Part 6
"Is that a hole in the wall? I mean because if it is, it's the hell mouth's version of an ACME hole in the wall. Just less tar-like." Xander said staring wide-eyed. He was used to bugs coming out of holes in walls, but they were either colossally large like the Engren, which after hatching inside a wall, never left because of its size, or relatively tiny like the Barboodalks, which were often mistaken for cockroaches.
Xander realized his breath was coming in heavy gasps. This, of course, he contributed to having been knocked on his ass by magic; not at all from nearly molding his side into Spike's cool body. With his arm firmly wrapped around the Spike's hard shoulders, he was right where he had wanted to be for a long time. His breathing slowed, and he realized he felt comfortable. Well, relatively comfortable, at any rate.
"Of course, it's a hole in the wall, git." Spike rolled his eyes. "Wonder how it got there?" he murmured. Spike frowned as he thought it over. His eyes widened when he remembered what had happened. He swore softly. Maintaining his grip on Xander, he maneuvered them to the bed. Setting Xander down gently, he started pacing.
Xander shivered. Spike had set him on his 'bed'. He had been very gentle also. Being handled gently in Spike's bedroom was definitely high on Xander's giddy factor. He smothered a grin.
Looking at the stomping vampire in front of him, Xander realized that Spike was not going to be forthcoming without a little prompting, if not outright ordering. "Spike, you're making me dizzier and you're stirring up the feathers. Remember Xander vomit covered feathers? Entering this reality shortly if you don't stop walking and twisting back and forth. Enlighten me as to what has got you so gung ho for the Brood Movement."
Spike stopped in front of the hole. "I know how the hole got there," his tone aggravated. "It's my bleedin' fault." Spike resumed his pacing.
Xander refrained from rolling his eyes for fear they would take it upon themselves to continue to do so. "Whatever. Just stop pacing for God's sake!" Xander said annoyed. He ran his fingers through his hair, and then squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Well, Mr. I know how it got there, how did it get there?"
Spike looked stopped in front of Xander. "I did it."
Xander frowned. "How?"
Spike grimaced. Then shrugging his shoulders he sat beside Xander on the bed, much to Xander's delight, even as it added to his apprehension. Spike spoke, "Well, I was having a row with a Glokgog demon, back about month and a half ago, and I had its back up to that wall. I gave a great shove, because I'm William the Bloody and he was in my home and he was right pissing me off. His head hit the wall about where that hole is. Then swinging to punch his bloody head off, he ducked and my arm went through. I guess the wall's weakened state caused it give a bit more. Anyway, it scratched me arm to almighty hell. So, uh, my blood was in and around the hole, and you said that only a spell could have brought the bugs here to this dimension, right?"
Xander merely nodded. He was fighting the urge to snicker at "blood was in and around the hole".
"Well, that must've been what happened then. My blood must have activated a spell." Spike pursed his lips, but his eyes betrayed his swelling pride.
Xander smiled. "Well, aren't we cocky?"
Spike smirked. "Well, always knew I'd bring about tears in the fabric of the universe. Gives one a light sort of feeling." Spike was grinning now.
Xander raised an eyebrow. "Okay. Whatever. I'm really glad you're so happy that you were the chosen one. Hey! What is it about not-quite-natural blondes and being the chosen ones? Don't give me that look. Anyway, if it was your blood that was needed, that probably means any vamp or demon would do." At Spike's slight hurt look, he hurriedly added, "Not that you're not special. And why I am reassuring you anyway?" Xander shook his head. "Must be the enchantments. So, I at least know I'm going to need a Hargen's Detector, a screecher sampler, a Bumbitron, and maybe a ghastwheeler."
As Xander continued to mumble about the technical side of debugging, Spike obviously tuned out. His attention, however, caught a small object, resembling a tiny wedge.
Leaving Xander, who was now using his right hand to count out something on his left hand, Spike picked the tiny object up. Just then, a single Garvinadele came scuttling out of the hole and straight towards Spike. Still examining the wedge, Spike stepped on the creature, releasing a noxious cloud of fumes from underneath his foot, which was still bare.
That stopped Xander mid-sentence. "Ew! Gods, that was not in the book! Nasty!" He was waving his arms frantically to drive away the smell. "Christ Spike! I thought you had killed one of those before and would know not to do it indoors, or preferably ever."
Spike's sensitive sense of smell was under attack. He dropped to his knees. The fumes were seeping in every orifice, despite no need to breathe, Spike felt the desperate urge to escape the wafting vapours. "Bloody hell," he yelled as comprehension dawned. "Fucking garlic!" He ran from the room.
Xander sat stunned. Garlic? How could garlic make up part of the Garvinadele's system? There was garlic in Iktorth?
He definitely needed better guidance on this, and Xander made the decision to go see Pete personally as soon as possible. After, of course, checking on the now whimpering vampire in the living room.
Spike was sitting in his chair with his legs crossed, grinding his teeth together. Xander could just make out Spike's smoldering and blistered foot.
"Spike? Are you going to be all right?" Xander put his hand on the slightly trembling shoulder.
Spike was staring straight ahead. "Sure, pet. I'm going to be fine. Just hurts like hell," He paused, looked up at Xander. "That was not ordinary garlic, it was far more concentrated." Looking again to the wall, he added in a firmer voice, "You know, if you were planning on killing them all by mashing 'em, I'm going to need a new apartment."
The last bit of humor filled Xander's heart with proverbial warmth. "You won't need a new apartment. Although, how you can live with the enchantments like they're a loose cupboard is beyond me, you give off the content and settled in vibe. So I don't think we'll be mashing many more Garvinadeles today or ever." He looked back toward the bedroom. "Besides, I couldn't stand that smell, and I may have stinky bugs in my everyday work, but sewage treatment plant guy I am not."
Spike was now leaning back with a small smile on his face. Xander realized his hand was still on his shoulder, and quickly removed it. "So, uh, I'm going to go back to work now. Meet up at HQ, talk to the big man, and see what info he can give me about another form of death for those suckers. You sure you're all right?"
Spike looked into Xander's unsure eyes, and grinned. "I'm not dust. I'm fine. 'Sides, I have to clean the damn feathers. Just shove them over in that corner, and poof, no more feathers. But I'm not getting the ones in the bedroom. That can bloody well wait." With a firm nod, he stood and limped slightly to retrieve a broom from the corner "Oh, wait a minute." Spike fumbled for his pocket, where he had stashed the wedge he had found. "Don't know what this is, but maybe it's useful or something." Handing it to Xander, their fingers wrapped around each other's in tangles.
Xander was the first to yank his fingers back. "Uh, yeah. Maybe."
Xander briskly started for the main door. He had to get out of there. He glanced back over his shoulder. "I should be back in an hour or so. You said they're gonna be back in a couple of hours, right?"
Spike nodded.
"Well, I'll get back before then. Uh, bye." And he was out the door. As he was closing it, however, his stomach sputtered when he heard Spike's shaky, quiet, "L-later." Smiling he walked down the hall and down the stairs to his truck.
"Is that a hole in the wall? I mean because if it is, it's the hell mouth's version of an ACME hole in the wall. Just less tar-like." Xander said staring wide-eyed. He was used to bugs coming out of holes in walls, but they were either colossally large like the Engren, which after hatching inside a wall, never left because of its size, or relatively tiny like the Barboodalks, which were often mistaken for cockroaches.
Xander realized his breath was coming in heavy gasps. This, of course, he contributed to having been knocked on his ass by magic; not at all from nearly molding his side into Spike's cool body. With his arm firmly wrapped around the Spike's hard shoulders, he was right where he had wanted to be for a long time. His breathing slowed, and he realized he felt comfortable. Well, relatively comfortable, at any rate.
"Of course, it's a hole in the wall, git." Spike rolled his eyes. "Wonder how it got there?" he murmured. Spike frowned as he thought it over. His eyes widened when he remembered what had happened. He swore softly. Maintaining his grip on Xander, he maneuvered them to the bed. Setting Xander down gently, he started pacing.
Xander shivered. Spike had set him on his 'bed'. He had been very gentle also. Being handled gently in Spike's bedroom was definitely high on Xander's giddy factor. He smothered a grin.
Looking at the stomping vampire in front of him, Xander realized that Spike was not going to be forthcoming without a little prompting, if not outright ordering. "Spike, you're making me dizzier and you're stirring up the feathers. Remember Xander vomit covered feathers? Entering this reality shortly if you don't stop walking and twisting back and forth. Enlighten me as to what has got you so gung ho for the Brood Movement."
Spike stopped in front of the hole. "I know how the hole got there," his tone aggravated. "It's my bleedin' fault." Spike resumed his pacing.
Xander refrained from rolling his eyes for fear they would take it upon themselves to continue to do so. "Whatever. Just stop pacing for God's sake!" Xander said annoyed. He ran his fingers through his hair, and then squeezed the bridge of his nose. "Well, Mr. I know how it got there, how did it get there?"
Spike looked stopped in front of Xander. "I did it."
Xander frowned. "How?"
Spike grimaced. Then shrugging his shoulders he sat beside Xander on the bed, much to Xander's delight, even as it added to his apprehension. Spike spoke, "Well, I was having a row with a Glokgog demon, back about month and a half ago, and I had its back up to that wall. I gave a great shove, because I'm William the Bloody and he was in my home and he was right pissing me off. His head hit the wall about where that hole is. Then swinging to punch his bloody head off, he ducked and my arm went through. I guess the wall's weakened state caused it give a bit more. Anyway, it scratched me arm to almighty hell. So, uh, my blood was in and around the hole, and you said that only a spell could have brought the bugs here to this dimension, right?"
Xander merely nodded. He was fighting the urge to snicker at "blood was in and around the hole".
"Well, that must've been what happened then. My blood must have activated a spell." Spike pursed his lips, but his eyes betrayed his swelling pride.
Xander smiled. "Well, aren't we cocky?"
Spike smirked. "Well, always knew I'd bring about tears in the fabric of the universe. Gives one a light sort of feeling." Spike was grinning now.
Xander raised an eyebrow. "Okay. Whatever. I'm really glad you're so happy that you were the chosen one. Hey! What is it about not-quite-natural blondes and being the chosen ones? Don't give me that look. Anyway, if it was your blood that was needed, that probably means any vamp or demon would do." At Spike's slight hurt look, he hurriedly added, "Not that you're not special. And why I am reassuring you anyway?" Xander shook his head. "Must be the enchantments. So, I at least know I'm going to need a Hargen's Detector, a screecher sampler, a Bumbitron, and maybe a ghastwheeler."
As Xander continued to mumble about the technical side of debugging, Spike obviously tuned out. His attention, however, caught a small object, resembling a tiny wedge.
Leaving Xander, who was now using his right hand to count out something on his left hand, Spike picked the tiny object up. Just then, a single Garvinadele came scuttling out of the hole and straight towards Spike. Still examining the wedge, Spike stepped on the creature, releasing a noxious cloud of fumes from underneath his foot, which was still bare.
That stopped Xander mid-sentence. "Ew! Gods, that was not in the book! Nasty!" He was waving his arms frantically to drive away the smell. "Christ Spike! I thought you had killed one of those before and would know not to do it indoors, or preferably ever."
Spike's sensitive sense of smell was under attack. He dropped to his knees. The fumes were seeping in every orifice, despite no need to breathe, Spike felt the desperate urge to escape the wafting vapours. "Bloody hell," he yelled as comprehension dawned. "Fucking garlic!" He ran from the room.
Xander sat stunned. Garlic? How could garlic make up part of the Garvinadele's system? There was garlic in Iktorth?
He definitely needed better guidance on this, and Xander made the decision to go see Pete personally as soon as possible. After, of course, checking on the now whimpering vampire in the living room.
Spike was sitting in his chair with his legs crossed, grinding his teeth together. Xander could just make out Spike's smoldering and blistered foot.
"Spike? Are you going to be all right?" Xander put his hand on the slightly trembling shoulder.
Spike was staring straight ahead. "Sure, pet. I'm going to be fine. Just hurts like hell," He paused, looked up at Xander. "That was not ordinary garlic, it was far more concentrated." Looking again to the wall, he added in a firmer voice, "You know, if you were planning on killing them all by mashing 'em, I'm going to need a new apartment."
The last bit of humor filled Xander's heart with proverbial warmth. "You won't need a new apartment. Although, how you can live with the enchantments like they're a loose cupboard is beyond me, you give off the content and settled in vibe. So I don't think we'll be mashing many more Garvinadeles today or ever." He looked back toward the bedroom. "Besides, I couldn't stand that smell, and I may have stinky bugs in my everyday work, but sewage treatment plant guy I am not."
Spike was now leaning back with a small smile on his face. Xander realized his hand was still on his shoulder, and quickly removed it. "So, uh, I'm going to go back to work now. Meet up at HQ, talk to the big man, and see what info he can give me about another form of death for those suckers. You sure you're all right?"
Spike looked into Xander's unsure eyes, and grinned. "I'm not dust. I'm fine. 'Sides, I have to clean the damn feathers. Just shove them over in that corner, and poof, no more feathers. But I'm not getting the ones in the bedroom. That can bloody well wait." With a firm nod, he stood and limped slightly to retrieve a broom from the corner "Oh, wait a minute." Spike fumbled for his pocket, where he had stashed the wedge he had found. "Don't know what this is, but maybe it's useful or something." Handing it to Xander, their fingers wrapped around each other's in tangles.
Xander was the first to yank his fingers back. "Uh, yeah. Maybe."
Xander briskly started for the main door. He had to get out of there. He glanced back over his shoulder. "I should be back in an hour or so. You said they're gonna be back in a couple of hours, right?"
Spike nodded.
"Well, I'll get back before then. Uh, bye." And he was out the door. As he was closing it, however, his stomach sputtered when he heard Spike's shaky, quiet, "L-later." Smiling he walked down the hall and down the stairs to his truck.