Spike rocked the boy gently in his arms, sobbing in rage and frustration. He damned the soul burning in his chest. Damned it for making him question what he knew he needed to do. Damned it for not allowing him to do what justice screamed he should. Unsure of what to do, he lifted the fragile body into his arms and carried him to the one person he knew would tell him the right thing to do.
Supernatural speed came to the fore as the grieving vampire ran from the house of horrors and out into the night. He would never be sure just how long he ran through the dark, or how he managed not to be attacked as he ran. All he remembered was the smell of the blood and gore that covered the body in his arms. At one time he would have reveled in his burden's pain, but no longer. Not just because of the soul, but because of the boy himself.
When he reached his destination, a sob tore from him as he smelled the one he sought over the stench of the boy. He kicked the door open and ran inside. Cries and curses met his entrance. Then silence as they saw who he carried in his arms.
"XANDER!" Willow screamed in agony, rushing to the vampire. Spike began to babble, much as Willow used to.
"Red, you gotta tell me what to do. He's dying, what do I do? Can't let him go from us, Red. What do I do?" He screamed the last few words, looking around him wildly.
"William, come to me, boy." Angel's words snapped through Spike's dementia and he ran to his Sire, Xander still clutched in his arms. "Give the boy to me," Angel commanded. He was sickened by the sight of Xander's many wounds. He knew that Spike was right. Xander was dying.
Spike whimpered slightly, then did as his Sire bid. He eased Xander into Angel's arms, then began to pace wildly. "Wes, take care of Spike," Angel called out, his attention centered on the broken boy in his arms.
Wes did as his lover bid and pulled the demented vampire away from the pair. He watched as Buffy, Willow, Dawn and Giles rushed forward to take their place. "Is he really d-dying?" Dawn asked, shattered.
Angel looked up at the teenager and nodded. "Turn him," Buffy ordered. Everyone in the room froze in stunned silence. "Willow has perfected the curse. Turn Xander and Willow will curse him." Her voice was hard.
Willow looked at Buffy, then at her best friend, and nodded. "Turn him," she echoed. Giles and Dawn reinforced the order. Angel looked at her with hollow, haunted eyes. "I can't. My tie to the Powers stops me from being able to make any more Childer, since I turned Faith."
Spike howled in rage. "Give him to me! He's mine. He's always been mine. You gave him to me, remember Sire? He's mine." Spike's voice was child-like, yet broken. Angel nodded to him.
"Come, Childe, come get your boy," Angel ordered. As soon as Angel gave the order Wes released Spike and the four mortals moved out of his way. Cordelia could not believe what she was seeing. Stunned silent by Xander's condition and then Buffy's order, she could only watch as the boy she once loved was drained and fed Spike's blood.
Beside her Andrew watched in fascination and relief as the man he secretly loved was saved and damned, all in one movement. He wondered who did this to Xander and how long it would be before they all went hunting.
Spike gently lowered his new Childe onto the carpet and looked up at the people surrounding him. "He will wake in a few days. We need to move him to the basement, and then Red will need to do the spell." The act of turning Xander had restored his sanity. Who knew claiming the whelp would center his mind?
"Who did this?" They all turned to look at Larry. The former quarterback had returned to town only a month before, with the Pack, to help destroy the First. No one knew how they knew they were needed. Though Buffy suspected that Xander had called them.
"His piece of shit father and some of his friends. I found him after they were through." Spike spat the words out as helpless rage rolled over him again. He wanted, needed permission to go and kill the monsters that had harmed his Childe.
"I say it's time to make them pay," Anya said. She may have embraced her humanity, but no one hurt Xander. She and Xander may no longer be a couple, but she still loved him. If it weren't for him, she and Giles would never have admitted how much they loved one another.
"Let's make them pay," came from those in the room. That night five men sealed their own deaths, and they never even knew it.
*****
The sun has burned away.
Spike had never thought he would feel this way again. With his Dark Princess there were so many different feelings intermingled with their love. Their love had been borne out of necessity and out of loss. When Angelus abandoned them to Darla's tender mercies they had clung to one another and become stronger for it. Though Dru had begun to slip further away from reality.
He had loved only one other with this all consuming need. That had been his best friend. Unfortunately, as a human he was taught that love between two men was evil, and he had therefore pretended to love Cecily. In the end she had destroyed him and he had run away. Straight into the arms of Dru and Angelus. Dru had begun his death and Angelus gave him his unlife.
Once he was turned he was afraid to go back to his real love, Mikal. The poet who mourned him with words. The man he watched over until the night a group of street toughs murdered him and left him bleeding to death in a London alley. By the time that Spike reached him, Mikal was too far gone to even turn.
As he had with Xander, Spike memorized the scents that covered his beloved's body. That night the streets of London saw the death of William and the birth of Spike. His vengeance was a dark and horrible thing. Not one man who touched his beloved poet survived.
Now, over a hundred years later, another human he loved had been hurt, and died. Only this time his beloved was turned. A vampire of incomparable beauty. The dark haired youth would forever be in his prime. Yet nothing had changed. Spike would have his revenge once again. Only this time, instead of fleeing town and incurring his Sire's displeasure, he would have the aid of the Slayer and his Sire, and so many more.
It was amazing the number of people that were screaming for blood, now that the details of Xander's death were coming to light. It had been nearly two nights since Xander's death. In that time Willow had performed the spell and they had watched as his death wounds began to heal themselves. In that time more of their allies and their friends had come.
Among them had been the soldier boy's best friend. More of the Pack, and Amy the former rat girl. Each had sworn vengeance. It had been decided that each member of their group would be allowed to hunt one of the men responsible for the rape and death of Xander. The only one they were not allowed to kill was Xander's father. That pleasure was Spike's alone, and Xander's, if he was so inclined.
More of the boy's painful past had come to light the day before, when Mrs. Harris had been captured by Willow's bint. Kennedy had wanted to find out more about the men who had hurt the boy Willow loved. What they found was a woman broken by the knowledge of what her son had endured. Liza was also sporting injuries of her own.
It seemed that Xander had always told his mother everything about his life, so she knew who every one of them were. The poor woman blamed herself for what had happened to her son. Tony Harris had used her to lure Xander back to the house.
The knowledge that her son was a souled vampire made her cry with joy. When asked why, she said, "At least now the bastard can't hurt my baby without being hurt in return." Then she had cried some more.
Spike stroked Xander's hair, gently singing to him with love and gentleness. Spike's voice was the first thing he heard when he awoke. Xander was confused; everything felt different. He was hungry beyond anything he had ever felt before. "Spike?"
Spike jerked back in stunned disbelief. Xander was awake, and from the power he was emitting he was extremely powerful. Spike shivered in apprehension. There was no way that they would have a true Sire/Childe bond. Xander Harris was a true vampire. This was bad, this was very bad.
*****
Lost in the distance
Spike was unsure what to do. He knew that the spell to return Xander's soul was useless and unneeded. It wasn't commonly known or even talked about, but on rare occasions vampires like Xander were created. Creatures that had been powerfully drawn to the supernatural as humans. When turned, their souls remained, and they were extremely powerful. The creatures barely lasted beyond rebirth, because most vampires immediately destroyed these Childer for fear of what they could become.
Legend had it that Alexander the Great was the first of such creatures, and that his maker had had no choice but to destroy him, because Alexander hated his maker and wanted to destroy the evil that he was. Would Xander do this? Spike was unsure, but he knew that the boy needed to feed, and his first time could not be on animal blood if Xander was to remain strong. So Spike lay on the cot beside Xander and pressed the boy to him.
"Spike, what is it? What's wrong?" Xander was confused and suddenly afraid. Then he began to take stock of himself. Mentally he felt no different. He was still himself. Confused, afraid and ashamed. Physically he knew he should be in much worse shape. His body should be one massive ache. After all he had been beaten and gang raped the night before. Or had it been longer? Is that why he didn't hurt? Then as details began to crowd in on him he realized that he wasn't breathing. He was a vampire!
Spike felt it the minute Xander realized what he was. The boy stiffened, then began to shake uncontrollably. "Xander, forgive me, Xander, please don't hate me?" Spike begged as he wrapped himself around the boy who was his heart. "You were dying. I didn't know what to do. I asked Buffy and Willow. They told me to turn you. We're going to kill the ones that hurt you. I love you, Xander, please don't hate me?" Xander was in silent awe and confusion over Spike's words. As they penetrated his consciousness and began to take form and meaning, his shaking became outright spasms of emotion driven pain.
Spike didn't know what to do for his love, so he went with the only thing he knew. He wrapped himself around Xander as tightly as he could and pressed kisses to the his love's face. A kiss on the brow, one on each closed eye. The tip of his nose and a gentle brush across full, warm lips. Through it all Spike purred for his frightened love, and murmured nonsensical things to help Xander calm down.
Then suddenly Xander was kissing him and it was wild and beautiful, like he had dreamed it would be. Within moments they were both naked and writhing against one another. Each seeking to drive the other mad with need. Heat was brought to their naturally cool bodies by the meeting of flesh against flesh. Spike was wildly stimulated and shocked by the touches of his young lover. It was wonderful and painful and beautiful all at once, and suddenly Xander could take no more. Soon they were both shouting out their completion and sinking fangs into each other's flesh, then falling weakly into each other's arms.
For long moments neither man moved nor said a word. Then Spike sat up and looked down into the contented face of his lover. "We need to go upstairs and talk to Angel and the others. They need to know that you still have your soul," Spike told him as he gently lapped at the small puncture wounds in Xander's neck.
Xander's answer was to cling tightly to Spike and let the smaller vampire cleave to him. Neither wanted to leave their small sanctuary and face the trauma and pain of what was to come. Spike only hoped his Sire did not try to rip his Childe from his arms.
*****
I was lost in darkness, but you
Spike watched his Dark Sire with wide, wary eyes. He could tell that the elder vampire was sensing something different about Xander. Spike wished that someone besides his Sire, the ex-slayer and the wolf had noticed his and Xander's entrance. All his fears were trying to rip their way through his unbeating heart. Beside him, Xander felt Spike's anxiety and pressed closer to his love.
Faith couldn't stand it any longer. She had to touch Xander, had to be sure that he was really there. She jumped from her place at the table and ran across the room, throwing herself into Xander's arms. Faith's actions seemed to cause a chain reaction in the room. Suddenly Xander was swarmed by friends and loved ones. They clung to him in turns.
Spike would always remember the minute the witch touched Xander. It was as though magic rolled through the room. Everyone felt it. Willow and Xander were more alike than anyone ever realized, even Spike. The pair had shared a secret so deep that not even Buffy or their lovers had ever known.
Willow screamed out with rage, the air burned with pain and hatred. Xander stood in front of her. Everything he had ever learned from her was fighting the blackness inside of her. "Don't do this, Wills. I love you. Don't make me fight you, please, Wills, I love you." Tears slid down pale cheeks and Xander fought the call of his magic.
Willow screamed and lashed out him again. "Do you really think you can stop me, Xander? You won't even tell anyone that you have magic in you. Magic that I will take."
Xander shook his head. Tara was alive, but the dark magic had so infected his grief torn friend that she wouldn't listen to reason. So he did the only thing he could think to do. He released his magic and let it and all his love bleed into her.
Minutes later he held his Willow in his arms as she cried out her grief and horror over all that she had done. Relief coursed through Xander; he had Willow back.
\\End Flashback//
"I won't let you destroy Xander!" Spike screamed hysterically.
Everyone froze and looked at the two vampires in confusion. They were further confused when Spike began to sob. Angel felt something rip in his chest. "Spike, Childe of my heart, I will not destroy Xander. He is a gift to our line. Only the foolish destroy one such as he. He is a gift to you, as you are a gift to him. Like you, Xander is a rare and unique vampire." Angel's words soothed the frightened vampire and confused everyone else in the room.
"Will someone kindly tell us what is going on? More to the point, what the bloody hell just happened?" Wes demanded.
Angel sighed and motioned everyone to be seated. He was not surprised when half of the room ended up seated around Xander and Spike. Everyone wanted to be near Xander. "Xander is a true vampire."
"Oh my god!" Giles, Wes and Ethan cried out as one.
Buffy looked at the four men and scowled. "What's the big deal? We already knew he was a vamp?" she asked for everyone.
"Xander is a very special, very rare form of vampire, Buffy. I hadn't even considered that this could happen. After all, Faith was a Slayer and she didn't turn out to be one," Giles murmured.
"I think that is because she has committed murder. Xander was a clean soul when he died. He was turned by Spike out of fear and love, not want or greed, another rarity among vampires. Also I believe Xander had white magic at his disposal before he was turned," Angel told them. They all looked at Xander and Willow.
Both young people nodded. "We decided to keep it a secret. Xander was unsure if it was a side effect of his possessions, and didn't want to worry anyone. By the time it became obvious that Xander was a true wicca there was so much else going on that we just never said anything. What exactly is a true vampire?" Willow asked.
Angel rubbed his forehead. "A true vampire is a clean soul that spent their lives fighting for the light and believing in goodness to their last breath. The Master said that a part of their turning was shifted, that they never lost their souls, and that any power they had in real life was amplified in death. In most cases vampires like Xander are immediately destroyed because they are very powerful. Even as young as he is, Xander is stronger than Spike, Faith and myself combined; add in his magic and he is a powerful force for the light. Often times they turn on, and destroy, their makers. I've only heard of one case where this did not happen and that was nearly four hundred years ago. The pair were lovers before a tragic incident forced the old vampire to turn his lover.
That vampire was another rarity like Spike. Even after being turned he still retained a part of his soul and was able to choose to do right. He very rarly killed humans, and even then it was only evil humans."
"You keep saying Spike is rare, that he could have turned his back on darkness, yet he was one of the most brutal members of the Scourge," Giles interjected.
Spike shivered and pressed closer to Xander. They all watched pain and sadness cross Angel's face. "It was Darla and Angelus' doing. They tortured him for two years straight. Twisting and harming the goodness that was inside of him, just as they did Dru. We created the vampires that they were. If they had been turned by someone else or even taken in by Vlad they would not have been the Scourge."
"Vlad? Vlad who?" Faith asked.
"Dracula," Spike answered. He was finally getting control of himself.
That was met with shocked silence. "Vlad the Impaler?" Buffy asked, then huffed at the surprised looks on everyone's faces. "What? I can read. Besides, I watched Dracula with Winona Ryder in it." Laughter came from everyone in the room, and she giggled at the exasperation on Giles' face.
For a few minutes, true laughter filled the Summers' house for the first time in several days.
*****
Together we faced the dark.
"My Mom, I've got to go get her!" Xander cried, distraught. He started to stand, but Willow stopped him. "Relax, Xander. Eliza is with Tara and Kennedy at our apartment. She's okay." Xander relaxed at Willow's words.
"Can they bring her here?" Xander pleaded.
"Sure, baby. Willow, go call yer girls and bring his mum here," Spike ordered. Then to their shock he climbed onto Xander's lap and wrapped his arms around him. Xander cradled Spike and buried his face into his throat. It was calming for both of them.
Willow went to do as Spike had asked, and as she did she felt the contentment coming off of Xander and wondered if the connection they had forged on that horrid day would be more pronounced. She hadn't told anyone, but she had felt Xander's emotions and his pleasure earlier.
Xander looked up as his mother flew across the room and threw herself into Xander's lap. Spike watched as the two damaged souls clung to one another. Each sobbing out their pain. For a long time neither of them moved. They both rocked each other and took the time to reconnect. "Momma, you're not going back to him," Xander told her after they broke apart.
Eliza smiled weakly at her son. For so long she had feared leaving Tony Harris. Mostly because of what he would do to her baby. Now though, he had done the worst possible thing and had brought her child to this place. It was hard feeling the coolness of her boy's skin and knowing that he was not breathing. "I'm not going to go back. I will die before I ever go back to him."
Xander felt tears fill his eyes again. "Why did you stay with him?" Anya asked, confused.
Eliza looked over at the blond and smiled sadly. "The same reason that Xander stood you up at the altar; the same reason that my beautiful child came back into our prison. Tony promised to hurt me if he didn't. He promised to hurt Xander if I didn't." Tears slid down Eliza's cheeks.
Anya looked at her in confusion. "Xander stood me up because of the demon," Anya whispered. It still hurt.
"No, he used it as an excuse."
"Mom don't - ."
Eliza turned to him and covered his lips. "Sweetheart, it is too late to keep things hidden. It's time she knew the truth. It has hurt her as much as it hurt you. You made sure she found her love, and now she needs closure." Eliza turned back to look at Anya.
"On the day of your wedding, Tony raped Xander in the bathroom of our house. Later, the demon came and Xander left the church to think. He ran into Tony again and was raped again as he was coming back to you. He was on his way back before anyone would have known he was gone. After Tony was through, he told Xander that the minute Xander married you, Tony would be there to welcome you into the family. Xander knew what that meant and he couldn't take the chance that you would be hurt, so he lied to you and left you at the altar." Xander had hidden his face in shame, and was sobbing silently.
Anya was also crying. All this time she spent hating Xander and he had risked everything to save her. She clung to Giles and cried for all the heartache the sweet boy had suffered.
"Eliza, Xander, who were the men that hurt you?" Buffy asked, her voice huskier than normal. It was so hard hearing what had happened to Xander and knowing that she couldn't be one of the ones to kill the men who harmed him. A Slayer could not kill a human, no matter what kind of monster they were.
"Besides Tony, it was his four drinking buddies. Jack Harlow, Mike Thomas, Craig Beman and Eddie Worth. They are all monsters. But not one of them is worse than Tony. Not one." Eliza told them.
For those who would hunt and kill their tormentors, these four men and Tony Harris were no longer nameless monsters. Now they were named, and now their days were numbered.
*****
Vengance is mine,
As she chanted the spell to bring information to her, she was shocked to learn that the man had been turned the night before. Then she was elated. Foregoing the rest of the spell, she stood and ran downstairs.
When Willow burst into the livingroom, she was looking so pleased with herself that the others couldn't help but smile. "I take it your spell garnered good information," Wes said, amused.
"The first guy's a vamp! He was turned last night. Spike, Buffy and Angel can be the ones to kill him! I can still cast a spell to find out about the others when it comes time for them."
Whatever response she was going to recieve was interupted by the vampires in the room all standing.
"What is it?" Wes asked.
"Dru," Xander answered. He ran to the front door and threw it open. The others followed quickly. The female vampire was standing on the porch, with a man grasped in one hand and a doll in the other.
"Hello kitten, Auntie Dru has brought daddy a present. Naughty man, hurt my kitten. Smell him on you I did. Came to see my Spikey and my Daddy. I made myself like them, don't want to be alone now. Can I come home with you, kitten?"
Xander looked at her for several moments before walking out and pulling Dru into his arms. If Spike had suffered from getting a soul, what had it done to Dru? After all, she was already insane. "Welcome home, Dru," he told her, stunning everyone.
*****
Darkness has fallen
"Kitten, I wanna go to the place of glass." Xander looked at her for several minutes, before realizing that she meant his apartment. He nodded, he didn't really want to be in the same place as the man who raped and beat him. Perhaps it was cowardly. He knew that his friends and family would let him be the one to finally kill Jake, but he couldn't do it. Even now that Jake couldn't hurt him, he was afraid of the man.
Willow and Dawn stood up at the same time. "We'll go with you. I want to talk to Dru and see if there's anything I can do for her. Tara and I have been working on a spell that would control Spike's dementia. I think we could use it on Dru as well."
Xander nodded; he wanted the spell to work. Xander had never really understood why Spike and Angel were forced to feel guilt about crimes committed when they were possessed. After all, no one blamed him for nearly raping Willow and trying to kill Buffy when he had been possessed by the hyena.
Now Dru was in the same position. All three had had themselves permanently souled. Angel had gone and suffered through the same torment that Spike had, in return for the permanent return of his soul. He never wanted to lose it again.
Turning his attention back to the girls and Dru, he stood and left the house. His first look at the night through his new senses made him weep. It was incredible! Dru crooned to him and they all climbed into Willow's car.
==========================================================================
Jake howled in pain as, one by one, his fingers were broken. The slayer stared down at him with hated filled eyes that promised a great deal of pain before he was finally staked. The demon in him howled as well. Only instead of pain, it was rage that resounded in the vampire. Rage at being resouled, rage at knowing that his time in his new form would be short lived. The stupid human he inhabited had gone and enraged Angel and Spike. Two of the most dangerous vampires on the mortal plane.
Every demon knew about Angelus and Spike. The demons that resided inside of them had been tamed, integrated and accepted by the mortal souls that shared their forms.
Now, because of the human he inhabited, his first time on the mortal plane in nearly a century had been ruined. Instead of bathing in blood and pain, he was going to be the one in pain, and bleeding.
Jake howled again as he was stripped bare, and both clothing and flesh fell way. Buffy didn't let his howls distract her. In fact they fed her resolve. She knew that this creature had destroyed her Xander. Had caused him to bleed and to scream. That fed her rage and changed her mind about torture. Once upon a time, she would have thought she was above that. Not any longer.
She turned, and lifted the longer white taper that had been dipped in holy water, then spun the vampire around by his chained wrists. With a vicious lunge she embedded the candle into the vampire's rectum and watched as smoke curled out of the abused opening. She sneered and spun him back to face her. The vampire had begun to beg, and blood tinged tears ran down his cheeks.
"This is only the beginning, monster. You should never have touched Xander. After I'm through with you and we feed you human blood so that you can heal, Angel is going to take his turn. Then Xander's mate, Wil, will take his turn. And only after you've suffered as much as we feel you can, will we stake you," Buffy purred as she lifted another candle. Unlike the other one this one was lit. She began to spot burn him, making him scream in pain.
Behind them, Angel and Spike were smiling like proud parents. Their turns would come soon. In the meantime, they would enjoy the suffering that Buffy was inflicting on the monster that dared to touch what was theirs.
==========================================================================
Xander walked into his apartment and felt a strange sense of unreality. The place was full of his things, but they seemed wrong, somehow. There was a faint tinge to the air and he dropped to his knees suddenly, howling out his grief.
Everything was lost. His job, his home, the future he had planned for himself. What would he do now? Who would he be now?
*****
Desperation calls to me
He cursed the fate that created him. He cursed his father and the men who had hurt him. He did not realize that he was giving voice to his curses. Nor did he realize that Hallie stood in the background watching. D'Hoffryn had not actually killed her. Instead he had punished Anya by making her believe that Halfrek was dead.
The demon lord had been listening when the explanations had been given. Hallie's screams of rage echoed through the palace and D'Hoffryn smiled. He turned to the demoness and nodded. "You will give him his vengeance. Then you will tell Anya you are alive. She is better as a human than a demon." Hallie smiled tightly and flashed away.
"I WISH MY FATHER COULD FEEL THE PAIN HE HAS INFLICTED!" Xander screamed. The women in the room gasped aloud. Xander was too lost in his pain to realize that he had made a wish on the hellmouth.
"Wish granted!" Hallie cried triumphantly. All but Xander turned to face her. Hallie smiled, "Tell Anyanka I am alive, and will be by for tea soon." Then she disappeared. But before she did, she worked her magic on Xander.
All his pain, all his fear bled away. His sorrow became duller. Knowledge of who and what he was became clear. He had lost nothing. Xander was a true vampire, a daywalker.
=========================================================================
Tony Harris looked around his livingroom and cursed blearily. His whores had disappeared. He could find his wife and son nowhere. Four days had passed and still Eliza had not come home, and his useless son refused to return his phone calls.
Tony smiled darkly and began to rub at the erection that was forming. He was imagining all the pain and fear he would inflict upon his property. He grunted in foul pleasure as he imagined each of them writhing in pain as he made them bleed, and pounded into their bodies with his hard cock.
Hallie flashed into the room and looked at the mortal on the couch with disgust. At one time he would have been considered handsome, perhaps even sexy. Until you looked into his cold, dark eyes. "Anthony Harris," she growled.
Tony looked up and gasped in shock, "Who the fuck are you?!"
"Justice," Hallie laughed coldly, and waved her hand. Seconds later Tony began to scream and writhe on the chair.
=======================================================================
Pain burned through his body and blood began to pour from thousands of wounds. He felt each and every violation he had ever inflicted upon his wife and son. He felt the rapes, from the first to the last rape he had ever taken part in.
Hallie watched as his bones snapped and his skin tore from wound after wound. Blood splattered on the walls, the floor and upon the furniture. Each wound imprinted itself on his mind and the taint in his soul shone for all the world to see.
The last thing Tony Harris felt before he died was the despair that brought Xander to his wish. Cold laughter filled the room as Death came to claim his gift. He blew Hallie a kiss and laughed with pure pleasure. Hades had another soul for judgement. If Hallie had any say in it he would go to the darkest pits of Tarturus.
========================================================================
Xander sat staring at the space that the two detectives had just vacated. Beside him sat his mother, also staring into space. His father was dead. Xander knew the wish he made had brought it on and could not bring himself to feel guilty. Tony Harris' death was not vengeance; it was justice.
Now he and his mother were truly safe. Jake was dead. Spike had dusted him, and had arrived at the apartment just before the police arrived. The two detectives had seemed relieved to hear that both Xander and his mother had alibis for the time of his father's death. Apparently it had been gruesome.
Spike and the others wached Xander and his mum, waiting to comfort them if it was needed. Suddenly Eliza began to laugh, then Xander joined her. Mother and son threw themselves into each other's arms. "He's dead," Eliza sobbed.
"We're free," Xander whispered, and he cried in joy and relief.
*****
Beneath the moon
Mike scowled when he saw the plain white paper on his car. With a sense of irritation he yanked it from under the windshield wiper. He started to throw it away, but a strange compulsion filled him and he turned it over and read the words with growing fear and horror.
Michael Thomas:
You have been found guilty of rape and have been found responsible for
It was signed simply Vengeance. Mike had jumped into his car and driven home. Taking only enough time to snarl at his lousy excuse for a lover and pack up a few things. He was getting out of town as soon as possible. With any luck the people after him would take out their frustrations on Trevor and not bother to look for him.
\\End Flashback//
Before he had gone a hundred yards a surge of energy bolted through the car and it stuttered to a stop. He had seen two women standing in the road and watched in horror as they joined hands and threw a huge ball of power at the car. In terror he had jumped out and run. Their laughter had followed him into the night.
As he ran he became aware of the sounds of pursuit. It sounded like he was being hunted by a pack of wild animals. Eerie laughter and snarls had echoed in the night and Mike knew he was being herded away from any source of help that might come to him.
He heard a long, mournful howl rip through the air and whimperd in fear as he felt primal terror. Unable to run any further, he fell to his knees and looked around him. He was in the middle of a field. Shapes made their way from the surrounding trees and headed straight for him. He was shocked to see that his tormentors were all kids. As they got closer he could see that they all carried weapons. Bats, swords, and knives were all clutched in their hands. One girl led a large dog, but Mike was terrified to see human intelligence in its eyes. As well as pure hatred.
The girl's face shifted and he whimpered as he looked into amber eyes. "Well, looks like Ozzy led us to some fun."
Mike shrieked in pain as they began to rain blows upon him, and yards away a group of fledges ran for their lives. Everyone in the demon community had heard about what had happened to the Slayer's mortal friend and they were all terrified that, once the humans were dead, they would turn to the demon world with their terrifying vengeance.
Faith laughed and let her demon to the fore as she became her own weapon, raining blows and death on the man who had hurt her friend.
They all stopped the beating when the man lost consciousness. Kyle looked over at the pack then to his lover, Larry. "Let's finish it and leave him for the carrion eaters," Larry said. Faith nodded and released Oz. With a howl of triumph, the werewolf surged forward and, with a snap of inhuman teeth, he severed the man's spine, then turned and ripped out his throat.
As one, the hunters turned and left the body where it lay crumpled. No one looked back or cared to. In their minds and hearts justice had been done. None of them noticed the silent figure of death seize the shade that had once been Mike Thomas and pull him from his body. Nor did they hear the gods' laugh over what fate lay in store for the spirit. Hades had another soul for punishment.
__________________________________________________________________
Xander sat in his apartment with his lover at his side. He had buried his father today. There had been no pomp and barely any ceremony. They had laid him to rest, then had left him there without a backward glance.
His mother was settled into the guest room at Willow's apartment and the house was on the market. Neither of them ever wanted to return to that horrid place. They had taken all that they wanted and either sold or given away what was left. They had learned from their father's lawyer that he had saved everything he had ever taken from either of them. The inheritance left by Xander's grandfather to the two of them was intact and all of it was now theirs. Xander had already decided that he was giving up the apartment. It had too many windows and not enough room for his lover or his mother. Giles had found a house not far from Buffy and Willow, and Xander had purchased it. They would be moving in in a week.
For now, he was curled up against his lover and was safe. Xander didn't think about the three men still left alive or the fact that his friends were hunting one of them as he and Spike sat there. He couldn't, it hurt too badly and reminded him of what he had been through.
Instead, he thought of the life ahead of him and the love he had found in his friends and in Spike. He thought about the fact that he could now rest, knowing that his mother would never be hurt by his father again. That thought alone got him through and gave him peace.
*****
Black as night
Jake and Mike's families really held no interest to the Dark Warlock. In truth they were just a passing thought. His mind was on Tony Harris' family. The wife and son had acted as a power source for him for several years now.
Craig had known the minute he met the family that the young boy and his mother were a perfect power source for him. They were both so innocent and pure. Anthony had once been a good man, but as they say power corrupts and Anthony was a perfect example of that.
Craig had placed many spells on the man's family over the years. Unlike his foolish friends, Craig knew what existed in the darkness of Sunnydale. He also knew that the boy had been fighting the darkness over the years.
Unknown to Xander, he had been helping Craig along for several years. The boy and his friends had eliminated many of Craig's less than satisfied customers. The Mayor, the Master and countless other demons.
Through it all he had used blood, pain and sex to bind Anthony and the rest of their little circle to him. The fools had never realized that the dark desires that they gave into were feeding him and his power.
In the last few years Craig had seen most of his plans backfire or fall apart. He wasn't sure how or why Xander was thwarting him or even if he knew that he was doing it. All Craig knew was that the boy had thwarted him. He had even broken the spell that Craig had placed on the little Wizard. Andrew had overcome the compulsion that Craig had placed on him. Warren had been killed, unfortunately. The boy was improving in his schemes. The First had had great plans for the boy.
Somehow Xander had overcome the spell he had placed on the White Witch in their group. She should have finished raising the temple, but the boy had overridden the panic and pain that he had infected the girl with.
His employer had been very disappointed with the outcome and Craig was glad that Xander and his friends had managed to defeat the First. Craig really hated to think what the founder of evil would have done to him in the long run.
With a sigh Craig turned away from the graves and walked into the rapidly falling twilight. As he walked from the cemetery, three men appeared in front of him, and three women behind him. Craig raised an eyebrow as he realized who they were.
"We've come for you, Sorcerer," Tara said coldly.
She was the one who had cas t the last spell to seek out the latest of the men who had harmed her friend. What she had been shown stunned and enraged her. How the Scoobies had managed to miss this man's part in all of their troubles over the years Tara did not know, but she was going to be a part of his destruction.
Craig sneered at the little witch. Even surrounded, he was not afraid. He knew very well that he was strong enough to out match any of them, or so he thought. In seconds, spells and hex's began to fly. Screams of pain and rage tore through the air and shouts of triumph and loss echoed in the night.
As the last spell tumbled around them, power hung heavy in the air. Wes and Andrew sat on the ground slightly dazed. Giles was holding Dru and trying to shake off the effects of a debilitating hex.
All four turned their attention to the last two standing. Willow turned to her lover and smiled. Raising Tara's hand up to her mouth she kissed it gently then turned he r attention back to the dark wizard. Craig Beman lay in a bloody heap. The last spell that Tara had thrown had cursed him with all of the evil that he had ever inflicted.
There was no way to identify the twisted and vile creature that lay in front of them as human. Tara took a deep breath and looked down at her family and smiled. Shifting her hold on Willow, she used the last of her magical reserves to shift them away from the scene of their battle.
___________________________________________________________________________
When they reappeared in Xander's living room, Tara collapsed onto the floor beside Willow. She groaned slightly as she felt herself lifted and looked up into worried brown eyes. She smiled gently and burrowed into his arms. "It's okay, Xander, we're just tired. A little rest and we'll be fine," she said wearily.
Xander smiled at her and watched the magic users all fall into a healing sleep. He knew from his connection to Willow that they had won. He knew that there was only one left. He had no idea who, or how the man would meet his end but Xander did know that, with his family, he was safe.
*****
Part 2:
Taken by the blood born night.
I am alone and broken tonight.
You were my sun, you were my soul.
Then the monsters tore you away.
Spike sat in the darkened basement holding Xander's lifeless body. Above him he could hear the newest arrivals cursing and crying over the death and unlife of his boy. His love.
Part 3:
Light leads the way
Lost in the distance
My dreams are granted anyway
Spike went to Xander and helped him sit up. He knew that Xander must be feeling the strain of hunger. The boy, his equal, would never be a Childe to him. He should have known; the signs had all been there. The fact that Xander was a demon magnet should have been enough of a clue that he was a true vampire.
Part 4:
became my light.
I hid my shame, but you found me
and bathed me in light.
Even knowing what I was
you became my light.
Who needs the sun when they
have you as their light?
Angel looked up as his Childe and Grandchilde came into the room. He could smell sex on both of them, and knew that Faith and Oz could as well. There was something else about the younger vampire that pulled at him and made him want to claim the boy as his own. It was more than just blood lines that called to him. It was even more than the smell of his beautiful Childe on the boy.
\\Flashback//
As the magic coursed through the air, Willow and Xander gasped. In that moment Spike saw recognition roll over his Sire's face. "Childe, I think we have some plans to make."
Part 5:
Together we were beaten back.
Yet from the dark a ray of light
Came to save us from the night.
Xander was quiet for a long time, trying to process everything he had learned about what he was. It was while he was sitting there that he remembered why he had gone to his parents' house in the first place. When he remembered, a cry of anguish tore through him. Beside him, Spike turned to see what was wrong. "Xander?" he asked worriedly.
45 minutes later....
Part 6:
Pain was caused
Blood was shed
And now your life
is at a end.
Willow went upstairs to Dawn's room and sat in the circle she had prepared earlier. She wanted to get all the information she could about the five men who had harmed Xander and his mother. She was going to start with the first: Jake Harlow.
Part 7:
A broken heart has called
Friends have gathered
Evil will be amongst the fallen
Xander shivered slightly as Buffy and the two elder vampires dragged Jake down the stairs. He was to be restrained, and the three would mete out their own justice. Xander turned his attention back to Dru. The female vampire was curled up against him, whimpering softly.
Part 8:
Fate changes will
I cry to heaven
I cry to hell
My fate changed by
Evil's will
Xander knelt, screaming out his pain and anguish. Dru crooned lightly as she enveloped the grieving boy from behind. He was just beginning to realize all that he had lost. His future, the job he loved. How was he supposed to care for himself? He had been, finally, content. Happiness was something he never really expected, but he had found something he was good at, and now he could do it no longer.
Part 9:
Blood flows like
a demented god's boon
Vengeance is come
Celebrate evil's ruin
Mike Thomas glanced around him furtively. He was terrified and running for his life. In the last few days two of his friends had gone missing, and were probably dead. This evening, as he was leaving his job at the electric company, he found a note under the windshield wiper of his car. He shuddered as he remembered what it said and moved faster.
\\Flashback//
the death of our friend, Xander Harris. For your crimes against both him
and his mother you will suffer. You thought our friends' prey. Now you
will be the prey. Run if you dare, but know we will find you and you will
die at our hands. Just as your friends Anthony Harris and Jack Harlow did.
With pain and shame.
Only those plans hadn't come to fruition. As he left his house he realized that his tires had been slashed and so he had taken Trevor's car. By then it was dark and he was sweating fearfully.
Part 10:
Cold as hate
He is death
He is the blight
Tonight he meets light
Tonight he dies
Tonight Vengeance prevails
Craig Beman looked at the grave markers in front of him and felt cold rage fill him. Everything he had worked for was falling apart. Three of his compatriots were either dead or missing and their families beyond his touch.
tbc