Maul rolled back onto the floor, bringing the vampire to rest on his chest. Spike took his mouth in a blazing kiss, languid in the afterglow. Maul had to admit, that was the best screw he had ever had, despite the loss of blood he had sustained afterward. The blonde groaned as Maul's cock slipped from his body and rolled off the red and black pillow to sprawl on the floor on his back, his eyes shut in satisfaction.

Maul used the vampire's shirt to wipe off his belly where he had been sprayed, then propped himself up on an elbow and looked down at the softly panting blonde man. Though his eyes had dropped shut, Maul could tell by his body tension that he was not comfortable enough with his new lover to fall deeply asleep. Maul grasped his angular jaw and sent a thumb along its edge, marveling at the stark contrast of his jet black fingers against such pale skin. He traced the curve of full lips and watched Spike's lashes flutter slightly, felt the coolness of the vampire's skin under his ribcage. This creature drew him like no other ever had. He had been used to taking what he needed from those around him and what small amount of sexual release he needed he had taken as well, but this marked the first time he had had a willing partner. Maul had found himself more aroused by the encouragements Spike had yelled at him, they very nearly eclipsed the rush he got from the anger and fear he usually soaked up from his sexual encounters.

"Mine."

The Sith lord blinked, surprised at his own word, but there was no denying this feeling. He wanted to keep having sex with this pale stranger while he was on this planet. Spike's eyes opened and he wrapped his arms around Maul's neck, smiling lazily.

"Oooooooh...look at you, Tarzan. Gettin' all possessive on me."

Maul froze. One of the Laws of the Universe the Sith believed was that possessions were a weakness. They were baggage that slowed down a warrior, they were the things the Dark Lords used to control others. Maul had not owned a single possession since he was a child. Everything he had was given to him by Sidious to be used for his Master's benefit, and anything he tried to claim as his own Sidious had taken away. Maul quickly learned not to covet things, trinkets or otherwise. Save for his lightsaber, he had no need to claim anything as his own, yet he found himself very much wanting to keep this man with him. The skin of his hands ached to touch him, and Maul understood how things like this could control a person. He swiftly covered the blonde's mouth with his own, kissing him roughly and delighting in the deep moan it produced. He would shield his want of Spike as best he could from his Master. If Sidious ever found out Maul felt this way, he would punish him for his weakness; it was the way of the Sith. He would do the same when he finally slew Sidious and became a Master himself. Feeling the lithe body squirm under him brought back a wave of intense pleasure and Maul left off kissing to sink his teeth into an earlobe.

"You are mine," he whispered with certainty.

Spike snorted. "Be careful what you wish for, mate. I have a *LOT* of enemies."

"I will let no one harm you."

"Really? That's kinda...hot." The vampire wriggled suggestively again, aroused anew at the thought of this wild demon as his bodyguard. While it had been great for Spike to find out he could beat the crap out of non-humans, it had the downside of placing his name on the top of every demon's shit list. Maul was a hell of a fighter, he had bested Spike rather neatly, and the vampire had the feeling Maul had held back. He bit Maul's jaw line playfully while running his hands down the Sith's backside. Maul growled, then his stomach did the same.

"I need to eat."

Spike shoved Maul off of himself and bounced to his feet. "That's an idea. And, nummy as you were, I'm still peckish." The vampire smirked to himself as he pulled on clothes, Maul fastening up his own. Maul was curious as to Spike's hunting habits, and was eager to watch him feed on the blood of another. While Spike crammed the items from the drawer back into their place, the Sith set up the homing beacon for his probes. If anyone spotted the probes and followed them, they would come to the crypt and not give away the position of his ship. The vampire watched him erect the tiny metal tripod on the table and activate it.

"What's 'at?"

Maul opted not to lie. "It is a....signal. I am searching for two people from my world. They are called Jedi, they dress in brown robes, and they are very dangerous." Spike smirked, wondering just how more dangerous it could possibly get on the Hellmouth. "I must find them soon."

Spike shrugged, feeling suddenly shy. "Yeah, okay. Uh....listen. M' name's Spike." He held out his hand to the demon, inwardly laughing at the absurdity of the formality in light of the wild intimacy they had just shared.

"Spike." Maul repeated the word, which sent another involuntary shiver down the vampire's spine. He then grasped the offered hand, and, not really knowing what to do with it, licked it from palm to wrist, tasting himself and Spike on the skin. "I am...Maul."

"Maul, eh? You're ah....." Spike felt his knees go wobbly from the feeling of Maul's softly textured tongue on the inside of his wrist. "You're charming when you wanna be." Spike turned and Maul followed him out. It had stopped raining and the air smelled fresh as they melted into the darkness.

* * *

In the end, it was the blistering sun which gave away the presence of the probe, the glint of light on metal completely out of place amongst the browns and greens of the vegetation. The two Jedi remained remarkably still as the metal orb floated closer, intent on confirmation of it's targets. In the space of a thought, Obi-Wan had leapt to his feet, activated his saber and cleaved the probe in two. He strode to Obi-Wan's side as his apprentice knelt by the remains of the machine, digging into it's wiry guts.

"Sith?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "They must have launched a ship to follow us." He sighed. "These probes are not automatic, which means..."

"There is a Sith on this planet." Qui-Gon straightened and looked about gravely. He could not bear the thought of this raw and beautiful planet being laid to waste by the Jedi's enemies, especially if it were the two knights they were after.

Obi-Wan rose to stand by his Master, a tiny component in his hands. "The homing signal is shot, but I can retrace the path it has followed, and we should be able to pinpoint the area it was launched from with a decent map of the planet." Qui-Gon took the young man in his arms suddenly, feeling the sadness and tension from the discovery that they could not relax, could not begin to build their lives on this planet. Qui-Gon gently kissed somewhat pouty lips.

"Do not worry Obi-Wan, We shall prevail."

* * *

In hindsight, taking Maul to Willie's bar was probably not the best idea, but Spike had no clue what Maul would consider food, and Willy served just about everything a demon could stomach. Unfortunately, the menu tended to attract demons and three hulking specimens had surrounded Spike and Maul in an alleyway before they had even reached the door. Considering that one of them had thrashed the tar out of Spike recently, the vampire stood the chance of losing his bad ass image in front of his new friend, and that pissed him off.

The largest member of the group circled in front of the blonde while the other members made their assessment of Maul. As intended, they dismissed him due to size and the fact that he kept most of his face hidden in his hood, giving a nod to their leader that the smaller man posed no real threat. The head demon drew himself up to full height, looking down on Spike.

"I'm surprised you'd show your face around here again, after what we did to you last time." There was a *definite* hint of laughter in his deep voice which irritated Spike.

"Well, somebody has to balance out all the ugly mugs that hang out here."

The obligatory posing over, the head demon attacked Spike with a roar, but the vampire was more than ready for him. Using his speed and lithe agility to full advantage, Spike easily danced out of the demons way, kicking him in the ass on his way by, forcing him to smash his head into the brick wall of the alleyway. Stunned but enraged, the beast came at Spike again. The vampire went low this time, kicking savagely at a knee joint and relishing the sounds of snapping bone. His roar now coupled with a howl of pain, the demon lurched to his good leg and tried to grab Spike, but the vampire had already found a length of metal piping amongst the debris in the alley and whacked him repeatedly over the head with it until he went down with a thud. Panting slightly, Spike whirled around, realizing belatedly that Maul would need help with the other two assailants. To his surprise, Maul stood casually against the wall with pieces of the other demons in bloody lumps at his feet. Obviously he had finished his mayhem a while ago and was now looking at Spike questioningly.

"Why did you wait so long to kill him?" The red and black designs at Maul's forehead moved slightly. He really was curious.

Spike snorted and threw the pipe over his shoulder casually, trying not to show his shock at how quickly Maul had defeated his two opponents. "What, and take all the fun out of it?" He strode over to Maul and pressed himself full against the compact body. "Sex and killing's the only fun there is, Mate. You don't pass up the opportunity when it comes along." Taking the horned head again in his hands, Spike latched onto Maul's lips, pushing his slick tongue between them to taste inside his mouth. Maul instantly wrapped his arms around the other man in a vise-like bear hug, his own excitement brought on by the fight and Spike's sexy body undulating against him. Through the thin material of the vampire's shirt, Maul sought and squeezed tender nipples. While he had never considered his own nipples very erogenous, when Spike had pinched his during their coupling in the crypt, it had caused very wild sensations to rip through the Sith's body, and it was no doubt doing the same to Spike now.

Having worked a knee between Maul's legs, Spike began a slow, teasing massage of Maul's crotch. Spike could feel the vibrations in his chest as Maul growled low in his throat. Leaving his nipples, Maul's hands clawed at Spike's buttons on his jeans until the vampire pushed them away and worked them open himself. Maul's hand instantly dove in and slid along Spike's erection, causing a breathy moan. Maul's other hand dropped to Spike's ass cheek, squeezing and massaging. He found kneading the other man to be extremely satisfying, he really liked the solidity of that body against his frame. Spike had worked out how to get Maul's robes apart enough to free his sex again, and as he broke their kiss, looked down to watch as he wrapped one hand around the shaft and used the other to fiddle with the now slick head. Maul's organ leaped as if straining to get closer to the blonde man as deft fingers traced the outline. It was fully engorged and the red markings made it look angry and dangerous. Spike shivered in delight.

"You know, I could really use another go at this..."

Before Spike could finish his thought, Maul had whirled him around and shoved him against the brick wall of the alley, pressing his body against the vampire and forcing his pants down to his knees. Spike's glorious white butt was groped by a well worn glove while Maul tried to position Spike's legs apart further. The scratchy brickwork scraped at Spike's stomach and hands, while his own cock head nudged the pebbly surface, causing Spike to moan in pain and pleasure. He arched his back to allow Maul better access, breathing as heavily as the Sith in anticipation. His arms trembled slightly as he leaned forward, waiting for Maul to violate him and satisfy the nameless ache inside. Maul positioned his cock head at Spike's tender opening but stopped to nuzzle Spike's neck. The vampire bucked back against him to taunt the Sith into doing what Spike wanted, but Maul held off, proving his dominance. Spike growled.

"I'm not gonna fuckin' beg you, so get a move on."

Maul chuckled, a deep, evil sound, one he did not make often. "You are very demanding." Leaning forward, he bit into Spike's exposed neck, causing the vampire to arch and jump in pleasure, his fingers digging into the brick. Maul broke the skin enough that Spike was going to sport a mark for the rest of the night, or until he fed enough to heal sufficiently. Maul pushed Spike's cheeks apart and repositioned himself again, this time pushing the flared head into the soft tissue of Spike's anus. The vampire hissed in delight and pushed back, wanting desperately to feel Maul's cock parting his opening and sliding into him. Maul obliged him, grabbing him around the waist and raising his body up to plant himself fully inside. He opened his mouth and closed his eyes in pure astonishment. Spike's ass was still well lubricated from their last bout, and while his organ was gripped firmly, Spike was still stretched enough to allow Maul to glide in rather easily.

"Oh, that's the stuff, man.....gimmie that....mmmmmmmm...." Spike, elated that he had his hearts desire at last, crooned lude nonsense to Maul as the Sith began to slowly move in and out. Spike rested his head against his forearms and looked down. He had warmth in his belly, a stiff prick up his bum, and he was standing in the blood of his defeated enemies. He threw his head back and laughed at the stars. "It just doesn't get any better than this!"

Maul began to thrust forcefully, slamming himself into the vampire with abandon. Spike seemed to be able to take a lot of punishment, so the Sith let loose. His cockhead began to vibrate against Spike's prostate and it was making him jump and writhe. Spike was being shoved repeatedly against the wall and had to push away from it to keep from having all the skin scraped off his face. As it was, his penis was being slapped and brushed along the surface, giving Spike the intense stimulation of a gravelly hand job. He moaned and whimpered by turns, egging the demon on and hanging on to the wall for dear life. He knew in his heart sex with Maul would never get boring, and as the Sith dug his teeth into his neck again, he roared his own passionate release against the bricks, feeling like his outer being was peeling back from him and allowing his soul to rush free. It was very intense and if Maul had not mashed his own body against Spike, the vampire would have sagged boneless to the filthy ground. They stood motionless for several minutes, relaxing into each other. Spike felt Maul slip from his body and could not muster the strength to moan about it. Chest heaving, he glanced over his shoulder at the still panting Sith.

"Hey....that was...I mean....I saw stars."

Maul nodded in agreement, his expression serious. "I saw several planets."

Spike was silent for a moment, then he howled with laughter, spinning himself around in Maul's embrace and cradling the Sith's face in his hands.

"I don't fucking believe it! You actually cracked a joke!" Maul looked into his eyes, his arms holding the vampire as if he would not allow him to escape. Spike's smile faded and he swept Maul's face with a shaky gaze. "Bloody hell....I think I'm in love." Swiftly he took Maul's mouth again as the Sith Lord held them impossibly closer together, as if it were the last time he would ever get the chance.

Which wasn't far from the truth, Maul mused. He was going to have to kill Spike, and it was causing no small amount of anger to the Sith Lord that he felt pangs of regret when he thought about it. Spike broke the kiss and both men shrugged clothing back into place, looking around belatedly to see if anyone had gotten a free show. Aside from the motionless bodies, there didn't appear to be anything else in the alleyway, but Spike knew the neighborhood well enough to know when to get going. Without thinking, he found and grasped Maul's hand and lead him out the dark end of the alley. He didn't exactly want to be around when the dead demons were found, and besides, he had thought of a place to get Maul some food for free.

* * *

"Window or aisle seat, Padawan?"

Obi-Wan squinted at the narrow space he and his Master were going to have to fold themselves into. With a sigh, he shuffled in as far as he could go and pressed himself against the wall of the primitive aircraft. Before he had boarded the plane, he had serious doubts the thing could actually leave the ground. Now he calculated the passengers would be so compacted, even if the plane crashed, only those on the outer seats would sustain any damage. He watched with sympathy as his Master levered himself into the seat next to him, the tall man's knees jutting out to crowd Obi-Wan and the seat next to them which was empty. Unfortunately, it did not remain so, and Qui-Gon tried very hard to wipe the look of despair off his face as a large man stowed his luggage over their heads and squirmed into the seat next to him. Obi-Wan smirked as there was a silent and polite skirmish over who got the armrest and leaned closer to the window to give his Master the illusion of more space. The plane finally took off with agonizing slowness, but the two Jedi tried to enjoy the experience of less than light speed flight.

Once the lights dimmed and people settled down to sleep, Obi-Wan excused himself and with much squirming, struggled to get out and head for the toilet in the back of the plane. The naturalist who had rescued them in Africa had spotted them as a couple very quickly, and she had suggested they join the "Mile High Club" on their flight to the US. Obi-Wan was eager to spend some time alone with his Master and gave Qui-Gon a saucy wink as he tried not to trample the feet of their fellow passenger on his way by. Once Obi-Wan was gone, the obviously annoyed large man called over an attendant.

"Can I help you, Sir?"

"I should think so! I am a member in good standing of the Cattle Car Club and would like to change my seat to more...." he glanced at Qui-Gon's knees. "...spacious quarters." The attendant spoke with the head steward, and within moments Qui-Gon watched as the man was escorted to the front of the plane. Peeking forward, he spotted bigger seats with fluffier pillows and enough leg room to make his mouth water. He wondered if it would be a shameful use of the Force to get himself and Obi-Wan up there as well when he remembered his Padawan. Knee joints screaming, he rose from the seat and made his way stealthily to the back bathroom. Obi-Wan had felt his Master's presence outside and unlocked the door. Qui-Gon quickly stepped inside and blanched.

"Obi-Wan, this is a closet."

"I assume that it once was, but they have converted it." Banging his elbows on the sink and opposite wall, Obi-Wan spun around and straddled the toilet, trying desperately to keep his billowing robes clear of the strange blue liquid in the bowl. He gave a quick look over his shoulder at his Master, who seemed about to sob. "I say we skip the long, drawn out foreplay this time."

*****
Part 4:

Spike rang the bell once, then waited, arranging his face into what he hoped was a vulnerable and non-threatening expression. Seconds later the streak of red at the window assured him had found the right house. He had never been to Willow's parent's home, but he had spotted the address easily enough while "exploring" various books in Giles''s apartment. Locks and bolts were thrown, a door was opened and then he was staring into the expressive eyes of the one person who would take pity on him and help him out.

"Spike! What are you doing here? And whatever trouble it is, take it somewhere else."

Or maybe not. Spike looked appropriately shocked and hurt, and he only had to fake it a little. "Oh come on Red! It's not like you to turn your back on a fellow in need. I'm nearly in pain here." He showed her his neck where Maul had given him a nasty lovebite. Willow scowled.

"Spike, that's very hickey-like."

"Well, yeah. That's what it *looks* like, but I'm lucky to have escaped with my life."

"Look, this is my parents house. I can't have demons showing up at the door looking for you..."

Spike held up his hands to forestall further protest. "No, no. No demons followed me, I made sure I killed them all. I just need a place to hole for a while to lick my wounds." He turned back to pathetic expression. The way into Willow's house was going to be through her compassion. He leaned towards her and whispered as he tapped his forehead. "I can't hurt you, you know that. All I'm askin' is you let me crash here for a bit. Come on Red, I'll do you a favor next. Promise."

Willow bit her lip, glancing back into the house. "Spike, I'm not exactly alone here."

"Say no more. I'll just nip down into the cellar, you'll never know I'm here."

Willow sighed. "Alright. Come in. But you promise to behave!"

Spike's smile tried desperately to be innocent, but failed in the end. "Cross my heart. What's left of it." So saying, he stepped nimbly over the threshold, followed closely by a hooded Maul who had been standing to the side well out of sight. As Spike had warned him, Willow was less than amused.

"HEY!"

Maul removed his hood and stood staring. It was the same Force sensitive female he had seen in the clearing! Only instead of fear in her eyes, there was a blazing fire of indignation. She no doubt recognized him, but turned her anger towards the vampire.

"Spike! You said you killed all the demons!"

"I did. All the ones that were tryin' to kill me. Maul here's an upstanding bloke." He smiled at his lover, who appeared to have zero interest in the conversation, and in fact seemed to be scenting the air.

"Maul? His name is *Maul*? You brought a demon to my parents house? Just....D..Dammit Spike..."

Spike arched an eyebrow and stepped back. He didn't believe he had ever heard Willow curse before. Something else was making her mighty nervous. "Where are Mummy and Daddy anyway? I'll just tell them...hmmmm. They're not exactly here, are they?" Willow glared her best at the blonde vampire who seemed to be able to pluck sordid details from her very soul. "Parents out of town....you're not alone....very unwilling to have company....I'm getting a visual..."

Willow's hands bunched into fists as Spike taunted her. "That's not fair! I....helped you out here. I'm just not appreciating the whole demon-buddy thing." Her bottom lip flirted with the idea of pouting, but Willow bit the inside to prevent that and deepened her scowl.

"He's a real nice guy, you'll like him once you get to know him, trust me."

"Spike, I don't plan on getting to..."

Willow and Spike were interrupted by a screech from the kitchen. Both realized at the same time that Maul was no longer in the room.

"WHAT IN THE HELLMOUTH ARE YOU DOING???"

Glancing once at each other, Willow and Spike raced into the kitchen. Standing at the stove was Maul, holding a pot lid in one hand and a licking off a spoon with the other. Beside him stood a very incredulous Tara, torn between fear, exasperation and shock. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, obviously at a loss for words. Maul, on the other hand, had quite a bit to say.

"You made this?" He swung the spoon over the iron pot. "This is...wonderful. I have never tasted anything so...great." As a Sith Apprentice he had been fed a warriors diet, nutrition chosen for its ability to strengthen his body, with very little concern for its palatability. While he had grown up preferring one food more than another, he had never been exposed to anything fancy. "You could sell this...open an eat place on Delphius if you wanted to." Despite wanting to praise the most delicious thing he had ever tasted, his grasp of the language frustrated him, so he decided to go with the highest praise he had heard when he had watched the communications box inside one of the homes. "This is so good, it's making me hard!"

Impossibly, Tara's eyes widened further and Willow let out a choked squeak. Spike, sensing Maul had catapulted over the line, grabbed Maul by the wrist and gently pulled him away from the kitchen.

"Uh, thank you ladies. It's been marvelous, have to do it again sometime. Be seeing you." Reaching the door, Spike had it open and the two had disappeared into the night before Tara and Willow could take another breath. Tara recovered first and looked morosely into the pot, stirring the sludge at the bottom.

"He...he *ate* my spell." Willow came to her side and wrapped a comforting arm around her.

"I'm sorry, we'll do it again."

Tara sighed. "We really can't. The Magic Shop is closed and where else would we get pigeon livers on the weekend?"

Willow pursed her lips in thought. "Giles thinks we are going to need this very soon. I know! We'll use chicken livers. Mom has a few birds in the freezer. We just have to thaw them out and...get an organ donation." She scrunched up her nose thinking about it until Tara kissed her on it's tip.

* * *

The plane carrying the two Jedi did indeed manage to land without crashing, much to Obi-Wan's amazement. Flight attendants lined up to wave goodbye, paying close attention to himself and his Master and trying hard to stifle giggles. The mirth had started after Qui-Gon's knees had reached their breaking point in the confined space of the seat and he had waved over one of the female attendants.

"Can I help you, Sir?"

"Yes, I'd like to move myself and my Padawan towards the front of the plane where the seats are more spacious."

"I'm sorry Sir, those are first class accommodations and I'm afraid..."

Qui-Gon decided he would mimic the large man who had begun the journey in the seat next to his by being a member of a club. Obi-Wan had told him they were now members of a particular club, so maybe it would get him more leg room. "Young lady, my Apprentice and I have just become members of the Mile High Club, and I would appreciate if you could...."

He never did get to finish his statement as the young woman seemed to suffer a fit of some kind. Her eyes bulged and she became quite red in the face followed by snorts and giggles. Eventually the poor girl had to turn away and the two Jedi watched as she stumbled back to her fellow attendants who, after much whispering, also gave in to gasping laughter. Qui-Gon turned a questioning scowl on Obi-Wan, who only pursed his lips and shrugged. It had seemed like a reasonable request to him, but apparently you didn't get bumped to first class for screwing in the washroom.

Fortunately for the tall Knight, the Captain came over the loudspeaker to announce the long flight was over and the two men soon exited the plane into the chaos that was Los Angeles International airport. Being dressed in long robes prompted several people to hand them money, which confused the two Jedi who merely nodded their thanks. Since they had no luggage or articles to declare, they made their way rather swiftly to the noisy streets outside. Qui-Gon turned about, trying to decide on a direction to take. Obi-Wan gestured north and his Master nodded as they began to make their way towards their sworn enemies, towards the greatest concentration of Dark Force on the planet.

* * *

Spike and Maul made their way back to Spike's crypt, the unspoken agreement as to where they would hole up for the day. They spent the time cavorting like wolf pups, kissing and nipping at each other playfully as they wound their way unchallenged through the quiet of pre-dawn Sunnydale. Spike's ease and humor relaxed Maul, or at least as much as he would allow himself to be relaxed on an unknown planet. The vampire told him much about this world and his place in it, and Maul was able to better understand the humans from the perspective of a being who had lived among them for many, many years. While Maul had never actively sought a friendship with anyone in his life, being as he was devoted to Sidious and the Dark Side, he found himself very much taken with the budding kinship he was feeling for the young vampire. They were very much alike in many ways, although Spike, with no Sire to direct him, enjoyed a freedom which Maul would not allow himself to be jealous of. They reached the cemetery just as Spike was beginning to feel the warmth of the sun and, as much as he was enjoying Maul's attentions, he was quietly glad to be back behind the heavy doors of his abode.

Spike sat on the stone coffin and pulled off his wet boots as Maul strode to the table to check on his signaling device. One of the probes had indicated that it had possibly sited the Jedi, but its transmission had ended abruptly as it had gone in to make a positive identification. Maul knew it was likely the Jedi were responsible for the probes demise, which meant they knew he was on the planet and it would only be a matter of time before they sought him and his Master out. He needed to find his Master quickly. If the Dark Lord was indeed injured and unable to defend himself, Maul wanted to be the one to drive a saber through the elder Sith, not some light-loving Jedi weaklings. He was fairly certain Sidious would agree with him on this point, but Maul also knew part of his desire to kill the Sith Lord had to do with the sexy blonde man behind him. Maul turned to watch Spike making himself impossibly comfortable on the rough stone, fastidiously arranging a blanket over his lithe and beautiful form. Spike caught his eyes and the vampire couldn't help but grin sleepily at him.

"You demons sleep standing up, or are you gonna join me over here?" Spike scooted over on the slab to indicate there was room for Maul to snuggle beside him. Despite the fact that Maul was trained to go for long periods without rest, he knew that if he planned to win a battle against the Jedi or his Master, he would need to be as alert as possible. He removed his belt and gloves with enough sensuality to make Spike's cock stir, and the warm and possessive kiss Maul gave him as he snuggled next to the vampire would have normally ignited a blaze within the undead man, but the dawn had other ideas. Spike broke the kiss and buried his face in Maul's chest, yawning hugely.

"Sorry, Mate. I'm a bit fagged here." He chuckled weakly at his own trans-continental joke and curled himself into Maul's protective embrace. Considering he had engaged in twin bouts of the most intense and wild sex, beaten the snot out of a large demon which resulted in its death and still pulled out enough charm to worm his way into Willow's parent's house, he figured he deserved to be tired! "You got my back, right Mate?" Spike rubbed his tired eyes against the black fabric of Maul's tunic.

Maul looked down at the peaceful face against his chest. How different he was from the man Maul had fought and fucked many hours ago who could not allow himself to let his guard down enough to sleep. Maul remembered a line from watching the communications boxes. "I promise you, no hand will harm you but mine." This seemed to satisfy the young vampire and he inched impossibly closer to Maul's warmth and slipped into deep slumber. Maul absently ran his fingers through Spike's hair, knowing the vampire had not exactly grasped what Maul had meant.

Sidious had taught Maul all he knew of the Dark Force, and he had made sure Maul remembered each lesson well. Maul was beginning to have some protective and deep feelings for this vampire and he shuddered, remembering the last time he had encountered this type of weakness. His Master had discovered the hapless animal Maul had been sheltering and cruelly tortured it as Maul was forced to watch, enduring its screeches of agony until it expired. From that point on, Maul made sure he never got emotionally involved with another living being, and once he had reached adulthood, he understood his Master's wisdom in this. Feelings of compassion and kinship could be used against a person and control their actions, but the Sith were above that sort of manipulation. Unfettered, they plotted and ruled with their minds, not their hearts.

But Sidious had never met Spike. The vampire was everything in a companion that Maul would want; sharp witted, agile, with a disregard for any life but those who were worthy of it. Maul wanted nothing more than to spend time with this man, taking control of this world with him, fighting by his side and fucking him senseless every night. However, it was because of these feelings that Spike was becoming a danger both to himself and to Maul. The Sith had no doubt that his Master had already felt the disturbances in the Dark Force, alerting the elder to his apprentices weaknesses. Sidious had invested far too much time in Maul to allow a weakness like this to come between himself and his goals, and Spike would suffer greatly for it. Remembering the animal from his childhood, Maul vowed this was not going to happen to his beautiful vampiric lover. He had decided he would kill Spike once he had discovered his Master's whereabouts. Until then, the vampire would remain by his side so that Maul would be able to deliver a swift killing blow and save the blonde from days of agony. Maul brushed his lips lightly over Spike's face, causing the vampire to stir, but not wake. Maul curled his arms around the lithe body and tucked Spike's head under his chin, keeping his senses alert while still falling into a light slumber.

* * *

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan spent the day learning the words to all the songs that Bubba George knew. They had been offered a ride in the huge rig of the Kentucky born cross-country truck driver, and while it had seemed better than spending the days hoofing it, at times they questioned their own judgment. By the time Qui-Gon decided they were close enough to the source of the Dark Side he and Obi-Wan were sensing, the Jedi Master was quite sure he never again wished to sing about containers of alcoholic beverages on walls. The only bright side to the whole ordeal was Bubba George had convinced Obi-Wan to sing "Me and Bobby McGee" with enough feeling in his voice to bring a lump to Qui-Gon's throat.

The two Jedi wandered from the highway rest stop and after hiking a few miles, stumbled upon a large park with a crowd of people meditating. Encouraged to find the people here were not ignorant of Jedi mental discipline, they knelt down to settle their minds and focus on the natural Force in all the living things in the park. The people excepted them with grace and invited them to dine with them. Qui-Gon gently asked several people if they knew anything about the Sith, but they seemed wholly ignorant of the danger they were practically sitting on top of. One man suggested they head up to Sunnydale where strange things always seemed to be happening, and so the Jedi thanked their hosts and trudged on, sensing the Dark Side acutely as they closed in on the town.

* * *

Giles tried not to jump when he heard his doorbell chime. He was half expecting the summons, but he was very nervous about the whole plan. Opening the door, he came face to face with a short, unassuming man in a dark blue jumpsuit with the logo of the Sunnydale Cable Company emblazoned on the chest.

"Yes?"

"Good evening Sir, I'm with the Sunnydale Cable Company, 'We bring the world to your couch.'" He stopped and checked his metal clipboard. "I'm here to fix your cable."

Immediately Giles was on alert, knowing this was the right man. "But...um, I don't *have* cable." Giles stepped aside and gestured at his set, complete with rabbit ears which were doing a fine job of managing to bring in several stations with varying amounts of static.

The cable man glimpsed briefly into Giles' apartment, then checked his board. "Free trial period. No installation fee. I'll go get my tools." Without waiting for comment, he turned on his heel and walked backed to the company van. Giles dove for the back room to alert the gang.

"It's him, he's here. He came to fix my cable."

There was silence for a moment as Buffy considered. "Giles, you don't have cable."

The former Watcher pinched the bridge of his nose and blessed his good breeding which squelched his urge to slap a full-fledged slayer. "That's, um, rather the point, isn't it? Willow, did you bring the....?"

The red head beamed and opened the lid of a large saucepot, causing a noxious odor to drift into their faces.

Xander instantly pinched his nose shut amd waved his hand in front of him. "Eeeeeeew.....who cast the magic smell?" Willow pouted slightly and replaced the lid. Giles nodded.

"As awful as it seems to us, I do hope our demon suffers more for it. Everyone ready? Right then. Uh...here goes." Bundling his courage, he walked back into the living area just as the cable man walked back into his apartment with a toolbox and an air of possessiveness that made Giles shudder. The taller man skittered into the kitchen and swung open the fridge.

"B-beverage?"

*****