Hurt Me

Hurt Me

Xander groaned as the blonde vampire joined him at his table in the corner of the Bronze. "Beat it Fangless," he said.

Spike peered curiously at him from behind his glasses. "Why do you hate vampires so much," he asked. "You married a former vengeance demon. After listening to a few of her stories I'd bet she's been responsible for as many deaths as I was."

"Spike, get out of here before I forget you're helpless and hurt you," Xander threatened.

"It's William and is it because of Jesse?" Spike pressed.

Xander shoved the smaller man roughly against the wall. "Who told you about Jesse?" he demanded.

"That's it isn't it," Spike said. "I read about him in Giles' diaries, how you killed your friend after he got turned. Your hating Angel and I has nothing to do with the people we killed, it's because we got another chance and Jesse didn't."

Xander punched Spike in the face. The metal frames of the glasses the vampire wore cut into the bridge of his nose and his cheek.

"Do it," Spike sighed, his body relaxing.

Xander glared at the vampire in disgust. "Go find someone you can fight back against," he said stepping back from Spike. "I don't know what kind of game you've got going, but I'm not playing."

Looking disappointed Spike walked off. Xander watched him join a pool game with a former jock Xander recognized from High School, Malcom.

Xander frowned when Spike made a pitiful showing in the first few games. When a serious pile of money appeared on the edge of the table Xander groaned. He watched in bemusement as Spike cleared the table on his first turn, making it transparently obvious that he'd set Malcom up.

Spike collected his winnings and on the way to the alley door made some comment that caused Malcom's face to flush an ugly shade of red.

"It's his own fault, I'm not getting involved," Xander thought as he watched Malcom follow Spike out. "But what if Spike set him up, there could be other vampires out there."

Unhappily Xander checked his jacket pocket for a stake and followed the other two's example.

In the alley he found Spike on the ground, getting the stuffing kicked out of him.

Xander winced at the dull crack of ribs breaking and the next time Malcom drew back his leg to kick Spike, Xander grabbed the other man by the shoulder and spun him around.

"Take back your money and forget about him," Xander said with quiet determination.

"Harris," Malcom said with a sneer. "What is he to you? Your little boyfriend? Is that how you suddenly got the balls to get in my way?"

Xander sighed tiredly. "Better than four years out of High School and the only thing that's changed about you is the legality of your ID."

"Funny Harris," Malcom growled. "You'll be looking for your teeth for a week."

Xander slid to the side, easily evading Malcom's punch then used the former jock's momentum to shove him u against the wall and twist one arm behind his back to pin him there.

Malcom, cheek pressed to the dirty brick wall, struggled like a bug on a pin. Xander wondered at the change years of working construction and fighting demons while Malcom had been sitting at bar recounting his glory days had made in their relative positions.

Xander forced Malcom's arm just a little higher, until the other man was biting his lip in pain. "Walk away," Xander told him, his voice calm and icy.

With that he released Malcom then turned and roughly pulled Spike to his feet. Xander hustled the second souled vampire in existence out to the road where Xander had parked. There Xander shoved Spike away from him. Glaring at the vampire, he demanded, "What do you think you were doing?"

Spike took off his glasses and sighed at the broken glass and twisted frames before slipping them into his jacket. "Why'd you have to interfere?" he asked.

"Because you're Willow's pet and she'd throw a fit if I let you get beat up. Get in the car Spike," Xander ordered.

"It's William," Spike protested by route, then he started laughing hysterically.

Xander opened the car door and pushed Spike inside, as he walked around to the driver's side he muttered angrily about curses, chips and fried brain cells.

Arriving at the house Xander still thought of as Buffy's, even though Willow and Tara had also lived there ever since the year Buffy had been dead, Xander parked the car and towed Spike to the door.

Willow just stared at Xander and Spike in consternation when she opened the door.

"Your insane vampire was picking fights with humans," Xander growled. "I'm going to be late to meet Anh because of having to take care of him."

With that he gave Spike one last shove toward Willow then turned and stomped back to his car.