Title: Written In The Stars, Part 13 – Things Angel Should Know

Author: Xanfan

Rating: R/NC-17 for future chapters

Pairing: m.m

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. Also, Cordy has a spare room.

Angel was sitting in the chair beside Xander's hospital bed watching the boy sleep. Whatever drugs they had given the boy had knocked him out a few hours ago.

He hadn't worked up the nerve to ask Xander about his and Spike's relationship. From what little the boy had said, he and Spike were pretty close, at least as friends. Angel wasn't sure how he felt about that. Xander had always claimed to hate all vampires, including Angel himself, back in Sunnydale. Now he and a vampire were roommates and friends? Chip or no, it was still a pretty dangerous situation. Spike was a resourceful and clever demon. If he truly wanted to harm humans, he would find a way. The fact that none of the Scoobies had been injured or killed was a testament to the fact that Spike cared about them, in his own way.

Truth be told, Spike probably saw Xander as someone that needed looking after. He had looked after Drusilla for over a hundred years; it was a hard habit to break. Not that Xander was crazy like Dru, but he was someone who seemed to attract scary women, trouble, or a combination of the two.

And Xander was also a caretaker by nature and an intensely loyal friend. He was pretty much a sucker for someone in trouble and a vampire unable to defend himself against humans or get his own food would probably qualify.

Angel was drawn from his musings by the sound of the door opening; he already knew that it was his childe before he saw the platinum blonde head poke through the door.

"Angel," Spike greeted in a low voice, so as not to wake the bed's occupant.

"You're early," Angel pointed out, in an equally low voice.

"Yeah, about that, come out into the hallway, I need to talk to you about something," Spike said.

Angel followed Spike out of the boy's room.

"What?" Angel asked.

"The cheerleader called Rupes to tell him we showed up…"

"Oh God, I bet Buffy and Willow were beside themselves with worry," Angel interrupted.

Spike gave a sub-vocal growl.

"Yeah right, the 'Scoobs' didn't even notice me and the whelp were missin'. Took the Watcher completely by surprise. Don't care about meself so much, but the whelp, it would break his 'eart to know they hadn't missed 'im," Spike said.

Angel started growling, loudly. Spike put a hand on his arm to try and calm him down.

"The boy nearly died, you were almost dust, and they didn't notice you were gone?" Angel said with a snarl.

"Calm down Angel, Wes handled the Watcher and I imagine Joyce is gonna chew his arse a bit over it, too. We just don't want the whelp findin' out, so keep your mouth shut about it, 'right?" Spike said.

Angel took a moment to calm himself down.

"You and Xander aren't going back there. You're going to stay here. You can fight demons just as much here as you can there. You can both work for me. Hell, if Xander wants an outside job, we'll find him one, but you two are not going back to the hellmouth to be cannon fodder for those…..people." Angel spat out, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Spike smirked, but inwardly, he was glad that Angel wanted them. He and Xander both needed a place to belong and Sunnydale hadn't been that place in long while.

"Don't worry Peaches, Cordelia already told the Watcher he couldn't have us back. I don't know if he took her literally or not, but I think she meant it," Spike said.

"I knew I liked that girl," Angel said with a smile.

"Angel, I got somethin' else to talk to you about," Spike said reluctantly.

Angel raised an eyebrow in question, catching his childe's lack of enthusiasm.

"You know how you asked me about Xander and me? What our relationship was?"

"Yes, I remember. You didn't answer me," Angel replied.

"Well, me and the whelp, we're just friends. He's the first real friend I've had in a really long time, or ya know, ever. We both need to look after someone and be looked after ourselves. It's not a love thing, it's a family thing." Spike admitted.

Angel tried not to look as relieved as he felt. Xander and Spike are just friends. I wonder if that means that I have a chance with the boy? Wait, why the hell a I thinking about this now? Xander's not even awake, and his… 'friends' from Sunnydale will be here soon. Now is not the time for thinking about my squishy feelings

Angel's self-lecture was interrupted when Spike continued, "But, when the boy decided that he liked blokes too, I didn't want him to….be hurt the first time."

Angel growled, "Spike, what are you saying?"

"I didn't want his first time with another man to be like mine was," Spike said softly.

Angel winced. As Angelus, he had taken it upon himself to 'break the boy in right and proper'. Of course, to Angelus, 'right and proper' meant force and pain and blood. William had cried and struggled the first time Angelus had forced him, and it had taken days for the fledge to heal from the rape, and the beating and whipping that accompanied it.

"So you slept with him? Are you still sleeping together?" Angel asked.

"NO! It was just that once, he wanted to know what it was like and I wanted him to have a good first time. And it was, but… we both knew that it wasn't any more than that. If anything, it made us appreciate the fact that we were just friends and that we didn't feel anything more for each other," Spike said.

"You seem to have inherited the Scooby tendency to babble. Luckily, you don't need to breath," Angel said, "Why are you telling me this?"

"I know you like the boy and he's not immune to your charms either. I just wanted you to be prepared if the subject ever came up," Spike replied.

"Xander likes me?" Angel asked quietly.

"You are such a ponce," Spike said with a smirk.