Story Title: Respite
A/N: I know… sorry I haven't updated "Legacy of the Aurelius Line" in nearly a month, but… I went to Pittsburgh's Comic Con and got to meet Mr. James Marsters in person, which was awesome! And I also won a DVD autographed by Nicky Brendon, which was awesome too! And I decided to see what else he's been up to lately, and what I learned made me want to write something of a hurt/comfort, feel-good fic about Xander. So here it is. (And I promise, I will get back to "Legacy…")
Warnings: If you wanted to, I suppose this could be seen as a Spander fic, but I meant it to be more of a mentor-friendship type thing.
Disclaimer: I love these guys, but I certainly don't own them in any sense of the word.
Spike flinched as the sound of shattering glass accompanied another crescendo in the shouting match taking place upstairs. The Harris's had been arguing for hours. At first, the vampire had found it amusing, figuring the fight between Xander's parents would provide him with some entertainment for a while. After all, there wasn't much he could do to entertain himself as he sat tied to a chair in their basement all day. Then the argument became annoying as it dragged on into the afternoon, preventing Spike from sleeping. Now, however, the vampire was worried. The Whelp was due home any minute, and the argument had turned violent. Spike knew the couple upstairs weren't above taking out some of their frustrations with each other on their only son.
A few moments later, another crash sounded over the raised voices, testifying to the destruction of a coffee table. Accompanying the splintering of wood, though, was a familiar yelp, and Spike prayed to whatever gods might hear him that Xander would making it downstairs relatively unscathed. Not that he actually cared about the Whelp, the vampire told himself. He just didn't fancy giving himself rope burn while breaking free from his Barcalounger prison should the boy become incapacitated.
Sneakered footsteps scuttled across the kitchen floor above before the basement door opened. For a brief moment, Mrs. Harris's voice could be heard without any muffling effects, while Xander offered her a token greeting and excuse before slipping onto the stairs and shutting the door again. Spike heard the Whelp sigh and lock the door, then start descending the steps into the "Basement of Doom."
"How long have they been at it?" Xander asked, tossing his uniform work shirt onto his bed and rummaging through his dresser drawers for a clean t-shirt. He completely ignored the bleeding scrape that ran from his wrist halfway up his forearm. Spike's stomach rolled with hunger when the blood scent hit his nose, but the vampire ignored it in favor of answering the Whelp's question.
"I believe they started the verbal war around 10:15, but the initial bickering and drinking began closer to 9:00AM."
Xander let loose another sigh. "Sorry about that. They always get like this right before their anniversary."
"Do they now?" Unconsciously, Spike tugged at his bonds.
"Yeah. In the past, I'd sleep over at Willow's place until the arguing died down to more reasonable levels, but with her living in the college dorms this year…" Xander trailed off.
"What about your bird? I know she has an apartment of her own. Don't know where though," Spike asked.
"Her landlord doesn't like me much. He's friends with my dad and thinks I'm a bum. Last time I tried to stay with Anya, he threatened to evict her. I don't want that to happen."
"You don't have anywhere else you could go?"
"Buffy's roommates with Willow, and anyone else I used to hang with has either skipped town or is dead. I could go to Giles, but I don't want to impose on him. He might make me do research or catalogue his books." Xander gave a mock shudder, prompting a quiet chuckle from Spike.
"Don't blame you there, mate," the vampire smiled.
The young man studied his unwilling houseguest for a moment. "Just because I'm stuck here, though, doesn't mean you need to be. If I turn you loose, it's not like you can actually hurt anyone with that chip in your head."
Spike stared at Xander in shock as he knelt down to untie the ropes holding the vampire to the orange Barcalounger from hell. Once he was free of the bonds, Spike rubbed his chaffed wrists to relieve the irritation the ropes had caused, but he remained seated. Xander watched the vampire in turn, not saying anything as he waited for the bleached blonde to take this chance to escape.
"When's their anniversary?" Spike asked softly.
"Two more days," came the automatic reply.
"How long will they continue fighting after that?"
"Maybe another day or two. They'll run out of booze and realize they can't buy anymore until they've sobered up some. By that point, the hangover will be bad enough to make them want to avoid drinking again for a while."
"So you just need a place to stay for three or four days, maybe five." Spike studied the boy thoughtfully. "I know you never liked Peaches much, but his mansion over on Crawford Street is empty at the moment. I might have to re-tap the electric, but the water should still be on. The city never knew we tapped the pipes, because we managed to hook into a line that feeds an axillary storage tank."
"Spike, are you offering to get me out of here?" Xander shot the vampire an incredulous look.
"For a few days at least. It might be difficult to hide your presence in the mansion over a long-term period, but it'll give us some time to figure out a more permanent solution."
"Why?" Xander asked. "I thought you hated me and the other Scoobies."
"Well don't think this means I'm giving up on my evil ways. I don't have to like you to have reasons for wanting to help you, and I do have my reasons."
"Well, as long as you don't expect me to join you in those evil ways, I think we'll be fine."
"Right then," Spike smirked. "Get packed, and we'll head on out. Oh, and you might want to patch up that arm of yours. I might not be able to bite you right now, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't try to get in a lick or two if you fail to keep that scrape covered."
"Hey, you just keep your tongue to yourself, mister!" Xander yelped and scrambled to his feet. Spike chuckled in good-natured amusement.
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Xander swept the flashlight beam across the space before him, noting the first floor longue of the mansion looked the same as when he had last seen it. Beside him, Spike lit a cigarette before offering his Zippo to the young man.
"Think you can get a fire going in the fireplace while I go steal some electricity?"
"Yeah, sure. And, uh, try to be careful. I'm not going to help you fix your hair if you accidently shock yourself."
Spike chuckled at the weak attempt at a barb, knowing Xander was still pondering over why the vampire would help him.
"Don't worry about me. Just get that fire going." Spike smirked and stalked off into the dark, leaving Xander alone with his thoughts.
The young man crossed the room, dropping his duffle and sleeping bag next to one of the couches before heading over to the fireplace. Next to the massive hearth, he found a ready supply of kindling and enough dry wood to last a week.
"Welcome to home sweet hell," Xander whispered softly to himself. "Hopefully Spike won't make me regret taking him up on this offer."
Shrugging off his worry, the young man set to work.
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When Spike returned to the longue, flipping on the chandelier lighting as he came, he found Xander sitting before a glowing fire and looking rather lost and abandoned. He wondered if the Whelp knew how vulnerable he appeared at that moment. After witnessing Xander's home life, the vampire knew that the strong front he showed to his friends was nothing more than a mask. The boy never wanted to cause his friends worry, however, by letting on just how bad things got between his parents. Hiding the pity he felt for Xander, Spike settled down next to him on the hearthrug.
"Nice job, Whelp. Perfectly warm fire, just the way I like it." The vampire stripped off his duster and black t-shirt and threw them down on the rug in front of him. Xander jumped a little at the action but then relaxed again when Spike stretched out on his stomach, treating the articles as if they were a beach towel.
"I take it this is the equivalent of sunbathing for you vampires?"
"Hmm. One of the few downsides of modern conveniences is the lack of working fireplaces in every home. Younger vampires don't care much about the lack, thinking the danger of catching on fire outweighs the pleasure of being warm. Those of us who've been around for a century or more, though, and remember when heating and lighting only came from open flames, we love a good fire."
"I didn't think vampires felt the cold."
"We feel it. We just don't suffer from it. Doesn't mean we don't miss having our own body heat, though." Spike peeked over his shoulder at the young man, a lazy grin playing across his face. "There are some vampires who will go hunting for a warm body just for the sake of having a snuggle. Others have a thing for hot showers or hot tubs, but I've always preferred a nice wood fire."
He dropped his head back down on his crossed arms and closed his eyes, shifting slightly as he made himself more comfortable.
Xander chuckled softly. "You're like a big, bleached cat."
"I'd take offense to that if I wasn't half-asleep right now," Spike mumbled. "Keep the fire going for a while, will you? Haven't been warm like this in years."
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Spike woke again several hours later to find the fire had died down to a hot bed of coals still radiating a pleasant amount of heat. Xander was sleeping beside him. The Whelp had dragged several couch cushions onto the hearthrug and spread his sleeping bag out on top of them. The vampire smirked; in typical teenage fashion, Xander knew exactly how to make himself comfortable. He'd have to show the boy the way to the bedrooms upstairs in the morning.
Sitting up, Spike took a moment to rummage through his duster's pockets for his pack of cigarettes. Xander had left his Zippo on the floor between them, and the vampire grabbed it up before heading for the mansion's courtyard.
"Ah, Whelp, what are you doing to me?" Spike sighed, glancing back through the doors to where Xander slept. "Never imagined I'd be offering you sanctuary prior to living with you, but now I can't stand the thought of sending you back to that house."
The vampire shut the doors quietly before lighting up a cigarette. He paused to smoke for a moment, reluctant to make the next move necessary to helping the young man sleeping inside, but he knew it needed to be done. Spike had a phone call or two to make.
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The smell of fresh-baked pastries and sausage rolls roused Xander from sleep the next morning. It took him a moment to recognize where he was, but Spike's British accent quickly reminded him of what had taken place the night before.
"I know you Scoobies like your donuts, but I thought you might want something a little different for once." Spike announced his presence by dropping a white paper bag next to Xander's pillow.
"You got me breakfast?"
"Yeah, while I was out," Spike admitted. "I had to get some blood from the butcher's for myself. Don't know how Peaches can stand to live on that pig's crap, but I guess I'll have to learn."
"You're being awfully nice for an evil, undead vampire," Xander commented. "What's the catch?"
"No catch," the blonde replied, lighting up another cigarette. "Unless you consider keeping me company when Peaches gets here tonight to be a catch."
"Angel's coming? Why?"
"'Cause the Poofter has my money, and I want it."
"What money? You're always acting like you don't have any money," Xander asked with suspicion.
"I don't have any money on me, because Angel has been keeping it for me. You don't think we never stored up resources for the hard times while we were terrorizing the world, do you? We haven't really been able to do much personal banking since photo IDs became a thing, but we do have some stocks and bonds and the like bought under the names of fake businesses. We also have some cold, hard cash stashed around in secret caches along the west coast."
Xander could only stare at the vampire for several moments.
"Are you just going to sit there or am I gonna have to force-feed you your breakfast?" The vampire raised his scarred eyebrow.
Xander shook himself out of his dumbfounded stupor and reached for the bag of pastries, pulling out one of the sausage rolls first.
"So, um, why do you need money that you can't mooch off of Giles?"
"I'm looking to invest in some property." Spike shrugged and settled down on the marble hearthstone. It still retained the barest traces of heat even though the embers had stopped glowing a few hours prior.
"What? The old factory no longer good enough for you? Why not just set up shop in this place? Doesn't seem like Angel will be looking to use it on a permanent basis anytime soon."
"The property isn't actually for me, and I doubt the intended tenant would be comfortable here or in the factory long-term. Mind if I relight the fire?"
"Go ahead. Not like I could stop you."
"Actually, as long as I have this chip in my head, you can render me as helpless as a kitten if you wanted to."
Xander was surprised that the blonde willingly admitted that aloud. He made no comment about it, though, out of the modicum of grudging respect he was developing for the vampire. Instead, he continued to eat his breakfast in silence and watch as Spike set to work stacking firewood around kindling in the fireplace.
Within moments, Spike had the fire burning with practiced ease. He sat back on the hearthrug, and just as he had the night before, he stripped out of his duster and t-shirt to bask in the heat.
"So does this place have a shower I can use? It's still early yet, but I'll have to get ready for work eventually," Xander asked as he watched the dancing flames.
"Upstairs, turn left, first door on your right," Spike hummed as he stretched out on his duster, pillowing his head on one of the couch cushions that Xander had purloined.
Without thinking, the young man reached out and ruffled the vampire's bleached curls.
"What are you doing, Harris?"
"Sorry." Xander quickly fumbled for an excuse. "You had ashes in your hair, and it was bugging me."
"Huh, hazard of having no reflection," Spike grunted. "Can't ever tell if I'm a mess or not."
"Think that's why Angel's hair always looks ridiculous?"
"Nah, I think it's the soul. The old boy definitely had better taste when he was evil."
Xander snorted in amusement.
"Hey, think you could grab me a paper while you're out today, Whelp? If I'm gonna shop for real estate, no better place to start than the ads section."
"It's the least I can do in return for you getting me out of my parents' place." Xander restrained the urge to ruffle Spike's hair again, knowing the vampire wouldn't accept his excuse a second time.
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It was early evening when Spike woke up again. Listening carefully for a moment and giving a cursory sniff of the air told the vampire that Xander had not yet returned from work. Spike was surprised at the small pang of disappointment he felt when he realized this.
Wanting to distract himself from having to analyze his feelings, the blonde climbed to his feet and headed for the kitchen. He might as well choke down some of that disgusting pig's blood while the Whelp was still out. Spike knew he wasn't the cleanest of eaters at the best of times, but having to deal with this butcher's shop crap made it three times worse.
He grabbed a container from the fridge and a coffee mug from one of the cupboards. Filling the mug, he popped it into the microwave and punched in just enough time to warm the contents without setting them to boiling. If there was one thing he had learned since getting the bloody chip, it was that boiled pig's blood tasted more repulsive than cold pig's blood.
The microwave beeped. Spike pulled out the mug and began gulping down its contents, not noticing Xander step into the doorway as he hurried through his meal.
"Well that was certainly disgusting," the young man commented when the vampire pulled the mug away from his face.
Spike grimaced. "Doesn't taste much better than it looks or so I'd imagine."
"Maybe you could try putting cinnamon in it or something?"
"I'll have to experiment," the blonde agreed. He turned on the facet at the sink in order to wash his face and then grabbed a towel to dry himself off. "Did ya get my paper?"
In response, Xander tossed a copy of the local newspaper onto the countertop along with a pack of cigarettes.
"You know my brand of preference?" Spike raised a brow in surprise.
"How could I not? You dropped your empty packs all over my floor." Xander shrugged. "Any idea on when Angel will be arriving?"
"Not until a couple hours after sunset at the earliest. He owns that '67 Plymouth convertible, and he'll refuse to put the top up even if it means leaving L.A. a few minutes sooner."
"Geez, vain much? No wonder you call him a 'poofter.' Not that I'm eager for him to be here, but the sooner he arrives, the sooner he can leave again."
Spike laughed. "It's nice to have an ally who hates him just as much as I do."
"Yeah, well, if we're gonna have a few hours once sunset arrives, what do you say to going out for a game or two of pool and some buffalo wings? Get the taste of that pig's blood out of your mouth."
"I like your thinking, Harris." The vampire nodded in agreement.
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It was nearing midnight when Xander and Spike stumbled back into the mansion, laughing over how they had managed to trick a pair of wannabe hotshots into challenging them to a serious round of pool. The vampire-teen duo had played it cool, pretending to be newbies to the game. The hotshots saw an easy way to make some quick cash and issued a small bet which the pair had accepted. Spike and Xander purposefully lost the first game, and the game after that. After several more rounds, the hotshots were getting ready to call it a night. Sensing the time was right, Spike begged for one more chance to win back their cash, upping the stakes to winners-take-all. The hotshots couldn't resist; they took the bet and promptly got dominated by the vampire and his companion.
Once they had collected their winnings, Spike and Xander slipped out the door, knowing they had stayed too long at the bar already. The two losers followed them silently. Spike sensed their stalkers long before they announced their presence. They were angry about being tricked out of their money. Xander shot Spike a concerned glance when he realized the two hotshots were looking for a fight. The vampire just smirked and said, "I'll take care of it."
Spike approached the pair until he was standing just beyond arm's reach of them. "So you two want your cash back? Well, I'd say, 'over my dead body,' but the problem with that is… I'm already dead."
The blonde morphed into game face and issued a furious roar, leaving the two men no room to doubt that he wasn't human. The scent of fresh urine wafted on the air as the pair turned tail and fled. Spike glanced back at Xander, the two sharing matching grins of amusement.
"I guess somebody forgot to tell them that my bark is worse than my bite," the vampire chuckled. The pair had continued laughing all the way back to the mansion.
"Where have you been?" Angel's grumpy voice broke through the pair's mirth as they shut the courtyard doors behind them. "Wait. Don't bother to answer that, Spike. I'm not in the mood to listen to your excuses."
"Aw, what's the matter, Peaches? Something get your knickers in a twist? Care to share?" Spike smirked.
"If you must know, it's snarky, arrogant, compact, and standing right in front of me. It also has chemically-altered hair growing out of its skull, and I believe all of those bleaching products have had negative effects on its brain."
"Oh, like you're one to talk, Captain Forehead. How much styling gel do you go through in a week?" Spike shot back. "Now where's my money?"
"Why do you need it now all of a sudden?" Angel asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the back of a couch. "After making me wait for you for two hours, I think I deserve some sort of explanation as to why this is so urgent."
Spike glanced at Xander standing beside him, knowing the time for lying to himself was over. He ran a hand over his bleached curls and let loose a sigh.
"It's urgent, because Harris needs to get out from under those imbeciles he calls parents before they manage to ruin him forever," Spike said softly. "I'm not going to sit by and watch him return to that house when there's something I can do about it."
"Spike?" Xander stared at the blonde in shock.
"You're a better man than anyone knows, Alexander Lavelle Harris, but you're never gonna see that if you continue to live under the same roof as those human rejects that gave you life. All they're doing is dragging you down when you're trying to find your future. You won't reach your real potential struggling against their dead weight." The blonde locked eyes with the teenager. "It's time to grow up, Harris, and move out of that basement… permanently."
"Why? Why would you do this for me?"
"Because as much as it pains me to say it, I've grown fond of you Scoobies and your little Slayer," Spike sighed again, eying his grandsire for a moment before turning back to Xander. "You lot have saved the world a time or two, and I happen to like the world. It's a decent place to spend eternity. Certainly a lot better than any of the hell dimensions you've kept from swallowing it. And since you Scoobies and the Slayer are so good at protecting it, I find I want to help you lot if I can. If that means buying you a home of your own, Harris, then that's what I'll do."
Xander didn't know how to respond. He glanced back and forth between Spike and Angel, wondering how he would manage to repay either vampire for this gift. Feeling overwhelmed, he slunk over to the hearthrug and collapsed onto his makeshift bed, pressing his palms against his eyes to block any unmanly flow of tears that threatened to leak out.
"I don't know what led you to this path, Spike, but I hope you continue to walk it," Angel spoke quietly. "It's nice to think that there's another vampire out there working for the good of the world instead of against it."
"Don't just think it, Peaches, know it."
The elder vampire nodded and handed a briefcase to his grandchilde. "Everything you need is in there, papers, checkbooks, account information, and enough cash for whatever down payments you might need to make."
"Thanks, Peaches."
"Don't be a stranger," Angel added. "Even if you drop me a line just to insult my hair, it's better than not hearing from you at all."
The pair engaged in a quick, brotherly embrace before the elder headed for the door and slipped into the night. Spike watched him go before setting the briefcase on the coffee table and stepping over to where Xander lay in silence.
"What's the matter, Whelp?" Spike asked gently, a soft smile stretching the corner of his mouth as he stared down at the boy.
Xander peeked up at the blonde, and then reached out to snag the vampire's wrist. With a not-so-gentle tug, the young man pulled Spike down to land on top of him.
"I have no idea how I'll ever repay you for this…"
"You already have, Whelp, or did you miss the whole saving-the-world spiel?" Spike interrupted.
"I'll never be able to repay you for this, Spike, but anytime you feel a need to find a warm body for 'a snuggle,' I won't be averse to lending you some body heat."
"It'll be our secret," the blonde agreed as he shifted to make them both comfortable. Already, Xander's warmth was making him drowsy, and he clung to the boy protectively, nuzzling against his collarbone. "But if you ever tell the other Scoobies or the Slayer that I purr when I'm content, I will find a way to kill you."
"You purr?" Xander snickered. "I knew you were a big, bleached cat."
Spike gave a half-hearted snarl before allowing the sound to mellow into the aforementioned purring. Xander fell asleep to the sound, thanking whatever gods might hear him for snarky vampires who had a love for the simple pleasures of the world.
End A/N: So endeth the story. Wow… that was kind of long! Especially for one of my posts. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Comments, reviews, feedback, etc are always greatly appreciated, but if you really want to make someone happy, go send Nicky some love!
Thanks for reading!
- Stony Knight