From the stories Xander and Willow had told him, Devon thought he was prepared for Sunnydale and the Hellmouth. He couldn�t have been more wrong. The sense of Evil was so strong; the young healer was starting to feel the dark pressure before they were a good five miles outside of the city limits. To his untrained eye, there was a thick cloud of wrongness hovering over the city.

Xander looked in the rearview mirror again, trying to determine what was going on. It gave him the wigguns when he did it the first time. From what he knew, vampires did not cast reflections; Spike didn�t, Angel didn�t, and none of the other vampires he�d encountered or heard about did either. Nikolas did. Now that was just wigguns worthy.

Spike had turned to look into the backseat of Xander�s car, where Devon had curled up into a tight ball. It had been his unconscious moans of pain that alerted them to the fact that something was wrong. Nikolas pulled his consort into his lap and held him tightly. There were fine lines of stress at the corners of his own mouth and eyes, and his hair seethed and slithered restlessly.

�Is he okay?�

�Non. Dis place is hurting him,� Nikolas growled absently. He never took his silver gaze from his lover. His walnut-brown hands stroked and soothed the young man�s hair.

�Hurting im?�

�Oui,� Nikolas muttered from low in his throat. He didn�t like this at all. Nothing was supposed to hurt his lil prince. �Bronze is very sensitive and he don got de proper shield training. Gonna have to learn him how ta shield prop�ly. Soon too.�

�What exactly is going on?� Xander questioned as he took the exit from the freeway, following behind Angel�s Mustang. Wes and Cordy were behind them.

�Wrongness. Evil.� The vampire-mage�s tone was flat. �Can�t you feel it?�

�The Hellmouth,� Spike supplied, �been living here so long, forgot how it feels to newbies.�

�You can help him, though, right?� Xander persisted. He didn�t like to see anyone suffering.

Nikolas nodded. Spike�s cell phone rang, it was Willow, letting them know to follow Angel to her family home. Once there, Xander quickly parked in the drive behind the Mustang and climbed out. Wes was pulling up at the curb and Willow had gone ahead to open the front door. Nikolas carried Devon inside and set him down on the couch. He was about to head back out to help with brining in their things but Spike stopped him.

�Here, mate, ya take care of the boy, right. Xander and I will bring in the stuff.� Nikolas thanked him.

�What�s wrong?� Angel wanted to know, slipping past Xander as the young man headed back out to the car. Willow had returned from the kitchen with a small glass of water and two over the counter pain tablets. She was kneeling on the floor near the couch and holding out her offerings toward the long-haired vamp. Xander pulled Angel out behind him, explaining what Nikolas had told them about the Hellmouth and how it was affecting Devon. Angel had been away from this place so long, he�d forgotten how strong the presence of the Hellmouth was, himself. He could only imagine how it might be affecting someone as sensitive as Devon appeared to be. When they returned with the last of their gear, Nikolas was trying to coax Devon into taking the pills.

�Bronze, b�b�, look at Niko, ch�r. Yes, right here, love, let Niko help ya, k.� He sighed as Devon finally seemed to relax a bit. He stroked the youngster�s head and arms and he rocked him gently. Devon reached out a shaky hand and took the pills from Willow, popped them into his mouth and swallowed. He made a face.

�Here, drink the water too,� Willow instructed. Devon took the glass and drank half of it before pressing it to Nikolas� lips. The vampire smiled at him softly and finished the contents before Devon handed the empty glass back to the witch with a weak smile of thanks.

It didn�t take them long to get settled in. Angel and Wes brought in the gear from the Range Rover. Willow went through the house, turning on lights and making sure there was enough clean towels and bed linen. Cordelia and Xander unpacked Angel�s car while Spike took car of the stuff in Xander�s trunk.

By the time they had everything in the house, Devon seemed to be doing better. Granted, he now had those fine lines of discomfort at the corner of his slanted eyes, and there were also minute lines of distaste etched around his shapely mouth.

�Better?� Nikolas questioned softly.

�Hmm, oui, ch�r, merci,� Devon murmured. He pressed a gentle kiss against his vampire�s full lips and stroked the side of his face. Nikolas smiled down at him fondly.

Angel was in full brood mode as he watched the others. Spike was pointedly ignoring him. Xander was off in the kitchen doing something.

~Probably eating again, knowing Xander. Where the hell does he put it all, though?~

Angel smirked until the young man, who seemed to be taking up a lot of thought-time in the brood-miester�s old noggin, appeared in the doorway with a tray. Angel was instantly reminded of how hungry he was when he scented the warmed blood in the three mugs.

�Thanks, luv,� Spike murmured as he accepted the first mug from Xander. He watched his lover moved toward Angel.

�Thank you, Xander,� Angel said as he took one of the remaining mugs. Not wanting Spike to hear his response, Xander mouthed the words, �we need to talk, soon,� and then moved away.

�You�re welcome... Dead-boy,� Xander tossed over his shoulder with a smirk. Angel sighed and rolled his eyes.

~Not even back a good twenty minutes and we�re already reverting to form~

Xander had stopped in front of the couch and offered the last mug to Nikolas.

�Hungry?� Xander offered.

Nikolas sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose. �Ugh, non, merci, padnat.� The vampire shuddered as he watched Spike and Angel sipping from their mugs.

~Merde! poor critters.~

�Hey, mister,� Cordelia spoke up. �I don�t� care how *big* of a big *bad* you are. This is Sunnydale, I grew up here and there will be *no* biting of the natives.� Her look was steely and very serious.

�Cordy!� several voices rang out. Nikolas laughed that shimmery gong of amusement.

�Aw, ch�re, tell Niko dat don�t mean you?� he grinned at the seer. �Dis po boy been looking forward to asking y� fo mebbe one tiny lil bite,� he teased her.

�Right, you wish,� Cordy shot back. She wasn�t in the least bit fazed, and she really did like Nikolas, even if he was *strange*. But hey, Cordy was one of the *in-crowd*, so she knew the attitude score. �Like you�d even look my way with something like him around,� she waved at Devon.

The young man blinked at her. �Are you trying to steal my mageling, Miss Thang?�

�Oh, Bronze, baby, ya really do care.�

�Non, just wanted to know if she was tryin� is all. Thought I might give de femme some pointers.�

Xander brought them back to the topic at hand and they were again given information that boggled their minds a bit. Living on the Hellmouth prepared you for a lot of things, mostly. Surprised, but not really, the AI team learned that Nikolas had reached that stage where he didn�t need blood to survive. He got that from the mage-energies. Also, when he had drank from the Ancient Mother � his ultimate grandmother and sire � during his Ascension to Verbena, her blood had quenched his own need for blood as well. Her blood was that powerful and among their kind, the older and stronger, the longer one could go without blood. He told them how his oncl� Lestat had gone into the Deep Sleep for five hundred years; how Akasha and her consort had sat on their thrones for millennia without once feeling the need to drink. That, of course, had been until Lestat un-wittingly woke her from her own Deep Sleep. Akasha had never really *liked* her consort, Enkil, let alone loved him, but because of the way they had become bound by the Dark Trick, she had been saddled with the lumpy anchor. That was the way she saw it, so the first thing she did when she rose was to get rid of him. She had had ample time to consider the matter and find a solution. She drank him, to the last drop and then watched with a mild detachment as he crumbled to molecular specks of really ancient dust. With a girlish smile of delight, Akasha had skipped through the few bits of his remaining ashes, making sure to scatter them before going after her brat-prince.

~~~~~

Spike stepped out of his jeans and pulled his shirt over his head. Dropping the shirt near the pants, Spike stepped into the bathtub and pulled the curtain to keep the spray of water from the shower from getting on the floor. He closed his eyes as he turned his face up toward the steady stream of hot water, releasing a sigh of contentment as he felt the road dust being sluiced away.

There was a lot going on, to think about and brood over. William Montague �Bloody� was not a brooder. That was Angel, his soul-ridden poof of a sire. Thinking about the older vampire made Spike feel things; things he tried not to feel, but wasn�t able to not feel them. He and Angel had a complicated history. A history based on blood and sex, love and anger. Bonds of family that reached deeper than any mortal ties. Except for one. The tie that bound and held him to Xander. His pet, lover, the center of Spike�s world.

So many changes. Spike was still scared, he could loose Xander. Mortals were so damn fragile. He�d almost lost his boy so many times already; it hurt to think about it. But, things were very different now. Spike could feel them and that gave him some measure of peace in the face of having returned to Sunnydale. Spike was different. Angel was different as well. Everybody around the blonde menace was different, every *thing* different.

Spike knew that Xander would never leave him now, not of his own accord. They were bonded, mated. Complete. Spike was complete now. More substantial than he had ever been. He didn�t know if it was because he was now secure in the knowledge that Xander was his, that the chip was finally gone, or that he was restored to his former self. Spike wondered about that. The way he felt now; he was more than just restored, he didn�t know what the healer kid had done but whatever it was, there were no words that could express the vampire�s gratitude. There was a vibrancy to his being now, like that thrill of power he�d experienced the first time he�d tasted the blood of his first Slayer. Only, this didn�t fade, it was a constant *buzz* of energy, power, rightness. He felt more anchored, balanced. It made him feel like there was nothing he couldn�t do.

Spike sighed as he thought about the words his sire had hissed at him before their departure from LA. He was going to have to sit down with Xander and explain a few things to his human lover. There was a lot that would have a bearing on their mating. It was done now, there was nothing anyone could do to come between them, short of killing one of them and causing the death of the other; nothing that could refute the bond of his chosen mate, with maybe the exception of his sire. Spike knew Angel, knew that no matter what happened, he wouldn�t try and come between them, but it was a possibility because of the way Spike felt. The feelings he would always have for his sire. Simply put, Spike loved Angel � always had and always would.

That had nothing to do with what existed between he and Xander, but still. And then there was the comfort of knowing that his sire still cared about him, for him, that he was still Angel�s favorite. Angel would always be there, and that was good. That was way good because Spike just knew Angel was gonna go off the deep end when he found out about the chip. He just hoped it wasn�t too bad of a confrontation. He pushed all of his brooding to the back of his mind and quickly finished his shower. Xander was already asleep in the bed they were sharing and he was anxious to be near his boy.

~~~~~

They slept late the next morning. Xander woke first; he needed to take a leak but didn�t move right away. Not because he was feeling lazy, which he was, but because Spike�s sleeping form was stretched out in a comfortable sort of way, covering both of Xander�s legs and half of his back. Xander propped his elbow on the mattress and put his chin in his hands, covering his mouth as he laughed.

Spike stirred. �Wot�s funny?�

�I was just trying to figure out how to get out of this position; I have to go to the bathroom.�

�That�s funny?�

�Yeah, I thought you were sleep.�

�Oh, I am.�

�Uh-huh. Let me up.�

Xander went down to the kitchen after using the bathroom; washing his face and brushing his teeth after relieving his bladder.

He rummaged in the fridge and found a few edible items � eggs and a frozen loaf of bread, those were the basics for French toast and with that decided, Xander got down to business. He made some tea, coffee, and hot chocolate.

~~~~~

Devon untangled himself from the long limbs of his vampire, and rolled out of the bed. Scratching at his head and yawning, he made his way across the hall to the bathroom.

After relieving himself, Devon stumbled into the shower and finally came fully awake. He grumbled under his breath as he dug through his bag searching for a clean outfit for the day. Jeans, baggy � blue-grey and a loose t-shirt sporting a silk-screen picture of the X-men on the front � the ones from the comic book during the Forge/Storm-in-her-punk-faze thing. He ran a comb through his hair and slipped into his sneakers before making his way towards the signs of life coming from the direction of the kitchen.

~~~~~

Willow and Xander were seated at the kitchen table finishing up servings of French-toast. Xander was a pretty good cook now, since spending time in Wes� company. Even Cordy could whip out a decent meal when she felt like it, the times were rare, but they did happen.

There was a paper on the table between the two and they seemed to be compiling some sort of list as they chatted softly over their cups. Devon helped himself to a coffee while Xander pulled open the oven where he�d placed the toast to keep it warm. Devon joined them at the table and dug into his food. He munched away with a quiet and thoughtful air as the other two planned a trip to the local supermarket. Sensing a perfect opportunity to observe the little town by the light of day, Devon decided to tag along with them when they set out.

A few minutes later, the rest of the group started to make their way toward the kitchen, Spike arrived first and Xander scooted forward enough to allow Spike to squeeze into his chair with him, pulling Xander back against his chest. Spike nuzzled his pet�s neck and Xander leaned his head back on the vampire�s lean shoulder. �What shall we do today?� Spike breathed against his warm cheek.

�Um, you smell good,� Xander said before kissing his lover, Spike tasted of the hot chocolate he�d just helped himself to from Xander�s large mug.�

Spike chuckled, �Did you hear what I said?�

�Of course I did. I�m surprised you should have to ask,� Xander leered. �We�re going shopping.�

Spike groaned and rolled his eyes. He pulled Xander from the table and led him into the living-room. Willow and Devon followed with their cups, leaving the kitchen to the others. They settled and continued the planning of their morning outing.

~~~~~

Devon let the sound of their chatter wash over him like a balm. It had been a while since he�d experienced something so simply *normal* as having breakfast and planning your day.

Normal, what was that? There had never been anything normal about Devon Dexter. And it only promised to get stranger. Now he was making the connections that he had been avoiding before. Devon had read the books, every single one the Immortals had casually broken the rules and written for the unsuspecting public�s entertainment. Boy if they only knew how seriously *real* that dribble was! The point, though, was that it troubled him to discover that his ultimate grandmother had been a down right crazy bitch. Crazy *mad* crazy. He carried her blood by virtue of birth and the bond with Nikolas. Because of that, what he�d thought was a neat little psionic quirk, being able to enter people�s dreams, turned out to actually be one of the mage-gifts of the Traditions. And that was barely touching the tip of the iceberg. He�d glimpsed the almost infinite possibilities of his legacy when Nikolas had touched his mind, bound him with blood, and awakened his potentials. The magnitude was frightening, and it was only because of Nikolas, that Devon was even able to consider facing himself.

He turned his thoughts inward and touched his shields, marveling at the sheer beauty of the rich lavender hue, shot through with vibrant swirls of silver lightening. It was his, something of his very own creation, through which nothing could touch him without his consent. For the first time in his life, Devon felt safe. Even amongst the unknown undercurrents of dread that had streaked across the Dreamscape.

Nikolas was a DreamSpeaker, as well. A Master, Devon thought, and here was Devon, a DreamSpeaker as well; newly awakened to the full potential of his gift, and at Adept level in power even without having been properly trained. With a simple act of will, he could attain Ascension.

In the DreamRealms, Nikolas had begun instructing him � first how to build a shield and then to control it. He taught Devon about *Centering* and *Balance*. In order for Devon to attain the *Calm* needed to maintain his balance, Nikolas brought his Akashic knowledge to full fruition, again, another Ascension that could be attained with the smallest effort. It was dangerous, but Nikolas felt it was necessary. Devon didn�t argue.

It seemed like so much to learn, yet it was but a drop in the vast bucket. Shielding, Calm, Balance, and Centering were already background things, ignored yet not; maintained without any conscious effort. Time passed differently among the DreamPaths, time enough to reach Adept level in Akashic and DreamSpeaker; Master level in Virtual and Hermes. Nikolas wanted to instruct him in the arts of Cult of Ecstasy during real-time. Devon thought that was a very grand idea.

On the whole, he was happy and content, but Devon was unable to shake that niggling fear that something momentous was about to happen that would change his life forever.

~Forever is an awfully long time~

He pushed the thoughts away for the moment, as Nikolas wandered down the stairs and made his way over to the group in the living room. Later, he and Nikolas were going to have a very nice little chat. Someplace safe; where too many things wouldn�t get broken.

Rubbing his eyes like a sleepy little boy, the vampire called out a greeting. �Heyla,� and he was folding himself down on the floor at Devon�s feet. Not trusting the vamp, Devon pulled his legs up and curled them under himself. He poked out his tongue at the disappointed pout Nikolas gave him before reaching out to snag his coffee cup. He blinked into the empty mug and then looked up at Devon with puppy-dog eyes. Devon started muttering as he snatched back the cup and rose. He continued reading the riot act under his breath as he re-filled the cup and added cream and sugar. The people in the kitchen wisely stayed out of his way and kept silent. They weren�t really all that concerned, more like they were all desperately tying to follow that back and forth hodge-podge French-Creole, swearing, slang, and curses. Angel and Wes were almost certain they heard a couple of actual voodoo curses in there someplace.

Nikolas quickly got rid of his grin, schooling his features into wide-eyed adoration as he accepted the steaming mug from his glowering lover. Devon returned to his place on the couch and noticed the silence. He looked around; Willow, Spike, and Xander were staring at him. From the corner of his eye, he caught movement in the kitchen doorway as his watchers from that sector quickly drew back. Of course they quickly pressed forward, again, when Xander started snickering.

�Dat is so not funny.�

�Yeh, Dev, it was,� Xander had let go and was guffawing from his gut now. Spike looked back and forth between the two but wisely choose not to say anything.

�Mais oui, it was, but dat works bot� ways,� Devon drawled as he nudged the back of Nikolas� head with his toe just as the vampire raised the steaming mug to his lips.

Nikolas blinked at the speculative looks he was getting from the three humans. He prudently moved to one of the vacant armchairs so he could enjoy his coffee in relative safety.

~~~~~

Sunnydale � to the casual observer it was a quaint little town with the air of compactness; a self-contained ecosystem of existence. A main thoroughfare, a collection of miniature plazas � bookstores dotted the street along with clothing boutiques, magic shops, and chain-store establishments. Little popular name-brand places, like Ross, Wal-Mart, True-Value Hardware. There was a quaint version of Starbuck�s, in completion with the new Pete�s Coffee place, the Espresso Pump, where Giles had worked. There was also a very well developed grocery outlet, where the majority of Sunnydale residents did their shopping for food and other dry goods. There was also a goodly collection of fast-food, burger joints, delis and pizza places. Sunnydale even sported its very own cinema complex, bowling alley and miniature golf course and a speedway was under construction. The landscaping reminiscent of Laguna Beach Raceway, with mini palm trees and red-bricked islands filled with sand. There were a couple of beauty salons where you could get your hair, nails, and a decent facial done. Devon couldn�t believe that Xander had never had a manicure or a pedicure.

�Aww shucks, Xan, y� need to learn to pamper ya�self. If you don�t do it, who will?�

Cordelia was all for it. She knew where to go for the best and happily joined the boys on this portion of their expedition. Willow considered her options and passed, heading for the magic store. Of course, Nikolas had made Devon promise not to buy anymore clothing while they were there. He didn�t say anything about footwear and Devon wound up buying five pair of sneakers, two pair of everyday shoes, three pair of dressy shoes, and another pair of motorcycle boots.

Xander eyed the array of leather pants, not certain of which ones to get. Devon looked over his shoulder, reached out and grabbed a pair.

�Here, dese be de one. Perfect.�

Xander took the pants and shook them out. They looked exactly like the button-fly, black, 501 Levi�s, that Spike loved to see hugging his ass, only these were made of soft, glossy black leather.

�And you know this because?� Xander queried as he refolded the leather jeans and placed them in their cart.

�B�cause I just do.�

�Should I be worried that you�re checking out my boyfriend?� Xander teased.

�Like you haven�t been checkin� out mine,� Devon snorted.

The two young men grinned at each other, bumped shoulders like team-mates, or brothers up to no good, and moved on down the aisle.

�Well yeah,� Xander stated, �blind much? Niko has that hair thing going on.�

�I�m sure Spike would be glad to hear about that, speaking of Spike, hmm, that accent of his.�

�Niko doesn�t have one?� Xander asked vapidly and then smirked.

�Well yeh, good point, um... cocky? Mais did dis boy mention de cockiness of de Evil Big Bad?� Devon tried.

�Mmmm, yeh,� Xander breathed. They looked around and then snickered at themselves with they caught two middle aged women watching them from the end of the aisle. Ignoring them, Xander and Devon continued moving through Ross, chattering on about the immortal men around them as they shopped. The conversation eventually turned to Angel.

�So what�s the deal with tall, dark, and broody?�

�Who Angel? Angel is an enigma, not easy to read,� Xander replied thoughtfully.

�Not sure my butt,� Devon gave him a knowing smirk. �I saw de two o� you scheming on po� Spike.�

Xander gave an answering smirk, and then turned serious and frustrated. �It�s silly. He and Spike have this history and they act like I don�t know anything about it. Hey, I read. And I pay attention. Already told them they need to just get groiny and move on.�

�Oooh, stop,� Devon shook his head.

�No, really.�

�So you�re gonna fix dat, hmmm?�

Xander�s look became sly. �Yep. Spike better appreciate this too, or I�ll kick his ass. And Angel better not get cold feet and back out either, or else...�

�Gonna kick his ass too?�

�Hmmm, maybe, maybe not... but I promise to let you help if I do?�

Spike and Nikolas would be very worried if they�d heard those two giggling together. The trouble they could get into if they put their minds together.

At the supermarket, Xander enlightened his pupil to the Force of the Gummy.

�I discovered the land of Gummy some time ago and set up camp near their nesting area, perched high on a shelf under a beautiful Milky Way. I became fascinated by their sponge-like resiliency, their defiance of my persistent chewing, and finally, their dramatic dance of death, where their skin transforms from a waxy, protective, covering into soft, fruit-flavored nourishment.� Xander intoned in his best Star Wars announcer voice.

�The Gummy-force is strong, padu-wan. Learn you my teachings well, you should be doing, yes?� he finished, channeling Yoda.

Devon and Willow both shook their heads in amusement and dragged Xander away from the candy, cookies, and snacks aisle. Cordy was over in the frozen foods section and they turned their steps towards the fresh produce.

�Better make sure we have enough tp,� Xander muttered and headed off on his own.

~~~~~

The sound of muffled, but raised, voices couldn�t be mistaken as the group approached the Magic Box. Somebody was not at all happy. None of the visitors had any doubt about whom. Taking a deep and much needed, but totally unnecessary breath, Angel reached for the door. Gunn had finally arrived in Sunnydale and after an intense couple hours of catching up and getting dinner, the AI team made their way across town.

�I think, maybe I should go in first... just in case?� Willow said, reaching out to forestall Angel from pulling the door open.

�She may be right,� Wesley agreed. Cordy simply nodded.

Angel didn�t like it, but he nodded curtly and stepped back. He knew Buffy wouldn�t try and hurt him. But he felt deeply touched by the idea of Willow trying to protect him, being concerned for his well being. It was mildly amusing and very endearing and it made him angry to think that Buffy�s behavior had driven her friends to this level of discomfort and distrust.

That was the reason Spike, Xander, Nikolas, and Devon had been forced to stay behind for the time being, safe at the Rosenberg home. So far, no-one outside of the foursome knew about the chip�s removal, Xander didn�t want his lover near the slayer until he could get Spike to agree not to try and kill Buffy on sight; no matter how much he may be upset with her, she had been a fairly decent friend. They were still going back and forth about it that very minute.

Nikolas, surprisingly, agreed with Xander. �Look, homme, Niko can unnerstand why y� don like de femme. Mais, he don tink ya sire be all dat thrilled if ya kilt her. Sides, we may need her later, from what Cordelia says, de femme was in de vision she had.�

Spike grumbled. Xander was about to thank the vampire until Nikolas continued with his train of thought.

�Dat means ya can�t kill her... yet.�

Spike�s eyes grew wide, then narrowed slyly and he and Nikolas exchanged a look. �Like the way ya think, Nikolas, mate.�

Devon pretty much decided to stay out of the conversation all together.

�Hey!� Xander interjected, �don�t be giving him ideas. There will be no killing of my friends. Wait, I can�t believe I just called Buffy my friend.�

�See, Pet, that�s the spirit!� Spike crowed and plastered a kiss on his lover�s mouth, keeping Xander from protesting any further.

Xander was dazed and breathless when Spike released him. His eyes were luminous and his blood was singing. Xander pressed his erection into Spike�s hip and let his voice slide down into a low, sultry, drawl. �He does have a point, you know. We may need her.� He kissed Spike, flicking his tongue along the curve of his lover�s pouty lips. �At least until this is over...�

�Oooh, such wicked thoughts from beautifully wicked lips. Can I get it? Can I get it, Pet?� Spike nuzzled in and claimed another, urgent, kiss.

�Poetry, Spikey?� The vampire silenced his teasing with more thought-scattering, deep kisses. �Mmmzatsnice.�

Nikolas snickered as Spike dragged Xander backup the stairs to the room they were sharing.

~~~~~

Buffy was being surprisingly mature about the whole situation. Once she got over the fact that the entire LA team was in Sunnydale to help her. She was the slayer. She pointed this out to Angel, reminding him of their agreement to stay out of each other�s town. Angel corrected her, letting her know that it hadn�t been an agreement, but her willful and selfish decision. When it came down to the PTB and his role as their champion, what she wanted didn�t matter, so just get over it.

Both of them backed off when Giles stepped in to point out the reason they were all there. They knew he was right and Buffy decided to try and focus on the slaying instead of her apprehension over the prospect of seeing Xander again. Willow had been cool, really cool, and that had given Buffy pause to stop and really take stock of things.

They were no longer teens in high school. They really were young adults now. Willow and Xander weren�t hers, if they had ever been, they were no longer. They belonged to themselves. She missed them. She hadn�t realized how great a role they�d played in her life until they were no longer there. It wasn�t easy.

And this cool and collected version of Willow was a bit intimidating at first because all Buffy could remember were a barrage of *Willow-images*; exploding sheets of paper, shattering bottles of expensive perfume and make-up; a slap and her own stake turning against her. It was a relief when Willow gave her one of those special *Willow-smiles*, telling her everything would be alright.

~God how I�ve missed her~

Underneath, Buffy realized that it was still Willow, her bubbly, giddy, bouncy Willow who could babble you into oblivion right along with Xander.

*****
Part 32:

Cordy laid out what she had witnessed in her vision. Wesley produced the notes he�d taken and conferred over them with Giles, as the seer tried to add as much detail as she could, in order to create a better picture. With the information they had, Giles and the others turned to the books he hoped would be able to help them and so began a research session.

They had no real clue as to when this vision would actually manifest itself, they only knew it would be soon, at least Cordy felt that it would. They decided to call it a night after a couple hours worth of work produced nothing worthwhile. They agreed to meet the following evening in hopes that Angel might have heard something from the contact he was waiting on � said contact being Devon, who from what Angel guessed, knew more about Cordy�s vision than he�d let on. Otherwise, he wouldn�t have insisted on him and Nikolas coming to Sunnydale. Of course, Angel had quickly realized that the two would have come anyway, beat him there most likely. They could also lay out some plans for organized, group, patrolling.

~~~~~

Graham looked around the bus station. There was a distant look in the young man�s hazel eyes as he considered his surroundings. Nothing much seemed to have changed in the quiet little town of Sunnydale. The Hellmouth was still present and so were the non-human elements it attracted. Riley�s voice pulled the dark haired young man from his thoughts.

�Gray, man, you ready?�

The question, the poser of that question brought the Special Ops agent face to face with the reason he was back in this bizarre place. He had been certain that once he got Riley out of this town, he would never come back. In this the ex-commando prided himself in being stronger than his closest friend. Riely hadn�t been able to resist the pull, and made tracks for Sunnydale at the first opportunity he got.

Looking over at his friend, Graham nodded and the two young men shouldered their bags and left the bus station, turning their steps toward the center of town. Graham knew he was using the other man as an excuse; he hadn�t put up much resistance when Riley wanted to come back. He had his own pull. That was what found Graham Miller and his brother-in-arms-and-life, Riley Finn, back in the hell-hole that had brought them nothing but grief. They had barely survived the Initiative, Dr. Walsh, and Adam; fuck, they�d lost Forest and the list of their other losses seemed endless.

Who was to say that what pulled them back didn�t fall in that category? Buffy Summers had done nothing but cause Riley pain throughout their entire relationship. From holding him up against her non-human, ex-lover and always having Riley fall short of measuring up, every time. She�d made Riley feel inadequate, worthless, a burden to be endured for the sake of his hunky-cuteness. He was a *thing* to Buffy, a pet, a place-holder, collecting dust on the shelves of her life. But he loved her, fool that he was.

Graham was no better. He didn�t have a history of a rocky and hellish relationship, in fact, there was no relationship at all, unless you wanted to count the little, humongous crush thing � the person who had put him through a sort of silent pain; unseen and unacknowledged. That was the reason he had left to begin with.

�Are you going to call him?�

Graham couldn�t believe what he�d just heard. He flashed a look at Riley then quickly looked away.

�Who?� Graham questioned. There was no way Riley could know, not about *that*. Nobody knew, at least Graham had hoped � no such luck.

�Xander?� Riley rolled his eyes, �what? you didn�t think I knew? I knew, Gray. What I don�t know is why you never told me, man.� There was an injured quality to Riley�s tone. It surprised Graham, made him wary as well.

�Told you *what*, Ri?� Graham had a slight edge in his voice � a subtle warning, mixed with fear, uncertainty, and panic. His stomach felt strange all of a sudden, like it wanted to be someplace else. His skin prickled at the implication that Riley knew. Knew that he was bi and that there was some kind of interest focused on Xander Harris; one of Buffy�s friends, a member of the slayerettes or the Scoobies now, he couldn�t remember which.

Graham had had a crush on Xander for the longest time; he went out of his way not to let anyone else know. Now Graham wanted what he�d been too afraid to pursue before.

�Gray, its *okay*, man. I *know*,� Riley told him calmly. He put an arm across Graham�s wide shoulders and hugged him close, like a big brother would do, as they continued down the street.

�H-how? And you�re not totally wigged? Ri, man, that�s *heavy*.�

�Yeah, but I did freak out the first time I heard you say his name while you were dreaming one night.�

Riley hadn�t gotten it at first, but later, it dawned clear as he listened to his friend�s nightmare babble in which he was always asking Xander if he were okay, and offering to get him home. That had made Riley start remembering their encounters and interactions with Buffy and her friends. Graham and Xander, specifically.

~~~~~

The next evening Angel and the crew went to the Magic Box, where they planned to meet the *brat-pack*, as he called them, after Nikolas had taken care of something he needed to attend to. Xander and Spike would bring their honorary AI-team recruits along later.

A gentle breeze stirred as the four made their way down the street. Sunnydale looked completely different under the light of the moon. It seemed to glitter with what Devon realized were mange-energies. They were warped by the presence of the Hellmouth, and the fledgling-mage prayed he wouldn�t have to actually *touch* them.

A low sound vibrated just under his sense of the audible and Devon cocked his head. His inattention caused him to bump into Nikolas, who had been walking directly in front of him. Xander reached out a hand to steady the other young man as Devon stumbled back.

�Merde.� �Wot�s that?� �Hey!� Spike had stopped several paces ahead of Nikolas and turned to look back. The vampire�s silver eyes had gone hard and there were minute streaks of red lightening just visible in their depths. The band around his mass of braids snapped, freeing the hundreds of silken ropes. Several of those magical braids rose and strained in Devon�s direction.

�Bronze.�

�Oui.�

Devon moved between Xander and Nikolas, heading for Spike. He moved to stand just behind the blonde vampire and Spike tracked the boy�s movements, taking in the way his eyes had become lavender shadows that sparkled dangerously with silver glints. Then Xander was pressing against him and Nikolas was moving to stand behind the mortal.

Devon looked at the couple. �No matter what happens, do not loose control, William.�

The blonde blinked. A chill shot through him at the sound of his given, mortal, name; the fact that he hadn�t told either of them anything about himself; the fact that Devon�s accent was gone didn�t escape Spike either.

The boy�s voice was cultured, light French coated in southern honey. It was compelling in the way it seemed to reach deep down into you, brooking no argument or debate but demanding instant compliance, subtly.

Cautiously, Spike nodded. It was in the next breeze that he became alerted and was reflexively shifting into game-face. Xander stiffened as the air around them tingled.

�Pull it together, boy,� Nikolas snapped, in that same voice that had just flowed from Devon, his shimmered with the dangerous undertones of a struck gong.

Spike took deep breath and turned his face into the hand Xander raised to stroke his face. He wrapped his arms around Xander, tightly, burying his nose in the crook of Xander�s neck and shoulder, his mouth coming to rest on one of his claim marks. Xander wrapped his arms around Spike just as tightly and simply held him, not understanding but knowing that something had upset his lover and Spike had turned to him for comfort in order to calm himself. It struck Xander then, how deeply his lover held him within his heart; that he had that kind of power and meaning to Spike; that his very presence, his arms, his love, could pull the master vampire back from the edge of rage. There was no doubt that Spike was experiencing rage, he knew his lover�s emotional displays pretty well now.

When Spike was ready, he raised his head and looked deep into Xander�s steady brown gaze. Satisfied with what he saw, the vampire released his crushing hold on the young man and stepped back. He turned to nod at Nikolas and then snapped his duster into place.

�Right then, let�s get this friggin show on the road, ya wankers.�

Devon snickered when Xander smacked the blonde on the back of his head. Nikolas just rolled his eyes when Spike retaliated by grabbing a handful of Xander�s ass and urging him to start walking. Xander didn�t seem to mind and cheerfully complied.

�You do know you�re going to have to un-hand me, eventually at some point that�s not right at this very moment cuz I gotta tell ya, I could really do without the total embarrassment of facing the rest of the Scoobies without you distracting me like that.�

�Be quiet, you�re mine. Now and forever.�

�Spike!� Xander yelped as the pale hand in his back pocket suddenly decided to just gather up as much as it could grasp and, well *grasp* and squeeze possessively.

�We�ll stay like this for a while, I think, sort of *handy*, yeh?� Spike gave him a lecherous grin and a firmer squeeze.

�That�s not fair...� Xander pouted.

�Tough, innit? All�s fair in love and war and this is both. Step it up, Pet, places to be people to annoy, oh boy.�

�What�s keeping you?� Devon asked as he stopped at the door to the magic box and looked back over his shoulder.

�Nothing,� Spike breezed as he released his handful of Xander and removed his hand from that snug back pocket. Unable to stop himself and not even realizing that he�s started doing it whenever Xander was near, Spike let his fingers ghost a light and wondering touch over the tattoo resting in the small of Xander�s back. He thought about the way those drops of blood seemed to snake down into tight valley between those equally tight and very bitable buttocks. Spike shifted his erection in his jeans.

�Riiiiggght,� Devon drawled with a smirk. Xander tried to match him smirk for smirk but his furious blush took something away from his attempts. Spike flashed them a smile and moved closer to the waiting young healer.

�Well?� he asked mockingly, while raising that scarred, dark-blonde eyebrow.

Devon nodded and turned to open the door.

�Heyla,� he called out cheerfully. A wide grin on his lips as he stopped just far enough inside for Nikolas to shut the door behind them.

~~~~~

The door to the Magic Box opened and all heads turned in that direction. Conversation fell silent and Devon stepped into the store. Buffy remembered seeing the cute black guy at Angel�s. He hadn�t said more than two words to her that she could remember, and was thrown by his accent. He was more captivating than she recalled, but it was the slightly taller figure standing close behind Spike and Xander that drew her attention. The slayer stared at Nikolas with a wide-eyed gaze, trying to figure out exactly what he was. The discordant jangle of her slayer senses went off the meter. In a daze, Buffy slowly rose from her seat at the large wooden table where everyone had gathered. Her eyes were glassy and her thoughts whirled as her body responded to the little voice screaming in her head.

~DANGER! SLAY! SLAY! BAD THING! DO SOMETHING!!~

~~~~~

Xander�s eyes went wide at the sight of Riley and Graham, who both turned to see what was going on. The low growl in Spike�s throat changed just the slightest bit, as it dropped down someplace between throat and chest; hints of violence colored his blue eyes with yellow/gold, now that he was certain.

~~~~~

Nikolas tilted his head and whispered something to Spike. �Later, mon ami, later. Niko promises.�

~~~~~

The whispered promise was enough; it lulled Spike, calming his rage at seeing two of the Initiative fucks who�d fucked up his life with their stupid technology. Oh yeah, pay back was gonna be a friggin, *bloody*, and delightful *bitch*.

~~~~~

It finally registered on her mind, as Buffy watched Nikolas whisper to Spike. He had fangs! *Vampire* fangs, and every instinct the slayer had was telling her to either kill him or run for her life. Buffy hadn�t realized that she�d pulled out Mr. Pointy.

~~~~~

�Buffy!� several voices shouted at once. In stunned disbelief they all watched as the slayer jumped on top of the table and launched herself at Nikolas.

Devon wasn�t as strong as the slayer, but his Akashic training far surpassed anything Buffy was capable of, and he had the slight advantage of incentive and anticipation on his side. When she struck, Devon met Mr. Pointy with his serrated, ninja-star shaped, blade.

Mental shields were meant to be strictly defensive against the attack of another mind. Without stopping to think about what he was doing, Devon called upon his personal reserves of mage-energies, and channeled them into his mental shields. He then utilized his shields in a completely offensive manner, extending them down his arm and into the triple-blade in his hand. The force was enough to stop Buffy�s deadly lunge at his lover�s chest, and then with a fierce determination, Devon slammed his shields outward, using the force to back his thrust when he twisted the stake to the side and literally threw the slayer across the room.

Nikolas had not moved. His silver gaze regarded the slayer with an almost distant disregard. Spike and Xander couldn�t move, literally. It was then that Xander had an inkling of what the tingling had been about. He and Spike were rooted to the spot until the vampire-mage decided to let them go.

Everyone continued to watch, so shocked by what was happening right in front of their very eyes, they were as frozen as Spike and Xander.

Buffy rolled back on her shoulders and snapped her body up from the floor. She landed on her toes and was instantly charging forward again. Her face was locked in a mask of determination, nothing was going to stop her from protecting Xander. No matter what he thought of her.

Devon shook his head. He took a deep breath and stepped out between the slayer and his vampire. He flicked the triple-blade into the air, sending it spinning toward Buffy. The slayer sucked in her stomach and spun on her toes, barely escaping the deadly blade as it sliced through the air where she�d been but a second before. It made a strange humming noise as it zipped past and banked around the room, coming back like a boomerang.

�Buffy, look out!� Riley shouted.

The blonde dove forward, tucking into a tight roll as the dragonblade whizzed over her head and slapped into Devon�s palm. He was ready for her when she sprang forward from her roll, stake extended. Using her momentum against her, Devon grabbed Buffy�s wrist and twisted sharply as he swung her around his body. He let go and Buffy stumbled a few steps away.

The paralysis that held the people at the table seemed to dissolve then, Angel charged forward and reached for Buffy.

�Buffy, Stop!�

�What the hell is going on?!� Giles yelled.

�Who the fuck are you?!� Riley wanted to know.

Graham didn�t say a word, he just sat staring at Xander; Xander, who was standing *too* close to Spike. Way too *close* for his comfort.

~What the hell?~

Buffy was angry. She turned on Angel.

�What the hell�s the matter with you, let *go*, Angel!�

�Buffy, wait, they�re with us!� Willow tried to yell over the din of voices. It was Devon�s cool voice that cut through the noise and brought instant silence.

�All of those wounds sustained in battle�� he cocked his head to the side and considered the slayer. �What do you suppose would happen if they were all inflicted on you, again� all at once? Maybe we should find out, hmmm?� Devon stepped toward the struggling slayer, his slightly glowing hands rising in front of him.

�What de hell�s de matter wit you, boy? Don be joking �roun like dat, Devon,� Nikolas snapped, finally moving to intervene. He reached out and grabbed his lover and pulled him back.

�Who says I�m joking? I�m dead serious, you try that again, girlie, and I�ll stop your heart. Believe me, I *can* and *will.*�

�Devon!� Angel snapped at the young man, moving to stand in front of Buffy, his eyes flashing gold.

�What?� Devon glared up at the dark-haired vampire. �She tried ta stake Niko.� He blinked around at them. �MY vampire! Bronze just ain' tryin ta hear dat. Oh, no-no-no-no-nooooo.� Shaking head stubbornly.

�Uh, guys?� Xander called. �Guys! Damn-it, hey somebody! Stuck to the floor over here?� Xander shrugged at their looks.

�The whelp�s right, we�re stuck to the sodden floor... Nikolas,� Spike raised an amused eyebrow at Nikolas.

Nikolas shifted into full six year old mode � eyes went wide, wicked lips pouting and he even had the nerve to scuff his sneaker against the floor. �Mais, dat�s not Niko.�

�No?� Spike asked and then looked over at Willow.

�Not me! No sticking to the floor here didn�t do it, nope, not this time.� Willow got out before anyone could say anything to her.

They all turned to look at the tri-color-haired young man.

�Bronze.�

�Tol ya *not* ta call me dat... *Peanut*,� Devon snapped without looking away from Angel.

�*Devon*.� Nikolas� voice actually held a note of steely anger.

Absently, Devon responded. �Hmmm?� He was still locked in an intense staring contest with Angel, but the heat was no longer angry.

�Boy, don make m� smack ya,� Nikolas warned as he finally took notice of the stand off between his lover and the souled vampire.

*****
tbc