It took Giles a bit longer than he'd expected to work out the portal spell, mostly due to the fact that the target dimension wasn't very accessible. Shortly before sunrise, however, he had the requisite materials in hand and was ready to begin. The entire group gathered around him for an impromptu lesson in portal magicks.

"The first part of the spell I will cast," Giles explained. "The three of you will be transported immediately. Wesley, you will be responsible for opening the portal to this dimension once you have retrieved the Altenalium." He handed the ex-Watcher a sachet of herbs and resin. "Simply throw the contents of that in the air, making sure to cover all of you in it. The spell will do the rest."

Wesley pocketed the small pouch. "I suppose you have no additional information regarding whatever it is we're getting?"

"No," Giles snapped. "We've been over this before."

"Not to be snippy or anything, but how long is this going to take?" Buffy inquired. "I need to get home."

"I see no reason why any of you should remain here while they are gone," Giles replied. "I will be here, of course, because of the shop. The rest of you might as well get some rest." Everyone save Xander, Spike and Wesley looked immensely relieved. They could finally sleep a little. Staying in the shop all night researching and working on spells had been hellish.

Spike busied himself collecting a few extra weapons, in case they ran into something nasty. Considering where they were going, it was a distinct possibility. He handed Xander a dagger, which the boy took with a glare. Wesley accepted three stakes with somewhat more aplomb.

"If you are finished raiding Buffy's supplies, I am waiting," Giles muttered to the three men.

"You know, for a guy who's sending us to a very likely death, you're not very grateful," Xander spat at the older man. "I don't hear any 'I hope you make it back, Xander,' or 'we'll be waiting for you right here, guys.' I'm beginning to think you all don't care."

"We'll be close by," Buffy murmured. "But what good are we going to do standing around here?"

Xander just gritted his teeth. It was the principle of the thingthe three men were going somewhere dangerous and demonic, and their supposed friends and/or allies couldn't get rid of them fast enough. "Love you too. Giles, can we go now? I'm thinking wherever we're headed for is better than here."

Buffy made to comment on that statement, but Giles cut her off by starting the spell. The non-participants backed up quickly, not wanting to be inadvertently taken along. Xander, Spike and Wesley gathered close together as Giles hit them with a handful of bitter powder. At first, nothing happened. Then a high, whistling noise swept through the shop and the three men disappeared into thin air.

...

"Aack," Xander squawked, spitting furiously. His mouth was full of what he hoped was dirt. The young man picked himself up off a hard, stone floor and looked around. Well, he tried to. The place was pitch dark. "Um, guys?"

"Over here," Spike murmured. He was standing about three feet away, watching Wesley and Xander fumble around in the darkness. He knew he was the only one who could see enough to move around. "Stay put and I'll come over there."

"Right," Wesley said. "You can see, can't you, Spike?"

"Yeah," Spike confirmed. He reached out a hand and tapped Wesley's arm. The man reached out and clasped Spike's duster. Once he was securely attached, the vampire moved toward Xander, Wesley in tow.

"That you?" Xander asked when Spike brushed his arm.

"Mmm," Spike hummed. "We're in a cave."

"Great. Underground," Xander commented. "So, oh fangless one, where do we go?"

Spike looked incredulously at Xander before remembering that the boy couldn't see him. "Funny, I thought you were the one with the map."

"Is there any indication of where we should go?" Wesley inquired shortly. He wanted to get this over with. True, he'd come willingly, but that didn't mean he was happy about it.

Spike studied their location. "It's more of a passageway, really. We can go.left or right, from where I'm standing. Can't tell which is better, though."

"Left," Xander suggested.

"Why?" Wesley asked the boy.

"Why not? We don't know where to go. As soon as we move, we're gonna be lost. Hells, we're lost now," Xander replied. "So let's just try our luck with left."

When Wesley didn't voice another objection, Spike began to move. Within a few feet he realized that they were going to have to change tactics, so he stopped. "This isn't working," He muttered. Wesley and Xander each had a death grip on his upper arms, making walking a challenge. Their positions also made him feel like some sort of prisoner. "Either you two hold my hands or the bottom of my duster. I can't walk this way."

"I'm not holding your hand," Xander declared. The very thought was repulsive. The vampire was a near-rapist! "Hold on, I'll get the duster."

Wesley waited until Xander thrust the corner of Spike's duster into his hands. He'd have rather held the vampire's hands, for multiple reasons. First of all, if Spike's hands were occupied, they couldn't grab and hit. The ex-Watcher didn't trust a fragile piece of technology to stop Spike from hurting him. Besides that, Wesley was sure that the duster he was holding was the filthiest garment he'd seen in months. It was.sort of stiff and a bit crusty.

Once the two men had relinquished his arms, Spike continued. "Anything new?" Xander asked a few feet later.

"No, just walls," Spike said softly. "We're walking downhill, though."

"Not very steeply," Wesley commented. A long, plaintive wail broke the eerie silence of the cavern. "What was that?" He exclaimed nervously.

"Dunno," Spike said. The sound repeated, again and again. Then it stopped and the cave was dead silent.

"That's freaky," Xander added. "Can we move faster?"

Spike picked up the pace, leading the two men deeper into the cave system. "There's another passage ahead," He warned a few minutes later. "Left, right, or straight ahead?" He stood at the crossroads while the others made up their minds. While he waited, he tested the air, sniffing quietly. "I'd say not right. It smells rank."

"Rank?" Xander asked. "How?"

"Like bodies. Dead ones," Spike answered. "The other two are fine."

"I'm all for no dead people," Xander confided. "Wes?"

"I would keep going straight," Wesley suggested. "And I too would prefer to avoid corpses."

...

"Are we there yet?" Xander whined.

"No," Spike murmured. He was impressed; they'd been at this maddening game for hours, but that was the first time Xander had regressed to childish complaints about the time spent on their task.

"Have we been here before?" Wesley asked the vampire. "Are we going in circles?"

Spike shook his head, and then spoke. "No. We haven't backtracked once." "Left or right?" He asked when the tunnel they were in opened into another passage.

"Right," Xander said. "Why not? The last five were lefts, and that doesn't even make sense."

"We're winding down deeper," Spike said as they turned. "We probably started out directly above where we are now." Another series of shrieks and wails echoed through the caves. All three men shivered, but said nothing. The noises had been occurring on and off ever since they first arrived and after so many hours, they were somewhat inured to it.

"This is a weird dimension. I mean, other than those bodies you smelled, we haven't seen signs of life. Any signs," Xander commented.

"Would you live here?" Wesley asked.

"Point," Xander replied. "Do you think they're worried about us?"

"Who? The others?" Wesley asked. "I wouldn't know."

"We've been gone for hours," Xander reminded them. "I'd think."

"We've been here for hours," Wesley amended. "However time does not always flow the same from dimension to dimension. For those in Sunnydale, we may have been gone for days. Or minutes."

"They wouldn't miss us anyway," Spike muttered.

"Days?" Xander squeaked. "Or more? Months, maybe?"

"With some dimensions, a few days in our world equates with decades in theirs," Wesley confirmed. "That aspect of interdimensional travel is what makes it so dangerous."

"So they weren't all worried that we'd just get killed over herethey didn't want to get stuck here for a few hours and end up missing a bunch of time in Sunnydale," Xander spat. "But they didn't seem to worry about us."

"Of course, the time difference, if there is one, could be in the other direction," Wesley said. "And we could be here for days and return to Sunnydale only a few minutes after we left."

"Shh," Spike hissed.

"Something ahead?" Xander asked tensely.

"Yeah. Can't tell where it goes, though." Spike led the men through the end of the passageway, into a huge cavern. "It's a cave. Proper onebig and tall. I can't see across it."

"Perhaps we should walk the perimeter," Wesley suggested. "We wouldn't miss any other passages."

"Right," Spike said, starting around the cave counterclockwise. "We're gonna have to go slow; there are rocks everywhere."

As if to emphasize that point, Xander tripped over a long, rough boulder that seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Damn!" He shouted, his voice reverberating through the cave. "Spike?"

Spike stopped and bent down to help the boy up. Once Xander was on his feet, he shied away from the vampire and took his place behind him, right next to Wesley. Spike sighed and continued on. He tried to follow the wall of the cave, but soon found himself leading the others towards the middle because of all the rocky debris littering the cavern floor. It piled up so high he couldn't see the end of it, making towering buttresses along the edge of the cave.

Wesley was about to suggest they try going in the other direction when the floor suddenly changed in nature. One minute they were walking on a relatively flat surface. Then the rock face shifted down abruptly. Spike and the others lost their footing and started falling down, sliding along the floor. The vampire tried to reach the others, but they rolled away. All three men came to a jarring stop just a few seconds later.

"That really, really hurt," Xander moaned, lying on the ground. "What the hell happened?"

"Cave floor's not level," Spike replied. "I couldn't see how much it dropped. Sorry."

"So long as we can continue, it doesn't matter," Wesley stated. He sat up and tried to get his head to stop ringing. "Spike, can you find us again?" He felt totally alone, like he was floating in a sea of ink. The darkness pressed in on him, making him feel claustrophobic.

"Should be able to," Spike replied. He stood up and looked around, knowing he hadn't landed that far from the others. A high-pitched, keening wail shattered the darkness and he flinched. Still, he kept looking. "Where the bloody hell did you go? I can't see you!"

"Great," Xander muttered. He stood up but didn't actually move anywhere. "This is going so well. I was worried about evil demons. Why? I mean, we're gonna die of hunger long before anyone tries to kill us."

"Are you now?"

"Aahhhhh!" Xander screamed. A cold, smooth voice had just appeared next to him. "What the"

"Do you wish to die?" It asked curiously.

Xander swiveled his head frantically, trying to locate the body that should accompany the voice. "Spike? Wesley? What the hell are you two doing here? Stop playing!"

"Not playing," Spike said timidly. "I heard it too."

"As did I," Wesley confirmed. "Who are you?"

The voice laughed. At least they knew who had been tormenting them for so long. The broken sound ripped through their heads, almost sending them to their knees. "You do not know?" It asked.

"Thraid Alel?" Wesley guessed.

"Few arrive here without knowing," Thraid Alel confirmed. "And none leave in ignorance."

"So someone's gotten out of here?" Xander asked hopefully.

"No," The mysterious demon replied.

"Oh," He whimpered. "Um.so, we're here"

"You seek the Altenalium," Thraid Alel finished for him.

"How'd you know?" Xander asked.

"Not much else here," Spike murmured. "Is there?"

"Nothing else," The demon confirmed. "Why do you seek it?"

"The Vraiyl have come to our world," Wesley replied.

"They are not of your world," Thraid Alel denied. "The Vraiyl have never preferred human dimensions."

"Be that as it may, there's a bunch of'em tearing up jack," Xander retorted. "And according to G-man, the only thing that will stop them is this Altenalium thing."

"So you would wield the Altenalium against the Vraiyl," Thraid Alel murmured. "And you wish for me to give you the Altenalium, so that may have it."

"That just about sums it up, yeah," Xander said impatiently.

Thraid Alel laughed. The men quivered. "If you wish to be possessed of the Altenalium, my impatient human, then you must submit to its tests, all of you."

"Tests?" Spike whispered. He'd just gotten done with a lifetime's worth of tests.

"Indeed, tests," The demon repeated. "If you are deemed worthy, the Altenalium is yours."

Wesley frowned. "And if we are deemed unworthy?"

Laughter echoed throughout the cavern. "Your vampire knows."

Spike's head jerked around. "I do?"

"You do," Thraid Alel stated. Spike's eyes widened. The bodies.

"We don't leave," He muttered. "Same as if we tried to go now, without taking this test. We either walk out with the Altenalium, or we die."

"That doesn't sound fair," Xander complained.

"It is as fair as you are," Thraid Alel countered.

"I'm not seeing much choice here," Xander said. "So I'm guessing we have to take the test. Right, guys?"

"I believe you are correct," Wesley replied. "Regardless of the rules, the Altenalium is what we came here for."

"Fine," Spike mumbled. "Test."

Once again Thraid Alel laughed, although the sound quickly escalated into a tortured wail. The three men couldn't stand against it, falling to their knees with their hands pressed ineffectually over their ears. Tears welled out of their eyes as the sound went on and on, tearing at them. None of them noticed that at some point they had joined in the screaming, their own voices mingling with the demon's in a chorus of anguish and terror.

*****
Part 4:

"Erk," Xander moaned. Finding himself face-down with dirt in his mouth was becoming a habitand not one he relished forming.

"Alexander." Xander's head whipped up.

"You," he spat. "Was that really called for? It hurt!"

Thraid Alel chuckled. "The test, Alexander. It is time."

Xander stood up gingerly. "Fine. What's this test about?"

"Tell me, Alexander, what would you be willing to sacrifice? Your life? Or perhaps your friends, your family," Thraid Alel inquired.

"To save the world from a pack of rabid demons?" Xander retorted, "Anything."

"Anything?" The demon echoed. "Your loveyou would give up the chance to reunite with Anyanka? Would you give up you're freedom, your soul, your humanity? Everything that you are?"

Xander shuffled a bit. "I don't see why that's important," He hedged. "I mean, I came here willingly, and that should say something."

"You thought your very coming here was sacrifice enough," Thraid Alel accused. "It means nothing! That you chose to come here says only that you wanted the Altenalium enough to make a move for it. It in no way shows your willingness to accept loss for gain."

"Then I guess I'd give up anything," Xander replied shortly. "Because I don't want to see my home get torn up by these demons."

"Anything, or everything?" Thraid Alel asked. "And what if your home, Sunnydale, was no longer your home?"

"I'm doing this for other places too," Xander replied. "And I already said I'd give up anything."

"Everything?" The demon repeated.

"Yeah, I guess," Xander huffed. "My life, my soul, my existence, everything. The friends and family bit. Anya. All of it. I don't like that you're asking me that, and I think that you're just trying to get at me. You want to scare me so I'll fail and leave you with the Altenalium and go off and die in some cave and make the place smell bad for the next person who comes looking for it."

"I see," The demon hummed. "So you are not willing to sacrifice, but only to say you are willing to do so?"

Xander growled. "I said I was, and I am. What, you're going to make me promise not to talk to my friends anymore, or throw myself on a sword?"

"Perhaps later," Thraid Alel murmured. Xander got impatient waiting for the demon to say something else.

"So, did I pass?"

"Not yet," The demon said. As its voice faded, Xander started to get dizzy. He sank down to the ground, holding his head. Instead of passing out, however, he started seeing things. Horrible things.

///Willow, beaten and bloodied, torn limb from limb. He couldn't reach for her, couldn't help her.

Buffy, staking humans, laughing as they bled out onto the ground. Giles helping her, conjuring demons, opening the Hellmouth.

Anya, with Angel of all people. Telling him how much happier she was with big vampire dick. Telling him how useless he was in bed.

His parents, refusing to acknowledge his existence. Passing by him like he wasn't even there.

People he didn't know, masses of them, dying. Blood everywhere. People killing people, empty eyes, crazed voices.

He stood in the middle of it all, frozen. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't stop. He was a witness only, uninvolved. Nothing touched him, no one threatened him. But he saw it all. ///

...

Spike stood patiently, knowing that eventually his test would come. He just hoped it wouldn't be his past coming back to haunt him again. That hadn't been fun the first time and he wasn't sure he could do it again.

"William."

"Can we get this over with?" Spike asked the demon.

Thraid Alel laughed. "Of course. What are you willing to give, for the Altenalium?"

"Everything," Spike replied quickly.

"Your life, such as it is?" The demon asked.

"Yes."

"Your freedom?"

"I don't have that to give, but if I did, I would," Spike replied honestly.

"Very true. What about your soul?"

Spike paused. "Yes."

"It means so little to you?"

"It means everything to me, and I said I would give everything," Spike answered.

"Ah," Thraid Alel murmured. "Would you give up the chance to be loved?"

"Yes," Spike said. "Not that that's much of a sacrifice for me."

"On the contrary, I believe it is more important to you than your soul," The demon countered. "You rather desperately need to be lovedan odd characteristic for a vampire."

Spike growled. "Any other questions before we determine that I would be more than happy to throw myself into a fire to get the damned thing?"

Thraid Alel laughed softly. It wasn't a pleasant sound. "William, would you relinquish the joy of solitude for eternity, to save this world you so cherish?"

Spike paused. Before he could answer, he felt a slight shift in the air around him. Thraid Alel was gone. The vampire stood there for a long time, trying to tease apart what the demon had meant by that last comment. Slowly, so gradually that he almost missed it, voices began to speak. He strained to hear them, to understand.

///"Do you love me, William?" Dru, lying in a pool of blood, the corpses of children scattered around her.

"Ah, sweetest William," Angelus crooned as he threw the blonde vampire to the ground. "Still charming the ladies with your innocent's face."

"Oh, look. The Bleached Menace. What, couldn't find another crazy she-vamp?" Buffy, waving a stake in his face.

Spike clapped his hands over his ears, trying to shut out the noise.///

...

Wesley felt the presence of Thraid Alel before the demon started speaking. "A student of stillness, I see."

"At times, yes," Wesley admitted. "As are you."

"Why are you here?" Thraid Alel asked. "You are betrayed and betrayer and feel no connection to the others. This battle is not yours."

"Regardless of my relationships with the others, I am here to help," Wesley answered tentatively.

"Help a world you do not like?" Thraid Alel pressed. "And you do hate it."

"I do," He admitted. "But its residents seem to like it well enough."

"How much would you give, to save this world?"

"What do you want?" Wesley inquired.

"I want nothing," Thraid Alel answered. "But, as is said in your world, nothing is free. All things of value require sacrifice."

"What is it you want me to sacrifice? My life?" Wesley asked harshly. "My soul? What?"

"What are you unwilling to give?" Thraid Alel countered.

"I have nothing of so great a value that I would not give it," He said.

"I see," The demon murmured. "You would end your own existence, send yourself to suffer in the worst depths of hell, watch as the woman you love goes off with another, all for this world you cannot even tolerate?"

"Yes," Wesley answered. "I would."

"Would you? Promise me," The demon insisted. "I want to hear you say it. Swear to me."

"I will do anything, give up everything, for the Altenalium, to save my world," Wesley swore. The demon laughed.

Wesley frowned and began to speak again, to tell the demon that he wasn't going to play its games. That wasn't what came out, however.

///"I was only trying to help," Wesley cried. "To keep him safe. The father shall kill the son."

"I did my best. Faith was uncontrollable," He begged. "She couldn't be controlled."

He tried to stop talking, even going so far as biting his tongue. It didn't work, though. Words kept pouring out, unbidden.///

...

"I find it odd that your Slayer and her kind would send three such uniquely unsuited individuals to retrieve the Altenalium," Thraid Alel announced. Wesley, Spike and Xander, now recovered from their individual trials, jumped up when the demon spoke. "Why would such a powerful warrior send her weakest soldiers?"

"Regardless, you may have the Altenalium," Thraid Alel continued. "If you still desire it."

"We do," Xander replied for the three men. "And, uh, thanks."

"Then you shall have it," The demon announced. "All of it, and I am glad to be quit of it, after all these years." Thraid Alel began to laugh again, one last time. Xander jumped as a cold, harsh wind began to whip through the cavern. Dust and grit spun in the air, chafing his skin. He heard Wesley cry out as the same treatment knocked the Englishman to the ground.

Spike bent forward, trying to stay upright. Bolts of pain flooded his body as he lost control and fell over. He could hear the others, screaming in agony.

"Yes, the Altenalium you shall have," Thraid Alel announced, its voice now disembodied. "Its power as well as its curse. As you have accepted it freely, so you shall bear it throughout eternity, bound forever to your very souls."

Xander felt his head strike rock as he was flung backward. Searing pain continued to streak through his body. His mind felt like it was being torn apart and boiled in pitch.

The last thing the three men heard before they lost consciousness was the dying laughter of Thraid Alel as the demon finally found respite.

...

Xander woke up in pain. He rolled over onto his side, noting that at least this time he hadn't landed face first. "Well, thank gods for." He stopped talking when he realized that there was nothing coming out of his mouth. Nothing at allnot a single sound. /What the hell?/ He thought to himself. He glanced around the cavern. Oddly enough, he could see rather well. The place was enormous; even with his better vision he couldn't see the ceiling. The pain racing through his body was distracting, but he tried to hold himself together. On the ground not five feet away were Spike and Wesley. They too were just regaining consciousness.

"Christ, that hurt," Wesley groaned, rubbing his eyes. He opened them and looked around. It was still very dark. "Why me. Why can't I hear myself?" He asked out loud. He could feel the vibrations of his vocal chords, but his ears detected no sound at all. "What is going on?" He shouted. "Am I deaf now?"

::No, but if you don't shut up I will be,:: Spike thought to himself. He lay on the ground, listening to Wesley scream. He'd already tried talking, only to realize that he couldn't speak. Moreover, he couldn't see anything anymore. That worried him; a blind, mute, chipped vampire was walking ash. Fear began to creep through his agonized body. ::Bloody hell, just shut up, Wesley! You screaming isn't going to solve anything!::

::Excuse me, but I am in pain and frightened. What do you expect me to do?:: Wesley thought. ::Perhaps dance a jig?::

::Not what I would do. And you were screaming?:: Xander thought. ::Wait a minute. I can't speak. How did I just.::

::I can't speak either,:: Spike added. ::Or see. But I can hear very well, and Wesley is screaming. And I hurt.::

::As do I,:: Wesley both said and thought. ::I cannot see either, but this place is dark. I cannot hear myself, though.::

::Um, guys? I can see just fine. We're on the ground in the middle of this big cave. I still can't hear Wes, so I'm guessing I can't hear at all. And I still want to know why I can hear you all in my head!::

::Is this pain ever going to stop?:: Wesley thought. ::How far away are we from each other, Xander?::

::Maybe five feet,:: Xander replied. ::But I can hardly move to get over there. Hurts too much.::

::Try?:: Spike thought. ::We can't get back through the portal unless we're together.::

::Trying,:: Xander thought. He struggled to stand, but quickly gave up. Instead, he sort of crawled over to Spike, who was marginally closer. It took him nearly ten minutes of slow moving and frequent breaks to get there. When he did, however, he discovered two things.

First, he wasn't in nearly as much pain as he had been when he was alone.

Second, he could hear. More specifically, he could hear his breath, and that of Wesley, and of a third person he assumed was Spike. He'd have asked why Spike was breathing, but he didn't have a voi. ::Spike, I'm right next to you. Why are you breathing?::

::I can see you,:: Spike thought. ::Clear as day.::

::And I can hear,:: Xander confirmed. ::Mucho weird. What about the breathing thing?::

::Dunno. We'd better get to Wes,:: Spike thought. With Xander's help, he turned over and began to crawl over to Wes. As soon as he began to move away from Xander, his sight dimmed and the pain worsened. ::Bloody hell! Xander, this isn't working.::

::I know,:: Xander moaned in his head. ::I'm right behind you. Maybe we'd better stick close by.::

"If you have finished, could you please come over here?" Wesley said. "Now that you both can hear me?"

::Sorry,:: Xander thought. ::We're almost there.::

Wesley could sense that they were; he began to feel better and a dull glow started to appear in front of him. He heard the soft scraping of fabric on stone as the two men arrived. "What an odd occurrence," He said as they helped him sit up. "I can see and hear now that you are arrived."

"Hmm," Xander hummed. "Hey, I can talk!"

"So can I," Spike murmured. "And the pain's gone."

Xander glanced at the vampire. Then he looked closer. "Spike? Uh." Xander looked down at Wesley. "Guys? Something very, very weird is going on. I mean, wiggy weird. Spike's red-faced, and both of you guy's eyes are blue. I mean, all blue, no whites."

Spike looked down at himself. "What? Red-faced?"

Wesley stared at Xander. "Your eyes are different as well." He moved closer to Spike, studying the man's face. After a moment, he reached out a hand, brushing it against the vampire's cheek. "Spike, you're warm."

Spike stopped staring at his hands to look at Wesley. "Warm?" He couldn't be warm. He was a vampire, a walking corpse with a still heart and. a pulse. A pulse that was thundering in his veins. "I'm." He blinked rapidly. "I'm not dead."

Xander moved closer, until he was just touching both Spike and Wesley. "As in not-a-vampire-anymore? That would certainly explain the breathing thing."

Spike frowned, concentrating. "Can't vamp out."

"I would say you are no longer a vampire," Wesley commented. "Perhaps this has to do with the Altenalium."

As soon as the ex-Watcher thought about the weapon, memories flooded his mind. From the looks on the other men's faces, they too were experiencing the rush of images. They bent over under the barrage of information pouring into their minds, unable to control it.

::The Altenalium,:: Wesley thought.

::It's in us,:: Spike added.

::In our heads?:: Xander asked.

Wesley and Xander felt Spike think, ::no.:: ::It's not *in* us. We *are* the Altenalium.::

::We're the Altenalium??:: Xander echoed, still trying to catch one of the pictures racing through his head. He felt something shove its way into his consciousness, like someone had shoved a photo right in his face. ::Oh.::

It was a memory.

::What have we done?:: Wesley murmured silently. He too had accessed the memory. The three men sat slumped together, shoulders keeping each other propped up, while they relived the entire existence of the Altenalium.

*****
Part 5:

When the flood of memories finally stopped, Xander fell onto his back, weak with relief. "This really, really sucks," He said flatly.

"I must agree with you," Wesley said. "I seriously doubt that our reluctant coworkers would have chosen us, had they known the truth."

Spike nodded. "I see now what Thraid Alel meant when it said that we were unsuited." Wesley glanced over at the former vampire. He was pleased to see that the soon-to-be-former blonde was looking a bit better, the deep red blush gone for now.

"I blushed easily when I was human," Spike said, having heard what Wesley was thinking. "It was the bane of my existence."

"The ladies always knew when you were interested," Xander finished for him. "And the men always thought you had virgin's ears, since you blushed around them all the time, too." The young man sat up. "You liked them? Ugh. That's."

"Not all that uncommon," Wesley interjected. "And might I remind you that I have the entirety of your mind inside mine? Your disgust isn't entirely honest."

::Damn it, this sucks!:: Xander thought. ::I am never going to have a private moment for the rest of my life!::

::Oh, We'll be sure to stand outside the bathroom door,:: Wesley thought dryly. ::You may even shower by yourself, if you wish.::

::Be glad I'm not a vampire anymore, mate,:: Spike added. ::You really don't want to be sharing a vampire's mind. It's bad enough you've got all my memories.::

::I know,:: Xander thought, mentally grimacing. ::You went for the blood in a major way.:: He paused for a moment. "So what's with the soul? Yeah, I've got the memories, but."

"It seemed like the thing to do at the time,:: Spike said, slipping back into telepathy midway through his sentence. ::I didn't.::

Xander nodded, understanding all too well. One of the many side effects of the Altenalium was the complete sharing of minds. All three men now knew everything about each other all of their memories, both good and bad. It made Xander very uncomfortable, for several reasons. None of them were the picture of mental health anyway, so multiplied by three the feelings of guilt, hurt, betrayal and regret were smotheringly heavy. It was also difficult for Xander to hold onto his hatred of Spike and his dislike of Wesley. Before, he could assume that Spike was an evil, uncaring monster. Now he knew that Spike had never meant to try to rape Buffy; he was consumed, obsessed even, but he never wanted to hurt her. The horrifying revulsion the unsouled Spike had felt towards his actions was almost enough to make Xander forgive him. Almost. The fact that the vampire had gone off and gotten his soul just to make himself suffer was the icing on the cake. He had to admire a guy who'd permanently saddle himself with the universe's perfect torture device.

::We're going to have to return soon,:: Spike thought. ::And it's not going to be easy.::

::Easy?:: Wesley echoed. "Bloody hell, Spike, they're going to be furious. Can you imagine Angel's face when he finds out that we are the weapon? That the three of us are the Altenalium? He cannot have it or wield it? That he must stand aside while we fight this battle?"

"Or Buffy's face, when she sees that Spike's not a vampire anymore? Or when she finds out you've got a soul? And no chip?" They knew, somehow, that the Altenalium had destroyed the chip in Spike's head, just as it had shattered Xander and Wesley's fillings. No foreign matter remained in their bodies.

"They're going to try to separate us, you know," Spike commented. "None of them are going to want Xander to be anywhere near me."

"Or me," Wesley added. "If we have been gone any length of time, Angel is sure to have told them about Connor." Xander and Spike winced in sympathy. They remembered just as vividly as Wesley all the gory details surrounding Connor. They were unable to be angry with him, knowing with absolute certainty that he had the child's welfare at heart the entire time.

"Then we'll have to make them see that they can't," Xander said firmly. "Can o' whoop-ass and all."

"Do you think that will work?" Spike inquired.

"We're the Altenalium," Xander shot back. "Yeah, we came and became that to fight the Vraiyl, but we work against a lot of other things too. And no, I don't want to hurt any of them, but they can't control us and they can't separate us. You know what will happen if they do,:: Xander said, once again slipping into mindspeech.

::Still, we must be extremely careful,:: Wesley warned. ::The Powers seem to have chosen us for this, but Angel does not always do what The Powers want him to.::

::It's hard to serve when you're selfish,:: Xander replied. ::But I guess we should be going.:: He stood up, reaching a hand down to the others. "Er.before we go, maybe we should see just how far apart we can get."

"Good idea," Wesley said. "We've already established how we lose our senses when one of use leaves."

"You two stay together," Spike said, taking a step back. "I'm guessing that one can get farther from two together than if all three of us try to leave at the same time,:: He said, his physical voice fading and mindvoice rising as he moved further away. ::I can't see a bloody thing,:: He thought. ::And I can barely stand.::

"We're a bit better off," Wesley said. "Although we're quite deaf now. Come back slowly, until you can just start to see and speak again.""

They soon figured out that if two of them stayed side by side, the third could move about five feet away before the pain got really bad. Spike made a few more test trials and hypothesized that with practice, they could extend that distance quite a bit. That would make day-to-day things like bathing much easier. What was troubling was that when all three men separated, the distance was cut to about three feet. It was going to very hard to stay that close all the time. If Spike's idea worked, however, maybe they could get to where they could at least move around a single room with ease.

"Ok, Wes, dig out that nasty pixie dust and zap us home," Xander said. "And when we get there, we're making a run for my apartment. I've got food, lots of it, and a nice comfy bed. No more sleeping on stone floors for me."

"At least we don't have to worry about the sun," Spike murmured. He couldn't express how happy he was that he'd be able to see a sunrise now. That joy almost overcame the constant pressure and anguish of his soul.

::We'll be sure to wake up in time to see it tomorrow. We can even stay up to watch the sun set tonight if you'd like,:: Wesley thought.

Xander shrugged and agreed. He was a bit bothered by the fact that he automatically wanted to make the other two men happy. It wasn't that he wanted them to suffer, but it felt weird being almost-commanded to do things like that. He was used to reserving such empathetic leanings to his loved ones.

::You don't love us?:: Spike thought, not-quite-fake hurt tingeing his mind.

::Be quiet, not-fangy-anymore,:: Xander thought. ::Wes, how hard is it to throw some powder in the air?::

...

"It's been ten hours," Buffy griped. "They messed up, didn't they?"

Giles snarled. "We have been over this already, Buffy. There is no way to tell what the time differential is between the dimensions. They may have been dead for hundreds of years, or the may have been there for only a few minutes."

"That's so unhelpful," Cordelia murmured. "We get the whole time thing. Been there, done that. Being stuck in Sunnydale just sucks."

Fred watched the tense by-play between Giles, Buffy and Angel with more than a little worry. They were being very harsh towards Xander, Spike and Angel. Oh, she understood why each man had somehow gotten in the bad graces of all of the others. That didn't justify their behavior. Fred herself wasn't really happy with how she treated Wesley, but she never went so far as to wish him dead unlike Angel. Wes was lucky that Anyanka wasn't working at the moment, or the ex-Watcher would've suffered a horrible death. He might still, if Angel didn't learn to keep his mouth shut when the vengeance demon arrived.

"Can't I even try to slay these demons?" Buffy whined plaintively. "It's boring here!"

"It is the middle of the day," Giles grated out. "Why don't you go practice? Or read? There are a great many volumes here that would prove useful to a Slayer."

Buffy huffed and slumped in her chair. Giles knew just how to shut her up.

Gunn was about to offer to go get some food for the group when a sharp crack shot through the store. A loud pop followed and three bodies fell from waist height in the middle of the room, landing in a heap on the floor. Everyone jumped up to investigate the arrivals.

"They look alive," Buffy said, peering down. "Well, as much as they were to start with."

"Hah hah," Xander muttered. ::She can be so.::

::Trying,:: Spike finished for him. They both loved Buffy, in somewhat-different ways, and neither wanted to get started on a rant.

Giles reached down to assist Xander, who was struggling to stand. Much to his surprise, Xander shied away from the touch and stood on his own, immediately reaching for the other men. Angel just watched warily as Wesley and Spike found their feet.

"So, did you get it?" Buffy asked.

"Where is it?" Angel added. "These demons aren't going wait another ten hours to start attacking."

"Ten hours?" Wesley murmured. "We were only gone ten hours?"

"It was longer for you," Fred whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Be quiet, Fred," Angel ordered. Gunn and Fred both glared at the man.

Buffy ignored the pair. Angel had filled her in on exactly what Wesley had done and to whom. The whole Connor-as-son thing was one hell of a shock, but she found herself actually liking the kid. He understood good and bad human and demon. They even sparred a bit earlier. He was currently hanging back out of the way.

"What's with your eyes, Wes?" Gunn asked, staring at Wesley's now solid blue eyes.

"Side effect," Xander answered for the other man.

"Of getting the Altenalium?" Giles inquired. "And yes, where is it?"

The three men took a step closer together, until they were almost on top of each other. "Funny thing, you know," Xander started. "You made us think it was a sword or something."

"It's not," Spike continued.

"Far from it," Wesley added.

"Cute. Cryptic guys. Come on," Buffy snarled. "Hand it over."

The three men turned their eerie blue eyes towards the Slayer. "You really don't want us to do that," They said together.

"That was seriously freaky," Cordelia whispered. "They sound like some cheesy horror movie."

"Where's the Altenalium?" Giles demanded. "Stop playing around!"

"Giles, we can't give you the Altenalium," Xander said softly. "It simply isn't possible," He continued, his voice joined by the others.

"Why not?" Angel shouted. "We need it."

Wesley looked over at Angel. Why had he ever devoted his life to this man? "We shall wield it when its power is required."

"Uh, no," Buffy said flatly. "Me and Angel can do that. Just give it over." She reached for Xander, knowing the little shit had it in a pocket somewhere. Now was not the time to start joking.

Spike saw Buffy reach for Xander and reacted instinctively. So did Wesley. Buffy found her path blocked by two very angry men, eyes glowing an unearthly blue. She reached out to push them away. Instead of hitting Spike's shoulder, her hand was caught by Wesley, who easily sent her flailing back a few feet.

"I recommend NOT messing with any of us right now," Xander suggested to the others. "We're kinda touchy."

"What the hell?" Gunn murmured. "Is this what carrying that weapon does to you?" If that was the case, maybe they didn't need it after all.

"No," Wesley replied.

"This is what being the Altenalium does to you," Spike finished.

"Being the Altenalium?" Giles repeated. "What do you mean?"

"The Altenalium isn't really a weapon," Xander told the older man.

"It's an energy force. An entity," Wesley added.

"It cannot simply be wielded like a battle-axe," Spike said softly.

"Or worn like armor," Wesley murmured.

The only way you can use the Altenalium," Xander finished. "Is to *be* the Altenalium."

"And you made it very clear that we were not to return without it," Wesley said.

"So we didn't," Spike barked. "We've returned."

"Changed," Xander pushed on. "We've brought you the Altenalium."

"Which also happens to be ourselves," Wesley said.

"Sorry if you wanted us to just hand it over and go away," Spike spat.

"Not that we don't want to do just that," Xander continued. "But we can't. This is a one-time, no going back take it or leave it deal."

"But now what are we going to do?" Buffy moaned. "How are we supposed to get rid of the Vraiyl?"

"You aren't," Wesley muttered.

"We are," Xander said. "Our job now."

"No," Angel growled. "You can't" He stopped when the three men turned on him, entire bodies now glowing that odd blue color.

"We can and we will and you will not stop us," Wesley declared. "You cannot stop us."

"They were the people I saw fighting," Cordelia reminded the others. "And if the Alty thing is good for anything besides neato lighting tricks, they'll do their job, right?"

Spike, Xander and Wesley all nodded. "But for now, we're going to get some sleep. It might have been ten hours for you, but I'd say we were over there at least two days and most of that time was spent in excruciating pain," Xander stated. "The Vraiyl aren't going to attack in ten hours," He continued, knowing that Buffy, Giles and Angel were about to protest. "We can feel that too. So move aside, let us go, and we'll get back to you after our beauty sleep."

"Wesley stays with me," Angel told them as the threesome moved towards the door. Fred and Gunn got out of their way so they could move through the others.

"He goes with me," Xander replied evenly. "You got a problem with that, you can take it up with us later. We're outta here."

*****
Part 6:

::I don't like tomato soup.::

Xander glanced at Spike. The former vampire was scowling and smiling at the same time. He wasn't sure that was really possible, but he was. The young man knew that behind the cheap sunglasses that Spike had produced from his duster, his eyes were huge and shining. The reason? The sun was bright and glowing in a cloudless sky. "I've got cream of mushroom too," Xander replied.

::I know, pillock,:: Spike shot back. ::And minestrone, and vegetable..:

::And nacho cheese, although why anyone would either make or consume nacho cheese soup is beyond my comprehension,:: Wesley added. ::However I am sure there is something that Spike will lower himself to consume.::

"Sorry," Spike murmured, contrite. He hadn't meant to be difficult.

::Forget about it,:: Xander thought gruffly. He couldn't be mad at Spike, which made him angry. He wanted to be frustrated at the older man. It was a comfortable sensation he was well used to.

::How do you make grilled cheese sandwiches?:: Spike asked Xander. It was a diversionary tactic; he could feel Xander's unease. Besides that, he had no idea of how to make a grilled cheese sandwich. Images of melted cheese dripping into a fire didn't inspire confidence. Yes, he could see Xander's memories of what grilled cheese sandwiches were, but he hadn't experienced them himself. It was odd, knowing but not knowing.

Xander laughed at the picture, almost tripping over a manhole cover as they crossed the street. "They're really fried sandwiches," He told Spike. "You let the cheese melt inside the sandwich, not on a grill."

"Cheddar?" Wesley asked hopefully. "Or swiss?"

"I've got both," Xander said. "And provolone, and American, and muenster."

::Muenster and cream of celery soup,:: Wesley moaned. ::You have a can left.::

Xander shuddered. ::And it's all yours. I never could stand it.::

Spike and Wesley just nodded. They knew it was something Anya preferred. That name, however, wasn't going to get mentionedverbally, at least. ::How much farther is it?:: Wesley inquired.

::About a block,:: Xander reassured him. They were tired, achy and more than ready to relax and get some sleep. The added stress of the new additions to their minds wasn't helping any. Xander kept getting these weird flashes from Spike.the man was afraid of something, but he couldn't put his finger on what. It was more of a general fear reaction. ::Spike?::

"What?" The former vampire asked.

::Something bothering you?:: Xander inquired.

::Dunno. Look again later,:: Spike replied.

By that time they'd reached Xander's apartment building. He let them inside, locking the door afterwards. "Bathroom's that way," He said, pointing. "I'll start food."

"Xander," Wesley murmured. "We can't go that far without you. Not yet, anyway."

"Ergh. Fine, come on," Xander muttered walking towards the bathroom. The two men trailed just behind him. "I'm sure we can stand"

"Yes, we can," Wesley replied quickly. He disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door. Spike and Xander stared at each other for a minute before leaning against the wall just to the side of the door. They pointedly flooded their minds with images of food and television, hoping to not notice the mental details of Wesley's ablutions. It worked fairly well, although Wesley complained that it wasn't easy to piss with visions of chocolate ice cream and basketball running through his head.

"Xander?" Wesley murmured as he left the bathroom. Xander turned and took the other man's place in the small room. Once he was finished, the three men stood there, looking at each other while they wondered what to do.

"Don't you need to, er, go?" Xander asked Spike.

::Why? I've only been alive for a few hours,:: Spike reminded him. ::Nothing to get rid of yet.::

::Oh, yeah,:: Xander thought. ::I knew that. Let me get you something to sleep in.::

::I want the blue pair with the drawstring,:: Spike thought as they moved into the bedroom. ::You're too big; the others will fall off me.::

"Got a point there, blondie," Xander agreed as he dug through his dresser. Soon all three of them were possessed of faded sweatpants and t-shirts. "Er." The three men simultaneously turned around to give themselves a modicum of privacy while they changed. When they turned back around, they couldn't help but laugh at themselves.

Xander looked normal after all, these were his clothes. Wesley, and to a greater extent Spike, were swimming in his larger attire. Spike frowned momentarily, until he saw in his mind what Xander saw in his own eyesa slender, shorter man drowning in baggy britches and a shirt. ::Oh, like Wesley's any better. Disneyland?::

Wesley looked down at his shirt and shook his head. ::I cannot believe you bought this, Xander,:: He thought. ::The blue one was much more appropriate.::

"How was I supposed to know the red one would fade to pink?" Xander defended. ::But it's very.::

"Do not finish that thought," Wesley warned. "You promised sandwiches, soup and sleep, in that order, I believe."

Xander nodded and turned to go to the kitchen. The others followed him like his own personal honor guard. When Xander thought about that, Spike reached forward and thwapped him gently on the head. ::Not your bleeding honor guard, mate. More like the peanut gallery.::

Soon the stove was on and covered in pots of canned soup and frying sandwiches. Xander forced Spike to eat his soup first, in the hopes that the relatively bland substance wouldn't bother the man's.unpracticed stomach. The first word he'd thought was virgin, which nearly got his head thwapped again. As it was, Spike glared and Wesley suppressed a giggle.

"Thanks, mate," Spike said as he carried his dishes back into the kitchen. "Wish they'd had grilled cheese and Campbell's back then," He added, thinking about Victorian London. He actually liked American cheese. It didn't taste moldy, unlike most cheeses. Yeah, he liked fine foods, but mold wasn't his idea of haute cuisine.

::Mine either,:: Xander said. ::I mean, I like food as much as the next guy, but Limburger? Ugh!::

::I quite like it,:: Wesley countered. ::With garlic, pickled herring, and capers.::

Spike and Xander looked nauseous. ::That was so not nice,:: Xander shot back to Wesley. ::Because you know I can taste the memory. How could you have eaten that?::

"And liked it?" Spike continued. "I've had demon's blood better than that!"

"Fyarl?" Wesley inquired. "I believe you would describe it as"

::Liquid armpit stench, blended with toe cheese,:: Xander finished. ::But maybe we'd better stop before we throw up.::

"Right," Spike stated. "Bed, then. We're all about to pass out."

"Yes, Xander, I'll sleep in the middle," Wesley said tiredly. The boy was rather obviously leery of sleeping next to Spike, and they'd already figured out that in order to get any rest, they'd be sharing one bed.

::Sorry,:: Spike thought.

Xander sighed. ::Don't be. It's.::

::I understand,:: Spike answered. It didn't make him feel any better to do so, but he comprehended the boy's anxiety. Funny, though; Wesley didn't feel the same way, and he had held similarly negative views of the vampiric Spike. Hmm.

The bed was big, true, but they were three full-sized adult males. By the time they got arranged under the covers, they were packed like kippers, side by side. ::I'm warm,:: Spike thought after a few minutes.

::Living things get that way,:: Xander replied. Wesley reached over to Spike's side of the bed and pulled the top blanket back.

"Those of us who've been living with an internal body temperature" The ex-Watcher began, only to be cut off by Spike.

::Have learned to layer,:: Spike finished. ::Sorry.::

"Stop saying that," Xander said out loud. "Don't be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Sorry," Spike said again, this time for annoying Xander.

::Grr,:: Xander growled mentally. ::Sleep. Don't apologize. Sleep.::

::Alright,:: Spike murmured. ::Sorry.::

Wesley caught Xander's hand before it could actually descend onto Spike's head. The blonde was already rolling out of the waytheir mental bond betrayed Xander's intentions. Xander wrested his hand loose from Wesley's and rolled onto his side, facing away from the others. Spike calmed down and relaxed, once again trying to fall asleep.

"Sorry," Xander whispered a few minutes later.

::Me too,:: Spike replied quietly.

"Ahem," Wesley muttered. "Sleep?"

"Yes, sir," Xander and Spike spoke simultaneously.

::Brats.::

...

Wesley woke up feeling warmer and more secure than he'd ever felt before. Something soothing yet firm was pressed against his back, and a similar source of comfort lay against his chest, pressing him gently. He knew that it was Spike and Xander, curled around him. They'd wrapped themselves into quite a knot in their sleep.

::Stop thinking,:: Xander ordered. ::Might be able to go back to sleep.::

::Too late,:: Spike admitted. ::I'm awake now.:: And he needed to go to the bathroom.

::Even if you don't remember how, we do,:: Xander told the older man. Spike groaned and prodded Xander to get him to get out of bed. He had to have both of them near the bathroom or the pain of separation would make the entire operation pointless. Wesley stumbled after Xander, followed by Spike, as they made their way to the toilet.

"When you're done, wipe with the"

A very sharp mental image of Xander, knives, and housecats shut the youngest man up rather quickly. Spike retreated into the bathroom to relieve himself.

"That wasn't very nice," Wesley told the young man. "He's doing remarkably well for someone who's been dead for a century."

::Thank you, Dr. Wyndham-Price,:: Spike thought dryly.

"Hey, I'm humor-guy. If there's an opening, I'm gonna take it," Xander told the others.

::So I noticed, buttmonkey,:: Wesley retorted. ::You set yourself up with that one.::

"Did you have to bring that up?" Xander whined. "I mean."

"He could've done much worse, Nighthawk," Spike said as he returned from the lavatory.

"Bloody awful poet," Xander said snidely. "Ok, do you want frozen waffles or"

::Eggs, bacon and toast,:: Wesley interjected. ::Perhaps an omelet.::

"Only if you cook it," Xander said.

::Please?:: Spike asked the ex-Watcher. ::I can help.::

::As you wish,:: Wesley said amiably. ::You did ask politely.::

"I'll help too," Xander mumbled.

"Oh, I can find everything," Wesley assured him.

Xander glared. Yeah, they could find everything in his apartment, including the sex toys under the bed. Then again, he knew where Wesley kept his skin mags. And where Spike hid his "Stuffed frog? You have a plush frog?"

Spike's head whipped around. "Yeah, so what? Dru gave it to me."

::But Dru treated you like shit,:: Xander said, confused. ::But you liked the frog anyway. Oh.::

::It's a cute frog,:: Wesley commented. ::And stop thinking about my pornography collection, or I will be forced to think about how to embarrass you with your sex toys. Anal beads? Really, Xander. How depraved.::

Xander destroyed the egg he was holding, broken yolk running through his fingers. ::Have I mentioned how much this sucks?::

"A time or two, yes," Spike answered. "If that bothers you, I'd recommend you not"

"You fucked Angel?" Xander screamed. "A lot! You fucked Angel! Ewwwwwwww! I'm gonna have to spend eternity knowing you did Angel?"

Wesley shuddered under the images he was recalling. Apparently Xander had managed to stop them once he realized who was involved. Otherwise he wouldn't be shouting at Spike, but rather at Angelus. What Wesley saw wasn't sex, or even mere fucking. No, the memories were of Angelus brutalizing Spike, again and again. The Englishman couldn't find a memory in which Spike seemed to be enjoying the act at all. "Shut up, Xander. You aren't thinking clearly."

"He fucked Angel!" Xander repeated. Spike was shrinking away from Xander, as much as he could and still retain all his sense. The revulsion he felt from Xander was debilitating enough on its own.

::Xander, stop!:: Wesley ordered. He pushed the memories he'd seen into Xander's mind. The boy stilled, his eyes wide. Oh. He hadn't looked very closely at all. "He."

Spike knew what Xander was seeing and hated it. For one, nobody should've had to suffer through that. He also didn't want the boy's pity, and he knew it was coming.

::I'll try not to,:: Xander swore shakily. ::Pity you, that is. And I'm sorry for yelling. Seeing Angel like that is traumatic.::

::No kidding,:: Spike replied flatly. ::And not to change the subject, but are we ever going to finish breakfast?::

Wesley and Xander obediently resumed their cooking. They'd spent enough time on the painful subject of Spike's past. There was no reason to torture any of them with more of it right away.

...

"Damn, that was one fine omelet," Xander declared, pushing away his plate. "Wes, you can just have the apron and oven mitts. I officially resign from the food preparation job."

::I think not,:: Wesley argued. ::I am not cooking all of our food.::

"I'll cook," Spike offered. ::If you watch the first few times.::

"We'll see," Wesley murmured. "As much as I would like to spend the rest of the day alternating between sleeping, eating and painful realizations about our now-shared memories, I think it would be prudent to bathe, dress and go explain this situation to the others."

"Before they hunt us down, you mean?" Xander asked. "You're right."

Spike just nodded and stood up. "Maybe we should try to stretch the distance we can be separated. Just a little."

::Good idea,:: Wesley thought. ::Although I don't think we'll be able to manage washing the dishes while Xander showers.:: Spike frowned but agreed. He'd wanted to get that task out of the way, but it would have to wait.

Xander paused in their trek to the bedroom to get a couple of chairs and place them next to the bathroom. There was no reason for the others to stand around while he got clean. In the bedroom he rifled through his clothes, looking for something for the others to wear.

::I know you've got a plain, dark t-shirt in there somewhere,:: Spike thought, peering into a drawer. Xander reached in and retrieve a navy cotton shirt.

"It'll have to do; the black one's dirty," He said. "Wes? You want."

::Yes, that one,:: Wesley confirmed, taking an amazingly unadorned maroon shirt out of Xander's hands. The younger man provided the others with additional clothes, then herded them into the main room so he could take his shower. They stood next to their chairs, waiting for him to actually get into the shower stall. Once he was relatively stationary, they began to edge the chairs away.

::Stop,:: Xander thought loudly. ::Uh, could you get a bit closer? I can't hear a damned thing.:: The two men obediently shifted back. ::Thanks. Wow, we must be a good six feet apart.::

"It's because Spike and I are together," Wesley replied loudly.

"And we're not so tired," Spike added. ::Don't slip on the soap,:: He reminded the young man as he sensed Xander dropping a bar of Zest.

::Stop knowing I'm bathing!:: Xander insisted, joking a little. It unnerved him to know the others could tell exactly what he was doing, but at the same time it was damned funny hearing Spike warn him against shower mishaps.

::Yes, sir,:: Spike replied meekly. ::I'll just sit here and think about something else.::

Both Wesley and Spike winced when Xander mentally shouted out his displeasure at suddenly hearing 'God Save the Queen' a la the Sex Pistols.

::Spike!::

::Yeah?:: Spike asked, rubbing his head. The kid had one hell of a loud mind.

::Sorry.::

::Yeah, me too,:: Spike returned.

Wesley groaned. It was going to be a very, very long day.

*****