Prompt 94 - Dock side - BtVS

[thismaz]

 Title: Dock side
 Fandom: BtVS
 Prompt: 94 - Danger Zone
 At: tamingthemuse
 Rating: Older Teen
 Summary: Part 33. Set during the summer before season 1, Xander's life is changed radically when vampires invade it. In the meantime Angel and Spike have their own, separate agendas.
 Word Count: 2,460
 Comments: Are greatly appreciated, loved and cherished.
 Previous parts: In reverse order, in tags here In my memories.
 Or, starting here with links to the next, at the end of each chapter.
 Disclaimer: here.
Now beta'd by the wonderful laazikaat

Warning (highlight the white area to see the warning text):

Vamp Xander story

dark_amia made a wall paper and she turned it into a banner for me. Lookee here -

Isn't it pretty?

33. Dock side

Tuesday 30th July

Spike untangled himself from his childe and climbed out of bed. Looking down at Xander he reached out and gave one stray curl of hair a gentle tug as he smoothed it back from Xander's brow, before leaving him to wake up when he would. Brand new children needed more sleep than older vampires, as their bodies continued to adapt to the change and Xander seemed to be taking his own sweet time about it. But each night Spike noticed that he moved with more control, more grace, as his spirit integrated with his inherited musculature. There was never a question that when Dru called Spike would drop everything and go to her, but Xander too had a legitimate claim to some of his time. In spite of his constant worry over his sire's health, it had been good to spend one night with Xander.

At the moment, though, he needed to check how Dru was doing. She'd not got up the previous night and had barred him from her bed during the day. Spike could only hope that the undisturbed rest had done her some good.

On the way he stuck his head around the door to the living room, just to check. Angelus was stretched out on the sofa and just beginning to stir into waking. Okay then. Spike continued along the hall, quietly eased open the door to Dru's bedroom and tip toed inside.

Two hours later, having set Jesse to his tasks of making the beds, doing the laundry and polishing Dru's and Angelus' shoes, and having overseen Angelus' feeding of Dru, Spike was feeling free enough of his responsibilities to indulge his own desires and he and Xander were out on the streets to do just that. They'd have to stop off at the hospital at some point, before Nigel Mears went off duty. Angelus had used up the last of the supply and would need more later. Briefly, Spike played with the idea of killing someone and filling a bag from the tap, just for the private enjoyment to be gained from such a practical joke, but on consideration decided it was too much effort. It was simply easier, and safer, to spend money on Mears, at least for Angelus' needs. There was a lot to be said for the easy life.

Personally, he had no intention of stooping so low and he certainly wasn't going to let his childe subsist on stale and processed food. Xander would eat well and grow strong, or Spike would be asking why. But Angelus, Angelus was different; different from how Spike remembered him when Spike himself was a fledge. Yet, in some ways he was also much the same. He was still a stubborn son of a bitch and Spike knew he meant it when he said he'd not kill a human, not even to get the blood he needed to keep Dru alive. It was a pain in the bloody neck, but the actual task of buying blood was not difficult. It was just piss poor behaviour for a vampire to indulge in. Spike could only hope that news of his involvement in the degrading practice didn't spread too far.

Two weeks, they had two weeks before the ritual could be staged. Two weeks before they could kick the dirt of this town from their shoes. Two weeks while he still needed Angelus and had to put up with the sad bastard in his home, with his encroaching, insinuating ways. From the corner of his eye, he saw Xander react to the growl he felt forming in his throat. The boy turned to scan the area, pressed his back against Spike's so they faced in opposite directions, ready to take on the danger he thought his sire had spotted.

Spike took a breath and consciously relaxed, feeling Xander respond to that too. "'S okay," he said. "Nothing there." He reached out and pulled Xander to his side, taking comfort for a moment in his childe's solidity, before he drew the mantle of his responsibilities around his shoulders once more.

Gazing up at the full moon hanging serenely in the clear sky, Spike estimated the time as just short of midnight. He nodded to himself with satisfaction - they still had a few hours before Mears finished work, just right for a trip down the docks to catch the pubs at chucking out time. The local rag had announced that there was a Russian freighter in port, and ever since the fall of the iron curtain it was assumed that sailors who went missing on American soil had absconded to a better life in the west, so no one mounted a serious search in the days before their ship sailed. Once the ship was gone, there was no one left to care.

"We'll go down the docks and find us something that'll provide more of a challenge than the domesticated cattle, eh?" he suggested.

Xander's teeth flashed white in the street light and Spike felt his childe's gleeful anticipation transmit to him, lessening his tensions further. They turned as one and, arm in arm, headed down hill, bypassing the town centre and aiming for the warren of warehouses, flop houses and cheap drinking holes that occupied the narrow strip between the harbour and the freeway.

In the end, their meal was both satisfying and educational. After half an hour of lounging around, across from a place called 'The Sailors' Arms', a pair of likely candidates finally staggered out into the quiet street. The smaller of the two was hanging onto his mate, obviously roaring drunk and barely able to walk, as he slurred out some incomprehensible Russian folk song at the top of his voice, his free hand waving around as if he were conducting an invisible orchestra. His hulking friend looked less inebriated. He seemed to be concentrating on keeping them both going in the right direction as they set off across the road on a long and wavering diagonal.

Spike straightened from where he'd been leaning against a warehouse doorway and giving Xander a nudge, pointed at them. "Let's see how much you've learnt," he said. "I'll take the small one, you concentrate on the other, okay?" There was no way he was going to let Xander get drunk, not even second-hand.

Xander grinned back at him and nodded. "Sure," he agreed. "Time to put all your lessons to good use, huh?" He rubbed his hands together. "This'll be fun!" Pausing for a moment, he looked seriously at Spike. "You know?" he asked. "I think I'm getting the hang of this being dead and eating blood thing. I mean, I remember reading comics about vampires and thinking it was all a bit gross, but now..." His grin broadened further. "Now I just think 'Bring it on, man!'" He caught Spike's expression and tried to appear serious. "Yeah, yeah, I know what you're going to say," he said, replying to Spike's unspoken comment. "That wasn't me." He glanced down at himself, lifting his hands slightly to stare at them, as if they held the secret to his identity. "But it feels like me, it really does. Doesn't that count for something? Anything?" He looked back up at Spike, his mournful tone contradicted by the way his expression was hovering on the edge of laughter while he did his best to appear obediently hopeful. Spike felt his own lips twitch and bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from smiling, but Xander seemed to sense it anyway, because he laughed out loud and executed a little dance step, before sidling up to Spike. Bending down, he rubbed his cheek against Spike's shoulder and chanted, "Made you laugh, made you smile, made you..." He paused and straightened. "Umm, shall I pretend I can't think of an ending to that?"

Stepping back a pace so he could look Xander up and down with slow deliberation, Spike allowed just the corner of his mouth to curl upwards. "I think that might be a good idea, pet," he said, gravely. Glancing past Xander's shoulder he added, "And since our supper is about to turn the corner up there, don't you think we should maybe head that way too?"

Xander's head snapped around. "Oh, wow, yes, totally! I'm starving!"

With grin, Spike gave him a shove and they set off down the street in fast and silent pursuit of the Russians.

Rounding the corner, staying close to the wall of the warehouse, Spike sprinted ahead of Xander. As he came level with their prey he reached out and grabbed the smaller man's free arm, using his own speed and momentum to drag him free of his companion's grasp and swing him around at arms length. His target staggered, almost falling, but somehow managed to keep his feet, until Spike released him at precisely the right moment to send him crashing into the wall of the warehouse. His song had been cut off mid note and it was now replaced by a howl, more of indignation than pain.

The bigger guy looked dumbfounded for a moment, then he roared. He looked about to charge Spike, but just at that moment Xander appeared and flung himself on to the big guy's back, arms wrapped around the man's shoulders and legs clamped around his waist. The sudden shock almost caused the sailor to overbalance and for a second he stood frozen. Then he began to turn, staggering backwards at the same time, and crashed into the wall. Spike winced in sympathy as Xander was crushed between the man's body and hard brick, and his arms and legs sprang wide in reaction. The sailor lurched forwards out of reach and spun on the spot, even as Xander slid slowly down, thankfully getting his feet under him so he didn't end up in an ignominious heap.

Spike turned his attention back to his own sailor, gripping the back of the man's neck and smacking his forehead against the wall. His supper thereby subdued, he dragged him back against his chest and sank his fangs into the exposed neck, holding him high enough that he could continue to watch his childe as he fed.

Xander had regained his balance and was closing with his target again. His footwork was good and he was light on his feet, as he danced back and forth, dodging most of the man's punches and pulling back as soon as he had landed one himself. The Russian took half a dozen blows to the torso before he seemed to realise that his opponent's appearance was deceiving and he really was facing a serious threat.

He drew back a pace, out of the danger zone, before lunging in again and this time Spike saw that there was calculation behind the move. He feigned right, but then swung left, putting all his power into his right fist as it connected with Xander's cheek. Xander went staggering, his arms windmilling madly, but managed to stay upright. There was little or no science on either side, and the encounter quickly degenerated into a classic street brawl, with both combatants telegraphing their swings and taking their hits, but unable to get in the killing shot. Spike finished his meal, the alcohol giving him a mildly pleasant buzz, and allowed the body to slip to the ground. Taking a single pace to the side, so he wouldn't trip over it if he had to intervene, he leaned back against the wall to watch.

Judging dispassionately, he was actually pleased with the amount of progress Xander had made over the last ten nights of training. Although he had gone from overly cautious to overly confident in his fighting style, it was, Spike admitted, a relief to at least see a style there at all.

The scrap itself took longer than he would have wished and he almost stepped in on two occasions, but eventually Xander's greater strength and stamina won out over the human's more limited endurance and Xander managed to land a blow past the sailor's guard and into his face. The big man stood stock still, rocked a few times, then tipped over backwards, falling heavily onto his back. Spike watched with approval as Xander made sure he was out, by placing a carefully aimed kick to the side of his opponent's head, before dropping on top of him, knees pinning the man's arms to the ground and sinking his fangs into his throat.

After a few minutes Xander sat up, braced his hands on the dead sailor's chest and pushed himself to his feet. The cuts on his knuckles were already closing and he hadn't taken any serious damage. Spike walked up behind him, slipped his arms around his childe's waist and gave him an admonitory hug. "What did you do wrong there?" he asked.

Xander paused, then his shoulder's slumped. "I didn't wait to judge his reach. I should have attacked in a way that allowed me to keep my feet."

Giving his childe another squeeze, this time of reassurance, Spike corrected him, "Not only that. You also underestimated his speed and how drunk he wasn't." Spike released Xander and swung him round so they were face to face. "The other one was pissed, but if you'd looked more carefully, you'd have seen that yours was holding his mate up and was getting him home. He was pretty well sober." Reaching up, he took a firm grip of a wodge of Xander's hair and gave his head a shake to reinforce the point. "But," he added, "you got the job done in the end and you'll know better next time, eh?" Xander gave an obedient nod and Spike planted a quick kiss on his forehead, before releasing his hold. "Right then. Let's dump these carcasses where they won't be found. I want to get back. Don't like leaving Dru alone with the old bastard for too long."

Pausing in the middle of bending down to haul his late meal up, Xander looked back at Spike. "I don't think he's doing anything with her," he observed.

"Don't care!" Spike replied. "I don't like the way he's sniffing around." He dragged the smaller sailor up and over his shoulder. "We'll drop these off where the weevilers'll find them. They'll have 'em stripped down to shards of bone in no time." Hefting his shoulder to settle his burden more evenly, he started down the street to the next intersection and an alley where he'd caught the telltale whiff of a weevilers' den in his initial scouting of the town, weeks earlier, adding, "And we'll nip into the hospital on the way home, get granddad some supplies, so Dru will eat tomorrow."

Continued here.

Note: I invented weevilers when I wrote Blood on a Sundial. They are small, rodent like demons with a rancid scent and a limited geographical range. Spike delivered a body to the mouth of a weevilers' den in New York, knowing that 'by morning there'd be nothing left but the odd scrap of bone and those few broken pieces would sink peacefully to the bottom of the Hudson'.

Comments

[sparrow2000.livejournal.com]

I really like Spike's parental concern for Xander - that he eat 'proper' food and not the junk food that Angel is existing on. He's such a good Dad - apart from the whole thing about sleeping with his child, bit *g*

Also, the image of Spike going round assigning the chores and checking where everyone is and what they're up to has a really feeling of him being patriach of the house - something Angel has lost the right to be in Spike's eyes. Also the idea of him being worried about his reputation if anyone caught a sniff of him buying bagged blood made me laugh.

Great fight scene as always - Spike letting Xander learn in his own time, but being ready to step in if things get out of hand.

I'm glad you clarified about the weevilers. I was sitting, wracking my brains for where I'd heard the name before *g*

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

*g* Yeah, I liked the idea of Spike thinking of Angel's diet as junk food, because he's actually the kind of guy who would take care about what he eats, while Spike and Xander are your classic junk food consumers.
He is a good sire, isn't he? A case of learning from his own sire's mistakes, rather than just repeating the pattern.
And I'm glad you enjoyed the fight. It was time we had a bit of action.
As for the weevilers... I decided to reuse them, because I have always been concerned about the fact that there would have to be loads of bodies lying around in Sunnydale, just about every morning, and you can only use the excuse about incompetent police for so long *g*
Thanks, hon, for your generous comments.
I have done some editing to this chapter. I wasn't very happy with it, when I re-read it this morning. I know that, strictly speaking, I should have waited until next week, but so few people vote these days, I really didn't think it would matter.