[Reviews - 617]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 7184 times

- Text Size +




First of all, I'd like to take the time to thank Addie Logan, who nominated me for 3 (!!) awards at Vampire's Kiss -- Best Romance, Best WIP and *grins like a mad woman* Sexiest Bite. Thank you so very much Addie. And thanks to the rest of you for your kind and lovely reviews.

[A/N: I do not suffer fools, gladly or otherwise, and therefore, I don’t like Xander. You won’t find any sympathy or any slack because he’s one of the scoobies. This might be a bit harsh, but its done for a purpose, bear with me. In fact don’t be surprised if there’s a smack down coming for him. (So I suppose that’s a bit of a spoiler). If you want to flame me for this, that's your prerogative, just be prepared for my response. Okay, the title is from the Peter Gabriel song of the same name, from the soundtrack to “Against All Odds” an okay film about star-crossed lovers. Quotes as attributed, disclaimers unfortunately, still working.]

Previously: Willow’s been out playing with magic. Buffy has allowed Spike to bite her, and Xander just walked in on them the morning after. This picks up immediately following the last chapter.

30. Walk through the Fire

A friend whose hopes we cannot satisfy is a friend we would rather have as an enemy.
Friedrick Nietzsche, Dawn, “Fourth Book” aphorism 313

My noble friend, chew upon this.
Julius Caesar, act 1, sc 2

No one is a friend to his friend who does not love in return.
Plato

Treat your friend as if he might become an enemy.
Publius Syrus



Given the number of people in such a small area, the noise level should have been fairly high. Oddly enough, it was eerily silent. Tara and Dawn had been the last back into the kitchen by unspoken agreement, and while the others sat around the island, they remained standing by the hallway entrance. Anya had sat down directing her gaze back at the other two. There was no doubt in her mind what secret they were hiding, and she figured, rightly, that Xander had just stumbled upon something he truly didn’t like. And judging by the looks on their faces, Dawn and Tara knew what or more specifically, who Xander had discovered. His reaction was all too obvious to Anya’s mind.

Stealing a quick look at her boyfriend, she knew he was just about to blow his top. His face, since he’d come down the stairs, was devoid of color, except for two bright spots on his cheeks, and a muscle was twitching along his mouth. It heralded an explosion of epic proportions. Willow was still decidedly in the dark about whatever was about to happen, too intent on proclaiming innocence for a sin she wasn’t even sure she’d committed.

Giles was happily munching on a stack of pancakes, waiting for his cup of tea to steep, also unaware that things were about to come to a rather heated point. Swiveling around in her chair, Anya got up and started to clean, something she always did when she was nervous. It was the only release she had at the moment.

And thus, it was when the two missing members of the household arrived, her back was to the doorway.


******************************* ****************************************


Buffy had made some noise to him about putting on a shirt before they went downstairs to face everyone, and Spike had quickly over-ruled that. “No, m’not getting dressed so’s not to offend the whelp. He barged in on us. Too bad for him.”

And so they went, her in his tee shirt and him in the sweat pants and both of them wearing damn little else. He stopped, halfway down the staircase, two steps below where she stood, then turned to look at her. They were almost the same height, faces barely inches apart and she could clearly see the look in his eyes. Before she had a chance to brace herself, Spike had her pinned against the wall, his mouth on hers and one hand up underneath the shirt. Kissing her breathless, he wormed two fingers past her panties, sliding inside her, his thumb pressing on her clit as he held her.

Gasping for air, her arms reached up to pull him closer and soft groans filled the hallway. Breaking away from her, his fingers still thrusting in and out, Spike smiled evilly, his teeth pulling on her lower lip. Oh yeah, she looked thoroughly debauched. Too bad if the whelp objects. Her small hand wrapped around his wrist, holding his hand there, as he tried to slide away from her. Little whimpers gusted against his face as he leaned in for another searing kiss. This time, when he pulled back, he stepped away, dragging his fingers slowly from her aching pussy. His grin was pure devilment, as he tugged her down the steps, and she shuddered at the loss of his touch, then hissed his name softly as he licked his fingers clean.

“Now we go.”


******************************* ***************************************


The anger was building, boiling and burbling inside him, swirling and looking for a focal point. He didn’t believe Willow hadn’t had anything to do with the situation he’d seen upstairs in Buffy’s room. It had to be another wonky spell. Something. He refused to believe that it wasn’t anything but. There was no other way Buffy would allow Spike to get close. No way. Xander refused to think beyond the idea of a spell gone awry.

He couldn’t look at any of the girls, wouldn’t look Giles in the eye. Instead he just tapped the fork against his discarded plate, pinging it with growing force each time it hit the edge of the plate. There was a noise on the stairs, and Xander looked up, waiting for Buffy to come into the kitchen. And waited.

Expecting her to walk in the kitchen alone, Xander nearly fell off the stool when Spike preceded Buffy into the room. Their clasped hands weren’t immediately visible, but for once, Xander actually picked up on their body language, noting how close they were standing, how Buffy didn’t leave his side. Spike nudged Dawn as he walked past her, then smiled nicely at Tara, which made Xander see red. And like the proverbial bull and red flag, he went charging into it.

“Why is he still here?” Xander asked no one in particular.

“Pretty much because he lives here.” Dawn’s voice piped up, answering when it looked like everyone else was going to stay silent.

“He lives here? I thought he lived in a crypt like all the other dead things” there was growing belligerence in Xander’s tone.

“Yeah, Xander. You know he’s pretty much been here since Buffy . . .” Tara looked over at Buffy, an apology in her eyes.

“Its okay, Tara, you can say it. Since I was gone.” Buffy tightened her hold on Spike’s hand, and they shared a brief look.

Giles got up, moving toward the stove, but subtly moving away from Xander and closer to Spike. While he had no clue what set the younger man off, Giles had a very bad feeling about what was going on.

“Well, don’t you think its time he went back to the crypt and stayed there?” The anger started to really surface in his tone, and it was hard for anyone to miss it.

“Xander what’s your damage?” Was Dawn’s half-innocent query.

“My damage? I’m not damaged. I’m not the one sleeping with the undead demon.”

Everyone stopped. No one moved, and hardly anyone breathed. Giles glanced over his teacup to the blond pair, his face devoid of any real shock. Anya froze at the kitchen sink, and of all of them, only Willow was truly surprised.

“You’re out of line Harris.” For the first time since entering the kitchen, Spike spoke. “No need to speak like that to Buffy.”

“Don’t you speak, you demon scumbag.” Xander’s anger took over completely.

Gasps filled the room, not the least of which came from his own girlfriend. Giles put the cup down, saying “that was a bit uncalled for Xander.”

Rounding on the older man, Xander’s mouth just spewed forth more hatred. “Don’t you tell me what to do – tell her” and he pointed at Buffy, “that what she’s doing is wrong and disgusting and she’s just degrading herself.”

“Xander. Shut up.” Dawn’s voice sounded from Spike’s right, while Buffy clung tighter to his good hand.

The younger man groaned. “Don’t tell me you think this is a great idea Dawnie, coz there’s nothing right about your sister sleeping with a vampire – especially Spike.”

He said his name with such contempt that Buffy couldn’t stomach it anymore.

“Xander, stop it.” Spike’s temper was getting the better of him.

“Don’t you tell me what to do. You are so in the wrong here that you don’t get to speak” Xander waved his hands at Spike, emphasizing each word.

And Buffy saw red, finally finding her voice, “excuse me? Last time I checked this was my house and my life.” Coming to stand next to Spike, their fingers still entwined, she continued “and Spike has as much right to say what he wants as you do.”

“How can you defend him? How can you hold his hand?” In his desperate anger, Xander’s voice rose to a near shout. “How can you let him touch you?”

Unconsciously, Giles and the girls moved closer, while Buffy tried to formulate an answer that wouldn’t escalate tempers further. “Xander, can’t you see how he’s changed?”

“He’s evil Buffy, he’s tried to kill us all – kidnaped me and Willow – god, Buff, how many times has he tried to kill you? How can you defend him?” He tried a different tact with her, hoping his arguments would make her see reason.

“That was a long time ago Xander, he’s changed – remember how he helped with Glory? And what about how much he did while I was gone? He took care of Dawn” the tears started falling and she squeezed his hand so tightly, Spike thought he’d have to worry about both hands. Without waiting for Xander to reply, Buffy spoke through her tears. “God Xander, don’t you see how much he’s done?”

But Xander wasn’t willing to listen. Falling back on his major objection, he just repeated himself. “Evil, Buffy, he’s only helping because the chip won’t let him hurt people. Once it stops working, he’s gonna kill us all – he’s got no soul to stop him. He’s just evil.”

Shaking her head, Buffy started to disagree with him, but Xander cut her off. “Its disgusting. He’s dead – how could you let him touch you?” Sneering at the vampire, Xander crossed a line he didn’t even know he was teetering on. “You are disgusting for letting him near you. You’re just jonesing for some undead dick – an Angel substitute.”

Finally losing his temper, Spike didn’t even wait for the words to finish coming out of Xander’s mouth. Throwing a left hook, Spike caught the boy right across his mouth, breaking skin on teeth, as Giles said “that’s more than enough Xander.”

But Xander wasn’t done. Wiping the blood from his mouth, Xander watched as Spike clutched his head. Not caring that the vampire couldn’t retaliate or even defend himself, Xander went after him.

Throwing punches, he drove the vampire backwards, against the wall, even as the girls and Giles tried pulling him away. Buffy stepped between them, while Tara and Giles tried to subdue Xander, but he managed to get a right cross in, that hit both Buffy and Spike, and hearing Buffy’s yelp of surprise, Spike lost it.

No longer caring about the chip or pain, Spike threw a succession of punches at Xander that nearly put him on his knees, his mouth running constantly “don’t hit what’s mine you stupid fucking git” interspersed with grunts of pain and then, “don’t talk about her like that, you fucking wanker.”

Dawn and Buffy tried stepping between them again, as Xander regained his feet, breaking free of Giles’ hold as anger drove him forward.

Anya’s and Willow’s cries of “stop it” and “Xander” fell on deaf ears and finally, Tara held up both hands, murmuring a barrier spell, separated both men.

Spike sagged back against the wall, succumbing to the pain in his head and right hand while Buffy and Dawn both reached for him. Xander beat against the barrier, cursing and threatening to stake Spike since he was now dangerous. Giles thumped him, speaking through a tense jaw “he’s no more dangerous than I am. You idiot boy, you attacked him, what did you possibly expect?”

Xander sputtered something about Spike throwing the first punch, to which Giles just raised his eyebrow and said nothing. There was nothing to say, everyone present knew just how much Xander had provoked the vampire.

Tara watched as Buffy frantically checked Spike for injuries, trying to get the bandages off his right hand. Closing her eyes, Tara knew this was not the end of this, was barely just the beginning of things.

“‘m all right pet. Just a bit winded, m’head aches.” Spike was reassuring both Summers girls, pulling Buffy into his embrace “you okay sunshine?”

“I’m fine.” Buffy shrugged off his question, reaching for his hand again, “let me see, okay?”

Anya finally moved, roughly checking Xander for injuries. Getting ice from the freezer, Willow handed it to him, with the admonition to “hold this on your lip.”

Waiting for relative calm, Giles cleared his throat, “are you quite done Xander?” Waiting for a response, Giles raised an eyebrow at the boy when none was forthcoming.

“Xander are you finished?” Pausing a beat, Giles went on “I believe you owe Buffy an apology” and lowering the boom again, “and I also believe you owe one to Spike as well.”

“Not apologizing to that scum” Xander’s tone was pure poison, but he was totally unprepared for the comments from everyone else.

“Apologize to Buffy” was Willow’s statement, while Spike just growled at him, but it was Tara’s and Anya’s words that made him think.

“You should apologize to both of them Xander” was his girlfriend’s comment, while Tara looked at him sadly. “You insulted both of them, upset Buffy enough to make her cry. What you did was childish and wrong Xander. But its up to you to make it right.”

And then she surprised the hell out of everyone by saying, “and if you can’t do that, then maybe you need to leave Buffy’s house until you’ve thought about what you said and did just now.”





You must login (register) to review.