Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.

Summary: Post AtS and BtVS, Faith and Xander are approached by a secret government agency. Surprises all around.

Rating: PG-13

Chapter 24: Old Loves

Spike woke up and realized he was alone instantly. He scrambled off the floor, looking around, and noted that the bed hadn't been slept on. He thought about it for a second, remembering what she'd said about getting Xander out of her mind. He sat down on the bed with a frown. He didn't like that; she was, as he'd told her, only going to make her problems with Xander worse, going out and finding some cheap lay somewhere.

"Least you could've done is told me I could have the bed," he muttered under his breath.

He gathered his bag to him, checking the weapons. Then he got up, checking the window. It was twilight, and he knew they ought to move on before dark, before Drusilla could attack again.

On the move they would be harder to track down.

He lay back on the bed, hugging the bag, and thought of all his friends. He thought of Buffy, and wondered what she thought of him now.

It was strangely comforting that it didn't matter much to him what she thought.

It was even more comforting that Dawn had trusted him enough to tell him that she didn't trust him, and that she was more concerned with Xander. And probably Faith too, if he thought about it.

And the fact that she cared made him surprisingly happy. Xander and Faith ought to have somebody looking out for them—they certainly weren't going to do it. They were as reckless as Spike, and even more determined to do the right thing. They were a danger to themselves…and everything evil in the world.

In short, everything Spike was trying to be. And that, again, hurt a little bit, that after he had tried to hard they were still effortlessly so much better than him.

It made him feel a little better that his presence made Xander feel a little guilty and prejudiced. It was the least he could, after Xander's presence made him feel like he hadn't changed at all since he first came to Sunnydale… and he was trying so hard to change, sometimes it hurt.

He sighed, getting up and heading out to find something to eat, the bag staying on his shoulder.

line break-

Faith woke up in Xander's arms.

The thought alone caused a quiver of girlish excitement, something she could honestly say she had never felt before. The fact that his breath was bad and his flannel was scratching her face barely detracted from the feeling.

He stirred, and she adjusted her hold on him. It might have been the first time she'd spent the entire night with a guy—she couldn't ever remember doing it before. Maybe she'd spent a whole night with Robin, but she remembered feeling suffocated and trapped by that bed, and running off more than once just after he'd fallen asleep. She couldn't remember ever spending a whole night with Robin.

She suspected that the reason she could never remember a whole night is because she never spent a whole night. And further, that's probably part of the reason Robin left, because he couldn't understand how anyone could feel suffocated by another body, because he couldn't understand how she could share an intimate moment with him but not a bed.

Xander blinked his eye open. "Faith," he muttered, surprised to see her.

She shrugged, unable to think of anything to say. Good morning seemed too bland, too stupid. Too inane. Anything else…didn't say what she wanted to say.

He nodded warily. "Um." He cleared his throat, and surreptitiously glanced downward, checking to see if they were still fully clothed.

They were. That he had to check hit Faith like a punch, but she tried to hide it.

He looked up and saw it in her face so easily that she wanted to cry. "I'm sorry," he said. "I was tired last night, and I'm…" He trailed off, swallowing again. "I can't make any sense," he said finally.

She wanted very badly to touch his face, but she was worried that he'd flinch, or that he'd try to stop her. It wasn't very far from the face to the neck, and she knew he didn't trust her that much.

She steeled herself. Nobody had ever called her chicken and gotten away with it, and they weren't going to start now.

He did flinch, just a little, when she touched him. But he took a breath and met her gaze, and managed a smile. She stroked the pad of her thumb across his cheek, letting it scrape across the stubble and the soft spots where no hair grew, up over the cheekbone below his missing eye, back towards his ear.

"Spike says I love you," said Faith quietly. She knew it was a mistake to bring Spike into this, but she couldn't actually say she loved him. It was too foreign, too strange. And she still wasn't sure she believed it, although the pit of her stomach seemed to be jumping around like a spastic geek dancing their heart out.

"Oh," said Xander. He reached up, touching her face. "What do you think?"

"I don't know," said Faith. "I told him I didn't believe in love."

Xander sighed. "Yeah, that always complicates things," he said. His finger traced a line down her cheek. "I don't even know what we're doing, here," he said, wonder in his voice. "Do you?"

"No idea," she said. "But it's way better than whatever we were doing before."

Xander laughed. "It is," he agreed. His finger went still, stopping beside her mouth, and he stared at her piercingly, as if he was trying to see something. "I do believe in love, you know."

"You could ask Spike if you love me," said Faith, smiling. "He seems to have all the answers." She moved, letting her body press against him and rolling over slightly to straddle him.

Xander let his hand drop and stared up at her. There was just a hint of fear in his eyes, and it hurt her. She tried to hide it, and leaned down, kissing him lightly before pulling back and getting off the bed.

He watched her go, and she could see the guarded look in his eyes, hiding whatever reaction he had. "I think I might," he said finally. "I don't… I'm afraid if I make a promise, I'll just break it. Again." He swallowed hard when he said again.

She moved back onto the bed, sitting on the foot of it. "I don't want to hurt you," she said.

This was a hard conversation to have, harder than anything had ever been for her. Even breaking up with Robin had been easier. He had raged, but she hadn't really cared what it had done to him, had only cared about how suffocated she felt, and how much she wanted to get free of him.

She did care what happened to Xander, and that made this harder.

Xander sat up. "We have to get Spike to Seattle first," he said. "Then we can…figure this out. I'll ask Dawnie for some time off, some time where we can just figure things out."

Faith nodded. "I'm just gonna take a shower," she said, moving away.

He watched her go, then stood up, heading for the door. "I'll go find Spike, tell him we'll be leaving soon," he said.

He headed out, surprised to find Spike standing out in the open, watching the sun set.

Spike glanced at Xander with surprise. Without a word he turned back to watch the sun set.

His hair was wet, and he had apparently just rebleached it as well, from the bright look and the pinkish glisten to his flesh near his hair.

"It's one of the few things I like about losing my immortality," said Spike, his voice almost companionable. "Well, that and walking into churches without hissing."

His hands were still for once, and he seemed to have more peace surrounding him than Xander would ever have thought possible. It annoyed Xander.

"Faith wandered off last night," admitted Spike, a little sheepishly. "I didn't manage to stay awake long enough to stop her, or ask her where she was going."

"She's in my room," blurted Xander before he had a chance to think about it.

Spike turned around, staring at him. Instead of a laugh, or the expected 'good on you,' he looked ready to punch Xander.

Spike moved forward, getting in Xander's face. "Don't you dare look down on her for this!" he hissed. "She loves you, you know, and that's just the only way she knows how to express it! Don't treat her like a slut or try to close her out! Don't you dare look down on her for being as real as she is! She's, she's a woman, and she has needs, and—!"

"I didn't sleep with her," Xander interrupted him.

Spike stopped dead, staring at him. "Oh," he said finally. "Good." He turned away. "Wish I still had at least the sense of smell," he grumbled. "Make less of a fool of myself at times."

Xander thought about what Spike had said shortly. "You don't have a monopoly on wisdom, you know," he said through gritted teeth. "I know we could screw this up really easily…we already did, once."

Spike nodded. "I did think I had the monopoly on self control these days, but I've always been a little conceited that way," he conceded. "Congratulations. You're much more grown up than I remember. Ready to go?"

Xander stretched, glaring at Spike. "You? Self control?" he asked, his voice sarcastic.

"Oh, yes, ask me how I've managed to keep myself from stalking Buffy all this time," said Spike, just as sarcastically. "Git. I'll have you know I've changed a lot since the bad old days in Sunnydale."

Xander laughed at Spike, taking the time to make it a nasty laugh. "Well, I guess we'll all have a party to celebrate the new you…who has the exact same hair as the old you!"

Spike touched his hair with a sigh. "I don't want to go back to being William," he said flatly. "Now, shut up. Here." He tossed a grocery sack at Xander. "Clothes for you an Faith. I guessed at the sizes, and got it all in black. Figured she'd like it, and it'd be a pleasant improvement on you. And we'll get breakfast somewhere…dinner, whatever. I gassed up the bikes."

Xander thought about it for a minute. "Where are you getting money?" he asked suspiciously, finally getting around to analyzing what they'd been doing recently, and Spike's apparently inexhaustible source of cash.

Spike sighed. "Stole it from Wolfram and Hart when I went on the run. Stupid buggers never cut off Angel's expense account, so I bled it dry. Gonna rat me out for still being evil and bad?" Spike smirked at Xander.

Xander shrugged. "Who would I rat you out to? Everybody knows."

Spike snorted. "Great. Here." He tossed Xander his keys. "You can grab a shower in my room, freshen up. There's soap and stuff; you do remember how to use it, right?"

Xander looked up at the setting sun. "Yeah, sure," he said.


The Immortal regarded Buffy and Dawn quizzically. "You know I'm a neutral being. I don't take sides," he said shortly.

"Call it a favor," said Buffy. "To the new Council, the now-much-more-powerful Council."

The Immortal sighed, his long lashes fluttering. "But it's a favor for them," he noted, a hint of a whimper in his voice. "I know it is. The too-bright William, the too-dull Liam… did you know that Liam is an Irish form of the name William? Strange, isn't it, that they even share a name? You must know how much I hate them."

Dawn sighed. "l'Eterno, we know you hate them. And things aren't so hot with us right now either. But this place, Wolfram and Hart, they have all the power, don't they? If we take them down, who will fill that vacuum of power?"

He turned to her quizzically. "Appealing to my baser instincts, my fallen nature, Dawn? Very worldly of you, little Alba. Very well, then, we shall go to fight. Maggio la vittoria dell'uomo migliore."

He turned and walked away, closing the door quietly behind him.

For a moment Dawn and Buffy stared at the door, both of them wondering whether the Immortal would be any help in their battle. Then Buffy glanced to Dawn.

"What'd he say?" she asked.

Dawn sighed. "Roughly? May the best man win. Apparently he still thinks his battle is with Spike and Angel…for you."

Buffy laughed. "Kind of full of himself, isn't he?"

"Well, when you've got it…" said Dawn, rolling her eyes. "Go down and tell the girls to get suited up, okay? We go at sunrise, with the light."

"Perfect," muttered Buffy. "Any special weapons?"

"I think Andrew left the supply of rocket launchers. We'll need that," said Dawn.

Buffy hesitated. "Is this going to be dangerous?" she asked.

Dawn shrugged. "The odds are pretty good if your boyfriend pulls through; otherwise, it's going to be a real fight. Either way, they're going down, and there's nothing they can do about it."

Buffy took just a moment to smile. "Unless their Seers have alerted them, in which case we may face tanks," she said.

"Ergo the rocket launchers," replied Dawn. "Don't worry, we're ready for them."


After spending the whole night on the roads it was a relief to slide into the tacky leather seats and order something cold. Xander leaned back, profoundly relieved to be off the bike.

Faith slid in beside him, not quite meeting his eyes. "How're you doing?" she asked.

"Sore," he replied.

Spike slid in opposite them. Xander could see the struggle the former vampire was having holding down the snarky remarks, and he braced himself for them.

"We're making good time," mumbled Spike, casting his gaze down. Xander could see that Spike was biting his cheek in an effort not to say anything.

"We'll make Seattle in no time," said Faith.

"We're not going to make it," mumbled Spike. "We'll be ambushed. Told you it wouldn't go well."

Faith snorted. "Well, let them come. Champion of Goodness and Slayer, here." She leaned against Xander, putting a hand on his leg. He nonchalantly wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Spike glanced up at them, and then back down, then away.

"Just say it!" snapped Faith, having no patience at all for this routine.

Spike glanced up at her, surprised. "Huh? Sorry, I just… no, I've got nothing to say." He looked away again.

"Yes, you do," insisted Faith.

He looked back at her, annoyed. "I died, and they sent me to hell," he said shortly. "That's what this is, you know. A place where I have to stick with him and watch him get the girl…that's hell. He knows; he's died, and he's in hell now, a place where he has to watch me and listen to me gripe about him getting the girl. Lucky you, you died and went to heaven; you get to hang with the man you loved, and you don't seem to hate me as much as I deserve, so I don't really see the downside at all for you."

Xander let out a long sigh. "I hate it when you talk sense," he said shortly.

Spike shrugged. "You grew up and got all mature, I grew up and got all mature. We're all mature and grown up here. Sucks."

"It does!" said Xander fervently.

For a moment they all sat in silence, and then Spike started up again. "So, there's death and destruction down the road for us, and probably worse."

Faith glanced out the window of the diner. "What about Drusilla?" she asked.

"You leave her to me," growled Spike.

"No, I mean, she's outside," said Faith.

Spike glanced out. The sun had just risen, but there were clouds in the sky again, cutting off the light, and she stood there in the half-light of the storm, smiling. There were demons behind her, and Spike reached into the bag slowly.

"Slayer, you just watch the boy, all right? Still have those knives?"

Faith let go of Xander's leg, reaching for the back of her belt. She came up with two knives. "Yes," she growled.

"I've got the one shotgun still, but only one box of ammunition left," growled Spike, passing the bag over the table to Xander. "After that, there's a bow and a bunch of arrows. Save that for vampires. Stay back, pick your shots, don't shoot me or the Slayer."

Spike was holding the sword in a two-handed grip when he stood up, a grim look on his face. He'd taken off the leather coat when he sat down, and he didn't bother to put it on.

"Come on!" he screamed. The few other diners swiveled to look at him, the man standing alone wearing a black tee-shirt, with blazing white hair and a face that could scare a whole roomful of children.

Then the glass window exploded inward, demons swarming towards them. The other patrons screamed, jumping backwards as orange, blue and purple demons charged Spike.

He swung the sword in tight overhand swings, sending bodies flying through the air with impacts that jarred him back a step with each blow.

Faith darted into the fray, pulling demons away from him and slamming the knives in her hand into them, knocking them back and away from the furious fighting in the middle of the diner.

One tried to get behind her, reaching for her with huge claws. A shotgun blast tore him off his feet, sending him flying towards Spike, who slashed at him, tearing his head clean off his shoulders.

"Come on!" screamed Spike again.

The cannon fodder expended, larger demons moved in, demons with weapons and determined looks on their faces. These weren't so easy to fight. They parried Spike's frantic swings, sending blows at him that he was hard pressed to avoid.

Several engaged Faith, although Xander continued to blast them off her back with the shotgun. With her engaged Spike was cut off, alone.

Several converged at once, disarming Spike and punching him, knocking him down. He rolled, coming up swinging with his fists, the sword gone, sending powerful blows that sent demons flying through the air.

One of them clubbed him in the back, knocking him to the ground, and they began kicking him.

At the same time Xander felt the gun get yanked out of his hand. As he reached for the bow Drusilla backhanded him across the face, dropping him to the ground. "Silly boy," she purred.

Faith turned, surprised, ready to jump at the vampire, and one large demon punched her, knocking her down. In a second they were holding her down, pummeling her.

Drusilla giggled. "You can run, but you can't hide, my Spoike." She swayed closer to Spike, leaving Xander lying senseless on the ground. "What is your worst fear now?"

The demons standing over Spike picked him up, holding him tightly as they pushed him forward to face Drusilla.

He spat blood in her face. "My worst fear is that you'll keep prattling on," he spat. "You want to fight me, Dru? Then come on, let's have it, you an me! The way it ought to be!"

She giggled. "You've beat me too many times," she reproved him. "Once to save the world, once to save your Slayer, and once to save this Slayer."

Spike wasn't sure he was following her logic, but he was pretty sure that she was referring to the first time he'd teamed up with Buffy against Angelus, the time he'd offered to stake Drusilla for Buffy, and the other day, when he'd beat her down when she came after them.

And she was right. She'd have to be crazy to fight him again.

Luckily for him, she was crazy.

"What's the matter, Dru?" he taunted. "Afraid of me? Afraid I'll kill you?"

She scowled at him. "There's so many things I wanted to do with you, and you know I'll never have that pleasure, with you dead," she sighed petulantly. "But blood calls blood, Spoike. And now your blood calls the ground."

She stepped back, picking up Xander by the shoulders, lifting him from the ground easily. His head lolled limply, revealing his neck.

"Aw, hell, no," muttered Spike.

She leaned in, nuzzling Xander's neck. "Sweet, sweet blood," she whispered. "He joked of it, and now it's mine."

Her face twisted, shifting, the demon coming to the fore, her teeth stretching and growing into razor-sharp killing instruments, and she opened her mouth wide.

Spike exploded into action, jerking his arms free in a quick twist and throwing the demons back, diving forward and punching Drusilla in the face. She and Xander both fell limply to the ground. More demons swarmed forward but Spike spun, his leg up, kicking them away.

Those who were pummeling Faith stopped, turning and attacking Spike. But he was over the bag of weapons now, and he drew the bow quickly, letting flying with the arrows as quick as he could. The demons fell back, arrows protruding, screaming.

Drusilla attacked Spike then, jumping at him. He spun, stabbing her through the chest with the bow, shattering it. She shrieked, falling back.

"It's plastic, Dru," said Spike foully. "Don't complain. You're not dead yet." He picked the bag up, coming up with a knife as several of the demons charged. He slashed and spun, driving them back.

Drusilla crawled forward onto Xander's limp body, preparing to bite him. Spike tackled her from behind, slamming her into the nearest table. She moaned, and he drew a wooden stake from the bag, slamming it into her chest.

He stared at her blankly as she exploded into dust. "Oh, I hate you!" he spat at Xander's limp form.

Several other demons charged him, and he wasn't fast enough to reach the knife this time. They bowled him over, knocking him to the ground, their fists flying at him.

He curled into a ball, trying to return the blows, but weaker every second.

Then one by one they disappeared, their guttural shrieks of fear fading away quickly.

Spike blinked Drusilla's dust out of his eyes, staring up at his rescuer.

"Oh, hell, no!" he moaned, closing them again.

Angel grinned. "Some thanks would be in order," he informed Spike, reveling in the moment of being Spike's savior.


A/N: You know, every few months figures out what I'm using to denote line breaks, and fixes it so I can't do that any longer. Bummer. I just noticed that the double dashes I used for the first 18 chapters didn't work after that, went back and fixed those chapters (including a few grammar and spelling errors) and now I have to edit every chapter. Oh, bother. My apologies for not noticing previously.