* * * * * * * * * * 
Second Position: Two of Swords 
"Reaching an impasse and not knowing how one should proceed. Having to make a choice without the benefit of insight." 

* * * * * * * * * * 

"You know, I could easily go with the swollen lip look if it weren't for the inconvenience of the pain associated with it." Xander inspected his face in the mirror again, wondering if the slight damage from the previous night's skirmish would interfere with eating. 

Spike's voice from the couch cut into determining his best side. "I don't know, mate. I hear pouty is all the rage this season. Though those lips will never go with that hair." 

"Yeah, if Calvin Klein calls while I'm at work, take a message." Xander peered over at Spike, who was leaning way too casually on the couch for his comfort. Failing to keep his full attention away from the boxer-clad form sprawled before him; he snickered when he did glance down against his will. "I don't recall seeing anything about the boxer-untied combat boot combination gracing the latest fashion spreads." 

Spike scowled at him. "Fag off! Don't know why you have to keep your floor so bloody cold." 

Xander laughed. "Yes I have control over such things: What time the sun rises, the length of next season's skirt hem and the temperature of cement basement floors." He raised his eyebrow, walking towards the figure before him. "Besides, I thought you vamps had that no body temperature thing, I mean, you live in a crypt." 

The scowl a permanent fixture on his face, Spike chose not to answer and instead ran his finger around the inside of his mug, bringing a blood-coated finger to his mouth and sucking it in. 

Hoping he was doing nonplussed convincingly, Xander inspected the healed thigh. He resisted the urge to run his finger over the spot that last night had resembled something from 'Evil Dead'. He kept his voice brisk and efficient like he thought a nurse's would sound. "Looks like you're all healed up. So I guess this means you'll be leaving at sundown, right?" 

"Plans tonight, pet? Can't leave anyhow." Spike gestured down at his legs. "Got no clothes." 

Xander kept his eyes fixed on the face of torment in front of him, refusing to follow the path that sweeping hand led. Jaw clenched, he responded, "No, I don't have any plans and I'll stop by your crypt and bring you something on my way home from work, okay?" 

"No plans? Something you're not telling me? Problems in paradise?" When Xander refused to answer, he continued, "S'no matter. Perhaps I'll give my good friend Anyanka a call. We could go out for drinks. She could tell me all about how her Xander doesn't treat her right." 

"Shut up. It's none of your business." The harshness of his tone surprised even Xander. He turned around and headed for the stairs. Before leaving, he stopped. "I should be home by six. I'll bring clothes and more blood. I'd tell you to stay out of my stuff, but I figured already you wouldn't listen, so I locked it up while you were passed out." He thumped heavily on the stairs, but still heard Spike when he called out. 

"How m'I supposed to entertain myself then? I've read all your geek boy comic books." 

Xander answered without stopping. "I don't care." 

* * * * * * * * * * 

Xander sighed as he looked around the crypt Spike has called home for the past months. The shadowed interior was a welcome break from the late afternoon sun, as a Hellmouth-spawned heat wave seemed to have crept into town overnight. Construction work all day outside made basement living look pretty good. He spied a pile of black fabric in one corner and started rifling through it, pulling out a t-shirt and pair of jeans. Before leaving, Xander took a last look around, not wanting to know how Spike slept on the large bed-like sarcophagus that was the dominant feature in what, on a good day, could be called a room. 

"Definitely not of the good to think of Spike and beds at the same time," he murmured to himself as he walked into the bright orange heat of the remaining day. 

At Giles', where there was still a blood stash, he was pleased to find Willow and Tara, heads bent over a large text. 

"Hey, it's my favorite non-traditional couple of our little group. What's up? Demon invasion? Apocalyptic prophesies?" Willow smiled at Xander and he felt his heart lighten a little at the sight. Girly-man or not, it always improved his day to have someone happy to see him. 


"Nope. Researching nice, safe little spells to work, right, Giles?" When Giles merely cleaned his glasses in response, Willow continued, "Tara and I are in the Watcher version of the dog house because we tried-" 

"Hey Willow, how about this one," Tara cut in, pointing at a page in the book. 

"Ooh, nice," Willow answered, distracted. "Giles, how about something alchemic?" 

"Er...no. Alchemic spells have the unfortunate tendency to enchant pieces of jewelry with supernatural powers. The jewelry then becomes a fixation for some demon we end up having to fight." 

Willow pouted. "He never lets us have any fun, does he, Tara?" 

Xander didn't hear Tara's quiet answer as he stuck his head in Giles' fridge, locating two blood packets in the back. As he was pulling out, he spied a pizza box and busied himself securing two pieces, sticking one in his now less-swollen mouth for safe keeping. When he straightened, he turned to see everyone staring at him. He twisted around to look at his back, certain a large spider was crawling on it. 

Willow laughed. "I asked, before I realized you were on food excavation duty, how it was having the Big Bad as your roomie again." 

He pulled the pizza out of his mouth before answering. "Not so terrible considering he played big bad passed out on my couch guy most of the night." At Tara's surprised look, he responded, "Oh yeah, I was chair-sleeping Xander. I can see now why he tried to stake himself, had a crick most of the day," he finished, rubbing his neck. No need to mention he spent most of the night watching said vampire doing the dead thing, hands itching to touch. 

"Of course that had nothing to do with being all helpless and non-threatening at all," Will threw back. 

"Or with having to wear your clothes," Giles suggested. 

"You know," Xander said, standing beside Tara to eat his pizza, "if I were lacking self-confidence, I would think the G-Man didn't like my clothing choices." He leaned over Tara's shoulder to look at the book, brushing crumbs from her hair. 

"Xander, do try and keep food particles from soiling the ancient spell book, if you could." 

Willow leaned over and whispered to Tara, loud enough for Xander to hear, "See? Look, he's all flustery now." 

Xander grinned and winked at his best friend. He finished the rest of the pizza and picked up the blood and clothes he had piled on the table. He looked out the window, but the sun seemed higher than it had before he had come in. He sighed. "Will the sun ever set?" At Willow's raised eyebrows he amended, "You girls have plans tonight? Want to come over? We could watch videos with the volume down and listen to my parents humiliate each other." 

Wills answered, "Well, we kind of have homework." Her apologetic expression did nothing for Xander's mood. 

"Oh, I forgot you were my favorite non-traditional pair of industrious summer classes-taking girls." Xander tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "Well, must be off. The sooner I get this home, the sooner I can...wait around for Spike to leave." 

He left with little fanfare, but was only few steps away from the front door when he heard Willow calling him. He turned in time to see a late ray of sunshine hit her hair, making it glow and giving his friend an otherworldly cast. He blinked his eyes a few times and waited. 

"Xander is there something wrong?" 

"Wrong? No. Why?" Was his voice cracking? That definitely sounded like a squeak there. 

"I mean is there something you need to talk about?" Willow's concern only seemed to increase in the face of his manliness. 

He was about to deny anything could possibly be wrong until she tilted her head and gave his hand a brief touch. "T-talk about? No, nothing. I mean. Nothing going on in this guy's life. Just...construction work, yeah, that I'm not too good at, and...you know... basement, but no, nothing at all. Did I ask why?" *Babble much?* 

Willow scrunched up her eyebrows, trying to look determined, but only passing for cute and pissed off. "Xander Harris, there is so something you're not telling me, about Anya, right?" 

Relief flooded him. "Anya," he breathed, drawing out the name. "Yes, definitely something going on with Anya. Or not going on. Or something." He shook his head, looking at the ground, noticing shadows where once was sun. 

Willow nodded her head and straightened her shoulders, as if pleased she had gotten him to admit to anything. "Well, we'll come over tonight to study, and we can watch a video after, or talk," she said, emphasizing the final word. Before he could protest, not that he was going to, she nodded again and said, "So we'll be over in about an hour, right? See you then!" Then she turned and went back into Giles'. 

* * * * * * * * * * 

Xander hurried home, not knowing the shelf life of un-refrigerated blood, not that it should matter to a dead guy, but not wanting to hear the complaints. With every rushed couple of steps, he repeated to himself like a mantra, "I do not like Spike." Two steps. "Male." Three steps. "Evil." Two more steps. "And yeah, vampire." 

Trying to remember now what he had been thinking when he suggested Spike stay at his place for the night. *Because he had my jeans on.* But he didn't know those were his, except he had noticed earlier in the night that Spike's pants were a little looser than usual. *Did not!* He had done it because he felt guilty, yeah, guilty because Spike had gotten injured saving Xander's life from an even eviler dead guy. 

Satisfied though he was with his halfway plausible answer, Xander's steps slowed as his street came into view. He stopped outside his house, and then reminded himself that, according to Dr. Drew, there was nothing unusual about a guy occasionally finding another guy attractive. Especially when that guy is lounging around your room with little more than boxers on. Except that the man in question was evil. Harmless, sure, but not nice at all. *Because you've always been attracted to the nice ones, haven't you, Xander?* 

Xander took reluctant steps toward the back stairs. He reminded himself the sooner he got in there, the sooner Spike would leave. Then Willow and Tara would come over. Thinking of his friends sparked a revelation. *Yay me!* He was just doing the non-college guy version of that whole temporary lesbian thing. Just a little experimentation to say he did it. Except he didn't want to say anything. And Willow was really in love with Tara. And Tara, unlike Spike, was sweet. And female. 

Xander sighed, and walked down the stairs that headed into the basement. Shifting Spike's clothes to open the door, he was surprised at how soft they were against his cheek. And they smelled...familiar. 

"Okay Blondie, when is it exactly that you've been sneaking in here to do laundry," he demanded as he threw the clothes and blood in Spike's lap. 

"You're late," was Spike's only reply, eyes never leaving the TV set in front of him. 

"I detect definite mountain springiness in that shirt." When he still got no response, Xander glanced at the TV. "Hey. When did you start watching Xena?" 

"S'one of the good ones. Flashbacks. Baaaad Xena. Blood galore." 

"All right, man of little words. Or is that, little man of words?" When he still couldn't get a reaction from his hopefully temporary roommate, Xander sat beside Spike on the couch and watched as Xena hacked another guy to bits. "You know, that's not real blood," he stated as if talking to a small child. He reached into the pile still on the vampire's lap and pulled out one of the blood packets, waving it in front of Spike's face. "It's not even pig's blood." He tried to snatch the blood away before Spike made a grab for it, but damn those normal human reflexes, the vampire caught it anyway. 

Xander realized he was still sitting next to Spike, teasing him, when he should be angry for washing machine violation, or at least not sitting so close. He jumped up, rubbing the palms of his hands together. *What, I have a diabolical plan?* 

"Right. Showering now." Xander pointed at Spike, who had returned to acting as if he wasn't in the room. "You, dress. Leave." 

As he headed toward the bathroom, he heard Spike call out to him. "Rubbing off on you then, pet?" 

He turned. "Nah. I figured I had to use the simplest words possible so you would understand me." He ducked the shirt thrown at him and, laughing, walked into the bathroom.

Part Two

When Xander emerged from the longest shower he could coax out of the tiny water heater, he was surprised to see Spike still sitting on the couch, glaring now at whatever he was watching. Seated at the card table were Willow and Tara, books and papers spread between them as they worked to the sound of...'Sliders'? Well, that explained the frown, at least, but not why Spike was still here. 

"Hey Xander," Willow said when she looked up. "Giles kicked us out because he had to go, you know, do that thing he does." Her eyes darted to Spike. 

"It's okay, Willow. Spike knows all about Giles' gig at the Espresso Pump. In fact, one of the few things we agree on is how disturbing an image it gives us." Xander tried to keep his focus on his two friends, who had come to see him. Because they liked him. At least the vampire was dressed, and the empty mug on the floor beside him meant he had fed already. He felt a burst of fear at the thought of Spike, greeting Wills and Tara in boxers, flashing demon face while he drank his mug of blood. 

Tara hadn't looked at him yet. In fact, Tara hadn't spoken to him at Giles' place either. Now she appeared downright shrunken, face hidden behind a fall of hair, shoulders hunched. Xander was reminded of the girl he had first met, so uncertain and shy. Suddenly, Xander didn't care why Spike was still sitting on his couch, or even notice that Spike was there at all. He had a mission. 

"So Tara," he said, a little too loudly. She jumped up at her name and turned a startled gaze toward him. Xander realized he had no idea what to say. "...Whatcha studying?" 

"Um, Cultural A-Anthropology," she answered. 

Oh no. Stuttering Tara not good. "Which culture?" He sat in the chair he hadn't slept in the night before. 

"Quechuan," she responded as if answering a question with a question. 

"Catch you what?" Okay, it was stupid, but at least it got Tara to smile. 

At which point Spike snorted and stood, catching the attention of everyone in the room. "Right. As much fun as this Clampett family reunion sounds, I think I'll save myself now and go kill something worth my time." 

"But Spike," Xander mock protested, "'Sliders' isn't over yet." 

Spike ignored him, pulling on his duster and swirling with dramatic flair as he turned toward the door. Xander couldn't help watching him leave. Wanted to pull his eyes away, but followed the vampire's progress until nothing more than the sound of his boots on the stairs remained. When he returned his attention to the girls at the table, he saw Wills just shrug her shoulders and return to her book, but Tara was staring at him, her eyes wide. When Xander caught that gaze, she too looked down at her book, but he somehow doubted she was paying attention to what was in front of her. *She knows...something...that I'm not even sure of yet.* Xander shifted in his now uncomfortable chair. 

Willow waited about two beats after Spike was gone to turn to Xander and demand, "Talk now." 

*Is there something about this basement that turns everyone into Tarzan?* If they stayed here any longer, everyone was soon going to start grunting. Xander turned on his most charming smile and considered his situation. He felt a stab of guilt when he realized that he hadn't really thought about Anya all day. Even when Wills had asked earlier, thoughts of the dead guy waiting in his basement had erased any idea of the very alive girlfriend he still had, kind of. He got up and started pacing, noticing that even now thoughts of Spike invaded his conscious hyperactivity as his bare feet became chilled even with the thin carpet covering the floor. 

"Xander." Willow sounded concerned. "Oh no, is Anya dumping you?" 

"Dumping me? No." Xander stopped by the couch. "Ah, Anya's...Anya's not the dumper, more like the dumpee." There, he said it. And not even the slightest twinge of remorse, which made him about as despicable as the vampire who had just left, but also a little...relieved. Exhausted, he slumped down onto the couch. Willow came over and sat beside him. He shifted so his head was lying in her lap. 

"You broke up with her?" Willow asked in a voice that could lull Xander to sleep. 

But sleep had to wait. "No. This is the first time I've even said it to myself." He wanted Will's fingers, lightly touching his hair, to never stop. He wanted to bathe in those fingers and their forgiving touch. 

"Well I guess I'm honored, in a...this is sad news, but I'm glad my childhood best friend still tells me secrets kind of way." 

He grunted while sitting back up. Confession time did not include soft touches and relaxing almost-sleep. "She read some book about extra-terrestrials and it gave her some crazy ideas about me having to go into some cave." He shrugged. "Personally, I've had enough of caves and all the not-good creatures that usually hang out there, but she became convinced it would make our relationship better." 

"Cave time?" Tara asked, giggling. 

*She's laughing at me. Why is she laughing in the face of my...well, not guilt, but definite almost-evilness?* 

Tara continued, her giggles abating at the expression on his face, "Anya read 'Men are from Mars, Women are From Venus'?" 

Xander nodded, missing the shy girl who had walked into his home. "I told you, alien invaders, or something." 

Tara came and sat on the other side of him. "Xander, that's not a book about extra-terrestrials. It's a book about improving communication in couples' relationships." 

Xander groaned. "I knew Oprah had something to do with it." 

"Anya watches Oprah?" 

"Well what else does she have to do all day while she, and I quote, waits around all day for me to finish whatever menial task I get paid too little money for so I can come home and entertain her?" 

Willow nodded. "She has a point. I mean, not about the menial-ness of your tasks, but what else does she have to do?" 

"Which makes me a schmuck, right?" Xander ran his fingers through his hair, tugging on the ends. "I have this beautiful, socially inept girlfriend who, I might add, actually wants to be with me. And I'm not missing her much at all, but I can't leave her, can I? 'Cause if I do, she'll be even more alone." He sat forward and placed his head in his hands, resting his elbows on his knees. 

Tara's halting voice forced him to focus on her words. "Xander, you can't stay with Anya just because you feel sorry for her. You have to want to be with her, too." Xander looked up and saw Tara give Willow a shy smile. "She should light up your whole world and make you feel..." she drifted off, blushing. 

"Like doing the wacky," Willow finished, smiling back at her girlfriend. 

Xander sat back, getting out of their line of site. He watched as the girls' gazes met and could swear there was a sudden thickness in the air. He'd never seen them do more than cuddle or hold hands and wondered if he kept real quiet, he would finally see them kiss. But Tara blushed again and dropped her gaze. Willow grabbed Xander's hand and gave him a serious look. 

"You have to fix this, Xander." She gave his hand a shake to get his attention. "Anya's thinking she's waiting for the lease on your cave to end and you've gone and bought the whole mountain." 

"I know. I just need time-" 

"Tomorrow. She deserves to hear the truth," Willow interrupted. Tara nodded in agreement. 

"Can't I be immature teenage guy for a couple more days?" He looked from girl to girl, receiving only stern shakes of heads. He sighed. "Maturity raises its ugly head and spits on me." 

"In some cultures, that's considered good luck," Tara offered. 

"Obviously cultures where vengeance demons don't get trapped in beautiful bodies and date clueless hormonally driven boys." Xander allowed a small grin to cross his face. He actually felt better. He'd gotten a lot off his chest and Tara was speaking to him again without stuttering. Xander nodded, more to himself than the others in the room. "Tomorrow." He looked sideways at Willow. "If I don't make the Scooby meeting, don't bother looking for me, I'll be the human version of vamp dust." 

"Look at it this way. At least she doesn't have her demony powers anymore. All she can do is yell and be mean and say humiliating things and perhaps I should shut up now..." 

"Um, yeah. Is touchy-feely time over? 'Cause I could really use the healing balm of mindless television right about now." Xander reached over and picked the remote up from the floor, using the opportunity to stretch out again with his head in Willow's lap. He started flipping channels. 

"Ooh look, 'Aliens'!" Willow did a sitting happy dance. 

"You closet action movie hedonist," Tara teased. 

"Well it's...empowering and- look, Xander, extra-terrestrials!" 

"Hah bloody hah, as our undead non-friend would say." 

He was sleepy. Very - not much rest and worked in the sun - sleepy. But he shouldn't have been able to fall asleep so quickly. And yet, with his head pillowed in one warm lap and his feet in another, the soothing sound of rapid gunfire chased Xander down the rabbit hole. 

* * * * * * * * * * 


Xander was happy. 

Sitting on the couch at Giles' apartment, playing elbow jockey with Riley for room, listening to Giles tell them something terrible was about to happen, everything was so normal. Except Anya wasn't there. And probably wouldn't be ever again. Which made him feel bad and realize he was going to miss her peculiar brand of communication. Which made him happy, because feeling bad after just breaking up with your girlfriend was normal and something nice guys did. The feel bad part, anyway. So, having established that he was completely normal, he returned his attention to the speech Giles was giving. 

"...increased amount of vampire activity could be related to this," Giles finished. 

"Wow. I'm almost missing the Initiative," Buffy laughed, and then threw an apologetic look at her boyfriend. She looked tired, but in that beautiful slayer-y way. She had put in a one-woman show in the cemetery the night before that had turned into an all-nighter. 

Nothing apocalyptic then, just too many vampires. *Wait, related to what?* Xander would have to remember to ask Willow later. Suddenly he felt like he was in high school again, needing to get the assignments he missed after class. 

"While I'm not quite in agreement with you there, Buffy, I do believe you need assistance on patrols until the cause of this increase can be determined and dealt with accordingly," Giles responded. 

Xander stood. "Well, if it's help you need, little lady, I'm your man," he drawled, pulling his stake out of his pocket and twirling it. While returning the stake to his pocket, it slipped out of his grasp and landed on the floor with a muffled thump. "Heh. Plus we've got Riley." 

"Right," Giles said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Xander, why don't you team with Buffy tonight? I'm sure Riley can handle himself for the evening." 

"Yes I'm sure Riley's quite good at handling himself," stated a sardonic voice from the doorway. 

*Spike!* 

"Spike." Giles rolled his eyes. "What are you doing here?" 

"Just stopping by for a nip, so to speak. Seem to be having a little trouble entering, though." Spike pushed forward in example, his progress hampered by an invisible shield. He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms. 

"You are no longer welcome in my house," Giles answered, his voice firm. 

Spike put on a crestfallen look. "Aren't we mates?" 

"No. We were never mates. And your deception and alliance with Adam sealed that fate for good." Giles moved to close the door. 

Just before the door shut in his face, Xander heard Spike yell, "At least toss a bag out here. Come on. Don't get all snippy about it." 

Slam. 

Giles turned back to the group wiping his hands together. "Well, now that that's taken care of-" He was interrupted by a knocking on the door. 

"Don't you need my help?" Spike called through the door. 

"No," Buffy, Riley and Giles yelled in unison. 

"Well, actually, we might," Willow countered. 

"There, see? That's my girl. Always knew you were the smart one, Red," they all heard. 

Willow's pleased expression changed to a frown. She turned and called back, "No I'm not. I'm just the same tenth grade loser I've always been, right Spike?" She turned back to the room. "We really could use his help, you know, what with all the excessive vampire-ness." 

Xander walked up to Willow and put his arm around her shoulders. "Most people know her as Willow Rosenberg, but only those special few get to meet Mad Dog Red, poster child for multiple personality disorder." 

Buffy sighed. "Maybe Spike could go with Riley." 

They heard Riley state, "He's not coming with me." The same time Spike called out, "No way am I going with that wanker!" 

Xander opened his mouth to interrupt the small verbal conflict that followed, but he was distracted by Tara trying to catch his attention. He glanced around Willow's shoulder to where she was sitting and raised his eyebrows at her. She gestured with her eyes toward the door and looked pointedly back at him. He raised his eyebrows again and jerked his head in the direction of the yelling on the other side of the door. She nodded. 

"I'll go with Spike," he heard himself say, bringing silence to the room. Tara nodded again, expression serious. 

Giles looked at him and Xander tried to appear sure of himself. Although the *my god, what did I just do?* smile on his face probably wasn't too convincing. 

"Hey, we can't break up team Slayer-Commando, can we?" He waved his arm in Buffy and Riley's direction before placing it back around Willow's shoulder. "Besides, due to my susceptibility to Willow guilt trips, I'm less likely to stake the guy out of spite." 

Silence. Then, "Right, I'm going with the whelp," came through the door. 

* * * * * * * * * * 

Xander kept quiet during the walk to the cemetery. He allowed Buffy and Riley to walk ahead, lost in confusion over Tara's behavior at Giles'. She had been so serious about him partnering with Spike and he couldn't figure out why. The only reason he could think of was if she knew about those crazy mixed-up somethings Xander felt whenever Spike was around. It seemed kind of strange, though, for her to encourage him to hang out with the enemy. Did he seem that desperate? He'd only been single for...three hours, technically. Maybe she saw something different in Spike with those special witchy powers of hers. *Maybe I'm delusional.* Probably she had just wanted the yelling to stop. 

He continued walking in silence, the subject of most of his do-not-go-there fantasies beside him. At least Spike was also being quiet, but he was probably attempting to digest - or whatever it is vampires do - the cold blood he'd consumed in such a hurry. Xander wondered if the vampire was eating regularly. Eating, of course, being a relative term. 

When they passed through the gate, Xander felt Spike's attention perk as if the presence of all that death were an amphetamine. *Can we say Eeew, Ladies and Gents?* 

"So what are we after, mate? Drooling Demons? Wicked Faeries?" Spike was now almost hopping beside him as they walked to their assigned section of the graveyard. 

Xander faked a yawn. "Nope. Just your regular run of the mill bad-ass vampires." He glanced at Spike out of the corners of his eyes. "You know, the one's that are actually a threat to humans." 

Spike muttered something that sounded like "soddin' chip." 

"What was that?" Xander cupped his ear. "Sounded to me like, 'I'm such a gimp'." 

"Oi!" 

Xander stopped and laughed. This was too much fun. "You know, you were wrong. You are more pathetic than I am. And that's what you get for trusting a 'Bad Guy' to honor his word." 

Spike, meanwhile, had vamped out. "Get down," he growled. 

"Huh? Has the chip fried your ability to make sense?" Xander shook his head. "Or is that some Brit slang for 'I have no clever response'?" 

"No, git. It means, there's a vampire behind you," Spike shoved Xander to the ground, "and you might want to move out of the way." 

Xander looked up from his *quite comfortable, really* spot on the grass in time to see Spike lunge forward in all his bad-assness and attack a burly demoned-out vamp. He scanned the area to make sure there weren't any others around before settling in to watch the show. 

Spike was ferocious in his street fighting style. His punches and kicks sent the other vamp flying, but like a slinky, the vamp would spring back and launch another attack. Xander would have been content to just sit and enjoy watching Spike move if not for the pesky intrusion of another vamp, running through the bushes. *Probably running away from Buffy.* Xander wanted to laugh at the vampire's fate, but realized it was heading straight for him. He jumped up and pulled the stake out of his pocket. 

And promptly went sailing through the air as Spike pushed him out of the way. Xander got up to see his partner taking both vamps on, snarling. The other vamp was smaller than Spike, but had quickness to it. It darted around Spike's attack and headed toward Xander, reaching to pick something up from the ground. As he stared at the leering beast heading his way, Xander held up his hand with the stake...and saw it was empty. 

"Gah!" Wide-eyed, Xander spied his stake in tiny-vamp's hand and went running head first toward its stomach. The vamp pushed him back. *Wait, something's missing.* He hit the ground with a moan. *Ah. There it is.* The vampire, laughing at him, turned back to the real fight. 

Xander shook himself and stood up again. Spike's back was to the approaching vampire as he exchanged blows with burly-vamp. 

"Spike," Xander yelled. "Behind you! Vampire with a stake!" 

But Spike must have been too involved in his own fight to hear Xander, because he didn't turn around. Xander felt true panic for the first time since his introduction to the ground. He pushed himself forward and started running in the direction of the vampy threesome. Just as Xander caught up, Spike turned to face the stake pointed at his heart. Xander jumped, propelling himself between Spike and the instrument of Spike's death. Stinging pain, followed quickly by a sharp burn, blossomed across his chest as he continued to fall. He landed hard, ramming his elbow against a headstone before hitting the ground with a thud. *Oh yes, missed that.* 

Blinking past the agony making a world tour of his body, Xander spotted Spike, kicking back to send burly-vamp flying, just as he grabbed tiny-vamp's arm and twisted it behind its back. Spike grabbed the stake out of the trapped hand and buried it into the smaller vamp's back. As dust floated around him, Spike turned and staked the unsuspecting vamp charging him from behind. By the time the air was clear of vampire particles, Spike had dropped to the ground across from Xander, breathing heavily. 

"Why do you do that, the breathing thing?" *And this is important to know because...?* 

Spike gave him a strange look and shook his head, losing vamp-face in the process. *Nice face. Pretty vampire.* "Habit, I guess," he answered, scrunching up his eyebrows, which made him look confused and well...yeah, cute too. Then Spike was staring at him, intent expression on his face. 

"What?" Xander tried to keep his voice from shaking. Which was difficult due to the pain and...getting turned on from that stare. *I must have a head wound.* 

All intentness vanished; the stare was now just impassive. "You're bleeding." 

Recognition flared. "Uh-uh, pal. Keep your roving eyes off my leaking bodily fluids," Xander said, clutching his hands to his injured chest. When he pulled one hand away to grip the headstone that had so nicely broken his fall, he saw red. "Hey! Blood! Blood on my hands!" 

Spike rolled his eyes. 

Buffy and Riley came crashing through the same bushes tiny-vamp had, calling for him. Xander's attempt to stand failing, he gave a weak wave to the pair. Riley moved to his side and hoisted him up, allowing Xander to lean his weight against him. Buffy pulled up the remains of his shirt and examined the gash that ran across his chest. 

"It's not deep, but it's still bleeding," she nodded, as if satisfied he wasn't in more danger. "What happened?" 

"Fell," Xander answered. 

Riley checked out the areas on his back that would probably bruise, and tested Xander's elbow for breaks. "You fell," he repeated. 

Xander nodded until it hurt his head. "Several times." Xander thought hard until that too started to hurt. "Spike helped me sometimes. Fall, I mean." 

"I was pushing your worthless hide out of the way," Spike protested, throwing his hands in the air. "Where's the gratitude?" He turned to Buffy. "Took you two long enough to get here, stop for a shag?" 

"Oh, excuse me if our duel with death interfered with your continued un-life-" 

Xander interrupted the argument with a snorting laugh. "Duel with death, that's a good one, Buff." 

Riley looked at Xander with eyes narrowed. "Did you hit your head, too?" He turned to his girlfriend. "We should get Xander inside so I can check out his wound." He put his arm around Xander's waist, supporting his weight. "As it is, we're lucky we heard you screaming, or we wouldn't have found you this quickly." 

*There was screaming?* "Please tell me it wasn't a girly scream." 

Buffy smiled. "The manliest. Lots of bass." 

Xander allowed Riley to nudge him forward. Everything hurt like the dickens. And he would have to stop hanging out with Giles if he was going to start making literary references. "Bye, Spike. It was fun, saving your life and all. Let's not do it again, shall we?" 

Xander started limping toward the cemetery entrance. With Buffy on one side and Riley on the other, he felt cocooned in warmth and concern. But he could still hear Spike's grumblings as the vampire was left alone where he stood. 

END