Father of Mine
Chapter two
Angel had been many things in his life, had done many things and met many people. None had even qualified more then passing glances or brief encounter that didn't lead to a horrific death. Certainly none had ever made him scared.
Being a grandfather didn't scare him in the least. No sir! Angel wasn't scared at all and nothing in Heaven or Earth could make him admit he was scared out of his demon.
However he would admit to being scared for his newly acquired grandson. Having your world crash down on you and then have your very life in danger because of it was a hard thing to bear. Angel wasn't sure if he would be able to handle it. How Xander managed it Angel couldn't fathom.
"He's being offly quiet," Buffy observed to the soled vampire with a worried look. "I've never seen him like this."
"Everyone handles life changing moments differently Buffy," Angel replied softly "I think he's afraid to get too happy about this for fear it will all be a dream. Not to mention the threat to his life."
"Why would Xander be happy about Spike being his dad?" Buffy asked concerned, "I mean he did try to kill all of us at one time."
What changed to make him stop before the deal? Angel had to wonder. "When Spike tried to kill all of you he had reason. Not very good reason, but reason that was justified to him. You were a threat to Spike's life and he acted in the interest of self preservation." Angel smirked slightly. "Spike told me once that when he made the deal with you, he was no longer threatened therefore didn't have to kill you."
"Ok" Buffy said slowly a frown of confusion etched on her face. "I still don't understand."
Ok let's try another approach. "I walked Xander home once when he still lived in the basement. I stayed out side his window all night just to make sure his so called father didn't hurt the boy anymore then he had. Dislike or not, I would have ripped that man in half if I had been invited into that house."
Buffy's eyes widened as realization crossed her features. "That was the week Xander moved out."
Angel nodded. "And now Xander will never have to worry about that bastered again. Spike will never hurt him like that and death to anyone who does."
Buffy nodded a slight smile covering her lips as she looked over at the couch where Xander was curled up asleep against Spike as the blond talked quietly with the new comer, Doyle.
"He'll be alright then," She said almost to herself.
Angel Smiled a little, yeah Xander would be fine.
***
"There are places all over LA that a demon can just vanish into." Doyle commented to the vampire casually leaning back against the high back chair he was sitting in. "A lot of the demons and half breeds flock to the city just to escape the hunters."
"Why?" Spike asked in a low voice as not to disturb the boy practically sleeping in his lap.
Doyle shrugged. "Maybe because of the energy LA produces just to get talented humans there, I'm not sure," he smiled, "I don't normally look a gift horse.err.demon in the mouth."
Spikes lips quirked. He liked this guy, Doyle reminded Spike of himself at one time, the happy times. The times Spike sometimes wished he could forget and sometimes wished he would live the moment over and over again. Most of all Spike liked the young man because he was brave. Brave and loyal. Brave enough to live in this world as he was and loyal because what he saw nearly every day never made him turn down the easier path.
The easier path Spike had all but forgotten since finding that fate filled file.
Spike smiled a little looking down at the slumbering boy. Treading the harder path was worth it as long as he had that miracle and memory of Katie. Spike had loved her so much and she had returned that love by giving him a child. A human child, not a childe, but a life that he had helped create.
Nothing was going to take that from him now that he had it. Nothing at all, not even some pansy-arse demons who said it was wrong to for people like Xander and Doyle to even exist.
Half listening to Doyle Spike let his mind wander slightly over things he himself had worried over when he and Katie were trying to have a child. He didn't know much more then the Ex-Watcher did maybe slightly less on some parts. For instance he didn't know this form of demon was so hard to kill. In fact the only thing Spike was absolutely sure of was the way they found their prey. By scent. The vampire had always sought ways to figure out how to mask-
Spike would have jumped up if he hadn't moved a pillow onto his lap, so Xander could rest his head without discomfort, a moment before. As it was the vampire sat up a little straighter his eyes wide bugging out a little as if he had sat on a cross.
Doyle stopped talking mid-ramble, Angel's head suddenly snapped up to look at his grandchilde causing everyone else in the room to fall silent. Even Xander seemed to wake for a moment before falling back to a dreamless sleep.
"Spike?" Angel finally asked slowly rising from his seat with a look of concern. "Spike what is it?"
"Oz," Spike managed to get out unable to remember the nickname he had for the werewolf in his current state of mind. "How goods your smell?"
Oz looked confused for a split second, "Depends."
"On what?" Spike asked.
"Moon," Oz answered simply.
"What bout now,"
"High," Oz replied.
"What does Xander smell like?" Spike asked titled his head.
Oz sniffed the air, "You."
"All the time?" Spike asked. Oz Nodded.
"What is this all about Spike?" Giles asked cleaning his glasses.
Spike ignored the Watcher for the moment. "So he never smells human?" he asked Oz in stead, "I mean fully human?"
Oz frowned at Spike then Sniffed the air again. "Oh," the werewolf said after a few seconds, "Interesting,"
"What?" The two vampires, Ex-Watcher, and Slayer nearly shouted.
Oz blinked and took a deep breath "Well I always thought Xander smells like a vampire because he helps hunt then."
"But now?" Buffy asked.
"The smell isn't just on him," he said "It's in him."
"Oh," Buffy said, "I take it that's bad,"
Everyone fell silent looking at sleeping Xander as if expecting him to wake up and say something.
"Oh for the love of-" Giles stated with a sigh, "It's so bad its uber bad Buffy,"
Buffy smiled, "See Giles that wasn't so bad."
Giles groaned, "I'm going to put some tea on to boil." He walked out of the room and into his kitchen muttering about using Vodka for the water.
"So how do we fix that problem?" Spike asked. "Anyone?"
"We can mix a potion to mask the vampire smell," Willow suggested.
Oz shook his head and started to say something. He stopped short and looked between the two vampires. "You're going to make me say more then I want to, aren't you?"
Both vampires nodded enthusiastically.
Oz groaned. "Alright," he said, "Masking the scent won't help any. Xander's humanity already does that. Anything more won't help because the scent is at the core of him."
Angel nodded, "For any creature that relies on scent as a form of identification they would be able to smell through anything that blocks it." He titled his head a little "Well that's not true. A masking scent would work until they got close enough to scent him."
"That's a lot of cents," Xander murmured before drifting back to sleep.
"How did this Mortanka get Xander's scent anyway?" Buffy asked.
"Mro'nic'ta," Giles corrected from the kitchen.
"Whatever," Buffy replied.
"You know that's a good question." Doyle said, "How do they get their prey's scent?"
Everyone exchanged looks, but no one seemed to know the answer.
***
The shadows moved from the apartment swiftly down the hall and onto the street without a sound. One briefly passing under a street lamp illuminated for a moment as that of a tall strong demon with thick hide and large head. Then just as quickly shifted to look like a lone teenager out for a nightly stroll.
It was alone now, not needing the disguise of many as it had need of before. There was no need to hide here as it did in the larger cities, no need to be weary in this venerable form, no need to look out for another lone teenager with a gun. Here there was only the demon and other creatures of the night to roam in the dark and none of them would be dumb enough to go near it.
The prey's apartment held nothing of importance, but a few photos and items of significance to the boy. None of it would help the tracker and none of it would tell it where the boy was. There was a surprising lack of personal objects that would indicate the boy had any friends. No photos, no books left from a friends visit, no phone numbers on the autodial of his phone.
Either the boy had no life or was very good at hiding it.
It sniffed the air and moved quickly up the street following a faint scent that matched the cloth he had received. The ugly piece of multi-colored cloth was the only link it had to its prey, the vague smell of vampire under a wealth of human. The boy was human, in all but heritage; that was vampire, Order of Aurelius, the most powerful line of vampire since the First.
The most powerful order in the whole bloody line and the youngest doesn't make Childer noooo he has to make Children. And of course the child born is not an ordinary half breed; no he has to be a Link to the Ages, whatever that means. Sam my man you have gotten way in over your head this time.
With a loud sigh 'Sam' vanished into the shadows following the faint trail he hoped lead to the boy and not to one of the Order of Aurelius.
***
Someone was shaking him lightly when all he wanted to do was sleep, sleep in his nice comfy bed and stay there until the bady went away. However, whoever was shaking him was not getting that hint.
"Xander wake up lov, we have to go."
"Where?" Xander mumbled trying to go back to sleep.
Soft chuckling and a slight shake roused him again, "No lov, you gatta wake up for me."
"Don't wanna," Xander protested.
"Spike just carry him," Another slightly annoyed voice said to Xander's right. Kinda sounded like Angel's voice, but Angel was in LA
"Ok," that one must be Spike, why was he in Xander's bed room.oh hey I'm being picked up!
Xander opened his eyes slightly to Spike's bright blue ones; he groaned and closed his eyes again. Spike softly chuckled again and walked out into the cold night air. Xander shivered wondering why they were leaving his apartment and where they were going. He opened his eyes again to find himself not outside of his apartment building, but outside Giles' apartment complex. Oh yeah, they had been with Giles' to figure out how to get rid of this big bad that came to kill him.
"We're not taking him home are we?" Angel asked Spike as he opened the passenger door for his grandchilde to lay his grandchild in the back seat of his convertible. Spike shook his head violently.
"Hell no is he going back to that place while there is a demon after him," Spike growled sliding into the passenger seat, "I have a place on the upside of town, got all the magickal what not anyone could ask for. Securer then Fort Knox I can tell you."
Angel grinned, a sight rarely seen on his face, "Always knew you were a paranoid little shit."
"Course I am couldn't live in this family if there wasn't something wrong with me." Spike said preening
"I heard that!" Xander yelled from the back seat. Angel laughed. "I heard that too!"
Spike looked at the back seat, "You awake yet?"
Xander cracked an eye open looked at Spike then closed it again, "No."
Spike smiled and patted Xander's leg, "Get some sleep, your going to need your strength tomorrow."
"That's what I keep telling the sheep but they wont shut up," Xander murmured and drifted back to sleep.
"What are you going to do with him after all of this is over?" Angel asked.
Spike eyed Angel for a moment, "Keep him what do you think I'm gonna do?"
"You can't turn him," Angel commented.
"I know that you bloody git, I can't turn him or he becomes something so big and bad not even the Powers could stop him, and he stops ageing once he's twenty-five anyway." Spike smirked, "I researched all of this when Katie was trying to get pregnant."
"Don't lie to me Spike," Angel growled, "You wanted children so bad as a human the want became an obsession when you were turned. I know you've read enough about children born to vampires in theory you could write your own thesis."
Spike shrugged. "Yeah, but that was a child born to a vampire and a vampire, not vampire and human. Already have one insane person in the family."
"Why isn't Xander insane?" Angel asked glancing back at the boy, "He may be a Smart Alec, but he's as sane as anyone in his position can be."
"Cause he don't have the blood lust without a way to feed," Spike replied, "Xander only has the blood of a vampire running though his veins. Not the demon or the need for blood. He is fully human only with a bit of immorality on the side."
"How did you manage that?" Angel asked pulling into another parking lot of a high priced apartment building.
"Changed a word in the spell. Made demon into human and didn't bite Katie."
"Interesting" Angel said getting out of the car, "How-" he stopped and turned slowly searching the shadows behind them. "Spike wake up Xander, we have company."
Spike's head snapped up as he scanned the night then leaned down and shook Xander's leg. "Love you have to get up now," Xander groaned and tried to move away, Spike grabbed his leg and dragged him back "No, Xander you have to get up now!"
"Wha?" Xander asked blinking awake "Spike? What is it?"
"Common get up we have to go," Spike insisted helping Xander out of the car, "We need to get you inside now."
"Why?" Xander asked looking around, just as five demons materialized out of the shadows. "Oh that."
"Spike no time," Angel called before attacking the first demon. Another demon joined in the fight leaving the other three to continue toward Spike and Xander.
Spike shoved a set of keys in Xander's hand "Here, apartment five thirty. Go now."
"But-" Xander protested.
"Go NOW!" Spike vamped out and back kicked the nearest demon, "Don't open the door for anyone, GO!"
Xander hesitated for an instant and made a run for the building the fifth demon hot on his heels. He reached the outer door to find it locked, looking behind him he knew he would have no time to figure out which key just happened to unlock the door. Stuffing the keys into his pocket Xander spun, kicked the demon in the head, used its momentum to switch places with it and ran down the street.
He didn't hear the demon pursue, but was unwilling to stop and check as he made his way back toward Giles' apartment. If he could make it back there, there was a good chance Buffy would still be doing the research thing with Willow. Better yet why not have Buffy out on patrol and just happen to be in the area that would be great, yeah real great. Not likely to happen, but a guy could dream.
Half a mile later Xander had to stop as his lungs protested to the exertion. Slowing to a fast walk Xander looked at his surroundings and found he had no idea where he was. He wasn't even sure if he was still in Sunnydale or if he had been asleep long enough for Angel to take them out of town. That would make sense; they had been discussing it before Xander had fallen asleep. More like arguing, but that was beside the point. The point was, Xander was lost with a psycho demon after him and his would-be protectors were doing battle of other demons that probably wanted him dead as well.
How nice.
Xander was contemplating turning back when he heard the sound of a twig breaking off to his right. He spun in that direction squinting into the darkness of the wood that surrounded either side of the street. There was definitely something out there.
"Hello?" Xander asked into the darkness, "Is anybody out there? Spike? Angel?...Buffy?"
Silence and a creepy feeling he was being watched were his only answers. Slowly Xander stepped back a few feet then turned and ran right into the woods to his left. Behind him he could hear the sound of something chasing him, but when he risked a glance back all that met his eyes was darkness.
He was about to hit the end of the wood when his foot caught on a root sending him head over heels to the ground. Breathing hard Xander looked around for any sign of his pursuer then checked out his leg to make sure there was no major damage done. His ankle hurt, but not the kind of pain that would make him think something was broken, just a sprain that he really didn't need right now.
In front of him the bushes rustled slightly and a teenager emerged from the darkness. He was about Xander's age, with shaggy black hair and the most intense brown eyes Xander had ever seen. He was dressed normally and Xander got the impression that, no this was not a vampire out for a late night snack. Xander slightly relaxed; maybe this guy could help him after all.
The teen smiled sinisterly, "Hello Xander."
Angel had been many things in his life, had done many things and met many people. None had even qualified more then passing glances or brief encounter that didn't lead to a horrific death. Certainly none had ever made him scared.
Being a grandfather didn't scare him in the least. No sir! Angel wasn't scared at all and nothing in Heaven or Earth could make him admit he was scared out of his demon.
However he would admit to being scared for his newly acquired grandson. Having your world crash down on you and then have your very life in danger because of it was a hard thing to bear. Angel wasn't sure if he would be able to handle it. How Xander managed it Angel couldn't fathom.
"He's being offly quiet," Buffy observed to the soled vampire with a worried look. "I've never seen him like this."
"Everyone handles life changing moments differently Buffy," Angel replied softly "I think he's afraid to get too happy about this for fear it will all be a dream. Not to mention the threat to his life."
"Why would Xander be happy about Spike being his dad?" Buffy asked concerned, "I mean he did try to kill all of us at one time."
What changed to make him stop before the deal? Angel had to wonder. "When Spike tried to kill all of you he had reason. Not very good reason, but reason that was justified to him. You were a threat to Spike's life and he acted in the interest of self preservation." Angel smirked slightly. "Spike told me once that when he made the deal with you, he was no longer threatened therefore didn't have to kill you."
"Ok" Buffy said slowly a frown of confusion etched on her face. "I still don't understand."
Ok let's try another approach. "I walked Xander home once when he still lived in the basement. I stayed out side his window all night just to make sure his so called father didn't hurt the boy anymore then he had. Dislike or not, I would have ripped that man in half if I had been invited into that house."
Buffy's eyes widened as realization crossed her features. "That was the week Xander moved out."
Angel nodded. "And now Xander will never have to worry about that bastered again. Spike will never hurt him like that and death to anyone who does."
Buffy nodded a slight smile covering her lips as she looked over at the couch where Xander was curled up asleep against Spike as the blond talked quietly with the new comer, Doyle.
"He'll be alright then," She said almost to herself.
Angel Smiled a little, yeah Xander would be fine.
***
"There are places all over LA that a demon can just vanish into." Doyle commented to the vampire casually leaning back against the high back chair he was sitting in. "A lot of the demons and half breeds flock to the city just to escape the hunters."
"Why?" Spike asked in a low voice as not to disturb the boy practically sleeping in his lap.
Doyle shrugged. "Maybe because of the energy LA produces just to get talented humans there, I'm not sure," he smiled, "I don't normally look a gift horse.err.demon in the mouth."
Spikes lips quirked. He liked this guy, Doyle reminded Spike of himself at one time, the happy times. The times Spike sometimes wished he could forget and sometimes wished he would live the moment over and over again. Most of all Spike liked the young man because he was brave. Brave and loyal. Brave enough to live in this world as he was and loyal because what he saw nearly every day never made him turn down the easier path.
The easier path Spike had all but forgotten since finding that fate filled file.
Spike smiled a little looking down at the slumbering boy. Treading the harder path was worth it as long as he had that miracle and memory of Katie. Spike had loved her so much and she had returned that love by giving him a child. A human child, not a childe, but a life that he had helped create.
Nothing was going to take that from him now that he had it. Nothing at all, not even some pansy-arse demons who said it was wrong to for people like Xander and Doyle to even exist.
Half listening to Doyle Spike let his mind wander slightly over things he himself had worried over when he and Katie were trying to have a child. He didn't know much more then the Ex-Watcher did maybe slightly less on some parts. For instance he didn't know this form of demon was so hard to kill. In fact the only thing Spike was absolutely sure of was the way they found their prey. By scent. The vampire had always sought ways to figure out how to mask-
Spike would have jumped up if he hadn't moved a pillow onto his lap, so Xander could rest his head without discomfort, a moment before. As it was the vampire sat up a little straighter his eyes wide bugging out a little as if he had sat on a cross.
Doyle stopped talking mid-ramble, Angel's head suddenly snapped up to look at his grandchilde causing everyone else in the room to fall silent. Even Xander seemed to wake for a moment before falling back to a dreamless sleep.
"Spike?" Angel finally asked slowly rising from his seat with a look of concern. "Spike what is it?"
"Oz," Spike managed to get out unable to remember the nickname he had for the werewolf in his current state of mind. "How goods your smell?"
Oz looked confused for a split second, "Depends."
"On what?" Spike asked.
"Moon," Oz answered simply.
"What bout now,"
"High," Oz replied.
"What does Xander smell like?" Spike asked titled his head.
Oz sniffed the air, "You."
"All the time?" Spike asked. Oz Nodded.
"What is this all about Spike?" Giles asked cleaning his glasses.
Spike ignored the Watcher for the moment. "So he never smells human?" he asked Oz in stead, "I mean fully human?"
Oz frowned at Spike then Sniffed the air again. "Oh," the werewolf said after a few seconds, "Interesting,"
"What?" The two vampires, Ex-Watcher, and Slayer nearly shouted.
Oz blinked and took a deep breath "Well I always thought Xander smells like a vampire because he helps hunt then."
"But now?" Buffy asked.
"The smell isn't just on him," he said "It's in him."
"Oh," Buffy said, "I take it that's bad,"
Everyone fell silent looking at sleeping Xander as if expecting him to wake up and say something.
"Oh for the love of-" Giles stated with a sigh, "It's so bad its uber bad Buffy,"
Buffy smiled, "See Giles that wasn't so bad."
Giles groaned, "I'm going to put some tea on to boil." He walked out of the room and into his kitchen muttering about using Vodka for the water.
"So how do we fix that problem?" Spike asked. "Anyone?"
"We can mix a potion to mask the vampire smell," Willow suggested.
Oz shook his head and started to say something. He stopped short and looked between the two vampires. "You're going to make me say more then I want to, aren't you?"
Both vampires nodded enthusiastically.
Oz groaned. "Alright," he said, "Masking the scent won't help any. Xander's humanity already does that. Anything more won't help because the scent is at the core of him."
Angel nodded, "For any creature that relies on scent as a form of identification they would be able to smell through anything that blocks it." He titled his head a little "Well that's not true. A masking scent would work until they got close enough to scent him."
"That's a lot of cents," Xander murmured before drifting back to sleep.
"How did this Mortanka get Xander's scent anyway?" Buffy asked.
"Mro'nic'ta," Giles corrected from the kitchen.
"Whatever," Buffy replied.
"You know that's a good question." Doyle said, "How do they get their prey's scent?"
Everyone exchanged looks, but no one seemed to know the answer.
***
The shadows moved from the apartment swiftly down the hall and onto the street without a sound. One briefly passing under a street lamp illuminated for a moment as that of a tall strong demon with thick hide and large head. Then just as quickly shifted to look like a lone teenager out for a nightly stroll.
It was alone now, not needing the disguise of many as it had need of before. There was no need to hide here as it did in the larger cities, no need to be weary in this venerable form, no need to look out for another lone teenager with a gun. Here there was only the demon and other creatures of the night to roam in the dark and none of them would be dumb enough to go near it.
The prey's apartment held nothing of importance, but a few photos and items of significance to the boy. None of it would help the tracker and none of it would tell it where the boy was. There was a surprising lack of personal objects that would indicate the boy had any friends. No photos, no books left from a friends visit, no phone numbers on the autodial of his phone.
Either the boy had no life or was very good at hiding it.
It sniffed the air and moved quickly up the street following a faint scent that matched the cloth he had received. The ugly piece of multi-colored cloth was the only link it had to its prey, the vague smell of vampire under a wealth of human. The boy was human, in all but heritage; that was vampire, Order of Aurelius, the most powerful line of vampire since the First.
The most powerful order in the whole bloody line and the youngest doesn't make Childer noooo he has to make Children. And of course the child born is not an ordinary half breed; no he has to be a Link to the Ages, whatever that means. Sam my man you have gotten way in over your head this time.
With a loud sigh 'Sam' vanished into the shadows following the faint trail he hoped lead to the boy and not to one of the Order of Aurelius.
***
Someone was shaking him lightly when all he wanted to do was sleep, sleep in his nice comfy bed and stay there until the bady went away. However, whoever was shaking him was not getting that hint.
"Xander wake up lov, we have to go."
"Where?" Xander mumbled trying to go back to sleep.
Soft chuckling and a slight shake roused him again, "No lov, you gatta wake up for me."
"Don't wanna," Xander protested.
"Spike just carry him," Another slightly annoyed voice said to Xander's right. Kinda sounded like Angel's voice, but Angel was in LA
"Ok," that one must be Spike, why was he in Xander's bed room.oh hey I'm being picked up!
Xander opened his eyes slightly to Spike's bright blue ones; he groaned and closed his eyes again. Spike softly chuckled again and walked out into the cold night air. Xander shivered wondering why they were leaving his apartment and where they were going. He opened his eyes again to find himself not outside of his apartment building, but outside Giles' apartment complex. Oh yeah, they had been with Giles' to figure out how to get rid of this big bad that came to kill him.
"We're not taking him home are we?" Angel asked Spike as he opened the passenger door for his grandchilde to lay his grandchild in the back seat of his convertible. Spike shook his head violently.
"Hell no is he going back to that place while there is a demon after him," Spike growled sliding into the passenger seat, "I have a place on the upside of town, got all the magickal what not anyone could ask for. Securer then Fort Knox I can tell you."
Angel grinned, a sight rarely seen on his face, "Always knew you were a paranoid little shit."
"Course I am couldn't live in this family if there wasn't something wrong with me." Spike said preening
"I heard that!" Xander yelled from the back seat. Angel laughed. "I heard that too!"
Spike looked at the back seat, "You awake yet?"
Xander cracked an eye open looked at Spike then closed it again, "No."
Spike smiled and patted Xander's leg, "Get some sleep, your going to need your strength tomorrow."
"That's what I keep telling the sheep but they wont shut up," Xander murmured and drifted back to sleep.
"What are you going to do with him after all of this is over?" Angel asked.
Spike eyed Angel for a moment, "Keep him what do you think I'm gonna do?"
"You can't turn him," Angel commented.
"I know that you bloody git, I can't turn him or he becomes something so big and bad not even the Powers could stop him, and he stops ageing once he's twenty-five anyway." Spike smirked, "I researched all of this when Katie was trying to get pregnant."
"Don't lie to me Spike," Angel growled, "You wanted children so bad as a human the want became an obsession when you were turned. I know you've read enough about children born to vampires in theory you could write your own thesis."
Spike shrugged. "Yeah, but that was a child born to a vampire and a vampire, not vampire and human. Already have one insane person in the family."
"Why isn't Xander insane?" Angel asked glancing back at the boy, "He may be a Smart Alec, but he's as sane as anyone in his position can be."
"Cause he don't have the blood lust without a way to feed," Spike replied, "Xander only has the blood of a vampire running though his veins. Not the demon or the need for blood. He is fully human only with a bit of immorality on the side."
"How did you manage that?" Angel asked pulling into another parking lot of a high priced apartment building.
"Changed a word in the spell. Made demon into human and didn't bite Katie."
"Interesting" Angel said getting out of the car, "How-" he stopped and turned slowly searching the shadows behind them. "Spike wake up Xander, we have company."
Spike's head snapped up as he scanned the night then leaned down and shook Xander's leg. "Love you have to get up now," Xander groaned and tried to move away, Spike grabbed his leg and dragged him back "No, Xander you have to get up now!"
"Wha?" Xander asked blinking awake "Spike? What is it?"
"Common get up we have to go," Spike insisted helping Xander out of the car, "We need to get you inside now."
"Why?" Xander asked looking around, just as five demons materialized out of the shadows. "Oh that."
"Spike no time," Angel called before attacking the first demon. Another demon joined in the fight leaving the other three to continue toward Spike and Xander.
Spike shoved a set of keys in Xander's hand "Here, apartment five thirty. Go now."
"But-" Xander protested.
"Go NOW!" Spike vamped out and back kicked the nearest demon, "Don't open the door for anyone, GO!"
Xander hesitated for an instant and made a run for the building the fifth demon hot on his heels. He reached the outer door to find it locked, looking behind him he knew he would have no time to figure out which key just happened to unlock the door. Stuffing the keys into his pocket Xander spun, kicked the demon in the head, used its momentum to switch places with it and ran down the street.
He didn't hear the demon pursue, but was unwilling to stop and check as he made his way back toward Giles' apartment. If he could make it back there, there was a good chance Buffy would still be doing the research thing with Willow. Better yet why not have Buffy out on patrol and just happen to be in the area that would be great, yeah real great. Not likely to happen, but a guy could dream.
Half a mile later Xander had to stop as his lungs protested to the exertion. Slowing to a fast walk Xander looked at his surroundings and found he had no idea where he was. He wasn't even sure if he was still in Sunnydale or if he had been asleep long enough for Angel to take them out of town. That would make sense; they had been discussing it before Xander had fallen asleep. More like arguing, but that was beside the point. The point was, Xander was lost with a psycho demon after him and his would-be protectors were doing battle of other demons that probably wanted him dead as well.
How nice.
Xander was contemplating turning back when he heard the sound of a twig breaking off to his right. He spun in that direction squinting into the darkness of the wood that surrounded either side of the street. There was definitely something out there.
"Hello?" Xander asked into the darkness, "Is anybody out there? Spike? Angel?...Buffy?"
Silence and a creepy feeling he was being watched were his only answers. Slowly Xander stepped back a few feet then turned and ran right into the woods to his left. Behind him he could hear the sound of something chasing him, but when he risked a glance back all that met his eyes was darkness.
He was about to hit the end of the wood when his foot caught on a root sending him head over heels to the ground. Breathing hard Xander looked around for any sign of his pursuer then checked out his leg to make sure there was no major damage done. His ankle hurt, but not the kind of pain that would make him think something was broken, just a sprain that he really didn't need right now.
In front of him the bushes rustled slightly and a teenager emerged from the darkness. He was about Xander's age, with shaggy black hair and the most intense brown eyes Xander had ever seen. He was dressed normally and Xander got the impression that, no this was not a vampire out for a late night snack. Xander slightly relaxed; maybe this guy could help him after all.
The teen smiled sinisterly, "Hello Xander."