Title: Vamp for Rent 4/18

Author: Forsaken2003

Pairing: S/X

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I own none, all belong to Joss Whedon

Comments: Always welcomed

Summary: After Anya dumped Xander he has become the fifth wheel. The girls start to notice he isn't hanging out with the gang as much so Buffy and Willow decide to do something about it.

Warnings/Spoilers: Season 5 No Dawn, No Anya.

Beta'd by: My Sister

Note: One chapter each week.

Part Four

For weeks every time Xander hung out with the others he invited Spike to come with. Being it the Bronze, movie nights in the basement or game nights (much to Spike's dismay) Spike always agreed. It was painful to be around Riley. Always making snide remarks about Spike's 'impotency'. The others tried to mediate but once Riley started going Spike wouldn't back down. On more than one occasion there had been threats of bodily harm when Spike got the chip out. Spending time with the lot of them was more painful than when the organ fell on top of him paralyzing him.

Xander had to work late so when he burst into the Magic Box Spike was already there.

"Xander, if you break my door you will be paying for it," Giles threatened.

"Sorry, Giles," Xander replied rushing over to Spike. "Those beers are going to be happening soon!"

Everyone looked at each other confused. "What are you talking about, Xan?" Buffy asked.

It took Spike a minute to realize what Xander was talking about but then he remembered that first night. "Finally getting out of the basement of doom, whelp?"

"You know it!" Xander said excitedly while doing a short Snoopy dance. "My bosses cousin owns an apartment building and has one for rent. Dave put in a good word for me and I get the keys next Friday!"

Congratulations came from everyone even Spike joined in. While he was happy for Xander much to his own shock he was also happy for himself as well because he'd never have to step foot into the basement again. "Please tell me that the bloody barcalounger is not going to be going with."

"The apartment is fully furnished," Xander said reassuring Spike. He hated the barcalounger as much as Spike did. "And it has a spare room."

"Sleepovers!" Willow bounced in her seat. No more late night movies and having to drag themselves home after.

Riley was still thrown off by the beer comment. "Why are you having beers with Spike?"

"Because that's the only way I can have beer without someone scolding me for it." Xander still wasn't over the incident. It embarrassed him and made him feel small.

"No pricks allowed," Spike chimed in trying to goat Riley into a fight.

Xander shot him a look. The last thing he wanted was for there to be a fight when he was in such a good mood. "Spike," he said softly.

Feeling slightly bad for ruining the mood Spike merely put his hands up surrendering. "So does this mean you expect us to help you move?"

"Well..." Xander started but was interrupted.

"Next weekend? We are actually going to be out of town," Willow said with an apologetic look on her face.

Xander frowned he hadn't heard anything about her and Tara going out of town. "Where are you guys going? Some romantic getaway?"

"Actually one of Riley's friends hooked us up with tickets to the Green Day concert in LA," Buffy replied. "It worked out well for our one year anniversary."

"And Willow and Tara are going you with?" Xander asked not understanding why he hadn't been asked. He was a big fan of Green Day. Hell, he was the one that got Willow to listen to them.

All four suddenly had guilty looks on their faces. Giles shook his head. He liked Tara and she was good for Willow but in his opinion Xander should have been asked first.

Spike was watching it all play out and if his heart worked he'd probably feel a twinge of pain for Xander.

"Wills and Tara was there when Riley told me," Buffy explained hoping that Xander would understand. "Please don't be mad."

"And if I had been there too? What would you have drawn names to see who got to go? You couldn't even be bothered to tell me." Xander's mood was officially ruined. Once again he was the odd man out. They were all telling him not to be mad and that if there had been another ticket that of course he would have been invited. He ignored them. "Spike, want to go patrolling? I feel the need to hit something."

Knowing that this wouldn't help defuse the situation at all Spike still made a suggestion, "you could always hit commando over there." He was being paid to be nice to Xander not Riley.

"You can h-have my ticket," Tara offered trying to keep harmony.

Yeah, that was Xander's style stealing from a girl. Well, except when he was five and stole Willow's Barbie. "Thanks but no thanks. I don't want to go where I'm obviously not wanted."

"That's not fair, Xan." Willow was clearly upset by what was happening.

"If I get concert tickets again you'll be the first... second one to know," Riley told Xander. He could understand why Xander was upset but at the same time they were his tickets.

Xander shook his head. They didn't understand. Did it suck that he didn't get to see Green Day in person? Yeah, a lot, but it just felt like they didn't think of him at all. "I'm good. If there is a concert I want to see I'll get my own tickets."

"Xan..." Willow took a step closer to him to comfort him.

"Not now, Wills," Xander said, backing up. "I'll get over it but right now I want to be mad."

Spike pushed himself off the counter he was leaning against. "Why don't you get some fresh air and I'll get the weapons."

"Sure," Xander replied, happy to get out of there.

Once Xander was gone Spike shot a look at Buffy that said 'we need to talk now!' He went into the backroom and a minute later Buffy and Willow appeared. "I want extra money."

"Excuse me?" Buffy couldn't believe Spike had the audacity to ask for more money.

"You are paying me to hang out with Xander, you are not paying me to listen to him complain the next two weeks because you lot are inconsiderate arseholes," Spike replied, annoyed by what he was going to be put through. "So you either give me an extra hundred dollars or we call the whole thing off now."

Buffy looked like she was ready to punch Spike.

"We are responsible for this, Buffy," Willow tried to reason.

Naturally Willow was right, for the most part she always was. "Fine, an extra hundred." Buffy pulled out fifty dollar bill. There goes the new shirt she was going to buy.

Willow also pulled out money. Maybe Giles would let her borrow some ingredients for new spells.

"Pleasure doing business with you." A wide grin was on Spike's face that made Buffy want to smack it off. He grabbed a couple stakes, his axe and a sword.

"Isn't an axe and a sword a bit much for you?" Willow asked. Spike never used a sword.

Spike looked at them like they were high. "I'm going to make Xander happy. He always wants to use a sword but you all treat him like he's incompetent which he is but maybe you should take an hour and show him how to use it safely." Buffy opened her mouth to defend herself but Spike didn't let her get a word out. "I'll do it myself. Need him to actually know how to use weapons if he's gonna have my back."

Buffy couldn't believe she just gave Spike fifty bucks to make her feel less like a shitty friend.