Title: Written In The Stars, Part 5 – Bonding

Author: Xanfan

Rating: R/NC-17 for future chapters

Pairing?

Summary: Response to challenge from Sparky. Xander and Spike become friends after Spike gets the chip, they are both hurt and Dru rescues them and brings them to Angel to heal.

Spoilers: BtVS up through season 4 and Ats 1st season. I may however take some liberties with the exact timeline, so, any season from either show is fair game.

Warnings:

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Original Challenge: Spike has been chipped and taken in by the Scoobies. Just as he and
Xander are beginning to become friends something their both hurt and it's up
to Angel to save and care for them. The twist is its Dru that saves them
and brings them to Daddy.

A/N: I may make take some liberties with timelines from both shows. And Anya was just a onetime thing.

Words in Italics indicate thoughts.

Spike walked into the waiting room. He took one look at the Cheerleader and new that it was bad. Cordelia, someone Xander described as tough as nails with never a hair out of place, was sitting there looking so sad, her make-up smeared by tears and her long ponytail falling down .

If Queen C was sitting around looking like this, it had to be bad indeed.

"How is he?" Spike asked quietly.

Spike suddenly found himself with his arms full of said Cheerleader when, she threw herself into his arms, sobbing.

"Oh Spike, they said they couldn't find any signs of brain damage in his CAT scan, but he hasn't woken up. Why hasn't he woken up Spike?" Cordelia said, through her tears.

Spike awkwardly patted her back, stunned that the girl would seek comfort from him.

"Shhh, pet, it'll be okay. Our Xander, he's as tough and as hard headed as they come. He'll wake up soon. Probably just using this opportunity to catch a few more ZZZZs. You know how he is." Spike said, trying to convince them both.

Spike held Cordy for a few more minutes, then pulled back to look at her. Smoothing the hair from her face, he tried to distract her the only way he knew how, "Now, luv, I'm goin' go check on our boy. Why don't you go to the washroom and splash some cold water on your face and fix your make up. Oh, and run a brush through your hair, don't want to be scarring the poor boy for life when he wakes up, do we?"

Cordelia let out a shriek of dismay, grabbed her purse and ran for the nearest ladies' room, horrified that she had neglected her appearance for so long.

"Good Lord, was that really necessary?" Wesley asked.

"She's not weepin' o'er the whelp, now, is she?" Spike said simply, "Now, where is he?"

"That room over there." Wesley pointed.

Spike walked up to the door of the room, almost afraid to open it. He felt his sire walk up behind him and lay a hand on his shoulder. Then, Angel reached around him, opened the door and shoved Spike inside, following him in.

Spike opened his mouth to yell at his poof of a sire, when he got a good look at the bed, at Xander. His mouth closed abruptly. Not to keep in sobs or to stop a lip from trembling, nope, not to do that. Because Spike would never sob or have a lip trembling, so of course, it wasn't for that. His mouth closed because, well, because….Oh, Bloody Hell! Fine, I'm a sobbing little, lip trembling baby, all right?

Spike walked over to the bed and, much like he had done with Cordy, pushed a lock of hair out of Xander's face. The sight of Xander unconscious, hooked up to all those tubes, with barely an inch of him not covered in bruises or cuts, was more than Spike could handle. He sat down in a chair Angel had hastily shoved in his direction.

Angel had asked earlier if he and Xander were involved, they were, just not in the way Angel had been thinking. Xander was the first person to befriend him in a really long time, if not, ever. Xander was the closest thing he had to family since his mother was long gone and his vampire family had all abandoned him. If Spike were given to squishy feelings, he would describe their relationship as best friends/brothers. Xander was really the only person in this world that Spike mattered to. And he couldn't lose that.

Wesley, who had followed them in, offered, "At least he's breathing on his own. That's good."

"Yeah, that's bloody well great." Spike said sarcastically.

"I just meant…"

Spike waved him off, "Sorry mate, don't mind me, I'm being a right ass, I know. If Xander were awake he'd be telling me so, making me apologize and the like." Spike smiled sadly, "But, since he's not awake, that's as close as your goin' ta get."

"He really makes you apologize?" Angel asked, in amusement.

"Yeah, says I can't get what I want by scaring people into submission anymore, says I gotta try and get my way by doin' what regular people have been doin' since the dawn of time."

"Which is, what, being nice?" Wesley asked.

"Sorta, he called it being polite with a side of emotional blackmail."

"Now that sounds like the Xander I know." Cordy said from the doorway, "And don't think I don't know you learned the 'distraction by insulting Cordy's appearance" thing from him."

"He might have mentioned it was a pretty good way to get around you." Spike admitted.

"I can't believe he's telling you my secrets."

"Not really a bloody secret luv, probably would have figured that one out for myself soon enough."

Cordy and Spike looked at each other and a beat later, burst out laughing. Spike opened his arms and Cordelia surprised Angel and Wesley by walking over and sitting on his lap, wrapping her arms around him as he wrapped his arms around her.

"He's really going to be okay, isn't he Spike?" Cordy asked in a small voice.

"Course he is pet, course he is."

They fell silent as they looked at their mutual friend. Each a little amazed at how comfortable they felt with the other, but, Xanders love can be a pretty powerful bonding experience.

Angel was a little taken aback at the ease with which Cordy and Spike took to each other, jealous of the instant friendship and closeness. But, maybe, if he had ever let himself get close to Xander, ever tried to push past the barriers the boy had erected against him, he would be a part of that closeness now too.

Both Spike and Angel tensed when they heard Xander's heart beat speed up.

"Spike?" Xander's voice was weak and raspy.

"Yeah pet, I'm here." Spike answered, trying to hold back tears.

"You okay Spike?" Xander croaked.

Spike cleared his throat, which had not been clogged because he was overcome that the boy's first thought had been about his safety. Nope, it was clogged because, well, he had vampire allergies. That was it, vampire allergies. Damn dust.

"Course I'm okay, whelp, not much can keep me down." Spike answered after a moment.

"Where are we?"

"You're in the hospital, Xan. You were hurt pretty bad and they had to do surgery." Cordelia answered.

"Cordy?" Xander asked in confusion.

"You're in L.A. Xander." Wesley said.

"How'd we get to L.A.?" Xander asked.

"It's a long story." Angel offered.

"Angel?" Xander almost shrieked, then, after a moment, said, almost under his breath, "Oh, Bloody Hell."