"Nervous?" Spike asked as he and Xander stepped into the night air.

"No," Xander snapped. He took another deep drag of his cigarette. Spike just smirked. The vampire knew all too well that Xander tended to smoke when he was nervous; fortunately that wasn't a common enough occurrence for the boy to develop much of a habit.

Spike drove them out to Carey's, where Giles had asked them to look around. The bar/dance club was packed, as usual. "You wanna go in?" Spike inquired as he parked.

"We *are* supposed to look around," Xander murmured. "But it shouldn't take too long. Ask a few demons if they've been running into weirdo humans..."

The bouncer, however, didn't look to fond of either Spike or Xander. "What? You think *you* are welcome here?"

Spike slipped into gameface. "Yeah, we are. *We* aren't responsible for the witch."

The guy, who wasn't entirely human, growled and took a step forward, brandishing nasty claws. Xander got mad. Nobody threatened Spike. He nudged the vampire out of the way. Then his eyes turned an ominous shade of green. The bouncer started edging back, but Xander moved faster. He slid *though* the larger man, grabbing the door behind him. Xander's other hand wrapped around the man's neck and dragged him through the door, until he was suspended halfway though it. Then Xander started to let go.

The screams almost brought tears to Spike's eyes, they were so beautiful. Having a door stuck in your middle was painful. "Never touch him," Xander growled, alternately relaxing and tightening his grip. As he did, the man became more and less solid. "Do not threaten him or insult him. He is *mine* and anyone who so much as makes William the Bloody sniffle will answer to me, got that?"

The entire club nodded.

Xander hit the door with his free hand, causing it to slam against the wall. When it was free of the bouncer, Xander dropped the man, who crawled away. The brunette held his hand out to Spike, who took it quickly. The next thing the blonde knew, they were standing next to the bar. Xander was getting much better at controlling his new abilities.

"Jack," Xander told the bartender. A bottle and two glasses appeared with gratifying speed. "Wait," Xander said when the man made to slink away.

"Yeah?" He asked cautiously.

"There's a demon," Xander began.

"Possessing humans," Spike continued. "Chaos-type. But not a Chaos demon."

The bartender frowned. "Possessing humans?"

"Controlling their minds," Xander explained. "Makes them nuts. Talk funny, chase vampires around. They can see things, too. Not normal things."

"I can ask around," The bartender offered. "To be honest, most of us have been lying low."

"So have we," Xander said darkly. "And she's being taken care of."

"Is she?" The man challenged.

"You know Ripper?" Spike asked sharply. The guy paled.

"Yeah?"

"He's dealing with it," Spike said. The man nodded.

"Ready to go?" Xander asked Spike. The vampire finished off his drink, dug out a ten, and led Xander out of the bar.

That was agonizing," Xander muttered as they headed for the car.

Spike glanced at Xander. He wanted rather desperately to throw the young man on the ground and shag him into next week. Violence still did it for Spike, even when no one died. Watching Xander get all dark and dirty was...exhilarating. The boy showed so much promise. "Not something I wanna do again tomorrow," Spike conceded.

They had almost reached their car when a pudgy middle-aged woman carrying a huge, lime green vinyl purse stepped out of the shadows. "Beast! Mark of the Beast! You are damned! A fiend of Hell!" She ran forward, swinging her bag at Spike's head. He ducked, but she caught him in the stomach with her three-inch chunk heels. "Fucking vampire! Child of Satan! Die! Corruptor of Youth! Killer of innocence! Despoiler of Virgins!" Spike went down under the surprise attack, feeling the shoe's heel breaking skin and sinking into his abdomen.

Xander took the woman by the arm and flung her away, phase-shifting enough to move both of them about fifteen feet away. As soon as he let her go, she pulled a stake and a water balloon out of her purse. Xander reached for her, but she was surprisingly fast, throwing the water balloon directly at Spike. Xander managed to get a hold of the stake, but not before he heard Spike's agonized wail. Xander pitched the stake aside and took the woman's arm again. This time he shifted them both out of site and when he returned, he was alone. The boy immediately ran to Spike's side.

The vampire was almost unrecognizable; his entire upper body was eaten by the holy water. The liquid continued to hiss and bubble at the wounds; Xander knew if he didn't do something fast, Spike was dust. "This might hurt, Spike, and I'm sorry," Xander murmured as he grasped the most undamaged part he could find--Spike's left ankle. Then he shifted again.

Xander felt an almost comfortable wisp of energy as he entered interdimensional space. He'd spent the morning practicing this, jumping between planes. It hadn't been as difficult to learn as he'd feared. Once he got both of them into the void, He checked on Spike. As Xander had planned, Spike's sodden clothes and the rest of the holy water had been left behind. Still, Spike looked horrible. The only thing that would help him now was blood. Great quantities of human blood. Without a second thought, Xander shifted them back into their home dimension, right into the blood bank. For the first time in his life, Xander was actually grateful he knew where the blood bank was.

"Just a sec, Spike. Hold on for me," Xander murmured as he laid Spike in a donation chair. The boy ran into a back room, quickly locating a storage unit full of blood. He grabbed a rack of A positive, the first thing he ran across, and carried in to where Spike was. "Shit, it's cold." < This place has to have a break room, > Xander's hyena voice reminded him.

< Thanks, > Xander replied as he took off again. < You guys gonna stick around more? > He managed to ask through his panic. The break room was on the left, right after the men's bathroom.

< Demon thing's taking some adjusting, > The soldier admitted. < More than we first thought. >

< Cool, > Xander said. < Ok, warm blood coming up. > He stuffed the microwave with bags of blood. Xander waited for eight to heat up before reloading the bin and returning to Spike.

"Fuck!" Xander swore. Spike wasn't moving anymore, and clear liquid was oozing from his wounds. Xander grabbed one bag and ripped the top off. The first drops hit Spike's mouth, but got no reaction. "Come on, come on, come *on*, Spike. Drink it. Fresh and human," Xander pleaded.

Finally Spike's mouth opened--as much as it could with the damage done to it. Xander poured in the blood as fast as he could, stopping only when Spike needed to swallow. He kept opening and pouring in blood, three and then four bags full. The fifth went in slower. The sixth took almost five minutes. By the time Xander opened the seventh, Spike was beginning to stir.

"Wait," Spike tried to say when Xander held up the blood. It came out more of a "waaay", but Xander knew what he meant, so he backed off.

Spike was very grateful that Xander had kept himself together and brought him to wherever they were that had so much human blood. The blood was already working, healing him from the inside out. He could *feel* his intestines moving back into place from where the lady had eviscerated him. His skin was crawling into shape, replacing itself where necessary. Fresh blood oozed out of his many wounds, forcing the last drops of holy water to the surface. Spike felt a cool, wet cloth on his face as Xander wiped away the mess, keeping the poison from hurting him more.

Xander wiped at the steaming holy water, wondering if simply pouring water over Spike wouldn't work better. < Worth a shot. > He set the cloth aside and grabbed a basin next to the sink, filling it with cold water. He carefully tipped the basin over Spike's chest, letting the water flow in a gentle stream. It seemed to work, carrying blood and gore away along with the holy water. Spike murmured in a positive manner, so Xander let the water wash his face off too.

< Never letting him go now, > Spike told himself sharply. The water was cold and soothing, taking away a lot of his pain.

"Spike?" Xander murmured. The vampire didn't say a word, but somehow Xander knew he'd heard him. The Bhavca was having a hard time watching his lover heal; Spike's skin was *moving* and that freaked Xander out. Instead of getting sick over it, Xander sat back, focused on Spike's shoes, and thought.

One: A human attacked Spike. Two: He was unable to defend himself. Three: Spike almost died. Four: Xander sent Spike's attacker into the interdimensional void and let go of her, thus killing her instantly.

Xander shuddered. He had to do something about this, now if not sooner. Spike couldn't be left vulnerable, not when it was becoming quite obvious, at least to Xander, that this new demon was gunning for Spike and knew his weakness. Also, Xander didn't want to get into the habit of killing people. Of course, he killed demons all the time. Now that he *was* a demon, Xander knew he was going to have to sit down and think through things a few times.

But for now, Xander knew what he had to do. At least it wouldn't hurt Spike to have his chip taken out. Xander stood slowly, making his way to Spike's head. The vampire sensed him and shifted slightly, whimpering. Xander gently stroked the crown of that blonde head, where Spike was least damaged. "I love you, Spike. You know that, don't you? No matter what. I don't care what Buffy or Willow think, or if Angel thinks you're going to hurt me. I'm never letting you go." As his voice died away, Xander let his hand slip into Spike's skull. It took five passes, each with Spike's brain more solid than the time before, for Xander to find the chip. He closed two fingers around it and slowly extracted the thing, making sure that every tiny thread of wire was removed as well. Spike just laid on the chair, body actively healing. He hadn't even noticed Xander's operation.

Once he was done and his hand was free of Spike's skull, Xander dropped the chip into his other palm. It looked so...innocuous, like a paper clip or a gum wrapper. Something you wouldn't think twice about if you saw it on someone's desk. It was just this fleck of metal and plastic. Nothing, really. Still, it was the biggest thing in Spike's life.

"What's the biggest thing in my life?" Spike said groggily.

Xander's head whipped around. "What? Oh, nothing," He mumbled. "Do you feel any better?" The vampire was visibly improved, his skin nearing normal in most places.

"Yeah. Got any more blood?"

Xander picked up an open bag and placed it at Spike's mouth. The vampire raised one shaky hand to hold it in place. Even slightly cooled, it was better than cow. "So, what's this biggest thing?" Spike asked as he polished off his seventh pint of blood.

Xander fidgeted nervously. "This," He said, pinching the chip between his thumb and forefinger so that Spike could see it.

"What's that? Doesn't look so big to me," Spike muttered. Maybe the boy'd been hit by the bloody insane woman. That purse had been brutal, not to mention the shoes.

"Your chip," Xander said baldly.

Spike stared. < What the bloody hell is he smoking? > Was the vampire's first thought. < I thought it'd be bigger, > Was his second. "What?" Spike managed to say.

"It's your chip," Xander repeated.

"Right. And it got out how?" Spike demanded, not believing that scrap of whatever-it-was was his chip.

"I took it out," Xander replied.

Spike's face fell in shock and comprehension. Why hadn't he thought of that? A Bhavca demon who could pull a can of Lysol out of a cabinet could remove a chip from his brain... But the vampire also knew why it hadn't occurred to him. He'd always equated his chip with his relationship with Xander. Had he never been chipped, he would have never fallen in love with the boy, never taken him to bed. It was just part of his life; he had the chip and he had Xander. Only now he didn't have the chip. Seemed as though he still had Xander, though. "Why?"

Xander dropped the chip back into his hand and sighed. "Because no *human*, demonically possessed or otherwise, is going to lay one greasy hand on you," Xander said. "There's a demon out there that wants you dead, Spike. *Dead.* He's targeted you twice now. The first time was just to feel out the situation, see how you would react. He found out that you weren't going to fight back. This time he sent someone who was prepared."

"Where is she?" Spike inquired curiously.

"Elsewhere," Xander hedged.

"Xander," Spike warned.

"Gone. Permanently," He admitted.

"Good," Spike replied.

Xander looked up. "You're whole now, you know."

"So I am," Spike murmured, sitting up. He was still a bit dizzy, woozy from all the healing. Xander handed him the eighth bag of blood, which Spike quickly drained. With that inside him, he'd soon be back at full strength, if not stronger than before. When Xander moved closer, Spike snagged him, dragging the boy up onto the donation chair to lie across Spike's lap.

"Feeling better, are we?" Xander asked lightly.

"Mmm..." Spike hummed. Yeah, he was feeling better. A *lot* better. Not only were his wounds almost gone, he was chipless. And full of human blood. With a warm, tasty Xander in his lap. A warm, nummy Xander who had removed his chip for him. And killed for him. And hadn't run away. And..."

Xander moaned as Spike's mouth descended upon his, tasting the coppery tang of blood on the blonde's tongue. It was a striking reminder of just who his lover was. That didn't cool Xander's ardor one iota; on the contrary, he returned Spike's kiss with an almost desperate ferocity, trying to find a way *inside* Spike. He needed inside his lover, deep within where Spike hid all the lovely things he was.

Spike let Xander take over, reversing their positions and shifting until the vampire was pressed against the chair. Xander pushed Spike's hands away when the blonde tried to undress him, instead shifting himself, Spike and the chair until Xander's clothes were in a heap on the floor. Spike immediately pulled Xander down on him, draping his legs over the young man's hips. He wanted Xander inside him, wanted that hard cock splitting him open and tattooing into his skin that he was Xander's and no one else's; that Xander wasn't ever going to make him go away even though he had no chip anymore.

"Lube," Xander moaned. "No lube."

"Don't need it," Spike growled. "Shag me."

Xander shook his head. Spike was too tight to be entered without some sort of slick... An evil grin crossed Xander's face as he moved down and licked across Spike's exposed hole. The vampire hissed as Xander delved inside, stretching him open with his tongue.

"Please, Xander," Spike begged, rocking back to get the boy deeper. "More. Please."

Xander ignored Spike, focusing instead on getting the blonde just a little looser, just a bit more relaxed. Spike was so *tight*, so perfect, Xander didn't want anything but perfection. Even if that meant waiting, his cock aching; he didn't care.

Spike gave up on being patient and jerked Xander up by his shoulders. "Fuck me. Now." He ordered, shifting into gameface. Xander ran his tongue over those prominent ridges even as he lined his cock up at Spike's entrance. It was slow going, pushing inside Spike. The vampire wasn't complaining about the invasion, which Xander was sure had to hurt. No, he was writhing on Xander's cock, straining to get more in. The blonde reached for Xander's hands, linking them with his own. Then he bucked up, taking Xander the rest of the way inside in one movement.

Xander's head dropped to Spike's shoulder. He let himself go, sinking further into Spike than ever before. Their bodies became indistinct as they both lost solidity. Xander turned his head, brushing his lips across Spike's. They were there but not there, a ghost of a touch. Xander slowly pulled back, then moved forward, touching Spike inside and out.

Spike groaned and watched, wide eyed, as Xander began to shift them out of phase. His skin tingled, prickled. Spike felt Xander's body go through his, so slowly, like he was being caressed all the way to his heart. Xander's cock still bumped his prostate, then went *through* it briefly, making incredible sparks fly behind his eyelids. Xander was inside him, truly inside. Spike wasn't sure they'd ever be separate again, not after this.

"Spike?" Xander whispered. "You alright with this?"

"Oh, yeah," Spike hissed, rocking up to meet Xander. "More...Right there...Gods, Xander, we're..." He didn't have words for it; he could just feel. Spike was in awe; Xander was right there, filling holes Spike didn't know he had. And the boy kept hitting that spot, stroking him against his belly. Spike was so close, just about to come.

"I'm inside you," Xander said wondrously. "I can see your heart, you know," He continued breathlessly. "All of you. And you're perfect." The young man thrust harder, making himself more solid as he brought them back to one dimension. "And mine. With me," He chanted. "I love you, Spike."

Spike's opened wide. He clenched hard around Xander as he came, convulsing around his lover as his cold seed coated their stomachs.

Xander watched Spike climax. He catalogued every twitch, every tear. He was overwhelmed; this was his, for as long as Spike wanted it to last. And he got the impression Spike wasn't going anywhere. That meant forever. Eternity with his lover. Xander pressed his mouth to Spike's neck, biting down gently as he came, freezing in ecstasy.

*****
Part 19:

Angel studied the young man Austin as he and Buffy bent over a book. Xander had commented that Buffy's current boy looked a lot like Angel, but the vampire didn't see it. Yes, they were both guys, and both had dark hair. That was about it, though. Angel was taller and broader in the shoulders. Austin's eyes were a bit too close together, his nose just a touch too straight. His jaw line was... well, Angel couldn't think of anything disparaging to say about the kid's jaw. The fact of the matter was that Austin didn't look a thing like him.

"You know, that guy looks an awful lot like you," Cordelia commented. "Buffy's sure got good taste in men. Grrrrrr."

Angel scowled. "He doesn't look anything like me."

Gunn gave Angel a speculative glance. "Angel? The guy could be your brother. Same hair, same eyes."

"Bone structure's the same. Even your hands look alike," Cordelia continued.

"And his voice is remarkably similar," Wesley added. "A frightening resemblance, actually."

Angel glared at his coworkers. "I don't look *anything* like him," The dark vampire grated out, pounding his head against the wall. His growled reaction caught the attention of Buffy and Austin, who looked over.

"Something wrong, Angel?" Buffy asked curiously.

"No," Angel spat. "Just discussing pay raises with the staff."

Cordelia glared at Angel. "That was low, Angel, even for you."

Angel stared right back, daring her to say anything more.

...

As soon as Willow stepped into the Magic Box, Giles was right in her face. "I thought we discussed this," He growled, grabbing her arm. To pretty much everyone's surprise, Doyle interceded, pulling the older man's hand off the witch.

"Relax," Doyle said quietly. "Relapses happen. It's more important that she work to not let it happen again."

The room was a tense, silent mess as Giles stared daggers at Doyle. The half-demon mustered up all the courage he could and refused to waver under that unnaturally dark stare. Giles might have been Ripper, might have been some big time demon summoner, but Doyle was an Irish half-Bracchen gifted with a high alcohol tolerance and mind-numbing visions from The Powers That Be. And no one was going to treat Willow like that, just because she was struggling with her problems.

"Sleep well?" Buffy finally asked Willow, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," Willow murmured. "What can I do to help?"

Giles pointed at a laptop sitting at the counter. "County coroner reports."

Willow smiled tentatively and went to the laptop. Doyle gave Giles one last glare and joined the others at the table, accepting a few papers and a book from Wesley.

"I think we can remove this one from the list," Wesley told Giles. He held up one of their demon profiles.

"Why?" Buffy asked.

Wesley glanced at the Slayer. "The demon is currently imprisoned in a hell dimension and is heavily guarded. Furthermore, it is allergic to humans."

"Makes sense," Gunn murmured. "How many do we have left to go through?"

"Thirty," Giles stated.

"Can I help?" Willow asked.

"Read the coroner's reports," Giles ordered. "We might find very important information there; it has been quite useful in the past." He wasn't punishing Willow by making her perform that task; the truth was, she was better than any of them at determining if something was amiss in the reports.

"Coffee," Buffy said about an hour later. "Where's Xander when you need him?"

Giles was about to make a comment about Xander's usefulness when he realized that it was far past time that the boy and Spike arrive. "He should be here by now. Buffy, why don't you call him. He said he would have a cell phone with him."

Buffy nodded and went over to the shop's telephone. "He's not answering," She said worriedly when the phone kept ringing.

"Where did you send them?" Angel asked, already standing to go look for the pair.

"The site of Cordelia's vision," Giles admitted. "But they are familiar with the area."

"Let's go," Angel snapped. If they'd run into the demon...

Buffy gathered a stake and a couple of knives while Austin tried to do the same. She finally ordered him to sit down and keep Willow company while Angel and she handled the dirty work. Before they could get out of the shop, though, Xander and Spike showed up.

"Hey, sorry we're late," Xander said as the pair closed the door behind them.

"Where have you been?" Buffy screeched.

"You were supposed to be here an hour ago," Giles grated out.

"You didn't call!" Cordelia chided.

"What happened to Spike?" Willow murmured. Everyone's attention turned to the vampire. Angel squinted, noticing that Spike's skin was *very* new.

"Spike?" Angel said questioningly.

Xander and Spike flopped down in a couple of empty chairs. "We checked out Carey's."

"And?" Giles pushed.

"Nobody knows nothing," Spike muttered.

"Then again, most demons have been lying low for the past few days," Xander added.

"And this took an hour, and produced some sort of alteration in Spike's well-being?" Giles said shortly.

"No, the unhappy housewife who suck a chunk heel in his stomach and doused him in holy water 'produced an alteration in Spike's well-being,'" Xander replied angrily. "Sorry to hold things up here, but we had a bit of a medical emergency to deal with."

"Holy water? How much?" Buffy asked, now peering closely at the blonde.

"A really big balloon's worth," Xander said slowly. "And the stomach thing wasn't small potatoes."

Angel stepped up to Spike, who was not enjoying all the attention. The dark vampire could smell the human blood on his childe, but that was to be expected. Only the blood of their natural prey could heal a vampire of such wounds so quickly--massive amounts of human blood. A quick sniff told Angel it had been procured at a blood bank; the anticoagulants they used were distinctive. He also knew that Spike and Xander had... well, it was to be expected, after such a traumatic event. "You're better now?" Angel asked Spike directly.

"Yeah," Spike admitted. "Took a bit of time, that's all." Angel nodded and stepped back. He didn't always get along with Spike, but he would never wish that kind of pain on him... even though Spike had a propensity for torturing him.

"Where is the woman?" Giles inquired.

"Gone," Xander said, his voice flat.

"How gone?" Buffy asked.

"Just gone."

No one said a word.

"But we have bigger things to think about than where the bitch is," Xander continued. "This demon we're looking for? It's targeting us, and specifically Spike."

Buffy frowned. "How do you figure that?"

Xander stood and started pacing. "We've run into two possessed people so far, and both have gone after Spike. The first time, with the accountant--by the way, is he still in the training room?--the demon learned that Spike wouldn't take an aggressive stance against a human. This time, the thing was actually out for blood. That lady had a stake and a lot of holy water--and knew how to use both."

"And Spike is the only vampire in our group," Giles murmured. "But why focus on him?"

"He's got a weakness," Willow said. "If the demon had any connections in town, he could find out about the chip. The first human would've been the test, to see if it was true. The second one was to take him out. And, the demon might only be able to possess humans. Demons are harder to control."

"So you think this demon is trying to pick us off?" Buffy asked warily.

"While Spike is not able to directly fight humans, he is excellent against demons," Giles reminded them.

"So get me out of the way and then start on the rest?" Spike guessed.

"Something like that, yes," Giles replied.

"Great. Now we've got a demon that not only kills people in public places, but is trying to get rid of us," Buffy growled. "Can this get any worse?"

"This new information doesn't help us narrow down which demon it is," Wesley commented. "Fascinating though it is."

"That was a rhetorical question," Buffy snapped.

"Oh," Wesley murmured.

...

The entire group was back to researching when the phone rang. Willow answered it, since she was closest. "Buffy, it's your mom," She said, holding out the phone.

"Mom?" Buffy murmured as she took the phone. "What's up?"

Spike let himself eavesdrop on the conversation. Tara was gone? He barely managed to keep himself from jumping out of his chair and grabbing the phone away from Buffy. He couldn't believe it; Tara had packed up her things, left a note for Joyce, and disappeared.

"What is it?" Willow asked when she saw Buffy's stricken face. The Slayer waved her off as she asked her mother a couple of questions. The conversation didn't take much longer, but by the time she was done, she had everyone's attention.

"Buffy?" Giles said. "Is something wrong?"

Buffy grimaced. "Yeah. Tara left town."

"WHAT?" Willow cried. "She what?"

The Slayer took a deep breath. "She packed up her things and left town with a friend. Mom found a note in the kitchen when she and Dawn got back this evening. Tara said she needed some time and distance to think about things and she didn't think her presence here would be good for your recovery."

"Where did she go?" Giles asked.

"I don't know," Buffy conceded. "The note didn't say where she was going, or who she was with--but it did say that she'd call soon."

"Do you think it has something to do with the demon?" Wesley inquired.

Giles frowned. "It is difficult to say. It is an odd coincidence for her to disappear right when a demon is attacking us, but considering the other circumstances, it is not out of the question for her to have just left." He understood the desire to flee; he'd done it to Ethan many years back. The young chaos wizard had turned out to be an unpleasant friend to be around.

"Is there anything we can do?" Cordelia asked. "To find her?"

"We could," Giles murmured. "There are location spells."

"That would tell us if she really left town," Buffy said. "Or if she's still here, hiding somewhere."

"But she might be possessed by the demon, which made her leave town!" Willow wailed. Doyle patted her shoulder consolingly, letting the witch use him as a source of comfort. Buffy quirked an eyebrow at their easy familiarity, but said nothing.

"Perhaps we should wait to see if she calls," Wesley suggested. "So far all the demon's victims have been rather obviously insane."

...

"I believe we should adjourn for the evening," Giles announced, shutting his book. "We can meet back her tomorrow after lunch."

"All of us?" Cordelia inquired.

Giles studied Angel and his group. "No, you all may rest for longer than that; it is up to you. We will be here in the evening as well."

Angel nodded and collected his group to drive them to the hotel. Well, he gathered up Gunn and Cordelia. Wesley and Doyle stayed behind.

"So I can go back to the dorm and get some sleep?" Willow asked Giles.

"Yes," Giles replied. "However..." He wasn't sure how to handle the witch. She couldn't be left alone, and Doyle hadn't been able to keep her from using magick.

"I can control it," Willow insisted, "I swear I can. And Doyle stopped me before."

Despite his misgivings, Giles nodded his agreement. He didn't mind sharing some of the tedious responsibilities surrounding the girl, and if the Irish half-demon wanted to keep watch over her, fine--so long as he let nothing come to pass. The Watcher wasn't so sure he approved of the rather obvious and quickly growing attraction between Willow and Doyle, but that too he didn't know how to stop. Tara, should she ever return to Sunnydale, would not easily return to Willow's side. Then again, if Willow's affections were so easily attached to others, perhaps Tara would be better served finding someone else.

Buffy and Austin left, right after Spike and Xander. Both couples looked tired, although Spike and Xander had more reason to be. Giles suspected Buffy was trying to convince him that she needed more free time to spend with her boyfriend. Giles thought she spent too much time with him already.

"Are you willing to sleep in an actual bed tonight?" Giles asked Wesley.

"Is the accountant still here?" Wesley replied.

"Yes," Giles muttered.

"Then the couch is sufficient for me," Wesley said firmly.

"If you insist," Giles murmured darkly. There was only one place to sleep in the Magic Box, and that was Giles' couch. The older Watcher had no intentions of not sleeping that night, so if Wesley wanted to use the couch, he was going to have to share.

Wesley settled himself on the couch, arranging the blanket to cover himself as much as possible. It was a bit cool in the building, to help suppress the odor of herbs and magickal supplies. He was just about asleep when a warm weight pressed against his back, which was facing the door. He stiffened, prepared to strike out.

"Don't bother," Giles warned. "Go to sleep."

"G-giles?" Wesley stuttered.

"I'm not staying up all night, just so that you may rest," Giles snapped. "And there is but one surface in this shop that is suitable for sleeping."

"Oh."

Giles smirked as he curled around the younger man, holding him close so that there was enough room for both of them on the couch. He hadn't had such a nice, warm bedmate in a long time.

...

"I guess I get to call into work again," Xander murmured as he and Spike settled into bed. Both men were so tired they actually weren't even considering continuing their earlier activities. Spike looked more exhausted than Xander had ever seen him.

"Why don't you tell him you'll be back in next Monday?" Spike suggested. "Tell him that's what the doctor said. This demon should be taken care of by then."

"Alright," Xander agreed, burrowing under the covers. He was happy to have that little problem averted.

"Xander?" Spike murmured.

"Yeah?" Xander replied.

"Why didn't you tell them about the chip?"

Xander poked his head out from under the covers. "Because I figured they shouldn't have to go through too many shocks in one day," He said. "The chip conversation can wait for a bit, ok?"

Spike nodded slowly. "I guess so."

"Good. Sleep, Spike. It makes for happy vampires."

*****
Part 20:

Willow smiled and snuggled deeper into the arms holding her. She'd missed having someone actually keep her close in her sleep, warming her when mornings got cold. The dark spiciness was a bit unusual, and not at all Taralike. No, this was Doyle. Doyle, who watched her with old, wary eyes and always had a hand ready to catch her if she stumbled. He wasn't afraid of her, not like Tara was. He knew what she was going through.

"I know you're awake," Doyle murmured. He could hear the change in Willow's breathing. "We need to get to the shop."

"Ugh," Willow grumbled. "Wanna sleep."

"You've been asleep for twelve hours," He countered. "And you've got to be starving. We'll have to stop somewhere before we get there."

"Bagels in the freezer," Willow said. "No time at all."

"I am *not* eating freezer-burned bagels for breakfast," Doyle insisted. He'd had his share of pathetic foods and given a choice, he'd much rather have something tasty. "So get your lazy arse out of bed, take a shower, and get dressed."

"Are you buying?" Willow inquired from her warm haven.

"Yes," Doyle replied quickly.

"Ok." Willow didn't move.

"Shower, Willow," Doyle reminded her.

"You have to let me go first," Willow retorted.

"Oh."

...

"More of the same today?" Buffy asked as she and Austin walked into the Magic Box. Willow, Doyle and Xander were already there, waiting by the counter.

"No," Giles said. "We are going to check out something that Willow turned up this morning in the police reports."

"What?" Buffy asked excitedly.

"Cops found a guy wandering around downtown, ranting and raving," Xander told her. "We're gonna see if it's one of the demon's little toys."

"He might provide more information about the demon," Willow added. "The accountant's pretty much worthless."

"I have the discerning spell," Giles continued. "Which Xander will help me perform. Wesley will stay here to watch the shop. Shall we?" He continued, gesturing towards the door.

"We shall," Doyle murmured as they walked out.

Getting to the police station was easy enough, but finding a way to see the crazy guy took some effort. Finally Giles convinced the desk clerk that Xander and he thought that the man might be Xander's uncle, who was known for his... mental lapses. Xander certainly didn't mind talking about his relatives as though they were all insane. They were escorted into the back, leaving Buffy and the others to pace in the lobby.

"That's him," The attendant said. "He your uncle?"

Xander and Giles approached the cell. The man was haggard and filthy, huddling in a corner. "Xander," Giles murmured. The boy began chanting while Giles surreptitiously extracted a handful of herbs, tossing them into the cell.

"Hey, you!" The man in the cell shouted. "I know you! You're on television! You run that game show, Survivor! Pinko Commie bastard!" He ran forward, slamming into the bars. "And you, you're one of those Mary Kay ladies, aren't you?"

Xander glanced at Giles, who shook his head. Yeah, the guy was crazy. However, he really *was* crazy, not possessed.

"I'm talking to you!" The man ranted. "Selling baby seal eyeballs as makeup! Murderer!"

"That is definitely *not* my uncle," Xander said quickly, leading Giles out of the holding area. "Sorry to waste your time."

...

Giles led the frustrated Scoobies down the street toward the Magic Box. Buffy was still rather worked up and hadn't gotten the opportunity to expend her energy actually doing anything, so she was using it to climb all over Austin, who did not protest enough to suit the exasperated Watcher.

"Buffy, do calm down," Giles snapped at his charge. She ignored him, so the older man moved over slightly to walk nearer to Willow and Doyle. Turning his head to make conversation, he grimaced. These two were no better, watching each other's every move with glassy eyes. "Bloody Hell. Does no one here have control over their hormones?"

"Um, as unlikely as it sounds, I do!" Xander said.

"That's only because it's noon and your boyfriend is allergic to sunlight, Xan," Buffy said, briefly pausing from mauling Austin's neck.

"What, you think I have no control over my libido?" Xander replied, feigning hurt.

"Um, Xander? Remember the table...and the store room...and the training room...and the cemetery...and the theater..." Willow began.

"And the pizza parlor, the video store, the Bronze--twice, Willie's, the dormitory--" Doyle continued.

"The dorm? You two freaks did it in the dorm?" Willow shrieked.

"Um, yeah...in the Rec center too," Xander said sheepishly.

"Face it, Xan. When Spike's around, you two are like bunnies," Buffy remarked.

"Oh yeah, like you're any better with Broodboy junior?"

"Don't call Austin that!" Buffy huffed. Austin frowned a bit, making him look even more like Angel.

"Sorry, Tex. Guess I can't tell the difference between serious rumination and constipation. Hey, look! I used two big words in one sentence!" Xander squealed.

"I'm from Maryland," Austin said. Everyone but Buffy rolled their eyes at the oft-repeated line.

"Children, if you cannot say anything nice..." Giles muttered. He was about to say, "Think of something truly horrendous," But Buffy cut him off.

"I know, I know," Buffy sighed. Looking ahead of them, she spotted several suited gentlemen. She squinted her eyes a bit, and then stopped and grabbed Giles' arm. "Giles, we gotta cross the street." She pointed at the men.

"What ever for?" He followed her pointing hand. "Who are they? Buffy, have you been..." Giles let the sentence hang.

"No, I haven't been doing whatever you are implying! Those are Gideons." At that proclamation, everyone groaned. "I saw them on campus this morning, passing out those little books.

"What did I say about saying nice things?" Giles started. He then looked back at the religious group. "Forget I mentioned it at all." Willow's jaw dropped in surprise. "Religious zealots repulse me," Giles growled.

"Oh. It's just..." Willow stammered.

"I'd say go with Buff's plan, but they're over there, too." Xander pointed. "We're gonna have to go by them. Otherwise it's circling back by the slaughterhouse to get to the shop." Everyone's face wrinkled in disgust at the thought of passing the odorous facility.

"Well, just steel yourselves and kick them if they touch you." With that admonition, Giles resumed walking. The youths followed a step behind.

Unfortunately, the streetlight changed as they got to the corner, stranding them with a pair of elderly men in cheap green suits. Each one had a stack of tiny editions of the New Testament in his hands and a bland smile plastered on his face.

One man approached Giles, proffering a text. The English man was about to refuse it when Xander stepped up, taking the book and handing it to the Watcher. Giles looked at the boy in open-mouthed astonishment.

Xander smiled at the Gideon and reached for the man's entire stack of books. He passed them around to the rest of the Scoobies, keeping one for himself. When he was done, Xander turned back to the old man, whose eyes were wide in amazement. "Thank you so much! I have always found the writings of Jesus Christ to be immensely supportive and stabilizing in my life," He said, extending a hand to the man. The green-clad man accepted it, shaking weakly. Xander continued. "Don't mind my companions. They're a bit shy and are still learning to accept the glory and love of Jesus." He leaned toward the man, saying conspiratorially, "I am confident, however, that they too will see just how Jesus' words can bring balance into their lives!" Releasing the man's hand, he began across the street. After a second, the rest of the gang followed, jogging to catch up.

On the other side of the street they were accosted by another Gideon, but Xander brandished his small red book, which acted like a cross to a vampire in warding off the proselytizer. His friends copied the gesture, and soon they were out of sight of the odious little men. Buffy then grabbed Xander, forcing him to stop walking.

"Xander, what the hell was that back there?" Buffy shouted at him. She waved her hand around threateningly, the little red book forgotten but still in her grasp. Xander smirked, then giggled, then burst out into laughter at Buffy's unconscious but accurate impression of a street preacher. Buffy glared at Xander. She saw nothing funny. "You've got about no seconds to explain, mister!"

Xander leaned on a lamppost, trying to catch his breath. "You--the book--" He pointed at her waving hands, cracking up again. "Y-you look like a...like one of those....guys...on..." Xander tried to explain, although he was constantly interrupted by his own laughter.

Doyle looked at Xander confusedly, trying to understand the garbled words. He looked over at Buffy, still trying to comprehend. Then the resemblance came to him. He grinned, and then elbowed Willow gently. "'E's right, you know? Buffy does look like an evangelist, waving that bible this way and that."

Willow looked at Doyle in annoyance, then at the Slayer. The resemblance was there, but the witch tried to keep from smiling at it. Buffy did not look happy at all.

Giles, convinced he could do nothing to calm Buffy directly, turned to the young man at fault for this situation. "Xander, what were you thinking?" He was rather impressed with the impromptu act, although he wondered what Xander was expecting to come of it.

Xander sobered a bit at the question. Straightening, he said, "We should get back to the shop." Turning, he resumed the trek to the magic store, ignoring Giles' query. Buffy reached for him, but a look from the Watcher stopped him. The Scoobies followed Xander down the street, each swearing silently to get to the bottom of this. Giles merely smirked, very much amused by the boy's display.

...

Spike flung open the door to the Magic Box, swaggering inside. Spying his lover, he loped toward the young man, planning to pull him up for a nice, deep kiss. With any luck, he'd get a few gagging sounds from the Slayer to boot. His scheme was interrupted, however, when said Slayer jumped on him, knocking him flat back on the floor with a loud thump. Instantly a stake was pressed to his heart. "What the bloody-"

Spike was cut off by Buffy's glare. "You, Spike, are in trouble. Deep trouble. I should just dust you now and get it over with." She nudged the stake, prodding his chest.

Spike looked up, more than a little irate. Hells, he'd been on his best behavior for months. Well, he'd not been trying to get any of them killed, helping out and all. The vampire didn't count taunting the Slayer with his relationship with Xander as being bad. "You're off your chum, bint. Get off." He pushed at Buffy's shoulders. He could've thrown her off, but she still didn't know he was chipless. Thus unable to move the girl, Spike looked over at Xander. The boy, as well as Willow, Doyle and Giles, were steadfastly ignoring the situation on the floor. The other three's reaction didn't bother him, but Xander's did. "Xanluv, a hand here?" He said hopefully.

"Buffy, get off my man unless you want a threesome," Xander said, never taking his eyes from the book he was reading.

Buffy made retching noises and rolled off the vampire. Spike immediately jumped up and stepped back several feet. "Don't think you're off the hook, fangless."

"What the bloody hell're you about?" Spike shouted.

"You. You are a bad influence on Xander," Buffy said, tossing the stake onto the counter and sitting back down at the table.

Spike smirked. That was it? < Took you long enough to get that one. > "Right. And you're just noticing that now?"

Buffy said nothing, ignoring the vampire completely. Doyle looked up at Spike, and then pointed under the table. Cocking an eyebrow, Spike bent over, peering under the furniture. < Shoes, right. Dust, right. > Standing up, Spike looked back at the Irishman questioningly. Sighing heavily, Doyle pointed again, this time at a table leg. Spike looked back down, and then bent over to inspect the leg. It had been shimmed by a small red object, which upon closer inspection Spike found to be a book of some sort.

"So, Xander levels the table with a book an' it's all my fault?" Spike asked sarcastically.

"No, Xander gets all religious on a street corner, gives all of us bibles, makes fun of me, comes back to the shop and props up all the wobbly furniture with Gideon pocket New Testaments, and it's all your fault!" Buffy said huffily.

Spike looked up at his lover, who shrugged, not quite repressing a truly evil grin. "Care to explain, pet?"

"Um...Inspiration hit?"

"Inspiration? Inspiration?" Buffy's voice hit a painfully high note. "Oh thank you! Oh, I just love the writings of Jesus! They stabilize my life! Security, balance! My friends will see the light! They too will see how supportive the words of Jesus Christ can be!" Buffy mimicked Xander's previous speech.

Spike sat on the floor, his smirk growing into a grin of epic proportions. < That's my boy! > Pride shined on his pale face. Xander climbed off the chair, sliding into Spike's lap. "Didn't I do good, Spikey?" The vampire kissed the brunette firmly, and then hugged him to his chest like a parent would a toddler.

"Yes, luv, you did right well. Blasted ponces never had a chance."

Buffy looked down at them suspiciously. "So you are behind this...behavior. Why did you teach him to be blasphemous?" Willow jerked up at the words. She hadn't really thought of Xander's behavior in that manner; after all, her old friend wasn't religious, and she was fairly confident that if he took up a faith now it certainly wouldn't be Christianity. Buffy's accusation had gained Giles' and Doyle's attentions as well.

Spike just beamed with smug pride. "Told my Xanpet here to always face your enemies with a smile and an open hand--it makes 'em wonder what you're up to." The vampire buried his face in Xander's neck, sucking noisily on the skin there. Xander let his head fall back, so that all had a clear view of what the blonde was doing.

Buffy's face screwed into a moue of disgust. "Ew...stop that!" She spun at the sounds of laughter behind her.

The other occupants of the table had heard Spike's response. First Doyle, then Willow, Wesley and Giles all smiled and began to giggle. They hadn't thought of it that way. Leave it to Xander to see Gideons as just another demon to battle.

"Xander always has been good at talking his way out of a fight," Willow said.

"Yes, you do have a point. I should record that technique. Perhaps it will be effective against some of our...less human opponents?" Giles began to scribble studiously on a legal pad. Buffy stood there, mouth gaping.

"Better shut yer gob, Slayer. Might get a fly in there." Spike commented, having finally released Xander's now marked neck. The two men picked themselves up from the floor to settle in a chair. Spike pulled the brunette into his lap, where the boy resumed his studying as Spike nipped at his ear.

Eventually, Buffy closed her mouth. "Giles, I'm patrolling. Xander, be normal when I get back, ok?" At that, the Slayer walked away slowly, looking as if she had either a lot, or nothing, on her mind.

"Excellent Slayer, most effective, but she really does need to work on her sense of humor," Giles remarked idly, as though considering how to word an entry into his official diary. The other occupants of the table cracked up, the odd silence broken.

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