Xander headed for his hidey-hole the minute he left the Magic Box. He was tired and that zap
had been painful. He had to be at the cattle call early in the morning, so he settled down to sleep,
hoping against hope that he'd wake up in time.

He almost didn't but he heard a noise in the tunnel and was awake enough that it woke him
completely. He groaned and got up.

He packed every thing away in his backpack and carried it to Sammy's, where he knew it would
be safe. If he left it in the nook, it was liable not to be there when he got back.

He walked the mile to the parking lot and stood in line until a man came up to him.

"What can you do?" Manny looked at Xander. "Oh, and what's your name?"

"Alexander Harris, and I can dry wall, I've got common carpentry skills and some finishing work. I'm fair with paint and varnish. I was learning to do floors and cabinetry."

"Quite a resume there. You any relation to Tony Harris?"

Xander flushed. "Yeah, he's my dad. But I don't live at home and I don't drink. Um?"

Manny smiled at Xander. "That's good. I'll put you down on the list. Wait here."

Xander leaned against the brick wall and hoped while Manny walked on down the line, asking
the same questions of the rest of the waiting men.

Manny went to the basement door. The pale figure there just waited.

"It's Tony, that's the problem. That asshole has ruined the boy's reputation. All gossip, I think,
but there you are. He's good?"

Spike shrugged. "I don't know. Probably. Just give him a chance and I'll owe you. Give him the
job on my say so, yeah? But make him keep it on his own. And don't tell him I spoke up for him.
Want him to think he got it on his own, see?"

Manny just nodded. It wasn't often that he was asked for a favor by a Master of the Line of
Aurelius. In fact, never as far back as he could remember had any of his people been asked for
anything by a vampire.

"Sure thing, Master Spike. I'll go put him on a bus. I'll see that he doesn't have trouble with
hazing, either. I don't like it to begin with."

Manny pointed out several men, Xander included. Then he consulted his clipboard.

Xander wound up on a bus headed for the outskirts of Sunnydale, where there was a complex of
quadriplexes going up. Xander sighed happily. If he could keep this job, it was going to last quite
a while. The complex was only about a quarter done, so there was going to be work for a long
time.

When the bus reached the site, the super just set everyone to unloading a flat bed truck. The pallets had been removed with a fork lift, but there were still bags of materials to be unloaded by hand.

Xander unloaded bag after bag of everything from concrete to he wasn't sure what. He was
beginning to get thirsty so he headed for the water cooler. Manny caught him just as he was
getting in line.

"You said you could dry wall? Well, the journeyman didn't show up. I'll take you to the site. It's
half way across the complex. Come on."

Xander followed Manny to his truck and wondered how long it would be before he lost this job
too. But Manny wasn't showing any signs of dissatisfaction. At least not with Xander.

"Stupid fucker got himself arrested for domestic abuse. Don't see what else I could do but give
him notice. My woman wouldn't put up with that for a minute. She'd cut off things. Lots of
things. But there you are. And here we are. Go inside and find Burk. He's job boss. He'll get you
set up."

Xander hopped out of the truck and headed inside to find Burk. He was going to have trouble
working this job. He didn't have the tools necessary, which was one thing that kept getting him
'let go'. He'd get tools, then his dad would hock them, then he'd get laid off. He sighed and let
his shoulders slump.

"Hey, you Harris? Come on."

Xander followed the man. Mr. Burk handed him a taper, a mud pan, and some corner tools; in
fact, all the tools Xander needed to do the job.

"I know you probably have your own tools but since you didn't know you were going to get this
chance you don't have them with you. So I'll lend you my second best set until you can bring
yours."

Xander took a deep breath and decided honesty was best. "I had tools, but my dad hocked them.
I don't have so much as a trowel. I'll get tools as soon as I can, if you keep me on the job. I'll
pay for the loan of these as soon as I get a payday. If that's all right."

Burk just shrugged. "Tough. You still live at home?"

Xander shook his head. "No, I moved out. I don't have a regular place yet. Again with the
waiting on a payday. But . . ."

Mr. Burk held up his hand. "Not my business, especially since you don't live at home. Start at
that end and do both side walls and the end. Don't do this end. I want to watch you while you work on it. Get a feel for what you can do. Okay . . . I'll be around if you need anything."

Xander started hanging the dry wall. It didn't take him long to get it all hung. Then he went in search of mud. He wondered why they called it mud instead of something more . . . elegant, or at least nice.

After getting a tray of mud, Xander started mudding in the dry wall, covering the cracks between
the sheets of plaster board with the mud, then taping them. He fell into a rhythm that lasted until
he was done.

"Mr. Burk, I'm done with my job. I'm going to get a drink before I start on the last wall. Okay?"

"Yeah. Stay hydrated. It's hotter than hell in here and we're shutting off the breeze as we get the
walls up. Get a drink then come back."

Xander managed to get to the cooler this time and dumped one cup of water over his head then
drank several more. He stood in the window opening for a moment, enjoying the breeze that
managed to find its way through.

Xander liked construction work. It was logical. Things made sense. Blueprints were static; they didn't suddenly change shapes or be something they were not. Dry wall was dry wall and a 2 x 4 was only that. They didn't go all squiggly on him. He hoped that he could keep this job.

If he could find a ride to work, he'd really be in good. Even if he didn't, he was feeling good
about this job. Without his father in the way he might actually keep it. If he could get his tools
back. He'd been really pissed about that. When he'd found out that Tony had hocked them he'd
nearly done something he'd regret. For his own sake.

Xander went back to find Mr. Burk running a finger down one of his seams. Xander hoped he
wasn't going to find fault with it. It was the best he could do, although he figured it probably
wasn't good enough.

"This is real good work. You need your own tools, though. See about getting some, okay? I'll let
you use those until payday. I don't think I need to watch you work around the door. I'm heading up to the front of the building. See you later."

Xander finished the wall, then got another drink. He was so thirsty because he'd been sweating
like a horse. Drywall was heavier than you'd think and the size made it awkward, but he had
managed the job with a minimum of trouble.

He decided that he should go look for Mr. Burk; maybe there was something else he could do
before quitting time.

~ * ~

He heard them before he got to the front of the building. Mr. Burk was swearing and someone
else was talking softly. He hurried into the lobby of the still unfinished building to hear the last
of the man's conversation

"I don't care. If we don't get the crane, we're fucked. That retaining plate is cracked and it's not
going to hold much longer. . . . . . two hours. We don't have that long. . . . . . okay, just try." The
man snapped his phone shut with a muttered curse.

Xander had only heard this side of the conversation, so he wasn't sure what retaining plate they
were talking about, but he found out easily enough. All he had to do was look up. The lobby
ceiling was a modified geodesic dome with a large retaining plate at its apex. The plate was
cracked along one side.

Six beams met right at the top of the dome, but two of them were breaking away from the rest as
the plate they were attached to was cracked between them and the other four. Xander could see that
the fix was easy enough. All someone had to do was climb up the outside of the dome and fasten
the beams together somehow until a new plate could be gotten and put in place.

He obviously had a case of 'babble mouth' and said all that out loud, as the phone man turned to
him and barked, "If you're so smart, you do it."

So Xander just shrugged, walked to the wall and started climbing. It wasn't really all that hard;
all he had to do was remember not to look farther down than his feet. Which he only did once,
more than enough, thank you very much. But he managed to make it to the top of the dome and
get a look at the plate.

He yelled down and asked for a comealong and two bolts. Someone tossed up a cord by
weighting the end with a shot. The first try was a mess. His frantic grab for the shot nearly overbalanced him and he felt a nasty jab from something in his inner thigh. Xander caught it on the second try.

Using the cord, Xander pulled up the comealong, bolts and a wrench. He used the bolts to attach
the ends of the comealong to the main part of the plate and the two errant beams. Then he
slowly pulled the plate back together, careful not to pull too hard or too quickly.

As he slowly worked the rachet of the comealong, Xander looked down at the pavement two
storeys below. From here he could see the mosaic design in its entirety. He checked that the bolts weren't making the retaining plate split more then climbed down.

When he got to the floor, Mr. Burk was waiting for him.

"Dammit. I didn't think you could do it. Great work."

Xander shrugged; this hadn't been as scary as facing off with a Fyarl demon. "That's okay. I'm just glad I could do it. Having that dome collapse would put the job off for. . . at least three days."

Mr. Burk looked at the other supervisor. "Jake Lonergan, Xander Harris."

Xander stuck out his hand. "Hi. Pleased to meet you."

"Same here. You don't know what you've done so I'll tell you. If that dome had collapsed, we'd
have had to shut down the whole job until the OSHA guys went over everything. Thirty or more
guys would have been laid off until we could get the site back up and running. At least two
weeks."

Xander eyed the man for a moment then looked back up at the dome. "Why? That dome is
freestanding. It doesn't affect the rest of the building, never mind the rest of the site."

"Well, hell. How'd you figure out that one? Even OSHA wouldn't believe it without going over
every damn thing twice."

Xander blinked slowly. He knew he was not the sharpest knife in the drawer but even he could see what was on the blueprints.

"It's right there on the blueprints." Xander held up a hand. "I know I shouldn't have been looking at them, but they were just right out there on the table so I snuck a peek on my break."

Mr. Lonergan just shook his head. "You shouldn't be so . . . self-effacing. If you could see that
from a quick look at the blueprints, what else did you see?"

Xander rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you didn't order enough 2 x 4's for the second floor
of that wing." Xander waved his hand in the general direction of the area he was talking about.

He sighed. He was starting to feel the results of adrenalin crash and the cut or whatever on his thigh was starting to really ache.

"Hey! You okay? What. . . you better sit down."

Xander sat gingerly. All he needed was for them to know he'd gotten hurt on the job. Lots of
companies would fire a guy for that.

"I'll be okay in a minute, just kinda washed out here. Adrenalin crash. I just need to sit for a minute."

Mr. Burk brought Xander a soda and handed it to him, telling him the caffeine would make him
feel better.

Mr. Lonergan just nodded. "I'm sorry. You must be exhausted. You go home now and get some
rest. We'll pay you for the rest of the day and maybe we can manage a bonus. Come back
tomorrow, and don't forget your tools."

Xander sighed. He'd have to find some way to get his tools back. Maybe he could borrow the
money from Giles. He knew his tools were still at the pawn shop; he'd seen them when he'd
gone in to check a couple of days ago.

Xander left the site, but he didn't get much rest. First he had to walk all the way back to
Sammy's to get his stuff, then he had to make up his 'room'. But he didn't get to rest even then.
After he was done setting up he remembered that tonight was a Scoobie meeting, one Spike had
made sure he knew about.

So he took all his things and put them back in his backpack, shouldered it and headed for The
Magic Box, grumbling all the way.

On the way there he ran into Spike, which made him wince.

"Spike."

"Well, let's not expire of joy." Spike smirked at Xander, who just wearily continued on his way.

"Cat got your tongue?" Spike wrinkled his nose. Xander had obviously not had time to shower
before he got there.

Xander stopped to eye Spike with irritation. "Look. I'm tired, I had to walk to the cattle call and
we had a thing there. And I walked back again. I didn't have time for a shower so I stink. Get
over it."

Spike, being Spike, asked the question that jumped into his mind. "But you have your uncle's car.
What's up with that?"

"It's my uncle's car. As long as I was taking care of it, gassing it and paying insurance on it, I
could drive it when the old man didn't want it. But . . . I'd rather not get arrested for grand theft
auto, thankyouverymuch."

Spike grimaced. He hadn't thought of that. He was going to have to step up his schedule a little.

"Well, can't say as I blame you. American jails are not my favorite place, either."

"So . . . I walk. Get over it."

"Don't have to, pet. But enough of that. We better get in there before the librarian frowns at us. Wanna put that in my trunk?"

"No."

Spike snorted rudely. "You wanna explain why you got all your worldly goods in there?"

"No, guess not." Xander followed Spike to the DeSoto and chucked his pack in the trunk.

Xander bit his lip -- one of the things he was going to have to do tonight was swallow his pride.
He followed Spike to the door, trying to decide how to go about getting the money he needed
without letting anyone know how bad it really was.

~ * ~

"Um . . . . Giles? Can I talk to you for a second?"

Giles managed to pull his nose out of the book long enough to blink at Xander. "Of course. Just a moment." Giles stuck his finger into the book and gazed at Xander rather vaguely.

"I need to borrow some money. Not a whole lot. But my dad hocked some of my tools and I
need to buy them back. It's only $300 and I can pay you back $150 this payday and the rest next
month. Please?"

Giles gave Xander a stern look. "Xander, if you allowed your father to pawn your tools, you
should go to him for the money to get them back. You really must learn a little more
responsibility. Why don't you go to the shopkeeper and make a deal with him?"

Xander gave Giles a funny look then just shrugged. Giles didn't hear him mutter, 'because the
bastard wants to fuck me for them.'

Xander approached Buffy, but she was sincere when she told him she didn't have that kind of
money. She frowned and told him to ask Riley, then admitted that they weren't really talking to
each other anymore.

"I think he's going to leave for South America or something. I don't know what to do."

Xander gave her some advice that he didn't think she was going to take and went to find Riley.

Riley shrugged and admitted that he didn't have that kind of money and didn't think he'd be
around to collect, even if he had it.

Xander plopped down in a chair, exhausted, dirty and disgusted.

"Here, pet. Make you feel better, yeah?"

Spike handed Xander a soda and a donut. Xander gaped at him for a second, then accepted the things with a soft 'thanks.'

Spike also noticed that no one else had even asked Xander if he'd eaten. "Bloody hell. Harris,
did you even have lunch today?"

Xander swallowed the last of the donut before answering. "No. I . . . missed the lunch wagon.
It's okay. I'll go by Lonnie's and get something after the meeting."

Buffy was in the back room punching the hell out of the heavy bag, Willow and Tara were
reading a book together and the Watcher, as usual, had his nose stuck in a book. Spike sneered at
them all.

The whelp was everything that Spike wasn't. He was loyal, brave, loving. In fact, Spike
acknowledged, he was a regular Boy Scout. Spike wanted all those virtues for himself, in the
person of Xander Harris. And now was the time to make his first move.

"Well, Xander, we better be going. You want some supper before we go to the pawn shop to get
your tools?"

"Um. . . Spike. I didn't get the money. No one has . . . well, except for Giles and he . . . never
mind. Just. . . shit!" Xander ran a hand through his hair. The chocolate strands stuck out in every
direction, stiff from sweat and dry wall dust.

Spike set the first nail. "That's okay. I got the dosh. And I don't mind loanin' ya some."

Xander eyed Spike. "Um . . . where did you get money? I mean . . .not that I think you did
something you shouldn't have but. . ."

Spike held up his hand. "I got money. Just couldn't get to it for a while. I'll explain some other
time. That pawn shop closes at 7 and doesn't open again till midnight, so we better get going."

Xander heaved himself out of the chair and slouched his way to the door.

"Bye, guys. See you . . . whenever."

Giles flapped his hand absently, and Willow just gave Xander a quick smile. Tara, however, gave
Spike a long, measured look that made him give a cocky smirk in return. Glinda was a good kid, and a lot more knowledgeable about magic than she let on. Spike filed that away for future reference

~ * ~

Just before they reached the DeSoto, Xander stopped Spike.

"Okay, evil undead, what are you up to?"

Spike smirked at Xander and lit a cigarette. "Don't know wot yer talkin' about, pet. You need
the tools, I got the money. What's the problem?"

Xander gave Spike a sharp look. "I don't know. Just, evil undead here. I don't trust you. Where
did you get the money?

Spike turned his head so Xander wouldn't see the triumph in his eyes. "Angel. Don't want t' talk
about it. Just, I got it, you need it, yeah? And it is a loan. You pay me back all at once when you
get it." Xander started to say something but Spike forestalled him. "I got plenty. Ya won't be
puttin' me short. So, we're goin' now, yeah?"

Xander nibbled at his lower lip and Spike had to look away or he'd jump the boy right there and
then.

"Yeah, we're going now. I've got to have the tools." Xander headed for Spike's car with a grudging thanks.

Spike drove to the Double Meat Palace, but refused to stop the minute he smelled the
place. He wasn't having his boy eat anything that smelled like that.

"Hey! I'm hungry. If you don't want to stop there then take me to Lonnie's. Come on."

Spike knew where Lonnie's was so he turned around and drove there without complaint. He got
a carry out mug of blood for himself and told Xander to order whatever he wanted. Xander
immediately called him on this generosity, demanding to know what he wanted in return.

"You'll find out. Got an ulterior motive, I do. Don't doubt it for a mo'."

After placing his order, Xander settled back in his seat, content for the moment.

~ * ~

Xander ate his burger and fries on the way to the pawn shop. Spike noticed the way he nearly
inhaled the food and realized that Xander was always hungry because he skipped meals. Spike
nearly snarled[,]; the thought of his boy hungry made his stomach turn. He was now intimately
acquainted with that particular sensation and he didn't like it. For either of them.

They arrived at the shop just as Xander swallowed the last fry and sip of soda. Spike parked right
in front of the shop and kicked the door of the DeSoto open with a creak of protesting hinges.

Xander scrambled out of the passenger door and paused on the sidewalk.

"Maybe you should let me go in by myself."

Spike sneered at him. "Got vampire hearing, ya git. Heard that last. You think I'm gonna leave
ya alone with someone who wants ta touch my property?"

Xander started to say something but Spike forestalled him. "Not a word." Somehow Xander
couldn't bring himself to say anything. Spike smirked at him for a second. "Well, we goin' in or
what?"

Xander opened the door and slouched in.

The fat proprietor greeted Xander with a greasy smile. "Hey there, love bug. Come to give me
some sugar?"

Xander returned the smile with a look of contempt and disgust. "No. I came to get my tools."

"Tools'll cost ya."

"How much?"

"What ya got?"

Xander considered. He knew how much his father had gotten for the tools. He offered that with a
'don't mess with me' look.

Benjy smirked at Xander. "Not enough. I know how much they're worth."

Xander just started searching the shop for his stuff. He finally found it all, except for his
Sawzall. He turned to Benjy and asked about it. When Benjy told him he'd given it to his son,
Xander knew he was lying. Benjy's son wouldn't know one end of the tool from the other. He
had no use for a reciprocal saw and would probably cut off something if he tried to use it.

Xander eyed the pile of tools on the counter and then continued his search. He found a Super
Sawzall in the back. It wasn't in the best of shape, but it was a good tool, nonetheless. He added it to the pile.

~ * ~

Spike watched as Xander found his tools and piled them on the counter. He'd never realized that construction required so much stuff. Not that he'd ever really thought about it before. He didn't recognize most of the tools, but Xander named them all and caressed them with work roughened fingers.

When Xander added the last tool Spike thought he was done, but Xander wandered around a
little more. When he finally made his way to the instruments, Spike was surprised. He hadn't
known that Xander played anything.

Xander stopped at the wall rack and ran his fingers over the finger board of a round-backed
Ovation. His wistful look hurt Spike. He knew Xander placed some value on that particular
instrument. He decided the boy would have that guitar.

"You want that, you know the price. I got an offer for that particular guitar and the guy is willin'
to pay my price. Decide now or I'm sellin' it tomorrow." Benjy leered at Xander in a way that
made Spike snarl.

Xander grimaced. "Not a chance in hell. I wouldn't let you fuck me with someone else's dick.
Just tell me how much you want for the tools. And don't jerk me around."

Spike looked at Benjy over Xander's shoulder. He vamped and then stroked his cheek with the
backs of his fingers. Benjy's eyes widened. He understood what that meant and he wasn't
messing with a Master Vampire.

"Um . . . okay . . . well, I gave your dad . . . six hundred for the tools. So . . ."

"No. You gave him one fifty. I know because he bragged about it. Don't mess with me. I'll give
you . . . a hundred."

"Hey! I want to screw you, not the other way around. One twenty five."

"Receiving stolen goods. A hundred."

Spike showed Benjy a bit of fang, Benjy bit his lip then decided he was giving up.

"Um . . . Okay . . . you got me. Take them. Where's my money?"

Xander turned to Spike, slightly shame-faced. "Um . . . Spike? It's the best I can do. I'll pay you
back as soon as I get paid. Okay?"

Spike pulled a small roll of bills out of his duster, and Xander wondered vaguely how many pockets it had.

He peeled off a hundred and ten dollars and handed them to Benjy.

"There. I'm takin' the git box, too."

"The . . . what?"

Xander blinked. "Spike . . . I . . ." Xander trailed off.

Spike got in Xander's face. "Tell me what you want . . . and why." He used Master's Voice on
Xander.

"I want Jesse's guitar. It's all I have left of him. He took lessons and then taught me. The old man sold it before I ever got to play it." Xander gave Spike a startled and dismayed look. "What
the hell did you just do?"

Spike lit a cigarette and shrugged. "Used Master's Voice. Never mind, just go get the damn thing before I change me mind."

Xander went to get the guitar and find the case. When he got them, he returned to Spike.

He stood in front of Spike with a hanging head and slumped shoulders.

Spike watched him while he struggled with his pride and his need.

"Thanks. I . . . thanks."

Spike just shrugged. "Come on. I want out of here. Place stinks."

Benjy wiped sweat off his face and shivered. He hadn't realized that Xander was a Claimed One.
He was going to get Tony for this one.

~ * ~

Xander put the box of tools in the trunk next to his backpack, but he put the guitar case in the
back seat. As he settled back in the passenger seat Spike got a good whiff of him. Even sweaty
Xander smelled good. Like cinnamon and salt.

Xander caught Spike sniffing and snarled. "Don't even. I know you don't have to breathe. Hey,
vampire. So no smart remarks. I know I stink."

Spike refrained from comment as the only things he could think of wouldn't aid his cause any.

Xander looked out the passenger window, wondering just exactly how Spike had managed to
make him tell one of his most treasured secrets so easily. It felt like he'd had no control at all.
Spike spoke in that tone of voice and he responded . . . like some sort of pet. *oh shit*

Xander started to say something, then he realized where they were.

"Stop the car. Stop!"

Spike slammed on the brakes, sure that something was wrong.

Xander jumped out, demanded that Spike open the trunk, then jittered from foot to foot until he
did.

When Spike stepped back, Xander rummaged in his duffel and pulled out some clothes, a towel
and a bar of soap.

He headed for a sewer housing at a fast walk, holding something in his hand. Spike realized that
it was a simple screwdriver. He snickered. Who knew that the boy had it in him?

Spike watched as Xander used the screwdriver to jigger the door knob. He followed him into the
utility tunnel that led under the swimming pool. He wondered what the hell the boy was up to
now.

Xander stripped off his sweaty work clothes and stepped under a cascade of water coming from a
pipe high on the wall of the chamber

"Ohfuckohshit. Coldcoldcold."

Xander shivered violently, scrambled out of the falling water and started soaping himself.

Spike realized that he was using the swimming pool overflow to shower. The freezing cold
overflow.

Xander stepped back into the water with a yelp. Rinsing quickly, he grabbed the towel and rubbed
vigorously. It didn't help much; he was still shivering as he dressed in his clean clothing.

Spike waited for him to finish, then he just smacked him on the back of the head.

"Hey. What was that for?"

"You're the stupidest git I ever saw. You're gonna catch your death. Shoulda waited until we got
to my place."

Xander rubbed the back of his head. "Your place? I'm not going to your place."

Spike glared at Xander for a moment. "Yeah, ya are." Xander opened his mouth. "Do. Not.
Argue. With. Me." Xander shut his mouth, gave Spike a frustrated look and headed for the car.

~ * ~

When they got to Spike's new apartment, Spike opened the door.

"Come in, pet."

Xander hesitantly entered the large industrial design living space. The apartment was huge,
windowless and Xander was immediately suspicious. "How'd you get this? Where'd you get the
money? The . . ."

"Shut it." Xander stopped babbling in mid sentence. "I got the money from the Order. Or rather
they got it from me and then gave it back. Come here."

Xander blinked at Spike for a second. "No. Not a chance, no way, no how. Not happening."

Spike shrugged. "Okay. But if one of my minions eats you, don't blame me."

Xander gulped, wondered why he was doing this, and went to Spike.

"Now, this is the way it is. I'm not havin' you live in that tunnel. Not safe, is it? You're not
gettin' enough sleep. I'll have one of the minions wake you in time for work. Eat a good breckie, yeah? All that shit."

Xander shuddered as Spike licked his neck from collar bone to jaw. He just stood for a second,
then started to wipe his neck. Spike grabbed his hand and stopped him.

"Leave it. I put my scent on you. The minions will know better than to mess with you now. I'll show you your room."

Spike showed Xander to a large bedroom done in shades of brown and cream with brick and
charcoal accents. He also showed him where the laundry was, telling him to just dump his things
there and someone would do them.

Next Spike pointed to a door at the end of the hall.

"Don't go in there. It's the minions' quarters. Don't want any accidents, do we?"

Xander followed Spike back to his room.

"Okay. What the hell is going on? Why are you being so nice to me?"

Spike smirked at Xander, oddly reassuring him. "Got ulterior motives, I do. Don't worry your
pretty little head about it. I'm not going to do anything you won't learn to like."

Xander shuddered. "That's what I'm afraid of."

~ * ~

Spike listened at the closed door until Xander settled in bed, then he went in search of someone.

"Timmins. Come here."

The slight figure came to Spike and knelt at his feet, cringing slightly. Spike eyed him for a
moment. He was ragged but clean, and he had that pseudo elegant accent that Spike recognized.

"Who were you?"

Timmins looked at his Master. Few Master Vampires cared who their minions used to be.

"I was a gentleman's gentleman when my employer was turned. He turned me, gave me his blood
until I . . . returned to myself. So to speak. Why do you ask? If that's not impertinent."

Spike bit into his wrist and offered it to the startled vampire. Timmins latched onto the bleeding
gash quickly, sucking until Spike ordered him to stop.

"That's enough. Asked because I got a job for you. My boy needs someone to take care of his
things. And you're going to do it. Touch him wrong, and I'll pull out your guts and play with
them. Understand?"

Timmins didn't even cringe. "No, Master, I don't understand. Is he your pet? If he is a pet, why
does he need me? Please . . . I don't want to make you angry. But I need to know what I'm
supposed to do."

Spike snarled in exasperation, his patience severely strained. He hated being around the
Scoobies, but it was especially hard now that he realized how badly they treated Xander. He
understood why they hated him, but they were supposed to love Xander. At least they claimed to.
But they treated him like dirt. They couldn't treat his boy like that and get away with it.

He smiled at Timmins. "He's my revenge on all the Watcher's little darlings. Pearls before swine and all that. Treat him like a Consort. Like a lord. You got me?"

Timmins nodded. "Yes, Master William. I understand. I'll sneak in and unpack his things, shall
I?"

Spike just walked away, smoking a cigarette and planning.