Nexus Chapter 18
Xander awoke struggling for breath. His eyes flew open to find Angelus kneeling straddling him, grinning down Angelus homed in to the scent of fear before he heard the soft, panicked whimpers, before he saw the figure struggling in the corner of the dungeon. He hid a smile at his first glimpse of tonight´s victim. Contrary to hysterical entries in the Watchers´ chronicles describing his predilection for very small children, his preferred prey had always been attractive humans in their teens and twenties. Just lately he had chosen girls over boys; no other boy could be appealing after his Xander, he thought fondly. Putting on his best earnest Angel soul face, he walked slowly, purposefully toward the object of his appetite.
Lately, he had chosen to skip the hunt to stay close to his sweetling, and his minions had gotten very good at selecting suitable meals for him; this one was particularly delectable. No more than nineteen, with big, frightened innocent eyes and long red hair, she looked a bit like Xander´s little friend, but rounder. And bolder in her choice of clothing; short skirt and a skimpy little sweater with a deep vee neck that showed off her sweet tits. Nice.
He stopped twenty feet away, scowling at the two game–faced minions that held the struggling girl between them. Making his voice low, menacing, he ground out “Let her go, you monsters.”
The two minions, familiar with Angelus´ favorite games, snarled fiercely at their master. Quickly, Angelus produced a stake. “Let her go, or die.” One of the minions made eye contact with the other over the girl´s head and winked. With disgusted growls proper to thwarted villains, they flung her forward toward Angelus, then slunk away into the shadows.
Angelus caught the stumbling girl, dropping the stake and enfolding her in a comforting embrace. “Shhh. Shhh. Don´t cry. It´s all over now, Miss.”
“Oh, God, thank you so much!“ Looking up at him with grateful relief, the girl smiled tremulously, showing a hint of dimples. “Is it really over?”
Gazing down at her with grave tenderness, he stroked the soft red hair off the pale forehead. “Yes, it´s really over.” Quickly, he shifted into his demon guise. “Well, nearly over, anyway.” Savoring her sudden horror, he turned her half away from him and wormed a large hand under her sweater, into her lacy little bra, cupping her firm breast as he sank his fangs to the hilt in her white neck.
First, a panicked struggle against the terror and initial pain as he drew his first mouthfuls of sweet blood, then, ahhh, yes! there it was. She went still, then relaxed in his arms, and he smelled the rush of pheromones as her nipple stiffened against his palm and she ground her rump against his erection. Freed of the need to restrain her, his other hand slid up her thigh, under her skirt and into her dainty little panties, sliding his big middle finger up her to feel the sudden wet gush. She moaned helplessly at his touch, thrusting against his hand.
Another time, he might have paused in his feeding for the short seconds it took to tear away the little scrap of silk and lace, open his pants, and lift her onto his hard cock to make her death even sweeter and to feel her orgasmic death throes around his flesh. But his precious, fragile boy was upstairs, still often scared without him, and Angelus couldn´t bear to keep him waiting.
So, his mind on his Xander, Angelus finished the girl off with the efficiency of long practice, dropped her body near the drain that would carry off any of his leavings, and moved to the sink to wash his hands and rinse his mouth. Wouldn´t do to go to his boy smelling of blood and pussy.
He was finishing his ablutions before his senses, handicapped by the underground location, warned him of trouble.
Leaping up the steps, he emerged onto the ground floor in time to register Xander, with Chip at his side, on the opposite side of the room from him as the few minions at home this time of night struggled against a small army of newly–arrived Scoobies.
Goddamit! This time of night, the thin hours before sunrise, the majority of his minions, ever his childer, were out on the hunt, and the Slayer and her friends should be tucked up warmly in their beds.
With a howl, Angelus made his way across the room, indiscriminately tossing minions and scoobies aside. Once at Xander´s side, he shot a single warm look at his boy, then flashed a speaking glance at Chip. “With my very existence, Master” swore the minion, in response to his master´s unspoken command. Angelus nodded, then hissed “Unless I meet my end; if I do, let him go to his people, but stay with him.” The minion bowed his head, understanding.
Panicked, Xander looked between them, then reacted to what he could catch of the sibilant whispers, automatically keeping his voice at a whisper. “No! No meeting of ends here!” He tried to move closer to his lover, restrained by Chip´s embrace. “Please! God, please, don´t get yourself killed for me! And don´t kill them. If they take me, I´ll come back, I swear!”
Cut off from all exits, Angelus herded the boy and his loyal protector back into a defensible corner of the room. “Hush.” He placed a hasty, gentle hand over Xander´s mouth. “You just stay behind us, be quiet, and try to look like a hostage.” With that, Angelus spun around, instantly gamefaced, to meet the challenge.
Before him, Buffy and her people were working to dispatch as many minions as possible before moving on to him, Angelus. The vampire was genuinely worried; normally, this quixotic little group of humans would present no challenge to him, but each and every one of them meant something to his boy, and Angelus refused to envision where he would stand with his fragile boy if he killed one of them.
The Watcher was the first to challenge him; the man´s neck would be so very easy to snap, but Angelus made do with disarming the bastard and flinging him against the hearth, his head making a satisfying thudding sound as it hit. The wolf–boy was next, and Angelus twisted the wiry arm quite out of joint, enjoying the resultant howl and wishing he could do more.
As he dispatched the wolf, he felt a furious and strangely powerful presence behind him, approaching Xander, and he shot an arm out automatically, clutching murderously at the threat. Pushing his way determinedly past the tingle of magic, he got his big hand around a slender white throat. An instant before he snapped the little neck, his senses caught the redhead´s scent and he remembered.
Every instinct told him not to let this being escape, but his Xander was right there, watching, horrified, crying out her name, so he gave the little body a shake, scaring her just enough to make her lose concentration. When he felt the spell sputter and die, he thrust her away.
Feeling decidedly harassed, he spun around with a roar and delivered a restrained tap to the pretty brunette girl who had just laid open his upper arm with a clumsily wielded sword. She hit the wall unconscious.
Finally having fought her way free of the minions who had descended on her en masse, the Slayer flew at him like a bullet. Blessedly and uncharacteristically silent, she obviously meant business. A formidable opponent at any time, she was aided by the brunette´s lucky shot; muscles slashed, his left arm was slow to react.
He was in a tight spot; he´d have to resort to kill tactics and hope the boy would forgive him in a case of self–defense.
“Buffy, NO!” From the corner of his eye, Angelus saw Xander struggling in Chip´s embrace, trying to get free to fling himself between his lover and his friend. Distracted by his charge, the minion didn´t sense the Watcher coming up behind him, battle axe raised.
“Behind you!” Angelus bellowed. Chip turned to see the approaching threat just as Willow came up on Angelus´ other side and flung a bottle of holy water at the open wound on his arm. While the demon was distracted by the sudden agony, Buffy made her move, driving her stake with sure aim.
It never touched him. Chip had to release Xander to deal with Giles´ attack. Xander, seeing Buffy raise her stake, had flung himself without hesitation between them. The Slayer´s reflexes were fast enough to break the force of her thrust when Xander´s body appeared in front of her, otherwise the stake would have gone through and shattered his shoulder blade.
As it was, the stake was embedded deeply in Xander´s upper chest, terrifyingly close to his heart and lungs. Buffy stumbled back, aghast. Howling with rage, Angelus caught his falling boy in his right arm. With his left he snatched up a wrought iron candle stand and swung it like a scythe, managing to break a few Slayer ribs with a satisfying crack.
Buffy, clutching her side, looked around and assessed the damage to her troops. Giles, his head bleeding, was now protecting the unconscious Cordelia and the incapacitated Oz from the minions that were trickling in from the hunt. Willow stood nearby, sobbing. She had to get them out.
Turning to Angelus, she said coldly. “He needs a hospital.”
“Not a chance, bitch.” he hissed through his fangs. “I´ll have him seen to.”
She produced a back–up stake. “Give him to me or I´ll kill you now.”
“Here are your options, you cunt. You can get out of my house and let me get him help, or you can stand here arguing with me while he bleeds to death and my minions eat your crew. Your people are injured. Leave now, and I won´t have them slaughtered.”
“Buffy.” The watcher´s voice cut through the tense atmosphere. “Buffy. We have no choice.”
Buffy´s shoulders slumped a little in defeat.
“But, Xander!” A tearful wail from the redhead.
Her love for the boy was audible in her voice. It was the only explanation for what he did next; Angelus was astounded even as he heard the words leave his mouth. “If you come alone, you can come and ask after him tomorrow.” He looked the girl in the eye.
“How stupid do you think we are?” Buffy barked.
Angelus had reverted to human face while speaking to Willow. Now he brought forth his demon and snarled at Buffy. “You stay out of this, bitch. If I see YOU anywhere near here, you´re dead.”
Turning back to Willow, he said shortly. “Come one hour before sunset. You´ll have safe passage.” He swung Xander up into his arms. “Now get out before I change my mind and decide not to let you go.” He gestured to the minions to see them out. Looking for Chip, he saw that he was down, unconscious and bleeding from the neck. He felt a pang on Xander´s behalf, but the vampire wasn´t dust, so presumably he´d heal. The minions were usually good about taking care of each other. Angelus had much more important things to worry about; turning, he dashed up the stairs, his wounded boy in his arms.
Sunnydale, 2002.
Buffy leaned back in her chair, eyes closed, thumping her forehead lightly with the heels of her hands. “How could I be so clueless?” She shook her head. “I mean, add it up.” She began ticking things off on her fingers. “Xander was running around loose, as opposed to being chained up in some skanky dungeon or something. Angelus was protecting him, as opposed to using him as a human shield. And Angelus freaked totally out when I stabbed Xander by accident, as opposed to laughing his ass off.”
She stopped, struck by something. Spike watched her think, adoring every wrinkle on her forehead, like the big soppy git he was. Suddenly, she slapped the table. “Ohmigod! I was wondering, if all this is true, why a minion would fling Xander between us to save Angelus.”
Spike smiled at her. “Got it sorted, then?”
“Xander JUMPED between us.” she breathed, incredulous. “He deliberately risked his life to save Angelus.” She stared at Spike, gobsmacked. “Xander really loves him.”
“What have I been tellin´ ya, pet?” He asked patiently. “And that particular minion was Xander´s anyway. He wouldn´t have done that on any account.”
“Come again?” Buffy´s expression went from bewilderment to fake–menacing as soon as she saw his eyebrow go up. “And DON´T tell me you haven´t come the first time yet.”
Pasting an injured choirboy look on his face, Spike said, “You wound me. As if I would ever say such a thing in polite company.” The tip of his tongue darted out, adorning a sly grin. “Seems to me that you´re the one who has her mind on things she shouldn´t.” As he spoke, Spike daringly extended his leg and pressed it against one of hers.
“Has anyone ever told you that you´re a pain in the ass?” The eyebrow went up again, and she cut him off a second time. “Will you stop it?” She was trying to look severe while stifling giggles, and Spike noticed that it took her a minute to move her leg away.
“Can we get back to your tale? QUIT! Your STORY, okay?” Blushing, she scowled at him.
“Oi! Have I said a soddin´ word? You´re the one with all the double entendres.” Spike was thoroughly enjoying himself.
“I can hear you thinking! And, also, oooh! Big fancy French word!” She crossed her arms on her chest and pouted at him adorably. “Just talk, Mister. No more fooling around.”
Look at that lip, he thought, giddily. Gonna get it! . Innocently, he asked, “Fooling around? There was fooling around? How did I miss that?”
“I hate you.” she sulked.
“I know you do, pet. I can tell.” He sounded decidedly smug.
His leg was temptingly close, so Buffy drew back her foot and gave him a kick. It was very satisfying.
“OW!” Spike almost choked on the sip of beer he had just taken, then glared at her.
“And I can tell you hate me, too.” She smiled sweetly. “Now, will you get on with the story?”
“Oh, alright.” This accompanied by a put–upon sigh and a theatrical eye roll. “Where was I? Right. Xander´s minion. Well, this was that rare minion with some kind of sense to him, so Angelus had him guarding Xander from the beginnin´. Somewhere along the road, he made some little mistake, I dunno, wore the wrong color shirt, for all I know, an´ my sire, bein´ the ravin´ loony that he is, was all for stakin´ the poor sod and apparently your boy talked him out of it. So, Angelus settles for beating the hell out of him, and once he´s healed up, he formally presents ol´ Chip to Xander. As a gift. He was actually very devoted to Xander. And Xander got right fond of him.”
Spike thought for a moment. “Bit high–handed of him, that, now I come to think on it properly. Was technically my minion.” Seeing her puzzled look, he clarified. “Was me that bit him in the first place.”
With a groan, Buffy leaned over and put her head down of the table. “This is Bizarro World. This whole thing is some weird other–dimensional thingy. I´m sure of it. Can´t we make it go away, y´know, chant something in some dead language maybe?”
Spike sat sipping his beer, fondly watching his Slayer have her rant. Suddenly, she sat bolt upright, her gaze distant as she reviewed five–year–old memories. “Tell me,” she said softly. “Was this minion tall and thin, middle–agey, with sort of receding brown hair?”
“Yeah. That´d be him.”
Buffy closed her eyes, looking pained as another piece of the puzzle fell into place. “Shit.” she whispered.
“What, luv?”
“Never mind.” She shook her head as if to clear it, then changed the subject. “Hey, I just realized. When he promised Willow safe passage, he actually might of meant it. She probably would have been safe to go.”
Spike grinned wryly. “Got news for you.”
“What?” A pause, then, “She didn´t. Oh, I am so going to kill her.”
“Best wait ´til after Peaches gets fixed, luv.”
She chuckled suddenly. “You make it sound like he´s a dog.”
“Now THAT´S a lovely thought. Snip, snip.” Spike looked wistful. “If only.”
“I can´t believe she did that. So, okay, first we castrate Angelus, THEN I wring Willow´s neck. She promised me she wouldn´t.” Buffy chewed on a thumbnail, worrying retroactively. “She must have been out of her mind.”
“You´d make a bloody brilliant vampire, pet. Well, anyway, she fancied the boy, didn´t she? Before she and the wolf split and our Willow went the other way? And you were right; she was safe as houses, pet. That night Droopy got staked, did all of you get hurt?”
She frowned, recalling. “Let´s see. I got some broken ribs, Cordelia got a hell of a shiner––actually, I had a friendly feeling or two toward Angelus for that––Oz had his shoulder dislocated, and, in keeping with tradition, Giles had a concussion. Oh, Willow was pretty okay.”
“How many little girls walk away unscathed after Angelus has had his hands on their throats? Fact of the matter is, Willow was safe everywhere in town while Angelus was in residence.” He picked at the label on his beer bottle. “I was there the night His Majesty proclaimed it. That´s when I knew he was a goner.” Spike snickered at the memory. “Remember her gettin´ bit long about then?”
Buffy shuddered. “Not likely to forget that.”
“Well, those were Angelus´ minions. They come in braggin´ to him about gettin´ a bite of the Slayer´s little friend, an´ the boy´s sittin´ right there. Shoulda seen his face.”
Buffy winced, but motioned for Spike to continue.
“So Peaches made him keep quiet, then he tells everyone, real casual, that he´s got plans for her down the road, and spread the word, nobody´s to get near her, or else.”
She looked skeptical. “So, how do we know he didn´t just want to add her to his collection?”
Spike shook his head. “I know my sire. He did it for his boy.” He snorted. “Boy knew it too. Came in after everybody cleared out, an´ the two of them were on the sofa having a bloody good snog. Your boy was right happy.” He paused. “Could see that from where I was––Angelus had a fistful of it.”
“Euw, Spike! No more details, I beg of you.”
“Both of ´em ´bout ready to pop; told ´em to take it upstairs before they ruined the furniture.” he reminisced.
“Have I told you lately that I hate you?”
