lightly haired sac. “Gods, Spike… Spike, you’re so beautiful… and I know I keep saying that but Jesus fuck, Spike, it’s… you’re…”

“Yours, luv,” Spike groaned, the lube warming against his skin. “I’m yours…” He rocked his hips a bit, his eyes still locked on his love. “C’mon, Xan… been waitin’ so long ta feel you…”

Harris laughed quietly, the hand on Spike’s skin slowly moving to the top of his crack. His index finger slid down teasingly, collecting a large dollop of lubricant as it went, finally stopping to circle teasingly around the pale pink pucker. “Hmmm… yeah… a whole hour and a half since you got back, babe. Don’t know how you’ve managed to survive it.”

The vampire groaned, pressing back against the circling digit. “Pet, if you don’t get a move on, I’m not the one who won’t be survivin’. Consider yourself warned.”

His eye crinkled at the corner, as did the corner of the other, although differently. Harris smirked playfully. “Oh, and killing me is gonna get you shagged faster, huh? Loving the logic there.” He chuckled, then gave in when Spike started to growl softly. His finger made one more slow circle, then stabbed deep, sliding in to the second knuckle and earning him a long, needy moan.

“Xan!” Spike gasped softly, shifting back against the swirling digit within him, “Pet… c’mon, luv…” His next moan was louder as a second finger joined the first, spreading and writhing slowly within his bum. He grunted softly, twisting a bit to bump them against that tiny nodule within him.

Harris grinned, his cock seeping slightly as he managed to slide one more finger within the tight, cool channel. “That’s my Spike,” he murmured as he shifted, pulling his knees under him. “So good even around my hand… and so much better when I’m deep inside you, babe…” His fingers twitched, deliberately manipulating the vampire’s prostate just to hear him gasp. He moved slowly, raising one leg, then the other over Spike’s calf, finally positioning himself between the blond’s legs. One more squeeze of the lube bottle, this time in a long line down his own shaft, and he tossed the plastic away, slicking himself carefully as his fingers continued their slow dance within his lover.

Spike found himself breathing heavily again, as he always seemed to do with his beloved. It was some sort of a NEED, he thought, and it wasn’t from the Claim. He’d started doing it that very first moment he’d known it was Xander in that bathroom what seemed like ages ago. His ass shifted almost independently of him as he slammed himself back, trying for more depth, more touch, more… penetration. “Luv,” he began, ready to beg, to plead, to promise anything if he could only feel his Xan deep inside him again; know that they were going to be all right. “Luv…” he said again, only to start babbling sweet terms uncontrollably as he felt those fingers removed, replaced at his entrance by the broad, smooth head he needed.

His shaft was still kind of sensitive after his earlier misadventure, but that was good, Harris figured. It would serve as a reminder not to ever do that again. Besides… he’d come to realize over the last day or so that… if the idea of Spike spanking him was so enticing, then maybe he didn’t mind a bit of pain mixed in with the mind-numbing pleasure he always found with his vampire.

He smiled as he heard the slight whining tone in Spike’s voice and pulled his hand away, positioning his ready cock carefully and pressing forward, his fingers tight on Spike’s hips now. “Gods,” he groaned, pushing harder. “Spike… babe… oh… G-gods…” He gasped loudly when he felt the steady pressure pay off, letting his head pierce that tight ring, then gasped again as he slid deeper, deeper, his sac finally slapping lightly against Spike’s. The blunt burn of his tortured flesh as it was held by that tightness was… amazing.

“Luv… p-p-pet…” he moaned deeply, his hands digging deep into the sheets as he felt that long, slow slide. “P-precious… be-l-loved… Xan… l-luv… claimed… m-m-mine…” He couldn’t seem to stop, not that he really wanted to. No, all he really wanted was… “YESSSSSS…” he hissed, his cock throbbing against the pillows beneath him as his Xan pulled back, leaving only half of his shaft within him. He felt that hardness swirl within him as his love moved his hips in circles and he promptly lost the ability to speak, whimpers and grunts flying from him with abandon.

Oh, and his vampire liked that. Harris shuddered at the sensation, slamming himself flush with reckless speed. The choked scream that answered the motion made him hold those slender hips harder, his fingers digging deep as he pulled himself back from within the grasping anus and slammed deep again. “G-gods, S-Spike…” He groaned roughly, sliding back and rolling his hips again before returning fully home. “P-p-perf-fect…”

“B-bloody HELL!” Spike shouted, his hands releasing the sheets to claw up cotton until he could force his upper body away from the bed. He panted loudly on hands and knees, his head hanging down as his features shifted to true, then human, then true again repeatedly, his beloved Xan was driving so hard and deep. He’d never known a human COULD make love so forcefully, and it WAS making love, regardless of the speed and strength of it, but… maybe, he thought in a rare moment of lucidity, it was because of the claim… He howled loudly, the next deep, rough thrust rubbing that small nub within him from beginning to end. “XAN…!” he howled again.

“J-j-j-j-j-je-ssss…ssss… f-f-f-f…” he couldn’t even manage one word, much less an assortment of them. His hips moved on their own and all Harris could do was hold on to Spike and hope his lover didn’t mind the thorough battering he was getting because he couldn’t stop… couldn’t even slow down. His fingers dug deeper still into the flexing hips before him, and he knew he’d be leaving bruises behind, but… somehow he was glad. HIS vampire! HIS lover! HIS Spike! “M-m-m-mi…” Harris groaned hopelessly, still unable to form even that single word ‘mine’.

And that was when Spike opened their link fully, the overwhelming sense of ‘love-need-want-take-have-keep-love-mine-yours-together-always-mine-yours-love-never letting go’ stabbing even deeper into him than his beloved’s cock was doing. He didn’t know what his Xan was feeling in return, but it had to be good because just as he arched nearly double, a loud, shuddering scream flying from the pit of his stomach, up his throat, past vocal cords and out through his mouth, he felt his claimed pull out completely and flip him with almost vampiric speed. Less than a split second later, he felt and saw his human slam deep into him again, blunt human teeth driving fast and hard into his neck.

‘Here, now, mine, yours, full, filled, heart’s love, no other, never before Xan, never before, never again, never another, never without you, never alone, nothing but you, nothing but us, no way to stop this, want you forever, love you forever, need you forever, never alone, never alone, never alone ever again…’ In that moment, Harris had no idea of where the feelings were coming from, but he didn’t care. All that mattered was that it was exactly how he felt himself. He stabbed deep one more time, then pulled away. He needed to see his love’s face when they came, and it would be them both. He just… knew.

He flipped the vampire quickly, one arm forcing a knee up as he drove deep and unerringly into the perfect sheath of his Spike. His eye fastened on the blond’s neck and he couldn’t stop himself. He dove fast and hard at that expanse of stretched skin, his teeth breaking through with almost no effort, and as he pulled at the wound, that salty-sweet-copper taste filling his mouth, he felt the sharper teeth of his love piercing the mark on HIS neck and that was it.

Spike’s teeth dug deep without any direction from him, his cock spewing in great, violent spasms as he tasted his beloved again and felt the responding powerful spurts of thick, hot cum bathing the inner walls of his ass. His arms locked hard around his human, tongue drowned in hot, rich blood as he drank and came, came and drank… and his human did the same.

Harris would have died right then if he’d been even a little less healthy, he was sure, no other orgasm in his life ever comparing to this one. It felt like his entire life was shooting from his cock and into Spike and somehow he didn’t care. ‘Love-need-want-perfect-love-always-mine-yours-forever…’ he thought disjointedly as he continued exploding wildly and almost painfully.

Spike groaned, feeling the emotions and returning ‘never stopping, love you too much, never let you go, always yours, always mine, eternity and more, beloved, lover, claimed, never without you, my heart, my claimed, never alone… my claimed…’ His fast, greedy swallows slowed as he reveled in the sensation of being full of his love and full WITH his love, even enjoying the feeling of the thick, slick liquid between their chests.

Neither of them expected the sudden darkness that overwhelmed them, but neither of them tried to resist it, either.

They fell into the dark together, their bodies still twitching in response to their love making, and even in that darkness they were together, making their own light.

The Scrap Book in question arrived at the Watcher House approximately twelve hours after Giles’s phone call. It could have taken longer, but Nina had a soft spot in her heart for the Watcher her late lover had respected so much. She smiled at Collins when he answered the door and simply passed him the package. “Please tell Mr. Giles that I’m happy to have been of service… and I’ll expect the balance to be available by the end of the day.”

Collins sniffed slightly. He was well aware of the sort of work the blonde woman did for his employer, and he knew she’d been very helpful in the past and would continue to be so in future, but… he questioned her loyalties should she be apprehended in the course of her activities. Still, she’d always been well spoken and respectful, and as such, he owed her the same. “Thank you, Miss,” he replied after a moment, “I shall see that he receives your message.”

And with that Collins closed the door, leaving the young woman to depart in whatever direction she deemed fit.

* * * * *

“Okay… so are we gonna do this or not?” Elliot asked, watching as Giles and Willow fussed over the bizarre assortment of items on the large table. There were candles, feathers, a few odd-looking little bones, and even a jar with what appeared to be a preserved lizard of some kind. He peered closer at the last, then jumped a little when the lizard blinked and flicked its tongue out at him. “Urrrgh… uh, yeah. So?”

Trevor chuckled, dragging his guy away from the table. “They’re just making sure everything is in place, El. And the sooner it is, the sooner they’ll be able to get a move on, which means…”

“Leave them alone. Yeah, yeah. I’m just worried about Harris. I mean, I know he’s with Will so he’s probably okay, but…”

The brunette smiled and ran the fingers of one hand through Elliot’s hair. “Hey, why don’t we get out of here. Maybe get a drink or something. There’s a decent pub down the way if I remember correctly.”

Elliot sighed softly. He wanted to stay, but… “And that’s just a really nice way of saying that I’m getting in the way and gumming up the works, isn’t it?”

Trevor shook his head. “Not exactly, but I don’t think there’s any advantage to us being here right now, El. All we can do is distract them and… magic can be kind of dangerous if the ones doing it aren’t focused. Besides, I kind of want to spend some time with you… somewhere other than here.”

“Fine,” he finally agreed, his fingers tangling with Trevor’s. “Let’s go down the pub for a while. Just… can we leave word of where we are? Just in case something…” He couldn’t finish the sentence.

Trevor nodded then leaned down slightly, kissing his lover’s forehead. “We’ll tell Collins on our way out. Come on, baby…”

Willow sighed with relief as the two men left. Not that she didn’t like them, but the blond one, Elliot, had been so nervous she’d been able to feel it in the air.

She moved one of the small bones a few inches, then stepped back, giving the table a careful examination. “I think that’ll do it, Giles… we just need to get Buffy in here with the card, and… with any luck we’ll know where the box is in like five minutes.” She grinned.

Giles nodded quickly. “I’ll be praying for luck, then. Considering what we now know, I believe restoring Xander’s memories to be of the utmost importance.” He frowned. “And I sincerely hope that this… misadventure has shown you the folly of resorting to magic with such little forethought, Willow. Honestly, I had expected more of you, especially considering your position within the magical community.”

Willow pouted, hating the disappointment she could hear in her former mentor’s voice. “I… I know, Giles. It was stupid and wrong and… a whole bunch of bad… badness. It’s just… it was XANDER and I…” She sighed deeply. “But that’s no excuse. I know. I got all power junkie for a minute there. I… slipped. But I’ll fix it and… I promise, Giles. No more using magic just because I think it’ll make things easier for me… or for Buffy.”

The Elder Watcher nodded slowly. “I believe that would be for the best, Willow. And you might consider asking yourself why such a course of action seemed reasonable at the time. I understand that you have always had difficulty in refusing Buffy, however as this instance has shown, that is not necessarily a good thing.” He smiled and placed one hand on the young woman’s shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. “And speaking of Buffy, I believe I will have Robert collect her. We must complete this as soon as possible.”

* * * * *

As usual when Willow was casting, there was a light show. She didn’t know why it always happened, but it did. Dawn said it was because she had so much power it bled into the air around her, given shape by her intent. Willow wasn’t sure she agreed with that theory but she figured it didn’t really matter, in any case. At least she had visible proof of her spells working, which was more than most other witches got.

Her solid black eyes watched the rainbow shimmer swirl around the borders of the containing circle on the table, then infuse itself into the gift card in the central bowl before shooting almost to the ceiling. It drove down at the map spread out beneath the spell accessories, leaving a small burned spot before dissipating entirely into the air, most of the power returning from whence it came.

“I think we’ve got it, guys,” the redhead said with a grin. She broke the circle quickly and efficiently then pulled the map towards her after carefully rearranging the items on the table. “Look! It’s only a few miles away!”

Giles smiled his relief. Maybe this would be easier than he’d feared.

* * * * *

Trevor watched as Elliot sat opposite him at the small table, his fingers drumming impatiently on the wood. Finally, he reached out, placing his own hand over the other man’s. “El… you need to calm down, okay? There’s nothing we can do right now other than try to relax and hope for the best, okay?”

The blond stared at his boyfriend in disbelief. “Hope for the best? You have GOT to be shitting me! YOU were the one who was all ‘screw up the time line and end the world’! And now all you can say is relax? How the FUCK am I supposed to RELAX! We… we should be DOING something! Finding Harris or… or SOMETHING!”

Trevor smiled, gripping Elliot’s hand hard. “Baby… there’s nothing we CAN do. The Maiden-Crone and Rupert are on it, right? This is the part THEY need to handle. Unless you have some sort of powers I don’t know about?” He arched a brow then grinned a bit wickedly. “You know, other than the amazing power of suction you showed me again last night.”

And just like that, Elliot found himself grinning too, remembering the many things they’d shown each other until nearly sunrise. “You’re not so bad yourself,” he admitted playfully. “I… you know, you didn’t have to… I mean I know you’re more into, um…”

“Topping?” Trevor arched his brow again. “Maybe so. But there’s nothing wrong with walking the other side of the street every now and again, right? Besides… I think that was something you needed, and…” He blushed, fingers gripping Elliot’s a bit harder. “You know,” he said softly, pitching his voice so Elliot would just be able to hear him over the music, “I’ve never been jealous before. Not ever. Until last night. Until I saw the way you and Robert were… acting… looking at each other. It… bothered me.” He swallowed hard, thoroughly embarrassed.

Elliot’s brow furrowed slightly. “Trev,” he said softly, leaning across the table to stare into the disturbed brown eyes, “I… look. I won’t lie to you. There was something really… appealing about him. Still is, to be truthful. But… I don’t want to mess this up. This… thing with us, it’s important to me. I’m not really sure of where it’s going or if it’s even going anywhere at all, but...” He forced a sheepish grin. “I know we don’t really know that much about each other, and maybe that’s part of the attraction, but I… Shit, Trev, I want us to know more. I want…”

He sighed. “I usually love this part, you know? When you’re just aching to find out everything, when everything is new. The beginning of a relationship is always like… being a detective, kind of. Searching out all those little tidbits of information, finding out this and that… discovering what you do and don’t have in common over weeks, months. It’s… exciting. But I don’t want to take that kind of time with you. I want to know everything. I want YOU to know everything.” Elliot frowned, finally returning the squeeze of Trevor’s hand. “But… there are things I want you to know that I’ve never even really told Harris, and he’s my best friend. And that kind of… scares me. I don’t know how you’ll react, or how you’ll feel about me once you know, and…” He sighed again, his free hand raising the glass of lager to his lips.

The brunette closed his eyes for a moment. This wasn’t the time and definitely wasn’t the place he’d thought to have this conversation. He pretty much already knew everything Elliot might want to tell him, but… he was afraid, too. Afraid that his lover wouldn’t be able to handle the truth of who and what Trevor was… had been. Hell, he’d hoped to put this off for… well, forever, really, regardless of the part of him that had wanted to come clean almost from the beginning.

“Finish your drink,” was what Trevor said as he opened his eyes to meet the pale blue ones that were staring at him worriedly. “This… we need to talk, but not here.” He lifted his own glass, draining it completely of Caffrey’s.

And suddenly Elliot was even more worried about himself than he was about Harris’s situation. At least Harris knew Will loved him, wanted him… HE didn’t know any such thing. He finished his beer slowly, dreading the conversation he himself had initiated. Shit.

They’d ended up getting a hotel room a few blocks away, mostly because Trevor had a feeling he and Elliot both would require large amounts of alcohol to get through this without breaking. Whether that would mean breaking up as well, he didn’t know. Still, he was hopeful, considering how easily the blond had accepted Will being a vampire and Harris being claimed by that same vamp.

He set the bag with the two bottles of Jack and six pack of Coke on the small table in the room, then grabbed the ice bucket and left to fill it while Elliot got the glasses out of the bathroom and started pouring.

What the hell was he doing, Trevor wondered. Here he was, less than a week into whatever he and Elliot were doing and… he was about to TELL him? It was unprecedented in the six years he’d been human. He’d never told anyone… not even Jerome and they’d been together for almost three of those years.

Then again, Jerome had never had secrets of his own. He’d been… simple. Transparent. Not… complicated like Elliot was. And maybe that explained it.

He filled the ice bucket and returned swiftly to the room. “If it were done,” he whispered almost despairingly, “ ‘t were best done quickly…”

Elliot bit his lip, looking at Trevor as he came through the door. As much as he’d been the one to start this, he wasn’t sure he really wanted to find out that Trevor couldn’t understand the life that had made him the way he was. He closed his eyes, the deliberately suppressed memories playing behind them. Night. Blood. Death by his hand. Screams. Darkness within and without. It had taken him years to force those memories away and yet… here they were, released again when he’d allowed himself to break and take control during the trauma about Harris.

He groaned his depression and slammed back a large shot of Jack without benefit of ice or mixer, the thoughts, the memories stabbing through his brain.

“I… the things I’ve done,” he whispered, falling into a chair, his head in his hands as he dropped his glass. “I don’t deserve to live…”

Trevor found himself across the room and on his knees in front of the other man, the bucket of ice forgotten on the floor as he wrapped long, strong arms around the smaller body, pulling him into his embrace. “El… El… baby…” He didn’t know exactly what had just happened to his lover but he had a strong suspicion. “No, baby… no… that’s not true… you deserve so much… of everyone in this world, you’re the last one who doesn’t deserve to live…”

Elliot shook his head, his own arms clamping tight around the larger man. “You don’t know, you can’t see… I was DEATH…! Death in the night, death without warning, slipping in and just taking… breaking life, breaking love, breaking… everything… and no remorse, no sorrow, just pleasure at succeeding… just the job, just the mission, I… I can’t…” He broke off, sobbing in deep, shuddering gasps and heaves. “Nothing… I’m nothing… shouldn’t be, shouldn’t know this… you… no-no-no-no-no…”

Everyone had their breaking point, Trevor knew. Everyone had a moment at some point when they looked at themselves and couldn’t accept what they saw. That this was Elliot’s was obvious. He doubted the man had ever truly seen the things he’d done before, and definitely not from the perspective of close to ten years as a civilian. It had to seem so much worse now than it would have if Elliot had confronted his own history years earlier. But he hadn’t and now… now it was up to Trevor to convince his lover that he’d done what was necessary. He only hoped he was up to the task.

* * * * *

He’d moved them to the bed by the simple expedient of holding the blond closer and standing to carry him there. He held him hard and tight, listening with half an ear to the babbled litany of sins and regrets. Trevor didn’t need to listen any closer. He’d already seen it, after all. He’d made a point of seeing once he’d learned of the man’s connection to Harris.

His hands rubbed slowly against the cloth-covered back and he murmured nonsense sounds as his lover spilled all his self-loathing, grief and sorrow into the air of their room.

Finally, the man’s heaving confession degenerated into hiccups and Trevor loosened his arms a bit, pressing soft, slow kisses to the blond’s forehead. “Baby,” he whispered, doing his best to sound as sincere as he actually was, “Baby… it’s okay. You were… it was your job. YOU didn’t choose. You did what your orders required, right?”

Elliot shuddered, unable to believe Trevor was still there after what he’d told him. And as much as he wanted to just accept the comfort offered by the words, he couldn’t. He had to be sure the younger man understood. “I… I liked it, Trevor,” he admitted harshly. “I ENJOYED it! I wasn’t ORDERED to like it!” He felt more sobs building in his chest, trying to burrow their way out through his throat.

The brunette shook his head, pulling the blond flush against him again. “You believed you were doing right, baby. Nobody would hate what they were doing if they believed it was the right thing.” He let the purr from one aspect of his former existence come through, hoping to soothe his boyfriend’s troubled spirit. “It was a crisis situation, baby… and you did what you needed to do. And maybe… the only way you could do it was by enjoying it, hmmm…? You’re a gentle soul, El. Even before you shoved the Captain part of you into his box, you were a gentle soul. And now… you don’t know how to handle your past. Not after letting that part of yourself free again, hmmm…?”

He shuddered again, his body pressing closer to the accepting form holding him. “I… I don’t know how to do it again, Trev,” he whispered hopelessly. “I shut him out so long ago and I never let him out and then I did and now I can’t make him go away again and I’m scared, so scared… of him, of me, of who I was, of who I might become again and I can’t BE that again but I can’t STOP being that and I…”

Trevor sighed softly, his lips peppering soft kisses over his lover’s face, neck, hair. Elliot still hadn’t told him the worst part and he had a feeling the blond man wouldn’t unless he pushed. He didn’t truly want to. His boyfriend had suffered plenty for one night. Still, if it weren’t addressed, it would just hang over them both until the next time Elliot broke.

No, he decided, far better to push now rather than make El relive all of this again later.

His arms held the smaller man even tighter as he let his lips find Elliot’s ear. “What about your lover, baby? I know you had one then. Tell me… tell me what happened.”

He tensed roughly, fighting the hold. He didn’t want to… couldn’t think about… NO, he wouldn’t think about… wouldn’t talk about… “John…” Elliot whimpered, still trying to free himself from the arms restraining him. “He… he was my… lover, my brother in arms, my best friend, my…” he broke off, sobbing again.

“Your match,” Trevor murmured, hating John more than anything else in that moment. One hand cradled the head of soft blond hair against his chest, the other arm tight around his lover’s waist like an iron band.

“My… traitor,” Elliot whispered against the silk-covered chest. “He… sold secrets and intell to the enemy. I… I couldn’t believe it for the longest time, but… they had PROOF and… and he admitted it! I went to him and asked him and he TOLD me… wanted me to join him, and… and I was so…” he sobbed, “So hurt, so broken, so… disappointed! And then he… he… he…”

“He tried to kill you,” Trevor whispered, knowing it was true. “He tried to kill you and while you would have died for him, you wouldn’t let him kill you.”

“I… oh, GOD…! I killed him, Trev! I… I broke his neck and walked away and… I got a MEDAL for it! For killing my LOVER! The man I thought would…”

Trevor held the sobbing, gasping man tighter, small tears leaking from the corners of his own eyes. “I know, baby… I know. You thought… you BELIEVED… he loved you… and I know you loved HIM…” His head dropped to rest on Elliot’s shaking shoulder. “But baby…”

“N-no,” Elliot managed to say, his mind reeling at the fact that Trevor still hadn’t pushed him away; had in fact only pulled him closer. “There are no ‘buts’ here… I… did what I did and… God, I regret so much, but John…” he sobbed again, softly. “He trusted me, or I thought he did. God knows I trusted him. And he… he betrayed me. Betrayed our country. I… I had to kill him. Especially with his knife in my gut.” He pressed himself closer to the acceptance of his new lover, his eyes leaking against the broad chest. “I could have died… and not for my country, not for honor, but… for… John’s greed. His desire for more than he could have on a soldier’s salary… even special forces. I…” he swallowed slowly, finally admitting it to himself in addition to his lover. “I’m not sorry. He would have destroyed so much… for a nicer car… a bigger house…”

Trevor finally smiled, his hands roaming gently over Elliot’s back again. “Yes, El… he would have. And if you hadn’t done what you did…” He raised his head, meeting wet blue eyes with his own damp brown ones. “Baby, we wouldn’t be here. You and me. HERE. Together. And I know John is why you shoved your dominant parts away, but… you let them out again. And…” He smiled again, his hand cupping the blond’s cheek softly. “Well, like I said before. There’s nothing wrong with walking both sides of the street, right?” He moved slowly closer to the lush, full lips, encouraged when his lover didn’t pull back.

Elliot couldn’t quite smile. The memories were too immediate right then for a smile. But he could accept Trevor’s kiss without any sense of regret. His arms tightened around the younger man and he threw himself into the pleasure of tongue meeting tongue, lips meeting lips, bodies pressing together, NEED. His eyes closed again, and this time the only images he saw were himself and Trevor, making love and making each other moan.

How could he ruin this? How could he tell Elliot the truth when it was likely to destroy their relationship?

He held the blond tightly, trying to find a way, but it was hopeless. His El was still reeling from accepting himself after all this time. How could Trevor expect him to accept the oddity of HIS origins, especially when it was so much… worse, although less violent, than Elliot’s own past.

He swallowed hard, sighing almost silently as his hand moved slowly over Elliot’s naked spine. The blond’s confessions and his own touches had led to a truly amazing bout of love making, but now that they were both relaxed and basking, Trevor felt guilty. He should have forced himself to hold back, even with El’s hot, tight form pressing against him, his mouth begging to be possessed. But he hadn’t.

No, he’d done what his body demanded. He’d stripped them both bare and drowned himself in the sensation of need, want… maybe even love.

That thought made him pause. Love? Was it possible…? He’d only known Elliot for a short time… in person. Was it even possible that he… loved him so quickly? And just as importantly, was it possible that Elliot could care for HIM?

Trevor groaned silently, unwilling to even entertain the notion that the human man could actually LOVE him. It was too much to ask or expect, no matter how much it might complete the terms of his deal. He still had fifty years. There was no way the powers would let him go so quickly… OR so easily.

And the fact that he hadn’t asked himself whether he could love Elliot at all suddenly seemed telling. He knew he could. Hell, the man was just so interesting and exciting and engrossing… and even more so now that his dominant and submissive sides were merging… not that merging was bad, because being balanced between the two was...

Trevor groaned again, out loud this time. Oh, yeah… he loved him. He should have known it as soon as he’d gotten jealous about Robert. It was a stunning blow.

It was the soft and disturbed sound that dragged Elliot from the languid, floaty place he was in. One hand moved slowly up and down Trevor’s chest as he tried to reproduce the purr Trevor had used earlier, only to frown as the effort failed.

He pulled himself slowly from the strong, comforting arms and sat partly up, resting on his elbow as he stared into the usually bright brown eyes that seemed… muted in that moment. “Trev,” he said softly, his free hand slowly caressing the chiseled chest, “Tell me. Whatever it is, just… talk to me, okay? It… it can’t be worse than what I’ve told you about me…”

The recently human man barked out a disbelieving laugh. “It can,” he said seriously. “It IS.” Trevor swallowed hard, then pulled away and curled in on himself as he began talking. He figured he owed Elliot that much.

Elliot frowned more than once during Trevor’s monologue. He also found himself pressing closer to his lover, his hands mirroring the soft soothing touches the other man had given him when he’d been so distraught. Finally he sighed. “I don’t care,” he said honestly. “Trevor… I don’t care. We all have baggage. Yours is just more… weighty than most.” He meant it, too. “I… kind of… well, you mean a lot to me.” He wasn’t sorry to admit that much although it was quite possible that ‘a lot’ was a severe understatement. He just couldn’t voice it. Not yet, anyway. It was… too soon, and… how could he be sure? No, he wasn’t certain yet and it would just be cruel to both of them if he said something he might not really mean.

Trevor relaxed back into the soft, gentle strokes, feeling Elliot behind him as the man’s hands moved slowly over his skin. “You… you don’t care,” he finally managed to say, unable to believe it. “You don’t want to… leave…?”

Elliot chuckled. If he hadn’t ever met Harris, his life would have been much simpler. But he HAD met the brunette and he’d known that nothing would ever be the same again. And then he’d met Trevor, and there was no denying what he thought he was starting to feel for HIM. A normal life was WAY overrated.

Still, he wanted and needed, and a huge part of that was… knowing when to give in. “Trev,” he whispered, “I’ll only leave if you ask me to… but I hope you won’t ask…”

His laugh was slightly disbelieving as he turned in Elliot’s arms to give him a wide-eyed stare. “I… no. I won’t ask. I don’t want you to go.”

“Good,” the blond replied simply, settling against his lover’s heated form. “Because I might have been lying when I said would. I’m not exactly sure about that but it seems likely.”

And all Trevor could do was laugh again, more happily this time. His arms wrapped tightly around the other man and he held him closer. “Don’t go,” he said again, whispering the words this time.

Elliot smiled softly, placing a slow, gentle kiss on Trevor’s lips instead of responding in words, and as it turned out, that was exactly what the brunette had needed to hear.

“Uh, should we call the House? Let them know where we are…?” he asked after a few minutes, not really wanting to but feeling like they’d skipped out on the others. A drink at the pub was one thing, but this was something else entirely… something much better than just a drink, but also more time consuming.

Trevor shook his head, his lips engaged with placing a small hickey on the man’s neck. “They can… call my… cell… if they… need us…” he mumbled against salty skin.

The blond groaned quietly, one hand tangling in thick brown hair. “I don’t think they could… possibly… need us as much as I… need you… right now, Trev…”

And those were the last words recognizable as such to emerge from either of their mouths for quite some time.

Harris found himself waking suddenly and painfully. His back arched hard and his eye opened wide, staring unseeingly at the ceiling as something… broke… in his head. He screamed betrayal and fury as the memories—the stolen memories—fully integrated into the bits he’d been able to recall.

It all flooded in, even things he was sure he’d forgotten before the SPELL was cast. He remembered it all now…

Including the way his so-called friends had drugged him, kidnapped him, and made him forget the most important thing in the world to him… and he remembered how happy they’d sounded to do it, too.

“They had no RIGHT!” he screamed, his body shaking with anger. “They had NO right!”

And suddenly there was a pair of strong, cool arms wrapped around him from behind, a chiseled chest pressed hard to his back… a strong chin on his shoulder, soft lips at his ear.

“Luv… luv, you’re goin’ ta scare th’ neighbors,” was what Spike said, not mentioning to his beloved that he’d already scared the bloody fuck out of HIM. He held the man closer, sure his Xan would tell him what the hell was going on in due time. He had a sneaking suspicion that he already knew, but it would be better to be sure.

His arms covered the ones around him and Harris forced himself to take slow, deep breaths. Spike was right, after all. There was no point in freaking out the other guests, especially when one of them might get it into their head to call security. “I… shit,” he finally said, still furious over what had been done to him.

The vampire let out a small sigh of relief and nipped Xander’s neck lightly, laving the bite mark soothingly. “So what’s all this, then?” he murmured, inhaling the musk and sweat and cum scent of his beloved as his tongue danced slowly over skin. “You goin’ ta share, pet?”

It was almost impossible to stay angry when Spike was doing that and Harris wanted to stay angry. Then he felt Spike’s human teeth scraping lightly over the mark and he sighed, losing the righteous fury bit by bit. “It… it was Willow,” he finally said softly. “Her and Buffy. They made me… Gods, Spike, they made me forget you! Forget… this!” And suddenly he almost wanted to cry.

The blond sighed softly, rubbing his cheek against his human’s shoulder. “Knew that, luv… knew it th’ second I heard you say you didn’t know me.” He growled quietly. “Hated that, Xan… Findin’ my own claimed an’ you didn’t even know who th’ bloody hell I was. Decided right then ta remind you.”

The brunette smiled a bit at that, leaning back into the tight hold his vampire had on him. “You did a bang up job of it, too,” he said, a tiny chuckle leaving his lips.

Spike smirked. “Yah, well… you did a good bit of bangin’ yourself, luv… shagged me unconscious, you did.”

He knew he’d be pissed off again just as soon as Spike wasn’t holding him this way, but that was fine. He SHOULD be mad. Just… not when he was being cherished this way, and definitely not when the ones he was angry with weren’t even nearby. He sighed deeply, letting Spike pull him back down onto the bed. “Yeah, um… sorry about that, babe. I… I don’t know what happened, but…” His eye glazed as he remembered slamming hard and deep into that amazingly tight ass… drinking from Spike, being drank from… and that was when one simple word came back to him. He’d heard it, felt it inside, but without his full memories he hadn’t understood what it meant, and…

“Claimed?” Harris demanded, pulling away from the long, cool shape of his lover. He rolled over, staring at the slightly sheepish expression on Spike’s face. “You CLAIMED me? Damn it, Spike! You could have asked!”

The vampire shrugged and lay back completely, one arm thrown up over his head. “Could have,” he agreed, “Didn’t, though. An’ I’m not sorry, Xan. If we hadn’t been at least partly claimed before you disappeared, never would have known you were in trouble, would I? Would have seemed like you’d just… gone home an’ forgot all about your Spike… left me ta rot in loneliness an’ misery, yeah? An’ ‘s not like you didn’t claim me right back, you git.”

The words sounded unrepentant enough to be true, but… Harris could still FEEL the other man. And the rough, deep sensation of ‘never leave, never lose you, can’t be alone, can’t be without you, sorry, glad, did what I had to, never alone, never again’ completely belied the tone. His vampire… his Spike… truly thought he could leave? That he ever would? And… he’d claimed HIM, too? How… when… and had he meant to…?

Spike watched the swiftly changing expressions on his beloved’s face then moaned softly, arching his back just a little against the mattress. He turned his head slightly, giving his Xan a better look at the scar on his neck. “Claimed me right an’ proper, you did, luv… didn’t even have ta ask. But I’m guessin’ you remember that now.” He arched a brow and licked his lips. “Bitin’ inta me, thinkin’ how you loved me, how you never wanted ta lose me… Yah, luv… you claimed me, alright… just like I did ta you.”

Harris cocked his head a little, gazing at the appealing picture his love presented lying there. A smile started to twitch at the corners of his mouth and he let it form completely. “Gods, Spike, I know you’re gorgeous but do you have to be so over the top about it?” He leaned in, placing one nipping kiss to the scar he’d given the blond as he concentrated on ‘mine-yours-always-forever-never leaving-never going-always right here-always with you-mine-yours-yours-mine-my heart-my soul-yours’. He wasn’t sure the vampire got it for a moment; then he ceased to wonder as that long, toned form was suddenly on him, holding him, pressing him into the bed and kissing him roughly, needily, lovingly.

He’d figure out what to do about Buffy and Willow later, Harris decided. Right then, he had more… pressing matters to attend to, the first of which was impressed against his stomach and seeping slightly on his skin.

* * * * *

“Gods,” Harris sighed nearly an hour later as his lover… Claimed, he reminded himself… pulled that amazing cock from his ass slowly. “Have I told you how much I love you lately?”

Spike chuckled, straightening his human’s legs before draping himself over the warm body like a cool, heavy blanket. “Not in th’ last three minutes, pet… though I have no doubt th’ entire floor knows it by now, you were yellin’ it out so loud.” He smirked as his Xander blushed a bit, letting his tongue trace slowly over the small lines at the corner of the good brown eye. “Luv it that you don’t mind sayin’ it, Xan… that you seem ta want me ta know…”

Harris laughed quietly, his hands leaving the bed to rub softly up and down the silken spine of his vampire’s strong back. “Jesus fuck, Spike,” he murmured, his lips tracing each ridge and valley of the other man’s true face, “After… not knowing, even for a couple of days, do you really think I could stand NOT to tell you every chance I get?” He shook his head slightly, holding the vampire tighter upon him. “Shit, babe… I want to just take you back to New York and lock us away in that amazing apartment of yours and… show you over and over again just how much I DO love you.” A wicked grin spread over his lips slowly. “Besides, I think that might be the best place for my… lessons.”

“Bloody hell,” the blond growled, pressing himself down harder on his beloved’s graceful body. “Almost forgot about that. We’ll have ta schedule that in, precious.” He frowned suddenly, knowing that they couldn’t go home until there were some confrontations, and maybe not even then if he had his way. “But speakin’ of lessons, luv…”

His good eye closed in an effort to ignore what Spike was saying so subtly—for him. “I don’t want to think about that yet, babe… okay? Maybe… maybe later.”

Spike sighed, wishing he could agree. “ ‘s not okay, Xan. Can’t move forward if we don’t deal with th’ past, yah? I’d love ta just stay in bed with you forever, doin’ nothin’ but shaggin’ an’ talkin’ an’ holdin’ each other, but… ‘s not goin’ ta happen. Not ‘til we deal with your bleedin’ friends.”

His frown was purely reflexive. He knew Spike was right but that didn’t mean he had to like it. “Fine,” he said after a moment. “As soon as it’s dark out, we’ll go. Um… if you don’t… do you mind… um, will you…” He sighed, hating that he sounded so needy. “Come with me?” he asked hopefully, entirely unprepared for the sudden laugh.

“You really think I’d let you wander off on your own, luv?” Spike asked, still laughing. “After what happened th’ last time I let you out of my sight? Not. Bloody. Likely.”

“Good point,” was all Harris could find to say. “I… I’m glad. I really don’t want to go there alone.” He swallowed hard at the thought.

The vampire smiled softly, his lips finding the swiftly healing reopened bite on his claimed’s neck. “Never alone, pet… never again. My word on that, ‘ey? You’re mine. Goin’ ta look after you.”

“Yours…” the brunette whimpered agreeably, hoping sunset would wait a while. He’d have to be angry again then and… right at that moment, he just wanted to be… fulfilled.

He’d dressed in the clothes Spike had brought him, chuckling just a bit at the leather and silk. That particular outfit bore more than a passing resemblance to the one he’d been wearing the night they’d met in New York. He’d had a bad moment when he hadn’t been able to find his eye patch, but finally he’d seen just the edge of the black strap peeking out from under the thoroughly disturbed sheets near the foot of the bed.

Harris chuckled again, trying to figure out exactly when it had meandered from the pillows all the way to where it was, a pleased little smile tugging at his lips as he replayed at least part of the festivities in his mind. Oh, yeah… that explained it.

Spike stood in the bedroom doorway, scarred brow arched in amusement as his claimed muttered and laughed to himself. “ ‘s that a private conversation, luv, or can anyone join in?”

The human grinned and turned to face him, moving closer to kiss him slow and hard before pulling back and settling the patch in its usual position. “I was just thinking, babe… it’s a good thing I kept myself in shape after I gave up construction. Otherwise, you would have been the death of me by now.”

The blond snorted softly. “An’ it’s a good thing I’m bleedin’ immortal, mate… or same ta you.” He took his Xan’s hand and tugged him out into the living room. “An’ much as I’d luv ta stay here an’ have us another work out, pet… we need ta go, yah? Think your little friends are expectin’ us.”

Harris sighed and wrapped his arm around Spike’s waist. “You know… they were your friends too, babe… kind of,” he added at the small annoyed sound his vampire made.

“Kind of is bloody well right. Not a one of them had any use for me most of th’ time… with th’ possible exception of Buffy. An’ even she didn’t…” He stopped and shook his head. “But it doesn’t matter now, does it, luv? Besides, this isn’t about me an’ them. It’s about YOU an’ them, an’ how they decided ta just… roll over you. Denyin’ ME th’ presence of my beloved, by th’ by.”

Dark hair slid forward a little as Harris nodded slowly. “I… look, Spike,” he said quietly as they left their suite and headed for the elevator, “I don’t know what they were thinking, and to be honest, it pisses me off no end that they thought there was nothing wrong with just… adjusting me to suit their needs. I… there’s a part of me that will never forgive them for what they did, but…”

Harris sighed as the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. Fortunately, they were the only occupants.

“I just can’t believe,” he continued once they were moving, “That they didn’t have some sort of a reason, other than wanting to take away my happiness, you know? And… I’m not going to shut them out until I know what it was.” There. It was said. He didn’t know how Spike would take it, but it wasn’t Spike’s decision to make. It was Harris’s, and he’d decide how he felt after he’d heard their justification.

Spike did his best not to smile. He’d never wanted his beloved to turn away from his friends, but the man definitely had a right to get some of his own back. And he kind of agreed, anyway. IF there was a good enough reason, he figured he could manage to not kill the witch and Slayer… or even not hurt them too much. But his love deserved his anger… and whatever vengeance the human chose would doubtless be appropriate.

“ ‘s up ta you, Xan…” was what he finally said as the elevator slowed. “Not like you’ve spent a lot of time with them in th’ last few years, anyway. Didn’t you tell me th’ day you called Red from my place was th’ first time you’d talked ta her in half a year?” He shrugged, his arm around his human as the doors opened and they stepped into the lush lobby of their hotel. “I’m behind you, luv. No matter what you decide ta do, alright?”

Harris smiled, completely oblivious to the interested looks he and his claimed were receiving. His arm rose from Spike’s waist to settle comfortably and possessively around his shoulders as they strolled to the main lobby doors. “I know, babe. And I seriously doubt whether this whole thing is gonna make the Scooby gang closer, you know?” His eye widened slightly at the chauffeured car waiting and the driver who stood quickly from his spot leaning against the side panel to open the door. “Uh, Spike…? Something you want to tell me?”

The blond chuckled. “Came with th’ room, luv. Might as well use it, yeah?” His arm dropped from around the toned waist of his human. “Go on, pet. Get in. If you like it, I’ll get us one when we get back home.”

Harris sighed. “I’d rather be able to drive myself, but I guess it beats walking, right?”

He frowned slightly as he climbed into the car behind the younger man. “An’ why wouldn’t you be able ta drive yourself, luv? You seem ta be right capable of anythin’ you set your mind to.”

He snorted. “Yeah, well try telling that to the District of Columbia. They seem to think I might have problems with depth perception.” Harris snorted again. “As if.”

Spike was fully aware that his Xan was avoiding thinking about what was going to happen when they reached the Watcher House. Hell, he couldn’t really blame the man. There were some lines friends weren’t supposed to cross, and in HIS opinion, the chits had crossed it not once, but twice. Firstly when they’d kidnapped their alleged friend, and then again when they’d decided to muck about with the very thing that made Xander… Xander. His memory.

He hadn’t said anything about it, but his beloved hadn’t been the same bloke without knowing everything that had formed him into who he was… he’d been less… bold, Spike thought, when he hadn’t remembered HIM.

He hadn’t loved his human any less, of course, but… he’d definitely noticed. Now, though…? Well, his beloved was his old self again, this time with an added edge of dark anger buried under the Harris-facade he wore so well. That edge was… exciting, Spike admitted silently, but that was a vampire thing and he didn’t really think he’d miss it when the man worked through it. It wasn’t what he loved about his claimed, after all.

With that thought in mind, Spike leaned over the seat of the classic luxury car and gave their driver the address before sitting back in the seat, his nearer hand clasped with his beloved’s. “Won’t be long now, Xan,” he murmured softly, “An’ then we can go home… unless you’d rather tour Europe a bit? Not like either one of us has anywhere else we need ta be. Other than together.”

It was an idea Harris found himself turning over in his mind carefully. He’d been able to afford a trip like that for a while but somehow it hadn’t seemed appealing… or it hadn’t until Spike. But now… he looked at the blond from the corner of his eye, imagining all the places they could see, the things they could do. The Eiffel Tower, the remains of the Berlin Wall, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel… and then he laughed and accepted the reality. He’d be seeing a lot of ceilings, all right. The ceilings of some of the finest hotels on the continent. “That could be a plan, babe,” he said with a grin, pulling their joined hands into his lap, “Always wanted to… study abroad.”

Spike laughed at the reminder of their bag of toys. “Don’t worry, pet. I’ll be givin’ you lots an’ lots of homework.”

“Oh, good,” Harris murmured. “Because I have a feeling I’m gonna like the research for a change…”

“Might let you graduate… magnum cum loudly,” the vampire teased.

The brunette groaned at the truly horrible pun. “Okay… that was bad. You may need to be punished if you keep that up.”

Spike smirked, continuing the suggestive banter as their car drew closer and closer to their destination. He figured he should enjoy this moment. His human wasn’t likely to be anywhere near as playful later. Or not for a while, anyway.

* * * * *

“Oh God, oh God, oh God…”

“Buffy… calm down.” Willow patted her friend’s back, trying to soothe her.

“Oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God…”

Elliot arched one slender brow at Trevor from a few feet away. “Uh… is she broken?” he asked, confused at seeing the young woman so out of sorts.

Trevor sighed and returned to the couch, one arm resting on the back of it behind Elliot’s shoulders. “I think she’s worried about what Harris wants to say to them, baby.”

He snorted. “No… really? I thought she was freaking out because of that thing her hair is doing.” Elliot rolled his eyes affectionately at his lover. “It’s just that… she’s been ‘oh god’-ing for like five minutes now. It’s getting kind of annoying. Besides… Willow’s not all wierded out and if Harris is gonna be pissed at anyone, it’ll be her, right? She’s the witch.”

Trevor shook his head slowly. “I don’t think so, El. Harris and the Maiden-Crone have been friends for pretty much their entire lives. He forgave her for almost ending the world, and trust me, that was much bigger than this, seeing as she kind of tried to kill him.”

And for a moment, Elliot had almost forgotten that his best friend’s books weren’t fiction. Willow… really was Rowan. All the things Harris had written about had really happened, and the young looking redhead who seemed somewhat meek at times was really the same bad-ass wiccan who’d done exactly what Trevor had said, among other things.

The brunette nodded slowly, his hand moving from the back of the couch to rest on Elliot’s shoulder and squeeze gently. “The Slayer, on the other hand… she came into the mix much later, and… she never really understood just how capable Harris was. Even though she defended him to the old Watcher’s Council, she was always too worried about him being ‘only human’ to put him to effective use. Not until close to the end, anyway, and then he lost his eye, so…” He shrugged, glad the witch and the Slayer were too absorbed to hear him.

“And you know this… how?” Elliot asked softly, unconsciously leaning back into that hold on his shoulder. “Oh… because…”

He nodded. “Because I used to see… everything, baby. Not just the little bit I do now.” Trevor shrugged again. “It was a good trade. And I’m not sorry, if that’s what you’re thinking. To be… human. Mortal? To be able to touch and be touched? To truly FEEL, to know the immediacy of this mortal coil?” His smile was gentle as his eyes met the other man’s. “I would wish I’d been able to do it earlier, but for one thing. If I had, I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to know you El… and I wouldn’t give that up. Not for anything.”

Elliot blinked, not entirely sure of how to take that. On the one hand, it was possibly the best compliment he’d ever gotten, but on the other… it had almost sounded like Trevor was making some sort of declaration…? Of what, Elliot wasn’t sure. The only thing he knew for certain was that it made him feel kind of uncomfortable… and safe in a way he’d never really known before.

In the end, he could only think of one thing to say, noncommittal as it was. “So no regrets, then?” Elliot asked, biting his lip.

“Not a one,” Trevor replied, sighing silently. He should have known better, should have known it was too soon, too much. His only defense—and it wasn’t much of one—was that it was all still new to him; especially the way he was feeling. Still, Elliot hadn’t pulled away from him any more than he had the night before, so… maybe it would be all right. He just… needed not to push. His hand rubbed slowly over the other man’s shoulder, a soft, subtle touch that tried to convey simple affection and actually said much more.

Fortunately, that was the moment when they all heard the bell announcing someone at the front door.

All of them tensed for different reasons, even the Slayer going silent as they waited for Collins to conduct Harris— Xander—to the library.

“I really don’t want to do this, babe,” Harris said seriously as they waited for the door to be opened. “Can’t we just… tell them we need some time or something?” His knees were almost knocking, he was so nervous. In all the years he’d known his girls, he’d never taken them to task for anything. Not even once.

And yet… another part of him was demanding that he and his vampire leave… let the girls come to THEM with apologies and whatever justifications they had.

Spike smiled slightly, his arms wrapping around his beloved. “We can tell them that too, Xan… but you have a right ta say your piece, and… think you’ll feel better for doin’ it.” His mouth found the perfect scar he’d given his claimed and soft, cool lips traced it delicately as the door opened. “Might even Mate ta you soon, luv… best if your friends know it ahead, yah? Goin’ ta be enough of a shock knowin’ we’ve claimed an’ all…”

Harris shivered, responding to the lips on his skin. “Gods… Spike… are you sure we can’t…” He was interrupted by the deliberately intrusive sound of a throat being cleared and pulled himself away from his love. “Um. Collins.” Harris smiled shakily. “Hi.”

Collins arched a brow, then smiled as much as he usually did when confronted by someone he respected.

“Mr. Alexander,” he acknowledged, “I believe the Ladies await you in Mr. Giles’s library. I will be happy to escort you and your…” His eyes quickly roamed over the blond’s shape. “Your… companion… to them now.”

Harris smiled, pulling away from Spike’s lips slowly. He almost stepped inside, but the squeeze to his hand stopped him. “So… we’re invited in, Collins?” he asked, that squeeze alerting him to his vampire’s need of welcome.

Collins nodded slowly and sadly, well aware of the blond’s restrictions. “Yes. I invite you and your… friend... to enter, Mr. Alexander.”

* * * * *

The room was strangely silent, considering the amount of tension in the air. Then again, Spike figured maybe that tension was exactly why no one was talking. Probably afraid of what they might say if they opened their gobs… especially after the fairly lurid threats he’d made to the Slayer over the phone earlier, but there was no need for his beloved to know about that.

His eyes rolled and he arched a brow at Elliot and Trevor. There was tension there, too, but he didn’t really care. Liked the blokes, but they were far from his main priority. Besides, they were grown humans. They could handle their own dramas, he bloody well hoped. His Xan had enough to deal with right then without having to worry over his friend and the dark haired bloke he’d taken up with.

Finally the silence was too much for the often hyperactive vampire and he growled. “Bloody hell! You’re all more than six years old, people. Say what you’re goin’ ta say an’ get it over with! Got a honeymoon trip ta get on with my claimed, don’t I?”

Harris groaned. “Well that was ONE way of telling them, babe. Not the way I wanted to do it, though.”

Spike snorted. “Would have still been here this time tomorrow if I waited for you ta open your mouth, luv.”

He sighed softly and leaned back against Spike for a moment. “Fine. Let’s get this done.”

Harris straightened up and looked at the redhead and the blonde across the room. “I was gonna ask you why. That was the plan,” he said seriously and sternly, his arms crossing over his chest in anger. “But now that I’m here, I… you know, I really don’t care why. What you did…”

“Was wrong,” Willow agreed, hoping Xander would forgive them if he knew they were sorry. “We never should…”

“Hey. I’M talking here,” Harris shouted, glaring at her. “And if you had ANY respect for me, you’d let me finish!”

He nodded sharply when the girl ‘eeep’ed. “I don’t know where you two get off! YOU think I’d be better off if I didn’t remember Spike so you just… make me forget? What about what I wanted? What about the fact that I’m almost thirty years old and have been making my own decisions since I was, oh, twelve? When did I ask YOU to jump in and screw with my life? With my MIND?”

His eye shifted to Buffy and he frowned even deeper. “And you. I get that your life didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to. I do. You miss being out there doing what the potentials do. That does NOT mean you have the right to change MY life into what you think it should be! You didn’t want me to be with Spike? So what! Not your choice, not your decision, Buffy! MY life. MY choice. MINE!”

“I love you guys. Don’t get me wrong, I really do. But I’m not some weak, pathetic guy who needs to be taken care of! And maybe you never saw that. Maybe you never knew. But it’s true.” Harris nodded again at the surprise on his friends’ faces. “I’ve made a whole LIFE for myself since we left Sunnydale. It may not be the life you WANT me to have, but it’s the life I want. ME. And since it IS my life, you need to BACK. THE. FUCK. OFF! Yes, I’m with Spike. Yes, I love him! We’re Claimed and I don’t CARE how wrong you think that is! It’s none of your business! And even if it was, do you have ANY IDEA of how VIOLATED I feel that you took my memories of him? You guys just… SUCK!”

Spike watched his beloved with arched brows. Even knowing how angry Xander was, he hadn’t really expected the bloke to let the girls have it. His love was usually less confrontational. Still, he found himself nodding. This had obviously been building for more time than he’d thought. That didn’t mean he was going to let the man burn all his bridges, though, much as he’d like to. His Xan would miss his friends soon enough if he completely alienated them.

“Luv,” he murmured, stepping closer and placing his hands lightly on the tops of the brunette’s shoulders, “Might want ta take a breath, yeah? Not that you don’t look a treat in blue, but it’s not th’ healthiest color for skin of th’ human variety. Gorblath, sure. Human? Not so much.”

Willow was crying. Silently, to be sure, but she was crying none the less. So, she saw, was Buffy. They’d done what had seemed right to them in the moment, but they’d been wrong, and while the witch had already known that, she hadn’t truly realized just how… disrespectful it had been for them to do what they’d done. In fact, she had to admit to herself that it basically made it very clear that neither she nor Buffy had had any faith in their friend’s intellect.

“God… Xander, I’m sorry!” Buffy cried, throwing herself across the six or so feet to wrap her arms around his torso. “I… we shouldn’t have… and you’re right, we… it IS your… and we were just so… and WORRIED! But we… no, shouldn’t have… and I don’t know why it seemed so… but it was so wrong, and you’re not weak! Not pa-pathetic! No, not at all, we just…”

He found himself patting her back while she continued her broken, disjointed words in a somewhat un-Buffy like way. His eye was wide as he looked at Willow, practically begging for help.

The redhead flew across the room, adding her own clench to Buffy’s. “She’s right, Xan. YOU’RE right. Even though we thought it was a demon… some other demon… we shouldn’t have… and it’s fine that you love Spike. Really, it is! We just… we didn’t know you were gay and then Buffy reminded me about that time you wanted me to gay you up and I thought maybe I did by accident, and then Robert, and you didn’t remember so we figured you were always gay and then with the crystal and Andrew told us Spike was alive, and Trevor and the prophecy poem thingy and…”

“Bloody hell, luv,” Spike chuckled ruefully, “You’re a bleedin’ amateur in th’ babble department, ‘ey?”

“Never finished my training,” Harris answered softly. “Classes were interrupted on account of the great big smoking hole in the ground.” He tried to shrug but his arms were too full of apologizing girls.

Elliot watched all of it with curious and confused eyes. He leaned closer against Trevor’s side and shook his head. “Okay… and this is just weird, Trev. He was yelling at them like a minute ago and now they’re hugging. I don’t get it.”

Trevor chuckled, his hand stroking up and down Elliot’s arm slowly. “Harris said it himself, baby. He loves them. I’m sure he’s still pissed off, but… I guess he’s decided to forgive them. Eventually.”

The blond nodded slowly, his confusion clearing up a bit. “I almost feel sorry for them. I know how… creative Harris can get when someone’s trying to work their way back into his good graces.” He smiled, a small laugh coming from his lips. “So if the fireworks are over for now, how about we go to that pub again? I could use a drink somewhere that’s not… here.”

And that was a damned good idea, Trevor decided. He didn’t really want to be there when the Maiden-Crone and the Slayer calmed down enough to remember what Harris had said about being Claimed. He had a feeling things might get ugly. Or not. It depended on how sincere the girls really were about letting Harris make his own decisions.

Not that their feelings would or could change anything. Claimed was Claimed and that was that.

Harris couldn’t keep himself from smiling as he was pulled down beside his lover on the couch. “Thanks for making me do this, babe,” he whispered quietly, rubbing his cheek against Spike’s shoulder.

The vampire chuckled and turned a bit, cupping his beloved’s cheek and pressing a slow, thorough kiss to his lips. “Didn’t want ta spend th’ rest of our trip with you bein’ all pouty an’ mopey, did I? Besides, luv, think you needed ta get some things off your chest. Seemed best ta get it out of th’ way, right?”

“Yeah, yeah… and once again, the vampire was right. Happy now, babe?” Harris said with a grin. “Oh, and speaking of our trip, remind me to buy a lot of postcards for my neighbor. She’ll worry if she doesn’t hear from me every once in a while.”

“Consider it done, luv. No worryin’ your Mrs. J.” He kissed his claimed again, throwing in a soft purr.

Willow grinned from her chair, glad they’d left the library. The blue salon was much more comfortable, not to mention being more homey. “I… wow. You guys look so…”

“Good together,” Buffy agreed with a sigh.

“I was gonna say hot, but good together works too,” the witch grinned even wider. She knew there’d be a good long time of trying to make things up to her friend, but for the moment they were okay. Not great, but at least Xander hadn’t walked out the way she’d been afraid he would. And a large part of that was Spike. He seemed to have some sort of a soothing effect on Xan.

Buffy laughed. “I still can’t believe you were gay all this time, Xan. I mean… you’ve been with women. I know I remember that, right? And you, Spike…? Never would have figured…”

Spike snorted. “Not gay, pet. Just… what we are, yeah?” It felt strange to be sitting here fondling his beloved in front of the woman he’d once thought he’d loved. Stranger still that he couldn’t find any resentment within himself for the way she’d treated him back in the day.

“Yeah,” Harris said with a grin, one hand rubbing up and down Spike’s toned thigh. “Who said we were gay, anyway?”

“Well, I… you had a date with Robert! Got all ‘might be all night’ and stuff…”

Spike cocked a brow at his human. “Did you now, luv… an’ do I need ta add young Bobby ta my kill list?”

The brunette laughed, the corner of his eye crinkling. “Nah… didn’t even get around to kissing him. A certain sexy vampire distracted me completely before I got the chance.”

“Right, then,” the vampire in question smirked, “Because I’m not plannin’ ta share you with any other blokes. A chit or two maybe, but no blokes. Got it, luv?”

“Same to you, babe.” Harris nodded happily.

“We’ve got us a deal, pet.” Spike smirked.

“Wait… so wait. You’re not gay. Either of you.” The Slayer looked a little confused. “But you… I mean, you guys… with each other, right?”

Willow rolled her eyes. “Um, Buffy. I don’t think that’s really any of our…”

“Oh, come on, Will! They’re claimed and stuff, right? And Xan told you they were lovers, so… so they must be doing it. I’m just wondering how that fits in with their whole ‘we’re not gay’ platform is all.”

Harris sighed and chuckled softly. “Okay, Buff. I’m only gonna say this once. Yes, we’re together. Yes, we have sex. A LOT of sex if you really want to know. And yes, I’ve had sex with other men. BUT! I still like women. Want them sometimes. Probably always will. So does that make me gay? Bi?” He shrugged. “Whatever. It’s more about personality and attraction than gender. I just… decided a while ago that it was stupid to pass on what could be a good relationship just because of the plumbing that happened to be attached to someone, okay?”

“Very well said, luv,” Spike murmured, leaning closer to inhale his beloved’s scent. “You see, Buffy? We’re not gay. Just havin’ us a bloody brilliant relationship.”

The Slayer sighed again, this time at the obvious happiness of the two men. “This is SO not fair. Why can’t I find someone who loves me like that?” She pouted a little, although her tone was teasing.

“You will, Buffy,” Willow said comfortingly. “You just need to be open to it. You know how you get all protect-o gal with the not wanting anyone in danger because they’re with you. So you kind of keep people at arm’s length.”

Harris nodded, remembering that very trait from Sunnydale and the short period of time after when he’d traveled with the girls. “Willow’s right, Buff. Just… when you get home, try taking a night off every once in a while. Go out. Enjoy being a beautiful woman in the prime of her life. If you let yourself shine, you’ll have more guys panting after you than a dog has fleas. Uh, not that you’re a dog or anything. You’re a… cat. Yeah. A great big sexy cat-woman… not that you’re big because you’re not. You’re small, but still bigger than a cat, thus the cat-WOMAN part, and okay, I’m shutting up now…”

Spike and Willow exchanged one swift glance then dissolved into laughter.

“Bloody… hell, luv… didn’t know that whole… foot… would fit in your… mouth…”

“Gods, Buffy… if you could see your face…” Willow finally managed to say through the giggles.

Giles turned away from the door, trying valiantly not to laugh until he reached the library. He needed to update the Watcher’s Chronicles on William the Bloody, after all, and he couldn’t do that if the girls, Xander and Spike decided to kill him for eavesdropping. Still, it had been necessary. At least now he knew that the children—and he included Spike in that category for some odd reason—the children would be all right.

It was all he could have asked.