As Safe As Houses
There was a new mansion in Sunnydale. Now, anywhere else and someone having a new house built might not be such a big deal, but this was Sunnydale, the Hellmouth. The literal mouth of Hell, and here the only people with enough money for a mansion, were bad guys.
Not all of them were outright evil; most of them were various shades of gray. You don't last long in the ranks of the Sunnydale upper class without compromising a few morals. However, the only ones who lived in actual, honest to god mansions, were firmly in the evil category.
Which was why when the new mansion was being built, the Scoobies noticed. They paid attention. New mansion, new threat.
**~**~**
Xander sighed as he put down his super cool spy binoculars. Well, really he'd gotten them on sale at target, but it was more fun to pretend they were super cool spy ones, and he needed fun right now. He was so bored, stakeouts were boring. The mansion had been finished last week and for about two weeks he, Buffy, Willow, Tara, Giles and sometimes Spike had all been on rotation for keeping an eye on it. As far as anyone could tell, there was no one inside, but since it was Sunnydale, they were inclined to err on the side of caution. He had a cell phone, and if any movement was seen inside the mansion, or on the grounds around it, he was to call Buffy or Giles right away.
So here he was, sitting in his car across the street, watching a big old nothing happen for six hours straight. Boring. Plus, his radio wasn't working right, so he didn't even have that as a distraction. He lifted his binoculars up to his eyes again and stared out, scanning the grounds, at least he only had thirty minutes left tonight.
His eyes were only half focused as they looked over the mansion and surrounding area. Tree, tree, window, bushes, some flowers, tree, tree, tree, tree, person, tree, wait. He adjusted the magnification on the binoculars and looked again. Yep, definitely a person, human looking, male, no freaky skin color and all the right number of extremities, no obvious extras either. The guy looked about his own age, blond hair, and was walking towards the front door. Whoa, that wasn't good, assuming the guy was human, he could have no idea what he was walking into. Heck, Xander didn't even have any idea what was in there, so just walking in was a bad idea, bad bad idea. He watched the guy get closer to the door; apparently he didn't share Xander's thoughts on the matter.
Xander grabbed his cell phone from its place on the passenger side seat and dialed Buffy's number. He got an answering machine, great. He got out of the car and started jogging toward the front door to the mansion, hoping to head the guy off before he got there.
"Hey! You've reached Buffy's phone! I'm not available right now, but I'll call you back soon-ish if you leave a message. Beep."
"Hey Buffy, I'm at the mansion and some guy looks like he wants to go in. I'm gonna try to talk some sense into him, but maybe you should head over here just in case." With that done, Xander flipped his phone close and stuck it in his pocket. He tried to pick up his pace and wave a little to get the guy's attention, but he seemed oblivious. Damn.
"Hey! Hey you!" Still nothing from the guy, even though he was definitely within his line of sight now. This was starting to get freaky, well actually, everything starts freaky when you're staking out a giant house in evil central, but this was freakier than he'd expected to get to tonight.
Finally, he caught up with the guy, who was looking a little dazed. His eyes were glazed over and he didn't seem to register Xander until he reached out and grabbed his arm. "Dude, you okay?" The guy did focus some on Xander when he spoke, but was obviously not all there. "Nevermind, I can see you're not, but let's get some coffee or something and talk it over. The creepy mansion is not the way to go, trust me.
Now the eyes looked a little more aware, and the guy answered, "I have to go inside the house. I'll be safe there." Having said his piece, he turned back toward the door and started walking again.
"Oh man, you just had to up the freakiness didn't you," and then to top it off, the door swung open on its own. The guy wrenched his arm from Xander's grip and ran inside before he could react. "Shit! This is bad, okay, choices. Let him go in by himself, to face whatever is in there, cause I'm definitely thinking there's something in there now. Or, go back to the car, call Buffy again, try calling Giles, or Willow, or someone." He shifted from foot to foot, unsure, "So basically it boils down to running away, or trying to help the guy who looks like he's high on some good stuff. Or he could be under a spell, or there could be drugs and a spell." He stopped fidgeting, decision made. Really, there hadn't ever been a choice. He took a deep breath and started a steady stream of cursing in his head as he stepped through the entranceway to the mansion.
**~**~**
Spike walked into Willy's bar with one goal in mind: to get drunk. His unlife had been about as crappy as it gets lately, what with the chip in his head and the Scoobies always breathing down his neck. He needed to relax a little, unwind, and alcohol was a good way to do that.
Really that wasn't quite fair though, not all the Scoobies were awful. That Xander had been nice enough, considering. He'd actually come to like the git a little, enough that he sometimes volunteered to take some of his turns at stakeout duty. Xander hardly got enough sleep as it was, he didn't need that extra stress. Not that he would ever admit to doing something like that out loud.
"Hey Willy, some O-neg and scotch. Plus any juicy gossip." Spike slipped onto a barstool.
"Comin' right up Spike." He quickly poured the blood and scotch into two separate glasses and placed them in front of Spike. " That'll be fifteen even." Spike glared at him, "but don't worry about it right now, I'll just put it on your tab," he continued smoothly.
"So," Spike said after he took his first sip of the blood, "gossip, anything new in town?"
"Uh, let's see, there's a couple new vamps, a few Fyarls, oh! There's a Masich moving in over on Concord Street." Willy polished a glass as he talked, "I heard he was putting out the Call tonight and would be ready for visitors by next week.
Spike looked up from his now empty glass of blood, "a Masich? You sure it's Concord Street?"
Willy blinked and considered, "Yeah, cause the Pokla's were talking about how far away it was from their caves." He blinked again as Spike shot up from his seat and hurried out the door. Then he shrugged, demon, what can you do?
**~**~**
Buffy and Giles were both at the magic box, training, when Spike burst in the door. They heard the sound of the door being flung open and came quickly out of the back room. Spike headed straight for them with an intent look on his face. "Where's Xander?"
"Um, he's on stakeout duty tonight. What's going on?" Buffy asked. The expression on Spike's face and his rushed entrance worried her.
"The mansion, a Masich is moving in." Spike looked as if that answered her question perfectly clearly, but since Buffy didn't know what a Masich was it didn't help her very much.
Judging by the "good lord," that came from Giles, he knew what was going on. There he went for his glasses, polishing them with that handkerchief he perpetually carried around. Yep, he was definitely in the know.
"Giles, what's a Masich?" Buffy turned to him to explain why a Masich was 'good lord' material.
He ignored her, instead asking Spike "when is the Call due to go out?"
When Spike answered with a curt "tonight," Giles' face did that scrunchy thing it did when he was really worried.
"Buffy, go grab your weapons. Everything will be explained in the car on the way." Giles said, and went for his car keys first, and his crossbow second. Buffy did as he asked and Spike was waiting in the driver's seat of Giles' car when they got outside. "Spike," the Giles gave Spike clearly said 'You are not driving my car.'
"Giles," Spike's reply was equally short, but also loaded with an unsaid, 'yes I am, wanker.' Unwilling to waste time arguing with Spike, Giles just heaved a very big sigh and walked around to the other side of the car. Buffy squeezed into the back seat of the tiny car and away they went.
"So can someone please explain what the deal with this demon is?" If Xander was in trouble, she was going to need as much information as possible to help him.
Giles twisted in his seat so he was angled to look back at her. "Buffy, a Masich demon is very bad news. They are…business oriented demons. They can manipulate a person's mind and influence their emotions. When they decide they are ready to settle down somewhere they spend a few days around town looking for potential…employees. They like people within a certain age range, who feel emotions strongly which makes them easier for the Masich to control, and have no one to miss them if they were to disappear." Giles was being weird; he looked like he was uncomfortable talking about the demon. The car swerved around a corner a little too sharply, giving the occupants that weird feeling of being suspended in the air as the little vehicle went up on two wheels. "Spike! Could you possibly drive more recklessly?"Giles's voice dripped with that special British brand of sarcasm.
"No, this dinky car won't go any faster." Spike smirked, never taking his eyes off the road. Giles just glared at him.
"Giles, focus! How do I kill it?" Buffy just wanted a simple answer. Something like chop its head off, or burn it, or drown it, or even a dismember and bury the pieces separately. Unfortunately the demons that were simple to slay didn't make Giles so tense.
"If the Call has not yet gone out then you can kill it with decapitation." Giles paused, "however, if the Masich has already Called those it has chosen then killing him will kill them as well. It forms a sort of psychic connection with its victims, and severing it will either kill them, send them into a coma, or make them catatonic." Great.
"What does it want with these people anyway?" Buffy asked, extra curious because Giles hadn't mentioned it yet.
Spike, helpful as always, chimed in with "He wants 'em as whores."
"What?" Buffy looked to Giles for confirmation.
"Ah, yes," He pulled out his handkerchief and began to polish his glasses, "Spike is correct. Masich demons are known for their skill in running brothels."
"Wait, so your saying that if we don't get there in time a bunch of people, possibly including Xander, will be forced into, um, prostitution?" This was not okay, this was so far from okay you couldn't even see the place where okay-ness lived.
"A more accurate term, perhaps, would be slave. The victims will have no choice once under the Masich's power." Giles looked out the window, an apprehensive look on his face.
"Giles, what happens if we don't get there before this 'Call' happens?"
Giles sighed, "then we shall have to leave things as they are for the moment and research the matter more fully to find an acceptable solution."
The rest of the car ride was heavy with silence.
**~**~**
Xander stepped through the doorway, calling himself a fool and wishing he was elsewhere. The guy he was following, now inside the mansion, just stood there. His face was blank and it was really freaky.
Footsteps sounded and Xander turned to face them. A demon came into the room. He was kind of a burnt orange color, with small horns on his head in the place of hair. He was wearing a cream colored suit with a navy blue tie. He looked surprised to see Xander there.
"Who are you? I did not Call you." The demon spoke with city accent.
Xander answered, hoping his voice wouldn't waver while he was trying to sound brave. "Look, whatever you did to this guy, undo it and we'll be out of here. Trust me, I'm friends with the Slayer so whatever world ending shindig you have planned, consider it canceled." The demon stared at him silently for a moment. Then he smiled.
That really freaked Xander out.
"Friends with the Slayer you say? Well, rest assured, I have no interest in ending the world. There is no profit in it. I am however, interested in you, Xander."
"How do you know my name?" Xander started edging back toward the door. It looked like he was going to need reinforcements; he really hoped that Buffy checked her messages soon.
"I know many things about you Xander. I know how you feel alone, abandoned by your friends as they move on with their lives and you do not. I know how your parents never truly loved you, and though you've lived in that house your whole life it has never felt like a home." As the demon spoke Xander felt the emotions he'd mentioned rise within until it felt like he couldn't breathe. He was filled with a deep loneliness that made his eyes tear up. "I know that the only person who you felt you could confide in died, and now you have no one."
"No," Xander tried to fight his feelings, "I still have…Willow, and, and…" he stopped. Did he really? He hadn't actually seen Willow outside of Scooby meetings in over a month, and even at the meetings there was something different about her. The demon was right, she was moving on with her life, and leaving him behind. He had no one, he was completely alone.
Watching the thoughts flickering through Xander's brain, the demon smirked. "That's right Xander. Nobody cares about you. Don't you wish you had somewhere to belong? A place that feels like home?" Suddenly Xander felt himself ache with a longing for that very thing. A home. "I can give you that Xander. I can give you a home. A place where you'll always be wanted, and never be lonely again." Oh god, that sounded so good. "All the others who are going to be arriving tonight, they have all agreed to live with me here; we're going to be a family." A family, he wanted that, he wanted it so badly. He'd do anything to have that, to be a part of it. "Would you like to join us Xander. To be a part of our family?" The demon asked the question in a tone that said he already knew the answer.
"Yes."
With Xander's whispered consent, his expression became as blank as the guy he'd followed. The demon shook his head, humans were too easy. He sat down on the couch to await the others that he'd Called.
**~**~**
Spike, Giles and Buffy all stood by Xander's car. He wasn't in it. That didn't look good. Plus, as they watched, people were entering the mansion. One at a time, from different directions, and they all moved with an odd purposefulness. It was at odds with their faces, which seemed void of any emotion.
There was no sign of a struggle, but then again when dealing with a demon who can make you think and feel whatever it wants, there wouldn't be.
Giles spoke to Buffy, "call Willow, we need to begin researching right away." She pulled out her phone and flipped it open. She gasped.
"I have a message from Xander, he called! My phone was still on silent from class today, maybe he's alright!" She dialed her voicemail box and held the phone to her ear and listened.
"Hey," Spike griped, "let us hear too." So Buffy put the phone on speaker and held it up. The all crowded together, ears near the phone.
"Hey Buffy, I'm at the mansion and some guy looks like he wants to go in. I'm gonna try to talk some sense into him, but maybe you should head over here just in case."
"Bloody hell! Stupid sodding White Knight complex." Spike shouted, throwing his hands into the air.
Buffy clicked her phone off, dazed. Giles began to polish his glasses once again. "If, if I'd just remembered to turn my volume back on, he, he could still…"
Giles looked at her with sympathy, "I believe it is time to head back to the Magic Box. Call Willow and Tara and tell them to meet us there." He started walking towards his own car, Spike on his heels. Buffy took one last look at the mansion, witnessing another person enter, just like Xander had. Then she turned and followed Giles.
**~**~**
Xander felt good. Actually, he felt more than good. He felt better than he had his entire life. Everything was right in his world. He knew, logically, that this was his reward for being good when the demons came. If he didn't fight the feelings, if he just gave himself up to them, which made it easier on Marcus, then he was rewarded when the demons left.
Marcus was the demon he'd met when he'd first entered the mansion. The one who'd promised him a home and a family and people who would care about him. He'd lied. There was a small part of Xander's mind that could still reason, and think clearly. That part of him figured that lies were to be expected of demons, and he should never have walked into the mansion in the first place. That part of him understood what was happening. It knew that once his reward was over he would go back to being the way he was most of the time these days: completely emotionless, unmotivated, just there. Existing without living. That small part of him knew he should get up and leave, go to the Magic Box, find his friends. However, that part of him, the part that could use logic and basic critical thinking skills, had no influence left. He was unable to act on what he knew.
And really, why would he want to, when he felt so good? He floated on the feeling of peace and happy tranquility he was feeling. Rewards always wiped away whatever he'd had to do to earn them. This time two demons had come into his room. They'd had purple scales and forked tongues that kept flicking out, as if tasting the air. Xander hadn't been sure what they were there for, but it became clear soon enough. He'd become scared, then the feeling had slowly built until he had scrunched himself into the far corner of the room in terror. He'd been unable to think at all, and had lost control of his bodily functions. He had also thrown up on himself. Through it all, the demons had watched, getting more and more excited the more frightened he'd become. Their tongues had gone crazy, flick flick, flick, tasting the air, tasting his terror. When they had finally left the fear receded quickly, and the reward feeling took its place. He was still in the corner, covered in his own piss and puke, but he felt good.
As far has he could feel, all was right in his world.
**~**~**
Giles, Buffy, Tara and Spike were all in The Magic Box, researching, when Willow burst in yelling "I figured it out, I figured it out!" All three of them looked up at her with surprised hope on their faces. Three weeks had gone by since the Masich had set up shop, each day without an answer both wearing them down and giving them new determination.
Willow ran over and threw her bag on the table, scattering papers everywhere. She didn't care, she was too excited. "It's so simple! They have to be asleep!" The rest of them just gazed at her in confusion. "Everyone has always killed the Masich when all his victims are awake, because the demons use them to fight off their attackers. They make the people really angry at whoever the enemy is and then set them loose. But if they're asleep then the shock of the psychic connection being severed will be a lot less! They'll still probably have a heck of a headache, but it will only be like a really bad hangover. It's not 100%, but it should be okay." Willow was practically vibrating with happiness, and everyone else began to smile as well.
"I believe that might actually work. Very well done Willow!" Giles had a big grin on his face. Buffy jumped up and hugged Willow, and then, because in her euphoria she wasn't thinking clearly, hugged Spike as well. Spike was in shock just as much as she was and hugged her back. Tara smiled quietly and gave Willow a big hug as well.
Smiles and laughter could be heard in The Magic box for the first time in three weeks. They were going to rescue Xander.
**~**~**
Xander, at that moment, was feeling nothing at all. He was covered with demon slime and lying on an uncomfortable bed, but it didn't bother him. Nothing bothered him right now. Someone would come along and clean him up, and then he'd be taken right back to this room. He didn't care. He wasn't rewarded this time. He'd fought the feelings, well, tried to. Whenever he did that Marcus just made the feelings more intense until they fogged his brain and overwhelmed him. After that his brain would stop absorbing external information, and so the memory of the last hour was just a haze of lust. He figured no memory was a good thing. Lust, desire; that was the feeling he'd fought. He always fought that feeling.
He never won though.
**~**~**
The plan went off without a hitch. Buffy and Giles had been careful to not seriously hurt any of the people under the Masich's control in the attack. The other demons, however, were not so lucky. Buffy was in fine form, her sword a blur as she cut and stabbed. Giles started with his crossbow, but as demons drew closer he dropped it in favor of his own sword. Spike came up through the basement and attacked from behind. He didn't use weapons, preferring to fight hand-to-hand. Once the demon customers were taken care of, Willow and Tara used their spell, and everyone besides the Scoobies dropped like stones, asleep before they hit the ground. Everyone was covered in bits of demon blood and gore, but they were all flushed with adrenaline, Spike literally bouncing with glee. The killing blow, severing the head of the Masich from its body, was executed with great relish by Buffy while Spike pouted to the side. He'd wanted to do the honors, but rock, paper, scissors just wasn't his game.
So now they were all crowded into Xander's room at the hospital. Spike had intimidated the nursing staff into giving him a private room. A few attempts at small talk were made, but then abandoned. They all just sat and watched Xander sleep, hoping, wishing, and praying he would wake up.
**~**~**
Xander felt, weird. Huh. He felt…warm, and…nothing else really. The difference that he didn't notice right away was that it wasn't the nothing of before, that the demon had made him feel. That had been more like and absence of anything emotion or feeling at all. This was more like he could feel, but just didn't have any really strong feelings right now. Once he realized that however, he grew excited, which as he felt his own emotion rise up, grew into relief mixed with curiosity. He slowly opened his eyes, finding Spike, Willow, Giles, Buffy and Tara all in the, he looked around, hospital room. Willow was the first to say something, grabbing his hand with a half sobbed "Xander!"
The others all came closer, and he wasn't sure what to do, or what to feel. After who knows how long of having no emotions of his own he was struggling to identify what he was feeling now. No one was talking, but then Buffy caught his eyes. She looked at him; her eyes were bright, like she was holding back tears. "You're safe now Xander," she told him.
Safe? He looked around at the faces. They all cared enough to be here. He wasn't alone, that was the demon talking. He was safe now, back where he belonged, with his friends. They were his family.
He smiled up at them and let the relief wash over him.
He kept smiling through the tears.