Taming the Muse Prompt 17, BoaS Part 2, Conversations with (almost) dead people, BtVS, PG

[thismaz]

Title: Conversations with (almost) dead people
Part 2 of the Blood on a Sundial series.
Fandom: BtVS
Prompt: #17 - Father's Day
Previous parts, in reverse order, are here or in my memories.
At: tamingthemuse
Disclaimer: here.
Rating: Pg
Note: Many thanks to DJ and sparrow2000 for reading this through
Word count: 1,067




2. Conversations with (almost) dead people

When Spike entered the room he was feeling cheerful - jaunty even. The plan had worked beautifully and he hadn't even lost all the minions - at least two had managed to find their way home. After he had got Xander out of sight and clocked him one, he had even managed to find a cute little shop girl for Dru. God, he loved this town! Anywhere else the sight of a guy wandering the streets at night with two limp bodies over his shoulders would have been cause for questions. But not in Sunnydale. He'd even got a smile and a friendly nod from some old guy out walking his dog.

Xander was sitting on the floor in a corner. Alfred seemed to have gone slightly over the top, using both rope and shackles on his ankles, as well as rope around his wrists. Spike shrugged to himself as he sauntered across to the sofa and dragged it around so he could face the boy. At least he was awake. Finally. Pulling off his coat Spike dropped it on the sofa and sat down next to it. He leant forwards, elbows on his knees and looked at Xander. Xander glared back.

"What do you want with me?" He sounded like the petulant child he was. Spike raised one eyebrow. "I don't understand why you'd take me." Spike leaned back in the sofa, wriggled his hand into the pockets of his jeans and pulled out his Zippo. He rummaged around in his duster until he found his fags. Xander tried to pull himself up, to sit cross-legged, but found that the ropes around his ankles were too tight. Instead he lifted his knees and hugged them with his bound arms. He spoke to his kneecaps. "Am I just a meal then?" Spike smiled. "You do know I'm not the Slayer, don't you? I mean, you do know the bit about 'one girl in all the world'?" He glanced quickly up and down again. He was beginning to look a little panicked. "I'm nothing special, honestly."

Spike leaned forwards again, taking a good look at his prize as he pulled a cigarette out of the pack. "My Sire gave you to me, the other day," he observed.

Xander looked up, startled. "He was bluffing," he said. "And he didn't give me. He might have offered. But there was no giving! And... What's a Sire, anyway?"

Spike lit his cigarette. "Your sire is the vamp who made you." He explained.

Xander's forehead wrinkled in thought. "You mean he's like... your dad?" He asked incredulously. "Wow! I thought I had it rough." This boy was amusing. If it hadn't been so clearly part of the plan to kill him, he would consider turning him, just for the entertainment value. "But he still didn't give me to you. You can't give a human being. It's... unconstitutional, or something."

Spike took a deep drag. Amusing? Yes. But he was also becoming irritating. "He bloody well did give you to me. In the school hallway. He came in and offered me your neck. If that's not a present from my Sire, what the hell is it?"

Xander leaned back against the wall. "I don't care. I'm not some object to be given away. I'm human. And I know it's not sensible to argue when I'm totally in your power. And I realise I can't move or escape or do... anything, really. So if all you're going to do is engage in stupid arguments, you might as well just kill me."

"Well sure, I'm going to. That's the plan. I kill you. I leave your body where it will be found with a clue which leads the Slayer to the next one."

"The next one?" The boy's voice went quiet and acquired a distinct quiver. Seemed like the Slayer's weakness was shared.

Spike shrugged. "Yeah, not sure about that one, yet. Could go for the Watcher. Or maybe that nice little red head. What do you think? Which one would hurt most?"

"You stay away from her!" The little puppy almost sounded fierce. "I'm not telling you anything. I don't care what you do to me."

"Could turn you. Then you could do the little red head." Spike mused.

"Or you could just give me back to Angel. Think of me as a Sire's day present, or something."

And that was just too much. With a growl Spike chucked his half smoked fag away and was across the room, crouching in front of Xander, before the boy had time to blink. "You're a mouthy little bastard, aren't you? We'll see how you manage once I've ripped your tongue out." He glared straight into Xander's eyes, seeing the fear that the boy had been hiding behind his snark. "I turn you and you won't be such an argumentative git. In fact" he allowed his voice to turn soft and smooth, "you'll want to do what ever your Sire says."

Xander gave a choked half-laugh. "Yes, I can see how that follows. Seeing as how it worked so well with you." In spite of his continued defiance, his heart rate had accelerated and his breathing was becoming distinctly ragged.

Spike leaned forwards towards Xander's neck and Xander shrank back until he was cowering against the wall, as if attempting disappear into it. Just as Spike's fangs touched the warm, soft flesh, the boy started a panicked mutter, "Oh man, Jesse. I'm sorry, Jesse. I'm sorry."

Spike pulled back. "Will you stop that." He growled. "It's distracting. And who the hell is Josie?"

Xander raised his bound arms and braced his hands against Spike's sternum, as if that would do any good, if Spike chose to go in for the kill. "J-Jesse! Don't you say his name! He was my friend. The Master killed him and turned him and set him up as bait for us."

Spike flopped back on the floor with an exasperated sigh, bracing himself on his arms. "Oh, bloody hell! That's all I need! To be repeating some half-arsed plan of old bat-face's." A thought struck him and he added gloomily, "Which the slayer will be expecting."

He paused to think. "Okay boy, looks like it's your lucky day. You just got re-graded from un-dead bait, to live bait. I need you to have a heartbeat when Dear Old Dad sees you."

Next Part

Comments

[lit-gal.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah... this is interesting.
I do adore that you're keeping them in character and not having them fall in lurve at first sight. Equal parts annoyance and amusement is pretty much what I would expect an unchipped Spike to feel. As long as Spike has power, he's pretty easily amused.

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

Thanks again. And thank you for commenting on each part.
I really don't know what they are going to do. That is a good point about Spike *wanders away thinking about the implications of that*