Deeds and Service
Chapter Three
*Special note: the following is un-betaed, a betaed version will be reposed on another date, the same goes for chap. Four and the Epilogue thank you*
"So do we have any new leads on who's killing the populous of Sunnyhell yet?" Spike asked as he and his three charges walked into Giles' apartment late in the afternoon. It had taken Spike a good amount of time to calm Xander down and get everyone ready to leave. Sam was looking much better though he still complained about the cold, Riley tagged along out of concern, and Xander had not voiced any protests about being carried anyplace his chair couldn't go. In fact the boy hadn't even protested on the chair at all.
"Very little at this point," Giles said not looking up from his Old and Dusty books, nor his tea. "But I've only made a small dent in my books."
"Where are the Slayer and the Witch?" Spike asked picking up a book from the 'go through' pile flipping the pages open.
"They went to go see what they could find and the places were they found the bodies." Giles said and looked up at the three young men. Giles knew Sam, and of course Xander, but was surprised to find a stranger in him living room. The young man couldn't have been a vampire, but that didn't mean much.
"He's alright Watcher," Spike said "Human, but alright."
Giles just looked at Riley a second longer then handed him one of the books in English, "Have a seat young man we are looking for any information that will help us."
Riley nodded and sat down opening the book. "What's helpful information?"
"Mostly how to stop them," Giles replied handing out book to Xander and Sam.
Sam sat down and opened his book staring at it blankly, Xander didn't even bother to open the book he was given.
"I take it they didn't handle this well," Giles said.
"Nope," Spike said, "Xander somehow saw it, and Sam is still in the after affects from touching what ever it is that's out there."
"Methigh," Riley said, "Dark Reapers."
Giles and Spike looked up at the young man, Sam whimpered a little, and Xander still hadn't fully gotten over his shock from this morning had no reaction at all.
"What did you find?" Giles asked walking over to Riley looking at the book closely.
"Just that," Riley said, "It's a list of the most feared demons and gods in existence."
"Then the search continues," Giles muttered and went back to his books.
***
"I can't believe he's dead," Willow said for the fifth time in an hour as she and Buffy walked around the campus running trail where the first body had been found. "I mean I know he wasn't the best of people, but still, no one really deserves to die."
"I can think of several people that deserve it," Buffy said, "None are human.well some are but they're the really bad people."
"Yeah, I know its wrong, but I'm not sad he's dead, just I don't feel he deserved to go that way." Willow said mournfully, "Does that make me a bad person?"
"Bitter? Maybe. Bad? No." Buffy said with a reassuring smile for her friend. "Here it is."
They stopped in front of a taped off area of the trail and looked around. Of course no one would go out on the trails any more, but it was always good to make sure you're not being followed. Quickly Willow worked a spell Giles gave her to keep them from being bothered and the two girls stepped over the yellow tape and on to the crime seine.
There wasn't much left in the way of evidence, the police report Willow had hacked had said out of the tree bodies found so far nothing had been found other then the bits and pieces of the body. It wasn't much to go one, but between the Slayer and the young witch they were sure they could find something missed before.
Willow did have three now spell's meant to illuminate anything a normal forensics team normally wouldn't spot. Like demons blood or psychic energy.
"So what first?" Buffy asked looking around. "I don't see anything that might clue us in."
"Well let's do a simple chemical check and see of any demons have bled lately." Willow said taking out a spray bottle with some purplish fluid in it. She shook the bottle a little mixing up its contents then started liberally spraying the surrounding area.
The results were amazing.
Mapped out over every surface were streaks and spots of different kinds. The green of leaves had turned a pale shade of blue and the ground had turned a mucky yellow. There where blotches of bright silver and a few traces of a purplish -blue that gave the vague impression of hand prints.
"Wow," Buffy said. "What is all of that?"
"Life," Willow said, "Or lack of. You see, the plant life is blue because it's alive. We would be a very bright blue; you might be really, really bright Buffy. Umm.yellow is because there is some life in the dirt."
"And the silver and bluish- purplish?" Buffy asked studying the patterns.
"The silver is death." Willow explained, "Most likely where the body had been."
"Boy that's a lot," Buffy said slightly sickened.
"Yeah," Willow agreed, "I promised myself I'd be sick later."
"It's ok Wills," Buffy said patting her friends shoulder, "Well find this creepy whatever."
Willow nodded. "The purple-blue is the demon." She said, "Any place it touched."
Seems to be consistent with the silver," Buffy observed. "What's next on the list?"
"We see if we can track it," Willow said pulling supplies out of her satchel. With in minutes she had her spell set up next to one of the bigger dots pf purple and silver. "This shouldn't take long," The red head said and cast her circle.
***
Spike was worried.
Xander hadn't moved from the window in twenty minutes nor had he had any reaction to his surroundings since that morning right after he'd gotten that call from Giles. The only thing he had done was move to stand by the window when the Slayer and the Witch had returned to report nothing. He hadn't even bothered with the chair; the boy had just stood up and walked to the window with disregard to his health.
The bothered Spike to no end. Xander had been trying to stay out of the chair since he was put into it. He had done everything he could to heal as fast as possible. He was throwing all of that away by doing the one thing he was told not to, and he didn't seem to give a damn.
"Ow," Riley exclaimed from the pile of books on Giles' table, "Who knew old books could hurt so much." Sam raised his hand, "That was a rhetorical question."
Sam smiled a little and went back to reading the book in front of him.
"I did find something though," Riley continued once his finger had stopped bleeding. Everyone in the room but Xander turned to look at him, "This book says that these Methigh feed off of peoples hate, it's like an aphrodisiac to them the more hate the person has the better. When that's all done they kill but fear, the fear isn't enough though they take to actually ripping the body to shreds violently."
"But that doesn't coincide with these murders." Spike observed watching Xander out of the corner of his eye. "Those bodies were arranged like a ritual."
"Well I wasn't done yet," Riley replied, "This print is really small."
"Go on then." Giles replied handing Riley a magnifying glass.
"Thank you." Riley said holding up the glass to read. "'It is said that once ever hundred years the Methigh try to raise their self-proclaimed god, they have to have a special victim to raise it and ten sacrifices beforehand all with hatred and fear, except the victim.'"
"What about the victim?" Giles asked.
"Give me a minute," Riley said, "Someone tried to scratch the writing out."
Xander had started to tremble, enough that only the vampire and maybe Oz would notice. His eyes held a hit of fear from some far off memory. Spike had the sickening feeling it had something to do with what Riley had been reading.
"What's wrong?" Spike finally asked his son. Xander just turned and blinked at him. "Xander? What is it? Is it about this morning?"
"It's about nothing," Xander said though his attitude said he was lying.
"I know something's wrong," Spike insisted, "Please talk to me."
Xander's brow furrowed in anger, "I said that nothing's wrong," he nearly shouted, "Why can't you believe me when I say nothing is wrong?"
Spike sighed and raised his hand to scratch his nose.
Xander jumped into a wall violently staring at Spike's hand.
Spike jumped himself startled, "Xander?" He looked down at his hand, "Son, I wasn't going to hit you. I'd never hit you, you know that."
"He-" Xander hiccupped; he looked at everyone in silence then ran out of the apartment.
"Xander-" Spike called after running to the open door but could go no further.
"Xander?" Sam said and ran past Spike and after the boy.
Spike turned back to the rest wide-eyed and in shock, "I'd never hurt him, he knows that. I'd never, why did he."
"He's still in shock Spike," Willow said walking up to hug the vampire without a hint of fear. "That troglodyte had him longer then you did. Xander's bound to go back to what he's expecting even when he knows different."
"Thank you," Spike murmured into her hair, "I just wish sometimes that I had been the one to raise him."
"I'm sure he would have grown up great," Willow said and held him for a minute longer.
Oz walked in and stared blankly at the two. He sniffed the air to figure out what the vampire was doing with his girlfriend. Spike reeked of sorrow, blood, and regret. Willow smelled of summer and comfort; most of that comfort being directed at Spike. Through his casual sweep of the room, Oz noted that while the guy Xander had been talking to last night at the Bronze was here, and Xander's chair was here, there was no Xander.
"What happened?" Oz asked Buffy quietly.
Buffy shook her head at a loss. "I don't know Xander just freaked out and ran, Sam went after him."
"I didn't see them." Oz said, "Why did Xander run?"
"Spike was asking him what was wrong and raised his hand, Xander jumped, Spike jumped and Xander just ran." Buffy said and shook her head again, "I watched it, Spike was soo not going to hit Xander."
"Hit Xander?" Oz asked, and then looked closer at Spike. Spike looked like he was going through hell. Oz remembered the fear sometimes in Xander's eyes before Spike had told him he was his father. Now he knew why.
Sam returned his face drawn and ashen. "I didn't find him," the boy said a bit shaken. "But I felt them, they were close."
"Hey guys," Riley said holding up a piece of paper he had been writing on, "You might wanna hear this. The rest if the passage says that the god demands his sacrifice be someone with sorrow for one who had much hate for him and died. Not hate is necessary in fact the god would rather its sacrifice be innocent, a victim of necessity."
"Oh my god," Spike whispered.
Sam paled, "Xander."
***
Xander limped down the sunny street heedless of the tears flowing down his face. He had used a spell he had stolen from one of Giles' books to get away from Sam knowing the vampire in him held enough magick to use any spell more effectively then Willow could ever dream.
Giles really needed to hide those spell books.
He couldn't believe Frank Harris had hated him so much. Xander knew the man had disliked him, even resented him sometimes, but he never thought the man had gone as far as hate him. But it had to be true, Xander didn't think the man could have hated Spike; the vampire had taken the reason for much anger away from him.
And that was the reason Frank Harris died. His hate for the child he had called son for eighteen years had ultimately killed him. That was Xander's fault if he had been the child the man had wanted he would never have reason to hate.
Do you really believe that? The voice in the back of his head said, do you really believe he would have loved you if you had been a brown eyed version of him?
Truth was Xander didn't believe that himself, but he knew Frank Harris had. That was what really had killed him. And despite that knowing Xander couldn't help but feel sorrow for the man.
Something shuffled behind him in the deserted street making a slight sound of cloth scraping over bone and pavement.
Xander spun around wincing at the sudden pain in his ankle but other wise didn't see anything that might have caused the noise. Breathing hard he looked around and the silent deserted street still seeing nothing. However the little Spike had been teaching him about his vampire heritage told him something was definitely out there.
Demons weren't supposed to come out during the day. They liked that whole 'no one knows we go bump in the night' angle. But that didn't mean other evils of this world could be out there watching him. Demons and vampires weren't the only ones around Sunnydale that took children away from their families. Sometimes the humans did that as well, even to someone as old as he was. Xander somehow did manage to look fifteen half the time.
Of course since the street was deserted and no one was likely to notice if something big and scary just jumped out of the bushes and snatched him. Or ate him.
Maybe it was a bad idea that he had left, or at least hid from Sam.
He spun around again at another sound to his right and then again as the sound moved to his left. This was getting annoying why didn't this thing just show it's self already!
"Oh crap!" he berated himself for thinking the worst thing you could ever think while on the Hellmouth.
Ten seconds before strong arms came out of a shadow and dragged him back into it.
Then there was nothing.
***
"I don't see why you had to call Angel." Spike growled at the Ex-Watcher for the fifth time in several hours, "We don't call him for everything why do we have to call him now?"
"Because, if these Methigh demons have Xander we will need all the help we can get." Giles said calmly. "We don't even know where he can't be, we don't even know what sacrifice the Methigh are up to yet."
"I don't want to lose Xander," Spike protested sinking down into the couch.
"We don't either," Giles said softly. "That's why I called Angel so he could help us find him."
"You don't understand," Spike snapped. "Angel gave me a chance, if he truly claims Sire's rights I can't deny him. He'll take Xander away."
Spike it isn't your fault," Giles said. "Angel will see that. I'm sure he doesn't want father and son broken up over something we can't control."
"And if he doesn't?" Spike asked in a small voice."
Giles sighed, "He'll see reason," was all he would say.
***
"I knew you couldn't keep him safe," was the first thing Angel said as he walked into the apartment. "I swear I'm going to tie that kid up until he see reason and not go out were he's in danger. Or get him a beeper at least."
"I'm sorry," Spike said tentively eyes down cast.
Angel drew his childe into an embrace. "I know William." The elder vampire said, "We'll find him. He'll be alright, he's an Aurelius right?"
"Yeah," Spike said quietly, "But I'm afraid. He thought I was going to hit him. I don't understand why, I'd never."
"Shh." Angel soothed. "It'll be alright."
"Is he going to be ok?" Doyle asked Cordy from the doorway. Cordy shook her head slightly.
"Hey look I found something else!" Riley exclaimed suddenly from the stacks of books. He looked around, "I'm the only one doing research aren't I?"
"What did you find?" Sam asked looking up from his own book with interest.
The two vampires moved to the table while everyone sat attentively waiting for the boy to continue.
"Ok," Riley started, "I have good news and bad news."
"What's the good news?" Doyle asked leaning against a wall.
"The good news is- Xander's still alive if indeed the Methigh have him."
"The bad news?" Spike asked with a slight shrill to his voice.
"He won't be if we don't find him in twenty-four hours." Riley answered solemnly.
Angel growled, "It won't come to that. We will find him."
Riley nodded, "I have everything but location." He said holding up a note book. "But I'm guessing it's someplace underground where they can have an alter and a lot of privacy."
***
The Hollenwell Church had been condemned for quite a while falling into disrepair. The inner halls had long since been striped to its foundation, but the church was old and held many secrets. A hidden door in the preacher's quarters led down to a basement and a special chapel meant to keep patrons safe if a war should hit.
It had been forgotten by the living for far too many years yet remembered by those who should not have remembered at all.
Dark shadows congregated in front of an alter chanting unknown words softly. In a far corner more shadows held a boy down while they searched him for weapons. The boy's deep hazel eyes searched the creature's forms for some sort of symbolism, but found nothing. They were neither shadow nor solid, they simply seemed to be.
Satisfied the boy had nothing to harm them; the shadows opened a door to the side and shoved the boy inside slamming the door shut with an ominous hollow sound. Immediately they boy started screaming to be let go, but the words fell on deaf ears.
At the alter a more substance shadow walked up with the click of books and bone. It reached out a dark talented hand and dipped a finger in to a bowl of blood.
"We take of the weak and give of the weary," it said in a hollow voice. "We deem our sacrifice be true." It drew a symbol in the alter where a head would lie. "Hate doth carry him, innocence doth bind him," it took out a large ceremonial dagger which gleamed sharply in the candle light. "So it is decreed, so it shale be."
Then there was silence from the chanters. The only sound in the room was the cries of the boy.
***
Spike paced up and down Giles hallway out of sight from everyone in the apartment. He was more then worried, he was near hysterics. If he had been human he would have been able to go after his own son. If he had been human he would have been able to raise his own child; then his son wouldn't have been afraid of his own father. If he had been human.
"Bloody hell!" the vampire growled slapping a hand against the wall to keep from running his hand through it.
If he had been human Xander really would have been an orphan. William Bradshaw-Stone really would have died from a gun shot wound, never to have woken in the morgue and leave; only to find his long lost son eighteen years later in his enemy.
God he wished he could have watched his son grow up.
"Spike?" Angel asked from the entrance to the hall. The younger vampire didn't responded. "Spike?...William?"
"Ever wonder what his first words would have been?" Spike whispered. "Or when he took his first step?"
"Spike." Angel tried again.
The blond ignored him, "Ever wonder what he would have been like?" Spike swung startling crystalline blue eyes at his grandsire, "Do you think he would have turned out better? Less scared of what's out there?"
"I'm sure he would have turned out find," Angel said, "I think he turned out fine. He's a good lad."
Spike nodded and looked down at his hands; the same hand Xander had run away from. "I wasn't going to hit him. I was kinda mimicking the watcher.and.you're not gonna take him away are you?"
"The thought crossed my mind," Angel admitted. "Giles told me what happened. He said Xander probably would have bolted no matter what and that it wasn't your fault."
Spike gave him a look of a kicked puppy. "You're not gonna take him away?"
"No Spike," Angel said firmly- he hated it when Spike got like this- "I'm not going to take Xander away. I am however going to have him committed."
The look on Spike's face was priceless; Angel cringed. "The last part was a joke Spike." The blond nodded a little his expression unchanged. Angel sighed. "We'll find him alright? Safe and sound."
"I'm scared," Spike said after a long silence looking away, "I'm scared of what all of this will do to him."
"This isn't the first time something like this had happened," Angel noted. "He had come out of that just fine."
"That was before," Spike said. "This is new. You should have seen his face Angel. Xander was terrified of me. How could he be terrified of me?"
"I don't know Spike," Angel said. "Some people react to things differently. And the man he thought was his father was killed by the very things he has spent the last four years fighting. No matter what that bastered did, he was still the man who raised Xander. That had to have been a shock."
"He saw it." Spike whispered.
Angel blinked. "What did you say?"
"The Watcher.he called me, he told me what had happened," Spike whispered absently. "Then Xander.he was just standing there in the kitchen. He said he saw it happen, he knew and I had only just got the call."
"Spike." Angel started.
"He was asleep how could he have known?" Spike asked finally looking at his Sire. "Is it apart of his vampire blood? Is this how his life if going to be? I don't think if it gets worse I could handle it. I don't think I can keep him safe."
"Spike listen to me," Angel said firmly holding the younger mans shoulders. "You're not alone, do you hear me? You will never be alone. You have friends here that you have earned on your own and they will help you any way they can. And you have me and a home if you ever need it."
Spike nodded silently. "I'm going to find the demons that took my child and threatened my family and I'm going to give them a lot of pain before I tare them apart."
Angel nodded, "And I'm going to be right there with you holding them down if I have to."
Spike smiled. "You're a good Sire you are." He moved past Angel and down the hall toward the front door.
"Spike where are you going?" Angel asked.
"To find my son." Spike replied.
"Yeah," Angel nodded, "Sunsets in two hours."
***
Buffy and Sam walked into Willy's Place like they owned it. Immediately any demon in the establishment either high-tailed it out of there or hid in the confines of darkened booths. Though whether from the Slayer or the Demon remained to be seen."
"Slayer," Willy said nervously from behind the bar. "What brings you and your friend here?"
Buffy slouched against the bar. "A friend of mine was kidnapped by some Methigh demons. I want to know what you know."
Willy stuttered. "Well I-I don't know anything about Methigh demons taking a boy."
Buffy smiled. "Gee Willy I didn't know you were psychic."
"Look Slayer," Willy protested holding out his hands. "I only know what I hear and the only thing I hear is that these demons snatched Master Spike's kid off the street in broad daylight. Now I don't know about you, but even I know that was suicide."
"That's a good kid." A large scaly demon said, "And you can tell Spike I said that."
"The Methigh kill Xander you'll have more to worry about then an angry father." Sam spoke up addressing everyone in the bar. "The lower hells will be brought froth and even they strongest of us won't survive."
"You might wanna check out Zakarikatus' place," a red head that looked about five said. "If anyone would know anything about that it's Zak."
Buffy nodded, "Let's go then."
Sam walked over to the scaly demon and spoke to it quietly. The demon seemed to consider the boy's words then stood. He bowed slightly to the younger demon and slipped out a side door.
"What was that about?" Buffy asked as they walked out of the bar and down the street.
"Esaros demons are really sensitive to psychic energy's. Colt is going to see if he can find where the Methigh are while we go see what Zak can tell us." Sam said brushing hair away from his face then wrapped his arms around himself.
"Are you ok Sam?" Buffy asked.
"I'll be fine," Sam said brushing hair out of his eyes again. "The touch just isn't completely out of my system yet."
Buffy nodded in understanding. "How did we get out of there without a fight?"
Sam smiled a little. "It's amazing how much things can change over night" he said cryptically then laughed at Buffy's expression. "All of the demon's that ran out of there where the one's that would pick a fight. The other's respect Spike as a leader. They've met Xander; they had already liked him, being Spike son just helped him more. So the demons that where there are willing to help. As for Willy." he grinned. "He is more afraid o what Spike would do to him then being marked as an informant in this case."
"Are you sure he wasn't afraid of you?" Buffy asked. "Aren't you like a head hauncho demon?"
Sam nodded. "My people where the first to be recruited by the Powers That Be, that's why we are able to become human. But the others feared us long before that."
"What are you?" Buffy asked.
"Me personally?" Sam asked, "I'll a mix. My father was Areal and my mother was an Areal-Oracle mix. So I have some oracle in me; not a lot but enough to help sometime.
"Areal?" Buffy said testing the name. "Never heard of them."
"And that's good." Sam said solemnly. "If you did you would be hunting me."
"Oh," Buffy said, "I don't know, I haven't staked Spike yet."
Sam laughed and pointed at a door. "This is Zak's place."
Buffy nodded and knocked sharply at the door.
"Be nice," Sam warned just before the door opened by a little nerdy demon with soft wire rimmed glasses.
"Yes can I help you?" Zak asked in a mousy voice.
With an angry yell the Slayer spun-kicked knocking the little demons against the door frame. Before he could move Buffy had him pinned with a heeled boot.
"Where is he!" she growled.
The nerdy little demon pushed up wire rimmed glasses. "Oh man my mom said I should've been a taxidermist!"
"Buffy!" Sam exclaimed lifting the girl off the ground and gently setting her down away from the other demon. "I said be nice not homicidal!" he turned to the little demon, "My apologies."
Zak waved him off, "Think nothing of it young man." He said. "The Slayer is obviously very worried about her friend. Come inside and we will see what we can find."
Sam nodded and ushered Buffy in ahead of him. "We've come for any information on the Methigh."
Zak nodded. "I've been researching about them since I was told Master Spike's son had been kidnapped. You'd be surprised how long the call list is when one of our own is involved."
"To bad I'm not on the call list." Buffy said looking around at the shelf after shelf of books that seemed to be taller then the building it's self. "Wow, I think I'm sorry I didn't know about you sooner."
The little demons smiled a little, "Thank you Slayer." He said politely. "Not even the Watcher's Council has these books."
"How fast did you know Xander was taken?" Sam asked picking up an open book scanning its contents.
"My finding out anything depends on the person. Anything to do with Master Spike I'm the first one called," Zak said picking up a bunch of notes. "I was called today right after he was taken."
"And you're informant couldn't have followed them?" Buffy asked. "Make our job easier?"
Zak shook his head. "They travel though the very shadows themselves, they can only be tracked by shadows themselves." He looked at Sam, "But even then there is no guarantee of the Shadow is too young or injured."
"I'll remember that." Buffy said. "So can you help us?"
"Yes I can," Zak said handing her a sheaf of papers then two sheathed swords. "This is all the information you will need and this is how to kill them." He glanced at Sam again. "Be careful, this is the only way to kill Shadows.of all kinds."
Buffy nodded, Sam backed away from the swords a little. "Thank you Zakarikatus, we'll be sure to keep you in mind."
Zak nodded. "Good journeys."
"You as well," Sam said and lead buff out into the evening light.
***
Xander paced around the cell like a caged animal before punching the wall and yelling at the top of his lungs.
"I am not sacrifice material here! I'm not even human! Let me go!"
Of course his only answer was silence, but that didn't stop him. It never had and it never would.
Frustrated Xander slumped down on the ground and lay down staring blankly at the ceiling of his prison. H shifted a little and took something out of his pocket.
In his hand were his birth certificate and his mother's diary two items he kept with him always. Apparently neither item seemed very weaponish when his captors searched him. He was very glad.
Carefully he opened the certificate and read the name of his parents. He still couldn't believe Spike was his father, but had no problems calling him dad. Xander only wished he had been able to call his mother, mom.
Xander sat up and peered closer at the name on the birth certificate and then at the name on the diary. Confused he flipped open the book and read the last few pages.
I am a Slayer like my grandmother before me and her grandmother before her. I leave my heritage to my daughter for I know I will not be able to teach her myself. This is to you my grandchild whom the girl I carry shale bare. I think I will call her Katie.
Xander looked up in disbelief then read the two different names again.
What the hell?
Chapter Three
*Special note: the following is un-betaed, a betaed version will be reposed on another date, the same goes for chap. Four and the Epilogue thank you*
"So do we have any new leads on who's killing the populous of Sunnyhell yet?" Spike asked as he and his three charges walked into Giles' apartment late in the afternoon. It had taken Spike a good amount of time to calm Xander down and get everyone ready to leave. Sam was looking much better though he still complained about the cold, Riley tagged along out of concern, and Xander had not voiced any protests about being carried anyplace his chair couldn't go. In fact the boy hadn't even protested on the chair at all.
"Very little at this point," Giles said not looking up from his Old and Dusty books, nor his tea. "But I've only made a small dent in my books."
"Where are the Slayer and the Witch?" Spike asked picking up a book from the 'go through' pile flipping the pages open.
"They went to go see what they could find and the places were they found the bodies." Giles said and looked up at the three young men. Giles knew Sam, and of course Xander, but was surprised to find a stranger in him living room. The young man couldn't have been a vampire, but that didn't mean much.
"He's alright Watcher," Spike said "Human, but alright."
Giles just looked at Riley a second longer then handed him one of the books in English, "Have a seat young man we are looking for any information that will help us."
Riley nodded and sat down opening the book. "What's helpful information?"
"Mostly how to stop them," Giles replied handing out book to Xander and Sam.
Sam sat down and opened his book staring at it blankly, Xander didn't even bother to open the book he was given.
"I take it they didn't handle this well," Giles said.
"Nope," Spike said, "Xander somehow saw it, and Sam is still in the after affects from touching what ever it is that's out there."
"Methigh," Riley said, "Dark Reapers."
Giles and Spike looked up at the young man, Sam whimpered a little, and Xander still hadn't fully gotten over his shock from this morning had no reaction at all.
"What did you find?" Giles asked walking over to Riley looking at the book closely.
"Just that," Riley said, "It's a list of the most feared demons and gods in existence."
"Then the search continues," Giles muttered and went back to his books.
***
"I can't believe he's dead," Willow said for the fifth time in an hour as she and Buffy walked around the campus running trail where the first body had been found. "I mean I know he wasn't the best of people, but still, no one really deserves to die."
"I can think of several people that deserve it," Buffy said, "None are human.well some are but they're the really bad people."
"Yeah, I know its wrong, but I'm not sad he's dead, just I don't feel he deserved to go that way." Willow said mournfully, "Does that make me a bad person?"
"Bitter? Maybe. Bad? No." Buffy said with a reassuring smile for her friend. "Here it is."
They stopped in front of a taped off area of the trail and looked around. Of course no one would go out on the trails any more, but it was always good to make sure you're not being followed. Quickly Willow worked a spell Giles gave her to keep them from being bothered and the two girls stepped over the yellow tape and on to the crime seine.
There wasn't much left in the way of evidence, the police report Willow had hacked had said out of the tree bodies found so far nothing had been found other then the bits and pieces of the body. It wasn't much to go one, but between the Slayer and the young witch they were sure they could find something missed before.
Willow did have three now spell's meant to illuminate anything a normal forensics team normally wouldn't spot. Like demons blood or psychic energy.
"So what first?" Buffy asked looking around. "I don't see anything that might clue us in."
"Well let's do a simple chemical check and see of any demons have bled lately." Willow said taking out a spray bottle with some purplish fluid in it. She shook the bottle a little mixing up its contents then started liberally spraying the surrounding area.
The results were amazing.
Mapped out over every surface were streaks and spots of different kinds. The green of leaves had turned a pale shade of blue and the ground had turned a mucky yellow. There where blotches of bright silver and a few traces of a purplish -blue that gave the vague impression of hand prints.
"Wow," Buffy said. "What is all of that?"
"Life," Willow said, "Or lack of. You see, the plant life is blue because it's alive. We would be a very bright blue; you might be really, really bright Buffy. Umm.yellow is because there is some life in the dirt."
"And the silver and bluish- purplish?" Buffy asked studying the patterns.
"The silver is death." Willow explained, "Most likely where the body had been."
"Boy that's a lot," Buffy said slightly sickened.
"Yeah," Willow agreed, "I promised myself I'd be sick later."
"It's ok Wills," Buffy said patting her friends shoulder, "Well find this creepy whatever."
Willow nodded. "The purple-blue is the demon." She said, "Any place it touched."
Seems to be consistent with the silver," Buffy observed. "What's next on the list?"
"We see if we can track it," Willow said pulling supplies out of her satchel. With in minutes she had her spell set up next to one of the bigger dots pf purple and silver. "This shouldn't take long," The red head said and cast her circle.
***
Spike was worried.
Xander hadn't moved from the window in twenty minutes nor had he had any reaction to his surroundings since that morning right after he'd gotten that call from Giles. The only thing he had done was move to stand by the window when the Slayer and the Witch had returned to report nothing. He hadn't even bothered with the chair; the boy had just stood up and walked to the window with disregard to his health.
The bothered Spike to no end. Xander had been trying to stay out of the chair since he was put into it. He had done everything he could to heal as fast as possible. He was throwing all of that away by doing the one thing he was told not to, and he didn't seem to give a damn.
"Ow," Riley exclaimed from the pile of books on Giles' table, "Who knew old books could hurt so much." Sam raised his hand, "That was a rhetorical question."
Sam smiled a little and went back to reading the book in front of him.
"I did find something though," Riley continued once his finger had stopped bleeding. Everyone in the room but Xander turned to look at him, "This book says that these Methigh feed off of peoples hate, it's like an aphrodisiac to them the more hate the person has the better. When that's all done they kill but fear, the fear isn't enough though they take to actually ripping the body to shreds violently."
"But that doesn't coincide with these murders." Spike observed watching Xander out of the corner of his eye. "Those bodies were arranged like a ritual."
"Well I wasn't done yet," Riley replied, "This print is really small."
"Go on then." Giles replied handing Riley a magnifying glass.
"Thank you." Riley said holding up the glass to read. "'It is said that once ever hundred years the Methigh try to raise their self-proclaimed god, they have to have a special victim to raise it and ten sacrifices beforehand all with hatred and fear, except the victim.'"
"What about the victim?" Giles asked.
"Give me a minute," Riley said, "Someone tried to scratch the writing out."
Xander had started to tremble, enough that only the vampire and maybe Oz would notice. His eyes held a hit of fear from some far off memory. Spike had the sickening feeling it had something to do with what Riley had been reading.
"What's wrong?" Spike finally asked his son. Xander just turned and blinked at him. "Xander? What is it? Is it about this morning?"
"It's about nothing," Xander said though his attitude said he was lying.
"I know something's wrong," Spike insisted, "Please talk to me."
Xander's brow furrowed in anger, "I said that nothing's wrong," he nearly shouted, "Why can't you believe me when I say nothing is wrong?"
Spike sighed and raised his hand to scratch his nose.
Xander jumped into a wall violently staring at Spike's hand.
Spike jumped himself startled, "Xander?" He looked down at his hand, "Son, I wasn't going to hit you. I'd never hit you, you know that."
"He-" Xander hiccupped; he looked at everyone in silence then ran out of the apartment.
"Xander-" Spike called after running to the open door but could go no further.
"Xander?" Sam said and ran past Spike and after the boy.
Spike turned back to the rest wide-eyed and in shock, "I'd never hurt him, he knows that. I'd never, why did he."
"He's still in shock Spike," Willow said walking up to hug the vampire without a hint of fear. "That troglodyte had him longer then you did. Xander's bound to go back to what he's expecting even when he knows different."
"Thank you," Spike murmured into her hair, "I just wish sometimes that I had been the one to raise him."
"I'm sure he would have grown up great," Willow said and held him for a minute longer.
Oz walked in and stared blankly at the two. He sniffed the air to figure out what the vampire was doing with his girlfriend. Spike reeked of sorrow, blood, and regret. Willow smelled of summer and comfort; most of that comfort being directed at Spike. Through his casual sweep of the room, Oz noted that while the guy Xander had been talking to last night at the Bronze was here, and Xander's chair was here, there was no Xander.
"What happened?" Oz asked Buffy quietly.
Buffy shook her head at a loss. "I don't know Xander just freaked out and ran, Sam went after him."
"I didn't see them." Oz said, "Why did Xander run?"
"Spike was asking him what was wrong and raised his hand, Xander jumped, Spike jumped and Xander just ran." Buffy said and shook her head again, "I watched it, Spike was soo not going to hit Xander."
"Hit Xander?" Oz asked, and then looked closer at Spike. Spike looked like he was going through hell. Oz remembered the fear sometimes in Xander's eyes before Spike had told him he was his father. Now he knew why.
Sam returned his face drawn and ashen. "I didn't find him," the boy said a bit shaken. "But I felt them, they were close."
"Hey guys," Riley said holding up a piece of paper he had been writing on, "You might wanna hear this. The rest if the passage says that the god demands his sacrifice be someone with sorrow for one who had much hate for him and died. Not hate is necessary in fact the god would rather its sacrifice be innocent, a victim of necessity."
"Oh my god," Spike whispered.
Sam paled, "Xander."
***
Xander limped down the sunny street heedless of the tears flowing down his face. He had used a spell he had stolen from one of Giles' books to get away from Sam knowing the vampire in him held enough magick to use any spell more effectively then Willow could ever dream.
Giles really needed to hide those spell books.
He couldn't believe Frank Harris had hated him so much. Xander knew the man had disliked him, even resented him sometimes, but he never thought the man had gone as far as hate him. But it had to be true, Xander didn't think the man could have hated Spike; the vampire had taken the reason for much anger away from him.
And that was the reason Frank Harris died. His hate for the child he had called son for eighteen years had ultimately killed him. That was Xander's fault if he had been the child the man had wanted he would never have reason to hate.
Do you really believe that? The voice in the back of his head said, do you really believe he would have loved you if you had been a brown eyed version of him?
Truth was Xander didn't believe that himself, but he knew Frank Harris had. That was what really had killed him. And despite that knowing Xander couldn't help but feel sorrow for the man.
Something shuffled behind him in the deserted street making a slight sound of cloth scraping over bone and pavement.
Xander spun around wincing at the sudden pain in his ankle but other wise didn't see anything that might have caused the noise. Breathing hard he looked around and the silent deserted street still seeing nothing. However the little Spike had been teaching him about his vampire heritage told him something was definitely out there.
Demons weren't supposed to come out during the day. They liked that whole 'no one knows we go bump in the night' angle. But that didn't mean other evils of this world could be out there watching him. Demons and vampires weren't the only ones around Sunnydale that took children away from their families. Sometimes the humans did that as well, even to someone as old as he was. Xander somehow did manage to look fifteen half the time.
Of course since the street was deserted and no one was likely to notice if something big and scary just jumped out of the bushes and snatched him. Or ate him.
Maybe it was a bad idea that he had left, or at least hid from Sam.
He spun around again at another sound to his right and then again as the sound moved to his left. This was getting annoying why didn't this thing just show it's self already!
"Oh crap!" he berated himself for thinking the worst thing you could ever think while on the Hellmouth.
Ten seconds before strong arms came out of a shadow and dragged him back into it.
Then there was nothing.
***
"I don't see why you had to call Angel." Spike growled at the Ex-Watcher for the fifth time in several hours, "We don't call him for everything why do we have to call him now?"
"Because, if these Methigh demons have Xander we will need all the help we can get." Giles said calmly. "We don't even know where he can't be, we don't even know what sacrifice the Methigh are up to yet."
"I don't want to lose Xander," Spike protested sinking down into the couch.
"We don't either," Giles said softly. "That's why I called Angel so he could help us find him."
"You don't understand," Spike snapped. "Angel gave me a chance, if he truly claims Sire's rights I can't deny him. He'll take Xander away."
Spike it isn't your fault," Giles said. "Angel will see that. I'm sure he doesn't want father and son broken up over something we can't control."
"And if he doesn't?" Spike asked in a small voice."
Giles sighed, "He'll see reason," was all he would say.
***
"I knew you couldn't keep him safe," was the first thing Angel said as he walked into the apartment. "I swear I'm going to tie that kid up until he see reason and not go out were he's in danger. Or get him a beeper at least."
"I'm sorry," Spike said tentively eyes down cast.
Angel drew his childe into an embrace. "I know William." The elder vampire said, "We'll find him. He'll be alright, he's an Aurelius right?"
"Yeah," Spike said quietly, "But I'm afraid. He thought I was going to hit him. I don't understand why, I'd never."
"Shh." Angel soothed. "It'll be alright."
"Is he going to be ok?" Doyle asked Cordy from the doorway. Cordy shook her head slightly.
"Hey look I found something else!" Riley exclaimed suddenly from the stacks of books. He looked around, "I'm the only one doing research aren't I?"
"What did you find?" Sam asked looking up from his own book with interest.
The two vampires moved to the table while everyone sat attentively waiting for the boy to continue.
"Ok," Riley started, "I have good news and bad news."
"What's the good news?" Doyle asked leaning against a wall.
"The good news is- Xander's still alive if indeed the Methigh have him."
"The bad news?" Spike asked with a slight shrill to his voice.
"He won't be if we don't find him in twenty-four hours." Riley answered solemnly.
Angel growled, "It won't come to that. We will find him."
Riley nodded, "I have everything but location." He said holding up a note book. "But I'm guessing it's someplace underground where they can have an alter and a lot of privacy."
***
The Hollenwell Church had been condemned for quite a while falling into disrepair. The inner halls had long since been striped to its foundation, but the church was old and held many secrets. A hidden door in the preacher's quarters led down to a basement and a special chapel meant to keep patrons safe if a war should hit.
It had been forgotten by the living for far too many years yet remembered by those who should not have remembered at all.
Dark shadows congregated in front of an alter chanting unknown words softly. In a far corner more shadows held a boy down while they searched him for weapons. The boy's deep hazel eyes searched the creature's forms for some sort of symbolism, but found nothing. They were neither shadow nor solid, they simply seemed to be.
Satisfied the boy had nothing to harm them; the shadows opened a door to the side and shoved the boy inside slamming the door shut with an ominous hollow sound. Immediately they boy started screaming to be let go, but the words fell on deaf ears.
At the alter a more substance shadow walked up with the click of books and bone. It reached out a dark talented hand and dipped a finger in to a bowl of blood.
"We take of the weak and give of the weary," it said in a hollow voice. "We deem our sacrifice be true." It drew a symbol in the alter where a head would lie. "Hate doth carry him, innocence doth bind him," it took out a large ceremonial dagger which gleamed sharply in the candle light. "So it is decreed, so it shale be."
Then there was silence from the chanters. The only sound in the room was the cries of the boy.
***
Spike paced up and down Giles hallway out of sight from everyone in the apartment. He was more then worried, he was near hysterics. If he had been human he would have been able to go after his own son. If he had been human he would have been able to raise his own child; then his son wouldn't have been afraid of his own father. If he had been human.
"Bloody hell!" the vampire growled slapping a hand against the wall to keep from running his hand through it.
If he had been human Xander really would have been an orphan. William Bradshaw-Stone really would have died from a gun shot wound, never to have woken in the morgue and leave; only to find his long lost son eighteen years later in his enemy.
God he wished he could have watched his son grow up.
"Spike?" Angel asked from the entrance to the hall. The younger vampire didn't responded. "Spike?...William?"
"Ever wonder what his first words would have been?" Spike whispered. "Or when he took his first step?"
"Spike." Angel tried again.
The blond ignored him, "Ever wonder what he would have been like?" Spike swung startling crystalline blue eyes at his grandsire, "Do you think he would have turned out better? Less scared of what's out there?"
"I'm sure he would have turned out find," Angel said, "I think he turned out fine. He's a good lad."
Spike nodded and looked down at his hands; the same hand Xander had run away from. "I wasn't going to hit him. I was kinda mimicking the watcher.and.you're not gonna take him away are you?"
"The thought crossed my mind," Angel admitted. "Giles told me what happened. He said Xander probably would have bolted no matter what and that it wasn't your fault."
Spike gave him a look of a kicked puppy. "You're not gonna take him away?"
"No Spike," Angel said firmly- he hated it when Spike got like this- "I'm not going to take Xander away. I am however going to have him committed."
The look on Spike's face was priceless; Angel cringed. "The last part was a joke Spike." The blond nodded a little his expression unchanged. Angel sighed. "We'll find him alright? Safe and sound."
"I'm scared," Spike said after a long silence looking away, "I'm scared of what all of this will do to him."
"This isn't the first time something like this had happened," Angel noted. "He had come out of that just fine."
"That was before," Spike said. "This is new. You should have seen his face Angel. Xander was terrified of me. How could he be terrified of me?"
"I don't know Spike," Angel said. "Some people react to things differently. And the man he thought was his father was killed by the very things he has spent the last four years fighting. No matter what that bastered did, he was still the man who raised Xander. That had to have been a shock."
"He saw it." Spike whispered.
Angel blinked. "What did you say?"
"The Watcher.he called me, he told me what had happened," Spike whispered absently. "Then Xander.he was just standing there in the kitchen. He said he saw it happen, he knew and I had only just got the call."
"Spike." Angel started.
"He was asleep how could he have known?" Spike asked finally looking at his Sire. "Is it apart of his vampire blood? Is this how his life if going to be? I don't think if it gets worse I could handle it. I don't think I can keep him safe."
"Spike listen to me," Angel said firmly holding the younger mans shoulders. "You're not alone, do you hear me? You will never be alone. You have friends here that you have earned on your own and they will help you any way they can. And you have me and a home if you ever need it."
Spike nodded silently. "I'm going to find the demons that took my child and threatened my family and I'm going to give them a lot of pain before I tare them apart."
Angel nodded, "And I'm going to be right there with you holding them down if I have to."
Spike smiled. "You're a good Sire you are." He moved past Angel and down the hall toward the front door.
"Spike where are you going?" Angel asked.
"To find my son." Spike replied.
"Yeah," Angel nodded, "Sunsets in two hours."
***
Buffy and Sam walked into Willy's Place like they owned it. Immediately any demon in the establishment either high-tailed it out of there or hid in the confines of darkened booths. Though whether from the Slayer or the Demon remained to be seen."
"Slayer," Willy said nervously from behind the bar. "What brings you and your friend here?"
Buffy slouched against the bar. "A friend of mine was kidnapped by some Methigh demons. I want to know what you know."
Willy stuttered. "Well I-I don't know anything about Methigh demons taking a boy."
Buffy smiled. "Gee Willy I didn't know you were psychic."
"Look Slayer," Willy protested holding out his hands. "I only know what I hear and the only thing I hear is that these demons snatched Master Spike's kid off the street in broad daylight. Now I don't know about you, but even I know that was suicide."
"That's a good kid." A large scaly demon said, "And you can tell Spike I said that."
"The Methigh kill Xander you'll have more to worry about then an angry father." Sam spoke up addressing everyone in the bar. "The lower hells will be brought froth and even they strongest of us won't survive."
"You might wanna check out Zakarikatus' place," a red head that looked about five said. "If anyone would know anything about that it's Zak."
Buffy nodded, "Let's go then."
Sam walked over to the scaly demon and spoke to it quietly. The demon seemed to consider the boy's words then stood. He bowed slightly to the younger demon and slipped out a side door.
"What was that about?" Buffy asked as they walked out of the bar and down the street.
"Esaros demons are really sensitive to psychic energy's. Colt is going to see if he can find where the Methigh are while we go see what Zak can tell us." Sam said brushing hair away from his face then wrapped his arms around himself.
"Are you ok Sam?" Buffy asked.
"I'll be fine," Sam said brushing hair out of his eyes again. "The touch just isn't completely out of my system yet."
Buffy nodded in understanding. "How did we get out of there without a fight?"
Sam smiled a little. "It's amazing how much things can change over night" he said cryptically then laughed at Buffy's expression. "All of the demon's that ran out of there where the one's that would pick a fight. The other's respect Spike as a leader. They've met Xander; they had already liked him, being Spike son just helped him more. So the demons that where there are willing to help. As for Willy." he grinned. "He is more afraid o what Spike would do to him then being marked as an informant in this case."
"Are you sure he wasn't afraid of you?" Buffy asked. "Aren't you like a head hauncho demon?"
Sam nodded. "My people where the first to be recruited by the Powers That Be, that's why we are able to become human. But the others feared us long before that."
"What are you?" Buffy asked.
"Me personally?" Sam asked, "I'll a mix. My father was Areal and my mother was an Areal-Oracle mix. So I have some oracle in me; not a lot but enough to help sometime.
"Areal?" Buffy said testing the name. "Never heard of them."
"And that's good." Sam said solemnly. "If you did you would be hunting me."
"Oh," Buffy said, "I don't know, I haven't staked Spike yet."
Sam laughed and pointed at a door. "This is Zak's place."
Buffy nodded and knocked sharply at the door.
"Be nice," Sam warned just before the door opened by a little nerdy demon with soft wire rimmed glasses.
"Yes can I help you?" Zak asked in a mousy voice.
With an angry yell the Slayer spun-kicked knocking the little demons against the door frame. Before he could move Buffy had him pinned with a heeled boot.
"Where is he!" she growled.
The nerdy little demon pushed up wire rimmed glasses. "Oh man my mom said I should've been a taxidermist!"
"Buffy!" Sam exclaimed lifting the girl off the ground and gently setting her down away from the other demon. "I said be nice not homicidal!" he turned to the little demon, "My apologies."
Zak waved him off, "Think nothing of it young man." He said. "The Slayer is obviously very worried about her friend. Come inside and we will see what we can find."
Sam nodded and ushered Buffy in ahead of him. "We've come for any information on the Methigh."
Zak nodded. "I've been researching about them since I was told Master Spike's son had been kidnapped. You'd be surprised how long the call list is when one of our own is involved."
"To bad I'm not on the call list." Buffy said looking around at the shelf after shelf of books that seemed to be taller then the building it's self. "Wow, I think I'm sorry I didn't know about you sooner."
The little demons smiled a little, "Thank you Slayer." He said politely. "Not even the Watcher's Council has these books."
"How fast did you know Xander was taken?" Sam asked picking up an open book scanning its contents.
"My finding out anything depends on the person. Anything to do with Master Spike I'm the first one called," Zak said picking up a bunch of notes. "I was called today right after he was taken."
"And you're informant couldn't have followed them?" Buffy asked. "Make our job easier?"
Zak shook his head. "They travel though the very shadows themselves, they can only be tracked by shadows themselves." He looked at Sam, "But even then there is no guarantee of the Shadow is too young or injured."
"I'll remember that." Buffy said. "So can you help us?"
"Yes I can," Zak said handing her a sheaf of papers then two sheathed swords. "This is all the information you will need and this is how to kill them." He glanced at Sam again. "Be careful, this is the only way to kill Shadows.of all kinds."
Buffy nodded, Sam backed away from the swords a little. "Thank you Zakarikatus, we'll be sure to keep you in mind."
Zak nodded. "Good journeys."
"You as well," Sam said and lead buff out into the evening light.
***
Xander paced around the cell like a caged animal before punching the wall and yelling at the top of his lungs.
"I am not sacrifice material here! I'm not even human! Let me go!"
Of course his only answer was silence, but that didn't stop him. It never had and it never would.
Frustrated Xander slumped down on the ground and lay down staring blankly at the ceiling of his prison. H shifted a little and took something out of his pocket.
In his hand were his birth certificate and his mother's diary two items he kept with him always. Apparently neither item seemed very weaponish when his captors searched him. He was very glad.
Carefully he opened the certificate and read the name of his parents. He still couldn't believe Spike was his father, but had no problems calling him dad. Xander only wished he had been able to call his mother, mom.
Xander sat up and peered closer at the name on the birth certificate and then at the name on the diary. Confused he flipped open the book and read the last few pages.
I am a Slayer like my grandmother before me and her grandmother before her. I leave my heritage to my daughter for I know I will not be able to teach her myself. This is to you my grandchild whom the girl I carry shale bare. I think I will call her Katie.
Xander looked up in disbelief then read the two different names again.
What the hell?