A/N.- This is chapter Nine of the ENOUGH series. WARNING, if by any chance you the reader happens to like the character of Xander Harris, you should REALLY skip this chapter. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Disclaimer.- You all should know this belongs to Joss Whedon and the parties involved in getting this show on the air.
Feedback.- As you wish.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xander.
Now that the geeks were terminated he proceeded to the next step that had to be taken. He had returned to his crypt in order to arrange his final affairs there. There was time enough to do what had plagued his mind for the last year. He had been a member of the scooby gang, at least in his mind. He had been slowly accepted by the girls but there was one obstacle that always stood in his way. In his chipped, dead slayer days he only wanted to be accepted by the kids. Dawn loved him, Willow stood him, Tara talked to him, Anya annoyed him, Giles bossed him around, but they all seemed to make him fit. All but one.
Alexander Harris.
He had endured all his sarcasm, all his hate filled words and all his mockery towards him. Not anymore. He had been patient because of his love for the slayer. However, she had shut him out. There was no need to continue being civil with the boy. He was in for a world of pain.
Spike remembered faintly where the boy lived, but he had dreamed about the day when he could smash the boy's brains in, so he always knew where the whelp was. However, the day had been very long and he needed the rest. Soon, he fell asleep, but this time, there were no dreams.
--------------------------------------------
Another night alone, Xander Harris had blown up the fifth attempt of getting back with Anya because he was drunk. He had feared all his life becoming what his father was and he managed to become him and ruin his relationship even before getting married. That was even new in the Harris' family affairs.
He was so into self pity that when he heard the knock on the door he hoped that it was Anya, coming to patch things up. Or maybe Willow, who had been his best friend, and she'd come with a plan to solve things. Or Buffy, who was the strong rock to where he clinged when things went bad, coming to tell him about the way the geeks had been arrested. When they talked in the day she had been weird and didn't want to talk about it.
That day had been really weird, with the three freaks finally in jail.
"Coming!" He shouted, and rinsed his mouth, trying to get rid of the alcohol stench. He walked towards the door and was shocked by the face that greeted him,
--------------------------------------------
The vampire saw the boy's face show hate, He had tried to get along with him but it was a futile attempt of standing the boy.. He was in no mood to talk to the whelp but he had to either lure him out or get the idiot to invite him into his house. Xander stared at the clock in his wall and saw that it had only been a few minutes since sundown. It should be no later than 8:30.
"What are you doing here, deadboy?" Xander asked, clearly annoyed by the presence of Spike in his very doorstep.
"Came 'ere to talk to you, boy." Spike answered. Xander snickered and waved at the vampire.
"Get the hell away from here, Spike, you're not welcome here."
Spike remained calm and looked at the man in front of him. He was a wreck, and even if Spike hadn't been a vampire he would have still detected the wiff of alcohol.
"You're drunk, boy." Spike stated.
Xander laughed and went to his bar and took out a beer. He opened it and drank half of it with one swig.
"Well, I do what I want to."
"Think you can use that soddin' brain of yours and remember what I'm about to tell you?" Spike asked, taking out a cigarrette from his pocket and lighting it.
"I'm not stupid, Spike, what do you want?" Xander said, getting angry at the vampire.
"You'll deliver a message to the slayer." Spike said, taking a drag of his cigarrette.
"A message to Buffy?" Xander asked, "Why me? I thought you used every chance you got to be near her."
Spike just remained silent, staring at Xander.
"Fine, tell me about it." Xander finally said.
"I'm leaving town." Spike said, and he exhaled the smoke he had stored in his lungs.
"Well, such good news!" Xander exclaimed, walking towards the vampire. "But tell me, to what do we owe this joyous occasion?"
Spike just kept staring at Xander, and said nothing more, he only kept smoking his cigarrette.
"Answer me." Xander approached the vampire, who seemed to have been frozen still in the doorstep. "Damn it, Spike, what are you playing at?" Xander said, approaching the vampire a bit too close, just showing his arm outside the door frame.
Spike saw this as his one opportunity and quickly grabbed Xander's arm and yanked him outside his house, throwing him down the hallway.
"Hey! What's wrong with you, deadboy?!" Xander yelled at the vampire, and staggered to one side of the wall. Spike just walked slowly towards him, throwing his cigarrette away.
"There's another thing I want you to tell the slayer." Spike said, "And you'll be the perfect means of delivery."
Xander stood up and moved fast to where Spike was standing.
"I won't help you, ever!" Xander threw a punch at Spike's face. The next reaction surprised Xander as his fist was caught by Spike's hand. And Xander was even more surprised when Spike began squeezing his hand. Painfully squeezing. Xander's face fell when he realized the implications of such painful act. Spike's eyes then turned golden, and he smiled.
"That's right, boy, the chip's gone."
----------------------------------------------------------
Xander saw stars when Spike fist slammed into his face. The sweet haze of alcohol had faded as soon as the rain of punches began. Xander did his best to defend himself but he was no match for a vampire. No, clear that, he was no match for Spike.
Spike's face remained expressionless, and he continued his physical attack on Xander. However, he wasn't causing the damage that Xander had expected. It seemed as if he was only playing with his prey, much as a cat does with a mouse.
"So this is it? You get rid of the chip and you come to kill us?" Xander asked, wiping his bloodied nose and lip. "You couldn't wait, huh? You are a soulless monster!"
Spike's expression still didn't change, and he punched Xander once again.
"Wrong, boy," Spike said, "I tried to change. You wouldn't let me."
Xander frowned, spitting some more blood.
"Oh sure, you tried so hard, trying to sell us and building your Buffy-bot and trying to get into Buffy's pants."
Spike stood still, not punching Xander nor moving a little bit.
"It was my nature, what's your excuse?" Spike said. Xander's eyes lit up and stared at the golden-eyed vampire in front of him. Strangely, Spike had not morphed into his demon visage, he only had his eyes shining golden.
"What's my excuse? What are you talking about?" Xander shouted at Spike.
"Yes, boy, what's your excuse?" Spike firmly stated, "Your excuse of being so stupid, of being so immature, for being the burden that the slayer must carry on." Spike repeated his motions and lighted another cigarrette. "What's your reason for always criticizin' her, when you should support her? What can you offer as an explanation for being selfish enough to rip her out of heaven?"
Xander winced at every thing that Spike told him, things that he had thought before but had never ventured into really analyzing them.
"Think about it boy, you cling to her for support, because you're not strong enough to live your own life," Spike said, staring into the man's eyes, "you have never been a man. You expect her to live her life so righteously because she's your support. You want her to be perfect, but when have you helped her to be happy? You couldn't even keep an ex-demon happy. You're a loser, Harris. So tell me now, I'm a monster, but what the hell are you?"
Xander looked up, and stared into Spike golden eyes, and laughed.
"I'm her friend, more than you will ever be."
Spike stood still through the comment made by Xander. He made no sudden moves and took Xander by his neck and lifted him. Xander was so tired and so beaten up that he made no attempt to defend himself, he just laughed histerically.
"You used to say I was pathetic, boy," Spike said, "but look at you now. You're drinking yourself stupid over another soddin' mistake you did. If you so call yourself the slayer's friend then why are you such a burden for her?"
Xander stopped laughing and seemed serious. He was now beginning to see the real danger he was in. Spike had still not lost his temper and he was behaving frightenly calm. Xander felt as if he was in the eye of the hurricane.
"If you were a man, I'd kill you." Spike growled, "But you're not even worthy of that. You'll have to live your bloody stupid excuse for a life and you´ll have to learn how to deal with the things you do. Now you have to answer to all the things you did and said to me, and then there'll be so much more things you'll have to be responsible for. That is if you choose to grow up and make yourself into something useful."
Spike punched him hard, repeatedly, and broke a few ribs in the process.
"Stop being a burden, boy." Spike said, as he threw the broken man inside his appartment. Spike walked away and made a mental note to call an ambulance on his way to his next target.
Or he'd just call using Willow's phone.
End of Chapter.
