Chapter Nine: Slayer Redux. A second Slayer has come to town, but Xander's busy trying to find his missing Sire and keep his friends from finding out about his relationship with Spike.

"I can't believe we have to do this," Xander muttered, glaring down at the paper in front of him. "I don't want to know what I'm going to be when I grow up. Does anyone care about that?"

"Not really," Buffy said. "You have to have a goal to aim for, or else you might get into something stupid, like drugs and alcohol and wild parties."

Xander rolled his eyes. "None of which are in my future any time soon, I promise. Well, unless you consider patrolling a 'wild party.'"

"Not quite," Buffy said dryly. "Though I think patrolling tends to be a bit more dangerous than wild partying."

"Besides, drugs don't really work on me," Xander said. "I wonder if that means that I have a higher tolerance for alcohol?"

"See, that's just the kind of thinking that having a goal in life is supposed to eliminate," Buffy scolded. She looked up when Willow came over to join them. "Hey, Wills."

"Hey you two," Willow said. "What are you two talking about?"

"Not wanting to do this, essentially," Xander said. "There's a hundred things I'd rather be doing."

"And Xander's tolerance for drugs and potentially for alcohol," Buffy added. "It was something of a far-ranging discussion.

"A hundred things, huh?" Willow asked Xander. "Like what?"

He shrugged, casually. "Sleeping. Eating. You know, the basics."

Willow gave him a Look. The "mommy" look. "So we're sure that we're over the insomniac and starving yourself phase?"

"It wasn't intentional," he defended himself. "I had a lot on my mind."

"And you don't now?" Willow said sternly. He gave her a wide-eyed look of innocence.

"Why Willow, would I keep something like that from you?"

"Yes," Buffy said. She'd been watching the exchange with fascination. "You definitely would."

He scowled at her. "I'm fine, okay? All better now."

"And this mystery guy, he's not causing any more trouble?" Willow said. She watched him carefully for his reaction.

"No more trouble," Xander said easily. "Really, Wills, I'm fine. If something happens, you'll be the first to know, I promise."

Getting ready for bed that night, Xander thought back to the conversation with worry. Willow knew something was up. She knew him better than anyone, and she knew that something was up, and she was trying to find out what it was without actually letting him know that she knew something was up.

Buffy was easier. She'd accepted his explanation for his absence that night several weeks ago easily enough. But Willow had known him since he was a little kid, and she knew that he hadn't just slept through the ringing phone, as he'd claimed. She knew that a ringing phone would wake him when a nuclear blast wouldn't. She hadn't said anything, though, probably because she was trying to find out what was going on without actually asking him point-blank and getting some other lie.

He'd just have to be careful, he reasoned to himself as he stripped off his shirt. There wasn't any reason that she had to actually find out what was really going on. If he was careful, then they wouldn't get caught.

Right on time, he heard the gentle rap on his window and went over to it. Spike stood there, balancing easily on the slanted roof, and grinned at him when he opened the window.

"Gonna let me in?" he asked, just like he asked every night when he showed up here. Which wasn't as often as it might have been, since for the most part Xander went to the factory, where there was less chance that he'd actually get caught. When Xander went to his place, though, he didn't bother with asking to come in, because he knew damn well that he didn't need to.

"You know I am," he said, just like he'd said every night that Spike had come here. Spike just grinned wider and swung a leg over the sill, knowing that Xander would answer in the affirmative, because he and Xander both knew that Xander didn't have a hell of a lot of resistance when it came to Spike.

He would be careful, though, Xander thought as he pulled Spike the rest of the way inside. He might not have a lot of willpower when it came to Spike, but that didn't mean that he was suicidal. He had no desire to have Willow or, God forbid, Buffy find out about the two of them, and he'd go to any lengths to make sure that it stayed their secret.

He banished the thought by pulling Spike flush up against his body and kissing him, hard and commanding and possessive. Spike kissed back enthusiastically before pulling back and grinning at him.

"Glad to see me, pet?"

Instead of answering, Xander just kissed him again.

Spike knew he had a silly grin on his face. It was at odds with the rest of his look, he knew, but he couldn't quite keep it off his face.

He was actually humming when he made his way into the factory, just before sunrise. He didn't see Dru in the main room, so he made his way back into the bedroom.

Dru was sitting on the bed, cards spread out in front of her. "What do you see, pet?" he said, leaning against the doorframe. She looked up at him and smiled sweetly.

"The Slayer," she said. "She's going to be having lots of fun and games soon, Spike. We're going to make it ever so fun for her."

He smirked and made his way over to the bed, shedding his duster as he went. "Drusilla, my sweet- what are you planning?"

"The Order of Taracas," she said.

Spike stopped, struck dumb by the simplicity and sheer brilliance of the idea. The Order of Taracas. If nothing else could take out the Slayer, those lot could.

"It's brilliant, ducks," Spike said, a grin spreading over his face. "If nothing else, it'll keep the Slayer off our backs while we complete your ritual."

Drusilla smiled back at him and held out her hand. "Will you dance with me now, Spike?"

"I'll dance with you, love," he said, and scooped her up, heedless of the cards that went flying. "I'll dance with you on the Slayer's grave."

When Xander got up to his room the next night at three in the morning, he found Spike sitting on his bed, waiting for him.

"You were out late," Spike defended himself, when Xander gave him an incredulous look. "I got bored."

Xander sighed and dumped his stuff in the corner. "Research. Someone was stealing something from a crypt belonging to some guy named Du Lac- don't suppose you'd know anything about that, would you?"

The innocent look that Spike gave him would have fooled anyone who wasn't... well, actually, anyone who wasn't completely lacking in a brain. Spike didn't pull off innocent really well. "Du Lac? Never heard of him."

Xander shook his head. "Nevermind. I don't want to know. We'll find out soon enough anyway. You make trouble, Buffy kicks your ass, I make you feel better afterwards. I'd just as soon it happen later rather than sooner, thanks all the same."

Spike pouted at him, and Xander marveled at how well the vampire managed to pull it off. "Oi! You mean that you won't protect me from the Slayer's wrath? Don't you love me anymore?"

Xander sighed. "Can we leave the hard questions for some other time and just have sex?"

Spike paused, seemed to consider, then stood up to pull of his shirt. "Sure."

Xander stifled a relieved sigh. He didn't want to the "L" word brought up, even casually. He wasn't ready to deal with it. He might never be ready to deal with it, but he definitely wasn't ready now.

Sex was easy. Even lying to his friends to cover up the having of the sex was easy. Emotions were a whole 'nother matter. Like when Spike had taken care of him, that night weeks before when he'd shown up at the factory. Like when he'd sneaked into his room tonight, and the look on Spike's face was all quickly-hidden relief, like Spike had been worried about him.

Like the way that Xander kept thinking about him when he wasn't there. Which, hey, nothing new. But this time it was less tormented lust, and more remembering the uncanny imitations of Angel that Spike could do, and the way that Spike held him when he fell asleep.

And the way that he was always gone when Xander woke up, and how Xander, secretly, in his heart of hearts, wished that just once, he wouldn't.

But that was the hard stuff. The emotions stuff. For now there was sex, and sex was always a more-than-adequate distraction.

Spike tossed his shirt aside and grinned at him. "C'mere, then," Spike purred, and Xander went to him, and let himself be distracted.

"I can't believe you dragged me out of bed, just so I can give you a ride," Cordelia muttered. "What the hell am I, mass transportation?"

"That's what a lot of the guys say, but it's just locker-room talk. I wouldn't take it seriously."

"Great, thanks. I'm here for my car and as a punching bag. Anything else you need me for?"

"Scenery?" he suggested, testing the door handle. It was locked, of course. She didn't even dignify that with an answer, so he shrugged and went to the side window, the one that with the broken latch.

"Buffy could be in trouble," he said, when he came around to open the door for her.

"And what are you going to do about it if she is in trouble? Stand around and crack jokes? You're the loser sidekick, and she's the girl with the super powers."

He stopped dead and turned around, staring at her incredulously. "You're kidding, right?"

"What?"

"You mean you don't know?"

She stared at him. "Xander Harris, what the hell are you talking about?"

"Vampire blood? Super-Xander now? You mean to tell me that no one told you?"

She blinked. "You're a vampire?"

"No," he said, very patiently. "I'm still human, just stronger."

"When did this happen?"

"This summer," he explained. "It's a long story, but to make it short, I'm stronger and faster. I can handle trouble if trouble comes a' calling. Okay? Can we look for Buffy now?"

"Fine," she muttered, but she was wasting her breath, since he was already pounding up the stairs.

"Jerk," she said under her breath, and wandered around the living room, trying to entertain herself while Xander-the-creep tried to save the day.

The knock on the front door interrupted her self-pity session, and she cheerfully went to answer it. A very average-looking man stood there, holding a large brown case.

"Hello, my name is Norman Fister and I'm a representative of Blush Beauty skin care. Could I interest you in some free samples?"

"Free?" she said, and smiled her best Queen C smile before letting him in.

"Spike?" Drusilla said, and she was giving him the huge dark eyes, and God, whatever she wanted, he'd give it to her.

"Spike, can I have him?"

Spike pulled back, and glanced over at Angel, lying on the floor, panting behind his gag. "You want to play, is that it, Dru?"

She smiled. "You get to play with your little puppy, and I want an afternoon to play with the angel. Is that so much to ask?"

Spike personally thought that his playing with Xander had very little to do with the playing Dru wanted to do with Angel, but, well, he'd never been able to resist Drusilla in a playful mood.

"Alright, luv. Just don't kill him till the full moon, will you?"

Her smile was wicked, and she said, "Bring him to me."

Xander leaned back on the stool he'd taken for his, crossed his arms over his chest, and smirked as he watched Cordelia pace back and forth.

"You know, this is more entertaining than I would have thought."

"You're just sitting there! Why aren't you thinking up a plan?"

"I have a plan," Xander said calmly. "I was just having fun watching you work yourself into a tizzy."

She whirled on him and glared. "What's your brilliant plan, then, oh brilliant one?"

He pointed to the window. "Break it. I help you climb out, and you keep an eye out for bug-guy while I follow you. Then we drive away."

She blinked at him. "That's... actually a good plan."

"I'm inspired by your confidence in me," he said dryly. "Can we go now?"

"Definitely."

"The Career Fair looked a little... messy," Xander said, as he came into the library. "What the hell happened?"

"Order of Taracas," Giles said shortly. Buffy looked at him from the counter, where Willow was taping her knee, and nodded agreement.

"You want to talk Order of Taracas? We had a visit from the kind freak of the Order of- Hello."

The young African girl glanced up at him, then back at her feet. "Oh yes," Giles said. "That's Kendra. Long story short, she's also a Slayer. Say hello."

Xander arched an eyebrow at Buffy. "I knew this 'I'm the only one, I'm the only one,' this was just an attention-getter."

She gave him an I'm-not-amused look. "Just say hello, Xander," she said, and jumped off the counter to go confer with Giles.

Xander turned to Kendra. "So, a Slayer, huh? How's that working out for you?"

She ducked her head down further and actually shuffled her feet. "I, uh, well, I'm.. ha-appy to be of service. Sir."

He stared at her for a long moment, then nodded, as if any of that had made any sense at all. "Good to be a giver," he said, giving her a thumbs-up, and wandered over to see what Giles was up to.

"Xander, I'm glad you're here. You said you had an encounter with the Order of Taracas?"

Xander nodded. "He looked normal. Really normal. Almost weirdly normal, actually. Except for the part where it turned out he's made up entirely of worms."

Buffy blinked. "Okay, that's incredibly gross."

Cordelia made a face. "You're telling me."

"Well, I've got worse news," Giles said, slowly. "We found out what the book was for- it details a ritual to restore a sick vampire to health."

"Drusilla, of course," Xander said, since he'd heard Spike ranting often enough about Dru's condition. When they bothered to have a conversation, that is.

"Well, yes. It says here that the spell drains the life of the Sire to revive the vampire and- What is it, Xander?"

"It's Angel," Xander said grimly. "He told me, when Spike first showed up. He turned Drusilla, and Drusilla turned Spike."

Buffy took a sharp breath of shock. "This ritual," she said to Giles. "It'll kill him?"

Giles nodded. "I'm afraid so, yes."

"Then we stop it. We need to find where it's taking place, and we need to find it fast. Willow?"

"I'll check the 'net," Willow said.

"Xander, can you track Angel?"

"I think so. If you can give me a starting place."

Buffy glared at Kendra. "Try the cage in the back of Willie's. That's the last known place."

He nodded. "Shouldn't be too hard."

Kendra looked askance at Xander. "How can you track him?" she demanded, her suspicions overwhelming her trouble with talking to boys.

"I got an upgrade that gives me strength and improved senses," Xander said, carefully leaving out the fact that it was vampire blood that had given him the upgrade. Kendra looked like someone who would stake first and ask questions later. "Also, I'm fairly familiar with Angel's scent."

Willow coughed. Xander glared at her.

"Look," an irate Buffy said to Kendra. "I know you're here to stop Spike and Drusilla. I want to save Angel. For now, our priorities mesh. Are you with me, or are you going to get the hell out of my way?"

Kendra was silent for a minute, but finally said, "I'm with you."

"Good." Buffy stalked around the table, and stood next to Giles with a resolute expression on her face that made the hairs on the back of Xander's neck stand up. "I've had it up to here with Spike. He can try to kill me, even send assassins after me, but nobody- nobody- messes with my boyfriend. He's going down."

Xander shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to tamp down worry for Spike. The vampire would manage fine on his own, and if he didn't, well, it wasn't that big a deal to Xander.

Of course not.

Xander stalked into the demon bar, riding the crest of a piss-poor mood. He'd spent the entire walk over here trying not imagine Spike being dusted, and failing. It was enough to put anyone into a bad mood, in his opinion. Thankfully, Willie must have some latent intelligence after all, because he took one look at Xander's scowling face and hastily went back to polishing his glasses, very, very hard.

Xander caught Angel's scent easily enough, but noticed that it didn't lead out of the bar at all. Instead, it went straight down into the sewers, which, okay, jibed with what Willie had told Buffy. No need to pummel anyone yet.

He opened the hatch and jumped down into the sewer. It was only a few steps down before Angel's scent was joined by an equally familiar one: Spike's.

He pulled out the cell phone Buffy had made him carry, and dialed the library.

Buffy stormed into Willie's ten minutes later, Kendra right behind her. It was the work of seconds to grab Willie and slam him into the bar.

"We had a fun little phone call from a friend of mine," Buffy gritted out. "Apparently, Angel did indeed make his way down into the sewers. But then he was joined by a pal of yours- Spike. Ring any bells?"

"Er-" Willie said. "It might. Why should I tell you?"

"Buffy, just hit him!" Kendra said loudly, behind her. Buffy gave Willie a very sweet smile.

"She likes to hit. You tell me, I don't let her. Are you seeing my point, yet?"

"Okay, okay. I know something. But I can't tell you where it is- I have to show you."

"Oh really? That's nice. Address, now."

"I really can't-" he started, then paused when he saw Kendra take a threatening step forward, and rattled off the address.

"Thank you so very much," Buffy said sweetly. "We'll be in touch."
She started out of the bar, and Kendra followed hotly after, demanding, "Where are you going? We have to return to your Watcher for orders!"

"First, I don't take orders. Second-" She held up a cell phone. "I talk. You drive."

Xander was slogging through ankle-deep muck when he heard his cell phone ringing tinnily in his pocket, and he cursed as he dug it out.

"Yeah?"

"Xander, we've got an address. 625 Elm. They're probably there already. Meet me there. I've got a plan."

"So what's this plan?" he said, already turning to head for the nearest manhole.

"You'll like this. See, I go in, and-"

It worked beautifully, Xander had to admit. Buffy went in and let herself be helplessly taken by the big bad bounty hunters and vampires. Just before Spike could kill her, Kendra came charging in, and the African slayer started fighting the gun-happy policewoman while Buffy started kicking the crap out of Spike. Willow and Cordelia used glue and their own four feet to smoosh bug guy, while he and Giles made quick work of the two vampires.

Giles ran off to make sure that Cordelia and Willow were alright, and Xander took advantage of everyone's distraction to pull the mystical knife thingy out of Dru's and Angel's clasped hands. Spike heard the noise and turned.

He gave a howl of anger and punched Buffy, knocking her out of the way temporarily while he ran to grab Dru. Buffy jumped up and went for Angel, then twisted her head indecisively when she saw that Spike was escaping with Dru in his arms.

"You take care of Angel," Xander said. "I'll go after them."

She looked worried, but nodded and turned back to Angel, taking him out of the straps that bound him up. Xander took off, running as fast as he could in the direction Spike and Dru had gone.

He caught up to them right outside of the church, and Spike turned on him with a snarl before seeing who it was.

"Hit me," Xander said.

"What the hell? Hit you?"

"So I can tell Buffy you got away," Xander growled. "Do it. She'll be coming this way any second."

Spike looked torn for a second, then shrugged, freed one arm, and clocked him so hard that he saw stars.

Xander lay there and listened to footsteps retreating, and was just considering attempting to stand up when he heard another set of footsteps approaching, from inside the church.

"Xander! Are you alright?"

"They got away," he said, unnecessarily. "I'll be okay as soon as I get an ice pack for my jaw."

Angel looked at him oddly, but Buffy just shrugged and held out the hand that wasn't supporting Angel to help him up. He took it and dragged himself to his feet, rubbing his soon-to-be-very-sore jaw.

"It's over," he said.

But he knew damn well that it wasn't.