Title: You Don't Mess With Xander Harris's Friends!
Author: forsaken2003

Pairing: Spike/Xander
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I own none, all belong to Joss Whedon
Comments: Always welcomed!
Summary: Xander makes Riley apologize to both Willow and Spike.
Warnings/Spoilers: Season 5
Beta'd by: Whichclothes

Note: This is inspired by a conversation between myself and DragonyPhoenix

"Riley!" Xander yelled as he jogged after him. It was easy enough to find him. Just like always Riley was all about the hunt and he stuck to a routine. Stupid, in Xander's opinion.

Riley turned around and glared. What the hell was Xander doing screaming in a cemetery? He liked Xander well enough but he was sure something wasn't right with him. "Xander!" he hissed. "Keep it down!"

"Why, because of all the scary vamps?" Xander asked. "Don't worry, I've got someone taking care of them so we can have a chat," he said with a wave of the hand.

"A chat? Can't this wait?" Riley asked.

Xander shook his head. "It's waited long enough. I let you have time to recover after all that Adam shit."

Riley flinched at the memory of that. "I don't want to talk about him."

"Neither do I. What I want to talk about is what you did to Willow," Xander said with his eyes narrowed.

"Look, that wasn't my fault. It was what Professor Walsh did to me," Riley said as an excuse. It was a pretty good excuse too.

"Yeah and I get that. But the thing I have a problem with," Xander stepped closer to Riley, "a really big problem might I add, is the fact that you never even apologized to Willow. Do you have any fucking idea how much you could have hurt her?"

Riley couldn't stop himself; he looked away. "I know."

"You know?" Xander said. "Oh you know so I guess that is as good as an apology huh?" He brought his arm back and punched Riley in the face. Xander smiled as Riley crumpled to the ground. "Willow has been my best friend since pre-school and if you think I'm going to just let you blow it off and let it go you are sadly fucking mistaken!"

Riley pressed his hand to his cheek. He never thought that Xander could hit so hard. "I'm sorry."

"I think you're apologizing to the wrong person," Xander said. He yanked Riley up onto his feet and began dragging him over to the other side of the cemetery. His hand was clamped down hard in case Riley decided to try to make a run for it.

"Where are we going?" Riley asked. He didn't fight Xander. After all he knew he owed Willow an apology. What he didn't understand is why they were going deeper into the cemetery. Closer to… Spike's crypt?

"You don't think Willow is the only one you have to apologize to do you?" Xander asked, his stride never faltering. "Spike deserves one too."

Riley sputtered. "Spike? I have no fucking reason to apologize to him! If anything he owes me an apology!"

Xander turned around and Riley was sure he was going to be hit again. "He owes you jack shit! You're the one that kidnapped him and jammed a piece of plastic into his skull. You're pissed that he teamed up with Adam? Well boohoo to you. All he wanted was to be himself again. I'm not going to condemn him for that."

"I thought you were never going to get here, luv," Spike said meeting them at his humble abode, Willow at his side.

"Me and Riley needed to have a nice little chat first," Xander said and pushed Riley until he was standing in front of Spike and Willow. "Go ahead."

Riley looked down as he tried not to grit his teeth. Apologizing to Willow made sense. She deserved one. But Spike? He was the evil dead, who cared about him? "Willow. I'm so sorry for pushing you. I was messed up then and I know that isn't an excuse because after everything I should have come and talked to you. To make sure you were all right and that I didn't hurt you." He looked up at her. "I hope you can forgive me."

A smile spread over Willow's face she wasn't known to hold a grudge…much. "Thank you, Riley." She pulled him into a hug and Riley patted Willow's back awkwardly.

"Thank you, Willow," Riley said as he pulled away. He turned to Spike who was staring at him. Blue eyes burrowed into him and it made him shudder.

"Go on," Xander said. "You know better than to condone what the Initiative did to Spike."

Riley let out a deep breath. He knew Xander was right but Spike? He hated Spike! You don't say sorry to the person you despise the most. Well, second most because Angel topped that list. "Okay. Spike, I'm sorry for kidnapping you, drugging you and letting those doctors experiment on you. I was naïve and I will always regret being part of it."

They all knew it was a boldfaced lie but Xander never expected it to be sincere. "Great, now that that's over why don't you take Willow back to the dorms?"

"What about you?" Riley asked. After all it wasn't safe for Xander out here alone.

"Don't worry about the whelp," Spike said and groped Xander's ass. "I'll make sure he gets home after I give him a good seeing to."

Willow giggled, Xander eeped and blushed and Riley fainted.

The End