*****
Part 7:
"Well, the sun's set, so we'd better get going. Wouldn't want to disappoint the ladies, would we?" Xander said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. No, Spike thought, we certainly wouldn't want to disappoint the ladies. Shock their knickers off, yes. Disappoint? No.
The pair decided to walk to the Magic Box, enjoying the fair weather. Spike looked over at Xander. He had been right; the mortal cut a sharp image in his new clothes. The vampire was surprised to see the human pull out a pack of cigarettes, lighting one with practiced ease. He'd never seen Xander smoke before.
"Taking up nasty habits, pet?" Spike asked with a trademark raised eyebrow.
Xander cocked his head at the vampire, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke. He grinned suggestively, leering at the blonde. "Yeah. Got any suggestions?"
Spike shuttered his eyes, inhaling the scent of cloves. Apparently Xander had chosen imported cigarettes when he picked up smoking. The heavy scent permeated the cool night air. "I can think of a few." The vampire said in a low voice, looking at Xander through hooded eyes. Xander shot back a wry grin, taking another drag from his cigarette.
As they approached the shop, Xander flicked the butt of his cigarette into the street, using the heel of his new boots to tamp out the cinder. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door to the shop. When he walked in, Giles glanced up briefly.
"Ah, good, you are back. Do come in, Xander. We have research to-" Giles' voice dropped off when he looked back up at the young man.
"Hey, Xan! We missed you over the weekend." Willow said. Turning from a stack of books, she walked over to her friend, stopping in shock almost immediately. Without thinking, she said, "Goddess! What happened to you?" She took in her friend's altered appearance.
"I just got a haircut, Wills." Xander joked weakly. < Please, please don't make a big deal. > He thought desperately.
The redheaded witch walked around her friend, taking in the new clothes, hair, and earrings. She was very surprised; not so much at what Xander looked like, but that he had actually changed the way he looked. She knew he had it in him; she'd seen him dress better than he typically did. After all, she had known Xander for more than fifteen years. The witch could also tell that Xander was waiting for her reaction. Resolved to not hurt her friend, she moved in front of him.
"You look great! So-" Willow was cut off by Spike.
"Sexy?" The vampire interjected. Xander turned and scowled at him.
"Sexy? Yes, sexy! You look very sexy!" Willow said, at first hesitantly, then with more force. It was the truth; the new Xander fairly exuded sex appeal, even as nervous as he currently was.
"Well, I must say it is a vast improvement over your former wardrobe," the Watcher said, coming up to the youths.
"Hey! I still have all of my old clothes, and I'm not afraid to wear them." Xander threatened.
"You may have to, Xander. I've been working on a strategy for defeating Werkuyvel demons that involves blinding them with the contents of your closet." Giles said, polishing his glasses on his sweater.
Willow and Xander choked. Giles had begun acting a bit odd lately; he was short of temper and quick to make sharp comments, although they were rarely hurtful. After a moment, the two friends began to laugh.
"Not a problem, G-man. We can put Buffy in one of my classics." The image of the petite Slayer swimming in one of Xander's garish flower-print shirts sent all four people into peals of laughter.
"She certainly prefers to be at the center of our plans." Willow commented, holding her stomach lightly. She was glad Buffy had not yet arrived; the Slayer did not appreciate being laughed at.
Just then, Tara entered the shop carrying a tray of coffee cups. She stopped briefly when she caught sight of Xander, then proceeded to the group. With a duck of her head, she handed over the drinks to Willow and Giles. Xander winked at her. Apparently Tara had been nominated doughnut girl in his absence. The blonde witch made no verbal comment on Xander's appearance, but her gaze was appreciative.
"Doesn't Xander look great?" Willow asked her girlfriend, gently nudging her into speaking.
"He looks." Tara paused, looking for the appropriate word.
"Sexy?" Willow said.
"Mature?" Giles added.
"Imminently shaggable?" Spike continued. Xander snorted at that statement, while Giles and Willow rolled their eyes. Tara smiled.
"Imminently shaggable, yes." Tara said, grinning at Xander. She had been trying desperately to be more open and talkative around Willow's friends. Xander was a wonderfully nice person, and the new look definitely suited him.
Willow's jaw dropped. "Tara!"
"For s-someone!" Tara added quickly. She hugged Willow. "Not f-for me."
"Little witch finds you far more shaggable, Red." Spike remarked to the witch.
"M-maybe for Spike?" Tara said innocently. Too innocently. Xander's eyes widened. Spike's mouth hung open for a moment, until he realized it and shut it with a snap. Willow looked at Tara like she had lost her mind. Giles recovered first.
"That is enough. I believe I mentioned research?" The group moved back toward the researching table. As they walked, Spike crept up behind Xander, leaning into his ear.
"Quite shaggable, luv. Definitely." The vampire punctuated his whispered comment with a quick pinch to Xander's ass. The human jumped and squeaked, glaring at the vampire as he took a seat as far away from him as possible. Spike smirked at him in return.
A few minutes later, Xander looked up at the sound of whistling emanating from the blonde vampire. Catching his gaze, Spike grinned, than sang, "In just seven days, I can make you a man!"16
Xander clapped a hand over his mouth, his eyes suddenly watering in remembrance of the tattoo parlor. Spike laughed with him, and both were surprised when Giles chuckled as well. "Ah, I see you assumed I have missed all of the cultural events of the past century?" Giles said caustically.
Spike recovered first. "Nah, mate. Just picturing you in a corset, tha's all." Xander fell into a giggling fit at the image, as did the witches. Giles smirked, then said,
"I'll have you know that I received many a compliment on the figure I cut in a black studded corset."
A few minutes later, Buffy and Austin entered the store, catching the end of the laughter that Giles' last remark had caused. "What's on the Slayer-agenda tonight, Giles?" Buffy said cheerfully as she bounced over to the table. Spike snarled at the Slayer. She reeked of her little toy.
"There is research to be done, Buffy. It would behoove you to arrive on time to help. Your participation is quite necessary." Giles said, staring stonily at the tardy Slayer.
"Take a pill, Giles. It's only a few minutes. Besides, it's not like there are demons running around the store or something." Buffy took Austin's hand and led him to a chair. It was then that she noticed that Xander was once again in attendance.
"Xander? What are you doing here?" She took in his appearance. "Playing dress up? Who'd you borrow the clothes from?" She asked snidely.
"Buffy!" Willow said. "Xander just got back from vacation, remember? Besides, he looks nice. He's not playing dress up." Willow chided her friend in a hurt voice.
"Yeah, right. What's with the clothes? And the hair? You look like a." Buffy, like everyone before her, searched for the appropriate term to describe Xander. The other occupants of the table rolled their eyes in remembrance of the previous two attempts and what they had wrought.
"A what, Buffy?" Xander asked, his voice suspiciously calm. He had pretty much figured that Willow would accept him, after all she was his absolute best friend. He knew, though, that Buffy would be a problem.
Buffy glared at Xander. How dare he use that tone of voice with her! He was obviously trying to humiliate her in front of everyone. She had once again forgotten that no one else knew she'd slept with him, then pushed him aside in favor of Austin. Because of this, she simply assumed that Xander was trying to get everyone to side with him. After all, if he could make himself look great, then all her friends would wonder why she'd left him for Austin. "A rentboy!" She snapped.
Willow's jaw dropped in shock, as did Giles' and Spike's. Tara's face turned red, while Austin just kind of looked at Buffy in confusion.
"Really?" Xander asked, his voice still calm. "Why, thank you!" He added in a cheerful voice, as if she had paid him a dear compliment. The rest of the gang had recovered and were now exhibiting a variety of reactions to Buffy's statement, none of them favorable.
Giles looked like he was seriously considering ignoring his sacred duty as a Watcher and killing Buffy with his bare hands. Willow was gripping the seat of her chair, her face a mask of hurt. Spike mouth was twisted in a smirk, obviously trying hard not to break into laughter.
Tara leaned over to whisper in Willow's ear, "Does she know what a rentboy is?" Spike heard Tara, and the comment pushed him over the edge. He began to laugh, the clear, loud sound pouring into the shop. Willow broke into a grin, the not-so-innocence of the question relieving some of her tension. Giles hadn't heard the comment, but could see that it held humor, which seemed to calm him some. He looked over at Xander. The young man looked far too calm for the insult that had just been paid to him. The Watcher did not know what to do, however, except to physically separate the two people.
"Buffy, it is apparent to me that you are in no frame of mind to do meaningful research at this juncture. I strongly recommend that you proceed to the evening's patrol. Be sure to cover the university campus, the hospital and the Hellmouth. I expect a full written report tomorrow evening of the night's events. Oh, and take Austin with you, please." Giles said coldly to his charge. He was obviously put out, as evidenced by his choice of words.
Buffy looked at him in frustration. The workload he'd just given her was large enough that she would be patrolling all night with no real breaks. And since she had to write up what she did and saw, she could not skip out on any parts. There was no way she could convince Austin to stay with her all night, and even if he did, he would be unhappy that she had no time for the usual nookie. "Giles! That's-"
"That is what you are to do this evening, Buffy. You have been lax in your patrols and it is unfair to expect others to take your place. After all, you are the Slayer. As you have stated before, no one else is equipped to do your job." The Watcher shot at the whining girl. He had had almost all he could take from his errant charge, and Ripper was beginning to surface again. He had to restrain himself from muttering a few words under his breath and teaching the little chit a lesson or two.
For a moment, Buffy looked ready to argue. Then, she grabbed Austin's hand. "Let's go, Austin." Buffy drug her boyfriend toward the door.
"Bye Buffy!" Willow shouted after the girl.
"Bye, Tex." Tara added more softly. Xander and Spike giggled at the nickname.
"Well, that was fun!" Xander said under his breath.
"Oh, Xander. I'm so sorry. I just don't know what got into her. I'm sure she didn't mean it. She'll apologize, " Willow began, then continued in a more strident voice. "She has to, or I'll.I'll.I'll turn her into a toad! A big, nasty, slimy brown toad! With warts!" The redhead was getting agitated, and jumped up, pacing the floor.
"Wills, its ok. I was half-serious-it was the nicest thing she's said to me in a long time." Xander said to his friend. It was true; Buffy was not known for her gushing compliments.
"But what she said! It was so.ugh!" Willow replied, not mollified.
"Willow, I agree that Buffy was out of line, but there is nothing we can do. This is between Xander and Buffy." Giles said, hoping to calm the witch down. She had a penchant for losing control of her powers when angry, and the witch was certainly heading for a tantrum. Tara sensed it also and got up, gently holding Willow in place.
"Look, Wills, it's a lot better than being the Zeppo or the doughnut boy, ok?" Xander said shortly. "I've seen rentboys, and I'd rather be compared to the fine members of the.personal service industry than be called what she's called me in the past. Besides, the ones I've seen looked good." Xander joked.
Willow did not look pacified, but she relented. "Don't put yourself down, Xan. But Giles is right; it is between you and Buffy. But if you need anything." Her voice tapered off, but held a world of meaning.
"Thanks, Wills. You know how much that means to me. It will be ok, though. She'll cool down. Buffy just isn't wired to accept change."
Spike had sat silently throughout the conversation. He snorted at the last comment. Wired, right. < Bint's wired for two things: killing and shagging. Which one she does depends on what hormones she's on. > "Right. Well, Rupert, I believe you mentioned research?"
Giles looked up in surprise at the vampire. Spike was not one to encourage diligence, especially when it involved extended periods of inactivity. "Yes, research. Actually, Xander, it is fortunate that you have returned. I have been reading some manuscripts," Giles shuffled around a stack of papers, "and I found some writings that I would like you to study." The Watcher handed some old-looking papers to the young man. "Do be careful; they are written on goatskin and are quite fragile. Try to avoid getting chocolate on them."
Xander took the papers. "No prob, G-man. Xanman to the rescue."
"Do not call me that, Xander, or I shall begin to refer to you as Mr. Harris."
Xander stilled. A pained look flared on his face. "I'm sorry, Giles." He said repentantly, bending his head to the papers in front of him. Willow looked over at the Watcher, gesturing frantically. Giles looked confusedly at the witch, unsure of what she was trying to say. She pointed at the storeroom and motioned to wait a few minutes.
The Watcher handed books to Spike and the witches, indicating what passages needed further review. The vampire was necessary for this particular research because one text was written in an obscure language that only he could translate. After all were involved in their assignments, Giles quietly slipped into the back storage area. He was followed shortly thereafter by Willow.
"Willow-" The witch shushed at him with her hand.
"Don't ever call him that!" Willow whispered. "It reminds him of his father."
"His father? But-"
"Giles, you know that Xander had a less-than-perfect home life, right?" The Watcher nodded. "Well, his father" Willow paused, a troubled look on her face. "His father hit him some, and yelled at him a lot, especially when he was drinking. He always made Xander call him 'Mr. Harris' around their house."
"Oh my. I'm so sorry." Giles looked repentant. He had hurt the boy terribly, just by joking around.
"Yeah. I don't think he's even talked to his parents since he moved out. Um.Don't bring it up with him, ok? I mean, I feel bad telling you. He's my best friend."
"And you feel like you're betraying his confidence?" Giles added. Willow nodded dejectedly. "Don't feel that way. I will not say anything. It is good to know these things, however, to avoid such problems in the future." Giles thought a moment, and then added, "Would this have any bearing on Xander's behavior among us?"
"His sense of humor? He's always been a bit warped and morbid like that, but I think most of his self-confidence problems do come from home." Willow said, clearly uncomfortable with having to think about the ramifications of years of abuse in relation to Xander. Giles relented.
"I see. Well, back to research." He steered the witch toward the door, grabbing a couple of jars on his way out.
"Remember, Willow, only the smallest amount of henbane. Any more will result in a highly exothermic reaction." Giles handed the witch a small jar. "The same warning applies to the sterope root." The Watcher gave her another container.
Willow glanced at him questioningly. At an encouraging look from him, she ad-libbed. "Of course, Giles. Go light on the herbs. Wouldn't want to blow up the dorm!" She carried the jars to her bag and placed them inside.
Tara looked at her oddly. "Willow, I thought we had henbane?" She asked quietly.
"Um, no! We're all out of it." Willow said a bit too brightly.
Spike watched the show from behind a book. < Red needs acting lessons. > The vampire had listened to the entire conversation between the witch and the Watcher. What he had heard had made him so furious he'd had to fight not to slip into gameface. His human, beaten, touched, by another. The idea of Xander's parents hurting him made the blonde snarl. The other occupants of the table looked up. "Damned language." He said curtly. Once they resumed their studies, he returned to his thoughts.
< Kill them. Soddin' chip. Bloody bastards. > Xander was his human, his nummy treat. No one touched him. < No one hurts Xan but me! He's mine! > That thought shocked the vampire. When had he gotten so possessive of the human? Spike shrugged off the feeling. It didn't really matter when or why. What was important was that someone had hurt Xander.
Many of the mortal's behaviors made much more sense now. Spike was all too familiar with abuse; he had, after all, been turned and raised by Angelus-a true master at torture, both physical and mental. Angelus had made Spike; before he was turned, and for a short time afterwards, Spike had been William, or Wil, a quiet, studious lawyer who wrote poetry of varying quality. It was Angelus that forced Wil to learn to be cruel, creating Spike in the process. Of course, it was not enough to make Spike; Angelus continued his treatments right up until he got his soul. By that time, the Spike persona was firmly in place and Wil was tucked away deeply in the back of Spike's mind.
Xander had reacted very differently to the abuse, probably because he was still human, mostly because he was not by nature an angry person. Without a raging demon inside him, violence was not as obvious an outlet for the pain. Instead, he turned to lots of camouflage. He wore concealing clothes and a mask of clumsy humor. Clowns usually acted as they did to hide their pain. Reflecting upon it, Spike was surprised that he hadn't noticed it before. Returning to his research, the vampire filed away this new information for later use. Anything that he had to better understand Xander would help him in his quest.
.......
Spike looked up as Xander got home from work. The mortal was obviously happy. "Good day at work then, luv?"
Xander grinned at the vampire. "Yup. Got teased by the crew all day." He couldn't contain his smile. Yes, his coworkers had teased him. Their commentary, however, was complimentary. They didn't judge him based on his appearance, and they weren't afraid to take friendly potshots at him. His boss had raised an eyebrow at the earrings, but there was no company policy against them. He'd just grinned and waggled his eyebrows, which elicited more joking from his crew.
"Good t'hear. Wouldn't want the blokes lettin' you off easy, now would we?" Xander agreed, and then went off for his customary post-work shower.
When he got out, Spike was sitting at the bar. Xander noticed that the vampire had on his shoes and duster. "Going out?"
"Thought I would, luv. No patrol tonight. Join me?" Spike hoped he would. He'd wanted to get the boy off alone for the past couple of days, ever since he'd gotten back from his vacation. Unfortunately, between work and the slayerette gig, the only times that they had been alone were when one of them was asleep.
"Where're you headed?" Xander asked, pouring himself a glass of water. He'd enjoyed going out in San Francisco; while there he had frequented bars and clubs very different from the Bronze, filled with a slightly older crowd of people. If Spike's destination was one of Sunnydale's other places, he was definitely game.
"Carey's" Spike said. Xander did not recognize the name.
"What's that? I haven't heard of it." Spike smirked a bit.
"That's 'cause it's not your usual. It's 'anything goes'-the owner's a Toskla demon, and some of the regulars aren't quite human."
"Oh. Probably not safe for us human-types then." Xander said, visibly disappointed.
"I wouldn't say that. Most of the people there are human-just not all of them. No one asks questions there. It's not like Willie's; no bar fights and bloodbaths." The last statement was tinged with regret. "I wouldn't take you somewhere dangerous, Xander. Red an' the Watcher'd stake me." Spike said reasonably.
Xander considered it for a moment. Spike had a point; his friends would kill the vampire if anything happened to him. Moreover, he actually trusted Spike. Why would the vampire continually save his hide on patrol only to get him offed in a bar? < Because it would be funny. > He said to himself. Disregarding that internal comment, Xander turned to the vampire.
"Count me in. Just a sec." Xander went back into the bedroom. A minute later he emerged. Xander had changed his cotton shirt for a tight blue sleeveless t-shirt. Over it was a gray silk button-down, left open. "Come on then. I'll drive." They human was obviously excited by the prospect of something different.
Spike silently followed Xander out to the car, admiring the rear view of the mortal as he jogged down the stairs. < This could prove interesting. > Spike.forgot to mention that part of the 'anything goes' was that the small club catered to gays as well as nonhumans. He couldn't wait to see the lad's face.
The vampire gave Xander directions to the club, and a few minutes later they had arrived. Xander was pleased at the location; he already knew that none of the Scooby gang would be there, and because of where it was in town, none of them would see his car and ask questions later.
The interior of the club was incredibly smoky. A thick haze hung about two-thirds of the way to the ceiling, just above Xander's head. It looked to the human like there was a thunderstorm rolling and churning about in the place. The vampire led him to the bar, ordering drinks for both of them. As he walked, Spike nodded to a patron here and there.
"You know them?" Xander asked above the din.
"Yeah. I do have friends, you know." Spike said, slightly irked that the human would assume that no one liked him.
Xander flinched. "I didn't mean.I just wondered if you knew them. That's all." He looked downcast, and Spike felt bad for snapping at him.
"S'allright." He handed Xander a drink, then took a sip of his own. The two friends sat at the bar for a while, watching others dance and flirt in the smoky haze. Spike took quick glances at Xander's face, watching for a sign that the mortal had realized who some of the patrons were. The expression he was looking for never surfaced.
After a few minutes, Xander got fidgety. He wanted to dance. The alcohol from the strong drink Spike had given him was making him feel buzzed and loose, and the dj on the other side of the room was quite good. He turned and grabbed Spike's hand, setting the vampire's drink down. "Come on." Without waiting for a reply, he dragged the blonde to the crowded floor.
Spike was stunned by Xander's behavior. < Wonder where he went in San Francisco, > recalling some of the city's reputation. After that, the vampire pretty much ceased thinking. Xander had wrapped himself around the blonde and was writhing and shimmying in time to the music. Never one to pass up an opportunity, Spike followed his lead.
Xander closed his eyes, feeding on the smooth, wandering melody. He gave his body over to the music, focusing totally on it and the cool body in front of him. He'd loved doing this while on vacation; losing himself on the dance floor. Of course, there he didn't know his partners, but now he was very aware of whom he was with. Xander did not let that bother him at all.
Spike was a good dancer; their bodies moved together effortlessly, much like they had a few days ago at the Bronze. Xander was more comfortable here than at the regular Scooby hangout; he had noticed the various pairings on the dance floor. Actually, he figured that Spike was sending those looks at him waiting for some sort of reaction. The vampire would have to remain disappointed; while on vacation Xander had danced with both men and women, and some of the clubs he'd gone to had been fairly exotic. < Fairly? > The bondage club he'd been in flashed into his mind. He grinned at the memory.
Spike was entranced. Xander was undulating against him, his neck curved back enticingly. The human was seducing him without even trying. The incidental touches, the occasional contact of thighs, was driving the vampire insane. He could smell the man; his scent was heavy in the air as he began to sweat in the stifling press of bodies. Xander smiled, his eyes still closed. Spike wondered what had elicited the grin, and bent to ask him when Xander opened his eyes.
The room was hot, and Xander slowed briefly, opening his eyes. He saw Spike. < Damn. Vampires never sweat. Lucky bastards. > Xander shrugged off his shirt, pitching it onto a chair pushed against the wall. < Better. > With his arms bare he could feel the slight breeze flowing from a door that had just been propped open. The draft also served to flush out some of the smoke, and Xander was appreciative of the fresh air.
Spike watched Xander as he removed his shirt. His eyes caught on the markings on the young man's shoulders. When the mortal returned from setting down his shirt, Spike grabbed his arm gently, turning the man's body. "More surprises, pet?" Spike studied the tattoo.
Xander grinned. He'd forgotten that the vampire had not yet seen the body art. Turning his head, he waited for Spike's reaction.
Spike ran a finger over the design, feeling the almost imperceptible shudder of Xander's body. It was a heart, red outlined in black. Three daggers pierced the heart. Each dagger had a serpent wrapped around the head. The points of the daggers emerged at the base of the heart, each covered in blood. "Nice, luv. Very nice." It was something Spike would have considered getting.
Reluctantly releasing the warm flesh, he reached for the other arm. The design here was done solely in black, a swirl of curves. Spike traced the design. It stuck in his mind; he recognized it. Looking at Xander, he cocked an eyebrow as realization hit. "Biohazard?" Spike said playfully.
Xander grinned. "I'm hazardous to your health." Spike leaned forward, his lips almost touching Xander's ear. He flicked his tongue against the earring there.
"Somehow I doubt that, pet." Xander shuddered. He closed his eyes, inhaling Spike's scent. Unsure of exactly what to do, Xander returned to dancing.
Spike felt Xander's body resume its seductive motion. The human had managed to surprise him again. Maybe he would have to rethink some of his little plans; if the whelp was bold enough to do what he'd already done, maybe he'd be up for other types of.fun. Yes, they could do so many interesting, and shocking, things.
The pair danced through song after song, one growing hot, the other basking in the other's heat. Eventually the evening drew to a close. The two men exited the club and headed back to Xander's apartment, tired from dancing all night.
"Night then, pet." Spike said, hanging up his duster.
"Yeah. Thanks for taking me along. Had fun." Xander yawned. Work was in far too few hours for his tastes. He had had fun, though. Knocking the vampire off balance, at least mentally, had been a blast.
Xander retreated to his bedroom as the vampire settled in his customary spot on the couch. As he drifted off to sleep, the vampire smiled as thoughts of a naked Xander drifted through his head.
.......
The next week passed quickly for Xander. At work, the crew was playing catch up now that the delayed supplies had arrived. They were spurred on by the management's promise of a few days off for Thanksgiving if they could get back on schedule. That was incentive enough for all the workers to pitch in and work a bit of overtime. Xander was very pleased at the prospect of time off; as a member of the regular work-force he did not have built in holidays, unlike his friends.
Spike watched Xander bounce along the streets as they walked to the Scooby meeting. The past week had been an interesting one for the vampire. The two of them had not managed to go out again; Xander had been tied up on the jobsite all the time and slept whenever he was home.
Still, the two had found time in the mornings to talk; Xander appeared to be fully recovered from his post-breakup depression. Spike took the time to flirt with the human; Xander flirted right back, occasionally catching the vampire unawares with his suggestiveness. They joked about Buffy and Austin. Spike had built a rather extensive catalogue of the similarities between Austin and his Sire. Between the two of them and Willow and Giles, they had come to the conclusion that Buffy was fixated on broody poofs. The idea was a never-ending source of humor for everyone involved. Everyone, that is, except Buffy. She was snarky, and Austin, well; he just stared at her with those deep-set eyes and looked clueless.
Tonight the vampire wondered exactly what had the human so excited. "Hey Wills! How's Miss Kitty doing? Enjoying that catnip I sent her?" Xander enveloped his friend in a great hug.
"She's bonkers over the stuff-like you and chocolate! She still won't go out with you though. I tried, but she's just not interested." Willow joked to her friend.
Xander released Willow, looking disheartened. "Tell her I pine for her, that I will never love one as I do Miss Kitty Fantastico!" His face transformed into a wide grin. Willow and Xander had been playing at Xander's one-sided love affair with the witches' cat for some time now.
"So, Willow, what are you two ladies doing for Thanksgiving?" Xander asked casually.
"Well, we aren't really celebrating it." Willow said. At Xander's confused expression, she explained. "I mean, it's a holiday that never really happened, and all it stands for is the horror of colonialism, the oppression and destruction of indigenous culture, and the assimilation of ethic groups into a mass-produced capitalistic empire. That's just not something I want to celebrate. Tara and I are going on a retreat to practice our magic instead."
Xander looked at his friend oddly. < College does strange things to good people, > he thought. Sighing, he turned to Buffy. "So, Buff. What are your Thanksgiving plans?"
Buffy turned toward Xander. She had calmed down a little about the various changes Xander had made in his personal life when she finally decided that they really had nothing to with her and that he was actively avoiding interacting with her and Austin. "Mom, Dawn and I are going to visit one of Mom's old friends up north. The whole boring reunion thing." Buffy was obviously not looking forward to it. "Austin is flying home to Maryland to visit his parents," Buffy added, not noticing how no one seemed to care.
"I'm sure you'll have fun, Buff." Xander reassured her. He was a bit sad; Xander was not really one for formal holiday celebrations; his family had managed to kill any holiday joy he might have ever felt. Still, Xander had been hoping to maybe spend at least a little time with his friends this Thanksgiving now that he actually had time off when they did. Tacking on a smile, he turned to Giles.
"G-man! Roasting a turkey this year?" He asked hopefully.
"Once again, cease calling me that. No, Xander, I am not celebrating Thanksgiving this year. For one, I am not American and see no reason to celebrate the day. Also, I am spending the holiday in Los Angeles at a rare book convention."
He looked up from the text he was studying. "It is unfortunate that all of our holiday plans have drawn us away from the Hellmouth, but it is only for a short time. Luckily I have found no references to any apocalypses in the texts." Giles said to Xander. "However, because we will not be here, it is most important that you and Spike go on patrol." Giles stood up, retrieving a small piece of paper. He walked over to Xander with it.
"These are phone numbers where Buffy, Willow, and I can be reached. If you find anything amiss, do call. I am confident that you and Spike can handle the usual minions, but if something serious arises, we will need to take care of it." Xander took the paper, folding it up and placing it in his wallet.
"Are you sure about this, Giles? I can stay here." Buffy said. "I mean, Xander?"
"Buffy, I have every confidence in Xander's abilities. Spike will be here to help him as well." Giles admonished the Slayer. Had the vampire not been there to help, he would have either stayed himself or insisted the Slayer remain in town. However, between Spike and Xander, minor annoyances could be taken care of.
Spike watched Xander closely. As each of his friends casually announced that they were abandoning him for the long weekend, the human's face fell further and further. The vampire could smell the despair on the mortal, banishing the good humor the man had been in just a few minutes earlier. < Stupid gits. >
Xander was unnaturally quiet during the night's patrol. Spike tried to cajole him into talking, but it seemed that Xander had slipped back into his previous depression. Resolved to bring the boy out of it, Spike grabbed the mortal's arms and spun him around, pressing him up against a tree in the cemetery. "Right. So, everybody but you's got a place to be this week." Spike started. Xander glared at him for a moment, then dropped his head in defeat.
"I just wanted to spend some time with them. For once, I have time off from work when they do-three days, plus the weekend. But they're all gone, for the whole time." Xander sighed.
"Right. Sorry I'm such piss-poor company then." Spike released Xander's arms and turned away. He was not above manipulating the lad a bit to get him cheered up.
Xander felt horrible. He hadn't even thought of Spike when he'd said those things. He'd just assumed that they would spend time together over the holiday. He hated that he'd made Spike feel unwelcome.
"That's not what I meant, Spike. You know I enjoy hanging out with you. Hell, you're the only one who can stand me most of the time. I didn't mean that I was trying to avoid you or anything-" Xander stopped, putting a hand on Spike's shoulder.
The vampire turned around. He barely restrained a triumphant shout at the remorseful expression on the lad's face. < That's it, pet. Just a bit more. >
Xander began again. "Besides, I thought we'd.Well, I assumed we'd spend most of they holiday together anyway. I'm sorry, Spike. I didn't mean to take you for granted. I should have asked. You probably have plans." Xander looked despondent again.
Spike caught Xander's chin in a gentle grip and tilted his face back up. "I don't have any plans, luv. Figure'd we'd slaughter a turkey, paint ourselves in the blood, and shock the neighbors. Traditional Thanksgiving fare, you know."
Xander smiled. "Um, maybe not that? Have you seen the neighbors?" He laughed. Maybe the holiday wouldn't be so bad. Of course, after the year he'd contracted syphilis, and a number of other nasty diseases, for Thanksgiving, there wasn't much that could be worse. Except maybe being alone for it.
"Settled then. Off we go." Spike resumed his walk through the cemetery.
*****