Title: Vamp for Rent 12/18

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 Twelve

Spike and Xander bailed on patrol that night. Spike hadn't been up to facing the others. It took him an entire day to work himself up to it. He couldn't hide from the Scooby's forever.

They stood outside the Magic Box. Xander squeeze Spike's hand. "I'm right here."

Spike nodded but didn't move.

"Do you want me to tell them?" There was no way they wouldn't find out. Spike's missing teeth were obvious and even if it wasn't it would be when he vamped out.

"No," Spike said with more certainty than he felt. He looked at Xander out of the corner of his eye. "Just stay close, yeah?"

"I've got your back," promised Xander.

When they opened the door Tara was the first to look up. It was almost as if she could feel something was off as soon as they walked in. When she looked at them their auras confirmed it. "What's wrong?"

That got the attention of everyone including Giles who was in his office. He noticed both Spike and Xander looked exhausted. There was no way that this had anything to do with Spike's feelings for Xander.

Willow stood up and went over to them. She couldn't think of a single thing that would cause them both to look like this. "What happened, Xan?"

Buffy joined them as well. "You can tell us anything."

Trying to open his mouth but Spike couldn't. He started to hyperventilate despite not needing to breathe.

Giles rushed over and with Xander's help they were able to get him to the table without Spike collapsing.

When they sat Xander placed his hands on Spike's face making him look at him. "Follow my breathing." Xander took a deep breath in, held it for five seconds and then slowly released it.

Spike followed Xander's lead. It was strange to force himself to breathe to stop himself from breathing. Eventually the technique worked and Spike was able to calm down. He didn't realize he had been crying until Xander wiped his face. Today was one of the most mortifying days of his unlife.

While everything was happening Riley was watching with fascination. In all the time he had been with the Initiative he'd never seen that happen to a vampire.

"Are you okay?" whispered Xander, his hands still on Spike's face hoping that he found it comforting.

Feeling incredibly vulnerable Spike couldn't lie. He shook his head. He was so weak.

"Do you want me to tell them?" Xander asked. He saw and felt Spike nod yes. "Okay." Xander removed his hands from Spike's face but made sure to have one resting on his arm.

"You guys are freaking us out. Why is Spike, not being Spike like?" Buffy asked. Her slayer senses seemed to be overdrive.

"Two nights ago Spike went out and was jumped by a couple of humans. A demon put a bounty on him. They beat him, stabbed him and... de-fanged him." Xander was unable to hold back his rage. "And I swear if any of you think this is funny or justified I'll..." Xander's hand left Spike's arm and they turned into fists. "I won't care if you're a girl today." He never wanted to be like his father but he needed all of them to know how serious he was. That Spike was important to him and his priority right now.

"Dear Lord," muttered Giles. He went behind the counter and grabbed a new bottle of scotch. He came back to the table and set it in front of Spike. "You need this more than me."

Spike ripped open the lid and took several gulps before setting the bottle back on the table.

All the girls had tears in their eyes. Buffy couldn't understand how humans do this. "How do we find these guys?"

"If we had their DNA maybe we could do a spell to find out who they are." Willow always had a solution.

"Guys, we can't go after humans," Riley said, trying to get them to see reason. "We are supposed to protect them."

Buffy shook her head angrily. "No, they are the monsters this time. Anyone who could do this is a monster. And we take the monsters out. Right, Giles?"

Giles could see both sides, unfortunately this was a complicated situation. For the first time he didn't have an answer. "I... don't know."

"We can't kill them," Tara replied agreeing with Riley. "But that doesn't mean we can let them get away with this. There needs to be consequences."

"We can not make any rash decisions," Giles intervened. "We can't do anything until we know who this heathens are. Spike, do you have anything that they touched?"

Spike shook his head. All this clothes had been thrown out.

"That's not entirely true," Xander nervously said. He saw Spike's eyes narrow, knowing what Xander was talking about.

"I told you to get rid of it!" hissed Spike. His tongue tickled his gums between the teeth gaps.

Xander had the good graced to look guilty. "I'm sorry, I was just afraid one day you'd regret getting rid of it. I didn't want you to one day want it and it be gone."

Spike was trying to tell himself that Xander just had the best of intentions but that wasn't helping him right now. He didn't say anything else and drank more of the scotch. The last couple of days were just too much.

"What are you talking about?" Willow felt like they were getting off track.

"The duster." The fact that Spike didn't call it his duster wasn't a good sign.

Willow hoping to stop a possible fight said, "we want to help, Spike. Would it be okay if Xander brought it here? If you really want it gone after we'll destroy it, burn it and bury the ashes."

As much as he knew he was focusing on the wrong thing he couldn't help it. It then suddenly dawned on him that these people, the ones that were supposed to despise him actually wanted to help him. "Fine." He just had to focus on the fact that the humans that did this to him and the demon responsible would pay.

The ride back to the apartment was a quiet one. Xander had turned the radio on hating the silence but Spike immediately turned it off.

When they got into the apartment Spike headed straight for the kitchen needing blood. He understood why Xander did what he did and if Spike was feeling like himself it would have a been a sweet gesture.

"Please don't be mad at me," Xander said in a quiet voice. "I was afraid that you'd regret it and if I had a chance to make that not happen I had to do it."

Looking at it from Xander's point of view he could understand. If they had been in each others positions and Xander wanted Spike to get rid of something that meant so much to him he would have trouble to the same thing. "I hate that I feel like this. I just want to be me."

"I know it doesn't feel like it but you are still the same Spike. Demons are still going to fear you and if they don't they are going to be in for a surprise when you rip their spines out and ram them back up their asses. Hell you can cut off the head of a demon and put it on a pike in front of Willy's."

Spike blinked multiple times. "I've never thought of doing that." If that didn't put the fear of God into demons what would?

"You are brilliant and you can come up with so many unique ways of killing demons. Let them underestimate you because soon they will be begging you for mercy. And do you want to know what I know?" Spike just looked at Xander waiting for the answer. "They won't get it. William the Bloody doesn't show mercy. And I'll be there watching every time enjoying seeing them realize their mistake."

The blood was forgotten as Spike went over to Xander and pulled him into a tight hug. "You are abso-bloody-lutely amazing."

"I have my moments." Xander hugged Spike back. "You are still you and I will remind you of that of that whenever you start to question it."

For the hundredth time in the last few days Spike cried but this time it wasn't because of sorrow or fear.