Three Weeks Later
'Spike, will you stop, there are small children around,' Xander pleaded, even as he gave the mother with the two toddlers an apologetic smile.
'Out passed their bed times, not my fault,' Spike replied with a leer.
The woman scowled at the two men before herding her two children away from them.
Xander giggled, as Spike pushed him up against the snack foods.
'Well, looky here, we have some pretty faggots,' a slightly slurred, if familiar voice announced, sending the other two men with him into guffaws.
Xander glared at the man as Spike growled and got in his face, 'what's it to you what I get up to?'
'Can't have freaks like you corrupting our children,' the man sneered.
'It's a little late for that concern, Dad,' Xander replied, lacing the last word with disgust.
'Always knew you were a shirt lifter,' Xander's father snarled.
'I don't have to deal with this,' Xander announced suddenly, as he grabbed a couple of bags of chips from the shelf, 'let's go Will,' he said taking the vampire's hand as he pushed past the men blocking the way.
'Running away, you worthless little shit?' Tony Harris stated with a smirk as the other two men snickered.
Xander stopped and took a moment before he shoved the chips, and the basket of stuff, into Spike's startled arms, 'don't move,' he commanded before he stalked over to the man who had sired him.
'No, you sorry excuse for a waste of space, I'm not running away, I'm choosing to walk away from something that isn't worth my time and effort.'
Xander spun on his heel and stormed away, or rather he would have, if his father hadn't grabbed his arm and punched him in the stomach.
It only took a moment for Xander to recover and when he did he slammed the heel of his hand into his father's nose before delivering a solid punch to the man's solar plexus and his abdomen.
'You don't get to touch me, and you certainly don't get to attack me or talk to me. We're through you and I, you idiotic fucktard,' Xander stated, surprisingly calm, 'you don't judge me, you don't think of me and you can damn well stay the fuck away from me,' he twisted the man's wrist and the crowd that had gathered, all 4 of them, winced as they heard something crack.
'Come on pet, let's go home,' Spike said softly as he pulled Xander away. The two men that were with Tony had backed away, a frightened look in their eyes. The others, a cashier, the pharmacist, the woman with the two toddlers and another man all watched the pair with something like longing.
The woman put her hand on Spike's shoulder as they passed, 'I'm sorry,' she whispered with a hint of understanding in her voice. Spike simply nodded.
'You okay?' Spike asked as he tried to examine his pet's stomach, where his poor excuse of a father had punched him.
Xander sighed, 'I don't know,' he replied.
'Sirs!' it was the cashier, he was running after them with a bag, 'your purchases,' he offered the bag to them.
'But,' Xander began.
'Thank you,' the cashier shoved the bag into his hands, 'for giving me the courage to stand up to my own father,' he said with a small smile.
Xander stared at him as he jogged back into the store.
Spike shoved him into the car, not wanting Xander to notice the police as they arrived.
\*/
Xander was quiet on the drive back to their apartment. Spike glancing at Xander sporadically as he drove the speed limit.
Xander was almost mechanical as he waited until Spike had pulled into their spot and killed the engine before he climbed out of the car. Spike watched as the brunet fumbled with his keys as he headed for the door.
Xander was shaking as Spike joined him at the door.
'Hush,' Spike soothed as he wrapped himself around the slightly bigger man, his cool hand wrapping around the larger calloused hand.
The blonde pressed himself against the trembling brunet, his free hand rubbing gentle circles on Xander's stomach as they stood in the now opened doorway.
'Alexander?' the voice of their older neighbour startled the pair.
Xander hurried into the apartment, and Spike gave Mr Gilroy a small, sad smile, 'had a bad night, ran into an insensitive drunk,' he offered.
Mr Gilroy's eyes softened in understanding, 'if it wasn't for men like that, we wouldn't have men like young Alexander,' he offered.
'Thank you Mr Gilroy.'
'We have to stick together,' the older man replied before he disappeared back into his apartment.
Xander was sitting at the foot of the bed, one sock still on, the other dangling from loose fingers.
'Xander?' Spike asked softly as he crouched in front of the other man.
Xander finally looked up at Spike, his eyes wide and fearful, 'What have I done?' he asked his voice cracking only a little.
Spike gently pulled the sock from Xander's lax fingers and pulled the slightly bigger man onto his lap.
Spike murmured softly to Xander as he gently rocked him. His own father, when he'd been human, had been distant but friendly. Angelus, however, had been brutal, he'd never actually had the chance to stand up to Angelus, he'd only been a lowly fledge at the beginning and when he'd reconnected with Angel after a century apart, the older vampire wouldn't give him the time of day. When Angel had become Angelus the Hellmouth had warped him, turning into something that he wasn't. Not really. Angelus had been evil, he hadn't been a psychopath.
Spike wanted to desperately tell Angel/Angelus where he could go, but he just couldn't.
He envied Xander's chance to tell off his father.
'You're okay, pet,' the blonde murmured into the soft hair, giving it a soft kiss, 'Wish I had your strength.'
Xander pulled away from Spike finally, 'I really just told my father off, didn't I?' He asked eyes wide with fear and wonder.
'And a right bang up job of it too,' Spike replied, 'we got free stuff at the Mart,' he offered with a smirk.
Xander seemed to deflate, the breath he had been holding finally being released.
'He's not coming back, is he?' he asked, looking around his bedroom. Almost as if only now just realizing that he was no longer in his parent's basement.
'No pet, and if I have anything to say about it, he ain't ever seeing you again,' Spike vowed, his hold on Xander tightening.
'I love you,' Xander whispered, suddenly drowsy.
'I love you,' Spike returned even as Xander snored softly. Spike let out a quiet if relieved half chuckle, half sob.
They would be okay.
\*/
Spike was pulled from his Xander fantasy by a loud knock on the front door.
He willed his erection to, at least, half mast, not that it actually listened to him anymore, and pulled on a pair of Xander's sweat pants.
'What?' he snarled, as he yanked open the door. He stepped back in surprise though as he took in the two men in trench coats standing out in the hall way.
'Are you Mr William,' the slightly older man glanced at the notebook in his hand, 'Barstow?' he asked looking up at Spike.
Spike blinked in confusion, it had been a very long time since he'd heard that name.
'Mr Barstow?' the other man asked in confusion, when Spike didn't answer.
'Oh, uh, yeah, yes, I am, sorry, still asleep, it was a late night last night,' he blurted in a smooth, non-gutter rat accent. It had taken a minute for him to remember that it was the name they had agreed upon in case of an emergency.
He's brain finally caught up with the situation, 'What happened? Is Xander alright?' he asked, unable to hide his concern for his partner.
'Detective Winchester, this is detective Singer. We're here to ask you a few questions about him,' the younger man replied, holding up his badge.
'Why what happened? Please,' he begged.
'There was an accident,' Singer replied, not thinking of his reply.
Spike stumbled back, the back of his knees hitting a convenient chair that he collapsed into.
'Sir!' both detectives cried in alarm as they rushed forward, 'are you okay?' Spike had no idea who spoke.
'Xan?' Spike asked in a breathless whisper, even though he didn't need to breath he found that he couldn't and that he couldn't talk either.
'Oh, no! He's fine. He's got a few bruises and I think a sprained wrist but he's fine, they just want to make sure that he doesn't have a head injury.' Winchester, the younger of the two detectives, replied quickly and apologetically.
Spike sagged in relief, finally able to breathe, 'bloody pillock,' he mumbled, 'so where is he?'
'He's at the General,' one of them replied.
'What happened?' Spike asked, before the other man could continue.
The two men shared a glance, 'he was involved in a car accident, a hit and run, a drunk collided with his car, we think it was a deliberate hit,' one of them replied.
Spike growled, putting his fist through the wall, his eyes closed as he took deep measured breaths.
'Sir,' one of the detectives started, getting the blondes attention, 'do you know of anyone that would want to hurt Xander?'
'Tony Harris, his father,' Spike replied immediately, not looking up, not wanting to reveal golden eyes.
The detectives shared another one of those looks.
'Would you like us to take to the hospital?' Winchester asked, his concern for the blonde man obvious.
'No,' Spike blurted, a little louder than he intended, 'no,' he repeated slightly calmer, 'I can make my own way there, thank you,' he replied offhandedly, already plotting ways in which to torture Xander's father.
'If we have any more questions we'll be in touch,' Singer replied, handing Spike a business card, the vampire nodded absently.
After the detectives left Spike took a few minutes to pummel the evil punching bag into submission. He figured Xander would understand why they would have to replace the thing again.
\*/
'You ungrateful little bastard!' Spike heard a vaguely familiar voice coming from his Xanpet's room.
'Ma'am, please, you have to leave, you've already disturbed the patient enough,' that must have been a nurse.
A slap had Spike sprinting the last few feet to Xander's room. He got there just as Jessica Harris cam came stumbling out of the room.
'I don't owe you or Tony anything! He hit me you stupid woman! I don't want to ever see you or him again,' Xander growled; he had been the one to physically evict the woman from his own hospital room.
Finally there were orderlies and security coming to Xander's room. Spike snarled at them as they pulled a still yelling Jessica Harris from the hallway.
When it calmed, moments later, as nurses and orderlies guided other patients and visitors away from the scene, Spike headed into the room, where he found Xander sitting on this bed with an attractive nurse with deep purplish-red hair who was rubbing his back.
Spike sat on Xander's other side, 'well done, love,' he said softly, taking over comfort duties from the nurse who gave them an encouraging and understanding smile before she left the two of them alone.
\*/
Between Xander's statement, the report from the grocery store incident, the traffic cameras and the fact that Tony Harris failed his breathalyser spectacularly, the man was looking at spending the foreseeable future in a tiny room with a man named Tiny, who had a liking for fresh meat.
\*/
Spike and Xander were getting ready to settle in front of the television for some serious movie groping.
'I know people, Pet, I could have him shanked or something,' Spike offered as Xander set down the bowl of buttery popcorn and M&M's before he dropped onto the couch.
Xander gave a soft laugh, 'no, but thank you,' he replied softly kissing Spike tenderly, 'I've gotten my revenge,' he settled against Spike as the horror movie started.
'Oh, really?' Spike asked as he stole some popcorn, ignoring the busty blonde on the screen that was screaming and bloody.
Xander swatted at Spike's hand, 'I have a great job, with even greater benefits, a fantastic apartment that doesn't look out onto a beautiful brick building, friends who give a damn about me, I have this great guy who would do anything for me,' Xander replied with a grin.
'A great guy? Who is this bloke, do I need to kill him?' Spike asked, his chest rumbling under Xander.
'No,' Xander replied, and continued with his speech, 'despite everything the man has ever done to me, I'm happy.'
Spike's rumble softened into a contented purr as some overly large man with a mask hacked away at the busty blonde and her overly tanned and muscled boyfriend.