Chapter Text
Sword of Life
by Michelle Gates (Konniemacian)
{ } spikes thoughts
[ ] xanders thoughts
Chapter One
Spike sat in the basement of Buffy's house and looked around. He still couldn't believe that this was now his home. After Buffy had died a month before at the hands of Glory he had been ready to take a walk in the sun. Somehow Xander had known this and had turned up at his crypt a few minutes before sunrise and dragged him inside where he proceeded to accuse Spike of letting Buffy down.
When Spike had admitted this and explained that that was why he was going to dust himself Xander went on to tell him not to be ridiculous. That it was Buffy's choice to jump from the platform to save Dawn and that by breaking his promise to Buffy about protecting Dawn if anything happened to her he was letting both Buffy and Dawn down.
Once he had reassured Xander that he wouldn't try to kill himself Xander had dragged him to Buffy's house and unpacked Spikes things that they had recovered from the crypt they had set up a bed, chest of draws and even a telly. Spike still didn't leave the basement but at least Xander knew where he was and could keep an eye on how he was doing.
Spike didn't understand why Xander of all people was looking after him, from caring enough to drag him out of the sun, instead of throwing a party, to feeding him.
Xander had explained that he had moved in to the house to look after Dawn the day after Buffy had died. The others were still living at there own places till things settled down a bit more as it would look suspicious to the demon world if the all suddenly moved in together. Spike looked over to the alarm clock next to his bed and realized that Xander was late coming down to feed him he knew he was in the house he could hear his heartbeat upstairs in the kitchen, Suddenly Spike realized he could smell fresh blood. Xanders blood. He rushed up the stairs and along the hall to the kitchen where he found Xander sitting at the kitchen table with his top off and the medical kit open in front of him. Spike could see the beginnings of bruising along the left side of Xanders ribs and a knife cut on his left arm but the most worrying was the vampire bite in his neck.
Spike rushed over to xanders side and tilted his head to examine the bite mark. It wasn't very deep so he just took the dressing from xanders hands and fixed it over the wound.
[Shit Spike can't let him figure it out.] Xander though almost panicking.
"What happened Pet?" Spike asked as he finished fixing Xanders neck and moved on to his arm "Did you get jumped on your way home?"
Xander just avoided looking at Spike and shook his head.
"Then what happened luv?" Spike asked worriedly it wasn't like Xander to not give a verbal response.
Xander stood and moved over to the fridge and getting Spike's blood out of the fridge and put it in the microwave "Patrol." He said as he switched on the coffee maker.
Spike snorted in amusement.
"I'm surprised that the girls aren't here making a fuss over you."
Spike sat down in the chair that Xander had just vacated at watched as he got two mugs from the cupboard.
"Weren't there." Xander said as he lent against the counter looking down at the floor.
[Don't ask, don't ask] Xander pleaded silently.
"Still the Watcher should have helped you dress that arm before you got back he must know that you can't do that sort of thing easily on your own." Spike said as he stood and got his food out of the microwave he filled his mug and went down stairs to his room.
*******
Xander watched in relief as spike left with out saying anything else and made his way to the apartment above the garage that he was living in with his coffee.
Once inside he stood and stared at the `Thing' that stood waiting for him.
The Buffy bot was dressed in jeans and a soft jumper waiting for her `owner' to fix her damaged circuits.
"Patrol Report" Xander ordered gruffly as he walked up to her.
The bot gave its patrol report as Xander locked out the power flow to its arm and removed a damaged circuit.
It told him about the five vamps that it had staked and the fral demon that it had encountered and killed which was where it had gotten its arm damaged.
Xander checked the schematics glad for his memories of the solder possession which helped him understand them and slipped in a new circuit to replace the damaged one.
Then he sealed up the `wound' and stepped to stand in front of the bot. He asked it for a damage report and once it had confirmed that it was repaired he gave it its new orders.
Handing over his copy of the magic shop keys to the bot, he ordered it to go there. If none of the Scoobies were in the shop or the surrounding area, it was to enter the shop and read some more demon fact books, so it would know how to kill them if it encountered any of that kind in its patrols. He ordered it to return by 3am whether or not it had gained access to the shop and to lock itself in the cupboard in the garage after placing his keys on the hook on the out side of the cupboard. It was then to recharge its batteries.
Glancing at the clock on the wall Xander sat down at his desk he logged on to the police database and started to read through the autopsy reports.
When a hand came down on his shoulder he spun round in his chair grabbing the crossbow from the desk and pointing it at the intruder.
TBC