"I'm not riding with them," Cordelia insisted as they got ready to leave. "No way." Spike glared at the ex-cheerleader. Xander was a fine driver. Of course, Spike was driving, but he wasn't telling anyone that.

Gunn nodded sagely. He wouldn't have expected her to. "We can take my truck." He sure as hell wasn't getting in a car with Spike.

She rounded on him. "No, we can take Angel's Cadillac."

"Five's gonna be tight," Doyle muttered. Before Cordelia could launch into a diatribe, he continued. "I'll go with Xander."

Angel shot him a very grateful look. "Thanks, Doyle. Xander, we'll meet you at the Magic Box. Don't kill Doyle."

Xander led Doyle and Spike out to his car, which was actually still in one functioning piece. Spike and he ignored Angel's last frantic comments as they stored their belongings and situated Doyle in the back seat. Eventually Angel turned and headed back to the hotel, although not without expressing how much he would prefer they be safe and cautious.

"Right," Spike muttered, taking the keys from Xander. "Nancy boy'll be dawn getting there. Let's go." Xander slid into the passenger seat and buckled his seatbelt.

"Uh, Doyle? You may want to buckle up," Xander warned.

Doyle's eyes widened as he realized just who was going to be driving. "Ah, you do realize I can die, right?" He asked as he fastened the safety harness.

Spike glared at him. "Yes, demon boy, I do. I wouldn't keep reminding me."

"He's a demon?" Xander asked curiously. "What kind? Angel's passing you off as human."

"Bracchen," Spike muttered.

"Half," Doyle corrected. "And I wouldn't have known about you, except that you mentioned it."

Spike started the car and peeled out. "Figure we'll beat them by at least an hour, maybe two. Unless you need to stop?" He directed towards Xander.

"Nope," Xander said, grinning. Spike was weaving and dodging around cars like a maniac.

Doyle watched his life flash before his eyes. "Xander? I thought this was your car. Don't you.worry?"

Xander turned to peer at the seer. "Why? Spike knows that the only one who'll get hurt if he wrecks is me.well, and you, but mostly me."

"And that stops him how?" Doyle squeaked. They'd come within a hair's breadth of sideswiping a trailer rig.

Spike growled menacingly, shifting into gameface. He did not like what the demon boy was implying; he'd stake himself before harming a hair on Xander's head. "Look, you prickly little ponce"

"He's not going to wreck," Xander interjected. "And if I were you I'd stop provoking him. You're just being a distraction."

Doyle nodded and shifted further into the seat. He definitely did not want to distract the vampire. "So, you and Spike. How's the Slayer handling that?" After he'd said it, Doyle realized that the question might be considered both a distraction and a provocation. To his surprise, Spike didn't yell, growl or threaten.

"She freaked at first, but she's ok with it now. Not always thrilled, but ok," Xander said. "He took really good care of me when I got sick with Bhavca demonitis, which went far towards convincing her he was of the good. or at least not of the bad."

"Ah," Doyle murmured. "You were sick, then?"

"He almost died," Spike hissed. "Fever, convulsions, hospital." The vampire's voice trailed off as he recalled how close he'd come to losing the boy.

"Yeah, I was pretty bad off. But I got better!" Xander added. "And Buffy's laid off Spike, other than the occasional 'hurt him and die' thing."

Doyle nodded. "What about now-his chip doesn't keep him from hurting you." That got a fierce growl from the vampire. "I'm not saying you would, Spike. What I mean is, what does the Slayer think?" Doyle himself was a bit uncertain about Slayers. They had a habit of killing his kind, even though Bracchens rarely made it on the Slayer-radar.

Spike calmed down a little, although he was still in gameface. "She's not brought it up."

"I bet it hasn't registered," Xander said. "She'd have freaked. Again." He thought for a moment. "Or maybe not. She's been good about the whole thing, really. I think she finally figured out that our lives don't revolve around hers all the time."

"She's getting it regular," Spike commented. "A good pounding"

"We are not discussing Buffy's sex life," Xander interjected. "Are we, Spike?"

Doyle was a bit surprised to see Spike acquiesce. He was sure there was a story there, but it wasn't his business. "So this place, Carey's. What's it like? All I saw was blood and gory vision stuff."

Xander grinned at the abrupt change in subject. "It's a nice place to hang out. Good music, dancing."

"Strong drinks and demons," Spike added. "Not like that bloody dive the boy's friends like."

"What bloody dive?" Doyle asked.

"The Bronze," Xander answered. "It's not bad, in that high school/early college kind of way. But it's awfully."

"Giggling, simpering Happy Meals," Spike growled. "And bad music."

"Except for that once," Xander murmured, smiling at the memory. "You even admitted it."

Spike grinned. "Point."

Doyle laughed with them. He didn't get much of the humor, but the atmosphere was contagious. It was obvious that the two men were comfortable with each other, and seemed to be very happy. Actually, he sort of wished they'd not stayed holed up in their room the entire time; he'd have liked to have visited more. Then again, from the way Spike growled at Angel, it wouldn't have been very much fun.

It was then that Doyle realized he'd completely forgotten how Spike was driving. A quick glance told him they were keeping at a steady 100 miles per hour.

...

"You're going to meet Giles?" Joyce asked as Buffy grabbed her purse.

"Yeah, there's a big demon coming into town. Um, Angel is heading up to help," Buffy said nervously.

Her mother's eyes goggled. "That must be serious, then."

"He's got this guy who works for him, a seer. Doyle saw the demon here in Sunnydale," Buffy replied.

"What kind of demon?" Tara asked from the doorway.

Buffy turned to look at the witch. "We aren't sure."

"I can help," Tara offered. "With research, I-I mean."

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked. They could use the help, since Willow wasn't allowed near any books, but she didn't want Tara to suffer.

Tara nodded. "Yeah. I need to do something."

"I'll drive you down there," Joyce said. Buffy was about to protest when she thought better of it. After all, a ride was a ride. "And we'll pick up dinner on the way. Let me get Dawn." Mrs. Summers retreated upstairs to collect her younger daughter.

"Willow will be there," Buffy warned.

"I know. I need to see her," Tara said. "I love her."

"And she loves you," Buffy assured the girl. "But she's suffering right now. A lot."

Tara nodded again and waited for Joyce to return. She understood Willow's situation; the redhead was going through withdrawal, so she couldn't have any help. No painkillers. Oh, she could've taken drugs, but they wouldn't do a thing for such a magickally induced condition. The young woman would simply have to go it alone.

Dawn came tumbling down the stairs like a puppy, all legs and eyes. "Do I get to help? Please?" She asked Buffy hopefully.

Buffy frowned. "I don't know. It's a nasty demon."

"But Mom said you were just researching," Dawn replied. "And I wanted to say hi to Angel and Cordelia."

Buffy glanced at her mother, who had descended the stairs with a bit more grace than her daughter. "If Mom doesn't mind. It won't be anything but research, though. No patrol, no slaying."

Joyce looked at her older daughter with ill-disguised relief. "As long as Mr. Giles drives you home, I see no reason why Dawn cannot accompany you," She told Buffy.

"What if Xander drives us home instead?" Buffy asked playfully.

"Hmm." Joyce hummed. "Fine. But not if Spike is driving."

"I won't get in a car when Spike is driving," Buffy swore. "I don't have a deathwish."

...

Spike parked Xander's car near the Magic Box, hitting the breaks with a heavy foot. "We're here!" Xander said cheerfully. "Everyone out, puke on the concrete, and make your way inside."

Doyle smiled weakly. Spike had made up for a (relatively) calm trip by doing doughnuts down the street before they parked. Doyle normally didn't mind a bit of play, but he was now a familiar green color, although without the spines. "I'm fine," He insisted. "Let's get inside." He wanted away from that car.

Giles was seemingly alone in the shop when Xander opened the door. "Giles? Where is everyone?" He asked as Spike and Doyle followed him in.

"Buffy is on her way," Giles said around his cigarette. "And I assume that if Angel is not with you, then you let Spike drive?"

Spike grinned. "That he did. Poof'll be around in a couple of hours."

"And this would be Doyle?" Giles guessed. "The seer. Half demon. Bracchen?"

Doyle nodded, impressed. "How'd you figure that?"

"All but the Bracchen part is obvious; Wesley and I do communicate on occasion and you in now way resemble his description of Charles Gunn," Giles replied. "As for the demon part."

"Once a student of chaos, always." Xander murmured. Giles glared. "I put a ward on the shop to alert me to demons. All three of you triggered it, either wholly or partially. And Doyle? Only Bracchen demons turn that color of green when they're sick."

"Ah," Doyle said. "That does explain it."

"While the others are taking their time, perhaps you could describe the demon in greater detail," Giles told Doyle. "We should start researching."

"Where's Willow?" Xander asked, ignoring Spike's growl. He was worried about his friend, despite what she'd done.

"She is recovering," Giles said vaguely. "In the training room, to be exact. At the moment, she is not receiving visitors."

Xander nodded, not really expecting to get to see her. "So where do we start?"

"I can describe a bit about the demon," Doyle offered. Giles nodded and gestured towards the table.

...

"Xander?"

Spike, Xander and Doyle turned to look at the training room door. "Willow?" Xander murmured. "Um, hi."

She walked slowly towards the table, taking very careful steps. Xander absorbed the changes in her appearance. Gone were the bright eyes and cheerful smile. Now Willow looked old and worn out, lines on her face, hair dull and eyes foggy. She looked like an drug addict after a three day binge. A low, threatening growl started as Willow drew closer to Xander. Spike was in game face, barely keeping his seat. She stopped moving, staring at the vampire with scared eyes.

"Spike," Xander began. The growling continued.

"Willow, come here," Giles ordered. The witch obediently went around the table to where Giles was. "Sit." She sat. "Read." The book was opened and she started to read the first page.

"Willow?" Xander murmured. "Hi."

She looked up. "Hi, Xander. I'm sorry."

Spike kept growling. Xander tried to ignore him. "I know. It's good to see you again."

"Yeah," She whispered. "Good to see you too. I love you, Xander, and I never wanted to hurt you."

"Willow," Giles warned. She bent her head to the book and resumed reading. Xander watched for a moment before taking up his own book. He knew that Giles was in charge of Willow's recovery, so he stopped trying to talk to her. Still, it was difficult to see her like that and not want to just run around the table and hug her.

Doyle studied Willow while she worked. He'd seen the look before; hells, he'd sported it. His demon, no pun intended, had always been liquor and gambling. Irish for the Irish, and what self-respecting Irishman didn't play the ponies? He'd like to think that he'd gotten most of that under control; Angel hadn't put up with that kind of behavior for very long, and besides that it was difficult to stay alive with the visions and a bad habit or two. Of course, it was easy for him to feel sorry for her; he hadn't been close by and at risk of being killed by her.

About half an hour later, Giles called a temporary halt do the researching. "Spike, Xander, perhaps you should go home for the evening. I believe that Xander wishes to work tomorrow; he will need to sleep."

Xander glanced at Spike. Yeah, he'd been thinking of doing just that. Of course, it would also be easier for Giles if they weren't around when Angel got there. Spike and Angel were not a good combination, under any circumstances. "Why not, Spike? I probably should get some rest."

Spike nodded, happy to be leaving. "Right. Let's go." He practically dragged Xander out of the shop.

"Eager much?" Xander commented as they got into the car. "Or does Willow care you that bad?"

"Doesn't scare me," Spike growled. "I want to rip her head off and feed her to wild dogs, chip or no."

Xander paled. Comments like that served as a sharp reminder of his lover's origins. "Er, maybe leaving really is a good thing."

Spike nodded. He didn't want to upset Xander any more than he had to. The vampire drove them through the streets, aiming for the nonhuman part of town.

"Er, Spike? Where are we going?" Xander asked as he realized that home was not where they were.

"Thought you said you wanted to get a new hole," Spike stated. "So we're going to get prodded."

Xander's eyes shot wide open. Spike had been serious? He wasn't sure if *he'd* been serious. "Um, Spike? This kind of thing hurts. A lot."

"Y're a demon now, mate. Won't hurt for long. Heal up in a jiffy," Spike replied as he cruised for a parking space.

"My dick will still hurt for a long time, and any pain is bad." Xander frowned. "Well, most pain is bad," He qualified.

"So you don't want this?" Spike asked as he parked the car. "Thought you did."

"Did, don't, don't know," Xander admitted.

"Oh, so you only want me to do this?" Spike said. The vampire shrugged. "Fine by me. I heal quick, no scarring." He got out of the car and walked around to Xander's side. "Besides, I want you to watch."

Xander let Spike pull him out of the car. "Why?"

"Blood, sex, a bit of pain. Good show," Spike murmured. Xander shuddered. He couldn't believe he was getting turned on by the idea of watching Spike get mutilated. Honestly, he'd brought it up just to get Spike off. The vampire was serious, however, leading Xander up a rickety set of stairs and into a tiny waiting room. The only person there was an impossibly tall, thin woman behind the counter. She had a caliper in one hand and some sort of jewelry in the other.

"What do you want?" She asked curtly.

Spike glanced around. "Reverse PA."

"Done it before?"

"Yeah," Spike muttered. Xander stared. "Angelus," Spike hissed. Xander nodded quickly. He really did not want details.

"Pick something," She said, pulling out a tray of jewelry from behind the counter. Spike glanced down and pointed. The lady took a hard look at Spike, then nodded and walked around the counter and through an open door. A moment later, a short, scraggly guy came out.

"Vamp," He said, "Finally made it in, huh? You guys just love pain. Surprised you haven't been in earlier." Spike didn't bother to answer. Xander didn't either, mostly because he was fascinated by the sheer number of piercings the guy had. "So, come on back and we'll talk."

Spike and Xander followed the man back into a rather brightly lit room. Both men blinked under the glare of intensely white lights. "Sorry, need it for the work," The guy said by way of apology. "Strip down and hop up." He began to rummage through a cabinet, pulling out supplies.

Xander watched as Spike took off his clothes and sat down on a cold, uncovered metal table. The Bhavca was kind of shocked; he'd expected there to be questions, or pictures, or something. The guy treated this as a matter of course. "You sure you want this, Spike?"

Spike rolled his eyes. "Sit down over here and watch." Xander obeyed, hopping up on the table. Spike leaned back against him, pressing Xander against the wall. After a second, Xander pushed Spike forward so he could move his legs around. Then he brought Spike back, letting the vampire rest between his now outstretched legs.

"How precious," The piercing guy said. "Just the vamp today? Nothing for our demon friend?"

Xander stared at the needle the guy had in one hand. "Um. maybe later."

Spike grinned. He knew the boy would soften.

The man set up a metal tray. Xander understood the needle, and the various cleaning fluids, cotton, clamps and jewelry, but the stone mortar and pestle threw him. "You do want the healing spell, right?" The guy asked Spike.

"Yeah," Spike replied. He sure as hell wasn't waiting even the day or so it would take a vampire to heal up. He felt Xander jerk a bit. "Didn't know about that?"

"You didn't mention it. Do they have a pain spell?"

"For more or less pain?" The piercer inquired. "Because I have both."

Xander paled. "No pain, no blood. Not a tug, not a whimper."

The man smiled. "That I can do, although I don't see why you would. No fun in that." He shrugged. "But business is business. Now, vamp, let's get to work."

Xander felt Spike stiffen slightly when the man's hands reached out and pulled the blonde's legs wide apart. Watching Spike get shaved was an experience. Maybe they'd have to try that at home. holding a razor against the vampire's balls looked like. well, he wasn't going to say fun, but interesting nevertheless. "What about the pain?" Xander asked Spike.

"Vamp, remember? I like the pain," Spike muttered. Still, when the needle first brushed his body, he inhaled sharply. Xander held onto Spike's arms, clamping down as the thick needle slid in, splitting his lover's pale flesh. Shiny metal slid in, disappearing and reappearing on the other side. Xander felt Spike's muscles shift under his arms; the vampire slipped into gameface as his eyes rolled back. Spike was really enjoying the procedure, if his response could be trusted.

"All done," The man said, patting Spike's thigh. "Now for the spell." He picked up the mortar and pestle. A few sprinkles and a chant later and Spike was good as new. Better, actually. Xander shifted to one side and leaned over to study the thing.

"Well, pet?" Spike asked. "What you were wanting?"

"Hell, yeah," Xander said breathlessly. "That is so cool."

Spike shook his head. "Well, that's done with. We better get you home. Said you needed your sleep." The blonde stood up and reached for his clothes, as though he hadn't just had a really long needle shoved through his dick.

"What about me?" Xander asked plaintively.

"Thought you chickened out," Spike said over his shoulder.

Xander snarled. "I did not chicken out. I was just worried about healing up."

The piercing guy frowned. "What kind of demon are you, anyway?"

"Bhavca," Xander replied.

"Then what are you scared for? I don't even need a needle to do you!" The guy exclaimed. "You just shift on command and bang! Well, you could let me use the needle, but you don't seem like the pain type."

Xander slapped his forehead. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Dunno," Spike said, sitting down. "So?"

"Fine, sure. What should I get?" Xander inquired. "You pick."

"Famous last words," The piercing man said happily. "Well, vamp?"

Spike went back to the front room briefly. He returned with the tall lady, who was carrying Xander's new accessories. "You know the routine," Spike said. Xander waited until the lady was gone before stripping down.

"Do I have to get shaved?" Xander asked. "If there's no icky needle-I so hate needles-involved?"

"Not unless you want to," The guy replied. Xander shook his head.

"Nah, the only guy I who I trust with a razor near my balls is Spike. Speaking of which, why did you shave Spike? Vampires don't get infections from stuff like that."

"I wanted him to," Spike replied with a smirk.

The guy took one look at the vampire and handed over the shaving equipment. "Maybe you're more into pain than I thought," He told Xander.

Xander looked at Spike. Spike looked at Xander. "You on a timetable?" Spike asked the guy.

"Yeah, sort of. Wanna get home to my honey," The man replied. Spike handed back the equipment. "So that's how it is. Vampires, sheesh."

Spike joined Xander on the table. "You think you can do this?" He asked. Xander had practiced shifting some, but not a lot.

"Maybe," Xander murmured. The guy who usually wielded needles near guys' dicks was standing by with just the jewelry.

"This is so easy," The man said. "You just shift you're piece about, oh, ninety percent out. Just enough there so I can see. Then when I tell you, bring it back, real slow. That way I can make sure it goes in right."

Xander nodded and laid back against Spike, closing his eyes. He couldn't believe he was doing this. He had to be dreaming. After a few deep breaths, Xander focused on his lower body, figuring that getting the general area right was easier than a single organ.

Spike watched, awed, as Xander's groin and legs began to fade away. The boy even felt light, less substantial. He tightened his arms around Xander's chest, the most solid part he could reach. Having one's lover literally disappear in your arms was disturbing.

"Ok, stop," The guy murmured. Spike stared as the ring seemed to just move right through Xander's body with no resistance.

"Anything going on?" Xander asked. Holding himself like this wasn't exactly easy.

"Come back real slow," The guy replied. As Xander became more substantial, the man shifted the ring a bit this way and that. "Ok, you're good to go."

Xander opened his eyes and looked down. There, hanging on his cock, was a heavy steel ring, complete with a large round ball on either end. His dick felt heavy and the odd weight pulled a bit. "Spike?"

"Yeah?"

"Whatcha think?"

Spike just shifted forward a bit, pressing his erection into Xander's ass. "Spike?"

"Yeah?"

"I could've done the same thing for you, you know. I mean, put the ring in. Remember, I can move through you. Why didn't I?" Xander inquired.

"I like pain," Spike said quietly.

"Of course it has nothing to do wit the fact that I'd probably end up sticking the damned thing somewhere near your appendix," Xander commented.

Spike laughed. "Nope."

The piercing guy coughed a bit. "If the touching, Hallmark for Demons moment is over, my honey's horny. Pay Lolita on the way out. Xander found his clothes tossed onto the table as the guy hurried out.

"I guess demon body piercing places are more than a bit different from regular ones," Xander said to Spike as he dressed. "'Cause I remember consent forms, a lot more precautions."

"Sorry to disappoint you, pet, but demons figure you know what you're getting into," Spike said, handing Xander his jacket.

Xander waited in the lobby while Spike thrust a wad of cash at Lolita, the woman-who-couldn't-be-human. Human females just weren't that tall. Or thin. "So now what? I mean, not that the whole experience wasn't intense, but actually it wasn't that intense. No screaming, no blood. Just a bit of embarrassing exposure. Not even as bad as an annual physical."

"We could stop by Carey's, have a beer, ask around about the demon, then get some rest," Spike suggested. "Or just go home and let you get some sleep." The vampire paused. "Or we could go home, strip down, and fuck each other unconscious."

Xander stumbled over completely level pavement. "Er, I'm taking door number three."

"Thought you would, luv."

"Are you saying I'm easy?" Xander asked.

Spike shook his head. "No, I'm saying you're a sure thing."

"I can hurt you," Xander warned.

"Please?" Spike said in a fake-child's voice.

"Home, Spike," Xander ordered when they got to the car. "Because I've got a huge weight stuck into the end of my dick and I wanna know what it's gonna do to you when I'm buried deep inside you and pounding down on your sweet spot and" Spike's hand slapped over Xander's mouth as he shoved the younger demon into the car. "What?" Xander asked as Spike literally crawled over him to get into the driver's seat.

Spike's eyes flashed. "Thought you wanted to fuck at home," He growled. "If not, here's as good as anywhere."

"Home," Xander said firmly. "Knowing our luck, Angel'd drive by."

"Bloody hell, he probably would," Spike agreed.

*****
Part 14:

"There's Angel," Buffy murmured as she saw the vampire's car pull into a spot near the Magic Box. "We're right on time."

"You'll be ok?" Joyce inquired, concerned about her daughter. She didn't want her getting upset because of Angel's presence.

"I'll be fine, mom," Buffy said with a grin. "We can actually talk to each other, you know, without going into fits."

"Good," The older lady murmured. Dawn, Tara and Buffy piled out of the car and waved her off, jogging to meet up with Angel, Cordelia, Wes and a man they'd never seen before, but assumed was Gunn.

"Hey, Angel," Buffy called out. "Where are the others?"

"Spike and Xander drove Doyle; I'm assuming that they've already arrived," Angel replied. "I think that Xander let Spike drive."

Buffy shuddered. "That wasn't very nice of him. Well, come on in. The sooner we get this done, the sooner-"

"We get out of here?" Cordelia remarked. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, Buffy, but I left Sunnydale for a reason."

"I understand," Buffy said honestly. "But it has its charms."

"And talismans, and hexes, and the occasional glamour," Dawn murmured.

"Ah, you've finally arrived," Giles said as the combined group walked into the shop.

Angel glanced around. Doyle was at the table, talking softly to Willow. Other than them, and Giles, the shop was empty. "Where are Spike and Xander?"

Giles smirked. "I sent them home. They weren't going to get anything done this evening anyway."

"They definitely won't now," Buffy murmured. Letting the two of them go off together usually meant sex, and lots of it. She didn't begrudge them the nookie, well not much, but sometimes she wished they'd stick around the shop more. At the moment they could use all the help they could get.

"Buffy, Xander and Spike are still adjusting to the recent changes in their lives. Furthermore, Xander has to work in the morning," Giles reminded her. "They will help out more tomorrow. Until then, however, leave them be."

Buffy nodded, duly chastised. "So you're Doyle?" She asked the pale skinned, dark-haired man at the table.

"Yeah," Doyle murmured. "At your service."

Angel turned to Gunn. "This is Charles Gunn. Gunn, this is Rupert Giles, Buffy Summers, Dawn Summers, Tara Maclay and Willow Rosenberg."

"Hi," Gunn mumbled.

"So, demon?" Buffy said brightly. "Any clues?"

"Not yet," Doyle replied. "But we've got a few libraries' worth of books we've not read yet."

Buffy nodded and slid into a chair. "Come on, Angel. This is what you came down here for. Research a demon, kick its ass." She slid a pad of paper down to the vampire, along with a pen. "You guys can help, too, you know," She added, looking over at Cordelia and Gunn. Wesley was already over at the counter with Giles, studying some especially musty old text.

"Is Austin gonna help tonight?" Dawn asked as she accepted a book from Doyle.

"No. Maybe tomorrow. He had a test to study for," Buffy replied.

"Austin?" Cordelia murmured. "Who's he?"

"Buffy's boyfriend," Dawn said. "He's an idiot."

"He is not!" Buffy exclaimed. "Dawn, that's not a nice thing to say about him, or anyone."

"It's true," Dawn muttered. Still, she shut up and went to work researching.

Tara, meanwhile, had found a seat across from Willow and was trying hard to concentrate on her assigned book. The problem was, every time she blinked, she saw Willow sitting just a little bit away from her, looking all sad and lonely. She wanted to go around the table, throw her arms around the redhead, and make everything go away. Unfortunately, she couldn't make all of Willow's problems disappear, and she wasn't sure her presence was good for the other witch. Tara knew the low thrum of magic ran through her, just as it used to ripple through Willow. Being too close to Tara would be a huge temptation for Willow.

Willow glanced up at Tara and smiled tremulously. Giles had explained why Tara needed to keep her distance, and Willow understood. That didn't mean she was happy about it. Of course, Tara was also a bit scared of her, and why not? After all, she had gone a bit crazy. Still, it hurt to see Tara staying away from her.

...

Xander was surprisingly well-behaved during the drive home. He sat obediently in the passenger seat, with his belt buckled, watching the scenery fly by in a blur as Spike rushed through the streets. A couple of vampires nearly got hit when Spike careened around a corner, and Xander heard their outraged bellows as they sped away.

"You know, they'll do serious damage to my car if you hit them," Xander told Spike. "I don't have stakes mounted on the grill."

"Right," Spike growled. He was trying very hard to get them home without wrecking the car or hitting anything important or stopping by the side of the road and fucking Xander blind. Any distraction was likely to be fatal, including his lovely boy's voice.

"Wow, I think we broke a land-speed record," Xander said as they pulled into his parking spot. "We crossed town in.three minutes. Damn." Spike growled, eyes flashing yellow. Xander got the hint and opened his door.

Spike followed Xander across the parking lot and towards the building. Another resident was wandering around outside, looking around aimlessly. Normally Spike would've made some snide comment about the quality of Xander's neighbors, but tonight he was a bit too focused for that. He just hurried Xander along, ignoring the odd man walking nearby.

"Hey, you!" The man shouted, jogging up to Spike and Xander. Spike growled and turned around, forcing his eyes to change back to their striking blue.

"What?" He snarled, feeling Xander stop beside him. The man ran right up into Spike's face and started laughing.

"You're a fag, aren't ya? I've seen you living with Harris, howling and screaming all night. He must give it to you good, huh? I'd like to see that, you know. Mighty Xander Harris, drilling into your sweet ass!" Xander recoiled at the disgusting language, but Spike just stepped forward, growling. The man didn't back down at all; he just kept howling and tittering like a madman.

"Get out of here," Spike grated out. "Before I rip your lungs out through your nostrils." He slipped into gameface. The man didn't react at all; he just kept on braying at the pair.

"I'd like to see you try!" The man screeched, balling up his fists. He kept laughing, even as he hauled back and slugged the vampire. Spike dodged the blow, letting it land harmlessly on his shoulder. He pulled Xander back with him, trying to avoid the maniacally laughing man. The guy kept following them, swinging at both men with both fists.

"Spike? Uh, what the hell is this?" Xander asked. "That guy's an accountant."

"Great. Psychotic number cruncher," Spike hissed. The man advanced on them, pushing them back towards the building. "He's human; I can't touch him." The two men ran inside, fleeing through the hallways with him just behind.

"I can, but...can we just run away? The car's right out there," Xander suggested. "He can break down the door, you know." Spike nodded and they ran out the exit door, loping around the building for the car. The man stayed as close behind him as he could, but vampires and Bhavca demons could run faster, given a bit of space.

Spike pushed Xander into the car through the driver's seat and slammed the door shut, locking it. The insane accountant hit the door hard, smacking his face against the window. He slid down a bit, leaving a trail of saliva on the glass. Then he backed up and straightened. Spike was just getting the car started when a loafer-clad foot slammed into the driver's window, hard enough to crack the glass. The vampire threw the car into gear and spun away, leaving a hysterically ranting man in the parking lot, screaming about how he wanted his free gay porn show.

"Magic Box?" Xander said breathlessly. "Giles is so gonna want to know about this."

"Not sure he'll want to know, but he's gonna hear about it anyway," Spike murmured. "That was just wrong."

"Very, very wrong. Accountants are geeky people, not insane screaming." Xander murmured. "Think it's a sign of the apocalypse?"

"Were there any frogs?" Spike asked.

"Didn't see any," Xander replied. "No locusts either."

"Then we're fine," Spike stated. "Could just be a minor end of the world prophecy coming true."

"That's an oxymoron, isn't it?" Xander inquired. "Minor end of the world?"

"Do you really think an important end of the world prophecy would include an insane accountant?" Spike asked. "And I can't believe we're having this conversation."

"It's keeping me from having an anxiety attack, Spike. A human tried to hurt you. That really gets to me, you know?" Xander said.

"Yeah, I do know," Spike murmured. "A bit too well, actually."

By the time they got to the store, Xander was hyper from his adrenalin high, to the point that Spike had to physically restrain him. They walked into a tensely silent room. Spike had never seen people research so *furiously*. They looked like whatever they were reading was the most important thing they'd ever seen. "Got trouble," He said flatly, not letting go of Xander.

"Why do you have Xander like that?" Angel asked Spike. The blonde had Xander restrained tightly and it worried Angel.

"He's a bit hyper," Spike explained. "Unless you want to be face to face with him screaming and jumping about."

"We got attacked by an insane, homophobic accountant!" Xander said loudly. "He tried to hit Spike!"

"An accountant?" Giles echoed. "Why can you not have a normal evening? A few vampires, perhaps a Fyarl demon?"

"It was one of my neighbors," Xander continued, ignoring Giles. "He's usually really quiet. But he was acting weird. Then he said a bunch of nasty things and tried to hit Spike. He chased us around the building until we got back in the car and drove away."

"Something's fishy about the whole thing," Spike summarized. "Xander says the guy's never like that."

"He didn't react at all when Spike went into gameface," Xander added. "I think he was possessed."

"Possessed?" Wesley said. "That is highly unlikely."

"You ever met an accountant who makes sport of chasing vampires around?" Spike asked the ex-Watcher. "'Cause I haven't."

"Why don't we go check it out?" Angel asked. He wanted out of the shop anyway; Doyle's description of the demon hadn't helped any and no one had found a thing. Maybe a patrol would help them regroup.

"Take Buffy," Giles said. Angel nodded and moved towards the door. Gunn automatically followed, as did Buffy-although she didn't seem very happy about it.

"We'll just be staying far away from the nutty human," Xander said, tugging on Spike's arm. He led the vampire over to the stairs, unwilling to get drawn back into boring book reading. Spike went willingly, letting Xander envelope him in warm arms. He knew all too well what was going on with the boy; he himself had been overprotective and annoyingly possessive a time or ten when Xander had gotten a bit too close to getting killed. They'd have their time alone later, when it was safe to go back to their apartment-which was just as soon as Angel and Buffy checked it out. Let them deal with the evil humans; after all, as they were so quick to point out, taking care of the bad guys was their job, not Spike's.

Once Xander had Spike where he was safe and out of reach of anyone else, the boy relaxed a bit. He glanced over at the main research table, seeing Willow trying to be good by studying the very boring, mundane text Giles had given her. Tara was also working hard, mostly at not watching Willow too much. Dawn just flipped through a big, leather bound book, looking at pictures. Of course, she'd probably be the one to find out which demon it was, even if by accident.

...

"Where does Xander live?" Angel asked as he started the Cadillac.

"Sycamore Drive," Buffy replied. "At the end. There's an apartment complex there."

Angel nodded, remembering where it was. "It's a nice place."

"Construction suits him," Buffy murmured.

"So does Spike," Angel admitted. "No one told me about them."

Buffy shrugged. "Wasn't our story to tell, really. Their relationship. I don't ask about you, or Cordelia, or Wesley."

"This is different. He's Spike," Angel said. He turned onto Sycamore, watching for any crazed CPAs.

"Drop it," Buffy ordered. "He's fine, Xander's happy, and Spike knows that if Xander shows up crying over so much as a hangnail, he's dust." She didn't say that Giles, Willow, Dawn or Tara were more likely to be doing the dusting than she was. Oh, she'd do it, but she and Xander weren't bosom buddies anymore. Their friendship was in the rebuilding stages. It took time to get over protracted periods of monumental stupidity.

"Sorry to break up the arguing, but what is that guy doing?" Gunn asked, pointing out the window.

"Dismembering a dog," Buffy said. "Angel, stop the car." Angel stopped and got out, followed by Gunn and Buffy. They'd found a man matching the description of Xander's accounting neighbor. He was tearing the hide off a large dog with his bare hands, hunks of fur sticking to him in clumps. Angel reached for him, pulling him off the dog, which surprisingly enough stumbled away. Buffy sidled up to the guy, grimacing at the blood and fur.

"Got a problem with dogs?" Angel asked the man.

"That's not a dog! It's my mother! She at the worm and must turn!" The man eyed Angel speculatively. "You too have been touched by it. You reek of sex and death. Show me? Let me watch!" He began twisting in Angel's grasp, trying to get away. "And her! I shall watch her as she falls to the earth, fouler than the rank hell from which she crawled forth!" He tried to reach Buffy, but Angel wouldn't let him.

"Can you shut him up?" Buffy asked Angel. "He's kinda gross."

Angel peered down at the hysterical guy. "Sure." He briefly released the man, only to bring one hand up and slam it down on his neck. The accountant fell like a stone. "That ok?"

"Yeah. We should get him back to the Magic Box," Buffy said. "He could just be a nut case."

"But since this is the Hellmouth, you're thinking it's something more," Gunn murmured. "Angel, you still got the rope in the trunk?"

...

"That was fast," Xander said as Angel, Buffy and Gunn returned not ten minutes later. "You brought him back?" He continued, seeing his neighbor on Angel's shoulder, unconscious and trussed up like a turkey.

"He's definitely crazy," Buffy confirmed. "Giles, you wanna take a look? I'm thinking it's not something a la Belleview."

Giles peered over the counter at the man. "Why don't you dump him in the training room? Wesley and I will study him when he awakens."

Angel carried the man into the back room. Everyone in the front winced as they heard the man thump down on the floor. "I hope he put him on the mats," Buffy said. "Otherwise. ouch."

Xander stood up, bringing Spike with him. "So the complex is now sans-weirdoes?"

Buffy cocked one eyebrow.

"Well, sans incredibly unusual insane accountant weirdoes?" Xander corrected.

"Yeah, for now anyway," She replied.

"Good, because I need to get some sleep. Work in the morning," Xander said. He dragged Spike out of the shop and back to his car. The blonde wasn't exactly protesting.

"You really do need to sleep, don't you?" Spike murmured as they got into the car.

"Yeah," Xander said sadly. "Or I'll pass out at work."

"Guess we can play after work then," Spike said. Xander couldn't help but grin at the vampire's sullen unhappiness. Spike wanted to play with their new toys. Xander wanted to play with their new toys too. But he also wanted to take Spike home and make sure that there weren't any other bad humans wandering around trying to hurt him. And he wanted to play with their toys. And play with their toys and. well, maybe a change in priorities was called for.

"Boss thinks I'm still sick, you know," Xander mentioned. "One more day won't hurt." He didn't like the idea of lying to get out of work, but this was a special case. He didn't want to leave Spike alone in the apartment. And he wanted to. Xander shook his head, trying to stay on topic.

"Don't want you getting in trouble," Spike replied.

"Won't be," Xander assured him. "Besides, I'm worried and antsy and still high off adrenalin. Even if I did sleep all night, which I won't be able to do even if you stayed in the living room, I'd be worthless tomorrow. They'd have to put me in the office to keep me from cutting my hands off."

"Can't be doing that," Spike muttered. "Your blood's not red anymore. Can see their faces now-and you're not getting hurt at work. Won't have it. Need a desk job all the time."

Xander rolled his eyes. "I'll tell them I'm a blue blood, and I'm not going to get hurt at work, so stop worrying. I like working with my hands."

"I know," Spike said, leering.

*****