Bewitched, Chapter 30/37

[thismaz]

Thank you very much for the nomination of Bewitched at the No Rest For The Wicked Awards in the Best Slash and the Best Series categories.

Title: Bewitched, Chapter 30/37
Pairing: S/X. I promise it will get back there... eventually.
Rating: This chapter PG-13
Summary: Valentine's Day arrived and Dru dipped her finger in the brew, giving it a stir. That was two years ago and the fall-out is still falling.
Word Count: 6,300
Betaed by sparrow2000 and DJ, for which, many thanks. Thanks also to Sparrow for conflabbing on plot twists and forms.
Comments: Are greatly appreciated, loved and cherished.
Disclaimer: here.

The prologue is here, with a link to the other chapters, or you can find the whole thing, in reverse order, in tags, or in the correct order, in memories. There's a menu of links on the right hand side of my main journal page.

If you were reading this story before it went on hiatus, there is a recap post here with a link to chapter 28 and all chapters following.


Many thanks to katekat1010 for the original manip which you can find here.



Chapter 30

Spike was not good company, but he wasn't bad company either. They got along okay, in a snippy way, or so Xander thought. There were times when they simply failed to communicate; Spike seemed unable to appreciate the fact that if something went wrong at work, violence wasn't always the answer. Similarly, there were times when Xander was left speechless, staring at Spike, open-mouthed, as he tried to comprehend the logic. But those were small things, easily accommodated. On the whole, Xander didn't mind that Giles hadn't said anything about taking Spike back after Olivia left so suddenly.

He hadn't bothered to tie Spike up again, after the days of silence it didn't seem necessary, and they usually passed in the hall when Xander got up for work and Spike was heading to bed. Occasionally they found themselves together, late in the evening, watching mindless TV. Once or twice Xander thought he caught a glimpse of bleached hair when he was out patrolling with Buffy or Giles, but when he got home Spike was parked on the sofa watching TV, so he supposed that it must have been his imagination.

For the most part, they didn't talk much. "Want some blood?", "No, ta." was about as far as it went. Spike was an easy house guest. He did have a bad habit of leaving wet towels on the bathroom floor, until Xander took his own and all the spares and locked them away. After that, Spike's towel was miraculously hung up whenever Xander went to use the bathroom. They got along.

If that had been everything, Xander would have been happy, but it wasn’t. There was still an underlying something uncomfortable about the arrangement, so that, in spite of the fact that they got along, not really bothering each other, there were days when Xander dreaded getting home to find that Spike had moved out, and others when he fervently hoped he would. He figured that was the way with roommates.

Of more immediate concern was the fear that Riley would see Spike. He was hanging around Buffy a lot and since Xander hung out with Buffy and Spike seemed to hang out with Xander, Xander was in a constant state of low level anxiety. Spike didn't seem to care, but Xander suspected that was an act. There were times when he thought he saw Spike's mask slip and something hard, and ugly, and scared, and hurt peek out from behind it. He was never quite sure though, because Spike pulled his cloak of cocky self-confidence back over himself so fast that Xander was almost convinced that the moment of fearful vulnerability had been his imagination.

It was also possible that Spike's blasé attitude was down to the fact that he could always arrange 'an accident' for Riley, if he had to. He'd spent an entire Tuesday evening explaining how easy it would be. Xander didn't want that to happen, either.

Meanwhile, Buffy reported back to the gathered Scoobies (and Spike) on the conversations she had with Riley.

While it was clear that Riley wasn’t big on sharing, he’d said enough to Buffy for Xander to realise that the hunt for Spike was ongoing and Riley, for one, was not giving up. That alone made him feel that his nervousness was justified. He was thankful that Buffy was still cautious enough of Riley's motives not to say anything - she’d promised.

When quizzed by Giles about why the soldiers were so determined to recapture him, Spike was unashamed in his admission that he, "might have killed a couple," whilst making his escape.

Giles frowned. "If that’s the case," he said, "I don’t believe that Riley, or any of his colleagues, will ever give up. From what Buffy has discovered, this is a small unit operating in what they consider to be combat conditions."

"Yeah, yeah," Spike broke in. "We all got the cheap psychology, Watcher. Band of brothers and all that rot." He gave a snort of amusement. "What they were planning? I'd plead self-defence, if I cared enough to plead in the first place." He paused and pursed his lips thoughtfully. He sounded mildly regretful when he added, "Was a waste of a good kill too, since I couldn't stop to eat them."

Giles' brows drew together. "A waste of a good kill?" he echoed. "What does that mean?"

Spike shook his head. "God, but you’re ignorant, Watcher," he said. "Call yourself an expert, advisor to the one and only vampire slayer, but you know shite about us." He gave a careless shrug and waved his right arm expansively. "The lot of you, you talk about vampires as if we were animals." Snorting again, in disgust this time, he started to pace and Xander watched in amazement as he expounded in a manner that Xander had never seen him do before. He knew that Spike told a good story and, one-to-one, he could be surprisingly informative, but to explain his species to the Slayer and her Watcher didn't seem like normal Spike behaviour. "Sure," he said, "fledges operate on gut instinct and thoughtless hunger, but when you get older, you learn control and economy of effort and all that other boring bollocks that keeps the Rozzers off your back, so you can go on your merry for a few more decades." He rolled his eyes and Xander breathed an involuntary sigh of relief when he turned back into familiar, contemptuous Spike. "Don't know why I'm even bothering to say it," he said, his eyes sweeping around the room, pausing for a moment on Xander's face before moving on. "There's the odd crazy, like Angelus, but on the whole, we're pretty much, live and let die."

Standing in the centre of the hearth rug, he challenged them with his eyes while Giles, Buffy, Willow and, he knew, Xander himself, stared at him.

Eventually Xander took a breath. "Why do I have difficulty believing that?" he asked. "You tell lies. All the time." He paused as something struck him. "And was that a movie reference you just quoted?"

Giles nodded his agreement. "The evidence does tend against you, Spike," he said. "Regardless of the accuracy, or lack of such, of information collected over millennia by the Watchers' Council, and regardless of your claims for age and experience, we don't forget that you reconstructed the Judge."

Spike's hesitation was almost imperceptible, but Xander caught it. "Yeah, but that was Dru's present," he protested. Glancing around the room, looking at each of them in turn, he eventually stopped on Xander, saying, "I helped stop Acathla."

Xander got up and went to stand in front of him. Fighting the grin that was threatening, he cocked his head to one side and regarded Spike. "And why do I get the feeling that you always blame Drusilla for everything you don't want to admit to?" he asked.

Spike's lips twisted with reluctant amusement and he gave a shrug. "Evil, remember?" he said, stepping back and collapsing into Giles' easy chair with careless abandon.

"Yeah, evil," Xander agreed. He looked up and Giles was frowning at him. "What?" He asked. Giles shook his head and looked away.

*****

When the earth quaked, Xander was at work. He was at work later, too, because it took the whole of the afternoon to tidy up the mess the quake left and then inspect the half built Cultural Centre for damage. It was a painstaking and dangerous task.

He dropped in on Giles on the way home and found him lamenting the loss of his best china teapot, but otherwise unscathed. Buffy had already called around to check on him, and to worry herself with omens and portents, before leaving to meet Willow at a campus party.

Xander looked down at his dirty work clothes. "Huh," he observed, shaking his head. "Parties in the middle of the week." No sooner had the words escaped his lips than he looked up at Giles in horror. "Did I just say that?" he asked. "Tell me I didn't just say that."

With an overly sympathetic smile Giles clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm sorry, Xander," he said, shaking his head, "but you have just become an official grown-up."

Xander groaned and would have sat down to commune with his inner (and outer) teenager, except that Giles grabbed his arm before he could put his dirty ass anywhere near the furniture. With a grin Xander acknowledged the validity of Giles' concern. "Okay, I can take a hint when you hit me over the head with one," he said. "I'm leaving."

*****

Walking in through his front door twenty minutes later, he was greeted by Spike, who was in the kitchen heating a bag of blood. "Watcher just called," he said. "Wants you back there, asap."

"I just left," Xander protested. "Did he say why?"

"Didn't say much, but since he woke me up, I didn't encourage chitchat."

Xander decided that even if the world was ending, again, it could wait until he'd had a shower. He also decided it was time to get a cell phone.

*****

Willow was sitting on the sofa looking shell-shocked when Xander arrived, with Spike trailing behind. "What's he doing here?" Buffy asked.

Shrugging, Xander said, "He followed me home, Mom."

Spike sneered. "Just came to watch the fun. See the crack team in action." The sneer became a leer. "Never know, might get lucky and get a ringside seat at your demise, to make up for all this." He waved his hand around the room, indicating the chip, the town, his situation, the apartment, the world and everyone and everything in it.

Probably saving Spike from a beating and his own home from damage at the same time, Giles interrupted. "Never mind that," he said. "This symbol, Willow, do you remember it?" It seemed that the brief calm after The Gentlemen, was over.

Willow stirred and smiled at Xander in greeting. It was wobbly, but he gave her maximum points for effort. Her voice sounded wobbly too, but she was obviously trying for normal. "Oh, oh. I drew it," she said. "Here." Digging into her pocket she pulled out a party napkin, adding with disgust, "It was carved into his chest."

Xander went to look over Giles' shoulder. The drawing was smudged, since Willow had apparently only had a felt-tip pen, but it clearly resembled an eye inside a triangle. "It’s kind of the CBS logo," he observed.

Giles snorted. "I hardly think a television channel staged this."

"Oh I don't know, the things they'll do for ratings. It's a vicious cutthroat world."

Giles turned around and Xander shrugged. "Reality TV aside..." He petered out under the force of Giles' look and held up his hands in surrender. "Okay."

Spike, who had wandered over to sit on the stairs shook his head in disgust. "This is the crack team?" he lamented. "I am so deeply shamed."

Xander grinned, while Buffy shot him a puzzled look before obviously dismissing the interruption and turning back to Willow's serviette. "I've seen that before," she said.

Half an hour later, she pointed triumphantly at the side of a mausoleum. "There."

The stars were bright in the clear sky. They were almost in the centre of the graveyard and, Xander estimated, as far from street lights as it was possible to get in Sunnydale. The ghost of a breeze caressed his face and the silence was familiar, filled with the quiet footfalls of his friends and little else. It was good to feel comfortable with silence again.

Giles walked over to study the carving. "It certainly looks very like. What do you think, Willow?"

Willow shuddered. "Yeah, that's the one," she confirmed.

A scraping sound from inside the mausoleum disturbed the calm, causing Buffy to signal them all back while she went closer. She peered around the edge of the open door with her crossbow raised and Xander saw her brace herself, before she charged through.

Within moments there was major crashing and banging and the last remnants of peaceful fled, as Xander's muscles tensed in preparation for fight or flight. They all moved closer, but sensibly hesitated a few feet short of the door. Xander was the closest, so he took the brunt when Buffy came, literally, flying out and crashed into them. They went down like ninepins, except for Spike who dodged out of the way.

Before any of them had managed to sit up, let alone get to their feet again, a demon came charging out, carrying a sack. It leapt in the air and jumped over them, like an Olympic hurdler, and by the time Xander had rolled over to follow its path, it was already disappearing towards the trees.

Buffy got to her feet first, took one look at the retreating demon and went back into the mausoleum. Xander used the tombstone he'd narrowly missed hitting to pull himself up and turned to help Willow. Once she was on her feet, he went over to Giles, who hadn't moved.

He was sitting with his legs stretched out in front of him, leaning back on his braced arms, staring towards the trees in the direction the demon had gone. "I think that was a Vahi demon," he said.

Jumping down from his perch on top of a nearby tombstone, Spike wandered over. "Vahrall," he corrected. "Same family, different eye ridges. Different intentions too."

Buffy reappeared from the mausoleum in time to hear that remark. She was bouncing slightly and it was obvious to anyone who knew her that she wanted to hit something. "What does that mean?" she demanded.

Spike smirked. "Means I know something and you need to be polite if you want me to tell you."

Stepping in, literally, since he got himself physically between them before Buffy could make good on the threat that her body language was broadcasting, Xander looked Spike in the eye. "If you know anything about these demons, Spike, please would you tell us?" he asked.

Smiling, Spike stood on tiptoes to catch Buffy's eye over Xander's shoulder. "See?" he said. "Not hard." Turning back to Xander he continued, "Sure, mate. Vahralli are an anachronistic lot, like many demons - always going on about how much better it was in the old days, before humans came along and spoilt their gig. You should find a whole chapter on them in Allsopp's Compendium." He turned to Giles, adding sarcastically, "You do have that one, don't you?"

By that point Giles had also got to his feet. "Of course I have it," he snapped and, proving that middle-aged ex-librarians could do sarcasm as well as any vampire, asked, "Do you feel like giving us the chapter reference too?"

With a grin directed solely at Xander, Spike replied, "Twenty three." Xander narrowed his eyes at the enjoyment in Spike's voice. Giles didn't seem to notice; he stomped off towards the gate, followed by the rest of them. Spike matched pace with Xander. "Allsopp's doesn't have chapters," he confided. "Watcher should know that."

Xander looked across at him and shook his head in awe. "You just can't let it go, can you?" he observed.

"Only fun I've got," Spike protested. He spread his arms wide and started walking backwards in front of Xander. "Look at me. I mean, am I even remotely scary anymore?"

Xander looked at him. "Thanks for the information," he said.

Scowling, Spike turned to walk next to Xander again. "You know I'm not tame, don't you?" he said. "I may be chained, but I'm not changed." Speaking more softly, he added, "If, when this chip comes out, I will turn you." It sounded like a promise. Xander put on a burst of speed and Spike let him go.

Xander caught up with Buffy and Willow in time to hear the tail end of their conversation. "...robbing the grave," Buffy was saying. "I mean literally: Amy Franks, 1924, aged nine."

"Eww!" Willow said. "Why does it feel worse because it was a child?"

Buffy shrugged. She nodded to Xander and they all quickened their pace to catch up with Giles.

*****

"Vahrall demons," Giles read. "Oh wonderful, more verse: Slick like gold and gird in moonlight, father of portents and brother to blight. Limbs with talons, eyes like knives, bane to the blameless, thief of lives." He pulled his glasses off. "Well, that doesn't tell us much."

Buffy looked up from polishing her long knife. "And this thing needed to steal the bones of a dead child, why?"

"It wanted to play knucklebones?" Xander suggested.

Directing a look of disgust at him, Willow froze. "Bones of a child!" she said. "I've seen that somewhere." Getting up, she went over to the desk and started rifling through the books still piled up next to it, from their research sessions into The Gentlemen. Everybody else watched and waited, as if they couldn't do anything else until she'd found the reference she was searching for. She pulled a thick book free of the stack and flipped through the pages before putting it on the floor. A second book followed. The third, however, seemed to require more careful consideration. "Yes!" she said. "It's here!" Holding it open against her chest, she got up, returned to the sofa and sat down. Placing the book on the coffee table in front of her, she leant over and started to read. "Umm. Yes, an ancient ritual of the Vahralli." Looked up, she caught Giles' eye, her own widening.

"That is one freaky-good memory you've got there," Xander observed.

Willow ignored him. Looking back down at the page she ran her finger along the text as she read. "It uses the blood of a man, the bones of a child. And, and something called the Word of Valios? It says here that it's part of a sacrifice - the sacrifice of three."

Buffy groaned. "Let me guess; it ends the world?"

Still reading rapidly, Willow replied, "Er, well, yeah. It’s not big with the details, though. It doesn’t say how, or even what the ritual entails, exactly." Turning the page, she read for a moment longer then pushed the book aside. "That's all. The next bit is about their birthing rituals and then it goes on to related species."

"Can I see?" Giles asked. Willow handed the book over.

Focusing on the most important part of what she'd said, Xander asked, "The sacrifice of three? I'm guessing three people are going to die. Or is that two, now?"

"The guy at school," Willow said. "I heard the paramedics say he'd lost a lot of blood, but there really wasn't that much."

"So claw boy took it with him?" Buffy asked. "I'm guessing he was the ingredient, not the sacrifice. But there's still one more thing the Vahrall needs and he's not getting it. We have to find that third one, the Word of Valios, before he does."

It was Willow who voiced what they were probably all thinking. "If he doesn’t already have it," she said. "I mean, who knows where he’s been?"

Giles closed the book and put it down. He went over to his desk and started searching through the rest of the books there.

"We have to try," Buffy said, pulled on her metaphorical Slayer mantle. "I’ll check the magic shop. Giles, do you have anything else here?"

Pausing, Giles looked up. "I, I don't know. I don't remember anything, but I hadn't remembered that. I'll look." Walking over to the bookshelf he crouched down and started running his finger along the spines.

"Okay," Buffy agreed. "You two," she said, pointing at Willow and Xander, "try the book archives at the museum. But be careful. I don't want anybody getting hurt."

Spike had settled in what was fast becoming his usual spot on the stairs and at this he looked up. "I'll go with them," he offered.

Buffy turned to look at him suspiciously. "Why?" she asked. "You can't fight, if anything attacks."

Spike shrugged. "No, but I can watch. And I might get a proper meal out of it, instead of that animal pap."

Once again Xander put himself between Buffy and Spike. It was becoming a habit. One he wished he could break. Going over to Spike, he dragged him to his feet. "Come on," he said. "Time to get you away from the angry Slayer." He put an arm around Spike’s shoulders and walked him across the room. As they passed him, Giles caught Xander's eye, a frown in his own. Xander pulled his arm back and gave Spike a shove towards the door. Willow followed them out.

The museum was a bust, not even a syllable of Valios, although Spike proved very useful - helping them break in. "You need to teach me how to pick locks like that," Xander said. "We usually have to force a window."

After their fruitless search of the card catalogue and the library computer, he insisted Spike secure the door when they left, standing at his shoulder to see if it was a trick he could learn easily. Behind him, Willow let out a discouraged sigh. "This is hopeless. We don't even know what we're looking for and if we don't find it, it really is the end of the world."

Getting to his feet, Spike nodded. "And we all melt in a sea of molten hellfire."

He sounded almost as despondent as Willow. He'd also helped them in their search. "You don't want the world to end?" Xander asked.

Slipping his lock picks back in his pocket, Spike turned around. "Why the hell would I?"

"Er, well, you're evil. Isn't the end of the world what all evil... umm... people, want?"

Spike shook his head. "This is Acathla, all over again. Didn't want it then. Don't want it now."

Xander studied him curiously. "Oh. Okay," he said.

Back at Giles' place they found out why their field trip had been a waste of time. "It’s my fault," Giles said, lifting the icepack from his face. "I should have remembered. The Word of Valios is a talisman, not a book. I bought it at a sorcerer’s estate sale, years ago. I thought it was a knock off."

Buffy joined them and they brought her up to date. She waved away Giles' guilt, telling him he could bake cookies later. "Right now, we need to act fast," she said. "Riley's out there tracking the Vahrall demon with some sort of machine that traces pheromones."

Giles looked up. "Pheromones? Did he say anything else?"

"Nothing to the point. Told me I was too serious and should lighten up."

Willow looked fierce. "The big jerk!"

"No, it's okay, Wil. I just don't have time for a relationship, right now."

"A relationship?" Xander asked. "He asked you on a date?"

"No, not today. Today he was going all psych-major psychoanalytical on me." She looked around and noticed that Willow, Xander and Giles were all staring at her. "So not important, guys," she said. "If the demon has the last bit of its puzzle, it probably has its sacrifices, too."

Giles wiped his hand over his eyes. He looked exhausted. Xander reckoned that after all the concussions he'd suffered over the last few years, he had reason.

Reaching for his glasses, Giles slipped them on. "Which means, it will be on its way to the Hellmouth to perform the sacrifice."

"The Hellmouth?" Buffy asked and Giles nodded. She stood up. "Looks like we’re going back to high school," she said. "And we need to get there before Riley. There is no way his team are equipped to deal with a threat like this."

*****

As they entered the blackened corridors of the high school, Xander caught up to Spike. "If Riley shows up, you hide, okay?" he insisted. "He's the kind of jerk who would stop with the world savage, just to get some revenge."

Spike grinned, his teeth catching the meagre light from Xander's flashlight. "Aw, pet. You do care."

Scowling, Xander rebutted that suggestion with what he hoped was calm and convincing reasonableness. "No, I don't," he said. "We need you. Giles said. You know how to get into their base and we might need to do that, soon. I don't trust them."

It didn't seem to work, or else Spike just enjoyed teasing him, which he already knew. "You sound like you care."

"The enemy of my enemy, Spike. That's all."

Ahead of them, Buffy stopped and signalled them to be quiet. She cocked her head, obviously listening.

"Do you hear anything?" Xander asked after a moment.

"I think so. Okay, when we get to the library keep a look out for victims it's keeping alive for the sacrifice. Getting them out is the first priority."

Willow nodded. "Will do."

Taking a deep breath, Buffy turned back to the front. "Okay. You guys ready?

"As ready as we'll ever be," Xander confirmed.

With so many walls and features destroyed, it was difficult to judge their exact location, but after a few minutes of following Buffy the sound of chanting was clear to all of them. "I think we’re nearly there," Willow whispered, "and it sounds like there's more than one of them." They continued more cautiously from that point.

The doors to what used to be the library were long gone, as were the roof, some of the walls and a large part of the floor. The room was only really recognisable by the remains of the check-in desk. Xander turned off his flashlight, leaving it there, and they crept to the lip of the hole in the floor. Below them, in what had once been the basement and the scene of Xander's face-off with Jack O'Toole, stood not one, but three Vahrall demons. They were gathered around what looked like a deep fissure in the floor.

"I don’t see any sacrifice people," Willow whispered.

Buffy nodded. "But they must be around here somewhere. The ritual's not finished." She gathered herself in a crouch and added, "And it’s not gonna be," just before she launched herself onto the back of the nearest of the three, knocking it over and causing it to drop the bottle it was holding. Xander jumped down after her, picked up the bottle and rolled away to the side of the room, out of the way of the fight.

"I've got the blood!" he called to Spike and Willow. Spike sprang down into the basement and found a clear bit of wall to lean against with a good view of the fight. Willow began the slower scramble down the heap of debris on one side of the room, where the floor of the library had fallen in. Xander got up and backed up against the opposite wall, watching Buffy.

After her initial ambush, she was now fighting all three demons at once and managing to hold her own. She kicked one to the ground and backhanded another across the room, but the third seemed made of sterner stuff. It fought back hard. Ducking under a lunge, she twisted around to punch it in the small of its back as it passed, sending it staggering away to fall to its hands and knees on the floor near the hole. It almost toppled in, but caught its balance in time. It didn't get up however, remaining kneeling at the edge of the fissure. It began to chant. The second one rushed at Buffy.

The first one, the one Buffy had knocked down, was getting to its feet and looked ready to plunge back into the fight. Xander glanced around for anything he could use as a club. He'd just spotted a length of three by four and reached for it, when Willow ran forward. Xander cried out a warning to her, but she lunged at the demon Buffy was fighting, grabbed at the sack of bones it was holding and pulled it from the demon's grasp. Xander watched with his heart in his mouth as she darted away from the swipe the demon gave, in an effort to either get it back or knock her over, or both. A punch in the neck from Buffy brought its attention back to its biggest, immediate threat and Willow got clear.

"I’ve got the bones!" she cried. She tossed the sack over to Xander. "Here!"

He caught it, but the first Vahrall saw the movement and it diverted from its intention to join the fight with Buffy, coming at him instead. In a desperate bid to keep the blood and bones away from it, Xander threw them both back to Willow.

It was stupid, but Xander had a flash memory of two football players grabbing his school bag and tossing it back and forth like that, as he ran from one to the other, desperately trying to catch it. At that moment the Vahrall collided with him, knocking him over. He kicked out and made lucky contact with some part of the demon's body, but it didn't seem to do any good. A punch hit him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. "You’ve got the wrong man, dude," he gasped. "I’ve had a lot of practice at this."

Suddenly the demon let him go and a moment later it was sailing through the air, to crash into the wall. As it began to slide down to the ground, Xander saw the leather thong and pendant around its neck, "That one's got the talisman," he shouted.

Beside him Spike was crouched over, holding his head and Xander realised exactly who had come to his rescue.

Spike's hands dropped and he straightened up. His eyes were ablaze with incredulous joy. "Yeah!" he yelled. "I’m back! And I’m a bloody animal!" He grabbed Xander, pulling him to his feet. "Let's sort these bastards out, pet," he shouted.

Xander tried to wrench himself free, letting out a grunt of pain when Spike's grip tightened on his hand. It was nothing compared to the scream Spike gave, however. Abruptly released, Xander staggered. Spike collapsed to the floor and curled up, moaning.

Looking around, Xander saw that Buffy was still fighting one demon, but the one who had been chanting by the hole had got up and was running towards Willow who was backed up against the remains of a bookcase, clutching the bag of bones and the bottle of blood to her chest. Xander ran after it, knowing that he wouldn't make it in time. It reached out and got hold of the sack. For half a second it was like watching a bizarre game of tug-of-war, then the demon backhanded Willow across the face and she let go of the sack. The demon gave a victorious cry and spun on the spot, making for the fissure. Before Xander's horrified eyes, it leapt straight into the Hellmouth.

The earth began to shake, "The demons!" Xander shouted. "They are the sacrifice!"

The demon with the talisman was getting to its feet and Xander was the only thing between it and the Hellmouth. He braced himself.

A few yards away, Spike was uncurling from his place on the floor. He pushed himself up and seeing the demon heading for Xander, he let out a roar and jumped to his feet. Grabbing the Vahrall by the back of its jerkin with one hand, he swung around, shifting them both out of line with the position Xander was holding. The demon tried to pull itself free, but Spike landed a punch to its jaw with his free hand. It stumbled and Spike took the opening to get a better grip on it. He lifted it up above his head and staggered towards the hole.

"No!" Xander shouted.

From across the room Willow echoed his cry. "Spike, not in the hole!"

Spike looked at her, just as he released his hold. The Vahrall fell into the Hellmouth and a few seconds later another, bigger tremor shook the room.

"What?" Spike asked, spreading his arms away from his sides in a questioning gesture. "I was helping!"

Buffy backed towards Xander, still trading blows with the last demon. "Get out of here!" she shouted, over her shoulder. "The building's going to come down!"

Willow was still sitting on the floor with her back to the charred bookcase, where the demon sacrifice had knocked her. She looked up at the remains of the ceiling, apparently assessing the imminence of its collapse. Chunks of masonry were already falling. One landed next to her, missing her by inches. She looked at it, then at the bottle of blood in her hand. A slow smile spread across her face and she lifted the bottle as high as her shoulder, before smashing it down onto the lump of concrete. The bottle cracked, blood leaking out over the floor.

The last of the Vahralli let out an anguished cry and stopped fighting. Buffy kicked it in the gut and it staggered backwards, hitting the wall. It collapsed in a heap and didn't try to get up. Instead it curled its arms around its knees and started to keen.

A groaning sound from above caught Xander's attention. He recognised it from earlier in the day on the construction site in the aftermath of the earthquake. It was the sound of metal reinforcements shifting under pressure. A huge beam slowly pulled away from the ceiling and began to topple towards him. He dived out of the way, towards Willow who was scrambling to her feet. Buffy was standing alone, looking wildly around, as if searching for more opponents.

"Buffy, over here," Xander cried, even as he reached Willow and helped her steady herself. She looked battered and he figured she'd have a huge bruise on the side of her face by morning.

Buffy reached them and behind her one end of the beam crashed to the ground. Xander looked around, trying to spot Spike. He saw the moment the other end of the beam pulled free of its moorings, hitting Spike a glancing blow to the back of his head on its way down. He staggered and fell.

Leaving Willow in Buffy's care, Xander ran over and dragged him to his feet. "Come on," he shouted. "We have to get out of here."

Spike shook his head, but it looked like he was trying to clear it, rather than disagreeing. Xander looked back and saw that Buffy was helping Willow up into the library. He followed, one arm around Spike's waist, and they scrambled up the pile of broken concrete to join Buffy and Willow next to the check-in desk. More masonry was falling as they ducked out through the hole in the wall where the doors used to be and set off at a staggering run for the main exit.

As they put the Hellmouth further behind them, the school structure seemed to get more stable and soon there wasn't even plaster dust falling from above. By mutual consent, they slowed to a walk.

Buffy helped Willow along with an arm around her waist, while Xander followed behind, doing the same for Spike. They had just reached the corner and were about to turn into the corridor leading to the front doors of the school when Buffy stopped. Xander halted too, to avoid running into her.

"Riley," she said.

Xander stepped back behind the corner and let go of Spike, placing a hand on his chest to keep him still as he poked his head around the edge of the wall to see what was going on.

Riley was approaching from the doorway. "Well, hey! Buffy. And Willow. Jeez, what are the chances, huh?" As he got closer, Xander could see he was dressed in full commando gear, just as he had been in the clock tower. "I was just passing by," he said, awkwardly, "when I thought I heard people inside."

Willow pulled herself free of Buffy's hold and stood up straight although she kept one hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Passing by in your GI Joe outfit?" she asked incredulously.

Riley looked down at himself and Buffy gave a small snigger. "No offence, but you do look wicked conspicuous."

"I do?" Riley asked. "Um, yeah, but it’s..."

Buffy sighed. "Riley, don't. They know. I told them who you are."

"You told them? You told who? You mean, you told Willow? Who else did you tell?"

Slowly, Buffy turned around on the spot. Xander caught her eye. She gave an imperceptible nod as she continued her turn until she was facing Riley again. "Um, I, I told Giles. He's my Watcher. But he's not here, obviously. He got attacked by the demon. So it's just me and Willow, here, on this mission. Umm, but it's all under control now. We got the bad guys and stopped the apocalypse, again. And, and now we're going back to check on Giles and report back, so, um, I think we should get out of here. I'm not sure this structure's all that safe." She put her arm back around Willow, blocking Riley's view of the corridor behind her and began to shepherd her and Riley out. "Do you want to come and meet him?" Xander heard her ask as they walked away.

Xander turned to Spike. "Well, I guess that's us not invited to another party." He studied Spike's face, noting the bruising and cuts. He wondered if he looked as bad. "We'd best get home. I'll catch up with the news from Giles tomorrow. You look like you could do with some blood and I could kill a pizza. What do you say?"

Spike gave a tired smile. "Yeah, pet. Home," he agreed. "Tomorrow's soon enough to test out my new theory."

They started walking slowly in the direction Buffy had taken Willow and Riley. "What new theory's that?" Xander asked.

Spike smirked.


Note: Some bits of dialogue borrowed and adapted from episode 4.11 Doomed.

Note 2: The term Rozzers is a late 19th century, London slang word for the police.

Chapter 31

Comments

[sparrow2000.livejournal.com]

Very nice melding of non canon and canon events. I love Xander's consideration of the issues with room mates and his perceptiveness that he notices Spike's fleeting flashes of vulnerability and that Spike is practised enough at disguising them so that they are almost imperceptible.

Also loved Spike expounding about the nature of vampires, reminding us about just how old he is. Giles may have thousands of years of Watcher's knowledge at his finger tips, but there's nothing like hands on experience of something to really understand what it's all about.

Spike using 'Rozzers' still makes me smile as does Buffy telling Riley that he looks 'wicked conspicuous'.

Great, meaty chapter with lots of action and potential for more. Oh and I've done a first read of the next one I need to send you, so you'll get that over the next couple of days. Look forward to speaking tomorrow
s xx

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

Thank you, hon. Yes, it grew a bit, since you saw it (another 1,000 words!). I guess it's what happens when I have more time.
I'm really glad you liked those bits. I can't claim any credit for the 'wicked conspicuous' line, I'm afraid, but I liked Rozzers too. *g*
I'll do some work on the last chapter you sent me, tomorrow, so should have a reply for you when you wake up (hopes). Thank you. I'll look forward to that. Speak to you tomorrow. *hugs you hard*

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

I thoroughly enjoyed this twist of "Doomed." Xander's attitude toward Spike has softened. He's actually looking at the vampire and seeing him. The vulnerability Spike feels is masked by his usually cocky bravado, but Xander has seen the mask slip. I like the way Xander is constantly haing to get between him and Buffy. He's feeling protective of his undead roommate and it's certainly not going unnoticed. Spike is a lot less snotty than in canon, but he still likes pushing Buffy's buttons. Helping break into the library and with the fight shows he really does want to keep the world intact. I like that Xander wants to keep the vampire away from The Initiative here, too. It's all making for a wonderful read.

This gave me a big smile: He did have a bad habit of leaving wet towels on the bathroom floor, until Xander took his own and all the spares and locked them away. After that, Spike's towel was miraculously hung up whenever Xander went to use the bathroom. Way to address the situation, Xander!

This made me laugh out loud: "What's he doing here?" Buffy asked.

Shrugging, Xander said, "He followed me home, Mom." Hee!

Thanks for updating this story. It's always a great read.

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'm really glad. Yes, Xander's feelings are shifting, even if he's not ready to admit it.
I'm really pleased that you like practical Xander, too. Spike may be thoughtless, but he likes his comfort, so he can be trained. *g*
And it's lovely to know I made you laugh. Thank you for commenting.

[dalefarwalker.livejournal.com]

As always - great to see another chapter here.

I'm liking the protectiveness Xander and Spike have for each other, and a growing respect...

I'm liking them slowly gettting to know each other...

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much. I'm really glad you like it.
It's always a slow process, bringing these two together. This was originally going to be only four chapter long *g* What happened? The boys happened, that's what. *laughs*
What an evocative user name you have. It makes me think of Yorkshire (or maybe Middle Earth).

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

The boys are growing closer and Giles is noticing and worrying. Poor Giles - with all the news about football concussion injuries and early dementia I worry about him.

I note you are plotting 7 more chapters though there are still 11 eps in canon so I'm wondering what your plans are for the rest of the season/fic. Looking forward to finding out.

Shakatany

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think Giles is noticing more than Xander is, at the moment.

with all the news about football concussion injuries and early dementia I worry about him.
Ah, congratulations on noticing that. Truthfully, it was not until I was reading this chapter through for the last time, that I even noticed how he forgot stuff in this chapter. If I didn't already have the rest of the story drafted, I suspect I would develop that.

As for the rest, I don't think it is a spoiler to say that there are some incidents in canon that were crafted to take forward the canon storyline, but would not do the same for my story. If I included them, they could even hold my story back.

Thank you for reading and commenting.

[chaoskir.livejournal.com]

Oh wonderful and exciting new chapter. Xander and Spike are comming together again, slowly. Great!! Thank you!

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.

[vampsarecool.livejournal.com]

Well that was aa wow chapter and I could feel the sexual tension betwen Spike and Xander. I loved when Spike told Xander that he would turn him when the chip came out.

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

Wonderful! Thank you so much. And thank you for telling me so.

[mulder200.livejournal.com]

Xander and Spike are growing closer even if Xander doesn't want to admit it. And apparently, he's not the only one who thinks this if Giles reactions were any indication.

I wonder what the girls would say if they knew.

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

Yes, Giles is beginning to worry a bit although Xander is still blissfully unaware. *g* The girls? Hmmmm...

[texanfan.livejournal.com]

I loved watching Xander forget himself and act affectionate with Spike. Those were always some of my favorite moments in canon, when Xander forgot to hate Spike, sometimes for entire episodes. :) To say Giles is worried would be putting it mildly, I suspect.

Yes! Have you ever seen a group more in need of cell phones? Why didn't they have them? I love your much more logical response to Riley's appearance. Spike wouldn't chance being recaptured, and Xan is certainly not going to let that happen to his roommate, even if he can't decide if he wants him there or not. :)

Spike's helping while needling Giles is a delight to behold.

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

Thank you, yes, I was also thinking of those moments when Xander wasn't snide and nasty to Spike, when I wrote this section. I'm glad that came out the way I hoped it would.
And thank you very much for this - Spike's helping while needling Giles is a delight to behold. Spike is helping Xander, not Giles. I am so glad that came over too.
Thank you for your lovely comment.

[melanie2525.livejournal.com]

Just a fantastic update. Loved this chapter. Great action and the relationship developing between Spike and Xander. Wonderful.

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

Thank you. That is a lovely thing to be told, first thing on a Monday morning.
Yes, they are finally getting there. *wipes brow* It was hard work getting them to this point, but also fun. I am glad to hear that you are enjoying it too.

[mrs-sakuma.livejournal.com]

umm... i realized after chapter 28-ish (something blue), that i'm about to be screwed/utterly confused if we have anymore chapters set up like pangs was. i mean, pangs was done brilliantly, but i haven't watched season four all the way through. there were some spots before pangs that i wasn't sure about. it's a little confusing, but i'm dealing. however, you've done a good job of including enough of the canon with the non-canon for me to follow, despite having not seen the episodes. it just makes it harder to determine what's been changed and what's the same and what's just plain brand new.

anyway, the scene with spike realizing he could hurt demons was great, though i don't know if that was mostly/partly/not-at-all your own creation, because i haven't seen the episode. i need to watch the series through, but it's not exactly worked for me to do so yet.

and DAMMIT! i said, more than once, that i had to stop and /do/ /my/ /HOMEWORK/, but did i? did i?? NO! now it's five in the morning, class is in four hours, and i still have to do /EVERYTHING/!!

...*ahem* sorry. this is great, and i really hope you update soon, because i'm really looking forward to the rest.~

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

*thinks* The scene in the high school happens in Canon and the line from Spike, "I’m back! And I’m a bloody animal!" is a quote (I love working scripted lines into my stories. It can be a fun challenge, making them work in a world that is slightly twisted away from canon) but Xander wasn't nearby at the time and Spike doesn't learn immediately that the chip is still working really. However, Xander going back and helping Spike get out, is canon. The scene at the end, with Riley, is totally different too and quite funny in canon.
I do hope you managed to get your test done.
Thank you so much for your lovely comments. I'm really glad you're enjoying it. There will be more later this afternoon.

[laazikaat.livejournal.com]

Brilliant meld of cannon bits with your own story bits. Love the slow relationship building between the boys, and Buffy's confusion as little marks of affection between them slip out. Very nice, thankyou.

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'm so glad you like. The slow build seems to be the only way I can do it *g* It's always a relief to know that people are not bored waiting.

[laazikaat.livejournal.com]

Oh no, the slow build is captivating. I just read a story where Xander went from despising Spike to hot consensual butt-sex and asking to be Claimed all within one day, and totally without outside help from any drugs, magic lust dust, drinking games etc to help explain the turnarround. I much prefer your way. I love to see the small changes and see the relationship build while the boys themselves haven't noticed what's happening between them.

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

It's funny but I worry about me being too slow at the same time as I worry about them going too fast. *g* It's a conundrum. Thank you very much for the reassurance.

[jasonsnene.livejournal.com]

I loved that moment in canon when Spike figured out he had his bite back...to a degree at least. Loved that Xander protected Spike from Riley and that Spike was willing to risk pain from the chip to protect Xander from the demon. Very nice. :D

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

Heee, yes, the elation on his face. I also loved that canon Xander went back and helped him out. It was a moment. *g*
Thank you.