Title: Written In The Stars, Part 9 – Phone Call

Author: Xanfan

Rating: R/NC-17 for future chapters

Pairing??????

Summary: SLASH. 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: SLASH

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.

Wesley parked Angel's car outside of Cordelia's home.

"Thanks Wes, I really appreciate the ride." Cordelia said as she opened the car door.

"It was my pleasure." Wesley said.

Spike snorted from the backseat.

Cordelia turned to head inside, then she stopped. "Oh my God!"

Wesley and Spike jumped out of the car. "What is it?" Wesley asked.

"We forgot to call Sunnydale." Cordelia said.

Spike and Wesley visibly relaxed.

"I'm sure they are very worried by now." Wesley said.

Spike snorted again.

"What?" Cordelia asked.

"They probably haven't even noticed we're gone yet. Bitchy and Witchy are so caught up with school and their own lives, they barely even notice the whelp exists, unless they want something from him, like makin' him take in a chipped vampire or go on a donut run. And if it doesn't have somethin' to do with the Slayer, or maybe Red, then the Watcher doesn't bother to pay attention." Spike said snidely.

"I'm sure they have noticed Xander's absence by now and are looking for you both." Wesley assured.

Spike snorted yet again.

"Both of you come in and I'll call Giles, that way if he needs more information, you might be able to provide it, Spike." Cordy ordered, I mean offered.

They made their way into Cordelia's home and Spike flopped down on the couch and Wesley sat in a side chair while Cordy made her call.

"Hello?" a bleary voice answered.

"Giles? It's Cordelia."

"Cordelia, what are you doing calling me in the middle of the night? Is there something that Angel needs my help with?"

"You could say that." Cordelia muttered, then louder, "Giles what are you doing in bed? Why aren't you researching or something?"

"Whatever for? There is nothing out of the usual realm of hellmouth activity going on right now."

Cordy couldn't believe it. Was Spike right? Could they really not know that something had happened to Xander and Spike?

"Giles, are you sure you aren't missing something, or two somethings?"

"Not that I know of, Cordelia, dear girl, could you get to the point of this middle of the night phone call, so I can get back to sleep?"

"You mean you're not missing a nineteen-year-old construction worker and a bleached, biteless vampire?"

Spike opened his mouth to protest, but Cordelia silenced him with a look.

"Not that I know of, why do you ask?" Giles answered, starting to sound concerned.

"When was the last time you saw Xander and Spike?" Cordelia asked tightly.

"A few days ago, I believe. Do you have reason to believe they are missing?"

"I can't believe it, Spike said you wouldn't even notice, but I didn't believe him. They both almost died, and you didn't even notice they were gone." Cordelia accused.

"Almost died? Whatever are you talking about?"

"Spike and Xander were kidnapped while out on patrol, they were beaten and tortured. Drusilla brought them to Angel's office. Spike was so weak and had lost so much blood, he was near dust, and Xander…."

"What about Xander?" Giles interrupted.

"Xander was in bad shape Giles, he was covered in cuts and bruises and bleeding internally. We got him to the hospital, but while they were working on him, his heart stopped." Cordelia paused at the horrible memory.

"Cordelia what…." Giles said, his voice finally filled with the concern he should have felt all along.

"They were able to get his heart restarted, thank God. He had to have surgery to repair the bleeding from his liver and kidney. He died Giles, he was dead for a couple of minutes and you never noticed he was missing."

"I…." Giles fumbled for words.

"He thinks of you as a father, Giles. He admires you so much. And you didn't even know he was gone. Well fine. You keep your precious Buffy and Willow. We'll keep Spike and Xander here, where people actually care what's going on with them." Cordy yelled and hung up on Giles.

She looked over at Wesley and Spike and promptly broke into tears.

"He didn't even know Xander was missing." She said between sobs.

Spike got up and wrapped his arms around crying girl. "Shh, pet. He woulda figured it out eventually. He does care for the whelp. I was just being a right git. Giles cares about what happens to Xander and 'e cares about what happens to you, too."

Cordelia cried even harder, amazed that Spike knew that she had been thinking that Giles wouldn't care if something happened to her either.

The phone rang, all of them stopped to stare at it.

"I can't…." Cordy began.

"Don't you worry; I'll take care of it." Wesley assured, giving Spike a look over Cordelia's head.

Spike ushered Cordelia over to the couch and sat down with her in his lap, comforting the former cheerleader with pats on the back and soft words.

"Hello?" Wesley said into the phone.

"Wesley?" Giles asked in surprise.

"Yes. How can I help you?" Wesley said stiffly.

"I was calling Cordelia back, she said…."

"She called you, sure that you would be worried sick about your missing charge, not realizing that you couldn't even be bothered to know he was missing. Upon realizing her error, she ended the conversation." Wesley said with ill-concealed disdain.

There was silence on the other end of the line, as Giles couldn't bring himself to deny the accusation.

"I know now, I care now. I need to know that Xander is okay, I need to know what happened." Giles said after a moment.

Wesley relaxed a bit, believing the older man to be genuinely contrite. "Xander is still in hospital. He is recovering from major surgery and a severe beating. The doctors were concerned about a head wound he had received, but have since decided that, while it was serious, there was no lasting damage. Angel is staying with him tonight and we will all be taking turns staying with him until he is released."

Giles let out the breath he had not even realized he was holding. "What hospital is he at? I can be there in a couple of hours."

"We have everything under control here, Mr. Giles. Why don't you take care of telling the others what has happened and possibly looking for the people or thing that did this?" Wesley said tightly.

"I will tell Buffy and Willow and we will be coming there to see him. We may have failed to recognize that he was missing, but we will not fail him anymore." Giles replied in an equally tight tone of voice.

"We will not be telling the boy that none of you knew he was missing. I'll not do that to him, and neither will you. I don't care what story you have to come up with to cover your ……. Just make sure that none of you mention that you couldn't be bothered to notice his absence." Wesley said.

"Thank you." Giles said.

"I'm not doing it for your sake." Wesley replied. He quickly filled Giles in on the hospital details and directions, then hung up.

Wesley turned to look at Spike and Cordelia, who were looking back at him.

"You did good, mate." Spike said.

"Thank you Wesley. I couldn't talk to him again." Cordelia said with a tear smile.

"We are not going to tell him right? I just, I can't imagine what that would do to him." Wesley said.

"No, Wes, we won't. It would hurt him too much." Cordelia assured him.

"Bloody hell, right we won't be tellin' the whelp that." Spike agreed.

The three nodded to each other in agreement, each separately planning on how to make one of the others tell Angel.