Chapter 27

Spike lounged on the couch, his fingers tapping an agitated rhythm against the floor. Xander swaggered into the room, carrying two steaming mugs of blood.

"Ta," Spike said, sitting up and taking the offered cup.

"He's still out of it," Xander said. "Buffy doesn't want to leave until he wakes up at least, which is probably better for all of them."

Spike caught the wince as Xander settled beside him. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Xander sighed as he leaned back into the couch.

Spike draped an arm along the back of it, and Xander allowed his head to brush Spike's arm before he pulled away. Spike watched his childe take a deep drink of the blood, heaving a sigh of his own.

"Let me see."

"See what," Xander asked, his gaze dropping to the floor.

Spike hoped his childe never learned how easily Spike could read him. "I know you got hurt. Let me see." He leaned forward to place his mug on the table.

"It's just my shoulder. Doesn't matter."

"But it hurts?"

"A bit. Some blood should help."

"Well, if your shoulder's hurt, this won't be enough. If you let me see, I can tell you exactly how much blood you need," Spike cajoled.

Xander sighed, but relented, placing his own mug next to Spike's. They were all worried about each other, and, if he was honest with himself, he was glad he still had a sire to worry about him. He stood and removed his shirt, barely containing the hiss of pain as it slid over his injury.

Spike frowned at the bruises on Xander's body. His back was bruised, but his shoulder was completely black, and blood still seeped from a jagged cut. It hadn't healed properly at all, and Spike felt a twinge of guilt. As though he sensed this, Xander turned to smile at his sire.

"We were all more worried about Angel. It's not your fault this happened. I'm still here, and I'm okay."

"Not quite okay," Spike said, unable to return the smile. "But you will be." He gently prodded the wound, hissing when he came into contact with the holy water the weapon must have been contaminated with. "Who did this to you?"

"It was one of the minions we fought going in the door. He had a homemade spear. Some sort of dagger on a stick. Probably because of what he dipped it in."

"How did I not know that," Spike muttered to himself.

"It wasn't important then," Xander replied, even though he knew the question wasn't directed at him. "It was more important to finish what we'd started. I think there was too much adrenaline to really feel it before, though." Xander grunted with pain when Spike touched the wound again.

"I'll have to clean this first. As long as there are traces of holy water, it won't heal properly, even with my blood."

Xander nodded in understanding, allowing Spike to maneuver him onto the couch. As he waited for his sire to return with the necessary supplies, Xander marveled at how much his life had changed.

No longer always in need of defending, he could, and would, protect himself and those he cared about. No longer useless, he had a purpose. No longer overlooked, his opinions mattered. No longer unloved, he had found a family that truly cared for him.

Spike came back into the room and knelt beside the couch, setting the supplies on the table. Before he could turn to begin cleansing the wound, arms wrapped around his waist and his childe's forehead rested on his back. Lightly touching the boy's hands, Spike turned his head to the side.

"Wha's this for, then?"

He felt Xander shake his head, but a few moments of patience paid off. "I just wanted to say thank you. I appreciate everything you've done for me."

Spike tilted his head toward the ceiling and smiled. "I should be thankin' you too, Xan. We're gonna be family for a long time yet."

"Yeah."

Xander released him and Spike turned, gently patting Xander's cheek before picking up a cloth so he could cleanse the wound. Ignoring his childe's pained whimpers was difficult, but Spike knew it would be worse in the long run if they didn't take care of this now. When the wound was clean, Spike sat next to his childe, drawing Xander's head to his shoulder as he offered his neck. Xander's fangs were gentle as they pierced his sire's flesh, tenderly drawing his life force into his own body.

When Xander felt the wound close and all the bruising disappear, he drew back, gently lapping up the last drops as the bite marks closed. Spike petted his hair for a moment before standing and tossing Xander a clean shirt he'd brought in with the supplies.

Xander put it on. "Are we going to patrol?"

"Someone should. Reckon everyone else is probably too tired, or too worried about Angel." Spike gulped the last of the cooled blood in his mug before returning it to the table.

"You're not worried about Angel," Xander asked knowingly.

"Nah. It'll take more than that to kill him."

Xander recognized the worry in Spike's voice, but didn't comment on it, knowing patrol was an excuse to get his mind off the fact that Angel was still unconscious. "Okay. Let's go patrol."

On the way out, Xander grabbed the black leather jacket he'd taken off a demon they'd killed and replenished the stakes he kept in the deep pockets before shoving his arms into the sleeves. He'd been surprised at how quickly he'd decided he wanted it, but it really was a vampire thing. The leather just felt better.

The two vampires headed out into the night, both hoping that they weren't out too long, both wanting to return as soon as possible.

Only an hour later, they'd barely walked through the door when Willow came running onto the upstairs landing.

"Angel's awake!"

Spike and Xander rushed up the stairs to Angel's room. Xander paused to let Spike enter first, thanking Willow on his way in the door. Angel was sitting up in bed, and though he was still paler than usual, he looked better than he had.

"Well, looks like you're alive, Gramps, figuratively speaking," Xander said, breaking the tension he sensed in the room.

Angel chuckled, and Spike grinned.

"We've been handling patrol," Spike said, shoulders straightening with pride at Angel's nod of approval. "Buffy and the others have been helping until you get back on your feet."

"Good. I hope to be back at full strength soon, but I appreciate you two stepping up."

"Do you need anything," Spike asked cautiously.

Angel shook his head. "I just had some blood, so I'll just need to rest for a couple weeks."

"Less if you had human blood," Xander said casually.

Angel frowned. "Xander," he said sternly.

"You'd be up today if you had a little Slayer blood," Spike observed.

Angel's frown deepened. His boys were ganging up on him again. "No."

"I'd be willing to donate." The three vampires turned to stare at Buffy. She leaned casually against the doorframe, as she gazed unflinchingly at Angel.

"Buffy," Angel began.

"If you take some Slayer blood, you'll be back at full strength today, and we can get back to Sunnydale," she said. "I don't like leaving Dawn alone this long, even if she is staying with Dad for a while."

Angel nodded his understanding, but still hesitated. "I might hurt you."

Buffy shrugged. "I doubt it," she said easily. "If you'd wanted to, you could have by now."

That was true. Angel found it strange that everyone trusted him more than he trusted himself.

Spike stepped forward and grinned. "I can spot you, if you like. Pull him off you if he gets nasty."

Buffy looked like she doubted that would work, but nodded. Spike found it irritating that she trusted Angel more than she trusted him. Stepping forward, Buffy offered her wrist to Angel, who sat up against the pillows in order to gently grasp her arm, trying hard not to breathe in her scent.

"Are you sure, Buffy?"

Buffy nodded. "I'm sure." Her feelings for Angel were no longer what they were, but she still trusted him.

Angel leaned down and sank his fangs into her wrist as gently as he could without prepping the skin with his tongue. He felt her wince, but she didn't pull away, so he sucked the blood from the twin holes, taking care not to make this more intimate than it had to be. He could feel his wounds knitting together faster than before, could feel all the bruises healing, the aches disappearing. He could also feel himself getting dizzy from her Slayer blood. His other hand came up to grasp her elbow, but Spike's hand grabbed his wrist, firm enough to stop him, gentle enough not to be a threat. He glanced up and met his childe's eyes, ready to growl in defense of the blood. Spike's eyes, however, were patient, a look Angel had seen many times with Xander, and stopped the growl in his chest. Easing back from Buffy's wrist, Angel sank back into the pillows, panting lightly. Licking the last of the delectable blood from his lips, he thanked her.

"You're welcome, Angel," Buffy said, pressing the cloth Spike handed her to her wrist. "I'm glad you're feeling better. But don't…" Buffy paused, glancing at Xander, who'd backed up to the door when Angel first took her wrist, before sighing. "Don't call me here again, okay?"

Angel nodded, and Xander smiled sadly, his eyes still wide with bloodlust.

"You make my vampire instincts crazy too," Xander said understandingly. "I'm glad I met you, Buffy," he finished.

Her eyes welled up with tears, but she smiled and reached out to hug him for the last time. "I'm glad I met you too, Xander. Keep in touch by phone or email, okay?"

"I will."

Buffy left the room and Willow walked in, immediately pulling Xander into a long hug. "You can still come see me," she offered.

"It's probably best if I don't go back to Sunnydale, Wills," Xander said sadly, hugging her tightly.

"You're always welcome here, Willow," Angel assured her.

Willow smiled at him over Xander's shoulder before pulling away from her oldest friend.

"I'll be back someday," she promised, tears glistening in her eyes. Turning to stare at Spike with her resolve face, she said "You take care of him, mister, or I'll come back with a stake in my hand."

Spike chuckled, but didn't doubt her for a minute. "I'll take care of him. I promise."

Xander felt the power of his words and beamed.

The Slayer's group was leaving, and Xander still felt a pang at their loss, but he knew he'd found something better. Moving to stand with Spike beside Angel's bed, he listened as the humans turned in for the night. Even knowing they'd leave in the morning, Xander was content. He'd finally found a home where people knew what it meant to be a family.