Shattered 2

Xander bounced out of his bedroom just after sunset, still buttoning his shirt. "WAKE UP SPIKE!"

Spike squeaked as he rolled off the couch with a thump. Xander rushed to his side and helped him sit up. "Spike! Are you okay?"

Spike opened his eyes blearily. "Okay? Don´t think so, mate." He blinked several times before settling on leaving them closed. He slumped forward, unknowingly laying his head upon Xander´s shoulder. Xander patted him gently before stroking his face.

"Hey! Wake up!" Xander shook him. "What is wrong with you?"

"Don´t know." Spike said vaguely as Xander tried to help him stand. Spike leaned into Xander heavily, knowing well that if not for the other man he would have fallen to the floor again. "So tired!"

"Well we´ve GOT to GO! We need to go find this thing! KILL it!" Xander said bouncing from foot to foot. Every inch of him seemed to vibrate as he tried to straighten Spike´s clothing with one hand and hold him up with the other.

Spike wrapped an arm around Xander´s shoulder. "Wish I had your energy!"

"Come on! Maybe Giles will have coffee there. Do vampires drink coffee?" Xander babbled as he helped Spike out the door. "Pep you right up! Give you a little caffeine...Oo I know, we can buy you an energy drink on the way, ginseng and caffeine, or we could get you that stuff that has like cactus juice mixed in it and stuff or whatever it is called..."

"I think you´ve had enough for both of us." Spike said as Xander stuffed him into the car.

"Oops sorry about your head."

"What are you talking about? I haven´t had anything to drink tonight! I just got up!" Xander patted Spike´s shoulder as he began to buckle him in. Spike rubbed his head ruefully.

"Come on, come on!" Xander yelled at the stoplight. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel.

Spike roused himself out of another catnap. "It´ll change, give it a moment. Stop being so impatient!"

"Not impatient...COME ON YOU STUPID LIGHT!" Xander bounced in his seat, consequently bouncing Spike.

Spike laid his head on the seat looking at the man beside him. Xander looked back and gave him a sad smile. "I just want to..."

"Do right by her?" Spike finished softly. "Yeah, I know."

"Yeah, the last thing I remember, the last real thing was me and her fighting. Over bills, so stupid." Xander sighed.

Spike moved his hand closer to Xander, still unable to really find the energy to lift it. "It´s not your fault, mate. We´ll find it and don´t fret about the fight. She knew you loved her. Everyone fights sometimes."

Xander sighed again. "I know, doesn´t make it better though."

"I know." Spike agreed staring at Xander´s profile. His dream came back in full force. Stunning him as he remembered every detail, he shifted as his pants became suddenly uncomfortable.

Giles sat down as Xander half dragged Spike into the door. One arm wrapped tightly around Spike´s shoulders, allowing Spike´s head to lie on Xander´s shoulder, the other grasped Spike´s waist.

"Goodness! What is wrong with him?" Giles asked as Xander carefully levered Spike into a chair.

"I´m not sure. He says he feels drained, tired. I don´t know what happened. I mean last night he was fine and when we got up this evening he was like this!" Xander pulled out a coffee cup and went to the machine.

"Oh?" Giles asked.

Spike laid his head upon the table and let his eyes close.

"Uh, he´ll go to sleep again! He´s been doing that all the way here." Xander said. "Should we let him do that?"

Giles peered closely and narrowed his eyes. "I don´t see the harm. It isn´t as though he has a concussion. At least, I believe it should be safe..."

"Maybe, maybe he´s just tired." Willow said. "Sometimes, you just wake up in the morning, or, or whatever and you just are all...ugh...need more sleep? I mean we all have days like that...maybe he just..."

Xander frowned. "I don´t know, I don´t think vampires are like that. They´re more like, ugh, I´m awake lets bite something!"

"As fascinating as the sleep habits of the domesticated vampire may be, I do believe we have more pressing concerns?" Giles lifted the paper from that morning. On the front page was the crime scene from where Anya had been killed.

"There have been no more attacks since last night. So we can assume that it had..." Giles looked quickly at Xander then cleared his throat. "It had finished for the night."

Xander rubbed his eyes and grimaced. "You mean, that it was full for the night, right?"

"Er, quite." Giles cleared his throat again before reaching out and squeezing Xander´s shoulder. Xander reached up and grasped the hand, giving it a squeeze before releasing it.

"We have made some progress today though...Willow?"

Willow shifted the papers in front of her around until she found the one she wanted. She stood up and was just about to speak when...

Spike started suddenly and sat up. "I shan´t again, Mother!"

"Okaaaaay? Awake now are we?" Xander asked the blinking Spike.

Spike jerked a few times as he nearly fell forward before he began to shake his head rapidly.

"I´m awake!" He said loudly.

"Feeling better?" Willow asked in concern, sitting back down.

"I feel like someone ran over me, then ran over me again just to be sure they got me the first time." Spike mumbled as he rubbed at his face.

Willow patted Spike on the shoulder. "Would you like some coffee? Blood? Coffee mixed with blood?"

Xander grimaced. "That is disgusting!"

"This from the man that puts pickles in his spaghetti?" Willow leveled a look at Xander.

Xander ducked his head. "Hey! Spike! Howza about some blood with your coffee?"

Spike gave his head a hard shake. "I´m awake, I´m awake."

"Who are ya telling? Us or yourself?" Xander asked as he reached out and grabbed Spike´s shoulder. Spike started and pulled away looking down at his hands. "You okay?"

"Uh, um, yeah, yeah fine." Spike nervously laughed and looked away.

Xander pulled back. "If I didn´t know better, I would say you are blushing."

"Don´t be ridiculous...er...Coffee? Blood? Sounds good." Spike stumbled as he got to his feet and dashed to the coffeemaker.

"We were just discussing..." Giles scowled.

"It is okay Giles." Xander frowned. "Anya is dead, she was attacked and killed and...partially...eaten. I know that. We can´t keep avoiding the words. She´s gone. And we have to find what did it!"

"Quite!" Giles nodded in approval.

Spike swayed on his feet for a second before he jerked himself awake again. "WHY am I so tired?"

Spike lightly smacked his face a few times and sipped the strange brew.

Giles looked up and asked, "Did anything abnormal happen last night?"

Spike shook his head. "No, watched a little telly then went to sleep that is about all."

Tara chewed on her lip. "Did you dream anything weird? Sometimes dreams tell us things."

Spike grew paler and turned away. "Nothing special."

"Oh," Willow frowned. "Did you feel anything weird?"

Spike tipped the mug in his up and took a gulp. "Er, I felt like someone was choking me, and trying to crush my chest..." Spike cleared his throat before tipping the mug up again.

Willow pursed her lips. "Well if you had had a wild sex dream I would say a succubus had paid you a little visit."

Spike choked and began to cough. "What?"

"You know, Incubi and Succubae. They are like these sex demons. Kinda cool as far as demons go." Willow blushed. "Um, they feed off sexual energy."

Spike blinked. "I´ve heard of them, just never really thought much of them. Kind of suspected they didn´t exist. Just you know, hard up monks with active imaginations."

"Oh, they exist." Tara said.

Xander smirked. "Yeah, the ONE type of demon I wanted to meet as a teenager...and I got passed by!"

Willow giggled. "Silly! They drain you. They seduce you in your dreams. Some books actually consider them a type of vampire!"

"Yeah, but what a way to GO!" Xander shook his head.

Giles gave a small smile. "Indeed. Actually there has been some suggestions that Incubi and Succubae are actually genderless, that they are merely so named based on the gender they appear to the dreamer."

"Shape shifters?" Spike asked sitting back down.

Giles shrugged. "Not that it has any bearing on the matter at hand but no one is quite sure. No one is sure what the shape or form an incubus or a succubus takes in its natural state. No one has ever seen one that hasn´t taken on the shape of the dreamer´s fantasy!"

"So how do you know if you´ve been attacked by one of these things, and not just having a wet dream?"

Willow smirked. "The whole choking and being drained thing gives it away. Is there something you aren´t telling us?"

Spike growled.

Everyone at the table giggled.

"Ooo Spike! Tell us about your new girlfriend!" Xander taunted.

Spike growled. "I think... we are here to discuss YOURS!"

Xander´s face fell abruptly and Spike felt something in his gut twist, something off. Xander nodded. "Yeah, you´re right. Giles."

Giles glared at Spike as he shuffled the papers in front of him around. "Yes, well. Willow and Tara did turn up some interesting discoveries today."

Willow stood up and cleared her throat. "Well, we found that this isn´t really the first time that attacks like this have happened around here. There have been similar ´wild dog´ attacks for the last four and a half years, off and on. The first time I found records of it, well, actually it was Principal Flutie, but we know what that was about." Willow rolled her eyes as Xander sank down further into his chair.

"But the first attack that was not...well you know...was during the time that Buffy left Sunnydale after Angel went to hell."

Xander sat up straighter. "Why didn´t we notice then?"

Willow shrugged. "We were swamped, still learning the whole slayage thing...it slipped through the cracks."

Willow continued. "The next time is a few months later and they really just come and go off and on."

Tara looked up and gave Willow a small smile. "We think that it is nomadic maybe."

"Hmm, yes sounds like it!" Giles said. "We know that it runs its prey down much like wolves do but that there is only one as opposed to a pack. We can guess that it is big and powerful. I honestly don´t think it is a natural predator."

"What exactly ate your principal?" Spike asked.

Xander slipped back down into his chair while Giles suddenly found his teacup fascinating.

"I don´t really remember much about that time. But I didn´t do it! I was busy trying to rape Buffy... apparently!"

Spike gaped at Xander. "WHAT?"

Xander dropped his head down onto his crossed arms. "I really really don´t want to get into this!"

Willow reached over and patted Xander on the shoulder. "He was possessed by a hyena spirit thing. Him and a few other kids, and well, they ate a pig together, but Xander DID NOT eat the principal, although his pack did. He was trying to molest Buffy."

What shocked Spike the most was that Willow sounded satisfied.

Spike felt his brain start to shut down. "Okay, let me get this straight, Harris here? He ate the pig, but not the principal? And he tried to...with Buffy?"

Willow nodded. "Yes, but Buffy stopped him."

"Got your arse whomped?" Spike asked.

"Whomped good." Xander nodded.

"Been there done that!" Spike rolled his eyes.

Xander shrugged. "Well, we know it isn´t the pack. We all went back to normal afterwards. I´ve kept track of them and they all lead pretty normal lives."

Giles looked up sharply. "You´ve kept in contact?"

Xander´s eyes took on a dark look. "They...we...shared something. They were my pack."

Xander stood up and stretched. "I need to go to the little boys room."

As the door closed behind him Spike quietly asked. "Could it have been a hyena person?"

Willow shook her head. "While the attacks are identical, no more hyenas were ever brought into Sunnydale after that. Lack of interest was listed as the reason, I personally think the reason is really because the evil zookeeper got eaten by them..."

As Xander stared into the mirror, no reflection stared back. His lips were set in a grim line. "They are too close!" he said to the air.

Inside a growl rumbled softly.

"It´s your fault!" He growled back.

"Now isn´t the time to fight. HE is back and safe. We can take care of this." The voice that spoke inside said softly. "But we can´t mess up anymore. We´ve come too far. If you go out there, step carefully. The other vampire is off balance and he will try to make you off balance too."

"You let me worry about that. You just take care of the Other. I´ll try to lead them to the ´right´ conclusions." Xander´s lips twisted into a grin.

"Be careful. There are too many pitfalls."

Xander washed his hands in silence.

Xander sat down quietly. "So are we patrolling tonight? Look for this thing?"

Giles shook his head. "I would like for Spike to go to Willy´s, see if he´s heard anything."

Xander picked up the pencil in front of him and rolled it between his fingers. "Makes sense. See if any new nasty has taken up residence. You know I remember something...in the bathroom just now. It had claws. Sharp! And fur...lots of fur."

Giles grabbed a pencil and began to write. "Really? Anything else?"

Xander shook his head. "Not really. I got knocked backwards, I hit the tree. It was dark whatever it was. You could hardly see it."

Giles nodded. "Yes, yes, that will narrow the search down immensely. PLEASE, if you remember anything else, be sure to let me know!"

Xander nodded still rolling the pencil between his fingers quietly. Something pricked the edges of his conscious, like a soft probe. He looked up, Spike was staring him directly in the eye. Xander forced himself to look down and away. Until he felt it again, like a soft touch, brushing against him. Caressing him gently. He began to squirm in his chair.

"Well, if there is nothing else, I think I should go home." Xander pushed the chair back as he stood.

"Yeah, I should get to Willy´s now." Spike also stood following Xander out.

Xander could feel Spike behind him as he walked briskly down the sidewalk.

"Wait up a moment!" Spike called out.

Xander stopped in his tracks; carefully he studied the sidewalk in front of him. Various cracks branched off from a bigger break, the end result, a complex pattern in which he could find no meaning.

"What?" Xander asked quietly.

"Just wanted to talk to you a second." Spike stepped in front of him. "Wanted to say, you know, sorry for what I said. Shouldn´t have went for the metaphorical throat if you know what I mean?"

Xander nodded still studying the crack in front of him. "No problem."

He flinched as the hand thrust in front of him.

"What?"

"Well, when I was a lad, you shook hands." Spike kept his hand out.

Gingerly Xander took the hand into his own.

"Your hands are pretty cold, mate. About the same temp as mine. Not normal, that is." Spike´s tone was conversational but hinted of darker things. "Might want to see to that."

Xander took his hand back. "I´m just cold is all."

"Huh, yeah, its what? Seventy–five degrees out tonight?" Spike asked.

"I´m cold blooded I guess." Xander thrust his hands into his pocket. "Look, I really need to get to my car, its down the street. I´m tired and I want to go home."

"Sure thing, mate. I need to just pop off to Willy´s my own self." Spike nodded with a glint in his eye. "Get some rest."

Xander nodded again and walked quickly without looking back.

Slowly, Spike turned around and headed in the opposite direction, smiling.

Normal, not normal.

Xander heard it echo in his head. His father yelling it, "You aren´t normal! ACT normal!"

He could still feel the sting, both physical and emotional, as his parents condemned every action he made. "Xander, you have to act normal! If you don´t, people may question, they may try to find the answers!" His mother´s voice said. The voice quavered slightly as she spoke and dread filled her eyes. "Whatever you did to daddy last night, never do it again!"

Why couldn´t they understand? He wanted to be normal, but he didn´t know how!

"This is for your own good, Alexander! We have to teach you to be normal!" His father growled at him as he grabbed him.

He remembered listening to his parents at night.

"Where did he come from? What is he?" His father was crying. It scared him when his father cried. "I don´t know, I don´t know. Maybe he´s a–a–a–a mutant or something...like on one of those movies?" His mother said.

"I don´t think so. I don´t think he´s ours, he don´t even look anything like...anyone...in our family...at all!"

Spike whistled to himself as he rounded the corner of Willy´s. He smirked as he caught sight of the door and hauled himself through. "Willy! Just the toad I was looking for!"

Spike grabbed Willy by the back of the collar as the man tried to duck around and under him. "Aw, now is that anyway for you to be?"

Willy sighed apparently giving up. "What do you want Spike?"

"Got just a few questions is all." Spike let go of him and sat down at a stool. "Any new demons in town? Likes to eat at the park?"

"You mean those ´mysterious´ deaths recently huh?" Willy grabbed a bottle and poured Spike a drink. "Heard about the ex–demon chick. That´s too bad, she was a real looker."

Spike picked up the drink and looked at it appraisingly. The amber liquid caught the light and he smiled. "Yep, those ´mysterious´ deaths. Know anything?"

"Not really, ain´t any of the locals, haven´t heard about any thing coming into town either. Heard a rumor that it was humanoid though, maybe even a vampire with a mean streak." Willy nodded. "Nothing concrete."

"That´s fine." Spike tapped out a cigarette.

"So you won´t bust up my bar?" Willy asked hopefully.

"Don´t know, got another question." Spike asked lighting the cigarette and taking a drag.

"What about?"

"Xander, the slayer´s mascot...who turned him?"

"Oz?" Xander said. "Oz is coming here?"

Giles smiled. "Yes, he is coming straight away! He is more than eager to lend a hand in apprehending the creature that did this terrible thing."

"So you found him?" Xander asked.

"Yes, it wasn´t too hard. He was still in the same town that his postcard came from." Giles said. "He´ll be around in a few more hours."

"Ah." Xander said sitting down. "Well that is good! He can track this thing down real quick!"

The chimes over the door tinkled musically.

"Spike! Any luck?" Giles asked.

"Nope! Shook down every snitch I know of. No one knows anything!" Spike said carefully looking at Xander.

Xander sat down quietly. "That´s okay, Oz is coming, and he´s a werewolf. We think he may be able to track it."

Spike sat down next to Xander. "Oh."

"Yeah."

Spike drummed his fingers on his leg. "You know, mate? I´ve been thinking! Maybe it would do you a spot of good to get away from here for a while! You know, take a break!"

"Away from the shop?" Xander asked.

"No, away from the Hellmouth. Take a break. Might do you some good. A vacation! Let Oz and the others look for this thing. Give you some time to reflect and regroup."

"Hmm, Spike may be onto something Xander." Giles said carefully. "You´ve been through so much and a break MIGHT well do you some good!"

"Where would I go?" Xander asked.

"I know some places." Spike whispered. "Quiet, nice, away from here. Away from werewolves, other vamps, and things that otherwise go bump in the night."

Xander tilted his head to the side. "I suppose it might be a good idea."

Spike stood up, "It is an excellent idea, and we should leave now!"

Giles gaped, "NOW? I didn´t think you were talking about right this second!"

Spike nodded, "No time like the present and all that rot!"

Xander stood up. "I should pack."

"No need!" Spike ushered him out. Spike waved at Giles as he closed the door behind him, still herding Xander in front of him gently. "We don´t have to go far, not tonight but we should get going now."

"Come on...got the car right here, in you go!"

"Spike? What´s with the bum rush?" Xander asked as he turned the key.

"Got to get you out of here before fur face gets here!" Spike muttered. "Unless you WANT them to know that you killed your bird!"

"I´ve never had a bird, had a cat once..."

"Your bloody fiancée, you git!"

Xander felt his heart drop to his stomach. "What are you talking about?"

"The fact that YOU are the one that´s been going around the parks making a snack out of the local population! Also figure you are the mugger. Trying to make up the money she spent?" Spike snorted. "No wonder I couldn´t get the scent. You were standing RIGHT THERE!"

"I don´t know what you are talking about, I haven´t killed anyone! And I don´t STEAL!" Xander yelled. "You are WAY off there, buddy! WAY OFF! I would NEVER kill Anya or anyone else!"

"Save it, you little git. I figured it out last night!" Spike was thrown forward as the car lurched to a stop.

"Figured out what exactly?" Xander rubbed at his temples. "I don´t know what you are talking about! I don´t remember anything about the night Anya was killed!"

"Not what you said last night! You said fur and claws!" Spike smirked. "Thought you were going to throw them off the track did you? Didn´t figure on Oz coming back to town did you?"

Xander shook his head, "I don´t remember, I didn´t say I remembered anything! I, I went home last night, I, didn´t feel good after you brought up Anya. I went home!"

"No you didn´t. You sat right there and we discussed the hyena´s and stuff." Spike looked at him incredulously. "I was THERE!"

Xander shook his head. "No, I went home, I don´t know what you are talking about!"

Xander pulled against the sudden pressure on his arm. "LET GO!"

"Not until you tell me what your game is!" Spike´s eyes glowed yellow as fangs descended.

Xander suddenly stopped struggling and smiled. "No game Spike. But you will let go."

"Don´t count on it..."

Spike grunted at he felt the glass break against his head. He shook himself as he looked up at bared fangs in front of him. "Is this what you wanted to know?" Xander growled.

"Already figured that out, mate!" Spike smirked.

A soft rumbling filled the car as Xander sneered at Spike. "What do you want?"

"Nothing. Just thought I´d lend you a hand. Healthy young vamp such as yourself should be allowed to have some good, dirty fun! Should have been more careful though!" Spike waved a finger at him. "Where´s your sire? Got himself staked?"

"Don´t have a sire, don´t need one!" Xander mocked.

"Don´t need one huh?" Spike grinned. "Oh now, who´s a cocky boy?"

Xander glared.

"Got to say you have knackers boy, talk about a wolf in sheep´s clothing!" Spike laughed. "I am a little surprised I didn´t pick up on it sooner though, how long have you been vamped?"

"Longer than you know." Xander smirked.

"Got to get you out of here though, wouldn´t do to ruin your spot of fun with a stake through the heart." Spike brushed the glass off of his coat. "What say we get out of here?"

"Sounds good to me." Xander threw the car into gear and peeled away from the curb. "Sounds good to me!"

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