Trickster´s Treat Sequel –
Janus´ Shadow 14
"But you aren´t a vampire anymore," Buffy objected again, and this time even Giles sighed.
"Still with the vampy thoughts," Xander said for the hundredth time. Buffy looked constipated, and Xander waited for round billionth of ´just ignore the feelings´.
"Maybe we can magically block the memories," Willow added hopefully as she curled in her chair, her knees pulled up to her chest.
"Um... I´m thinking NO!" Xander protested.
"I do tend to agree with Xander on that point," Giles added as he sat on the opposite side of the couch from Xander, his forehead resting in his palm, and Xander picked a thread on the bottom of his shirt. He knew there´d been a reason he´d hid the spell´s effects, and avoiding a scene like this had been at the top of his list.
"But you aren´t a vampire. I don´t go running around acting like a lady," Buffy said as she completed another paced circle around the couch. Xander choked on a half–laugh as he considered just what Spike would say to that.
"I rather think that 900 years of memories would be harder to dismiss," Giles said. "But then I´ve said that at least a dozen times already, so feel free to ignore me again."
"Buffy, it´s part of who I am now. It´s been a part of me for years." Xander focused on the long thread between his fingers.
"The memory of killing and torturing and... raping, that´s just a natural part of you?" Xander could hear Buffy´s voice break on the last word, and he could almost see her real pain as though she had taken out a billboard and planted it right over her head. He could sympathize with the feeling more than she understood.
"Buffy," he said carefully. He really didn´t want to get knocked on his ass. "What happened was about vampire structure and society. It doesn´t change the fact that his soul loves you and probably always will."
"What?!" Buffy stopped her pacing to plant her feet in a pose that looked suspiciously ass–kicking–ready. "Don´t even go there," she warned with her eyes narrowed. "I am worried about a friend because he seems to have lost his mind," Buffy took two steps forward and pulled Xander´s arm hard enough that he nearly fell off the couch. She twisted his wrist, and for a brief flash of blind panic, Xander thought she was attacking him. When she just stood staring down, he eventually looked at the inside of his wrist.
The bruise Spike had given him the first night in the bathtub had darkened to a deep purple with wisps of green along the edge. The crescent fingernail marks were dark with scabs, and two tiny circles of clear skin marked the entrance of fangs.
"Xander! Good lord, what were you thinking?"
"Hey, you´re on my side here," Xander objected as he yanked his hand back, or at least as he tried to yank his hand back. Unfortunately, he just managed to wrench his wrist as Buffy held him in a vice–like grip. "And no fair using slayer–strength on the average–guy."
"Average?" Buffy huffed her disbelief. "Average wouldn´t look like a chew toy."
"At least mine won´t scar," Xander shot back, and Buffy instantly let him go as though burned. "Of course, I heard scars are the new pink this year," he instantly tried joking even as he pulled his sleeve down to cover the bruised arm.
"Xander, this is... this is too big to have a name," Willow spluttered. "You let Spike bite you. Wait. Spike bit you? What about the chip?" Willow uncurled, and leaned forward in the chair.
"It didn´t *exactly* hurt." Xander could feel his skin grow warm under all their glares. "And hey, I´m not the trailblazer with the getting bit. I´m just following the fashion trail Buffy set down." A small part of Xander felt guilty for using Buffy´s own scar to distract from his wrist, but all was fair in love and family fights; he´d learned that at an early age.
"I had to do it to save Angel," Buffy said tensely as she crossed her arms and glared down. Xander suddenly felt sorry for the fledges who crawled out of their graves to find that face looking down at them. A coldness wrapped itself around his spine as he looked up and struggled to not flinch.
"And I had to save Spike," he answered calmly.
"So, your blood has magical properties?"
"Not exactly."
"Point made," Buffy snapped in triumph. "Letting him feed... just... disturbo time."
"The feeding is not your concern," Xander let the coldness down his spine seep into his stomach as he leaned back against the couch and spread his arm over the back.
"I think we are all concerned about the possibility of Spike turning you. If, as you say, the biting is consensual and not painful, what prevents Spike from feeding until he kills you?" Giles´ voice sounded rough.
"I do. He asked to turn me, and I said no," Xander answered flatly. "He does not make such decisions on his own." Willow made a noise that sounded as if she had accidentally swallowed one of her goldfish and gotten it stuck half way down.
"Xander," Giles said, and then the glasses were off, and the watcher fell silent again.
"Am I the only one who thinks he´s lost his mind?" Buffy asked. She didn´t get to finish that thought because the phone chose that moment to ring. Xander didn´t move, watching carefully as Buffy backed away and headed for the phone.
"If it´s those bloody telemarketers, tell them to stop calling or I will not be held responsible for my actions," Giles said tiredly as he again rested his forehead on the palm of his hand.
"What?" Buffy answered as she picked up the phone. An immediately look of annoyance slowly faded into something darker as her mouth moved into a frown and her stake hand closed to a fist. Xander shifted on the couch, sitting forward as he watched the slayer´s body slowly tighten like a spring.
"Where did they go?" she demanded of the phone. "Don´t give me that; I will come down there and blood will be had," she almost immediately snapped. Xander stood, his body reacting to the slayer´s anger with his own flood of adrenaline that left him moving toward the wall where he could have cover at his back, and yeah, he knew that reaction was stupid even as he did it, but he did it anyway. His nerves at least settled once he could clearly watch the other three and the door.
"Well you´d better find something," Buffy nearly growled into the phone before slamming it down so hard that plastic cracked.
"Buffy?" Willow asked.
"Angel and Spike... they were at Willy´s asking questions about missing demons. The Initiative raided."
"Spike," Xander felt his own anger burn through him, turning all other feelings to ash.
"He and Angel ran out the back with soldiers on their tails," Buffy admitted quietly. Xander didn´t comment as he went to the weapon´s trunk and pulled open the heavy lid.
"Perhaps we should wait to see if they contact us," Giles suggested. Xander ignored the man as he considered his weapon choices. He would have preferred his own, but he didn´t have time to get them. Instead he chose a crossbow and a long sword to go with the various knives and smaller weapons he always carried.
"Maybe I could scry for them. I have a demon locating spell," Willow suggested. When Xander stood and turned, he found himself inches from a very angry looking Buffy.
"No way you get the crossbow," Buffy said as she reached for the weapon. "That is so mine." As she grabbed the weapon, Xander could see the same cold fury in her eyes, but then she felt just as strongly about Angel as he did about Spike. He surrendered the weapon and reached down for a replacement, a set of throwing knives he could slip into his waistband.
"Willow, you try to find them from here," Buffy ordered as she found a short sword to slip into place next to the crossbow. You had to love a town where you could wear medieval weapons without anyone commenting.
"And if I find them?" Willow asked.
"Call my mobile phone," Xander offered as he pulled a Xan Nusa card out of his pocket. Willow took the card and opened her mouth in the shape of an "oh," but no sound came out.
"You ready?" Xander asked Buffy.
"Totally," she agreed, "just don´t think you´re getting out of this conversation because I still think you´ve lost your mind," she said as she headed for the door. Xander rolled his eyes at her back and then tucked the throwing knives into his waistband as he followed. Let her think she led, he would do what he had to in order to save his childe.
After parking his car a safe distance from Willy´s place, Xander stalked the street, avoiding the pools of light under the lamps. "Anything?" he asked Buffy as she walked beside him, peering down alleys.
"Just rats. I hate rats," she answered. Xander could have growled his frustration as he closed his fist around the hilt of his sword. Hunting normally excited him, but all he could feel was a rising frustration with the lack of Willow callage and the dullness that hung over his senses making him squint at the dark and the fear that he had failed his childe.
Xander stopped as he considered a form leaning against the side of a building. The limbs canted out at awkward angles, and Xander headed across the street, ignoring the cars that had to stop for him. When he got half way across the street, the creature looked at him, and then turned to run with long loping strides that didn´t even come close to human. Xander sprinted after.
"Hey!" he yelled as he ran after the creature. It leapt a brick wall, and Xander scrambled to the top of a utility box and then struggled to the top of the wall before falling down onto the far side and rolling down a grassy slope. And of course it had to be a tombstone that stopped the roll, he thought as he ignored the sharp pain in his elbow and got to his feet. The creature had quite a head start, and Xander threw himself forward until his calves burned and the tops of his thighs burned and his side cramped. Still he ran.
They reached the far side of the cemetery where the creature again used long limbs to vault the wrought iron. Unable to stop himself, Xander flung himself into the fence hard enough to force the air from his lungs. A flash of passed him as Buffy went up the fence like some sort of blonde Spiderman. Xander leaned against the fence just to stay upright as he looked up. Yeah, he was not making it over that.
Rubbing the cramp that threatened to rip the muscles out of his side, Xander shuffled along the inside of the fence to the gate. Still muttering curses at his own body, he reached the arching entrance just as Buffy came back across the street dragging a lanky kid with a face that was too thin and a nose that hooked under at the end. In any other city in America, Xander would have just assumed the kid was ugly. Buffy kept him bent over in a headlock, and long, twig fingers clutched her arm.
"Didn´t do nothing. Didn´t. Didn´t do," the kid–like creature complained as Buffy dragged it to the entrance of the cemetery. Xander stood up straight, ignoring the spasm in his side as he looked down at the half–demon in Buffy´s grasp. Given the pale blue eyes that shone under the yellow of the streetlight and the unnaturally thin body, Xander guessed the creature was at least half Elak.
"Ve never said you did anything," he commented as he reached over and took off the ball cap that covered the white–blond hair. When he gently finger–combed the long, silky strands, the Elak jerked in Buffy´s grip, nearly pulling the slayer off her feet.
"You have, however, seen something," Xander said confidently as he continued to play with the creature´s hair. Buffy looked at him strangely, but Xander ignored her as he stroked. As he expected, the Elak´s body eventually started relaxing under the touch. Elak were such predictable, social creatures.
"You vatch for someone, yes?" Xander asked softly. The Elak jerked again, but with far less energy. Buffy simply grunted and tightened her hold until the kid made a half–choking sound.
"You stand on the street and watch. So much watching, and surely you must see something."
"I didn´t do anything. Nothing," the Elak protested again as he squirmed ineffectually.
"I do not doubt that, child." Xander allowed his hand to wander down under the demon´s chin, cradling his face and tilting it up slightly.
"But you saw two vampyra running from soldiers."
"No. I didn´t. No vampires. No," the demon chattered. Xander knelt down so he could look into the creature´s eyes.
"Tell me vhat you saw, little one," he said, and he tightened his hold on the creatures chin until his fingers dug into the skin, making white islands of flesh around each finger. The Elak shivered.
"I saw soldiers," he admitted, and then his eyes closed.
"Vhere?" Xander asked.
"The college. Near the college. Holes in the ground."
Xander looked up at Buffy in surprise.
"The college? You´re sure?" Buffy asked as she tightened the arm she had around the Elak´s neck until long fingers scrambled and scratched at her arm.
"Yes. Yes. Told to watch. I make sure they aren´t near," the creature cried out. Xander put a hand on Buffy´s arm, and Buffy loosened her hold.
"Listen to me, little one," Xander said as he again smoothed hair away from the creature´s face gently. "The soldiers have taken our friends, and you vill show us their holes. Otherwise, the slayer and I will track down your nests and we vill not stop until every one of your nest mates lies in a pool of darkened blood. Your whole clan vill suffer unless you can show us the soldiers so that they might suffer in your place." The demon´s eyes grew large. Xander struggled not to ruin the moment with a sneeze as the musk of Elak distress filled his nose.
"But help us, and the slayer vill give your clan free passage. They will valk the Hellmouth without challenge." Buffy made a small noise of objection, and Xander closed his eyes and sent up a quick prayer for her to trust him just this once. It must have worked because she didn´t say anything even though she stared murder down on him as he crouched in front of the frightened Elak. "Vill you show us?" Xander asked. The demon´s eyes were watery with fear, but he nodded.
"Good, child," Xander offered as he returned to stroking the young Elak´s hair with one hand as he used his other hand to pull Buffy´s arm away from the creature´s neck. "They have taken our clan. You help us to find our clan, and ve shall owe a debt to your clan," he added as the Elak slowly stood and looked from one to the other with wet eyes. Buffy stood with her hands crossed over her chest in clear annoyance.
"And if you make me run again, I will not be pleased with your or your clan," Buffy added, and Xander smiled that she had picked up on his own threats against clan.
"No running. No," the Elak agreed. "This way. They have holes."
"Wait," Xander stopped the Elak with a hand on his arm. "A vampire came out of the soldier´s burrow. Do you know where that hole is? The hole where the vampire came out?" Xander asked.
"Yes. Far hole. I know that hole. This way." The Elak bent over and grabbed his hat from the ground, putting it back on and pulling the brim down to cover his eyes. When the creature started walking in a casual human stroll down the street, Xander followed with Buffy at his side.
"Do you have any idea what you´re doing?" she whispered as they crossed Third Street. Xander flinched since the whisper was as good as a shout considering an Elak´s hearing.
"I am getting Spike back," he replied in a conversational tone. Buffy gave him a strange look before she glanced up toward the demon that led them past the Espresso Pump toward the south end of campus. Luckily, Buffy´s dumb blonde routine only covered trigonometry because with a knowing look she nodded and fell silent.
A brick wall marked the edge of campus, and the Elak neatly scaled the obstacle.
"Up you go," Buffy offered as she made a cradle out of her hands. Xander rolled his eyes at the indignity of getting tossed over the wall by a slayer, and Buffy´s quick smirk looked almost like Spike. Since he didn´t have another choice, he put his foot in Buffy´s hands and braced his hands against the wall right before she heaved him up into the air.
Xander missed the top of the wall and tumbled right over, falling to the ground where he lay with his sheathed sword poking at his ass and his lungs empty of air.
"Xander?! Are you okay?" Buffy asked as she dropped down to the grass beside him. Xander struggled to breathe as Buffy set about poking his body looking for broken bits.
"I´m fine," he finally managed to wheeze out, despite the fact that most of his body had a different opinion.
"Maybe I should take it from here," Buffy suggested, and even though she sounded helpful and caring and worried, Xander nearly growled at the suggestion he was weak.
"I´m fine," he insisted again as he rolled to his side. His body growled back at him.
"Yeah, right, ´cause you look really fine," Buffy said as she stepped back and watched Xander´s struggles to get up.
"I´m going to get Spike."
"Would now be the time to point out that we don´t even know the Initiative has them?" she asked as she held down a helping hand that Xander ignored.
"No because if the Initiative doesn´t have Spike, I´m going to kill him for worrying this much," Xander groaned as he forced himself back to his feet despite the stabbing pains down his back.
"Now I know you´re under a spell, you´re turning into my mother," Buffy offered as she started walking toward the Elak who had stopped under a tree, leaning into the trunk until he almost disappeared into the shadow.
"Not funny," Xander said as he limped after them. His phone made a strangled chirp that made Xander think he might have landed on the thing, and he pulled it out of his pocket.
"Xan Nusa," he snapped quietly as he tried to find a walking motion that allowed him to put more weight on his left side.
"Xander?" Willow asked.
"Please tell me you´ve found them because I could do with good news right now," Xander said as he limped a little faster after Buffy and the young Elak.
"They´re on campus, somewhere near the chem lab, so they must be following––"
Xander must have made a noise because Willow stopped. "That´s not good. Why did you make that sound. I´m not liking that sound."
"The Initiative is buried under the campus," Xander admitted as he pushed through a line of neatly manicured bushes right behind Buffy.
"Oh goddess. This really isn´t turning out to be a very good Thanksgiving," Willow suggested.
"I´m having trouble imagining a worse one," Xander agreed, and then he bit his tongue for even thinking that on the Hellmouth. "But the good news is that we have a line on a way into the Initiative.
"Go Hometeam! We´ll show them that it takes more to hunt demons on the Hellmouth than just hunting demons!" Willow cheered him on. "What do you need from me?"
"A new back?" Xander suggested first. Willow was silent on the other end of the phone. "But really we´re going to need some magical intervention to get into the Initiative if Spike and Angel are down there. Any chance you and Giles could meet us by the chem lab with some basic spell materials?" Xander asked as Buffy stopped in front of him so quickly that he ran into her.
"No problemo. Spells extrordinare on their way," she promised.
"And bring nightshade," Xander whispered as he watched Buffy and the Elak crouch on the ground and pull aside bushes to reveal an air shaft. The edges had the blobby, charred look of newly welded metal, and the grate stayed firmly in place even as Buffy pulled as hard as she could. Xander flipped off the phone and slipped it back into his pocket about two seconds before he realized he hadn´t said goodbye.
"No go," Buffy finally admitted as she let go and considered the white grooves in her fingers from straining against the metal.
"So we wait for backup," Xander said as he carefully sat down using a tree to lean on.
"What´s your name?" Xander asked the young demon whose eyes continually bobbed from one distant point to another. He was probably listening to conversations on the other side of campus.
"Peter," he answered quickly.
"Your real name," Xander demanded as he watched the Elak´s body tense. Suspicious blue eyes turned to him.
"I am Xan Nusa. I was a primal until my friends removed the offending spirit, and I still carry the memories of a millennium–old vampire, which gives me the knowledge of a mage and allows me to be sire to William the Bloody, also known as Spike. My friend is Buffy the Slayer. She is the oldest slayer to exist in several millennia, and she defeated the Master of the Aurelius line, and the man who founded Sunnydale." Xander made his words casual, but blue eyes now definitely focused on them as long fingers twitched nervously.
"I am Eoptra. Line of Not. I am offspring of Adoab, keeper of eggs. Borne by Charlotte of Clark," he finally admitted, and Xander nodded his acceptance.
"The line of Not is honorable, and you do us honor. Our clan comes to our call, and we will recover our missing members. If you will to ally yourself with us, tell your clan leaders to make a distraction far from here at dawn."
"And if they do not?" Eoptra asked, his fingers continuing their twitches.
"Then the line of Not has assisted us, and we vill remember," Xander answered calmly. Eoptra nodded his own head, and his eyes returned to searching the distant darkness.
"Of what clan are you?" the demon asked. Xander opened his mouth to say Giles´ clan since the older man had played clan leader to the group since he first arrived, but he couldn´t make his words form. He belonged only to one person. "Nusa," came from his mouth. Buffy looked over at him, but didn´t argue as the Elak straightened up and started wandering toward the main exit looking like one more college student wandering home after a long night.
