Author's Note: Here's the next chapter, as requested. It's a bit sappy for my taste, but you guys can decide for yourselves. Oh, and I nicked a scene from Queer as Folk. See if you can spot it, not that it will be hard. Enjoy! -DM

Chapter Four

Spike looked up as Dalton cautiously entered his quarters and got to his feet, stretching luxuriously. "Ah, there you are, Dalton," he said, gesturing to a chair across from the one he had been sitting in. "Have a seat, mate." The blonde walked over to a tiny refrigerator and stove and poured himself a cup of tea. "Can I get you anything? Blood? Tea? Beer?"

Dalton looked surprised at the other male's question. "Erm, tea would be wonderful, thank you, Master," he said hesitantly. It was rare for an ordinary vampire like Dalton to be asked specifically to meet with Spike in the Master's personal quarters, and the results of such meetings were not usually pleasant, so Spike could understand the scholar's apprehension.

He returned to the table with the tea and sat down. "Now, Dalton," Spike said, folding his hands in front of him on the table. "I didn't call you here as a minion; I called you here as a friend, so I want you to be completely honest with me, alright?" Dalton nodded. "Good. Tell me, what are the general feelings among the Order about my Claiming Xander?"

Dalton looked more than a little relieved, Spike noted with amusement. The scholar took a sip of his tea before answering. "Overall, the Order doesn't mind that you chose Alexander. They believe that he will be able to rule just as well as any vampire; but, there are some dissidents."

"Oh?"

"Not many, and mainly just among the youngest fledglings. They don't want someone who is our natural prey to lead us. They also think you might be going soft," Dalton replied, adding the last part after a slight hesitation.

Spike leaned back in his chair, his cold blue eyes never leaving the older vampire's. "Let me guess: Damien and his groupies?"

"I'm afraid so, Master."

Spike grunted. He had expected this, but had never really thought about what to do when the time came. Denial, thy name is William the Bloody, he thought bitterly. Now it was Xander's eighteenth birthday and Spike had run out of time. He stared into his cup, as if the dark liquid would give him a solution, but none came.

"What is your opinion, Dalton?" Spike asked finally, his normally icy blue eyes now soft and tired.

The other man looked up, startled. "What do I think?" he repeated, placing his cup down on the table. "Let me answer that with a question of my own: do you love him? Or, rather, are you in love with him?"

That certainly wasn't the answer Spike had expected. He sipped his tea and sat back, reluctant to voice his true feelings. "I don't plan on making 'im my Consort tonight," the Brit said slowly, carefully planning out his words.

"What?!" Dalton looked shocked and more than a little angry. "Pardon me if I'm speaking out of turn, Master, but you can't do that!" he growled. "Xander has waited for this night for years; you can't just take all of that away at the last second!" he exclaimed.

Spike fought to keep his emotions from showing. "I'm not planning on taking that away, Dalton. I'm planning on making Xan my lifemate," he said quietly, cursing himself silently as a tremor ran through his voice. He looked down, not caring if the other vamp took the gesture as a sign of weakness.

There was absolute silence from Dalton for several agonisingly long moments. Spike looked up cautiously and received a gentle smile from the older vampire. "So you are in love with him," Dalton said after a moment. "Does Xander know?"

"No. I don't even think he knows that I heard him tell me that he loves me. Boy was 'alf asleep when 'e said it."
"You're going to tell him tonight though, right?"

Spike nodded. "I'm going to surprise him at that club tonight. I'll need backup in case Angelus shows up, or if the Slayer manages to get 'er sodding head outta 'er arse long enough to put two an' two together."

"Who do you want with you?" Dalton asked.

The peroxide blonde thought for a moment. Damien and his cronies were definitely out, though leaving them alone in the lair wasn't an option either. "I'll take those two guards, Fox and Aiden, along with that young female, Ella," he said after a moment. "I want you, Ben, and Starcat to stay here. Don't let Damien out of your sight and tell the others to do the same. You and Ben will be in charge with Starcat and Cooper as your seconds. Got that?" Dalton nodded. "Good. You're dismissed. I'll be in here until sunset if anybody needs me."

Dalton got to his feet and bowed, thanking Spike for the tea. When he had almost reached the door, Spike jumped up and grabbed the scholar's arm, his fingers digging cruelly into the other's bicep. "Oh, and Dalton; don't hesitate to destroy Damien if he tries anything," Spike purred. "If anything happens to Xan as a result of something Damien does, I'm holding you personally responsible."

The scholar visibly paled and nodded. Spike smiled and released him, watching with amusement as Dalton scurried as fast as he could out of the room. Oh yeah, Spike thought smugly. I've still got it.

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"So, how does it feel to be eighteen, Xan?" Buffy asked, speaking loudly to be heard over the pounding rock music in the Bronze.

"It's nice," Xander replied with a grin and leaned back in his chair. Looking around the crowded club, he scowled as he saw a familiar face. "Or, at least it was nice."

Buffy and Willow both looked over as Cordelia Chase approached them along with her not-so-intelligent sidekick, Harmony Kendall, in tow.

"Just what are you three doing here?" Cordelia asked snidely.

"Playing soccer," Buffy replied, not bothering to look up at the brunette.

Cordelia ignored her and fixed her gaze on Xander. "I heard about how you went all serial-killer on Blaine Mall yesterday," she said. "It was a good try, but you're not fooling anybody, Harris. You should at least make an effort. Stop dressing like a hippie, for example, and maybe people will start taking you seriously someday."

Xander nodded and pretended to consider what she had said. "So," he began slowly, "does that mean that if you stop dressing like a hustler, the guys will stop talking about you in the locker room?" he asked innocently.

Cordelia's face turned cold with rage, but it was Harmony who spoke first. "At least she has a boyfriend, Harris. You couldn't get anyone, you big girl."

"Now, I wouldn't say that," a deep accented voice purred from beside Xander.

"Spike," Xander whispered in stunned disbelief, rising to greet the older man.

The vampire gave him a rare smile. Tight black jeans clung to his legs like a second skin and he wore a white tank top with a crimson coloured silk shirt unbuttoned over it. A silver chain hung around his neck and a similar chain circled his wrist. Xander couldn't take his eyes off him.

"Surprise, luv," Spike whispered, stepping close to Xander and wrapping his arms around the bigger male's waist. "Make sure you prevent the Slayer from findin' out what I am," he murmured just loudly enough for Xander to hear. "Time's not right yet." He leaned in and kissed the younger man gently, ignoring the other Bronzers staring openly at them.

Xander turned back to the girls, keeping one arm around Spike. "Buffy, Willow, this is William," he said with a triumphant grin at Cordy and Harmony. "My boyfriend."

Spike nodded politely to each of the girls. "Pleasure, ladies," he rumbled, his predatory gaze lingering a bit longer on the Slayer.

Willow smiled and greeted Spike as Cordelia stormed off with Harmony following close behind. Xander picked up a stray thought from Buffy about Angel's warning and steered her thoughts away from it as carefully as he could.

"Would you two mind if I borrowed Xan 'ere for a mo'?" Spike asked, still speaking with a southern London, upper-class accent.

The Slayer smiled. "Take him away, by all means," she said. "We'll be here. Oz said he'd catch up with us after his gig."

Xander threw a shocked look at Willow, whose face was turning as red as her hair. "You talked to Oz?" he asked.

"Well, not really talked. More along the lines of desperate babbling. Which, by the way, worked."

"Way to go, Wills!" Xander said, giving the redhead a quick hug. "I'll see you guys later." Both girls waved as Spike pulled Xander onto the dance floor.

"Why did you come here?" Xander asked as soon as they were out of earshot. "You knew Buffy was going to be here!"

The vampire shrugged. "Wanted a dance, Xan. Besides, I brought backup just in case things turned nasty." He pulled Xander close and rested his head on the telepath's shoulder, swaying slowly to the music.

Xander looked at the blonde, automatically wrapping his arms around the slender waist. "I never thought you would dance to a song this cheesy," he commented, hearing the first verse start.

"I'm a closet romantic. Tell anyone I told you that, an' I'll rip y' vocal cords out," Spike admitted good-naturedly. He nuzzled the boy's neck, humming quietly along with the song.

"You know this song?" Xander asked doubtfully, not quite believing that the vampire actually listened to old, romantic music.

Spike merely grinned at him. "But don't forget who's takin' you home, and in whose arms you're gonna be. So darlin', save the last dance for me," he sang along softly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Xander spotted Fox, one of the two warriors who made up Spike's personal guard. The telepath relaxed against Spike, letting the older man lead. The vamp continued to sing along with the song, his deep baritone voice blending pleasantly with the singer's.

All eyes were on them now, but all Xander saw were Spike's blue eyes. He hesitated for a moment before leaning in and brushing his lips against the Brit's. As he drew back, Spike's eyes searched the bigger man's face, one hand coming up to cup the back of his head. The vampire gently pulled Xander back and kissed him, waiting for the young man to respond before deepening it.

Xander sighed and fell into the heat, pressing himself close to Spike. He returned the kiss as fiercely as he could, pouring his feelings for the vampire into the kiss as the singer finished the last lines of the song.

"So don't forget who's taking you home

and in whose arms you're gonna be.

So darling,

Save, the last dance for me."