Notes: It's been so long since I've written anything with this one. My muse took took a holiday and took some time to return. However, I'd started a second and third chapter of this and just forgot to post it. As a gift to those who've had reminders set for this, here is what I had written in this verse. I've got a bit more work to do on the second part of this section (in Spike's POV again) before I post it. Enjoy!
P.S.: My computer crashed some time back. I'm working on recovering the chapters I'd already had written. Some of it, though not gone forever, is somewhere I'm not able to retrieve it from at the moment with my current resources. I'm trying to re-write it. For the moment however, I've gone through and edited the last two chapters to take out any glaring errors. Hopefully, I'll have some new material for you in the next couple weeks.
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Chapter
Two
Xander's POV
Xander pulled Spike into his lap and rocked him gently. He ran his hand through the gelled locks, soothing himself just as much as his friend. He needed to calm himself before he did something stupid like going inside and ripping off Deadboy's head. And wasn't that a lovely thought? He fought off a grin as he glanced down when Spike curled himself around Xander.
He effortlessly picked up the now quiet vampire and carried him to his car. After getting him settled in the passenger seat with a blanket he'd retrieved from the back seat, he walked around to the driver's side deep in thought. He rejected the idea of going back to the hotel. Considering what happened tonight he really just wanted to go home. He'd never actually unpacked his things anyway. It'd be just as easy to just pick up their things and go home. With a final glance over at the now sleeping vampire bundled up in the passenger seat, he made a final decision. They needed to just get as far away from this place as possible.
The drive back to Sunnydale proved to be very quiet. Spike slept the whole way, which was just as well considering the thoughts muddling through Xander's head. He couldn't quite shake the image of his broken-hearted friend crying on the doorstep of his lover's home. There wasn't any doubt in his mind that Angel had betrayed Spike in some way… just as he knew he would. He would pay for hurting his vampire, just as soon as he got the details out of Spike.
His mind turned back to a night just a few weeks back. He had been fighting with Spike over Angel… again. It was an ongoing battle with them, but that night in particular he couldn't help but push. Spike had shuffled into the apartment quietly. He hadn't stalked through like he usually would have. He hadn't smirked to Xander in greeting. Hell, he had even refused to make eye contact with Xander as he brushed passed him on his way into the kitchen. He knew Spike and Angel hadn't been getting along during the previous week, but that night it just seemed worse. Something had changed.
He hadn't been able stand to see Spike like this. He stood up from his place on the couch, intent on offering what little comfort he could, but stopped knowing Spike would have used it as an excuse to vent his frustrations. With only a brief hesitation, he finally gave into his first instinct and made his way towards Spike in the kitchen. He paused at the threshold of the kitchen entry to lean against the door jam. He had watched silently as Spike methodically prepared his usual dinner. He looked down at feet before quietly asking, "How'd it go with Dea… err, Angel tonight?"
His question was met with silence. He looked up to see the vampire reaching into the cupboard over the microwave to pull down the jar of burba weed to spice his blood with. When he didn't get an answer right off, Xander backed out the door and rounded the corner to take a seat on a stool at the breakfast bar. He silently watched Spike across the counter as he slowly sipped his dinner. He glanced up only briefly between sips and answered in an emotionless voice, "Fine."
Xander raised an eyebrow at the answer, but let it go for the moment. He watched as Spike's eyes glazed over a bit as he finished eating, his stare reaching a spot somewhere beyond Xander's left shoulder. It would seem his roommate had picked up some nasty habits from brood boy. He shook his head as he thought to himself, This is going to be a long night.
Xander sighed needlessly and stood up to make his way around the counter to lean next to Spike against the stove. He looked across the room at the refrigerator as he asked softly, "What did Angel do this time?"
He jumped as Spike's mug shattered against the far wall. He glanced back at the mess on the wall over the couch before returning his look to the furious vampire intently staring at him. Spike closed his eyes and clenched his teeth and hissed out, "Don't."
He wrapped his arms around himself and let out a shaky breath as he opened his eyes. He asked in a whisper-soft voice, "Could we not do this right now, Xan?"
Xander's lips thinned before he shook his head and answered, "You can't keep hiding from this, Spike." He scrubbed his hands over his face. God, he was so tired. He turned to look pleadingly at Spike as he said, "It hurts to see you like this. Talk to me, please. What happened tonight with Angel?"
A sustained horn honking as it passed him brought him out of his memories. A wave of fresh anger coursed through him: it always came back to Angel. He looked down at his white knuckles. He had gripped the steering wheel so hard that it creaked under the pressure. He would find a way to get back at the bastard. He hated him. He always had. After all he had put the gang through over the years... He knew he should never let Spike near him.
That thought had him loosening his grip on the wheel. What could he have done different? He desperately searched his memories, but came up at a loss. He honestly knew he couldn't have done a damn thing. Once Spike had made up his mind to act, there was no stopping him. Chaining him to the bed was always an option.
Xander smiled as visions of his vampire chained down spread-eagle on the bed flit through his head. He shook his head to dispel the thoughts wondering, Where the hell had that come from? He shrugged and put it to the back of his mind. He needed to concentrate on his driving if the drivers cursing at him as they drove by were any indication. He would need to get them home safely if he ever wished to get a chance at dealing with Angel.
Two hours flew by for Xander with thoughts of vengeance running in circles through his head. Silence will do that to a man. He finally pulled his car into the assigned covered space in the parking lot of his apartment complex, and shut off the engine. He was starting to get weary after such a long night. He dropped his head to the steering wheel and let out a deep sigh. They would both need to get some sleep. He had a feeling his days were only going to get worse, at least for the time being.