Home Again
by Shadith
Spike prowled the streets of Sunnydale, still avoiding the slayer.
After the debacle with Adam, he was whipping boy for the slayerettes.
And Slutty tended to take her frustrations out on him. //Stupid cunt,
she acts like it was a huge surprise, the vampire betrayed her.//
Spike shook his head watching, as the slayer dusted another fledging,
after it tried to make a meal of her boytoy. Spike ignored the demon,
howling for her death, as he stalked her. He determinedly ignored the
real reason he was following her, insisting to himself that it was
just a way to figure out how to kill her and get rid of the chip.
Buffy smiled holding open her arms, as Willow ran towards her.
Squealing like pigs, they hugged each other. Spike grimaced. //They
get any louder, they'll start the dogs to howling.// Then he grinned,
as the stuttering blonde joined them. //Won't they be surprised, when
they find out what she is.// Tara waved at Buffy. "When'd you get
back?" Willow asked moving to hold her girlfriends hand. "Umm..Two
weeks ago. You?" "Last weekend," said the redhead, ducking her head,
blushing. "And I'm just now seeing you," Buffy said grinning, "my
what have we been up to?" Tara's face turned bright red, and Willow's
blush spread faster. //Com'on you stupid chits, enough wit' the small
talk.// Tara glanced around, Spike slid further into the shadows.
Seeing nothing, she turned to catch up with the gang, hearing Buffy's
chattering clearly. "And then we spent the weekend with his parents
before coming home. What'ja do?"
"The usual educational tour of England," Willow said looking
bored,then smirking, "until I ditched my parents and went clubbing.
You wouldn't believe some of the things..." Spike growled, tuning the
girls out. Startled by the sudden silence he looked up, realizing
they'd walked to the watcher's. He resisted the urge to just demand
they tell him what he wanted to know. Hearing the name he'd
subconsciously been waiting for, Spike slid closer. "...was supposed
to be home, a couple weeks ago. Have you seen him, Buffy?" The slayer
shrugged. "Haven't heard from him in months. Probably broke down in
Oxnard again," she smirked, "Maybe he decided to got to Fort Dixs
after all." Willow laughed, glancing up to knock on the door. "Maybe
Giles has heard from him." Spike waited until everyone was inside,
then darted around the corner, dropping beneath the back window. He
had no urge to go in after what had happened the last time.
Buffy and Riley settled into the armchair. "So, how does it feel to
no longer be a man of leisure," said Willow as she and Tara took the
couch. "Good. It's not good for me to have too much free time. I get
into trouble or a least I used to," he said carefully polishing his
glasses. "So, no big bad while we were gone?," Buffy asked. "No,
everything was relatively normal," Giles said settling into the other
armchair, "except..." "Except what? Giles," Buffy said leaning
forward. "Well, Xander," he began, looking slightly confused. Spike's
attention immediately focused, and he leaned closer. "You've seen
him? Did he tell you where he went? Where's he now?," asked Willow in
a rush. "See, that's what's strange. I saw him in town...about two
weeks ago. He looked different..." "Different how? Like vamp? or
something else?" "He's not a vampire, Buffy. It was during the day.
He just seemed changed." "I hope he hasn't gotten possessed again,"
said Willow glancing at Buffy.
"Possessed?," said Riley, clueless as per usual. //Possessed. Not
good. Pet attracts the weirdest things// Spike grinned, present
company included. "Oh yeah, when we were in highschool, Xander got
himself possessed by a hyena spirit. It was awful. He was totally
different, confident, aggressive, pack leader and very dangerous.
Nothing like our Xander." Spike snarled, resisting the urge to bleed
the slayer dry. //Blind cow. Serve 'er right if he was turned, she'd
be dead before she knew what 'it 'er. Well that explains why pet
sometimes acts like the hunter instead of the hunted.// "Well, if he
is you and Giles can just fix him again," said Buffy "anyway moving
onto more important things..." Losing interest in anything not having
to do with Xander, Spike wandered off.
************
Xander shoved the last bag into the trunk, slamming it shut. Glancing
around he wondered if the girls would show up to see him off. He
didn't think so, they hadn't the last time and he hadn't seen them in
more than two weeks. He refused to think about the other person he
wanted to see before leaving. Sighing he swung open the caddy's door,
then froze when he felt *him* coming up behind him. Turning around he
stared into the crystal blue gaze. Xander stood afraid of speaking,
remembering the last time they'd seen each other. The screaming,
hurtful insults, angry accusations and unspoken regrets. Spike
shifted unsure and angry, wanting to pull the mortal into his arms
and beg him not to leave, wanting to hurt him for this new pain.
Finally, they stepped forward embracing each other, both
acknowledging the depth of caring.
Pulling back Spike mumbled "When you get back..." praying to whatever
gods would listen to a creature like him. "When I get back..."
murmured Xander hesitant yet eager to try again with the vampire.
Moving away, Xander slipped into the drivers seat, shutting the door
behind him. Driving away, he glanced back to see the immortal
standing where he'd left him, the red light of his cigarette glowing
in the darkness, as he disappeared from view.
As Spike shook off the memories, he realized he'd made his way to
Xander's place. //I refuse to call this a home.// Knocking at the
door the vampire tried to ignore his anxiety, wondering what it meant
that Xander'd been home two weeks and hadn't come to see him. Hoping
it didn't mean what he feared it meant. The vampire bit back a snarl,
as Xander's father opened the door. "Is Xan in?," Spike asked almost
trembling with the need to rip the man's throat out. Xander's father
sneered at the vampire. "The little bitch moved out. Glad he's
finally gone, worthless shit." Spike stood shocked. "Gone ...
where ... when?"
"Hmmph. Came round here bout two weeks ago with some freaky black
bitch, he packed his shit and left. Ain't seen him since," he said
shutting the door on the stunned vampire. Not only was Xander home
but, he'd moved out of that hellhole with some woman. Spike finally
came out of his daze, consumed with anger. //No! He's *MINE*. I will
kill my rival.// Spike snarled, eyes flashing yellow, fangs
descending. //*MY* Xander.//
Spike stalked down the streets of Sunnydale, aware but unaware of the
humans that scattered out of his way. Deep in his thoughts. Mind
circling and dodging the reasons for his almost uncontrollable rage.
Approaching Willie's, he finally gave in and surrendered to his
feelings. Xan was *his* mate, even if he didn't know it, and *no one*
was taking him away. Shoving open the doors, Spike headed directly
for Willie. "Hey, Spike," Willie stutters nervously. "What can I do
for you. A glass of..." Spike cuts him off abruptly, "Willie, I might
not be able to physically hurt you, but I know people who *can*. So,
you tell me if you've 'eard about anything strange coming into town a
couple of weeks ago. Or anything 'aving to do with the slayer,
and 'er cronies. Then I'll decide whether or not to arrange for some
*very* nasty accidents," Spike growls, eyes shifting from gold to
blue.
Willie stares into the icy gaze, and decides it'd be good for his
health to tell what he knew. "Listen, I don't know much. But a couple
of weeks ago, that Xander kid came back with a woman. Don't know her
name or what she is, but she's scary. At least, she's scared some of
my patrons, they'd say something about her before leaving or
vanishing." "Well, what'd they say?" "Something about her being, *The
One* and heralding the end of days." Spike was suddenly uneasy, his
Xanpet could be in real trouble. "Who was talking vamps? Chaos?
What?" Willie shook his head. "Nope, that's what really has alot of
my customer's spooked and ready to bolt. These were ancient one's,
servants of *The Atavil'S*"
"Impossible," Spike snarled, nearly roaring. He was beyond worried,
now. "*The Atavil'S* is over five millennia, a creature of pure evil,
it knows no fear." Willie grimaced. "I'm just repeating what I've
heard, and truthfully I'm thinking about a little vacation." Spike
ignored the little man, deep in thought. //Damn, whelp. What has 'e
gotten himself into. I knew I should 'ave made him stay, or at least
tracked 'im down. Now, 'es in trouble. Probably panicked and jumped
the first female he could find, and with his luck she's some kinda
major demon. Probably planning to sacrifice, my pet. 'effin hell, I
can't just go chargin' in, not like this. Ahh, bloody 'ell. I'm gonna
need the slayer.// Spike pauses thinking harder. //That might not be
such a bad idea. I plan this right she just might rush in and kill
wit' out thinking. And I win whether it's a demon or a human. Now,
how am I gonna...// Spike wanders toward his crypt happily planning
the death of his soon to be extinct rival.
***********
Xander rolled over, stretching. He glanced over at his kitten,
smiling softly. He hated to disturb this calm, but reality called.
Actually in screeched in the form of Buffy and Willow, but same
thing. He'd seen Buffy and Riley doing patrols a couple weeks ago,
but he hadn't been willing to disrupt his new life so soon. Content,
he watched his kitten sleep. Pale sheets contrasted dramatically with
the cafe `au lait of her skin. He remembered, when he first saw her,
wanting to lick every inch of exposed skin to see if she tasted like
the milk chocolate she resembled. //I love watching her sleep. I think
it's my second favorite pasttime.// Her sleep was always so
hedonistic, loose-limbed, her movements languid, and unrestrained.
Long caramel colored limbs wrapped around his waist or a pillow. He
smirked watching her as she rubbed against the silk sheets, stroking
her flesh like she was begging to be petted.
Leaning over, I catch her bottom lip between my teeth. He grinned
when her tongue swept out and across them. They'd slept the day away,
like to well-fed and satiated cats. "I'm going to go meet up with the
gang, maybe go on patrol." She nodded, saying nothing. "Listen,
Kitten. I'm not ashamed of you, nor do I want to hide you...Okay
maybe to keep away the competition or so your really accessible when
I want to... Okay of track. I just want you to be safe, and Buffy
tends to not be safe. I couldn't bear it if she hurt you. So I'm just
gonna see how things are, then introduce you. 'Kay?" I watch her
intently, hoping she understands.
//My poor Cariad. He's so worried that he'll do or say something to
make me go away. And there's no way that's gonna happen, I just wish
I could make him understand that.// I sit up quickly grabbing his
face, placing soft kisses along his chin until I capture his mouth.
//Ummm...So, sweet...he tastes of heat, male and chocolate. Ummm...I
could live off this.// Easing back I smile to show I understand. He
smiles, one of his genuine ones. I love it when he smiles, lights up
my soul. Shoving him out of bed, I watch as he gets ready to meet his
friends. //I'm glad he want's to wait, I don't think I'll like his
*friends*. In fact, I'm damn sure I won't. Especially the slayer.// He
finishes dressing, leaning over he places a soft kiss on my
head. "Later, baby." I watch him leave then stretch back out onto the
bed.
//I'm not worried about his *friends*, no just one...Spike. We talked
before getting to Sunnydale, or actually he talked I listened. He
told me all about Spike, holding nothing back. There's almost nothing
I don't know about him. And yes I admit it the whole Spike thing
*freaked* me out, not cause he's a male but cause he's a *vampire*,
neutered or not. It took me a couple of days, but I understand and I
accept his feelings, I just wish it wasn't a *vampire*. Enough! No
more thinkin' Sleep.//
*********
TBC
