Title: Sirens' Song
Author: Sinayah
Disclaimer: I don't own any characters from Buffy, Angel, or Xmen. They belong to very rich people who don't appreciate them as we fanfic writers do.
Disclaimer 2: The Chapter Title and Lyrics belong to Savage Garden.
Authors Note: Many heartfelt thanks to my muse Zenura, without her I wouldn't have had the guts to write. If you like this story please review or send me an email, I'd really appreciate hearing what you think. Enjoy!
Chapter 12: Crash and Burn
"When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore, let me be the one you call, if you jump I'll break your fall …"

It was about twelve o'clock when Rogue and Kitty woke the next afternoon. Kitty woke first and stared at the wall clock in astonishment, the brunette couldn't believe Serena had let them sleep that late. 'I know we were like, up until dawn but still; Serena never lets us sleep past eleven.' Deciding to check on her guardians, the blue eyed girl turned onto her stomach and stuck her head through the wall between the rooms.

She suppressed a giggle when she saw that Logan, Serena, and Spike were still fast asleep, tangled together in a heap on their bed. 'This is something a sixteen year old shouldn't like, have to see. If they didn't have their clothes on it'd look like an orgy was going on in there.' The thought made her really want to laugh, so she pulled her head back into her own room and let loose with a fit of hysterics.

The brunettes' laughter woke Rogue up, and the redhead looked at her roommate with bleary green eyes. "Whatcha laughing at Kitty?" she asked, the giggles becoming contagious. Kitty put a hand over her mouth and pointed at the wall that separated them from the next room. "The wall is funny? Looks like a wall to me, do the walls in this place talk?" The girl asked, taking a closer look. After the last two days, Rogue was ready to believe anything about this town.

Kitty forced herself to calm down and said, "I don't think so. I looked through the wall to see why Serena or Mr. Logan hadn't woken us up. Come over here and I'll phase us through so you can see." Rogue hurriedly climbed out of her bed and onto the brunettes. Kitty placed a hand on the other girls shoulder and phased both their heads through the wall.

Rogue took one look at the three adults asleep in bed and pulled her head back so she could laugh without waking them. Kitty came back as well and both girls enjoyed a good five minutes of laughter at their guardians' expense. When they'd calmed down Rogue asked to go through again and Kitty obliged. This time the girls restrained their laughter so that they could get a closer look at the trio.

Somehow Serena and Spike had changed places in their sleep and now the blond vampire was between the humans. Logan had his muscular forearm wrapped snugly around the vampires' waist, and Spike was holding the other mans hand. Serena was sleeping with her face pressed to the blonds' bare chest and one of her legs was caught between his. Spike had an arm around the small woman and his large hand was resting on her rear end. All three seemed quite content with their positions and were sleeping soundly to the tune of Logan's soft snores.

The girls pulled back into their own room and looked at each other before giggling once again. "I didn't know Logan swung that way." Rogue got out between fits. Kitty laughed harder and no more was said until they'd regained their composure. When they'd quieted Rogue continued, "Serena sure has good taste in men though. Logan and Spike are gorgeous, especially without their shirts on."

Kitty pictured the sleeping men in her mind and had to agree. "Like, yeah. They're not really my type but still, wow! We like, so need to get the guys and show them. Let's get dressed and go get them." The brunette said, hopping out of bed and running to get to the bathroom first. Twenty minutes later the girls exited their room and went to fetch their team mates.

When Kitty phased them through the door, they were treated to another Kodak moment. Kurt was sleeping alone in the bed closest to the door and they saw him first. The blue teen was sleeping face down with his boxer clad butt in the air, snoring softly. If that wasn't enough to make the girls wish for a camera, the sight in the next bed was.

Evan Daniels and Pietro Maximoff, well known to be bitter rivals, were curled around each other in sleep. Pietro had his snowy white head tucked under Evans' chin, and the dark skinned blond had both arms wrapped around the other teens pale back. Someone had kicked the covers off the bed and the girls saw that the boy's legs were tangled together. Looking into each others faces, the girls both sighed loudly, "Aww that's so cute!"

The sound woke Kurt, who looked over at the intruders and yelped when he realized they were seeing he and his friends sleeping in their underwear. Trying to be cool about it, he turned onto his back and said, "Hey girls, what time is it?" Rogue pointed at the wall clock and after taking a look the boy continued, "Why didn't Serena get us up? We're supposed to meet the other group soon."

By now the sound of people talking had roused Evan and Pietro. Still more asleep than awake, each boy realized that he was snuggled up to someone as yet unknown. Evan tilted his head down as Pietro brought his up, and lips met at the same time their eyes did. Pietro, being as fast to awaken as he was at doing everything else; looked into the dark chocolate eyes of his nemesis and realized he was being held tightly and kissed by Evan.

Evan wasn't much slower than the white haired teen, and both boys broke apart quickly, scrambling to get out of the bed and each others embrace. They stood staring at each other with the bed between them until the sound of three voices laughing turned their attention to the witnesses they'd have to kill.

Rogue and Kitty had collapsed onto Kurt's bed with the boy when they saw Evan and Pietro kissing. As the boys broke apart the hilarity of the situation overcame all three and they began a round of raucous laughter. Looking back at each other, Evan and Pietro came to silent agreement and they stalked around to the other bed, jumping onto it and tickling their team mates until the three agreed never to tell a soul about what they'd seen.

When they had all calmed down, the girls remembered why they'd come in to wake the boys in the first place. "Hey guys, if you think what you did was embarrassing, let Kitty poke your heads into Logan and Serenas' room. Trust me; you'll forget about your little show once you see what the big badass is doing in his sleep."

Kitty held Kurt and Evans hands, and Kurt took Pietro's and all four phased their upper bodies into the next room. The adults were in the same position they'd been in when Kitty had first awoken and the boys had to pull back into their room for a well deserved fit of laughter.

"We better let you guys get dressed so we can go wake them up. Willow, Giles, and Xander are expecting us soon. If you want to save time one of you can use our shower." Rogue said, getting up off the bed and heading for the door. Kitty followed and a second later so did Kurt. The blue teen figured Evan and Pietro could use a few minutes alone.

* * * * * * * * * *

With Kurt and the girls gone Evan and Pietro found themselves in an uncomfortable silence. Having been rivals for so long, they were both disconcerted at having woken in such an intimate position for the second morning in a row. If they'd been residents of Sunnydale they might have passed the events off as the hellmouth at work, but they were New Yorkers and didn't know what to say to make things normal between them again.

Belying the falsity of his brash, smart-mouth attitude, Pietro blushed fiercely and gathered his things to take a shower. Evan, being the more naturally bold of the two, gave a couple of false starts before finally saying, "At least no one noticed it yesterday."

Pietro nodded, avoiding the other boy's eyes, "Umm, why did you get in bed with me anyway? I thought you were gonna share with Kurt. You were when I fell asleep." Hating himself for blushing like a girl, the speed demon forced himself to ask the question. Pietro wasn't fazed about waking up with another guy; he'd realized he was gay years ago, but waking up cuddled in Evans arms was another story. The white haired teen had been hiding a crush on the other boy for over a year. That's how their rivalry had gotten started in the first place.

"Umm, I kept rolling over onto his tail and waking him up. He got tired of it and told me to go sleep with you. You were already asleep so I didn't think you'd care. Last night I just slept where I fell. Didn't expect to wake up hugging you and I really didn't expect to kiss you. The girls will probably bug me for weeks to tell them how good a kisser you are; all of them have the hots for you." The dark skinned boy explained.

The secret he'd never tell his female team mates was that even though it was unexpected, and too quick to really judge, was that he'd liked it. Waking up with Pietro in his arms had felt good, and right in a way he couldn't explain. Evan didn't think things with the snowy haired boy would ever be the same again, but something in the back of his mind said that he could make them better, if he was willing to make the first move.

Pietro accepted the explanation, but his hidden elation deflated when Evan admitted he hadn't planned anything. The slender boy had been half hoping Evan had gotten into bed with him because he was beginning to feel the same things Pietro was. As he walked quickly into the bathroom he said, "Yeah, I know they do. Too bad they're not my type; I could have my pick of the girls at school. I'll be out in a minute and you can have the shower."

Evan stared at the closed bathroom door, his thoughts whirling. 'Who's not his type? The Xmen girls or girls in general? Oh man is 'Tro gay? He's always had girls around him, but I can't remember him ever dating one, not even back at our old school. I wonder if he likes me. He's been different on this trip, not as much of an asshole. Must be because of 'Rena. She knew him when he was just a little kid, so he probably can't fool her with the attitude.'

Shaking his blond head, Evan gathered his own shower things and some clean clothes. The shower cut off and a minute later, Pietro was out of the bathroom, dressed in his usual black tee and blue jeans; his white hair perfectly styled. 'Damn he's fine; no wonder the girls flock around him.' Blushing at the thought Evan hurried into the bathroom, hoping the other boy hadn't noticed his chocolate skin darkening.

Pietro quickly packed up his things, then did the same for Evan and Kurt. They'd be going home later and packing now saved time when they came back for their things. Looking at the bathroom door, the teen decided to wait for Evan before joining Kurt and the girls to wake their guardians. He lay back on the bed, wondering how much hassling he'd be taking for almost admitting that he was gay.

Evan took considerably longer in the bathroom than Pietro had, and the snowy haired boy jumped up when he saw the expression on his rivals face. He headed for the door, intent on escape. Evans' face was set in resolution, much the same expression he'd had when he set a trap for a locker thieving Pietro months ago.

Evan placed a hand on the door before the other boy could open it. He was going to try something and he prayed that God or his aunt wouldn't send down a lightning bolt to strike him dead for it. "Hang on a second 'Tro." The pale boy turned to face him, and Evans nervousness was reflected in Pietros' eyes.

"Look man, I'm freaking out even thinking about this, but I have to try it. Hit me if it pisses you off ok? Just don't run away." That said, the dark skinned boy leaned in and touched Pietros' lips with his own. Keeping his dark eyes open to judge the other teens reaction, Evan tilted his head and moved his lips gently but firmly over his rivals, trying to get some kind of response from the stunned boy.

'Evan's kissing me, Evan's kissing me, oh shit Evan's kissing me!' Was all Pietro could think. The speed demon had never thought he'd get a chance like this. The small touch earlier had already burned itself into his memory to be taken out for enjoyment later. Now his lips were again pressed against those of his crush, and Pietro wasn't about to stand there like a statue when he could be kissing Evan back.

Silver blue eyes closed and Pietro relaxed against the other teen, shyly putting his hands on the dark boys' hips. Evan smiled against his mouth and slid his own arms around to caress Pietros' back. Now that he was sure the speedster wasn't going to bolt, Evan let his eyes fall shut and deepened the kiss, running his tongue over the other boys' lips, begging entrance.

Pietro obliged, parting his lips and letting the tip of his tongue touch Evans. As the boys kissed, tongues gently rubbing against each other and pulling back before touching again; their arms tightened around each other until they were pressed together as they had been when they'd awoken. They parted for breath a moment later and smiled into each others eyes.

"Oh yeah, that's nice, more." Evan whispered as his hand came up to cup the back of Pietros' head. Long fingers threaded through the corn silk hair and he brought the pale boys lips back to his own for another kiss. They could've continued like that for minutes or hours, each lost in the new, happy, tender feelings that were coming to life between them. Pietro cursed his over-active brain as he remembered that they needed to leave the room and get on with the day.

He pulled away from Evan, smiling shyly when the boy tried to follow his lips. "Umm I really, really hate to say this, but we need to meet the others before they come looking for us." Chocolate eyes glazed with lust opened, and Evan shook his blond head to clear his thoughts. The dark skinned boy groaned, knowing Pietro was right.

"Yeah, you're right. But next time I do this I'm making damn sure we don't have to be somewhere in a hurry. C'mere, I want one more before we go. Don't know when we'll get another minute alone." Evan said, not quite ready to walk out the door and end the pleasurable moment. Pietro came back into his embrace quite willingly, wrapping his slender arms around Evans' neck and initiating another kiss.

When the teens broke apart a minute later they didn't say anything about the interlude. They simply grinned to let the other know they were happy. Evan ran his hand down Pietros' arm and took the teens pale hand in his own. The snowy haired boy laced his fingers through Evans' and let the boy lead him out of their room and over to the girls.

* * * * * * * * * *

In Rogue and Kittys' room Kurt had finished showering and dressing and was now sitting on one of the beds chatting with his team mates. "How come you guys laughed at Logan and Spike but just made cutsie noises when you saw Evan and Pietro?" Kurt asked. He was watching Kitty as she combed and braided Rogues red and white hair.

"Because Logan isn't gay and as far as I know, neither is Spike, so it was funny. Pietro's as gay as Mardi Gras and he has a huge crush on Evan, so seeing them all curled up like that was cute." Rogue explained. She'd found out about Pietros' sexual preference when she'd lived with the Brotherhood.

The speedster had wanted to be friends with her, but couldn't get close without the southern belle making a pass at him. Finally tired of having his ass pinched he'd sat her down and explained that while he liked her, he wasn't interested in girls. Rogue had backed off and gotten over her crush on the boy, and they'd been good friends ever since, even after she'd joined the Xmen.

Before either Kurt or Kitty could comment, the objects of their conversation came through the door. Only Rogue was quick enough to catch the boys' hands as they came apart. She smiled and arched an eyebrow at Pietro, who grinned happily back at her. "Well you two like took long enough. Let's go wake up Mom, Dad, and Uncle Spike." Kitty said, not wanting to be too late for their meeting with the scoobies.

Rather than knocking on the adults door, Kitty phased Rogue and Evan through the wall while Kurt teleported with Pietro. They found Serena awake and just coming out of the shower. Logan and Spike were still asleep though, and the older woman smiled and gestured that the teens should go ahead with whatever plan they had to wake the adults up.

The teens approached the bed, keeping out of reach of Logan's claws, and whined loudly in unison, "Daddy, Uncle Spikey wake up! Come on, we're hungry! We've got to meet the other group in a little while!" The five teens collapsed in laughter and Serena wasn't far behind them a minute later when Logan came awake and jumped out of bed, cursing loudly when he realized he'd been cuddling Spike and not Serena.

Spike was slower to wake, and when he did he looked at the laughing teenagers, the chuckling woman, and the cursing man with angry blue eyes. The vampire flipped them the British version of the bird and went back to sleep, muttering loudly into his pillow, "Bloody kids. It's daytime, I'm supposed to be sleeping! You lot go play with the slayers bunch and I'll meet you after sunset. Now shut the bleeding hell up and let 'Uncle Spikey' sleep!"

Serena shooed the giggling teens out of the room, making sure Spike was under the blankets so the sunlight wouldn't burn him. Leaving Logan to shower and dress, she took Spikes cigarettes out of his duster pocket and joined her charges on the balcony.

"Well, what have you five been up to? I heard all sorts of interesting things after Kitty woke me up. And yes Rogue, I do have great taste in men, thanks for noticing." She lit a cigarette as the teens gaped at her. The children always seemed to forget she heard things almost as well as Logan did, and the thin walls of the hotel didn't do much to muffle the sounds of their conversation.

Rogue reached for the cigarettes and Serena pulled them out of the girls reach. She started to put the pack into her pocket, but then cast a wary glance at Pietro. The boy grinned wickedly at her, and she mimicked the expression as she tucked the cigarettes into her bra beneath the halter top of her dress. She raised an eyebrow at the teen, daring him to try to steal the pack now. The snowy haired boy pouted instead.

Logan joined the group a few minutes later, and they walked through town to Giles house, stopping briefly at the Expresso Pump for coffee and muffins. The teens walked faster than their guardians, leaving Logan and Serena to chat. The big man looked Serena over carefully as they walked.

The petite woman had put on a white sun dress that enhanced the beauty of her dramatic colouring. Her waist length blue black hair was left hanging down her back in smooth waves, and she'd put on a touch of makeup to add colour to her pale face. The over all effect of her appearance would've been angelic if not for the many bruises that marred the flesh of her arms, chest, and back. The upper part of her left arm was swathed in bandages to protect the sealed gash.

"How you feelin today Chatterbox? Those bruises look bad." Logan asked, running a callused fingertip over a large bruise on her shoulder. He wished he could've been there to help her fight the demons the previous night. Logan knew that she was a good fighter, but from what Kurt and Willow had described, she'd been outrageously outnumbered and fighting alone.

Serena tilted her dark head up and smiled at the concerned face of her friend. 'He really is an overprotective creature, my Logan is.' She mused happily. Aloud she reassured, "I'm feeling fine Wolvie. The bruises will heal in a few days, don't worry so much." She took the big mans arm to halt him, stood up on her toes and wrapped her slender arms around his neck, pulling him down for a gentle kiss.

Logan forgot his worries when the tiny woman kissed him. He placed his hands on her waist and lifted her off her feet before deepening the kiss. He stood on the sidewalk with his Chatterbox in his arms for a good long moment before releasing her to continue their walk. After a few steps Serena threaded her arm through his and linked their fingers together.

Sunnydale wasn't a large town and it didn't take long to walk from their hotel to Giles home, even with their stop at the coffee shop. Giles answered the door when the group knocked and invited them in. Seeing that the teens were already set with beverages, he offered Logan and Serena a choice of coffee or tea which the pair accepted gladly.

Willow, Xander, and Anya were already seated in the watchers living room when the Xmen arrived. The teens quickly seated themselves, taking the floor so that the three adults could have the chairs and couch. The younger people were already deep in conversation when Logan, Giles, and Serena joined them.

Giles shooed Willow out of his favourite chair and Logan and Serena took the spaces left for them on the couch. Sipping at their drinks, they listened to the teen's gossip for a few minutes before Giles opened the conversation. "Well, umm, I do hope you're all feeling well after your activities last night. We're extremely grateful for your help; I imagine we'd still be mute and looking for a solution today if it weren't for your assistance."

"You're welcome Mr. Giles, we were glad to help. But we didn't come here to help you deal with a sorry bunch of demons. We came here to get Spike, and I fully intend for us to leave with him today. From the tone of his letter, Spike didn't expect that your group would allow him to leave without an argument, especially the slayer." Serena stated, wanting to get the issue of custody resolved before they started chatting about less serious matters.

Giles nodded and sipped at his tea before replying, "I had a feeling this would come up. We don't have a problem with you taking Spike away, to put it bluntly, he's been a royal pain in the arse since he came to us on Thanksgiving. But before you go, I'd like for him to tell us what he knows about the soldiers that captured him. That information is the only reason we took him in and fed him, and he's been reluctant to part with it. I suspect he was only waiting for you to arrive."

It was Serenas' turn to nod thoughtfully. She had figured Spike was holding something valuable to keep himself alive. From what she'd seen of the slayer, the vampire was being prudent rather than merely his stubborn self. "I'll ask him to tell you what he knows. If nothing else, Spike is very observant. He'll have noticed something during his imprisonment that will prove helpful."

"Is that why you kept him chained in your bathtub, half starved all this time? And why Xander had him tied to a chair the night before last?" Logan asked, a deep growl in his voice. Serena had explained earlier that the reason she'd brought human blood back from the demon bar was because she'd seen that her friend was starving on a diet of animal blood. Having strong feelings about forced captivity and torture from his own experiences, Logan was outraged on the vampire's behalf.

"Half starved? We fed him regularly; I got the blood myself from the butchers every couple days. Giles kept him chained at first because he needed to assure himself that Spike couldn't hurt us. The first thing he did when he got out of the lab was come to my dorm room and try to eat me. Though he did offer to turn me, I suppose that was nice of him in an evil sort of way. And he cheered me up too, before the soldiers came to try and recapture him." Willow babbled, going off topic as she had a tendency to do when she was nervous. The hacker hadn't liked keeping Spike chained, and she didn't want the other group to think they'd done it just to hurt him.

Serena smiled at the girls babbling, and then replied. "He doesn't offer to turn just anybody, he must like you. I can understand the chains too, because he can be a real bastard sometimes and he's as good at mind games as his Sire. But he's a vampire, and vampires need human blood to live. Animal blood is a poor substitute and he would've eventually turned to dust from starvation. I thought all watchers knew that, which is why I was rather outraged when I saw him at Xanders."

"You saw him at my house? When? How?" Xander asked at the same time Evan commented, "Outraged? She was out for blood from the minute she read the letter until she woke up yesterday without her voice." The other teens nodded at Evan's assessment of Serenas' mood and Kitty explained their late night visit to Xanders basement.

Giles took the information in and tried to see the situation from the other group's point of view. He hadn't realized he was starving his unwanted houseguest, and he could imagine their outrage over the vampire's second imprisonment. "I didn't know that we were starving him, Spike never said anything about the blood we gave him except that it tasted disgusting. It wasn't our intention to harm him I assure you. We merely wanted to make sure he couldn't harm us or escape until he'd given us the information. He's been free to roam here for the last week. Xander is less trusting than I and tied Spike up while he slept. I won't apologize for the actions we took, it pays to be cautious when dealing with a vampire of Spikes' calibre, but we won't attempt to prevent you leaving with him."

Serena smiled; glad that she wouldn't have to fight the group for her friend. She said as much to Giles, "I won't ask for an apology, and I'll see that you get whatever information he has. I'm truly glad that you don't want to fight me for him, after yesterday I didn't want to have to use my powers against any of you." Giles nodded understanding and sipped at his tea, hating to think of what this group of people could do to he and his charges if they were angry.

"Hey, you never did show us your powers. You said it was something with your voice." Xander remembered. As the only truly normal member of his group, the dark haired young man envied the powers that these people possessed. He wanted to know what other powers someone could be born with.

All the Xmen chuckled at the boys' statement, knowing that he simply didn't remember his hypnosis the previous night. Logan explained his companions' laughter to the scoobies. "She used her powers on you last night, you just don't remember it." When the trio merely gave him confused looks he turned to Serena and said, "You explain it, I'd probably mess it up."

Serena patted his hand and said, "No you wouldn't, but I'll explain anyway." Turning to Giles she began, "I told you yesterday that my mutations resemble that of a sea siren. I hypnotize people with my voice. Until recently, I'd been living as a mute, only using my voice occasionally to protect myself. Just a few weeks ago our mentor, Professor Xavier, found a way for me to work around my mutation. It isn't a great solution, but I wanted to be able to speak, so I agreed to it."

She took a deep breath, and mentally prepared herself for whatever reaction they might have to what she'd done to them last night. "Last night, I started humming and hypnotized your entire group. Once you were under my influence, I gave you the suggestion that you would ignore the power of my voice until I said a certain word. Basically, I've turned you into sleepers. The key word is only a precaution though, in case we're ever forced to fight someone I've given the suggestion to."

The trio's eyes widened in shock. She'd put them all in the position of being her minions. But they could also understand her desire to speak, especially after their experience the previous day. Willow touched a small hand to her throat, and asked, "How long were you mute for?"

Serena answered quietly, still waiting for some kind of outrage at what she'd done to them. "Ten years. My mutation manifested when I was fifteen and I barely spoke after that. Time and long exposure to my voice can help build up a resistance to its influence, but I still couldn't talk to anyone for more than a few minutes without them succumbing to it."

"I suppose we can understand your desire to speak, as long as you don't plan to harm us with your powers. You didn't hurt us last night, and you could have easily. It must've taken a great deal of self control to live without your voice for so long. I honestly don't know how many people could've resisted the temptation to use powers like yours for their own benefit." Giles said. The librarian wanted to trust the young woman and her friends, but all the same he would be researching hypnosis to try and remove the hypnotic suggestion from the minds of his charges.

The conversation lightened after that, and the two groups felt a strong friendship building between them. As the hours passed the cluster of people separated into smaller groups. Rogue had stayed with the adults, sitting quietly beside Logan and listening to the conversation between the three. They discussed a wide range of topics, finding that between the three of them they had a lot in common.

Kitty was chatting with Xander and Anya about mutants and the different types of powers she'd seen. The older boy seemed fascinated by the many different mutations and their value in day to day life as well as in fighting circumstances. She told him about their school, and the mansion, and the sub basement levels that held wondrous things like Cerebro and the Danger Room. Xander decided he'd have to see some of these things to believe them.

After what he'd deemed a reasonable amount of time with the group, Evan had wandered into the kitchen, catching Pietros' eye and gesturing for the white haired boy to follow. The boys were now sitting on the kitchen floor, talking quietly between kisses. They'd made tentative plans to see each other once they got home, and agreed to keep their new relationship a secret for the time being, though Pietro indicated that he thought Rogue already knew.

The last to separate themselves were Kurt and Willow. The redheaded hacker hadn't been able to stop looking at the raven haired boy since he'd shown up. Kurt had noticed her attentions and was glad that his hologram hid his blush. When they seemed to be getting left out of the conversation, he'd asked the girl shyly if she wanted to go hang out in the courtyard. The older girl had nodded eagerly and they'd excused themselves before heading outside.

Once they were seated in the secluded courtyard, neither of the bashful teens knew what to say to each other. After a few minutes of shy glances and faint blushes Willow decided to act her age and speak up. "So, umm, I noticed you have an accent. Where are you from?"

"I'm German. I didn't come to America until a couple years ago." He replied, wanting to say more but not getting any ideas that would keep the conversation flowing. Kurt really wanted to get to know the redhead; her quick acceptance of his natural appearance had piqued his interest. Before her, only Serena and his adoptive parents hadn't needed weeks to get used to him.

"That's neat, did it take you long to learn English? I speak a little German, mostly spells though. Do you like living here? You guys came from New York right? I went there once with my parents, it was umm unusual. But that was before I learned about demons and vampires and everything that goes on here, so New York doesn't seem as strange now. I'm babbling aren't I? Sorry I have a tendency to babble, I've done it all my life. And I'm gonna stop now." Willow replied, as anxious to keep the conversation going as her companion.

Kurt laughed lightly, enjoying her speech. Willow gave him a self depreciating smile and he returned it before saying, "Don't stop babbling on my account, it's cute. I already spoke some English when I came over, and I learned more. It helped when the Professor made these holo-watches for me so that I could go to school with everyone else. I do like living in New York with the others, but I miss my mother and father sometimes. Logan and Serena are good surrogate parents though."

He paused for breath before asking a few questions of his own. "Umm, trying to think of something to ask and coming up blank. Why don't you just tell me about yourself?" The boy sat back as Willow obliged and began telling him about growing up in Sunnydale. When she finished her life story, he gave her his, surprised to realize how easy it was to tell this girl about his life, including the fact that his biological mother was the Xmen's enemy.

Once they'd gotten past the initial awkwardness their conversation flowed easily back and forth. They chatted about anything and everything, finding that they liked a lot of the same things. It was beginning to get late when Willow asked him the question she'd been dying to ask all day.

"Umm Kurt, will you let me see you without the hologram again? I've kinda been wanting to take another look all day but I wasn't sure you'd let me. I umm, thought you were really cute with all the blue and elf ears and the tail. Not that you're not cute with the hologram on because you are and oh goddess I'm embarrassing myself and I'm babbling again and I can't believe I told you I thought you were cute twice and you probably think I'm silly and I'm still babbling so I'll shut up now." Willow took a deep breath after her speech and looked at the boy with pleading green eyes, hoping he'd understood her rapid words, at least the question part anyway.

Kurt looked around the courtyard. There was too much possibility that someone besides Willow would see him if he turned off the hologram here. He had an idea though and said, "Okay, but not here. Give me a minute to talk to Serena and I'll teleport us back to the hotel so no one else will see me and freak out."

Willow nodded and bounced in her seat happily. Kurt smiled at her antics and went into the townhouse. He approached Serena and said, "Hey Serena, it's getting late. Willow and I thought we'd go over to the hotel and get all the bags ready to leave. We can come back with Spike after sunset. Is that okay with you?"

Serena turned to look at her surrogate son and heard the pleading in his voice. She glanced at Logan, who nodded ascent, then replied, "Sounds like a good plan to me, thank you for offering. But don't walk over, teleport. I don't want you two running into something nasty. And make sure Spike knows you're there so he doesn't leave without you." She cautioned with a smile.

"We will. See you after sunset." Kurt said as he turned and went back out the door. He returned to Willow and told her, "I told Serena we were going back to the hotel to make sure everyone's bags are packed. We're supposed to come back with Spike after dark." Kurt held out his hand to the redhead and she grasped it tightly. The pair vanished in a puff of smoke a moment later.

When they appeared in the boys hotel room Willow squealed. "That was fun! Can we do it again before you go?" The redhead asked; her mind already at work over what dimension they'd travelled in and the physics behind teleportation.

Kurt grinned and nodded, "How do you think I plan to get everyone's bags back to Mr. Giles house? I'm gonna go tell Spike not to leave without us, be right back." He vanished, and a moment later she heard him talking to the vampire in the next room. When the voices went silent and Kurt didn't return Willow began to get worried. 'Maybe he changed his mind and doesn't want to show me his real face anymore.' She thought as she wandered around the room, making sure no one had left anything laying around.

Kurt walked in the door a minute later carrying two bags and saw her worried expression. "Sorry I took so long. I checked the girls' room after I talked to Spike. They left a few things out and I had to pack them up. Now we don't have to worry about getting that done before Spike is ready to leave." The boy explained, dumping the bags on the floor near the door and moving the other three bags to lay with them.

"Oh, okay. I kinda thought you might have changed your mind, which you can you know, I won't get mad if you don't want me to see you." Willow said, having to forcefully stop herself from babbling at the boy again.

Kurt smiled and shook his head, indicating that he hadn't changed his mind. He was nervous about letting her get a closer look at him, but determined to go through with it. He liked the girl and was rapidly developing a crush on her. If she accepted his natural appearance on closer inspection, he would feel more comfortable letting her know how he felt. Kurt walked over to the redhead and stood in front of her, "Here goes nothing." He said, and turned off his holo watch. He kept his opalescent eyes on the hacker, watching the expressions play over her face.

Willow slowly looked him over, from head to two toed foot. She took in the blue fur, pointed ears, glowing white eyes, slender but well muscled chest and arms, the hands with only two fingers, long pointed tail, and legs that were bent at the knees to make walking on tridactyl feet easier. After taking note of each feature that made him different from any other boy, she came forward until she was standing close to him.

"I still think you look cute. It just suits you somehow, it looks right. Can I touch?" Willow asked, bringing a small hand up near his face. Kurt smiled a fang filled grin and nodded. Willow pressed a hand to his cheek, smiling as the short, kitten soft fur tickled her palm. She traced the outside of one pointed ear and then ran her hand gently down his arm to bring his hand up towards her face. "Does it make it hard to write, only having three fingers?" she asked, rubbing her thumb over the fuzzy fingers.

Kurt replied, "Nah, I've always looked like this, so I learned to write with three fingers when I was just a kid. Typing can be hard though, my fingers are bigger than the keys." He tried to joke his way around what was becoming an intimate situation. Willow had brought his hand up to her cheek and was nuzzling her face against it. The blue teen was used to being touched, but not by someone he had a crush on. There had been Kitty for a while, but she was like a sister to him now, as were all his female team mates.

Willow was feeling the same nervousness as Kurt. She hadn't touched anyone like this since Oz had left, but something about the blue teen was calling to her, making her want to be near him, to touch him and be touched by him. She looked up into the glowing white eyes that she found beautiful and laid her feelings bare. "Kurt, I don't know what's happening, but I feel something for you. I look at you and there's just something there that makes me want to be close to you. I don't usually lay everything out like this, and the goddess knows it's hard to do it now, but I have to 'cause you're leaving and I don't want to let you go."

Kurt brought his other hand up so that he was cupping her pixie like face between his hands, and softly replied, "I know Willow, and I feel it too. I…I want to kiss you, and hold you, while we still have some time left. Will you let me?" He barely waited for her nod before bringing his lips down to meet hers. As his lips moved against hers, he lowered his hands from her face and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her forward a step so that she was pressed against him fully. The redhead placed her own arms around his slender form, her fingers clutching the back of his shirt as he deepened the kiss, rubbing his tongue against her lips until they parted and allowed him in to explore the recesses of her sweet mouth.

Willow returned the kiss wholeheartedly. She allowed her tongue to twine around his, and then did some exploring of her own. She ran her tongue over his pointed canines and sharp edged front teeth, then beyond to taste his mouth. The pair stood together in the middle of the hotel room, lost in their embrace. Neither noticed the sun sink past the horizon, or the bleached blond vampire who opened and the quickly shut the door a minute later.

Spike smirked at the closed door. He walked a few steps away, and then sat down to have a smoke. 'So Red and the Elf are getting together eh? Good for them. The blue kid is more deserving of her than that cheating mutt she was with before. I'll give 'em a few more minutes before we go.' The vampire thought as he sat in the twilight, smoking silently.

When he'd finished his cigarette Spike again entered the corner hotel room. He found Kurt and the redhead still standing in the middle of the room making out. The only thing that indicated they'd moved at all was that Willows hands had wandered south since he'd last looked in on them. The bleached blond leaned up against the door jamb and twisted his lips into his trademark evil smirk. "Do I need to break out the oxygen tanks? It doesn't look like you've come up for a bloody breath in the last ten minutes."

Willow and Kurt broke apart, startled out of the sweet interlude by the obnoxious vampire. Kurt whirled around and crouched low, putting Willow safely behind him and growling softly at what he perceived as a threat, at first not knowing who or what had interrupted them. Spike chuckled as he pushed away from the doorway and sauntered in. "Right, growling lessons for you then. That little purr might've intimidated Reds' pet rat. It's supposed to sound like this." The vampire demonstrated a proper intimidating growl, crouching low and letting the sound build up in his chest before it came out in a menacing, predatory rumble.

Willow recovered her composure while Spike was playing 'big bad' and said, "Knock it off Spike; he hasn't had a hundred years to perfect it. Is it sunset already? We only got here a few minutes ago." The redhead looked out the open door and saw that it was fully dark. 'Wow, we must've been kissing longer than I thought.' She mused as Spike chuckled evilly again.

"It was sunset when I checked on you the first time Red. I left you two alone for a good ten minutes while I had a smoke. Now, we better get over to the watchers place before my little Nymph sends a search party for us. She'll be wanting to get home soon, doesn't care for the hellmouth much." The vampire said, picking up four of the duffels and leaving Willow and Kurt to take the other three. He'd brought Logan and Serenas' bags with him and dropped them with the others when he first came in.

Kurt had remained silent, embarrassed over being caught with Willow. He hoped the vampire wouldn't make a big issue out of the intimate pose he'd found them in. When Willow went to pick up the remaining bags he shook himself and took the bags from her, setting them back on the floor and curling his tail through the handles. The blue teen took Willows hand and gestured for Spike to come close enough so that he could take hold of him for teleportation.

Spike grinned; glad he wouldn't have to carry the heavy bags all the way to Giles home. He crooked his elbow for the boy to grasp and a moment later he set his burdens down in front of the watchers door. "Nice way to travel that, have to use it more often." He complimented. Leaving the humans at the door, he opened Giles door and sauntered in. He wandered over to the couch where Serena and Logan were seated and plopped himself down beside the small woman. "'Ello Nymph, sorry we took so long, but I almost had to use a pry bar to separate Red and the Elf. Seems they've taken a fancy to each other."

Serena laughed at her vampire friend and replied, "Really, that's interesting. She seems like a nice girl. Did you get us checked out of the hotel?" she asked. Kurt and Willow came in before the vampire could respond, having stayed outside for a minute to enjoy another kiss. They looked up to find the group staring at them and both blushed. Serena shook her head indulgently and addressed the blue teen, "Kurt, I think you forgot something." When the boy looked around confused she continued, "Turn your watch back on Sweetie."

Taking the groups attention off the brightly coloured pair, Spike answered Serenas' question. "No Luv, I didn't get us checked out; we'll have to send someone back to do it. I'll just grab some dinner before we go; I forgot to take your pressie back to the hotel last night." The vampire wandered into the kitchen to get his blood from the fridge. As the door shut behind him the group in the living room heard him exclaim, "Bloody hell, why me?"

When the vampire got into the kitchen he noticed that Evan and Pietro, who'd been missing from the group, were still in the kitchen, and for the second time that day he'd walked in on a make out session. Tilting his head up to the sky he'd gotten the boys attention by saying loudly, "Bloody hell, why me?"

The pair had quickly separated and tried to babble an explanation but the vampire had held up a hand, "Out, both of you. I don't bloody well want to know, it's none of my business. We're getting ready to leave, so go see if Nymph wants you to do anything before we go." Evan and Pietro quickly left the vampire alone, hearing him mutter, "Too much bloody puppy love around here, must be the hellmouth. If I see any more kissing today I'm gonna heave. Satan, save me from humans in love."

The pair quickly rejoined the group, trying to look nonchalant. Serena, being the ever observant mother, looked them over and cocked an eyebrow. Logan had given them the once over too, but not seeing any bruises to indicate they'd been fighting, he turned his attention to the muffled sounds coming from the kitchen where Spike was still talking to himself. "What's he goin on about?" He asked the boys.

"I got no idea man; he just came in mumbling something about the hellmouth and puppies. There were a couple 'bloodys' in there too." Evan said, hoping the vampire wouldn't fill in the blanks later. The group seemed to accept the explanation, and didn't question the boys about their activities, though both Serena and Rogue were giving the boys knowing looks.

Serena had gathered the hotel room keys and now she handed them to Pietro. "Can you run over to the hotel and get us checked out Ptichka? Kurt forgot to do it earlier." The snowy haired boy took the keys and left the house, speeding through the dark night. "When he gets back we'll take our leave. Mr. Giles, can Logan and I talk to you outside for a moment?" Giles nodded and walked out with Logan. Serena went into the kitchen and asked Spike to join them.

When all four were seated outside, Serena became serious. "Spike, tell Mr. Giles what you know about the soldiers and the place where you were kept." Spike obliged, and the other three paid close attention as the vampire detailed his stay in the lab. He was able to describe the cell block and the route he took to get out. As he spoke, the vampire reached into one of his duster pockets and pulled out a palm sized notebook. Inside the book he'd made several drawings. Faces and descriptions of his captors, other species of demons he'd seen while escaping, and a map of his escape route.

The watcher looked closely at each drawing and read each notation. He held the book in his hand and addressed the vampire, "Thank you Spike. This information is certain to prove useful." The watcher wanted to say more, but couldn't bring himself to do it.

Spike waved off the thanks and replied, "Just let me know if you find out how to get rid of this bloody chip. You help me get back to normal and I'll swear on the Order of Aurelius never to set foot in this town again, at least while you and your slayer are here." He looked into Giles eyes and was pleased to see that the watcher understood the magnitude of his offer. A master vampire didn't go back on a deal when he'd sworn on his clan.

Serena patted the vampires' hand, letting him know that she would do everything in her power to free him. The dark haired woman reached into her pocket and pulled out a business card. She handed it to the watcher and said, "This is the address and phone number of the institute where we live. If you find any information on the chip, or if you need our help, call."

"Nothin good can come from these soldiers. Nothin good's ever come of the government messin around with things they don't understand and I've seen it happen enough to know. You find yourselves in trouble, call us and we'll come. There're more of us back in New York, and together we're one helluva team." Logan added. The big man wanted to get in on whatever fight was coming, he had some issues he'd be happy to work out on the faces of the soldiers and their lab coats'.

Giles thanked the mutants and the four continued to talk amongst themselves until Pietro returned a few minutes later. They walked back into the townhouse and Serena addressed the large group. "Okay kids, let's get a move on. I'm sure Mr. Giles would like his peace and quiet back."

As the young mutants went outside Xander approached Logan and asked, "Can I walk with you guys? I'd really like to see the jet Kitty was telling us about and I think Wills would like to spend some more time with the blue guy too." Logan agreed and with a round of handshakes, the mutants and the vampire left Giles home.

* * * * * * * * * *

The walk back to the clearing in the woods took about twenty minutes. When they reached the jet, the teens stood outside talking to their new friends and saying their goodbyes. Email addresses and phone numbers were exchanged with promises to call or write. Logan took Xander into the X jet so that the boy could take a look at the cockpit. Serena stood outside talking with her charges, waiting for Kurt and Willow to come back into view. The pair had gone off to say a private goodbye and Spike had followed behind them.

Away from the rest of the group, Kurt and Willow were speaking quietly, exchanging tearful goodbyes and promises to keep in close touch through the internet. With a last long embrace, the blue teen held out his hand to the redhead and began to walk back to join the rest of the team. Spike intercepted them before they came out of the trees. "Mind if I borrow your bird for a minute? Need to say goodbye to my favourite redhead." The vampire asked. Kurt shrugged and continued on to stand beside Serena.

Willow looked at the vampire nervously, wondering what he wanted to say to her. Spike had a serious expression on his handsome face, and that was never a good thing as far as she was concerned. "Well umm, bye Spike. I hope you like New York." She said, hoping he would let her rejoin the others.

"Hold on a minute Ducks. I need to say something to you." Spike came forward and took the witch firmly by the arms, leaning down slightly to look directly into her elfin face as he spoke. "I'm going to be blunt Red, don't have much time. I like you. I like the watcher and the whelp too. I don't want to see any of you get hurt. Things are gonna get bad from here on out, and I don't need any special powers to know that. The hellmouth is practically vibrating with anticipation of whatever's coming. Whatever those soldier boys are doing, the end result is gonna be worse than anything you've faced before."

Spike reached into his duster pocket and pulled something out, then lifted Willows hand and placed the object in it. "I want you to take this. It's the keys to my DeSoto. The car's parked in the garage of the Crawford street mansion. If things get too bad here, and you need to leave, you grab Giles and Xander, take the car and get out. There's travelling money in the glove box so if you need to run, don't stop to get anything."

Willow nodded to let him know she understood his instructions and he continued, "You don't tell anyone I gave you the car, or where it's kept understood? Not even your friends can know. I have a feeling your life may depend on it being secret. If you have to use it, go to the pouf in L.A. and ring me from his place so I can bring your new friends to come help you."

When Spike finished his cautioning speech Willow stood in shocked amazement. She couldn't believe the vampire cared enough about her and her friends to give them something as dear as his car. 'He must be serious. He loves that car almost as much as his duster. He's right too, something bad is coming, and I might really need his secret escape plan.' She mused, staring into the handsome planes of his face.

A sudden rush of feeling for the blond overcame her and the girl gave in to the urge to hug the vampire. She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "Thank you Spike. You're right, about everything. I know something is coming and I'll keep the car a secret until I have to use it. I'll try to find some way to fix your chip, I promise, as long as you don't plan to eat me once you're free. I kinda like being alive. You know, I wish you'd said all this sooner 'cause now you're leaving and I don't want you to. You're actually a nice guy when you're not being all 'big bad grr face.' Take care of yourself okay? Don't get dusted."

Spike hugged the redhead while she spoke, a grin hidden in her flaming hair. He released her when she'd finished and said, "Don't let it get out Pixie. With this chip in my bloody brain all I've got left is the image. You take care of yourself too, be careful, and pay attention to the people around you. Especially the people in that class you have with the Slayer on Fridays. Whenever you come back from that class you stink of the place I was kept. Now, let's get back to the rest of the happy meals so I can get out of this hell hole."

The vampire threw an arm around the hacker and she allowed him to lead her back to the group. Logan and Xander were just exiting the jet when they approached. Willow pecked Spike on the cheek, and then left him to say one last goodbye to Kurt. Spike continued over to Serena and asked, "Why don't you give us a tune Nymph? You promised me years ago that when you got control of your powers you'd sing my favourite song for me. I want to hear it now; this place could bloody well use the good vibes."

Since Kitty was busy taking pictures of the group Serena was happy to oblige. She moved out into the open space between the jet and the woods. Her friends turned to watch and were awed by the picture she made. The moonlight made her pale skin and white dress glow, and the stars lit her raven hair. Giving Spike one of her lovely smiles, the Siren leaned her head back and began to sing.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
and grace my fears relieved;
how precious did that grace appear
the hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
'tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
and grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me,
his word my hope secures;
he will my shield and portion be,
as long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
and mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
a life of joy and peace.

When we've been there ten thousand years,
bright shining as the sun,
we've no less days to sing God's praise
than when we first begun.

The earth seemed to hum in appreciation of the womans song. The trees blew in a breeze that came out of nowhere. Though the hymn was sung in a soft, reverent tone, it was heard for a long distance. In his home, reading through the book Spike had left him, a breeze wafted into Giles living room and the man closed his eyes, listening to the whisper of an old hymn. In a cemetery near the edge of the woods, a teenage couple escaped a group of vampires who had suddenly stopped their attack to listen as the wind brought an intoxicating sound to their sensitive ears. Standing within a few feet of the voice, with tears in their eyes, a group of humans and one vampire bowed their heads. When the sound faded away, the group felt a sense of loss, and with no further words spoken, the mutants and vampire boarded the jet, waving a last goodbye to the two teens they now called friends.

As the plane left the ground, Willow and Xander watched, and they continued to stare long after it had gone. After an extended silence, Xander took his best friends hand and left the clearing, turning back once to look at the place where Serena had stood to sing and whispering, "Wow."