"I cannot believe you did that."

"I can't believe it worked!"

Xander sat in the library looking rather smug. Spike had become a problem and that solar ray trick only worked if that gem was off his hand.

And another problem, there were Plans for Spike later down the line. Big ones.

He hated that he knew enough not to screw something up, but not why.

Thankfully, this little trick had worked.

~*~flashback~*~

"Why don't you just toast me then, wanker?" Spike was all fanged grin, holding a few girls behind him via minion. Dru was he didn't-want-to-know where, and the girls were off somewhere doing something.

Xander sighed and rolled his eyes. "The Powers That Be Aggravating have Plans for you."

That stopped the vamp in his tracks.

"Huh?"

"You, William, are going to play a big freaking part in keeping the world from ending within a few years. I kill you like I very, very much want to, I screw over everyone. Thus, you get a get-out-of-flambé-free card, so long as you don't hurt those people. You hurt them, and we'll test the limits of that ring."

The vamp looked nervous for a moment before pulling his Master vampire mask back in place. Stupid, stubborn vamp.

"Don't believe you, mate. What's to say you don't just want them gone before toasting my arse?"

"Cuz I would have done it by now, idiot."

Xander sighed again, trying to think of someth….

Waitaminute.

"You were a poet, right? Before you were turned?"

Now Spike looked nervous again.

"Yeah, what of it?"

"What if I could guarantee that your poems would be well received? That that little twitchy bit of inspiration that you never seemed to be able to hold on to suddenly clicked into place and you could really, really write?"

A few moments passed without either of them moving.

"Take the humans outside and let 'em go. Night's off."

The minions growled a bit until Spike staked one of them. Then they moved nice and quick to get the humans out.

"How can you guarantee that?"

~*~end flashback~*~

"I didn't think they'd listen to you."

"Well, it was worth a shot. I mean, so far they like me enough."

"That's true."

"Hi Calliope. By the way, did I thank you for that yet?"

"Yes you did, but it's still nice to hear. William's been giving me quite a lauding as well. And it's rather sweet. I haven't been talked about like that in a few centuries."

"Glad you enjoy it. If you and… oh dang it I can never get her name right."

"Erato."

"Right, Erato, I swear I'm gonna get that right sometime soon, anyway, if you and Erato are still free tomorrow night I'm still quite happy to take you out for an evening of 'mortal entertainment'."

"We look forward to it. See you then."

A flash of light and the muse was gone.

Xander smiled, turning and facing three gobsmacked expressions.

"What!?"

"You can call the Muses!?"

"Well yeah, how else do you think that worked?"

Xander indicated a corner of the bistro with his head.

Spike had lost his dark duster and bad-boy image for one of collegiate cool and sophistication, including a pair of thin wireframe glasses. In his hand was a leather-bound journal, from which he was reading prose quietly to a crowd of enraptured listeners.

"Good point."

Hey, whatever works.