TEN

"Xander… wake up."

Xander, who had his head buried in his pillow, mumbled something inaudible
and shook his hand vaguely at the rude intruder. A hand gripped his
shoulder and pushed him vigorously. Xander mumbled something again and
refused to move.

"Oh, bloody hell, wake up you good for nothing wank."

Xander reluctantly opened his eyes and turned over, looking at the clock at
his bedside. Its large, red numbers glowed almost mockingly in the darkness.
He groaned. "Why are you waking me up this early?"

"You told me to," said Spike directly, "You said 'wake me up at 4.09'. It's
actually 4.12 now, but I don't think it makes much of a difference."

"I said wake me up *before* nine," said Xander, through clenched teeth. He
rolled over to his side and grabbed the nearby pillow. "Now go away."

"I'm bored," said Spike.

"It's a couple of hours till dawn. Go out and stalk somebody."

"I did that last week. And she sprayed mace at me." Spike frowned
pitifully. "Nobody's afraid of me anymore."

"It's four o'clock in the morning," said Xander grumpily, "Do you honestly
think I care?"

"Want to come down and watch TV?" asked Spike hopefully. "I heard that
there's this really good movie on cable."

"Spike…" Xander began slowly. "You've become so pathetic, it's not even
funny anymore."

"I know," said Spike helplessly. "It's bloody hard being a ruthless son of
a bitch when they have this bloody chip in my brain."

Xander didn't say anything but slowly dozed off. A sudden movement shook
him out of his dream world and back into cold , harsh reality. "You know
Spike, you're really crossing the line when you barge into my room at four
o'clock in the morning and proceed to climb into my bed."

"The couch downstairs is hard."

"Forgive me if I say this but… SO?"

"You know, you've been bloody unsociable the past few days," said Spike,
"Normally I would applaud this kind of behaviour, but you really bite."

Xander muttered some obscenities under his breath but Spike didn't manage
to catch them.
"I know what's pulling your cord," continued Spike, oblivious to the fact
that he was the only one in the room interested in what he had to say. "It's
the bloody slayer, isn't it?"

"It has nothing to do with Buffy," said Xander, suddenly very alert and
very awake.

"What do you think I am, bloody stupid?" Spike said, "I don't see what you
see in her."

"None of your business."

"Ah, so it's just a physical thing, is it?" Spike went on, "Can't resist a
good pair of legs? Not that she has a good pair of legs, mind you, I've seen
better in my years, and believe me, I've had…"

"Spike?" Xander asked slowly, "Get out of my bed."

"Come on," pleaded Spike, "It's cold downstairs. And your life's much more
interesting than mine. Mine's bloody boring."

Xander opened one eye slowly and then yawned. He slowly got up and leaned
against the head rest. "You sound almost caring."

"I'm not," shot back Spike instantly, "I just take delight in your personal
traumas. It's part of the whole bad guy complex."

"Right," nodded Xander. He took a deep breath, and thought for a while.
"Okay, it's like this."

He paused even longer, and Spike grew impatient. "Well?"

Xander gave Spike an irritated look before continuing. "It's… I thought I
was handling this whole thing pretty well for the past few years, you know,
without all that 'letting it get in the way of our friendship' kind of deal,
but then…" Xander gave some rather insignificant hand movements as if to
help it explain his points better. "Recently it's… I… it's like I'm sixteen
again."

"Maybe it's because you just think with your …"

"Spike," interrupted Xander, "This really works better without your running
commentary."

He didn't wait for Spike to answer back, but continued instead. "I think
it's because all that while I thought I couldn't… shouldn't do anything,
because she was married to that jerk for a while, and that whole 'thou shalt
not commit adultery' thing freaked me out a bit. I mean, it's like now my
mind's saying 'Here's your chance! Take it!' , and I'm all wobbly again. And
that Jared guy, gah, he just makes it worse."

"Jared's a wank," added Spike enthusiastically. "A bloody wank."

"Yes," agreed Xander, "But that guy … ugh. Now if he wasn't so suave, and
cool, with his Vampire Hunter act, it wouldn't be so bad. But oh no, he has
to waltz in with his stupid sunglasses and his stupid walk and his stupid,
stupid style."

"Stupid," echoed Spike, "He should just sod off."

"Exactly!" answered Xander, "That was exactly what I thought, although my
words were much more colorful. Of course, Buffy just thinks I'm being
childish and jealous."

"Aren't you?"

"That's not the point."

"Right," said Spike, stretching his arms, "The point is - you're a moron."

"This is the last time I'm confiding in you."

"This whole situation is bloody ridiculous," said Spike irritably, "If you
really want to be bloody happy, all you have to do is just do something
about it, instead of lying in bed bemoaning the loss of the love you never
had. I swear, you're worse than Angel."

Xander looked insulted but didn't say anything for a while. "So you think
if I just… talk to her… things'll work out? I could be deliriously happy?"

"Of course," said Spike. He stopped. "Not that I condone happiness in any
sort of way. In fact, ignore what I said. I say you suffer silently, and let
it eat away your insides until you become nothing but a bloody empty vessel.
Now, that's fun."

"Spike," Xander said. "Get out of my bed."

* * *

"So what's the plan?" asked Willow.

"We meet Jared later tonight, do a little vampire killing, drop a few hints
we want Karakos, and then lather , rinse, repeat until he comes to us," said
Buffy, sitting cross-legged on her bed. She tapped her fingers
unconsciously. "I think Xander has a problem with Jared."

"Really?" asked Willow.

"Yeah," replied Buffy, "But he's not being very responsive lately."

"Oh, that's Xander all right," said Willow. "You want me to go dig it out
of him? Sometimes I can do that. I've been told that I'm quite the ruthless
interrogator."

"Thanks, but no," said Buffy, giving her red-haired friend a smile, "I just
get this feeling it's not just Jared he has a problem with."

"Complex, isn't he?"

"I don't know. Something tells me it kind of involves me as well."

Oh, thought Willow, immediately knowing the problem without having to hear
anything else. "I'm sure it's nothing. Sometimes he's just really moody."

"I've known him for like forever now. I've never known him to be moody."

"Well… ah… I've known him a few years longer than forever, and sometimes
he's just… Grouch. That green Sesame Street thing ain't got nothing on him,"
lied Willow.

"I didn't know that," said Buffy blankly. She paused. "Do you think that
he… doesn't trust me as much as he does you?"

"What?" asked Willow.

"You know…" Buffy drew strange figures with her finger into her bed. "All
this time, we've never really… talked. I mean , we've hung out together, and
done stuff, but … he doesn't share things with me … the way he does with
you."

"Well," said Willow, thinking of a reasonable answer, "He's known me longer
than you, and we've been like, best friends since we were playing in the
sandbox together."

"I know," said Buffy. "I just feel that… there's something he's not telling
me."

"Maybe it's a surprise?" attempted Willow weakly.

"I don't know," said Buffy, shrugging off Willow's comment, "It's not just
… all this time I've always felt that there was something … missing between
us, as if there was something there that prevents us from talking, or…"

Willow didn't say anything.

Buffy looked down for a moment and then shook her head. "I'm probably just
reaching here."

Willow shrugged her shoulders. "Probably."

Buffy sighed and bit her lower lip. "Hey, it's been like this forever,
right," she said carelessly in a rather unconvincing tone. "Why bother
thinking about it."

Her friend gave her a look that suggested many things, but Buffy didn't
quite get it because she was busy looking elsewhere.

- - -


Xander opened the door cautiously and stepped inside. He tiptoed in and
closed the door slowly behind him, careful not to make any unnecessary
noise. Pulling the bolt, he latched the door and walked into the hall. Only
to be greeted by a blonde vision of madness and anger.

"Well, you're bloody early, aren't you?" spat out Spike, who was sitting on
his chair, watching the entrance.

"I… we…" Xander struggled for a suitable excuse. "We got held up."

"By what?"

"A group of vampires. Don't worry, Buffy killed them all."

"You're still late," answered Spike bitterly, "And I assume with all that
vampire slaying, the thought never occurred to you to call home."

"I was being pinned against the wall by a seven-foot undead creature of the
night," said Xander, "So , no, the thought did not cross my mind."

"All right, all right," said Spike waving his hand and turning away, "It's
all right if I don't matter enough for you to just pick up the bloody
telephone once in a while and just * tell * me you're going to be late."

"I was in a cemetery!" Xander defended himself. "And in case you haven't
noticed, there aren't that many telephones nearby. Besides, I'm only half an
hour la…"

"Oh, sure," spewed Spike, "Sure. That's what they always say. * Now * ,
it's half an hour. Next week it'll be an hour. And then soon it'll be three
hours. And after that you pretty much won't be coming home for a whole
week…"

"Spike!" Xander cut him short. "Will you listen to yourself?"

Spike stopped and paused. He then started again. "Well, it's bloody well
easy for you to say, since you're off gallivanting with your friends, while
I stay here and bloody rot to hell."
"I swear, I was thinking about you the whole time."

"Liar."

"Anyway, You said you didn't want to come because Jared was a, quote,
unquote, self-righteous wank and son of a bitch," said Xander. "So don't
you go looking at me and whining."

"I'm not whining."

"Yes you are," said Xander, "And it's getting pretty sad. You know, a long
time ago you were a vicious killing machine who instilled fear into
everybody's hearts. Now you're sitting home alone complaining about 'our
relationship'. It ain't a pretty sight."

"Oh, sure, now I'm the bloody sad one," said Spike, somewhat offended. "I
wasn't the one moaning away about some slayer I have the hots for but
haven't got the guts to do anything about."

"You crawled into my bed! I never asked you to listen!"

"You know what, I'm going to my bloody room," said Spike and stormed off
out of the living room. "Where I'm appreciated."

Xander stood there and waited for the few seconds it took Spike to realize
he did not have a room.

Spike came back in and sat on his chair, glaring at Xander, warning him not
to make any snide comment. "I like it here better anyways. So sod off."

* * *

"You told me there would be vampires to kill," whined Spike, sitting on a
tombstone. "I've been waiting here for hours and the only thing that's dead
is me."

"Will you quit complaining?" asked Buffy, who was seated cross-legged
across from the vampire. "You'll scare them away."

"What do you think this bloody is? FISHING?"

"Well, it ain't Oprah, so keep quiet."

"Nobody forced you to come," said Xander, who was beside Buffy, "You
dragged yourself here. You said you wanted to do whatever it was we were
doing. You said you wanted to kill something. You said…"

"I know what I bloody said, so you don't have to repeat it."

"I was just reminding…"

Giles looked over at them and contemplating smashing his head against the
mausoleum wall. Jared stood several feet away from him, leaning against a
tree, and looking around.

"Do you think he'll show tonight?" Willow asked Giles, hoping for a more
civilized conversation then the one the others were carrying out. "We've
been doing this for nearly a week now and he's still not around."

"If what Marcus said was right, then Karakos should reveal himself. It's
only a matter of time."

Spike got up and walked around in circles. "I don't even know why I bloody
came here."

"I just told you," interjected Xander, "You said you…"

Spike snarled at him.

"Oh, stop it, Spike," said Buffy, "Lassie's got more bite."

Spike gave her the finger and walked back to his tombstone.

"You so have issues," said Buffy.

"You're a bloody ditz," shot back Spike.

"You're a puppy."

"You're a bitch."

"You're neutered."

"You're fat."

"You couldn't kill a dying grandmother in a wheelchair."

"You…"

"Stop it!" yelled Xander. "Can't we just get on like civilized people?"

"He called me a ditz!" said Buffy, "Am I supposed to just take that from
him?"

"No offense, Buffy," said Xander with a small smile, "but sometimes your
head is primarily made out of air."

"Hah!" laughed Spike gleefully.

"What?" asked Buffy unbelievingly.

"But it's one of your most attractive qualities," Xander answered quickly.

"Yes, you would know about that, wouldn't you," said Spike with a slight
edge in his tone.

"No, I * wouldn't *," said Xander through clenched teeth, signaling Spike
to shut up.

"Yes, you would," said Spike. He turned to Buffy. "Say, Slayer, did you
know that Xander really has a thing for…"

"Britney Spears!" shot out Xander.

"Huh?" Buffy said, totally confused.

"Gotta love her showmanship," said Xander unconvincingly with a lame
attempt at a grin.

Spike rolled his eyes and decided that mentally torturing Xander could be
postponed to a rainy day. He got up again and dusted his pants. "Well this
is bloody boring. I'm going home."

"You mean you're going to my home," said Xander.

"Or, I could stay here and we could bloody well talk about …" Spike made
the message clear with his eyes. "Britney Spears."

"Make yourself at home. My home is your home."

"Good." Spike tossed Buffy another dirty glare before he turned around and
walked off.

"You two have a strange, strange, relationship," said Buffy, watching the
blonde vampire leave. "I wonder what was that about?"

"What was what about?" asked Xander innocently.

"Oh, nothing." Buffy looked at the ground and then at her surroundings.
Jared , as usual was standing by himself doing his own thing, and Willow and
Giles were engaged in another boring conversation. She looked at Xander.
"Can we talk?"

"Sure," he replied. "About what?"

"You know… I…" Buffy tried to begin. "You've been acting … differently
lately."

"No I haven't," lied Xander.

"Yes, you have." Buffy looked at him and into his dark, chocolate eyes. "I…
is it me? Did I do something to…"

"No," said Xander, putting his hand on her arm. "Well, maybe…"

"Maybe?"

Xander swallowed and thought over what to say next. He took a deep breath.
"Buffy… I think there's something… I … think you should know."

"What is it?"

"Well… I…" Words didn't seem to come out of his mouth properly. "I…
recently I've been… thinking … been feeling, that this is …"

"Boring." A new voice interrupted their conversation. Buffy and Xander
stood up immediately and looked towards the source of the sound. Jared,
Willow and Giles also sprang to alert.

Crouching on the branch of a nearby tree was a dark figure, looking down at
them menacingly. He jumped down and landed on all fours, before slowly
getting up. He wore a long, gray trench coat, and black boots that glimmered
as the moonlight reflected off it. His long hair danced along with the soft
night breeze, a contrasting white with his dark attire. As he stepped
closer, they could see what seemed to be a Japanese or Chinese figure carved
into his forehead.

He tilted his head in an almost mocking fashion and addressed them. "Am I
late?"

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