Hard Choices: Chapter 4
Spike sat back on the couch, mug in one hand and a bag of potato chips in the other. He tried to find distraction in the afternoon talk shows, but his mind kept betraying him, reverting back to old memories he'd just as soon forget. He listened as the shower water was turned on, and heard the rustling of the metal rings from the curtain being pulled back. He sighed contently that the boy had listened to him. Minor, but progress, at any rate.
He generally tried not to remember the time surrounding his turning. Hadn't really pondered it in years. The last time was after Angelus was unleashed and decided to take up residence with him and Drusilla for the first time in a century. Even then, when the memories came, he'd tried to block them out and push them deep inside. Ultimately, he'd found it hard to forget when Angelus and Dru were constantly reminding him of how things had been between them in those early years.
He sat back and allowed his mind to go there. Four days after his awakening, Dru had taken William to her daddy. Angelus seemed unimpressed and bored by her new toy, barely showing an interest in the young man she'd chosen. Until several months later, when the game suddenly changed. With Drusilla so lost to reality most of the time, Angelus took on the role of sire, forced to teach William the ways in which they lived.
William soon became his favorite pass time, forcing him into his bed when the women went out. If the younger vampire tried to refuse, Angelus new much in the way of pain and torture to remind him that saying no would only put him out for days. Rendering him unable to hunt, therefore unable to feed, he'd lie in misery until he healed, only to be given the same choice again. Before long, Angelus' bed became his comfort, realizing it was the only pleasant attention the older vampire would give him. When not being used for his sire's pleasure, he began to be ignored and pushed aside, making William realize how much he longed for Angelus' companionship and approval.
When Angelus would forget him for time with the women, William would wreak havoc, purposely calling attention to their whereabouts, just to gain the punishment he knew he'd receive. Pain became pleasure, and in pleasure there was also attention from his appointed sire.
"You could give Angel lessons with the brooding you're doing."
Spike looked up at Xander, standing before him, fresh from his shower. Still wrapped in the bath towel he'd used to dry off, he watched as he walked to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator door.
"You figured it out."
"Huh?" Xander used a knife to slice through a bag and emptied the contents into a cup, shoving it into the microwave.
Spike gestured toward Xander's human features.
"Oh, Yeah. I realized it when I was in the shower. I forced myself to relax and concentrate and presto, no bumpies."
"That's good. Like I said, usually takes a couple of days. Maybe there's some smarts to be found in that head of yours after all."
"Fuck you."
An eyebrow shifted. "Now now. Talk like that and I won't take you out tonight."
Xander eyed him over the top of the cup he was now gulping. His yellow eyes staring through the vampire visage he couldn't hold back once he smelled the blood. "Out where?"
Spike shrugged. "Figured I'd take you along on patrol. Test your strength. See what you're made of so to speak."
"And if Buffy shows?"
"I'll go by there first, tell her not to bother. She could use a night at home with kid sis anyway."
Xander nodded and tossed the empty cup into the sink. "I'll have to face her eventually."
"Not tonight. You're not ready."
"You afraid for me or her?"
Spike stayed silent, finding a string on the sofa a bit more interesting. He gritted his teeth and found Xander's gaze again. "This is new ground, Harris. Not sure what to do here."
"Stop calling me that. I'd think we're on a first name basis, don't you?"
"Okay.Xander," he hesitated. "I know it's not gonna seem fair you drinkin' pig's blood, livin' on animals and such. But if I can convince your pals you're tame, we might just make it through this without either one of us getting staked."
"Humm. Didn't plan very well when you killed me, did you?"
Spike frowned. "Certain things are expected now that I'm your sire and all."
Xander shook his head, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed in front of him. "I was waiting for this."
Spike was up, in front of the other man before Xander could blink.
"You'll talk to me with respect, for one! And I expect you to do what I say, when I say and no questions, you understand?"
"Yeah, whatever." The brunette began playing with his nails, finding a chipped one and picking at it intently.
Spike's anger flared. He eyed the knife lying alongside Xander on the counter. "I don't think," he picked it up, directing it to the bare chest in front of him, "you're quite understanding me." The blade eased in, the tip slicing enough to allow a slight trickle of blood. The boy winced under the pain. "Now we can do this the hard way, or we can do it the less painful way. Your choice, mate."
Xander grunted, trying not to show his weakness. In the end, he gave in, nodding his agreement. "Alright. I get it. I'll listen to you."
The knife was removed and placed back on the counter. "Don't make me hurt you, Xander. Somehow it just doesn't seem as fun as it might once have been."
Spike turned from his childe and stepped back into the living room, hating himself for giving in to the desire to hurt him. The boy had to learn, no way around it, but as he stood with the blade to the open flesh, he saw Angelus in himself. He saw a path he refused to walk.
"Go get dressed. I'm going out for awhile but I want you to stay here and out of trouble."
"You're gonna trust me alone?" The tone was blatant in its mockery.
Spike pointed toward the window. "Still daylight. I can get around but I don't think you're ready to risk it. I wager you'll stay here tucked up nice and cozy like. Plenty of blood if you feel peckish, and here," he grabbed a book lying on top of his duster as he pulled the coat up to slide into it, "makes for interesting reading." He tossed it across the room.
Xander turned it around in his hands. "History of the vampire?"
Spike shrugged into the duster and flipped up the collar. "'S not Anne Rice but has some truth to it. It'll help pass the time 'til I get back."
Xander pondered the book, flipping through it, realizing he was once more in his human visage. Happy he'd turned without realizing it, he headed off to the bedroom to change his clothes, book in tow, feeling a small sense of accomplishment.
He heard the sound of the door shutting behind Spike as he left and plopped down onto the bed, burying his nose in the book. Skipping the chapter on digging out of the coffin, 'so far past that', he mumbled to himself, came to the next one relating to bloodlust and the need to fulfill the craving.
''Vampires must feed; this fact is the lowest common denominator of their existence. Hunger is not merely a need; it is an all-consuming passion. The thirst for blood is a primal instinct for survival, for only through blood may the vampire survive. The blood need not be human, and even if it is mortal vitae, the death of the vessel is not required; however, the bloodlust often causes older vampires to lose their restraint when they begin to feed, and thus drain all life from their victims. Vampire teeth leave only a small wound, and even this disappears if the vampire licks the wound.
Because the sire never returns to the childe all of the blood which he or she withdrew, the new childe is soon consumed by a ravenous hunger for blood. As the childe has no experience with this overwhelming urge, it is as total as it is immediate. The fledgling cannot fight the urge except through a constant exertion of willpower, and even then a frenzy might overcome him if fresh blood comes within smelling distance.''
Been there, done that. not as bad as it seemed to describe, onto the next lesson. This was the chapter that caught his attention. Sire-childe bond.
Explanations of relationships between vampires and their makers were revealed. Minions, or workers for lack of a better term, were used and quickly discarded, so it seemed. 'Poor bastards', he thought as he read. Turned for the purpose of serving a master for an allotted time just to be dusted later without another thought. He shuddered at the idea. Most of the vamps he'd staked over the years were probably made for this purpose. It felt strange being on the other side for once.
The next section hit home. Childe. What he supposed he was. The term made him wish he'd spent more time listening to Giles' lectures. Learning about what his role was seemed menial coming from a book. Spike should have been the one to tell him. He debated waiting for the other vampire to return, waiting to hear his version on what a childe was, but the temptation overwhelmed him. He dove into the pages; hungry for the knowledge it could give.
"The childe takes on the lineage of his sire and is therefore of the same clan. The clan membership affects which powers the vampire may have in the early stages of its unlife; it also delineates a special weakness. For the next few months, years or even decades, the newly created childe remains with his sire. He may be taught nothing or everything, nurtured or abused, restricted or granted full freedom. But until he is released by his sire he is not accepted in vampire society."
He skimmed through the next few parts about bonding, companions and lovers. Backtrack. lovers? He returned to that paragraph, reading intently, shocked and surprisingly aroused by the contents. He took it all in, knowing the Xander of old would have been deeply appalled by the mere thought of what it was implying. Somehow, the new Xander, the vampire Xander didn't seem to care.
He read a few more pages and sat the book down, summing up in his own mind what everything meant. In Xander's terms, he belonged to Spike and had no free will of his own. He was a childe of the older vampire and was expected to do as he was told, go where he was told, and bend over whenever his sire felt the urge. That wasn't what he was expecting, and although couldn't fight the power his sire had over him, he had his own plans.
He stood up and threw the towel aside, reaching into the top drawer of his dresser for a pair of boxers. He slid into them with a pair of jeans to follow, just as he heard a knock on the door. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, he ruled out the visitors it couldn't be. They were all at work, or should have been. Unlike him, they all had lives to attend to.
Xander made his way to the door and slid it open, anxiety settling when Anya slipped into his arms. He'd expected this reunion, had let the scene enter his mind, and it was just as he imagined it. Nothing. He felt nothing. As her body pressed against his, the only thing he was attuned to was the magnified sound of her heartbeat and the overwhelming feeling of knowing the blood was rushing through her veins. Control. He had to keep control. He couldn't scare her. Net yet.
He swung the door closed behind her, never letting go as she buried his lips with kisses.
"I knew it. I knew you'd be you. I knew you wouldn't leave me."
"Of course I'd never leave you. I love you, Ahn. In fact, I've missed you so much. I've been stuck here with Spike when I could have been here with you, doing. things." His hands slid around her back, under her shirt. "Much better things."
"Spike told me not to come. Said you'd try to hurt me."
"Why would I want to hurt you?"
"That's what I said. He just kept going on and on about blood and hunger. and you seem fine to me. Like normal!" She smiled, realizing all her worry was for nothing. In her mind, they could go on like nothing happened, a few minor changes but nothing they couldn't adapt to.
"I was hoping you would show up. I was getting lonely here all by myself. Nothing to do, or no one." His hand found hers, pressing it firmly to the growing tightness through his jeans. He let his lips travel the side of her neck, proud that he'd held his demon back when her blood was screaming to be taken. Through wandering hands and subtle kisses, they made their way to the bedroom, Anya desperate to have the man she loved and Xander desperate for entirely other reasons.
Their clothes were shed, no romanticism, just basic sexual need for each other. The smell of her body was enticing, more defined with his vampire senses than he could have imagined. He needed to taste her. dominate her. He wanted her to scream. Slowly traveling the length of her torso, he found the spot of his desire. She panted, breathing words of love and togetherness as his tongue worked her toward orgasm. Her excitement only made her heart beat faster, an aphrodisiac to Xander's demon. Unable to hold back any longer as her body began to tremble with release, his bones shifted into their true form.
Before she could move, his fangs tore into the flesh of her inner thigh, his hands tightening around her body, holding her down as she screamed and thrashed in panic. The feeling overtook him as he drank deep, the warm blood coating his throat and filling his insides, animating him... making him feel alive. He relished in the fear he heard from her cries as she pulled at his hair and pounded with her fists, begging him to stop. The more she fought, the harder he held her, allowing his fangs to sink deeper.
When she weakened and her voice drifted to small sobs, he relaxed his grip slightly, continuing to feed from the open wound. Too late when he felt the presence behind him and the tight grip in his hair, yanking him away from his prey. The older vampire growled a warning as Xander fought the hold. Spike grabbed him, throwing him off the bed, his body landing roughly against the wall.
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing!?" Spike leaned in, placing his hand on her neck, checking for the pulse he hoped to find. Relaxing when he realized she'd fainted more from anxiety than from the loss of blood, he covered her body with the blanket and turned toward the younger vamp.
Xander, rather than cowering, smiled an evil grin. "She's weak, Spike. You could take her right now and I bet the chip wouldn't even go off."
Spike crossed the room, trying to distance himself from the smell of the blood.
"I know you want to. Don't tell me you don't. Warm, human blood heating you from the inside. How can you stand that fucking shit you drink from a mug when you could have this!?"
"And kill the slayer's friends? Yeah, such a good plan you git."
"We're only doing what we're supposed to. I felt it, when I had her. When I tasted it on my tongue. that's what we're meant for. That's what I need."
"What you need is to get up, get dressed and forget what you did," he stated, glancing over the other man's naked state. "Enjoy the memory because human blood is off your menu. I'll have to try to clean up the mess you made with Anya. Keep her from running off to Buffy and telling her exactly what's happened!"
"She doesn't have to wake up," the boy hinted coldly as he stood up from his spot on the floor. "Just a taste, Spike. That's all it would take. I guarantee you'd get off the high horse you're on and jump right back in the saddle."
Xander paced his way to stand behind the other man and pulled the blanket off his ex-lover's form.
"It's right there. Ready for you. You may not be able to hunt because of that chip in your head, but 'this' I can do for you. Think about it. Teach me to hunt and we can both feed. Human blood." His finger dipped down to the wound he'd opened, gathering a small amount to bring to Spike's lips. "I owe you my life, Spike. At least let me give you this."
The blonde hesitated, catching the alluring scent of fresh human blood. His tongue snaked out to lick his lips, his eyes settling on the finger in front of him. His demon emerged, the temptation drawing him in. Finally, taking a deep breath, he swung around, pushing the boy away. He grabbed the discarded jeans from the bed and threw them at the other vampire.
"Get dressed. Xander," he ordered, mocking the use of the boy's name as he shoved the pants at him. "This is the last time you try this kind of game with me."
He shoved the other man out the door, slamming it behind him, keeping him away from the girl on the bed. Spike leaned his back against the door, his eyes closed, shaking his form back to human. He opened them to stare down at Anya, focusing on the marks that Xander had made. He'd been so close. So tempted. He'd wanted what his childe had offered. Maybe this whole situation, turning Xander, hadn't been such a good idea.
Buffy. He tried to think about Buffy. The one constant he'd focused on for the past two years. He had to be what she wanted if he was to have any hope that she'd ever love him. His thoughts traveled back to his new childe. Xander was a very bad notch in his plan. TBC....
Spike sat back on the couch, mug in one hand and a bag of potato chips in the other. He tried to find distraction in the afternoon talk shows, but his mind kept betraying him, reverting back to old memories he'd just as soon forget. He listened as the shower water was turned on, and heard the rustling of the metal rings from the curtain being pulled back. He sighed contently that the boy had listened to him. Minor, but progress, at any rate.
He generally tried not to remember the time surrounding his turning. Hadn't really pondered it in years. The last time was after Angelus was unleashed and decided to take up residence with him and Drusilla for the first time in a century. Even then, when the memories came, he'd tried to block them out and push them deep inside. Ultimately, he'd found it hard to forget when Angelus and Dru were constantly reminding him of how things had been between them in those early years.
He sat back and allowed his mind to go there. Four days after his awakening, Dru had taken William to her daddy. Angelus seemed unimpressed and bored by her new toy, barely showing an interest in the young man she'd chosen. Until several months later, when the game suddenly changed. With Drusilla so lost to reality most of the time, Angelus took on the role of sire, forced to teach William the ways in which they lived.
William soon became his favorite pass time, forcing him into his bed when the women went out. If the younger vampire tried to refuse, Angelus new much in the way of pain and torture to remind him that saying no would only put him out for days. Rendering him unable to hunt, therefore unable to feed, he'd lie in misery until he healed, only to be given the same choice again. Before long, Angelus' bed became his comfort, realizing it was the only pleasant attention the older vampire would give him. When not being used for his sire's pleasure, he began to be ignored and pushed aside, making William realize how much he longed for Angelus' companionship and approval.
When Angelus would forget him for time with the women, William would wreak havoc, purposely calling attention to their whereabouts, just to gain the punishment he knew he'd receive. Pain became pleasure, and in pleasure there was also attention from his appointed sire.
"You could give Angel lessons with the brooding you're doing."
Spike looked up at Xander, standing before him, fresh from his shower. Still wrapped in the bath towel he'd used to dry off, he watched as he walked to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator door.
"You figured it out."
"Huh?" Xander used a knife to slice through a bag and emptied the contents into a cup, shoving it into the microwave.
Spike gestured toward Xander's human features.
"Oh, Yeah. I realized it when I was in the shower. I forced myself to relax and concentrate and presto, no bumpies."
"That's good. Like I said, usually takes a couple of days. Maybe there's some smarts to be found in that head of yours after all."
"Fuck you."
An eyebrow shifted. "Now now. Talk like that and I won't take you out tonight."
Xander eyed him over the top of the cup he was now gulping. His yellow eyes staring through the vampire visage he couldn't hold back once he smelled the blood. "Out where?"
Spike shrugged. "Figured I'd take you along on patrol. Test your strength. See what you're made of so to speak."
"And if Buffy shows?"
"I'll go by there first, tell her not to bother. She could use a night at home with kid sis anyway."
Xander nodded and tossed the empty cup into the sink. "I'll have to face her eventually."
"Not tonight. You're not ready."
"You afraid for me or her?"
Spike stayed silent, finding a string on the sofa a bit more interesting. He gritted his teeth and found Xander's gaze again. "This is new ground, Harris. Not sure what to do here."
"Stop calling me that. I'd think we're on a first name basis, don't you?"
"Okay.Xander," he hesitated. "I know it's not gonna seem fair you drinkin' pig's blood, livin' on animals and such. But if I can convince your pals you're tame, we might just make it through this without either one of us getting staked."
"Humm. Didn't plan very well when you killed me, did you?"
Spike frowned. "Certain things are expected now that I'm your sire and all."
Xander shook his head, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed in front of him. "I was waiting for this."
Spike was up, in front of the other man before Xander could blink.
"You'll talk to me with respect, for one! And I expect you to do what I say, when I say and no questions, you understand?"
"Yeah, whatever." The brunette began playing with his nails, finding a chipped one and picking at it intently.
Spike's anger flared. He eyed the knife lying alongside Xander on the counter. "I don't think," he picked it up, directing it to the bare chest in front of him, "you're quite understanding me." The blade eased in, the tip slicing enough to allow a slight trickle of blood. The boy winced under the pain. "Now we can do this the hard way, or we can do it the less painful way. Your choice, mate."
Xander grunted, trying not to show his weakness. In the end, he gave in, nodding his agreement. "Alright. I get it. I'll listen to you."
The knife was removed and placed back on the counter. "Don't make me hurt you, Xander. Somehow it just doesn't seem as fun as it might once have been."
Spike turned from his childe and stepped back into the living room, hating himself for giving in to the desire to hurt him. The boy had to learn, no way around it, but as he stood with the blade to the open flesh, he saw Angelus in himself. He saw a path he refused to walk.
"Go get dressed. I'm going out for awhile but I want you to stay here and out of trouble."
"You're gonna trust me alone?" The tone was blatant in its mockery.
Spike pointed toward the window. "Still daylight. I can get around but I don't think you're ready to risk it. I wager you'll stay here tucked up nice and cozy like. Plenty of blood if you feel peckish, and here," he grabbed a book lying on top of his duster as he pulled the coat up to slide into it, "makes for interesting reading." He tossed it across the room.
Xander turned it around in his hands. "History of the vampire?"
Spike shrugged into the duster and flipped up the collar. "'S not Anne Rice but has some truth to it. It'll help pass the time 'til I get back."
Xander pondered the book, flipping through it, realizing he was once more in his human visage. Happy he'd turned without realizing it, he headed off to the bedroom to change his clothes, book in tow, feeling a small sense of accomplishment.
He heard the sound of the door shutting behind Spike as he left and plopped down onto the bed, burying his nose in the book. Skipping the chapter on digging out of the coffin, 'so far past that', he mumbled to himself, came to the next one relating to bloodlust and the need to fulfill the craving.
''Vampires must feed; this fact is the lowest common denominator of their existence. Hunger is not merely a need; it is an all-consuming passion. The thirst for blood is a primal instinct for survival, for only through blood may the vampire survive. The blood need not be human, and even if it is mortal vitae, the death of the vessel is not required; however, the bloodlust often causes older vampires to lose their restraint when they begin to feed, and thus drain all life from their victims. Vampire teeth leave only a small wound, and even this disappears if the vampire licks the wound.
Because the sire never returns to the childe all of the blood which he or she withdrew, the new childe is soon consumed by a ravenous hunger for blood. As the childe has no experience with this overwhelming urge, it is as total as it is immediate. The fledgling cannot fight the urge except through a constant exertion of willpower, and even then a frenzy might overcome him if fresh blood comes within smelling distance.''
Been there, done that. not as bad as it seemed to describe, onto the next lesson. This was the chapter that caught his attention. Sire-childe bond.
Explanations of relationships between vampires and their makers were revealed. Minions, or workers for lack of a better term, were used and quickly discarded, so it seemed. 'Poor bastards', he thought as he read. Turned for the purpose of serving a master for an allotted time just to be dusted later without another thought. He shuddered at the idea. Most of the vamps he'd staked over the years were probably made for this purpose. It felt strange being on the other side for once.
The next section hit home. Childe. What he supposed he was. The term made him wish he'd spent more time listening to Giles' lectures. Learning about what his role was seemed menial coming from a book. Spike should have been the one to tell him. He debated waiting for the other vampire to return, waiting to hear his version on what a childe was, but the temptation overwhelmed him. He dove into the pages; hungry for the knowledge it could give.
"The childe takes on the lineage of his sire and is therefore of the same clan. The clan membership affects which powers the vampire may have in the early stages of its unlife; it also delineates a special weakness. For the next few months, years or even decades, the newly created childe remains with his sire. He may be taught nothing or everything, nurtured or abused, restricted or granted full freedom. But until he is released by his sire he is not accepted in vampire society."
He skimmed through the next few parts about bonding, companions and lovers. Backtrack. lovers? He returned to that paragraph, reading intently, shocked and surprisingly aroused by the contents. He took it all in, knowing the Xander of old would have been deeply appalled by the mere thought of what it was implying. Somehow, the new Xander, the vampire Xander didn't seem to care.
He read a few more pages and sat the book down, summing up in his own mind what everything meant. In Xander's terms, he belonged to Spike and had no free will of his own. He was a childe of the older vampire and was expected to do as he was told, go where he was told, and bend over whenever his sire felt the urge. That wasn't what he was expecting, and although couldn't fight the power his sire had over him, he had his own plans.
He stood up and threw the towel aside, reaching into the top drawer of his dresser for a pair of boxers. He slid into them with a pair of jeans to follow, just as he heard a knock on the door. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, he ruled out the visitors it couldn't be. They were all at work, or should have been. Unlike him, they all had lives to attend to.
Xander made his way to the door and slid it open, anxiety settling when Anya slipped into his arms. He'd expected this reunion, had let the scene enter his mind, and it was just as he imagined it. Nothing. He felt nothing. As her body pressed against his, the only thing he was attuned to was the magnified sound of her heartbeat and the overwhelming feeling of knowing the blood was rushing through her veins. Control. He had to keep control. He couldn't scare her. Net yet.
He swung the door closed behind her, never letting go as she buried his lips with kisses.
"I knew it. I knew you'd be you. I knew you wouldn't leave me."
"Of course I'd never leave you. I love you, Ahn. In fact, I've missed you so much. I've been stuck here with Spike when I could have been here with you, doing. things." His hands slid around her back, under her shirt. "Much better things."
"Spike told me not to come. Said you'd try to hurt me."
"Why would I want to hurt you?"
"That's what I said. He just kept going on and on about blood and hunger. and you seem fine to me. Like normal!" She smiled, realizing all her worry was for nothing. In her mind, they could go on like nothing happened, a few minor changes but nothing they couldn't adapt to.
"I was hoping you would show up. I was getting lonely here all by myself. Nothing to do, or no one." His hand found hers, pressing it firmly to the growing tightness through his jeans. He let his lips travel the side of her neck, proud that he'd held his demon back when her blood was screaming to be taken. Through wandering hands and subtle kisses, they made their way to the bedroom, Anya desperate to have the man she loved and Xander desperate for entirely other reasons.
Their clothes were shed, no romanticism, just basic sexual need for each other. The smell of her body was enticing, more defined with his vampire senses than he could have imagined. He needed to taste her. dominate her. He wanted her to scream. Slowly traveling the length of her torso, he found the spot of his desire. She panted, breathing words of love and togetherness as his tongue worked her toward orgasm. Her excitement only made her heart beat faster, an aphrodisiac to Xander's demon. Unable to hold back any longer as her body began to tremble with release, his bones shifted into their true form.
Before she could move, his fangs tore into the flesh of her inner thigh, his hands tightening around her body, holding her down as she screamed and thrashed in panic. The feeling overtook him as he drank deep, the warm blood coating his throat and filling his insides, animating him... making him feel alive. He relished in the fear he heard from her cries as she pulled at his hair and pounded with her fists, begging him to stop. The more she fought, the harder he held her, allowing his fangs to sink deeper.
When she weakened and her voice drifted to small sobs, he relaxed his grip slightly, continuing to feed from the open wound. Too late when he felt the presence behind him and the tight grip in his hair, yanking him away from his prey. The older vampire growled a warning as Xander fought the hold. Spike grabbed him, throwing him off the bed, his body landing roughly against the wall.
"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing!?" Spike leaned in, placing his hand on her neck, checking for the pulse he hoped to find. Relaxing when he realized she'd fainted more from anxiety than from the loss of blood, he covered her body with the blanket and turned toward the younger vamp.
Xander, rather than cowering, smiled an evil grin. "She's weak, Spike. You could take her right now and I bet the chip wouldn't even go off."
Spike crossed the room, trying to distance himself from the smell of the blood.
"I know you want to. Don't tell me you don't. Warm, human blood heating you from the inside. How can you stand that fucking shit you drink from a mug when you could have this!?"
"And kill the slayer's friends? Yeah, such a good plan you git."
"We're only doing what we're supposed to. I felt it, when I had her. When I tasted it on my tongue. that's what we're meant for. That's what I need."
"What you need is to get up, get dressed and forget what you did," he stated, glancing over the other man's naked state. "Enjoy the memory because human blood is off your menu. I'll have to try to clean up the mess you made with Anya. Keep her from running off to Buffy and telling her exactly what's happened!"
"She doesn't have to wake up," the boy hinted coldly as he stood up from his spot on the floor. "Just a taste, Spike. That's all it would take. I guarantee you'd get off the high horse you're on and jump right back in the saddle."
Xander paced his way to stand behind the other man and pulled the blanket off his ex-lover's form.
"It's right there. Ready for you. You may not be able to hunt because of that chip in your head, but 'this' I can do for you. Think about it. Teach me to hunt and we can both feed. Human blood." His finger dipped down to the wound he'd opened, gathering a small amount to bring to Spike's lips. "I owe you my life, Spike. At least let me give you this."
The blonde hesitated, catching the alluring scent of fresh human blood. His tongue snaked out to lick his lips, his eyes settling on the finger in front of him. His demon emerged, the temptation drawing him in. Finally, taking a deep breath, he swung around, pushing the boy away. He grabbed the discarded jeans from the bed and threw them at the other vampire.
"Get dressed. Xander," he ordered, mocking the use of the boy's name as he shoved the pants at him. "This is the last time you try this kind of game with me."
He shoved the other man out the door, slamming it behind him, keeping him away from the girl on the bed. Spike leaned his back against the door, his eyes closed, shaking his form back to human. He opened them to stare down at Anya, focusing on the marks that Xander had made. He'd been so close. So tempted. He'd wanted what his childe had offered. Maybe this whole situation, turning Xander, hadn't been such a good idea.
Buffy. He tried to think about Buffy. The one constant he'd focused on for the past two years. He had to be what she wanted if he was to have any hope that she'd ever love him. His thoughts traveled back to his new childe. Xander was a very bad notch in his plan. TBC....