Disclaimer: See chapter one or whatever chapter it was that I put a real disclaimer in!!!

Authors Note: Okay so I've been dealing with end of school stuff and the start of college so I DEEPLY apologize for this chapter being late! I'm sure most of you will have to go back and reread the story to make sure you remember it (I know I did!) But now as the summer is here, and yes sadly waning away, I'm going to try and update often and get these stories somewhere near a conclusion so I don't feel so bad for neglecting it in college!!!

As Long As You're Mine

Dead Man's Party

'Phase one complete.' Buffy congratulated herself on a small victory. Xander lay in the middle of her bed, Willow and herself on either side. Oz sat in the floor in front of Willow, purring slightly as she played with his hair. Everyone watched the movie, laughing and talking like normal. 'Well,' she looked over at Xander's blank eyes staring trance-like at the screen, 'almost normal.' Xander could feel her staring. He could feel Willow's occasional glances over and could feel the strain of the conversation that Oz of all people, was trying to make. He was trying. He didn't know what they wanted from him exactly but God he was trying to give it to them. It was hard. It wasn't hard to pretend to be happy, no he'd been doing that for a while. Every time things with Angel and him got strained he had to pretend. It wasn't that. It was hard to keep breathing. It was hard to stop thinking of him enough to make the fake conversation. It was hard to stop himself from imagining every single second of their relationship. It was hard to believe everything. Denial had sunk into every pore of his body. He still felt that Angel could walk in at any moment. It was hard to accept that his cell phone wasn't going to ring with Angel's angry voice demanding to know his whereabouts. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to not hear Angel's voice again, not feel his crushing hands wrap around him. It'd been like this for a week now. He still kept expecting Angel to just show up and it was hard. God he had to get out of this smothering atmosphere. There was too much love in this room for him. Too much sympathy and he didn't know if he could go on much longer like this. "Let's go to the Bronze." Everyone blinked and stared at him. 'Oh boy this is fun. This staring things gonna get old fast.' Buffy was the first to compose herself. "Oh, okay. The Bronze? Are you sure you wanna go there?" Everyone was obviously remembering how vital the Bronze was to Angel and Xander's relationship. But he needed to go there. Needed to feel that Angel was really gone. He had to get used to the idea. Xander nodded. "Yeah, it's alright guys. I'm not goin comatose again. Promise. So can we go?" Everyone glanced at each other and Xander waited, not really patiently, for their answer. Willow nodded. "If it's what you wanna do Xander then we're all for it. Let's go Bronzing! It'll be a party, except without the hats and streamers, or reason for celebrating...okay I'm just gonna shut up now." Oz smiled softly at her and even Xander had to attempt to tweak his mouth up at her babbling.

"We do have a reason to celebrate!" Everyone glanced down at him sharply again and Xander sighed, his facade starting to crack with all the pressure they kept putting on him with their stares. "Um did we or did we not finally escape Hellmouth High?" They all looked at him still barely blinking. "Guys...graduation? Please tell me I didn't just dream the big battle with a freakishly large Mayor Snake! If I'm just dreaming this in Biology don't wake me up!" They all laughed, probably their first real laugh around Xander since...Xander pushed the thought out of his mind and allowed his mouth to form the foreign concept of a smile. Oz nodded. "He's right. We graduated. I say we party." Buffy nodded and popped off the bed. "Well what're we waiting for? Let's go!" Xander laughed up at Buffy. She glanced down at him and smiled. A laugh, probably Xander's first in a while. "And what is so funny Xander Harris?" He smiled, still startled at the sound that had come out of his own mouth. "That 'let's go' would probably be a lot more believable if you weren't in your pajamas. If all of us weren't in our pajamas actually." She glanced down to catch a glimpse of the 'Yummy Sushi' pajamas she had on. "Oh." Then the strangest thing happened. They all laughed. Really laughed. Xander felt a weight start to fade from his heart. This is what he had needed. His friends, his laughter, and his life. Angel may have taken his heart, his love, but he could never have taken his friends. Strip him of everything and leave him broken and bruised but, Xander glanced up at his friends laughing and joking about pajamas being the latest fashion, Angel could never strip him of his friends love. Never.

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The Bronze. Spike rolled his eyes and paused in front of the entrance. What the hell kind of name was that? He sighed again. This was beginning to become a very stupid plan. He'd asked about the party spot for all the kids around here and it led him to this club. The Bronze. He saw a brunette girl walk in surrounded by girls flocking behind her. He could catch their conversation without so much as straining. Hell he barely even needed vampire hearing the way their high pitched voices carried. "I can't believe he ate Snyder! Ugh if you ask me he had it coming but still. Has anyone seen Harmony?" The girls continued their chattering as they walked into the club and the sound of a DJ poured out. He'd heard it was usually live bands that apparently no one had ever heard of, but tonight was a DJ. He rolled his eyes again. Probably a DJ from bar mitzvahs or some crap like that. He growled. "Bugger this! Like the boy's even going to come here! Probably off mourning." He started to turn but the sharp smell whirled him around. There he was. Spike stopped and watched the boy, devoured him with his eyes. He was with a group of people. A red haired couple, one a witch the other a werewolf. He wrinkled his nose at the smell of them on each other. A blonde woman, short, perky looking. A slayer. That caught his attention for a moment. She looked like a fighter. Shame he was only here for the boy or she would've been fun. He glanced back at the boy and watched him move. He was graceful, even at such an awkward age the boy was perfect. Spike could tell the boy wasn't comfortable in his own skin but you wouldn't know it from those movements. They were perfect. His shaggy black hair curled at the ends tickling that perfect neck. Spike ran his tongue along his teeth. Those large dark eyes held so much soul in them that even Spike had to stop looking in them. Soul. Spike growled again, souls weren't a quality to be proud of. He watched the group walk into the club and paused, trying to even out his breathing. It was no wonder Angel had wanted the boy. He was beautiful. Those eyes were...Spike closed his eyes seeing them again. That boy had layers. Spike smirked. He couldn't wait to peel them away slowly until there was nothing left of the boy but what lay beneath. Spike licked his lips at the thought and went inside.