Dremar looked at Spike, curiosity plain on his face. �Falling in love has improved your manners, vampire.�
�What? I�m not in � look, can you do it or not?�
Dremar waved a dismissive hand. �Of course. I can do anything. Well, except throw something away!� He chuckled, wrapping his arms around his knees and rocking back and forth, giggling. The laughter stopped abruptly as he squinted up at Spike. �It�ll cost you, though. No more favours, not this time!�
Xander glanced over at Spike. Now that he�d seen Dremar, the idea of threatening him seemed too much like bullying. He wondered what reverse charms cost. His savings amounted to, well, half of not enough, probably.
�How much?� Spike said, echoing Xander�s thoughts. �And no jacking up the price because you think I�m desperate. I know a witch who could probably do it for free; just coming to you first out of loyalty.�
Dremar raised his eyebrows. �Liar. Only I can undo what I did. You know that.�
Spike flicked a glance at Xander. �I do, yeah. Some other people took a bit of convincing.�
Dremar rubbed his hands together briskly, making a sound like a match being struck. �You want back three days of memories, yes?�
Spike shrugged. �More or less.�
Dremar tilted his head and gave him a quizzical stare. �More or less,� he repeated. �Which is it to be?�
Xander felt irritation replace amusement. �Tell him the price, demon,� he said.
Dremar and Spike both turned to look at him, Spike with concern, Dremar with fear. �Why is he different suddenly?� Dremar asked, his voice squeaking. �Make him go away!�
�It�s part of why I need the memories,� Spike said. �Hyena possession. You know how it is. I can�t stop him getting violent so unless you want the shop trashed, get a move on. How much?�
Dremar kept his eyes on Xander and replied absently, �One grade A memory.�
Spike made a complicated sound, something between a groan and a curse, before nodding reluctantly. �Deal.�
Xander felt the anger fade, to be replaced by worry. �What? No, wait. No deal! Spike, what does he mean?�
Spike reached out and laid his hand on Xander�s arm. �It�s O.K, pet. Just means I lose a memory of a specific event. Not a day, not even an hour necessarily, just has to be...special. It�s worth it.�
Xander shook his head. �It�s not. We�re just going around in circles. Why can�t we just pay him cash? How much do the ingredients cost, anyway?�
Dremar shrugged, �Oh, as to that...pennies really. In fact, I have the counter spell right here. I always make it at the same time as the memory charm; have to store the memories somewhere, you see. Can�t have them loose or the consequences would be catastrophic.� He smirked. �I have proper storage as well. Stay fresh until the end of the century, easily. I suppose you kept yours under your pillow, hmm?�
The rage was coming back again. Xander just had time to grab at Spike�s hand, squeezing it hard, trying to focus on calming down. �You mean,� he said carefully, �that you�re trying to get something for nothing? There�s a word for that. Stealing. What you would have charged for the first spell must have covered the cost of the counter spell; you�d have made sure of that. So he owes you nothing.�
Spike pursed his lips. �Lad�s got a point.� He grinned. �Hand it over, then.�
Dremar frowned, making himself still more hideous. �Shan�t. And you�ll never find it, so don�t even bother looking. Memory first, then the counter spell. Not budging on that.� He peered at Spike from under his bushy eyebrows. �If you loved him, you�d do it,� he said slyly.
Spike froze and then nodded, ignoring Xander�s spluttered protests. Dremar produced a simple glass globe and held it out. �Choose your memory, vampire.�
Spike closed his eyes. �Got it.�
Dremar wriggled with impatience. �Give it to me then,� he commanded in a hoarse whisper.
He held up the globe, murmuring a phrase that slid past Xander like soap in a hot bath, and it began to fill with a swirling red mist. When it was full, Spike�s eyes flew open and he swayed slightly, his face blank.
�Done,� said Dremar briskly. �Let me just check...�
He held the globe to his forehead and Xander watched, revulsion twisting at his stomach, as Dremar�s face went slack and then contorted as he moaned with pleasure. �I�m guessing that wasn�t you winning the under eight�s sack race,� he whispered to Spike.
Spike shook his head, eying Dremar with dislike. �Doesn�t look like it, does it?�
Dremar let his hand drop away, his eyes glassy. �Goodness me,� he gasped. �You certainly don�t believe in half measures.�
�What will you do with it?� Xander asked, his voice harsh. �Besides the obvious.�
Dremar looked puzzled. �Sell it, of course. Do you have any idea how much I can get for this?�
�For what?� demanded Xander. �What�s inside there?�
Spike said uneasily, �Xander, love...just leave it. I know what it is; just don�t know the specifics anymore. It�s something you�d be better off not knowing ��
�No! I want to know what you gave up. I want to know what was so special.�
Spike�s eyes flashed. �It�s not your concern!�
Dremar cackled, looking at them. �A lovers� tiff? Don�t mind me.�
He tossed the globe back and forth between his hands like a novice juggler, letting it get higher and higher. It was like a miniature setting sun, ruddy and baleful, a dim flame in the dark room. Xander watched it arc high and smack against Dremar�s palm, his attention so focused that sliding past Spike, arm outstretched, placing his hand in precisely the correct place to intercept and catch the globe, and bringing it to his forehead took, well, no effort at all. Spike�s shocked face, Dremar�s indignant yelp and the cluttered room all faded and he felt the �
smell of smoky air, the roar of a panicked crowd and the taste of blood in his mouth. Drusilla smiled up at him and her lips fastened around his finger, wet with Slayer�s blood, laving it clean with a clever tongue, the look in her eyes as arousing as her mouth, as the kill, as �
The globe was struck from his hand and Xander was jerked away from the past. �You � what was that?� he stammered.
Spike clenched his hand around the fragile container and then forced his fingers to relax. �You know I killed two Slayers.� His voice was flat and he barely waited for Xander to nod. �That was the first. That was my memory of it.�
Xander shook his head. �There was no killing; just you and Drusilla.� His eyes shone with an unexpected hunger. �And the blood...I can still taste it...�
Spike sighed. �So could I, for weeks after, mate,� he murmured. Without taking his eyes off Xander he snapped, �You. Get me my charm. Now.�
�Oh, so we�re not using the magic word anymore, then?� Dremar said. Spike growled in warning and he flinched, scurrying away into the shadows.
Xander smiled. �You scared him.�
�Yeah? That bothers you?�
Xander shook his head, still smiling. �Why should it?�
Spike rolled his eyes. �You�re going to make me hit you again, aren�t you? Look, we�ll be out of here in a minute, just think of, oh, I don�t know. Waves crashing down on the sodding sea shore or fluffy clouds in a blue sky, or -�
�Fucking you until you scream?�
�Whatever works for you, pet. Just calm down.�
Dremar came back in just as Xander slid an arm around Spike�s neck, pulling him close enough to kiss. �Not in here! No, no. Too dangerous. Here�s your charm, vampire; now give me my payment.�
Spike paused, his mouth inches away from Xander�s. �Changed my mind,� he said in a lazy drawl. �Want that memory back. Want all of them back.�
�The door won�t open until you�ve paid in full,� Dremar snapped. �No deal.�
�You saw me and Dru, didn�t you? Saw what we were like?�
�So?�
�Imagine that in here, because the way this lad�s squirming against me, I just don�t think he can wait. Am I right, Xander?�
Xander�s eyes were sparking from human to beast and back again and he turned them on Dremar, staring at him silently before starting to laugh, high and wild. Dremar paled, looking around at the laden, stacked shelves - precariously balanced, perfectly poised. �Very well,� he said in a sulky, grudging mutter. �Very well.�
He came close enough to pass Spike the charm and Spike grinned, pocketed it, and dropped the globe to the floor, crushing it under his heel and breaking the spell. �Nice doing business with you.�
�Never come back,� Dremar said sourly. �That way our friendship can stay a beautiful memory, because I swear, if I see your face again, I�ll -�
�Look, mate, I don�t like leaving behind bad feelings,� Spike said. �I�ll make sure the Slayer gives this place a miss on her patrols, how about that?�
�The Slayer never comes down here!� Dremar said.
Spike�s final words floated back to him, a warning and a threat combined. �Not yet...�
Dremar groaned and kicked out peevishly at a kite streamer, fluttering in the breeze from the alley as the door opened and closed. He missed and his toe tapped against a carefully constructed house of cards. The ace of spades slid down and the structure collapsed. Dremar�s eyes bugged out and he screamed, loud and high. Deep in the shadows, a glass jar shattered, and a hundred marbles rolled free...
***
The door closed and Xander grabbed Spike, spinning him around and shoving him against the wall. He was breathing in ragged gasps and his eyes were hot, his mouth avid. Without a word he began to kiss Spike, trailing his mouth from lips to neck and back again, digging his teeth in, calling the blood to the surface. Spike let him, riding the wave, realising that the memory of his kill had shattered Xander�s control and that he was dealing with the other Xander again.
Which reminded him...forcing Xander off, he reached into his pocket. �What are you doing?� Xander said, anger and frustration darkening his eyes. �I _want_ you.�
Spike grinned. �Hold that thought, pet.� He swallowed the charm without hesitation, chewing it once and pulling a face at the bitter taste of herbs before adding, �Second thought; hold me...�
Xander caught him as Spike slid down the wall, following him down so that they lay in a tangled heap on the ground. Spike�s eyes were squeezed tightly shut and his hand was fisted in Xander�s shirt. Xander felt him begin to tremble and wrapped his arms around him, anger forgotten as concern welled up. Spike�s face suddenly changed, the vampire emerging, forcing its way out, eyes opening, fierce and yet bewildered.
Xander had never wanted him more. He had seen Spike like this before, but always with his face twisted with anger, fighting, threatening; an enemy. He had never seen him with his game face on looking lost and unsure. He kissed him, carefully, gently, brushing his lips against ridged flesh and razor-sharp fangs, resting his face against Spike�s and waiting for him to come back.
Slowly the trembling died away and Spike whispered his name. Any fear Xander had felt that Spike would change after his memories came back, was lost in relief as Spike said his name again, his voice stronger. �Xander. You ��
�Right here.�
�You bloody better be,� Spike said, sitting up, his arm snaking around Xander�s neck, game face fading. �Come here. Come fucking _here_�
He stood up, pulling Xander to his feet with an impatient tug; eyes alight with arousal and amusement. �Now I get it,� he murmured. Clever, knowing fingers traced the outline of Xander�s cock, just as they had done when he�d met Xander in the street and offered him the charm. �Now I see why.�
�Why what?� Xander said, the words forcing their way out with difficulty. Spike had him against the wall now, their positions reversed, his hands flat against it, on either side of Xander�s head, his body close but not touching. Spike leaned in, so close that his words tickled Xander�s ear and whispered, �Why every time I�ve looked at you since we met, I�ve only ever wanted to do one thing.�
�Bite me?� Xander asked. Spike was kissing him right under his ear, slow, leisurely kisses that were moving south, still not touching him with anything but his mouth, no matter how much Xander�s hips thrust forward in mute appeal.
�Bite? No. Could have done, of course. Catch you on your own one night, somewhere like this...do you really think you�d have escaped?�
�No,� Xander admitted, his mind full of a tangle of images, screams and blood, heat and terror...
Spike bit down gently, exactly where he would have if he were feeding, and Xander whimpered as the images clamoured for release into reality. Spike�s voice was relentless, every word punctuated with a kiss as he moved across Xander�s throat. �Hated you sometimes, you know. Dreamed of having you begging, bleeding, at my feet.�
Xander felt the memory sear his mind. �We did that already.�
�So we did.� Spike�s voice was thoughtful. �Let�s do it again.� He finally touched Xander, one finger under his chin, pushing it up. �That thing I wanted? I wanted to play with you; fuck your mind, have your body, give you mine.� He smiled. �Like this...�
Xander opened his mouth to say something, to put into words how he felt, but it was too late. This wasn�t the Spike he�d known recently; defensive, bitter, lost; it wasn�t even the Spike he�d first met, arrogant and a little scary. This was someone new, someone drawing on the memories of a time when he had led Xander into a world of darkness and never let go of his hand, someone who knew, beyond doubt, that he was loved. Someone who was remembering what Xander liked and was doing it, falling to his knees, getting Xander ready with a flurry of busy fingers, taking him in, so deep and so fast that Xander�s breath left his body in one wail and he forgot how to do anything but beg and somehow he�d forgotten the words to that song, too.
He came fast, one hand in Spike�s hair, the other shoved into his own mouth, biting down, needing the pain to anchor him, wanting to taste blood as Spike was tasting him. He let it trickle into his mouth and pulled Spike up to kiss him, blood and come, spit and tears mingling and mixing. Tears? His own or Spike�s? It didn�t seem important because this time the animal - who had never left, no matter what Giles and Spike believed, merely stayed hidden - was forcing his way to the surface and as Spike vamped out, arousal and blood triggering his change, the hyena met him, snarling and smiling.
***
Spike thrust his cock up into Xander�s fist, seeking release; needing it, craving it. There was no room for thought when the air was laced with blood and one of Xander�s hands was wrapped around him and he was doing his best to mark every inch of Spike�s back with the other. They were hurting each other just enough. Spike was venturing further and further with every caress; teasing the chip, daring it to fire as his blunt nails dug in and his fangs tormented Xander�s flesh.
Then a knife was laid against Xander�s throat and a deep voice spoke soft words of warning and Spike�s treacherous body betrayed him,choosing that moment to come, leaving him helpless to fight, lost in fear and anger.
Xander stilled and turned his head to meet the eyes of his attacker. He saw who stood behind him and his eyes widened in shock. �Giles?�
Giles raised a gun and sent a dart deep into Xander�s neck, watching his body go limp in the arms of the man with the knife.
�This is he.�
There was no question in the words but Giles still replied. �Yes. That is what must die.�
Spike moved back to give himself room to fight or run and glared at Giles. �Rupert, you have got to be fucking kidding me.�
Giles spared him one flickering glance. �It�s killing Xander, you fool.� His eyes dropped. �And for heaven�s sake, put that away. This is all your fault, you know.�
Spike zipped up, lit up, and blew a cloud of smoke at Giles. �Of course it is. Nice to see things are back to normal.�
Giles threw Spike an exasperated look. �We really don�t have time to discuss this, Spike. Help me get Xander back to the car.�
�So chummy here can cut his throat in private? I don�t think so.�
�My intent is not to harm your friend but to save him,� the stranger said, sliding the knife into a sheath attached to his belt. He moved into the faint light from the street, studying the vampire with amused tolerance, towering a full foot above him. �My name is Matthew.�
He turned and walked away. �Why isn�t he sticking around to help?� Spike demanded.
Giles hissed with impatience. �It would affect the ritual if he touched Xander � look, are you giving me a hand or not? He�s bloody heavy!�
Spike said softly, �Take your hands off him, Watcher.�
�What?�
Spike slid one hand under Xander�s shoulders and scooped him up easily into his arms. �You don�t get to touch him after what you did. Not until we�ve had a little chat.�
Giles met his eyes steadily. �Do you really think I would ever harm him?�
Spike shrugged. �Not planning on letting you try.� Giles reached for his glasses and began to polish them, his lips set in a thin line of hurt. Spike relented. �He trusts you.�
Giles looked up, his face hard. �He has never had any reason not to � until now. I assure you that what I�m doing is necessary.�
Spike began to walk towards the car. �Hope so, Giles. I really do.�
***
The drive back to Giles� house had been mostly silent. Spike had opened his mouth and Giles, sensing the imminent inquisition, had said quietly. �I�d prefer to wait until we get home, Spike. Then we�ll answer your questions.�
�Got a fair bit to think about myself,� Spike said. �There�s a lot that�s making sense now.�
�Of course!� Giles said. �I forgot to ask...I take it you�re in full possession of your memories then? Good. I have a feeling that will be useful.�
Spike looked down at Xander, lying across his lap, his face slack and empty in his drugged sleep. �Is that right?�
Giles took advantage of a red light to glance back at Spike. �It might make all the difference to Xander, if that matters to you.�
Spike met his eyes. �It matters.� His hand rested against Xander�s chest, feeling the comforting thud of his heartbeat.
***
Spike carried Xander into Giles� house and laid him down on the couch. Giles shook his head. �I�m afraid we�re going to need to restrain him, Spike. He�ll be awake soon.�
�You�re going to let him wake to find himself tied up?� Spike asked, his voice flat and expressionless.
�Yes. Because when he does, he might not be Xander.�
Spike digested that and nodded reluctantly, watching Giles bring out the ropes he had felt around his own wrists the week before. �Better hope your knots hold, then. He�s strong.�
�Stronger than you?� Giles asked, helping Spike place Xander on a wooden chair.
Spike grinned. �You�d better hope not. Could have broken this chair if I�d really tried, you know.�
�I�m glad you didn�t,� Giles said. �It�s a matched set.� He rubbed his forehead. �There�s always the bath tub.�
Spike sighed. �Use the chair. I won�t let him get free.�
Matthew spoke for the first time. He was leaning against the wall, a massive figure, dressed in dull grey and brown, his face deeply tanned, his eyes weary. �We must hurry.�
Spike shot him an unfriendly look. �Who is he, Giles, and how did he get here?�
Giles looked over at Matthew for permission and got a small nod. �I called him after you went down the alley with Xander. I thought he would be able to help.�
�You live in Sunnydale then?�
Matthew shook his head. �Scotland.�
Spike huffed in disbelief and then said, �Magic?�
Giles interrupted, giving Matthew an exasperated look. �He�s being pedantic, Spike. He does live in Scotland but he left there two days ago.� Giles turned back to Spike. �Can you guess when and why?�
�Can you just stop with the games and spit it out?�
Giles pursed his lips. �Oh, very well. He sensed the reawakening of Xander�s beast which coincided � except it wasn�t a coincidence � with the first time you and he, well ��
�Coupled,� Matthew said bluntly.
Spike looked between them, baffled. �I fuck Xander and people can tell thousands of miles away? Did we make the earth move for real?�
Matthew surprised them both by laughing, a deep, booming sound. �No, vampire. Not quite.�
Spike�s fists clenched. �Giles, I�ve heard you talk. You can use up five minutes telling someone what the bloody time is.� He turned to Matthew. �Can you do better? I�m not known for my patience at the best of times and trust me, this isn�t.�
Matthew shrugged. �Sit. Listen. Learn.�
Spike nodded. �I like you already.�
�Whisky.�
�Make that unconditional approval.�
Giles tutted but went to fetch glasses and Matthew and Spike exchanged amused glances. Once settled, Spike sitting as close to Xander as possible and the two men on the couch, Matthew began to talk.
�You wish for a swift story and yet there is much to explain...you know what happened to your friend two years ago?� Spike nodded. �That happened to me. I came close to losing myself in the animal; I killed and fed...the memories haunt me but I fought free of the beast.�
�I got in touch with Matthew two years ago,� Giles said quietly. �I was concerned about Xander.� He looked at Matthew ruefully. �You assured me that the spell had removed the animal spirit but of course we had no idea...�
�When you met the boy, you shared blood, a death,� Matthew said.
Spike looked pensive. �Yeah...it�s why I let him live. He wasn�t scared of me at all. He licked the blood from my hand...then I killed the woman it came from, and he fed on her.�
Giles shuddered, gulping at his drink to hide his revulsion, his eyes resting on Xander�s limp body with pity and regret.
�Blood...and then sex. You know how powerful both are, vampire, you know only too well...and the animal bonded with you, linked to your spirit. The spell that freed Xander worked well enough but the spirit was not completely banished. It retreated, using you to hide itself. It could not manifest within you; your demon is far too strong, but it could draw on that strength.�
�It hibernated, for want of a better word,� Giles remarked.
�Yes,� Matthew said, �but it was not spring that awoke it.�
�I can guess,� Spike said, his voice tight. He flicked his eyes over to Giles. �That�s why you said it was my fault, was it? If I hadn�t fucked him, he�d still be Xander?�
Giles studied him and then nodded. �It began the process, yes...and Matthew felt it happen and set off to warn me.� He raised an eyebrow. �You should have told me you were still monitoring the situation,� he said in mild rebuke. �Or at least told me you were coming. When I called you and you told me you were at Sunnydale airport...�
Matthew looked unrepentant. �You would have fussed.�
Spike laughed. �See you know our Rupert, mate.�
�He�s my aunt by marriage�s second cousin,� Giles snapped. �And I would not have...never mind.� He took a deep breath. �To make it short � which I am quite capable of doing � the animal spirit woke and that�s what caused Xander�s odd behaviour and the memory flash you got. The link was active again, you see. Xander probably bit you because the sex wasn�t quite enough.� Giles permitted a faint smile to cross his face as Spike looked crestfallen for a second.
�So; we do the spell again and this time we involve both of you,� said Matthew. �Simple enough.� He drained his glass, put it down and stood up. �Where shall I draw the circle?�
Giles looked around the room doubtfully. �Well...�
�This just suits you, doesn�t it?� Spike said, his voice bitter. He stood up and stalked over to Giles, vibrating with fury.
�What?� Giles frowned at him, genuinely taken aback. �Is this because I said it was your fault? I wasn�t really...�
�No! It�s because it was killing you to see him with me, wasn�t it? One of your precious Scoobies getting all snuggly with a vampire. Again. Because we all know how well it worked out with Angel and the Slayer. Now you can do the spell, get him back and he won�t want me any more, will he? Because it was the animal who needed me. Xander hates me, right? Always has done. Fuck it. Just fucking do the spell and ��
Spike�s voice broke and he hissed with frustration. Giles gaped at him. Spike�s face was alive with emotion, unguarded and vulnerable. Giles saw the deep blue eyes gloss over with tears before Spike shook his head and let his game face well up. �Spike! Stop that,� Giles ordered, gripping the vampire�s arms and shaking him slightly. �You�re being selfish and you�re quite mistaken.�
Spike�s human face returned and he looked at Giles with loathing. �Let go of me, Watcher.�
Giles hesitated and then shook his head. �Look at me, Spike. What do you see?�
Spike cocked his head to one side, his lips set stubbornly. �An enemy. Admit it, Giles; you hate me, too. I could taste it pouring off you every time you came near me when I was here.�
Giles smiled. �Really? And I thought my mother brought me up to be a better host than that. That chip must be affecting you in more ways than we realised.�
�Meaning?� Spike said, the word harsh, standing still in Giles� grip.
Giles slid one hand down to take Spike�s hand and then took advantage of his surprise to slip the other around his neck, digging his fingers in. �Does this give you a hint?�
Spike choked out, �Only that you need a refresher course. Don�t breath, remember.�
�It�s symbolic, you dense pillock,� Giles said mildly. �I could have chosen here instead �� His hand moved from Spike�s throat to between his legs, cupping him gently and then dropping away. �Except I�m not quite certain which hand I should have used for that...� He stepped back, at ease in the face of Spike�s confusion, smiling faintly.
�I think he�s trying to tell you that he�s a conflicted man where you�re concerned,� Matthew said, topping up his glass. �You should have worked that one out yourself. You�re a crippled, helpless vampire but you�re not dust amongst the daisies because he doesn�t want to end you. Yet, still, you�re a vampire, so he hates you for that. I�ve a feeling he�s not blind to the fact that you�re easy on the eyes but I won�t presume...�
�No, don�t,� Giles said hastily. �Things are confused enough as it is.�
Spike said bluntly. �You want to fuck me, Rupert?�
Giles shrugged. �In my more insane moments, I�ve thought about it. It�s not really important now.� His eyes drifted to Xander. �Him, I love. He�s part of my life and he�s the one of all of them that I worry about most. Even more than Buffy, who, as you�re fond of pointing out, doesn�t quite need me anymore. You, I don�t love. Fancy you, maybe, but not to the extent of caring too much that you�re off limits now. I feel a certain...respect for you perhaps. As an adversary, as a fighter, as an individual. You�re irritating, indolent, insecure and immature, of course ��
�He likes you,� Matthew said confidentially. �I can tell. Now if you�ve finished chatting him up, maybe we could do this spell?� Spike turned. �Because laddie here�s been awake for quite a while, listening.�
The still figure in the chair did not move. Xander�s eyes were shut and he was breathing steadily. Spike frowned and then stiffened in shock. Xander�s eyes stayed closed but his lips were curving in a slow, sneering smile. The room hushed suddenly and Giles felt the hair on the back of his neck lift in an atavistic thrill of terror. Xander began to chuckle; a high pitched giggle, humourless and grating. Spike stepped forward, his face concerned and Xander�s eyes opened suddenly, wide and staring.
They were cold eyes, inhuman and cruel. �You knocked him out,� Spike whispered. �He couldn�t fight it like that. He�s not there anymore.� He spun around and glared at the two men. �Find him!�
Giles looked dubiously at Spike. The vampire was as close to losing control as he�d ever seen him. �We�ll start the spell at once,� he said quietly. �Once the hyena spirit leaves, I�m sure Xander will be fine.�
Matthew began to say something, but a warning glance from Giles silenced him. Spike snorted. �Your friend seems to think it�s not that simple, judging by the look on his face.�
Matthew cleared his throat. �There have been cases where the spirit left and the human soul was taken too. The bodies lived but they were...empty.�
�Not going to happen,� Spike said immediately. �Not with Xander. He�s a fighter; right, Giles?�
�He has great courage,� Giles agreed. He looked over at Spike. �You might be at risk too, you know. I don�t want to worry you, but you should be prepared for that.�
Spike showed his teeth in a fierce grin. �Prepared for a fight? Never been anything but, Giles. You know that.�
The giggling from the figure in the chair died away and it spoke. �I don�t want you to do the spell, Giles. I like being like this. I�m strong. I�m happy.� It turned to look at Spike. �You met me like this. It�s how you want me. I�m just like you. You know Xander doesn�t like you; why risk losing the first person to love you for yourself?�
�Don�t listen to it,� advised Matthew. �It will try to trick you, but that�s not your friend talking.�
�I think we worked that one out by ourselves, mate,� Spike said. He stared down at Xander�s body, not getting close to it. �I remember meeting you now. You were fun. Selfish, violent; just what the doctor ordered. Wouldn�t have killed you myself, but you know what? I wouldn�t have stopped Dru going after you either.� He stepped back. �I was pissed when I found out the spell had been reversed but you owed me another go so I went after you. Wasn�t you though, was it? It was him. Xander. He wasn�t scared of me either, but it wasn�t because he was too stupid to know he should be, like you. He just � wasn�t.� Spike smiled down, a sneer on his face. �One kiss from him and I�d forgotten you ever existed - and it didn�t take a bloody charm to do it either. No way, Dru was sinking her teeth into him. No fucking way.�
Giles caught Matthew�s eye and jerked his head. They moved out of earshot and began to talk in low whispers as Spike carried on, his eyes glittering, his voice gathering strength and certainty.
�And you weren�t there two days ago, either, mate. You weren�t anywhere about when Xander made me see what I was too fucking stupid to see for myself. He wanted me. He needed me. He kept the memory of feeding on a human, kept the taste of blood and warm flesh in his mouth, rather than forget about me. He did that. Not you. Now, don�t get me wrong. I�m not saying I�m in love with him �� Giles overheard this and rolled his eyes. �I�m a vampire, evil to the core...but choose you over him? In your fucking dreams, dog breath, in your ��
�I think you�ve made your point, Spike,� Giles said hastily. Spike was quite capable of forgetting the chip and doing something that would leave him in agony and Xander�s body somewhat the worse for wear. Not his fault of course; the vampire was just a little impulsive. Not to mention melodramatic.
�He won�t be back. Not ever. You�ve lost him,� the hyena said, its voice a whining, vindictive growl.
Spike grinned. �Then I�ll find him again. You don�t know what I�m like when I�ve got my heart set on something.�
Giles heard this and his head jerked up from the book he was leafing through. Words long forgotten surfaced in his mind... �Once he starts something, he doesn�t stop, until everything in his path is dead.� Angel had said that of Spike and looking at the vampire�s face, seeing the brash certainty blazing out, he didn�t doubt it. Then Spike turned his back on the hyena and looked over at Giles and the mask slipped. Giles caught his breath. Spike looked as he had when he came to them for help after the chip had been put in his head; skeletal, desperate, pleading...
�The vampire is fighting too, but he doesn�t know it,� Matthew said quietly. �We must hurry.�
�Right.� Giles shook off the unease caused by Spike�s vulnerability and began to assemble the ingredients for the spell.
***
It didn�t take long to prepare the circle, scatter the herbs and recite the incantations. It took about ten seconds longer to realise that it hadn�t worked.
�What went wrong?� Spike said, anger and disappointment struggling for ascendancy.
Matthew shook his head, grey hair standing up as he ran his fingers through it in frustration. �Nothing. We did it perfectly. It should have worked.�
They looked back at the figure in the chair. The hyena peered out of Xander�s brown eyes, a malicious, satisfied smile twisting his features. �Well, it didn�t,� Giles said bitterly. �And that thing is digging its claws deeper into him with every minute.�
Matthew frowned. �It has to be your involvement,� he said to Spike. �It�s affecting the spell�s influence.�
�I was in the circle too,� Spike objected. �It should have worked on me.�
�It wasn�t strong enough,� Matthew said, his voice rising with a sudden excitement. �Of course!�
�Double up the ingredients? Do us both separately?� Spike suggested.
Giles smothered a smile. Spike trying to be helpful was oddly endearing. Then he caught the predator�s eye and his smile faded, replaced by implacable hatred of the thing threatening Xander. A cool hand was laid against his wrist, pulling him back, and he glanced around in surprise, realising that his fist was clenched so hard his knuckles were stretched white. �Don�t let it get to you, Giles.�
Giles managed to nod to Spike, biting down savagely on his lip. He�d been on the verge of going over to that taunting figure, consumed by the need to hurt it, to lash out at the sneering smile. I doubt Xander would thank me if he came back to find himself with a black eye, he thought wryly. Perhaps Spike�s not the only impulsive one...
�I think we might render our friend unconscious again,� Matthew said. �It doesn�t matter for the ritual and I don�t think it would hurt Xander.�
Giles shrugged. �Possibly not.� He prepared an injection and walked over to the chair.
�I�ll do it,� said Spike. He looked at Giles. �Let me. Please.�
Giles gave him the needle and Spike drove it home, watching the light in the hyena�s eyes die away, his own face sombre.
Matthew had been muttering to himself, sitting at the table and searching through a stack of books, discarding them with impatient grunts and finally exclaiming with relief.
��Eureka?� Giles asked dryly, automatically tidying the books again, his hands closing around them protectively. Matthew had been flinging them around like frisbees...
Matthew looked up, his eyes shining. �Listen to this,� he ordered. ��The predatory act will vary from case to case, but will in general be grounded in malice, forging a natural link to the awakening beast. In those rare cases where the act is performed by an innocent, the beast�s hold on the victim can only be broken by a corresponding act.��
Spike frowned. �What�s that supposed to mean?�
Giles tilted his head and thought. �Xander followed the four other members of the pack to stop them hurting a boy. They were aggressors; he was a defender. They were all possessed because Xander was prepared to fight to rescue the boy and that was enough to include him; he wasn�t seen as prey. He qualifies as an innocent from that point of view.�
Spike opened his mouth and thought better of it. They didn�t need to know that Xander qualified in just about every way. If it was important, he�d mention it, but not until. He smiled sourly. Now he was getting all protective of Xander�s reputation? A wave of impatient need made him grit his teeth. He wanted this over, wanted Xander back, wanted to drag him off somewhere and yes, fuck him until he couldn�t walk, but just be with him. Talk to him, hang out at the Bronze, fight - now he�d found out he could kill demons...just be with him without the hostility. The pleasure his thoughts gave him was shattered as two feminine voices screeched in his ear. Red and the Slayer...they�d have kittens when they found out. Giles hadn�t taken it too badly, if you ignored the wanting to stake him, but those two...Spike shuddered and then, as usual, let worries about the future slip away. No sense fretting over it. Might be dead by then. Or they might.
�So, he�s pure as the driven; fine. Still don�t get what it means.�
�I think in addition to the spell, there has to be a ��
�Sacrifice,� Giles said quietly, completing Matthew�s answer. He had carried on reading from the book and he laid it down gently. �Some form of willing sacrifice. Xander risked himself to save Lance and it will take a similar risk, voluntarily taken, to free him.�
�He risked getting punched,� Spike said. �Don�t mind you taking a swing at me, Giles. Go for it; you know you want to.� He grinned but his eyes were shadowed, anticipating Giles� shake of the head.
�It can�t be you, Spike. You�re part of the spell. It�s also going to take more than that, I think.�
�This doesn�t make sense,� Spike said. �He did something good and someone else has to get hurt? Where�s the logic in that?�
Matthew sighed heavily. �Magic and logic aren�t always strangers, but they�re rarely friends.�
�Oh, well done! Give the man a fortune cookie to shove that little gem in,� Spike snapped.
Giles held up a hand to halt the hostilities. Matthew was a tolerant man who knew about Spike�s recent history, but he was far from inclined to trust a vampire, let alone put up with abuse from one. �I�ll do it,� he said firmly. �There is no one else. Oh, don�t look so stunned, Spike; we�re not talking life threatening, I�m not being particularly heroic.�
�You save Xander and I swear I�ll never...� He thought for a moment. �What would you like me not to do again, Giles?�
Giles burst out laughing. �Give me time to draw up a list,� he said, his shoulders shaking.
�One thing,� Spike said. �Just one.�
Matthew looked at Giles. �What do you plan to sacrifice?� he asked bluntly.
Giles pursed his lips. �I don�t have the faintest idea,� he said finally. �Doesn�t it have any suggestions; preferably ones that leave me physically intact?�
�I can think of something...� Matthew said slowly.
***
Dremar refused to let Spike in at first, his voice hysterical, almost tearful. �Haven�t you done enough? Do you know what happened in here? Do you? Have you seen the mess? Have you ��
�Dremar, do you know who I am?� Giles asked, his voice calm and measured.
There was a brief pause. �The Watcher? You brought � take him away!�
�I have money and I promise you the Slayer is better as a friend than an enemy. I can make sure which she decides to be.�
�I don�t trust your promises,� Dremar said bitterly. �He cheated me.�
�Did not!�
�That�s beside the point,� Giles said firmly. �You�re dealing with me now and I need one of those memory saving globes.�
�Shan�t! You can�t get past my door and ��
Giles sighed. �Of course I can.�
�How? It�s bespelled to open at my voice alone!�
Giles grinned wolfishly. �I find a chain saw does good demon imitations.�
Spike stepped out of the way with an admiring bow of the head and Giles reached for his weapon. The door opened before he had time to use it.
***
The three gathered around and the ritual began. Spike stood, his hands on Xander�s shoulders, waiting for the moment when he would truly be touching him. The hyena, awake again, began to struggle but strong fingers held him still. Giles was outside the circle, a glowing sphere in his hand, his face peaceful, even happy. Matthew stood, book in hand, his eyes watchful.
�� depart and leave, dissolve to dust,� he chanted, finishing the incantation. Giles moved forward and flung the globe down, letting it shatter inside the circle. The red mist sank down, absorbed into the chalked diagram, vanishing utterly. Spike felt Xander�s shoulders tense and the hyena shrieked loudly, thrashing in the chair. There was a sense of darkness rising within the circle and then it disappeared, fading like a dream, leaving empty air, ringing with silence.
Xander turned his head, craning his neck to look upwards. �Spike? Not that I don�t like it when you get enthusiastic with the hands but - oww.�
Spike smiled and loosened his grip, meeting Giles� eyes for a moment and seeing his own relief reflected in them.
�And if it�s all the same to you guys, I prefer to save the ropes for more private moments.�
Giles winced. �I could wish you hadn�t shared that,� he said.
Spike reached for the ropes, began to untie the knots, and then growled impatiently and snapped them, releasing both Xander and some of his own tension. Xander stood up, staggering slightly as his stiff legs gave way. Spike grabbed his arm and helped him over to the couch. Xander looked up at the three faces peering anxiously down at him and smiled, flushing slightly. �Well, that was...what was that?�
�You don�t remember?� Giles asked.
�Lot of that going around,� Spike muttered.
�I remember the alley and then this guy came out of nowhere ��
�That would be me,� Matthew said gruffly, his eyes intent. �I helped Giles capture you so that we could free you of the hyena.�
Xander looked around at them all and tried to speak. Spike hesitated and then sat down beside him. �Don�t worry about it now. You�ve got two doses of knockout drugs in you and you�re fine, trust me.�
Xander turned to look at him and Giles found himself holding his breath as his face puckered with uncertainty. Then Xander slid his hand behind Spike�s head and pulled him towards him, kissing him hard and releasing him a second later.
�You �� Spike seemed at a loss and Giles found himself blinking away, not tears, no, just a sudden prickling in his eyes. All this bloody chalk all over the floor, he thought defensively.
�All�s well, then,� Matthew said heartily. �Now, where�s your _good_ malt, Rupert?�
�He has more?� Spike said with interest, his arm around Xander�s shoulders, keeping him close. �Thought I�d found most of it.�
Giles glared at him. �If I were to look behind the collected works of ��
�Kipling?� Spike suggested. �Now there�s a man who knew his stuff.� He smirked happily. �Good hunting, Giles,� he quoted.
�Spike, you thieving, ungrateful � this bottle was full!�
�Enough left for a toast,� Matthew said pacifically.
Giles narrowed his eyes, poured out three measures and then sighed and let the last drops trickle into a fourth glass. Handing them around, he paused and then said, ��Lest we forget...��
***
Xander left Spike and Matthew squabbling happily about a soccer game that had taken place before he was born and followed Giles into the small kitchen.
�We should get out of your way,� he said.
Giles looked up from watching the kettle boil for tea and smiled. �There�s no rush but I can understand that you and Spike have a lot to discuss.�
�Tomorrow will do for that. Or maybe next week. Never mind. Giles � I have to know. What was it? What did you give up for me?�
Giles took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes before sighing. �Does it matter? I did it willingly, Xander. I�d have given up far more than that to save you. I�d really rather not dwell on it.�
Xander hesitated, looking at him doubtfully and Giles forced himself to smile reassuringly. It must have worked because Xander�s face brightened. �Is this where we hug?� he asked.
Giles laughed. �Or exchange a manly handshake.�
Xander thought about it. �Hug,� he decided. �And we never tell anyone we did it.�
Giles patted his shoulder. �Now go, and take your vampire with you,� he said. �I want to catch up on the news with Matthew.�
Spike stood up eagerly when Xander came back and they both made their way to the door. Spike paused, his hand resting on the handle. �Almost forgot,� he said casually. �Decided what you want me to never do again, yet, Giles?�
Giles looked at him steadily. �Yes.�
�Well?�
�Never force me to leave the house unshaven and barely awake in search of sugar-laden donuts I don�t want to eat.�
There was a short pause as Matthew looked puzzled and Xander blushed.
�I don�t get ...oh. Fair enough.�
�Told you he wouldn�t like it,� said Xander.