Standard disclaimers apply.

This time, Xander woke to silence. He was lying on his side and had his arms around a cool, slim body, while a more solid form held him from behind. After a significant amount of psyching up, he opened his eyes to observe dark curls and a white nightgown. Glancing down a little further, he saw that a well muscled arm lay over his chest, ending in a black nailed hand that gently held Drusilla's shoulder.

(Okay, let's examine the situation rationally. I'm snuggled between two master vampires. They both kissed me last night. One of them wants the other one to fall for me so he won't take it so badly when her Sire comes back and she falls all over him. At some point in the future, they're probably going to kill me and let a demon wear my body.)

After some consideration, he decided that the only rational response would be to have a complete wiggins. But first he needed to pee.

"Mmph. Stop movin'. M' comfy."

(Must delay wiggins.) "I gotta get up, Spike."

The arm tightened slightly and a leg was thrown over his for good measure. "Nuh uh. Not movin'. Warm."

(Also filled with yummy blood, but let's hope he wakes up before that instinct kicks in.) "Spiiiiiike... I gotta go to the bathroom..." Very suddenly he was out of the bed, and the vampire was rolling into his warm spot grumbling sleepily about disgusting human bodies and all the things he didn't miss from being alive.

The bathroom looked to have been jerry rigged from an industrial washroom, and still had a couple of functioning toilets. Xander wondered briefly what a house custom built for a vampire would look like. No need for a kitchen, he supposed. (Though they did have those blood packs, so maybe a fridge would come in handy.) He was distracted from the thought when he realized that he was in his boxer shorts and his shirt was unbuttoned.

(Being undressed by the evil undead should really wake a guy up... I'm gonna have to reset my survival instincts.) Looking around the room as quietly as possible, he found his shoes, pants, vest and watch in an oddly neat pile. Then he actually looked at his watch and all thoughts of stealth fled.

"Oi, what's got you in such a tizzy, pet?" Xander spared a look over to the bed as he tried to get his pants on in a hurry and noticed that Spike must have gotten up and bathed at some point, because his hair was ungelled.

(Look at those curls! Big Bad Lamb!) "I gotta get out of here. I've only got an hour before school and I have to get home from where ever here is and shower and change and get there and even though I can be a little late for first period I still don't want to-"

"Breathe, luv, breathe!" He tucked Drusilla in and approached the panicking teen, blue eyes dancing with amusement. (Is he wearing pajama pants? Or do they just call them sleep pants if there's no top? And does he work out or does turning give you a six pack like that automatically?) "Can bathe here, I'll grab you some kit and get you to the halls of learning on time."

"Kit?" Xander was getting pretty comfortable with the feeling of being totally lost, which seemed like sort of a problem.

"Clothes, you berk... just go get cleaned up."

After a quick shower Xander found a pile of clothes set by the sink. Not really his style and a bit small for him, but they would do. He walked back into a bedroom that vibrated slightly with some punk band on the stereo just in time to see a lot of smooth, white skin disappearing under black jeans.

(Aaaaand the pants are even smaller now. Oh gods above and below, I am not having tight-pants feelings about Spike's ass. Kill me now.) "So, yeah, clothes, clothes are good, and music! Music is nice, though this music isn't what I'd actually call 'nice' in the niceness sense, more naughty than nice, you know, and is this your type of music, I hadn't really thought about what you'd like, though I assumed you were a big fan of Billy I-"

One moment the vamp was fixing his hair and the next a slightly gel tasting finger was pressed against Xander's lips. "Don't. Even. Say it."

"Um, right not saying, but I was just saying because you know, your-"

"Been doing my hair this way since I stopped dying it black in the 50s, I'll have you know." Spike actually looked more pissed at him than he'd seen since the Bronze, and Xander decided to try to inch his way away from the sore spot.

"So you used to have it black... what's your natural color?"

The vampire glared for another moment then went back to creating a hair-helmet. "Was blond when I was alive, but darker. Kept it longer then, was a style for men." After a glance that a severely deluded person might think of as 'shy', he rummaged through a chest in the corner and unrolled a large sheet of heavy paper.

"Wow." It was all Xander could think of for a moment. The painting was clearly a formal portrait, two women sitting in old fashioned dresses while a man stood behind each, dark behind fair, fair behind dark. Drusilla had changed little, and in spite of the long, darker hair, Spike was recognizable behind her, looking down with adoration in his gaze. The other man had long hair as well, pulled back tightly and Xander had to stare. "Is that...?"

"The pre-brood version of Peaches? In all his limey glory." A note of bitterness entered the vampire's voice. "Back when we were a family."

"Don't fret, dear William," Xander jumped when Drusilla slipped her arms around her Childe. "We shall be so again, and soon. Trust your mummy, sweet boy."

"Of course, my love." If Spike sounded a bit dutiful in his agreement, Xander wasn't saying anything. "Now I've got to get our kitten off to class, so you go back to bed, alright? You still need your rest till we can get you all the way well."

"But the kitten has lost his collar!" She sniffed his neck with some distress (Vampire near neck! Danger, Will Robinson!) and took a firm hold on his arm. "Kittens mustn't go out without their collars, he's in danger from the dog catcher and will be taken to the pound instead of brought home to us!"

Spike stroked her soothingly and translated for Xander. "You washed off some of the scent marking I put on you last night, and our princess is worried that you'll get into trouble with vampires or other demons if they don't know you're ours."

(And on the list of things I never thought I'd say...) "So, you need to lick me again?"

"Hmmm..." The vampire cocked his head and smiled. "Trust me, pet?"

"Um, more than I should, but less than you'd probably like?"

The smile broadened into a grin. "Still a good Stake-ateer, yeah? Hold still just a mo." Then there was, as predicted, licking, but it was light and gentle (more of necking, really) and again with the not wanting to have tight pants feelings relating to Spike. He felt as much as heard the weirdly organic crunch of gameface, but instead of having his throat ripped out there was just a light scratch swirled onto the damp skin. Then a heavier, slimier lick over the area and the vampire pulled back, human face sliding into place as he observed Xander's neck with satisfaction.

"Let me see! Oh the new collar is pretty, but it needs a tag from Mummy too." Drusilla reached out one perfectly manicured finger and scratched his neck hard. (Ow! That's gonna leave a mark. Which is probably the point, so no use complaining.) After a few more curved cuts, she stuck her finger in her own mouth then leaned forward and licked wetly. "There, very nice."

Resisting the urge to wipe the wetness away, he put his shoes on then, nervously, gave Dru a kiss on the cheek. "Take care, okay?" She smiled beatifically at him and kissed over the area she had scratched before wandering back to the bed. Spike placed a hand on the small of his back and 'squired' him away as usual. (Not a girl!)

"So... these are the tunnels, huh? They'd probably be really interesting if I could see anything..." So he was grumpy, so sue him. He wasn't sure if he was disappointed or relieved that he hadn't seen the outside of the lair/factory/court and so still had no idea where it was. They had just walked out to the garage and opened a new looking hatch covering a crudely excavated hole in the concrete that led to a wet but non-sewery smelling tunnel.

"Told you pet, you're likely enough to attract trouble with all your noise, nothing here needs a light but self delivering Happy Meals. Shining a torch around is like waving a big 'eat me' sign. 'Sides, haven't let you trip yet, now have I?"

"No..." And wasn't that a tripping point itself, waiting to spiral him down into the mess of his feelings for this monster. ('Trust me?' he said and I do and it's stupid beyond words, and I don't and I feel guilty for it, and if I'd been out of the building and seen a street sign I don't know if I could tell Buffy where they are.)

"What's wrong, pet?"

"Um, wrong, nothing's wrong, what could be-"

"I can still see your face, luv, not to mention hear your heartbeat. Just tell me, won't be angry."

Xander found himself grinning. "Even if it's about Bil-"

"Hush it." But there was a hint of laughter under the annoyance.

"Come on, I've never had a celebrity look alike, you've got to admit it's a hell of a coincidence."

This time there was a real growl and he thought he caught a glimpse of golden eyes in the darkness. "Oh it's no coincidence..."

"But you said you'd been doing your hair that way-"

"Was back in England, mid seventies, did kinda a tour of all our old stomping grounds to celebrate my second Slayer." (And that should freak me out way more than it does.) "Took in a few Sex Pistols shows, loved that band, and always made nice while I was there. Can't go snacking on the groupies, yeah, makes trouble for the venue and then they don't get good acts there." (There's that freaking out.)

"What is this, wildlife management for vamps?"

"Summat like that. Point is, there was this bloke was a big fan too, and had some musical talent himself, talked about joining his own band and did he have what it took. Was having a smoke with him after one show, told him he had the voice, but he needed the attitude to make a real name for himself, had to build an image, yeah?"

The urge to giggle welled up. "Oh no..."

"Oh yes! Few years later I see this new band, Generation X, and there he is right up on stage, had built an image sure enough, but I meant his own!"

He gave in to the giggles, stopping in the dark tunnel and leaning into Spike's small but immovable seeming frame. "That's... that's..."

"And there was no way I was going to change my look just because some human thought it looked good on him, but he got more and more popular, and now whelps like you what weren't even alive yet when he started on stage think I stole my look from him!" They got moving again, Xander still giggling slightly as Spike grumbled. "It's bloody annoying is what it is. Like if people went up to that ponce Dracula and asked him why he was ripping off Bela Lugosi..."

"Yeah, I suppose - still funny but... wait, Dracula is real?"

He looked from the shadowed alcove across the sunny courtyard where students were trickling into the school. Five minutes before the bell, and he should head in, but Spike's hand had shifted from the small of his back to his hip and in the strange combination of safe and trapped that made him feel he wasn't going to do anything as stupid as try to pull away before the vampire was ready to let him go.

"Avoided my question before, pet. What was it, bothering you?"

Blue eyes, not just looking at him but honestly seeing him and worrying about how he felt. Even knowing those eyes could turn gold, it was so hard to remember sometimes that the fangs came out and this beautiful man killed. Every. Single. Night.

"I feel safe with you." It was whispered, like a confession. "I trust you not to hurt me, and the thing is, I shouldn't. Because you're going to hurt me. Eventually, I'll be 'ripe' - whatever that means - and you or Dru will kill me." He forced himself to meet Spike's eyes again. "Right?"

Gold flecks were welling and fading in the blue, but the vampire's voice was gentle. "Princess fancies turning you, it's true. But 'tis traditional to wait till you've finished your schooling, and even then, s'not the same thing as killing you."

In a crazy way it was comforting. (Probably makes me more likely to live through to graduation, I suppose.) But still... "How isn't it? I'll be dead, the idea that there'll be a vampire that looks like me and knows enough to get invites and kill my friends doesn't change that."

Spike looked honestly shocked. "That's what you think?"

"Giles said..."

"Right, the local Watcher-man. He told you the Council party line, yeah, nothing of the victim remains, just the demon that killed them wearing their face?" Xander nodded and Spike's expression tightened as he looked over at the more hurried students entering the school. "Haven't got the time to explain all of vampire lore without you being late, pet, but I'll tell you this for now. Sometimes it's true, especially with crumbs and lower minions, and sometimes close enough to make no never mind. But Dru wants you as a Childe, a true member of the family as it were, and she's a talent for turning. Wouldn't turn you meself, luv, less'n there was no other choice, for the risk of exactly what you fear. But Dru... she turned a composer for us once as a minion to have music in the lair. He not only kept his talent, but wrote new pieces after. You ask your Giles about that, maybe you'll understand the difference."

"I... I could still be me?" He was turned slightly into a true embrace and felt cool finger touch the spot on his neck that had been marked.

"Pretty as you are, pet, I don't just want a demon with your face, and my princess fancies you growing to a White Knight before she adds a little darkness. Don't expect you to welcome the idea yet, but believe that I won't stand for anyone truly killing you - even Dru." He kissed Xander lightly on the lips and stepped back towards the entrance to the tunnels. "Grew on me, didn't you? Now go to class."

A/N : There is a poll related to this story on my profile. (Actually there are two polls but I can only link one there at a time.) I'm not promising to write to order on the results, but I'm curious what people like.