"No!" Xander screamed, thrashing about on the bed, "No, please, no!"
"Xander!" Spike pushed the boy's shoulders onto the bed. "I'm not going to harm you. The knife is just to cut your shirt off with pet." Xander lay there panting, eyes wide. Spike stayed leaning over Xander, letting the truth sink in. He didn't move until he felt the fear decrease from Xander's body. "All right, luv, I'm just going to cut your shirt off now." Spike picked up the knife and carefully keeping it out of Xander's line of vision, quickly cut the shirt off. At the sight of Xander's scarred and bruised body, Spike's eyes narrowed and he almost slipped into game face. 'It's my own fault.' Xander immediately thought. Spike was unsure what Xander was feeling, it seemed to be....self-blame? Naw, couldn't be. Why would Xander blame himself? Spike shrugged it off and wiped the blood from Xander's chest and stomach. Gently, he pressed down on Xander's sides and found a number of cracked ribs.
"Pet it seems like you've got some broken ribs, so I'm gonna call Willy and have him send a doctor."
"No doctor." Xander closed his eyes.
"Yes doctor." Spike reached over to pick up the phone, but was stopped by Xander's hand on his arm..
"I don't need a doctor." Xander tried to smile convincingly, but it came out as a grimace.
"Luv, you're in pain. I'm going to call Willy and I'll make sure to have him send a doctor who'll keep his mouth closed." Spike reassured. He was stopped again by Xander saying,
"Spike, please." Xander winced in pain, as he tried to take a deep breath. "Don't call Willy." Spike looked at Xander hard for a minute and then said sorrowfully,
"I'm sorry pet." Xander let out a groan as Spike picked up the phone and dialed.
"Please Spike, don't do this." Spike heard Xander's breath catch in his throat.
"Ssshhh.....luv." Spike ran his cool hand over Xander's face. "Willy, it's me." Xander turned towards the opposite wall, sobbing and cried over and over again,
"No, no, no, no, no." Spike gently stroked Xander's dark hair, meanwhile telling Willy where to send the doctor. Taking one last look, at Xander's trembling body, he said loud enough for the boy to hear,
"Willy, make sure you send a doctor who'll keep his mouth shut and won't ask too many questions, all right?" Xander, slightly mollified, lowered his cries until they were pitiful whimpers. "Ssssshhh...pet." Spike calmed the teen as he hung up the phone. "You're all right now. He's not here. He left and if he comes back, I'm not gonna let him within 100 feet of you, all right?" Xander said nothing, but slowly inched his battered body towards the vampire.
"Spike?" Xander asked softly.
"Yes luv?" Spike was instantly alert.
"I'm scared."
"Why are you scared ducks?" Xander suddenly stopped- (Why am I telling all of this to a vampire? He's gonna laugh at me.)
"I'm not going to laugh at you Xander." Spike smiled mildly at Xander's shocked expression. "There's nothing about this that I find funny except that your little gang of "friends" doesn't know about it." Xander was going to reply, but the pounding on the window stopped him. After a quick glance to see who it was, Spike got up and opened the window. He headed back over to Xander, ignoring the K'ythdek demon following him. "Xander, this is the doctor that's gonna take care of you."
"Whoop-de-doo." Xander said sarcastically, "I'm supposed to care because?
"It looks like you have gotten a feisty one, Master Spike." The blue demon commented.
"It is not your place to comment on my pets." Spike said sharply, "Get to work."
"Yes master." The K'ythdek demon replied, contrite. "May I have permission to speak freely to him? Spike paused hesitantly, until the demon added, "I will be able to treat his injuries better if I can speak with him. It might also help to alleviate some of the anxiety he might be feeling." Spike nodded his consent and then protectively stood next to the bed. "What is your name?" The K'ythdek asked, sifting through his bag.
"Alex."
"Can you tell me what happened to you, Alex?" Xander shot a terrified look at Spike, pleading with his eyes.
"He was beaten." Spike said smoothly.
"Was it a punishment, Master Spike?" The K'ythdek asked curiously. One second he was sifting through his bag and the next, he was slammed up against the wall, Spike's eyes flashing yellow in anger.
"First of all," He growled, "You need to learn to stop asking so many questions. Second of all, you better not be accusing me of treating him like that. Because if you are, I will rip you throat out and feed it to you." Spike spat in anger.
"No, no, no Master Spike! I was not implying anything. I apologize for my insensitive questioning."
"That's better." Spike growled, "Get back to work." Spike angrily stalked back and sat on the edge of the bed, stretching one leg out along the length of it. Absentmindedly, he stroked Xander's dark hair, watching every move the K'ythdek made. Skillfully, the demon found Xander's broken ribs and frowned.
"Master Spike, I will need your assistance to wrap Alex's ribs."
"What do you need me to do?"
"I need you to hold Alex in a sitting position, but his upper torso needs to be perfectly straight, else the ribs won't be wrapped correctly. However, this is likely to be very painful."
"Fine." Spike said. His gentleness with Xander surprised the K'ythdek, as he carefully lifted the teen up, making sure not to jar Xander at all. "I've got ya luv." Spike whispered in Xander's ear.
"Good." Xander laughed dryly, "Try not to drop me, kay?"
"I'll try not too." Spike laughed too, "But I can't make any promises." Spike looked down alarmed, as Xander stiffened suddenly, grabbing tightly onto the vampire's pale arm. "What's the matter?" Spike asked, a warning note in his voice.
"Hurts." Xander gasped. The K'ythedek continued wrapping the tape around Xander's ribs, ignoring the teen's labored breathing and whimper's of pain.
"Ssshh....pet." Spike soothed, "It's all right luv. You're doing great; you're doing a great job." Xander stayed suspended in Spike's arms for ten more torturous minutes until the K'ythdek stepped back and said,
"All right, finished with that part.
"Thank the gods." Xander groaned as Spike lowered him back down onto the bed. He closed his eyes, exhausted, but they shot back open when Spike next spoke,
"I assume you brought a rape kit?" (no, no, no, no, no)
"Yes Master, I did." (no, no, no, no)
"Well let's get started." Spike growled impatiently. (no, no, no, no, no, please no) Xander laid perfectly still until he felt cold hands on his hipbones.
"No!" Xander cried out. Immediately Spike was crouched down by the side of the bed talking soothingly,
"Xan, no one's going to hurt you. I know that this is really scary for you, considering that you just got raped," (no, no, no, no), "but I promise that I'll be right here with you." Meanwhile the K'ythdek pulled off Xander's boxers, whistling at the bruises in the shape of fingers.
"Oh Gods, please don't!"
"Ssshhh.....luv." Spike started to purr deep in his chest, as the K'ythdek propped Xander's legs up on pillows. "You're all right, you're okay." Spike calmed, as Xander began to sob openly and shamelessly.
"Oh God!" Xander cried out, "Please stop, make it stop!" He moaned. Spike sat there helplessly, stroking Xander's hair, his rage building by the second. Xander began to whimper as the K'ythdek reached into his bag and pulled out latex gloves, snapping them onto his wrists. His whole air of cruel detachment frightened Xander beyond belief and as the K'ythdek pulled out a long, shiny instrument, Xander began to scream.
"Xanpet, don't scream." Spike clapped his hand over Xander's mouth, somewhat muffling his cries. "You're all right, no one's going to hurt you." Xander ignored his comforting words and kicked out in terror, ignoring the sharp stabs of pain all throughout his body.
"Ow! Bastard, what the hell did you do that for?" The demon yelled, nursing his mouth where Xander had kicked him.
"I'm sorry." Xander's eyes filled with tears- he hated being yelled at - "I'm sorry Spike."
"Sssh..." Spike reassured, smiling gently, "It's all right." Turning to the K'ythdek, Spike's eyes turned yellow, making a memo to himself to kill the demon when he was finished with the boy. "Watch what you say," he growled. Turning back to Xander, he softened his tone saying, "Xander, luv, we just want to make sure that nothing tore inside of you. Do you think I'm going to let anyone hurt you?" Xander shook his head wordlessly; eyes wide with terror, as the K'ythdek spread vaseline on the metal.
"Don't!" He begged as Spike held him down by the shoulders. "Please don't!" Spike said no more as the doctor began and Xander's screams were the only sound in the room. "No, don't! Please don't let him!" He shrieked. Reluctantly, Spike covered Xander's mouth with his hand, not wanting Xander's screams to disrupt the doctor. Xander locked eyes with Spike, seeing only the vampire, huge tears streaming from his eyes with every blink.
"You're okay pet, you're okay. It's almost over." Spike said calmly, his electric blue eyes showing only compassion and concern for the teen.
"Finished." Came the K'ythdek's gravelly voice, "Hmmm..." He chuckled, "That had to hurt." Xander felt his face heat up in embarrassment and the ever present tears, threatened to stream down.
"I'm sure it did." Spike said evenly, his golden eyes the only indication of his anger. "C'mon Xan, we'll get you cleaned up in the bathroom." He turned to the K'ythdek, "You wait here for your payment."
"Yes master." The K'ythdek smiled inwardly, as Spike lifted Xander's bruised body into his arms and headed towards the bathroom. "Stupid human." The demon sat on the edge of the bed to wait for his payment.
"All right pet." Spike lowered Xander onto the rug next to the tub. With one arm he supported Xander around his back and with his free hand filled the tub with warm water. "Let's get you in Xan." Xander moaned as the water hit his bruises and soaked through the bandages. "Now Xander, you just relax and I'm going to go take care of the doctor." Spike said, making to leave the bathroom.
"No!" Xander cried out, grabbing Spike's hand. "Please don't leave me!" Spike knelt by the side of the bathtub.
"Xanpet, I've got to go pay the doctor, but I'll be right out there."
"No!" Xander begged, "Please don't leave me alone in here. Spike, I'm scared!"
"Xander, there's nothing to be scared of now. I won't let him hurt you." Spike reassured, seeing a glimmer of trust in Xander's fearful eyes.
"What if he comes back?"
"He won't come back." Spike reassured.
"But what if he does?"
"Luv, I promise tha the won't." Spike said patiently, "I'll only be a second."
"Spike, I'm scared!" Xander repeated, looking pleadingly at his source of safety.
"Ssshh...." Spike said, "I won't let anyone hurt you and I promise I won't be any longer than a minute."
"You said a second before." Xander smiled weakly.
"Atta boy." Spike smiled encouragingly, "I'll be right back." He patted Xander's arm and left the bathroom, shutting the door softly. With a growl, he advanced.
Xander laid rigidly in the warm water, not moving, lest the slightest ripple of water atttract his abuser. "Sonofabitch!" Xander heard Spike yell and then a crash, followed by silence. Ignoring the pain in his ribs, the teen curled up into a fetal position, tears streaming down his face. (Spike's dead, dad killed him, gonna hurt me, gonna rap--- me again.) The sobs came harder and faster, shaking his body. (He killed Spike, gonna hurt me, dirty, dirty, dirty.) As the door opened, Xander laid paralyzed in fear. A hand on his head revived him and he began to scream. "Sssssssshhh....luv." Spike's voice was calm and soothing. Gentle hands turned him onto his back and stretched out his legs, relieving the pain in his ribs. "Sssshhh...calm down, you're okay, everything's okay." Spike wiped the tears from Xander's cheeks.
"I thought he k-k-killed you and w-was gonna r-r-r-ra...." Xander couldn't say the word. Spike picked up a washcloth and ran it down Xander's torso, rinsing off the dried blood.
"I promised you pet that I won't let anyone hurt you. Ever. Relax." Spike washed all of the blood from Xander's body and then squirted some shampoo into the boy's dark hair. The soothing massage brought Xander to the brink of sleep, but before he could succumb, Spike lifted him into his arms and somehow wrapped him in a large towel. (Where did he get that?) Xander randomly thought and then snuggled closer to Spike. The vampire smiled down at the drowsy teen in his arms. Gently, he laid Xander down on the bed and dressed him in a t-shirt and boxers.
"Why is there blue stuff on the floor?" Xander asked quietly.
"It's demon blood." Spike said nonchalantly.
"Did you kill the doctor?" Xander asked.
"Yup." Spike pulled the blankets up over the teen.
"Why?"
"Cuz, I didn't like the way he was treating you."
"Okay." Xander smiled inwardly. He didn't know what he felt, but he liked the feeling. "Will you stay with me? A panicky note came to his voice as Spike began to walk away.
"Sure pet." Spike turned aroud and came back over to the bed. Pulling off his shoes, he climbed under the covers and pulled Xander to him. The boy moaned as his ribs were jostled. "You okay luv?" Spike asked, wrapping his arms around the teen and then allowing Xander to lay his head on Spike's chest.
"Yeah." Xander's voice broke. Spike took up his earlier purring and after a couple of minutes, Xander fell asleep. Looking down at the teen in his arms, Spike felt a pang in his chest, not sure what the pang was. Cautiously, Spike laid a kiss on Xander's lips. Xander, unconciously, returned the chaste kiss and snuggled closer to the vampire. 'Yup, that's it.' Spike thought and smiled, dropping a kiss onto Xander's forehead.
"Sweet dreams love." He smiled and went to sleep.