Part 51

Well, luv, we’ve been here a couple of days now and I still don’t know what’s going on. You won’t talk to me and I’m starting to get a bit worried. I wish you would tell me what’s eating you up inside; I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me.

After you got back from the poof’s yesterday, you seemed okay. Told me how they were all normal, working at their little detective agency. That Angel was his usual uptight self with you.

What does it mean, love? Are we back in your reality? If so, why are we still in L.A.? I don’t fancy the idea of going back to the hellmouth anytime soon, but it seems to me that we won’t learn anything sticking around here. Why don’t you wanna go home?

Your nightmares are getting worse, Xan. You wake up screaming every time you fall asleep. I don’t know what’s going on for sure but I have my suspicions. You keep telling me that you’re sorry, that it’s all your fault. It isn’t. Whatever it is you think you’ve done, it’s not your fault, love.

You saved me, you took me away from that hellish existence; you loved me, you gave me back my pride, my sanity, my unlife. I owe you so much more than I can ever repay you for. I love you, pet. I just wish you would tell me what was wrong.

If it’s me, something I’ve done, I’ll fix it if I can. Is it because of Angel? Because we shagged him? Do you think I love you any less because of it? I told you I didn’t. We talked about this yesterday, you said you understood. Did you, or were you just humoring me? Won’t shag anyone else for any reason if you don’t want me to. I was only trying to help Angelus; I’m still his childe no matter what reality.

Bloody hell! This is so damn frustrating. I don’t do patience well, you know this. I’m trying, you know. Trying to give you time, to let you deal with this but it’s not in my nature. You. Are. Mine. And I protect what’s mine. I can’t protect you from your own thoughts, your own conscience. Damn it Xander, I wish you would talk to me.

Part 52

Xander watched as the blond Spike’s eyes widened in shock and recognition. He had never seen Spike speechless before; this was fun! His Spike stepped out of the shadows and put his arm around his waist and smirked at his double.

“What the bloody hell is this, then?”

Blond Spike stepped closer to his dark-haired twin and looked him over skeptically. He frowned at the dark hair, and then snorted at the way he was dressed.

“You look like a right git. Where the hell did you come from, and what are you doing with Xander?”

“Long story, and sod off. I happen to be in disguise.”

“As what, Peaches? A nancy boy?”

“Oh, right. And the bleached-out, leather look just screams hetero, does it?”

Xander couldn’t help the smile. Hearing his lover dis his own tastes in clothing and hairstyle was too funny. He knew Spike missed his coat, and that he hated the dark hair but to hear him accuse this Spike of looking like a queer because of those very things was just too funny.

“Look, as amusing as this is we have more important things to discuss. Did you say Anya dumped me? To be a demon again?”

“Er, well yeah. You were there Harris, don’t you remember?”

“Enlighten me, please.”

Spike looked questioningly at Xander and then began patting down the pockets of his duster until he found his cigarettes. After lighting one and taking a long drag, he spoke.

“It was at your wedding, there you stood at the end of the aisle, waiting for your bride. The music started and the girls strolled out in their lovely puke green dresses. After a few minutes, when the bride still hadn’t shown, Buffy went looking for her. Turns out D’Hoffryn made her an offer she couldn’t refuse; she left a note. You were devastated, it was quite entertaining.”

Xander absorbed this information and turned to his Spike.

“Not home. That is so not the way it happened in my world.”

“Well, I guess we should find a motel then. Motorlodge?”

“Motorlodge.”

As the two began to walk away, blond Spike fell into step.

“So, what’s the story with you two then? I think I deserve an explanation.”

“We aren’t from here. In my reality, I left Anya at the altar. She cursed me, and now I’m jumping from one reality to the next hoping to get home.”

Spike whistled and gave Xander an appraising look.

“You are either truly brave or truly stupid. Leaving a vengeance demon at the altar? Not the smartest decision you ever made. So what’s with Billy-boy there. You shagged him so she sent him along for the ride?”

Spike growled at being called Billy-boy and then glared at the blond vampire.

“I was picked up along the way. And if you don’t want to be wearing your stones around your ears, I’d suggest you don’t call me that again. I may not look like you, but believe me, I am just as much a vampire as you are. Perhaps more so.”

This time it was blond Spike who growled.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Simple, you stink of slayer. What kind of vampire shags a slayer? Well, besides the souled kind. You don’t have a soul, do you?”

Both Spikes looked horrified at the very idea. Blond Spike vamped out and growled at dark-haired Spike.

“No, I soddin’ well do not have a soul. Wanker.”

“Rather be a wanker than a slayer-shagger. Bloody pathetic if you ask me.”

Xander finally found his tongue and interrupted their argument.

“Wait a minute. You and Buffy? Buffy and you? Oh, this is just so wrong.”

Xander walked away shaking his head and muttering under his breath. The vampires exchanged a look and then started to follow. Spike didn’t know what had set his human off, but after the last few days he wasn’t about to let Xander start blaming himself for anything again. The other Spike just wanted to make sure that none of the scoobies saw his dark-haired self.

That and he didn’t want them figuring out that he was shaggin’ the boy. His version of Xander would likely be horrified; either that or he’d take the piss with him about his double’s hair and poofy tendencies.

“Oi! What do you mean it’s wrong?”

Spike picked up the pace and reached out to stop Xander from walking away. He pulled his hand back fast when his dark-haired double snarled at him. He turned astonished eyes on his twin and then nodded his head in understanding.

“Sorry, mate. Didn’t know seeing as he’s unmarked. Answers that question though, don’t it?”

“Bloody chip.”

They exchanged sympathetic looks and then blond Spike turned back to Xander again.

“So what did you mean? Why is my being with Buffy so wrong? Can’t be because I’m a vampire, bit hypocritical there, ain’t it?”

Xander shook his head and took a deep breath. He looked at his Spike and realized he was waiting for an explanation as well. He let out the breath on a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair.

“Did Buffy die here?”

“Yeah. Red brought her back. What’s that got to do with it?”

“I assume that you and Buffy weren’t together before she died?”

“No.”

Spike was beginning to look impatient so Xander continued.

“It’s wrong because you’re going to end up hurt, Spike. Buffy is a mess; she was torn out of heaven. Once she starts to accept her life again, she’ll walk away from you. She doesn’t love you, but I think you know that. The point is, she will never love you, she can’t. You’re not Angel, and he’s the only one she’ll ever really love because she won’t let herself love anyone else.”

Spike wanted to argue the point, tell Xander he was wrong, that Buffy did love him, that they were together and that was it. Unfortunately the boy was right, and Spike knew it. He might lie to others but never to himself.

“Bit late for that. She’s already dumped me like the trash. Bloody bint, won’t even give us a chance. She’s all, ‘I used you, and it’s killing me’ never mind what I want, what it’s doing to me.”

Xander looked at his lover and smiled sadly at him. It was kinda sad, seeing Spike like this. Before this had all started, Xander had always thought Spike was unbreakable, the consummate tough guy. Now he knew better; he knew that this Spike was heartbroken, you could see it in his eyes. Dark-haired Spike threw a companionable arm around his double’s shoulder and started walking toward the cemetery exit.

“What say we grab a couple bottles of Jack and go get pissed?”

“Sounds like a bloody good plan to me.”

Xander shook his head and followed behind his lover and the blond vampire. He wondered if this was a good idea, considering what happened the last time he had gotten drunk with two vampires.

Part 53

Several bottles of Jack later, Xander sat on the bed, his back leaning against the headboard, his lover sitting between his thighs, back pressed against his chest. Blond Spike reclined beside them - a half empty bottle of whiskey in his hand - watching them.

Xander’s arms were around Spike; he absently ran one hand up and down the vampire’s chest and stomach. He hadn’t realized that his touch was attracting the other Spike’s attention until he spoke.

“See? Now that’s the kind of thing Buffy would never do. Just touch me like that, casually. Hell, she never touched me at all if we weren’t shagging. Unless she was kicking my arse for something.”

Xander noticed what he was doing and looked at the wistful expression on the blond’s face. He felt an overwhelming urge to reach out to him, to make him feel better. He was about to reach for him when his lover sat up and looked at him. Xander knew that look, he nodded his understanding and smiled at the look of shock on the blond vampire’s face as his lover leaned down and kissed him.

Spike’s shock was quickly overcome by lust and he kissed back enthusiastically. It was a novel idea, after all, how often did a narcissist like Spike get a chance to kiss himself, and maybe more? He’d have to be crazy - or at least sober - to pass it up.

With lightning speed, Spike pulled his dark-haired double on top of him and then rolled them both until he was straddling the other vampire’s hips. He held his shoulders down and looked at the face he hadn’t seen in a mirror in over a century. He found nothing but honest lust in the eyes that bore into his and smiled. If he had seen pity in those eyes, he wasn’t sure what he’d have done.

“What about your boy there? He off limits?”

“Up to him; he can play if he wants to. Didn’t seem to mind playing with Angelus last week.”

The blond vampire sat up in alarm and looked appraisingly over at Xander. He looked back at his double with awe and jealousy.

“Bloody hell! He must be something special if the wanker let him live.”

“Oh, he’s special alright. Let me tell you a little story about Xander, a hot knife, a pair of pliers and one ex-Initiative soldier.”

Part 54

It’s been awhile since I’ve written; things have been hectic. You’re probably wondering what happened after the whole “I slept with Deadboy” and “everything is my fault” brain meltdown. Well, to be truthful, a lot has happened since then.

I won’t go into detail on the nightmares I suffered - no, not about sleeping with Angel; they were about Spike, about what happened to him and my part in it all. Spike finally forced me to tell him what was going on and then he basically told me to get over myself. That what happened to him wasn’t my fault.

We left Angel with good wishes and hope for his future. I told him to explain to the guys what had happened to Spike, that they would understand why he had to do what he did and things would be okay. Of course we agreed it was best if they never heard about what Angel did to Riley.

The last place we landed in was so close to being home it made me ache. The difference was that Anya stood me up at the altar instead of the other way around. She left me to be a demon again.

Spike and I ran into the Spike of that world first. He had just recently been dumped by Buffy. Yeah, go figure. We tried to cheer him up by getting him drunk. Worked out well, he was in a much better mood the next day. ’Course that could have had something to do with all the sex that was had.

Yep, I ended up the creme filling in a Spike-wich. I’m still confused about why this doesn’t bother me. I mean, if I’m in love with Spike, shouldn’t it be pissing me off that he’s “shagging” someone else? Shouldn’t I have a moral objection against me sleeping with someone else? I get why it doesn’t bother Spike, I mean Angel was his sire, and Spike is… well he’s him only blond still. It’s a demon thing I guess; he says that vampires don’t look at sex the same way humans do. That it’s okay to share your body with someone else as long as both partners are okay with it. Plus we won’t be staying around long, so no chance of me leaving him for someone else.

After telling that world’s Spike about what we had seen and done, he decided that maybe he’d be better off taking a break from Sunnydale for awhile. As far as I know, he was heading to L.A. to see if he could patch things up with Angel. I wish him luck.

We didn’t see the scoobies while we were there. I figured it would be too weird for that world’s Xander. He would be messed up as it is; finding out that there’s a reality out there where he was the one who walked away might not be the best thing for him, or me for that matter. Spike said he’d likely hit me. He’s that messed up.

Spike and I shifted out late last night, so we haven’t been out to check the situation in this world yet. I’m not getting my hopes up; I have the feeling that Anya plans for me to suffer for some time before I get to come home - if I get to come home. I could grow old and die - or just die - on this journey before it ever reaches the end, and wouldn’t that suck? If that’s the case, I hope this book gets home at least. I’ll be sure to write out my will in it. If the bike makes it as well, give it to Spike. He’ll appreciate it.

I wonder if the gang misses me? I’m sure that on a personal level everyone is all “gee I miss Xander” but what about the fight against evil? Has my unique input been missed on that front? Who else can you get to chauffeur Dawn to school, fix broken shelves, fetch donuts and be the butt of all jokes? Oh hey, maybe you guys have adopted Jonathan in my absence. Or better yet, Andrew. He’d do in a pinch, not quite witty enough, but he’d be eager for the attention. Just don’t let him have my comic books or my Babylon Five collector plates. I’ll be severely pissed if you do. Then again, if I’m dead, maybe you should give them to him. He’s geek enough to appreciate them.

Spike’s out of the shower, looks like it’s time to find out what brave new world we landed in this time. Maybe this will be the one where I’ve made all the right decisions - I’ll be rich, famous, successful and have a harem of beautiful women at my beck and call. Yeah, and then I’ll wake up, I doubt a reality like that one even exists. And if it did, I’m sure I’d find some way to screw it up for myself.

Part 55

Okay, just got back from seeing my double of this world. Poor bastard - he’s completely out of it. Glory sucked his brain out, and Wills wasn’t able to restore him. She did, however, manage to save Tara. Okay, in all fairness she is her girlfriend and they’re in love, but we’ve been friends since we were five, doesn’t that count for anything? What does it say about our friendship that she chose to save Tara over me?

I know I sound bitter, but it really freaked me out seeing myself like that. And to top it all off, the poor crazy bastard has a vampire for a guardian. I mean yeah, I’m sleeping with and am in love with the evil undead, but I don’t know how much I’d want to have to depend on him to take complete care of me. I mean, he can’t even go outside in the daytime. Plus, how much does he really know about taking care of a human?

Speaking of which, Spike thinks his double is up to no good with my double. He says he can smell them on each other. Like they’re having sex. I told him he had to be wrong, that Spike wouldn’t take advantage like that. I know him now; he wouldn’t do that. Spike told me if I believed that, I was fooling myself. Of course, the way I treated Spike back home - well I guess maybe he could do it.

I don’t have any proof though. He looked happy enough for being looney-tunes. When we got there he was sitting on the floor by the couch; as soon as Spike sat down he started playing with his fingers and making them run through his hair. It was kinda sweet in a totally sad and pathetic way. And the smile that lit his face when Spike took up the motions on his own was huge.

I pointed that out to my Spike after we’d left and he snorted at me and called me naive. He said that crazy me was displaying submissive behavior to his master. That perhaps Spike had him well trained. He told me I was being stupid if I thought he wasn’t capable of this. He reminded me that he’s evil, a demon, and that this version of himself might have been in love with Buffy but he didn’t give a damn about the rest of the scoobies - save Dawn of course.

So where does that leave me? I don’t want to believe that Spike could do that to me, but he as much as told me he could. So what do I do? Do I tell Wills? I mean she has enough on her plate as it is, doesn’t she? Do I confront Spike? And say what? “Hey, stop having sex with the vegetable.” That’ll work. Oh yeah, and Spike thinks that his double is feeding from Xander as well. I didn’t see any bite marks, but apparently there are lots of places to bite that wouldn’t be so noticeable - the inside of the thigh or the juncture between thigh and groin, for example. So, according to my lover, his double is using my double as a food source and a whore. Fuck, this sucks!

If I go after Spike - cause you know, him chipped, me human - he’ll just take it out on the poor crazy version of myself. That is, if what my Spike suspects is true. If it isn’t, and I accuse him of something he hasn’t done, then what? Will he laugh it off or would it give him ideas? I’m so friggin’ confused. My head hurts and I just want this all to stop.

I sent Spike out to get dinner; I needed some time alone with my thoughts. I mean, I just found out that I could have been a vampire’s mindless fuck-toy and all-you-can-eat buffet. Worse off is that it’s the same vampire I’m in love with, just a different version of him. I really need to go to another reality now. Please? Hello, who ever is in charge of this ride? I’m ready to move on. Stop the world and let me off.

Part 56

Xander woke the next morning to find Spike sleeping on top of the blankets next to him. He wondered what was going on in his lover’s head; he just took off the night before, and now he was sleeping on top of the bed instead of getting in with him. Xander wondered if he had done something to piss him off. He couldn’t think of anything that he could have done, aside from not want to believe him about their doubles.

Xander shook his head as he began to make the connection. Spike wasn’t pissed with him. He thought Xander was angry because he now knew what his lover was capable of. Well, duh. He knew he was a vampire when he began to feel things for him. He never fooled himself about what Spike was; he just got comfortable with the idea that the vampire would never hurt him. He was right - at least about his Spike, but he had forgotten that not every Spike and Xander out there were in love. He needed to remember that. They were bound to run across countless versions of themselves that hated each other.

Xander leaned over and kissed his sleeping lover softly on the lips before climbing out of bed. He needed a shower and then he needed to go and see Willow. He still wasn’t sure what to tell her, but he had promised to stop by again.

Xander left a note for Spike and then took off on the bike. He was starting to enjoy driving the motorcycle when he had the opportunity. He still didn’t think he wanted to do it all the time, Spike was much more experienced with it than he was, and Xander had never had to take the bike out on the highway. He wasn’t sure he was up to that yet.

Willow and Tara were sitting on the front porch when he pulled the bike to a stop. They both looked up and Willow smiled at him. He could tell it wasn’t a genuine Willow smile, but then under these circumstances, he understood. She was trying at least, and that had to count for something.

“Hey.”

Xander climbed off the bike and walked toward the house.

“Hey back. How are you?”

“I’m good. Look, I’m sorry about yesterday. I had no idea that my showing up like that would cause so many problems. I just… I needed to find out if I was home or not.”

Willow nodded and gestured for him to sit with them. Xander smiled in thanks and sat on the steps just below her and Tara. They were all quiet for a moment and then Xander sighed in frustration and decided to see if they had any suspicions about his double and Spike.

“I saw Xander yesterday. He looks good for a raving loon, Spike takes good care of him?”

The girls exchanged a look and Xander smiled ruefully. Yep, they knew or at least suspected. He wondered if they would tell him what they suspected.

“Oh, yeah. Spike’s good with crazy people. Plus, you know, it gives him a better place to live than a crypt, and with Buffy gone, we’ve been trying to raise Dawn, keep up with patrol, and find a spell to fix Xander. He was our only option other than having Xander committed. I didn’t want to do that. Those places are horrible, you always hear horror stories about the patients being abused and neglected. I couldn’t do that to Xander.”

“Yeah, much better this way, at least Spike is the only one abusing him.”

Willow turned cold eyes on him and glared. Tara got up and went into the house.

“You don’t have any right to judge me, Xander Harris! I’m doing the best I can here, and okay, maybe Spike is taking advantage of the situation but he hasn’t hurt Xander. And I don’t have any other options. I can’t afford to hire a live-in caretaker, hospitalization is out of the question and Spike knows that if he ever did anything to harm Xander I’d dust his ass.”

“Willow, he’s feeding from him.”

The witch sighed and looked at the unimpressed version of her best friend in front of her.

“Xander? Have you ever been bitten? It doesn’t have to hurt, you know. It can be quite… pleasant if done a certain way. Spike has a chip, he can’t hurt Xander, so if he is biting him, it’s a pleasurable bite.”

“Pleasurable? And you know this how?”

“Spike’s fed from Tara and I a couple of times. After the battle with Glory, he was in bad shape and there was no time to get him blood. Then once when we were on patrol, he got hurt pretty badly, a demon almost sliced him in half. I fed him and then helped him home. I know you don’t understand it Xander, but I think Spike cares about him in his own way. He won’t hurt him.”

Xander shook his head and sighed. That’s what he had thought too, before his lover told him he was being naive. He smiled sadly at Willow and got up to leave. She reached out to touch his arm and he stopped.

“Where are you going?”

“To talk to Spike. I want to hear it from him. If he tells me he’s not hurting Xander, maybe I’ll believe it.”

Xander got back on the bike and drove away. He wasn’t sure that going to see Spike was such a great idea, but he didn’t know what else to do. He couldn’t just leave here without knowing the truth, could he?

Part 57

Naked, Spike crawled onto the bed and slithered up the length of Xander’s body. He could feel the hard flesh trapped in the human’s denims and pushed his own naked length against it. The feel of the rough material on his sensitive skin was intoxicating. He lay fully atop his lover and began trailing soft kisses and nips along his throat. When he reached the juncture between neck and shoulder he suckled on the skin there until he felt his fangs begin to descend. He pulled away before he could cause any damage.

“Xander, I want to ask you something.”

Xander was panting, glassy-eyed with lust beneath him. He tried to get Spike’s lips within kissing distance but when he realized that it wasn’t working, he shook his head and tried to pay attention to the fact that Spike was speaking to him.

“Wha … huh?”

“I said, I want to ask you something.”

“Now? You want to talk now?”

“Yes, now. That alright?”

“Okay.”

Something about the serious nature behind Spike’s question made Xander take notice that this was important. He moved to sit up but Spike kept him in a laying position by pressing him down with his own body weight.

“I want to mark you, Xander, claim you.”

Xander’s eyes grew large and he frantically tried to remember everything he knew about vampires and their mating habits. He realized he was freaking his lover out, and immediately tried to calm himself. Instead of panicking, he decided to just ask Spike what it meant.

“Claim me? How? What does that mean?”

“Yes, claim you. I’ll bite you, here in the muscle.”

Spike ran his fingertips over the spot he had been sucking on before.

“It would mean that you belong to me. That you love me. That you’re not a plaything, but a mate. My mate.”

It was a lot to take in. The possessive tone in the vampire’s voice was doing funny things to Xander’s insides. He wanted to think, to analyze the situation, but mostly he wanted to know if a bite was as pleasurable as he’d been told.

“Would it hurt?”

“No, pet. It’d feel good. So good. I’d make sure it did, never want to hurt you.”

“If we do this, would that mean you were mine as well?”

Something base and primal broke free inside of the vampire, blue eyes bled to yellow, teeth elongated and sharpened and ridges formed on his handsome face. He looked deep into whiskey-colored eyes and spoke in a voice that belied no argument.

“I already am. You’ve claimed me a hundred times over, with your actions, your words. You’ve shed blood for me, maimed and tortured for me. You’ve risked yourself for me time and again. You already own my heart and mind. This gives you ownership of my body as well. All that I am will be yours.”

Xander looked and saw the sincerity in those feral yellow eyes. He knew that any sane person would run from a declaration like that. He must be as crazy as his double then because he had no intention of running.

“Do it, Spike. Make me yours.”

Xander arched his back and groaned as Spike growled and dove for his throat. He expected to feel the sting of razor sharp teeth in his skin, but instead he felt soft lips raining light kisses all over his skin, cool hands began to pluck at the buttons of his shirt before opening it and pulling it down and off his arms. Xander lifted his hips and assisted as Spike removed both jeans and boxers. He lay naked and aroused beyond belief, waiting for his lover to bind them in blood. At some point, Spike had shifted back to his human face. Crystal blue eyes full of love looked into his own and Xander shuddered with need.

“Please, Spike. Need you.”

“Shh, luv. You have me.”

The vampire tenderly prepared his soon-to-be mate before slowly filling him. He paused and looked deeply into his lover’s eyes. He saw no doubts, no fear, only love, passion and acceptance.

“Are you ready, love?”

“Yes, I’m ready, Spike. I love you.”

“Love you too, Xander. Mine, all mine.”

Spike slowly morphed back into his demon form and nicked his wrist with his fangs. He held the dripping appendage to his lover’s mouth and as Xander swallowed the blood that filled his mouth, Spike spoke.

“By accepting my blood into yourself, you pledge yourself to me. From this moment until I am dust, you belong to me. Do you agree to these terms, do you accept me as your mate?”

Spike withdrew his wrist and watched as Xander licked his lips.

“Yes. I am yours. Your mate until you are dust.”

Spike growled and swooped in to kiss Xander possessively. He began to move within his lover, angling so that he stimulated his prostate on every thrust. He reached between them and began to stroke the boy in time to his thrusts. As he felt Xander begin to tense, he pierced his flesh gently with his fangs and drew on the wound as his lover screamed out his pleasure and tightened around him. Spike withdrew his fangs and licked the still-seeping punctures until they were sealed.

“By taking your blood into myself, I state that I am yours. That I accept my position as mate to you. From this moment, for as long as you walk the earth; whatever your form, I am yours.”

Xander smiled and looked deeply into the eyes of his mate.

“Mine. My mate. Always.”

Spike collapsed onto Xander’s chest and they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

Part 58

They were sitting in the far corner booth at Gus’ Donut Emporium. Site of Xander’s crappy job #17 in his post high school career of minimum wage-paying jobs. Xander had just finished licking the chocolate frosting from Spike’s fingers and was seriously considering taking him into the men’s room to lick something else when it happened.

The world spun out of focus for just the briefest of moments and then they were somewhere else. Where, he didn’t know. It sure as hell wasn’t Gus’ Donut Emporium, unless the Gus of this world had some serious issues.

They were both sitting on their asses on the floor as there were no chairs in this place. There wasn’t much in the way of furniture period, unless you wanted to be strapped into an A-frame, chained to a wall, tied to a rack or literally have your ass in a sling. Xander looked around the room with shock clearly written on his face.

“Holy bondage, batman.”

Spike smirked and looked longingly at the assortment of leather whips and wrist-cuffs in a display case nearby. He fantasized for a moment about restraining his mate with the soft-looking leather and spanking him until his bum was nice and rosy. He snapped out of his imaginings when he heard Xander snicker softly in his ear.

“So, I assume in your mind I was just handcuffed to the bed and at your mercy, huh?”

“Leather cuffs actually and you were over my knee.”

Xander blushed but Spike didn’t miss the increase in his mate’s heartbeat, or the tantalizing scent of arousal that poured off the boy.

“We’ll have to see about getting a pair and finding out how much this damn chip will let me get away with.”

“Okay.”

“Meantime though, we should find a way of getting out of here without setting off any alarms seeing as the place looks closed.”

Xander looked around and saw that the place was indeed empty of customers. He ran his hand along the countertop and frowned at the dust that covered it.

“Might not be a problem. I don’t think this place has been open in a while.”

“Hmm, might as well do a bit of shopping then, eh?”

Spike waggled his eyebrows and collected a pair of the leather cuffs, a wooden paddle, and a soft-looking leather flogger. Xander gulped and shook off the lust-induced haze that surrounded him as Spike stuffed his new toys into one of their duffel bags.

“Come along now, pet. Time to see the new and improved Sunnyhell, eh?”

Xander opened the shop door as Spike pushed the bike outside. He stopped dead in his tracks and Xander walked into his back.

“Spike! What the hell…“

Xander trailed off as he saw what had caused his mate to freeze on the spot. It was dark outside, but only on this side of the street. On the other side, the sun was shining brightly on a field of purple grass and Day-Glo orange flowers. It was beyond bizarre.

Looking further down the street, Xander squeaked and grabbed tightly onto Spike’s arm.

“S-Spike? Is that a dragon? It looks like a dragon.”

“If it isn’t, I ain’t gonna be the one to tell him.”

“Can we go? Preferably in the other direction?”

“Oh yeah. Definitely in the other direction. What say we push the bike for a bit, yeah? Not draw any attention from the big scaly reptile over there?”

Xander nodded his approval of Spike’s plan and they quietly, but as quickly as possible, moved away from the dragon. Turning the corner had Xander biting his cheek to keep from laughing in hysterics. He almost lost the battle when Spike’s eyes bugged out anime style and he whispered a string of curses that would have made a truck driver blush.

The scene looked like something from the imagination of a Disney animator on crack. The colors were all ten times brighter than anything ever seen in nature; there were little mushroom-type beings running all willy nilly and Xander was sure he saw a winged horse. Officially freaked out, Xander began to panic.

“Well, Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.”

Spike snorted.

“Not unless someone has been dropping acid into the town’s water supply. Sod the attention; get on the bike, Xan. We’re getting the hell out of here.”

Xander climbed on behind the vampire and held on tightly as the bike roared to life and the mushroom critters all turned toward them and opened mouths full of razor sharp-looking teeth. Spike drove through the middle of the crowd, kicking out at anything that got too close.

Xander watched in wide-eyed fascination as they drove through the streets. In places, the pavement turned to dirt or cobblestones and even something that he was sure was actually gold. But it was the people - beings - he saw that held him in awe. He was almost positive he saw Ewoks, Gremlins and something that looked like a Sasquatch.

They drove through places where it was darker than night - the only illumination was the headlight on the bike, a place where there were two suns shining in the sky, a place where the buildings were so tall they blotted out the sunlight and the trees were all silver and pink. It was beyond disturbing. Eventually they came to a place - near the old high school if Xander was correct - where it looked like home. The trees were green, the sky was blue with only one sun, and there were people - actual human people - outside in the daylight. Spike pulled the bike to a stop and Xander got off and looked around.

He asked the first person he saw what was going on. He received a strange look before the woman blinked, shook her head and walked away. Xander tried again - several times - but got the same result. Everyone looked at him like he was a simpleton or something. He was getting extremely frustrated by the whole experience.

“Give it up, Xan. Obviously no one is going to tell us what we want to know.”

As soon as Spike spoke the man next to him stopped and looked at the vampire carefully. His eyes widened in fear and he began to tremble in fear before bowing down at the vampire’s feet.

“What the hell?”

Spike looked from the man at his feet to his lover and raised an eyebrow in question. Xander merely shrugged. After everything he had seen so far, this was nothing.

“Please, I didn’t realize.”

The man at Spike’s feet was pleading with the vampire.

“Didn’t realize what?”

“That you were a vampire, of course. If the Master finds out you have been treated this way, he’ll be sure to punish everyone.”

“No worries, mate. Tell us what happened here and I promise not to say a thing.”

Spike helped the man to his feet and then pulled Xander into his arms. They listened in shock as the man told them how all of California had been changed overnight. That someone had made a great tear in the fabric of worlds. That monsters and demons now lived among the human population. That this was the only part of the entire state that still had humans in residence - only because there was no way to escape. There were still things here that would eat them or worse but that the Master protected them.

By the time the man had finished, Xander had a pretty good idea of what had happened. Glory. He shook his head sadly and wondered if any of the scoobies had survived. He also wondered who the Master was. He could only think of two vampires that would protect the humans here. Angel and Spike. If it was Spike, then it meant that at least some of the scoobies had to have survived; otherwise he would have left Sunnydale.

Spike dismissed the man and turned Xander around in his embrace. He kissed him softly and rested his forehead against that of his mate’s. He was hoping that this would be one of their shorter visits. He didn’t fancy the idea of sticking around this place for a long time; leaving now would be good as far as he was concerned.

Xander noticed that as it got darker the people seemed to all disappear indoors. He wondered if they should follow suit and take shelter as well. Spike seemed to realize what was happening, as well.

“Come on, love. Let’s not stick around to see what comes out at night here, eh?”

They got back on the bike and drove towards the hotel that the man from earlier had directed them to. Tomorrow they would look for the town’s Master and see what was going on. Tonight, Spike was looking forward to testing his limitations where the chip was concerned.

Part 59

The hotel wasn’t much. Then again, Xander didn’t expect that Sunnydale got many visitors these days - not the human kind anyway. He dropped his bag in the corner and went to check out the bathroom while Spike brought the bike into the room; he said he didn’t trust leaving it outside in this place. Xander didn’t blame him.

While Xander was in the bathroom, Spike took a minute to unpack his new toys. The paddle was just your everyday simple wooden paddle, nothing elaborate, but it had a good weight and was smooth as silk. He wondered if he could get Xander to use it on him at some point; it had been a while since he’d had a proper spanking.

Next he pulled out the leather wrist cuffs. They were small - only an inch wide - with silver buckles and adorned with small silver spikes on them. That was the reason he picked that particular pair. They were soft, like the leather had been worked in extremely well. He was glad of that; he didn’t want to leave marks on the boy - not on his wrists, at least.

The flogger was a thing of beauty. Black and red deerskin leather. The tails were a foot and a half long, half an inch wide, with angled tips. A ten-inch handle adorned with a red and black herringbone design and a six inch braided wrist loop finished it. Spike held it to his face and inhaled the intoxicating leather scent.

He had picked up two other prezzies for his pet, things that the boy had yet to see. An adjustable black rubber cock ring and a set of anal beads. He smirked when he pictured the boy’s reaction to these items. He was pretty sure his Xander wouldn’t have clue one about the beads.

Xander walked back in from the bathroom declaring that the shower was tolerable but that no way was he sitting in that tub. He saw the assortment of toys that the vampire had set out on the bedside table - along with a bottle of lube - and blushed. He and Anya had played around with spanking and tying each other up before so he wasn’t exactly new to it, but this was different. When he had played with Anya, she was the submissive one. He somehow doubted that Spike was looking to be on the receiving end.

“Er, Spike? What the hell is that?”

Spike grinned and faked innocence.

“What’s what, luv?”

“That purple thing. It sorta looks like a necklace but for some reason I highly doubt that’s what it is.”

Spike chuckled and picked up the string of beads. He ran them through his fingers and then looked at Xander with a leer.

“They’re beads, Xan.”

“Okay, I know I’m going to regret this but… what do you do with them?”

The vampire looked at the puzzled expression on his mate’s face and smiled. He had so much to teach the boy, so many pleasures to show him. But they had time for all that later.

“I’ll show you later, pet. For now, c’mere.”

Xander slowly approached his mate, his eyes darting back and forth between the vampire and the flogger. He wasn’t really concerned about the paddle, he’d used one on Anya before and she’d liked it. But a leather whip-type thing? That was uncharted territory, for sure. Then again, he knew Spike couldn’t hurt him; wouldn’t even if he could.

He laughed as the vampire’s hand shot out and grabbed the front of his jeans and tugged him close. One thing Spike was not was patient. He could be the poster-vamp for ADD. Xander’s laugh turned into a moan as the vampire’s hands began to touch him in interesting ways. He was quickly divested of all of his clothing and hauled onto the bed. Spike sat up against the headboard and pulled him across his lap.

“Now, just relax, pet. Gonna make you feel good. Trust me.”

“I-I do, Spike. I trust you.”

“Good.”

Spike bent over and pressed a quick kiss to Xander’s ass before lightly rubbing his hand across it. He continued to gently caress the smooth globes until he felt the boy begin to squirm in arousal. He then brought his hand down and lightly smacked his lover, bracing in case the chip kicked in.

It didn’t, so the next time he put a bit more force behind his slap. Xander moaned and bucked, Spike grinned and rubbed his hands together in glee. At least the damn chip hadn’t spoiled all his fun.

By the time Xander’s ass was a nice rosy pink color, he was writhing, moaning and begging for Spike to fuck him. The vampire had other ideas, though. He rolled his mate off of his lap and positioned him on his back in the middle of the bed. Xander looked a question and Spike held up the leather cuffs.

Spike cuffed Xander’s wrists to the bed and then put the cock ring on him. He laughed at the boy’s indignant protest to wearing that particular device.

“Sorry, luv. Tonight you don’t cum ’til I say so.”

Xander swallowed and nodded his agreement. It wasn’t as though he didn’t have a choice. He knew if he asked, Spike would take it off, the cuffs as well. But it was kind of sexy being so completely out of control. His ass was still burning from the spanking and the cool sheets felt incredibly good on his abused skin. He let out a soft sigh and looked at his mate.

Spike - still fully dressed - picked up the flogger and stood at the end of the bed and looked at his lover. He was sure he’d never seen the boy look as beautiful. He was rock hard, flushed with arousal, excitement, and a bit of embarrassment. His eyes were glassy; his breath was coming in short, hard puffs. The muscles in his arms were tensed with the strain of being held apart. Spike almost decided to chuck the plan and just pounce on the boy.

Xander watched as Spike stood completely still, just staring at him. It was extremely arousing to be the focus of that stare. After a few minutes passed and Spike still hadn’t budged he began to squirm. If it weren’t for the fact that Xander could see Spike’s face shifting in and out of its natural state he would have thought Spike wasn’t interested.

Xander watched as Spike finally moved. He watched as the vampire brought the flogger to his face and inhaled the scent of the leather. He watched as the vampire’s eyes drifted closed and his hand crept down to rub himself through his jeans. Blue eyes then snapped open and focused on him once again as the hand continued to stroke the hard flesh encased in denim.

Spike slowly crawled up the bed. He positioned himself between Xander’s legs and brought the flogger down to rest on his chest. He slowly dragged the soft leather tassels across and then around his right nipple. He repeated the process on the left one as well. Xander panted beneath him and arched into the contact.

Spike dragged the leather slowly down his mate’s torso, letting the soft tassels brush against his hard, dripping cock and down to stroke over his balls, as well.

“Oh, God! Holy fuck!”

Xander cried out and spasmed helplessly. If not for the cock ring he would have ruined Spike’s toy just then. The vampire chuckled and lifted Xander’s knees and spread him wide open before letting the leather thongs caress his ass as well.

“Doesn’t have to hurt to be torture, pet. See, I could keep you on edge for hours this way. Just letting you get a taste for it, for the loss of control, the absolute surrender of yourself to me. Feels good though, doesn’t it, love? Giving away your power, letting someone else take charge?”

Xander whined and his head thrashed on the pillow. He could barely think past the vivid picture his mate was painting. It was tempting, giving up complete control, not having any responsibility. Just letting Spike do whatever he wanted to him.

“Surrender to me, Xander. Give yourself to me, let me have everything.”

“Yeeeeessss.”

Xander hissed his response and Spike growled and vamped out. He leaned in and buried his tongue in his mate’s ass, his fingers digging almost painfully into his lover’s waist. He could hear the high-pitched keening noise Xander was making and knew that he wouldn’t be able to take this for much longer.

Spike sat up relishing the sounds of disappointment his lover made and tore his pants open. He just barely uncovered his aching cock before he was looming over his bound mate and rubbing his drooling shaft against the tender opening of Xander’s body. He swooped down and kissed him as he eased himself inside the tight heat of his boy’s body.

Reaching between their bodies, Spike flicked open the rubber ring around Xander’s cock and then sank his fangs into his mark on his mate’s neck as he thrust hard and fast in his willing body.

Xander cried out in ecstasy as he came and came and came. It was the most powerful orgasm he could remember. He slid into unconsciousness with a sated smile on his lips and the feel of his lover’s cool seed flooding his ass.

Spike pulled out and gently released Xander from his restraints. He slipped off the bed, undressed and went into the bathroom. He returned a few minutes later with a warm, wet cloth that he used to wipe the boy clean with. Afterwards, he covered his sleeping lover and then sat in the chair with his journal in hand as he watched his mate sleep.

Part 60

When Xander awoke the next morning, the events of the day before seemed like a bad dream. That or a vivid hallucination. Dragons? Mushroom people? What the hell was that all about? He rolled out of bed and sleepily made his way into the bathroom.

After taking care of his “nasty human business” he brushed his teeth and then started the shower. He was studiously avoiding looking outside. He didn’t want to think about where he was; this place was just too weird. He started briefly when cool hands touched his shoulders, followed by a hard chest pressed into his back. A hard something else was pressed against his butt.

“Mornin’ luv. Sleep well?”

“Mm hm. Slept great!”

Xander grinned a dopey grin. He had thoroughly enjoyed what his lover had done to him last night. He definitely wouldn’t object to playing that particular game again.

“Good. ’Cause today probably won’t be much fun. Need to be alert, make sure we don’t drive off into dragon land or something.”

“Oh. Right. That wouldn’t be good.”

“You think?”

The pair finished in the shower; the talk of dragons and the reminder of where they were killed any notion of sex that either man had. They were both rather subdued as they dressed and gathered their belongings. Xander took the bags as Spike rolled the motorbike through the door. They needed to find the Master of what was left of Sunnydale.

“Er, Xan? No offense meant pet, but why are we out here looking for the vamp in charge instead of hiding in the hotel until we shift?”

It was a good question. One that Xander had asked himself many times since he’d begun this journey. The simple truth was, he was curious. He couldn’t not find out all the details he could about each new place. It was like he was driven to explore each new reality. In some cases he was glad he did. It had led him to finding Spike; it had resulted in Riley Finn getting what he deserved. There were other reasons, but those were the two that stood out in his mind.

“I don’t know, Spike. I just… need to do this. Do you understand?”

“Yeah, luv. I do. Come on then, let’s go.”

They hadn’t gotten very far when the biggest demon Xander had ever seen stepped out into the street directly in front of them. It was the size of a Clydesdale and as ugly as a bloated corpse. It smelled bad too. Spike swerved the bike and tried to go around it but two smaller versions of the demon stepped out from behind the big one. They took up positions on either side of the leader and Xander knew they had no chance of getting past them.

Spike knew it as well; he tried to swing the bike around and go back the way they came from. He might have succeeded, too, but the demons were faster than they looked. The bike went down on its side, wheels still spinning as both vampire and human were swept up and into the demon’s arms.

“Oi! What the hell is this then? Put me down! Now!”

The demon merely chuckled - at least that was what Xander assumed it was doing - at the vampire’s outrage and then ignored him. Xander tried to remain calm; panicking wasn’t going to get them out of this. He needed to stay calm, wait for Spike to give him some kind of signal. He had to be alert.

Spike struggled fruitlessly in the large demon’s grip. The bastard was strong. He wasn’t sure what they wanted with him and the boy, and he wasn’t planning on sticking around to find out, either. He saw that Xander was doing his best to remain calm, he felt a swell of pride for his boy. Most humans, hell even some demons he knew, would be sobbing hysterically by now. He had chosen his mate well. Xander was one of the bravest individuals - of any species - he’d ever met.

When the opportunity presented itself, Spike took it. He lashed out with fangs and claws and managed to rip a good-sized gash into the demon holding him. It was enough to make it release its grip on him and he immediately rushed to the one holding his mate.

Between the two of them, they freed Xander and made a run for the bike. They were almost upon it when Spike pushed Xander in front of him and turned back to fight their pursuers.

“Xander! Get the hell out of here!”

“No! Not with out you, Spike. I won’t leave you.”

“Go! Bloody hell, I’ll be fine, you won’t. Fragile human, remember?”

“Spike…”

“Please, love. If I don’t find you beforehand, I’ll catch up next world eh? Motorlodge?”

“Okay. Be careful.”

“I will, love; go now.”

“I love you, Spike.”

“I love you too, Xan. Now get the hell out of here!”

Xander hesitated briefly but got on the bike. He knew Spike would be more effective if he didn’t have to worry about his safety. That was the only reason he had agreed to go. He took one last look behind him and saw Spike rip the head off one of the smaller demons before he tore off in the direction of the hotel they had just left.

Xander found a drugstore, parked the bike and went inside. He purchased a large bottle of peroxide, some heavy-duty antibiotic creams and a shitload of bandages. He was just exiting the store when he saw a familiar face.

“Oz?”

The werewolf turned and snarled before stepping back in shock. He cocked his head to the side and delicately sniffed the air. In a decidedly Oz-ish fashion he nodded to himself and ‘hmm-ed’.

“Xander.”

It was more a statement of fact than a greeting but Xander was too distraught to notice. He hefted his shopping bag and crossed the street toward the only friendly face he’d seen in this reality.

“Hey, man.”

“Who are you? I mean, I know you’re Xander. But you’re not Xander. You smell off.”

“Wow. A complete sentence, I’m impressed. I am Xander, I don’t know about the ‘smelling off’ as you put it, but I’m from a different reality.”

“Cool.”

“Not really. This place is… beyond description, actually. Very much looking forward to leaving; the sooner the better.”

Oz gave him an appraising look and asked Xander what his story was. Xander told him he’d be happy to explain but not there. He had to get back to the hotel and wait for Spike. Oz raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. He followed Xander back to the bike and climbed on behind him.

Back at the hotel, Xander got the same room as before and led the werewolf inside. He unpacked his first aid supplies and paced the floor waiting for the vampire to return. He told Oz the edited version of his story while he wore a groove in the floor. The wolf listened attentively and then pulled out a cell phone. Xander watched as he dialed a number and waited for it to be answered.

“Hey. I just ran into a very interesting person. You should come. Bring her with you.”

Xander wondered who the hell Oz was talking to. He didn’t like the idea of his whereabouts being broadcast. He tuned back into the one-sided conversation just in time to hear the other man say goodbye and hang up.

“Who were you talking to?”

“The Master of Sunnydale.”

“Ah. So, Angel or Spike?”

Oz quirked a brow but otherwise didn’t let his surprise show.

“Spike. Angel’s dust. He tried to hold on to the L.A. territory. The new breed didn’t like that idea. They tore him apart. Don’t mention it in front of Spike; better yet don’t mention Angel at all. It’s a sore spot for him.”

Xander nodded his acquiescence. He understood the bond between Spike and Angel a lot better now than he used to. And if this Spike were anything like his mate, the death of his sire, especially that kind of death, would be hard on him.

“Not a problem. So, who’s he bringing? And why are they coming?”

“You’ll see when they get here. I’ll explain why when he gets here, as well.”

About twenty minutes later a knock sounded on the door and Xander looked at Oz before going to open it. The werewolf nodded and Xander opened the door to Spike and… Dawn. Well, it made sense to him now. If Dawn were here, that was why Spike was still here. Hell, even Oz could probably hold his own with most of the beasties out there enough to get out of Sunnydale. But there was no way Spike would risk Dawn.

“Er, come in.”

The vampire ushered his young charge into the room ahead of him and looked at Xander suspiciously. He sniffed the air and then stepped back in alarm. Xander heard the snarl before he saw the demon features break out on the blond’s face. He held up his hands in a placating manner and stepped back.

“I can explain.”

“I bloody well hope so!”

Xander told Spike the same story he had previously told to Oz and watched as the demon paced the length of the room and back. He still wasn’t sure why Oz had wanted him to come. Once he finished telling his story, he asked about the demons that had his mate.

“Not a lot of fun, those guys. But I’m sure that this other Spike’ll be fine. I’ve tangled with those buggers a time or two myself; as long as they don’t manage to get him back to their camp, he shouldn’t have too much trouble.”

“And if they do? Get him back there, I mean.”

Spike looked a bit apologetic before answering.

“Then he’s in for a world of hurt. They ah, they like the taste of dead flesh. They’ll try an’ eat him alive.”

Xander looked horrified at the idea. He rushed to the door, intent on finding his mate, but strong, cool arms grabbed him before he got within four feet of it.

“You don’t want to go after him; you, they’ll kill. Save you for desert, they will.”

“I don’t care. I have to find him!”

“Make you a deal then. You take Dawn and I with you when you go, and I’ll help you find your Spike.”

“Fine. Deal. Let’s go!”

“Not so fast. First you do whatever it is you have to do to make sure we get out of here. Then we’ll go save your mate.”

Xander gave Spike a dirty look and then stormed over to the bike, where the bags were still strapped to the back fender. He dug around until he found the vial of spell oil and pulled it out. He uncorked the stopper and walked toward the vampire.

“Give me your hand.”

Spike held out his hand and watched as Xander drizzled a small amount of oil onto it. He looked at the man questioningly and smirked as he received an eye roll in return.

“Not all magic is a big production you know.”

The vampire snorted in amusement and pulled Dawn to him so that Xander could do the same to her. Once finished, they left the girl with the werewolf and took the bike to find Xander’s mate.