The sun was setting as Xander made his way home. He often stayed late at the library, as reading was his only escape from the cruelness of reality. A dark-haired woman seemed to glide down the sidewalk toward him, and he clutched his library books closer to his chest, walking along the edge of the sidewalk to give her ample room to pass. She stopped three feet in front of him, blocking his path. He was forced to stop and look at her, wondering why she was in his way.
She smiled, slow and dangerous. "Hello, kitten. I've been looking for you."
"Me?" Xander protested, talking a small step back. She followed him, a single pale hand rising to caress the air between them.
"Of course you, silly boy. You're the rhyme and the reason of everything, and all the stars wish on you." Her smile turned fond. "Such beautiful poetry I see... I wrote poetry once, but Daddy called me away and smacked my fingers and I couldn't find it again..."
"That's... nice." Xander murmured, trying to figure out how far he could run before he collapsed in a coughing fit. She reached out to touch his face and he jerked, stumbling back.
"Poor boy, all lost and alone. It wasn't supposed to be like this," she whispered confidentially, "I was supposed to have a kitten of my own, to feed and play with and love for all eternity."
"Well," Xander replied, "The pet shop is probably still open. You could go there and get a kitten." He kept taking little baby-steps backward, and she kept drifting towards him.
She chuckled. "Don't need to. I've found one, now I just need to find the other... ah hah!" Her eyes lit up as she saw something over his shoulder, and she clapped with glee. "There you are, my seashell! Oh, I've missed you so!"
Xander risked a glance over his shoulder, and saw the guy who'd clamed to be a vampire the night before, walking up to them. Without hesitation the blonde guy punched the woman hard and she crumpled, unconsious on the sidewalk. Xander looked at the guy and then at the woman, and then back at the guy, who was grimacing and shaking his hand like it hurt.
The guy noticed Xander watching him and he grabbed his arm, pulling him along as he walked briskly away from the psycho chick. "C'mon," he muttered, "Gotta get out of here before she wakes up."
"Hey!" Xander exclaimed, trying to pry himself loose from the stranger's grasp. "Let me go!"
"No." The guy said, yanking him along.
Xander dropped his library books and used all his strength to push hard, and the guy let go, startled. The sudden release sent Xander stumbling back, and he landed on his ass. The guy growled, and Xander fought the urge to shiver.
"Look," the guy said, obviously at the limit of his patience, "That girl back there? She's a vampire too, and if we don't get inside before she wakes up, she'll most likely kill us both in a blink. Understand?"
"What do you care?" Xander retorted, picking up the books from where they were strewn around him.
The guy almost seemed to vibrate with barely-restrained anger. "I care," he ground out, "because if you die, then any chance of getting whatever spell you cast on me reversed flies right out the window. Therefore, I now have to protect you from all the vampires and demons and other assorted nasties who wouldn't hesitate to make you into a meal, until such time that either you turn me back into what I was, or I get tired of you and kill you myself." He held out his hand to help Xander off the ground. "Now, come on. We've got to get inside. The night's not a safe place for unarmed humans."
After a moment's hesitation, Xander accepted his hand and let him help him up. They continued walking, this time side by side. "What's you name?" Xander finally asked.
"Spike." was all the reply he got.
Xander let it go for two blocks, then asked, "How'd you know that woman was a vampire?"
Spike glanced back the way they had come. "I think she's my sire."
"What's a 'sire'?" Xander couldn't help his curiosity sometimes.
"Means she made me, was the one who turned me into a vampire."
Xander though this over. "So why don't you just have her turn you into a vampire again?"
Spike shot a sideways look at him. "Might have to, if you can't reverse the spell. But I'd rather not."
"Why not?" Xander had to ask, even though he knew his questions were probably ticking off the vampire.
"Because," Spike replied, "If she turns me, it'll undo a century's worth of work."
"How?" was out of Xander's mouth before he even realized he'd opened it again.
Spike thought for a moment about how to explain it. "You play video games, right?" Xander nodded. "Say you play a really complicated game for a long, long time, and beginner's luck gets you though several tough scrapes, and you manage to get though several levels before you have to save the game. Would you rather start playing again at the last save point, or would you rather go back to the beginning and start all over?"
"Save point." Xander replied.
Spike nodded. When he'd first been turned, it had taken years to get control of the blood lust, and that experience alone was one he didn't fancy repeating if he didn't have to.
Xander's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Have you ever seen a vampire turn into a human and then get revamped?"
"No." Spike admitted.
"Then how do you know that's how it works?"
Spike was not about to admit that the majority of vampire lore he found out about though reading ancient books. "Stop asking questions or else I'm going to rip your tongue out." They made the way back to Xander's house in silence.
Xander unlocked the door and led the way to his room, tiptoeing quietly past his parent's room. Neither of them said a word as Xander crawled into bed and Spike made himself comfortable in the bean-bag chair. Despite the stress of the day and the presence of a stranger in his room, Xander managed to fall asleep quickly. Spike was just about to fall asleep as well, when Xander's harsh coughing woke him up.
The boy was curled in a fetal position, coughs wracking his body. There was also a faint whimpering sound in between the coughs, and Spike realized that the kid was still asleep, suffering though the pain in the prison of his own subconscious.
With a sigh, Spike stood and crawled into bed, spooning himself behind Xander. He caressed the boy's hair, crooning gently to him. "Shush now, it's all right. I've got you. It's all right." Eventually the coughs and the whimpers died down, and the child relaxed in his arms. Spike allowed himself to relax too, resting his head on the boy's shoulder and breathing in his scent. Within moments they were both asleep.
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TBC...