Disclaimer: Don't own the characters nor make any money from stories etc, and bow down to their original creators Joss, et al., plus all the wonderful online writers who continue to give the Buffy/Angel verse characters life.
Dedicated to tempestsreach who inspired the story and deserves all the hugs that one could provide.
……Part 2……
Xander covered Spike with the extra blanket from the hotel cupboard then departed, placing a 'Do not disturb' sign on the door and instructing the concierge that his brother was seriously ill and that he had to go out for medication, then left his cell phone number. He then pushed fifty dollars into the young man's fist.
The combination of the money and the sincerely desperate look on the guest's face, saw the young concierge, Jason, breaking protocol and called Xander back for a moment. "Call me if you are concerned Sir. I can check and call a physician within minutes if things become worse."
In Xander's stressed state the pain in his chest forced far too much moisture into his eyes apparently. The strapping young man, aspiring actor Jason, raced around the counter and led the upset guest to a seat in a private corner of the lobby, while he organized a car to take Xander wherever he needed to go.
Xander nodded gratefully, still unable to work out why the whole situation threw him so badly. But it had the right effect. Jason was true to his word and within fifteen minutes and three blocks away, he delivered a very large gem, the amulet and Illyria's message to a rather surprised Lilah.
Two minutes later her assistant delivered a pile of paperwork and whispered a message. "Well done, Mr Harris, it seems you have delivered." She stepped across the room, handing Xander the completed law work and evidence of payment – in record fast time it seemed. "And so have we."
Lilah stood rather imperiously and walked across the room, then turned to approach his chair, "You will find everything is in order and the agreed upon bonus has already gone into your designated account."
She moved closer to him, sat on the edge of the desk and crossed her shapely long legs before adding, "You know, I do wish you would consider working for us on a more… permanent basis. The Senior Partners are most impressed with your work I'm sure."
Xander already felt edgy and just needed to leave. "Thanks… for the cash and all that, but I um… I doubt that you need a carpenter or construction worker… so…"
Lilah smirked and pushed the issue in her most seductive tones, "Oh you would be surprised who we take on… Alexander."
"I… I've already made my decision so thanks, but um… no thanks… I appreciate your time."
He stood and made a hasty retreat to the sounds of Lilah who was already on her internal phone reporting, "The stone has been recovered. No sir he didn't. Yes I will insure…" but the door of the elevator closed and he was away.
…………
He checked his cell phone as he reentered the car after a side trip to the hospital. Jason had rung to report all was quiet. On his way into the building he thanked the young man for his attentiveness.
But Xander could hear whimpering from the hotel room even before he entered.
He dropped his bags at the door and slammed it shut as soon as he took in the scene.
Spike was arching of the bed, limbs contorted and his entire form obviously in agony. He was sweating, panting and had clearly been tearing at his own skin for some time, judging by the amount of blood on the sheets and the bloodied strips of flesh torn from his arms and face.
Despite his charge being in game face, Xander raced toward the bed and without thinking, pulled the sickly stricken figure into his arms, capturing the hands that were about to begin attacking the already abused flesh yet again.
"No! Come on Spike! Shhh! Shhh… it's OK. It's OK. Hold onto me… OK? Just hold onto me!"
The vampire was so weak that Xander had no trouble subduing the vampire. He pulled Spike tight against his chest and simply stilled until the fitting subsided, all the while kicking himself for taking so long at the lawyers, and yet feeling somewhat annoyed that he now had a new problem on his hands.
Eventually the convulsions ended and the figure in his arms went utterly limp, then awareness seemed to return a little and Spike curled toward the warmth of the body holding him, and the vampire began to cry.
In an instinctively parental gesture, Xander sat up against the head board and pulled the dangerously thin, tortured figure into his lap. He rested the vampire's head on his right shoulder and began whispering nonsensical words as the last shudders of whatever fit had struck his charge passed.
Spike seemed to sleep for a few minutes but eventually, instinctively began to lick the neck that was so near.
Xander pulled away abruptly, but then remembered his shopping. He gently rolled Spike onto the bed and retrieved the six packets of outdated human blood from his backpack. It had only been a ten minute side-trip and a single call to find the precious fluid (and sometimes he was truly pleased he had Hellmouth experience!).
As the valiant human wandered to the bathroom to fill the basin with hot water and soak three of the packets, he could not fail to see the figure on the bed curl up again and begin to rock and whimper.
He put more water in the bowl and placed the remaining bags in while he took the first of his booty into the bedroom to feed his friend.
Spike was keening and rocking as if in pain as Xander approached with the three precious bags wrapped in a hand towel. He set the food down on the side table before easing the duster out of Spike's tight grip and covered the vampire with the treasured garment. He then picked up the blanket that had been tossed off sometime during the vampire's previous thrashing and threw it over the top of the precious leather. Easing Spike's head into his lap, he nicked the seal off the blood bag with a pair of nail clippers, and proceeded to squeeze it gently into the barely conscious vampire's mouth.
As the first of the blood began to trickle out of the lax mouth, Xander stroked the limp hair and spoke in tones that were more reminiscent of a desperate, caring parent than a 'battle buddy".
"C'mon Spike, just for ol' Xan… c'mon… you can do it… Please Spike, just a little… please?"
It was no good. Xander had read about addicts going 'cold turkey', and this seemed just as bad. The vampire seemed to have no comprehension of his whereabouts, the withdrawals from whatever he had been fed were causing him to pant and sweat despite his lack of body heat or need to do either, and the time since he had eaten was now apparently so long that even his demon was confused.
Xander was desperate. He rang Jason, the concierge. The young man was just about to go off shift, but still managed to arrange for a drug store to deliver Xander's request of a feeding tube designed for intubation of those incapable of swallowing, and amount of electrolytes (at least Spike did end up feeding from his friend, he would have a 'replenisher').
Spike was thankfully unconscious as the ex Scoobie pulled the skeletal figure across his lap, let the head fall back, and the mouth open slightly before inexpertly, gently and very very slowly, pushing the tube into place. The gag reflex seemed absent, Spike's face did not change and after five tense minutes, Xander poured the reheated blood into the reservoir then squeezed slowly.
Spike did not respond. Even three bags of blood later there was nothing.
Xander reluctantly withdrew the tube and petted the inert figure before carefully shifting the thin body a little and cleaning up the evidence of the vampire's meal. He reassured himself, at least Spike had retained the liquid.
When he returned to the bedroom, he noted that the duster had instinctively been pulled closer to Spike's nose, and that the blanket was still in place. It was something.
…………………..
Spike shivered through the night. Initially Xander had slept in the chair, but eventually the chattering teeth and occasional whimper caused him to do something utterly instinctive. He slid behind the shattered individual spooned the shaking body and hugged him back into his own warmth. It felt right and they both relaxed and slept dreamlessly.
But it was a short lived respite. Xander was woken at around five am to violent convulsions that saw his sick friend in game face and still utterly without comprehension of his circumstance.
Xander did his best to stop the thrashing arms and hold Spike on the bed as the fragile body under him thrashed and contorted.
When there was no respite, he did the only thing he could think of. Still lying on top of his friend he reached for the Swiss Army knife that he always traveled with, flicked open the smaller blade and winced as he opened his left wrist.
He held Spike even tighter as he pressed the opening to the mouth of the only male, the only vampire, he had ever truly cared for.
After what seemed hours, though was only minutes, Xander felt the weak licking of a tongue and finally the suckling action, as lips sealed around the small wound and took the offering. Xander found himself oddly moved to tears. Somehow he knew that his companion would survive, and yet Spike had not yet regained consciousness.
He sent a prayer to a variety of deities, hoping that one of them might care for the ensouled undead, and assuring them that the friend in his arms deserved their every attention.Around seven am the following morning, he was still lying with his arms around a friend and smiled semiconsciously as the thin figure edged closer. He pulled the male into a tight hug and wrapped a proprietary leg over the lower leg of the wasted legs of his friend.
They woke entwined.
Spike looked up apologetically then began to cry silently. Finally sleeping again
Later that afternoon, Xander had freed himself from the tight hold of his Scoobie friend of old, sped to the kitchen, to return with food for the distressed vampire.
Spike was lucid enough on the second evening of his feeding of human blood to register who held him.
Xander offered up the feeding tube with a rather sheepish smile, "Do I need to…"
Spike stared at the medical implement, then turned his face away in shame whispering, "You should have staked me! I am …. so weak… Ghod… I was… just make me dust…"
"Ho no… Opinions vary buddy!"
"She… then you and this…. Pfff… sh…should be-easy-c'mon… m'a whore…. Sfff dust… m' dust…!"
"I would, but no one fitting that description is here … so you better start thinking about where you're going to hang that duster, cause I figure you're staying. And gotta say… newly reasonably wealthy here, so you might just have it good as the kept man."
Xander did not expect the tears, or the gratitude, or the compliance, or the brutal honesty. The vampire curled in onto the ancient leather and began to cry again.
He thought he knew Spike, but was still at a loss in some areas. There was the history and the sensitive man; there was a thwarted lover many times over by various uncaring partners; there was the denied son - at least twice, first as human then as demon; there was the damaged vampire, by the Grandsire then courtesy of the Initiative then Wolfram and Hart then by his own hand; and finally he was burnt by the repentant soul and died then rose the hero; and strangely he ended as he was now, the near starved lover of an immortal being rescued by an old friend who lifted him into his arms and cared enough to revive him.
The brunette gave up all pretence of treating Spike as he might have done previously and slid onto the bed beside him. There was no dignity in the vampire's next act. He knew the chocolate colored eyes staring at him worriedly. All he managed was, "Oh Pet…" before relaxing into the warm hug then sobbing uncontrollably until he finally fell asleep.
Xander accepted the apparently strange need for his unstable vampire friend to nuzzle and lick his right nipple repetitively even when apparently unconscious, though he did shift with embarrassment as his body automatically responded to the stimulation. Despite his own discomfort, he allowed the comfort to continue and repetitively stroked the hair of the desperate figure in his arms.
Xander pulled the old duster up to cover them both, then fell asleep entwined with his distressed friend remaining in an intimate embrace, both finally enjoying a dreamless, peaceful sleep.
The vampire was so weak that Xander had no trouble subduing the vampire. He pulled Spike tight against his chest and simply stilled until the fitting subsided, all the while kicking himself for taking so long at the lawyers, and yet feeling somewhat annoyed that he now had a new problem on his hands.
Eventually the convulsions ended and the figure in his arms went utterly limp, then awareness seemed to return a little and Spike curled toward the warmth of the body holding him, and the vampire began to cry.
In an instinctively parental gesture, Xander sat up against the head board and pulled the dangerously thin, tortured figure into his lap. He rested the vampire's head on his right shoulder and began whispering nonsensical words as the last shudders of whatever fit had struck his charge passed.
Spike seemed to sleep for a few minutes but eventually, instinctively began to lick the neck that was so near.
Xander pulled away abruptly, but then remembered his shopping. He gently rolled Spike onto the bed and retrieved the six packets of outdated human blood from his backpack. It had only been a ten minute side-trip and a single call to find the precious fluid (and sometimes he was truly pleased he had Hellmouth experience!).
As the valiant human wandered to the bathroom to fill the basin with hot water and soak three of the packets, he could not fail to see the figure on the bed curl up again and begin to rock and whimper.
He put more water in the bowl and placed the remaining bags in while he took the first of his booty into the bedroom to feed his friend.
Spike was keening and rocking as if in pain as Xander approached with the three precious bags wrapped in a hand towel. He set the food down on the side table before easing the duster out of Spike's tight grip and covered the vampire with the treasured garment. He then picked up the blanket that had been tossed off sometime during the vampire's previous thrashing and threw it over the top of the precious leather. Easing Spike's head into his lap, he nicked the seal off the blood bag with a pair of nail clippers, and proceeded to squeeze it gently into the barely conscious vampire's mouth.
As the first of the blood began to trickle out of the lax mouth, Xander stroked the limp hair and spoke in tones that were more reminiscent of a desperate, caring parent than a 'battle buddy".
"C'mon Spike, just for ol' Xan… c'mon… you can do it… Please Spike, just a little… please?"
It was no good. Xander had read about addicts going 'cold turkey', and this seemed just as bad. The vampire seemed to have no comprehension of his whereabouts, the withdrawals from whatever he had been fed were causing him to pant and sweat despite his lack of body heat or need to do either, and the time since he had eaten was now apparently so long that even his demon was confused.
Xander was desperate. He rang Jason, the concierge. The young man was just about to go off shift, but still managed to arrange for a drug store to deliver Xander's request of a feeding tube designed for intubation of those incapable of swallowing, and amount of electrolytes (at least Spike did end up feeding from his friend, he would have a 'replenisher').
Spike was thankfully unconscious as the ex Scoobie pulled the skeletal figure across his lap, let the head fall back, and the mouth open slightly before inexpertly, gently and very very slowly, pushing the tube into place. The gag reflex seemed absent, Spike's face did not change and after five tense minutes, Xander poured the reheated blood into the reservoir then squeezed slowly.
Spike did not respond. Even three bags of blood later there was nothing.
Xander reluctantly withdrew the tube and petted the inert figure before carefully shifting the thin body a little and cleaning up the evidence of the vampire's meal. He reassured himself, at least Spike had retained the liquid.
When he returned to the bedroom, he noted that the duster had instinctively been pulled closer to Spike's nose, and that the blanket was still in place. It was something.
…………………..
Spike shivered through the night. Initially Xander had slept in the chair, but eventually the chattering teeth and occasional whimper caused him to do something utterly instinctive. He slid behind the shattered individual spooned the shaking body and hugged him back into his own warmth. It felt right and they both relaxed and slept dreamlessly.
But it was a short lived respite. Xander was woken at around five am to violent convulsions that saw his sick friend in game face and still utterly without comprehension of his circumstance.
Xander did his best to stop the thrashing arms and hold Spike on the bed as the fragile body under him thrashed and contorted.
When there was no respite, he did the only thing he could think of. Still lying on top of his friend he reached for the Swiss Army knife that he always traveled with, flicked open the smaller blade and winced as he opened his left wrist.
He held Spike even tighter as he pressed the opening to the mouth of the only male, the only vampire, he had ever truly cared for.
After what seemed hours, though was only minutes, Xander felt the weak licking of a tongue and finally the suckling action, as lips sealed around the small wound and took the offering. Xander found himself oddly moved to tears. Somehow he knew that his companion would survive, and yet Spike had not yet regained consciousness.
He sent a prayer to a variety of deities, hoping that one of them might care for the ensouled undead, and assuring them that the friend in his arms deserved their every attention.
…………………..
Around seven am the following morning, he was still lying with his arms around a friend and smiled semiconsciously as the thin figure edged closer. Xander pulled the male into a tight hug and wrapped a proprietary leg over the lower leg of the wasted legs of his friend.
They woke entwined.
Spike blinked, looked into a familiar face, realized his situation and began to apologize but seemed to have forgotten words so, utterly embarassed, began to cry silently instead.
Xander freed himself from the tight hold of his Scoobie friend of old, sped to the kitchen, and returned with food for the distressed vampire.
Xander held up the feeding tube, "Do I need to…"
Spike stared at the medical implement, then turned his face away in shame and spoke brokenly. Xander stilled so he could make out the words, "You... You should have staked me!... I am so weak… Ghod I am so weak… I was happy to dust…"
Xander was suddenly very angry, not at Spike but at whatever had destroyed the irrepressible nature of his friend,"Yeah well opinions vary buddy!"
"You hated me, so it should be easy, c'mon carpenter, dust the vampire whore!"
"I would, but no one fitting that description is here … so would you like to sort out permanent living arrangements, or unliving as the case may be... because until you're well, plan on being a kept man?"
Xander did not expect the tears, or the gratitude, or the compliance, or the brutal honesty.
He thought he knew Spike, but there was the history and the sensitive man; there was a thwarted lover many times over by various lovers; there was the denied son - at least twice, first as human then as demon; there was the damaged vampire, by the Grandsire, then the rejection of the Sire, then courtesy of the Initiative, then Wolfram and Hart, then by his own hand. And finally he uniquely damaged by the repentant soul and burnt for the world only to be ressurected and expected to perform as hero - as he did. now strangely he ended he had ended up the near starved lover of an immortal being saved by an old friend who at had lifted him into his arms and cared enough to take him through dimensions.
Spike was lucid enough on the second day of his feeding of human blood to register who held him.
There was no dignity in his next act. He knew the chocolate colored eyes staring at him worriedly. All he managed was, "Oh Pet…" before accepting the warm hug and sobbing uncontrollably until he finally fell asleep, Xander accepting apparently strange need for the vampire to lick over his right nipple repetitively.
He shifted with embarrassment as his body automatically responded to the stimulation. Despite his own discomfort, he continued to stroke the hair of the desperate figure in his arms.
Xander pulled the old duster up to cover them both, and fell asleep entwined with his distressed friend remaining in an intimate embrace, both finally enjoying a dreamless, peaceful sleep.