Black Magic Woman

Cinder

NC-17

Kind of a Buffy/Forever Knight crossover, but not. You'll see.

Pairing:A/X

Distribution: list archives, WWOMB, Cleo, all others please ask

Summary: Third in the This Mortal Dream series. A new player comes to town.

Disclaimer: These characters are the blood sweat and tears of Joss Whedon. The duck lamp belongs to Schanke. Sydney appears courtesy of James Parriot.

For Jinn who continues to wait so patiently.

"Hello, hello, my pretties. It's 'I feel like being a shit' day here at CERK radio." The metallic clang of Spike's lighter flipping open sailed over the airwaves. "So, call up and request whatever you want so I can rag on your soddin' ass and then not play it. Here's "Venus in Furs." Oh, wait, I lied."

"Anarchy in the UK" blared out of the little radio Xander had beside him while he worked. The M.E. hummed Sid Vicious softly to himself as he made a Y incision, and wondered what had set Spike off.

In fact, what had set Spike off was standing right in front of him, at his broadcasting booth at the Raven. Spike turned away from the microphone to regard her.

"So, you've come crawling back here. Why?" He lit a cigarette and blew smoke in her pretty face.

"To see you, Spikey."

"Big, green and obnoxious not enough for you?"

She pouted demurely and then wiggled onto a convenient bar stool. "Miss Edith has a plan," Dru whispered conspiratorially.

"Does she really?" Spike perked up and flipped a button, setting up several songs in a row so he wouldn't be disturbed.

***********

Angel and Buffy all but raced into the M.E.'s office. After a frantic call from Xander, they were ready for anything. well, most anything. Finding Xander in the midst of decapitating his latest patient was a bitodd.

"Come in. Shut the door," Xander ordered.

"What are you doing?" Buffy asked, wrinkling her cute, little nose, cutely.

"Making sure he doesn't come back. I'll make up some shit to tell the family." Finally finished, Xander rolled the bodiless neck into view. Two red-holes stood out starkly against the pale skin.

"Where did she come from?" Buffy asked.

"Abandoned warehouse down by the docks." Xander pulled out her chart. "Lindsey and Faith have got it. Six dead, four girls and two guys, all between sixteen and twenty-four. Came in just an hour ago. This is the first I've been able to get away so I could call you."

Angel groaned. "Can't anybody else get these cases?"

Xander laughed. "I thought maybe you guys could grab it somehow or something, trade for it, express an interest in dope, whatever."

"Dope?" Buffy crossed her arms, walking slowly around the body, assessing it.

"All of these kids have lots of x-tacy in their systems."

"Lethal?" Angel asked.

"It's hard to OD on x. The drug just isn't made like that. Deaths happen when somebody makes it wrong, you know? But they had a lot, more than I've seen before. Let's say they were really happy when they died."

"So they were at a rave?" Buffy asked.

"Looks like it to me." Xander looked up and risked a warm smile at the vampire, the first time they'd seen one another in over a week. Great way to come back to work, Xander thought wryly to himself. "I can give you the address."

He went to the sink to wash off his hands. Angel followed. Buffy stayed behind, peering at the body.

"How was your...umm...grandmother's?" Angel asked quietly.

"Relaxing." Xander scrubbed all the way up his forearms. "I think I'm better."

"Have you seen anyone?"

"I don't need a counselor. Nothing actually happened, right."

The vampire frowned. "Does anything have to have happened to - "

"Look, Lindsey already took me to task for this. Can we skip it?" Xander kept his eyes on his hands, scrubbing hard. Angel finally reached in and turned back on the water.

"I think they're clean."

"Now that's a loaded statement." But Xander rinsed off the soap. His skin was pale pink from the hard scrubbing.

"So, you already saw Lindsey."

"Yeah." Xander finally looked up, weighing his next statement. "We had a date." He turned to his desk where he was pretty sure he could find a semi-working pen and some sort of paper.

"A date?" Angel growled.

Xander ducked his head down, seemingly in search of paper, to hide his smirk. Sure, a date. He and Lindsey had walked out of the crime scene, been hungry, and gotten hot dogs together from a convenient vendor. Date. Sure. "Yeah, a date. Why?"

That stopped the vampire short. "Umm," he stammered, "I just, uh, wondered."

"Uh-huh." Xander finally found a piece of paper, scribbled down the address and handed it to Angel. "Here it is. Have fun you two. Try not to piss off Faith. I hear she's meaner than a wookie when she's mad."

Angel tried to smile, really he did, but it died a rather sickly death on his face. "Buffy and I will check this out."

"Have fun."

Frowning, the vampire stood and made his way over to his partner, who still seemed fascinated by the body. Xander watched him from beneath lowered lashes, those beautiful dark lines, the bunching, sculpted muscles. He unconsciously licked his lips. Buffy suddenly caught his gaze and smirked at him. He blushed and turned away.

"Ready?" Angel asked his partner.

"Yeah. Let's get out of here."

*************

Druscilla lounged in gluttonous glee, sprawled out in the leather chair Spike kept in his office for just such sprawling. Ahh, yes, his dark goddess was a prize.

"It was so perfect, Spikey, so wonderful, just like Miss Edith said it would be."

"Wasn't too bad," he allowed, flopping down on the couch. "Not bad a'tall." He licked his lips. "So, when does Miss Edith say we snack again?"

"I want some more now."

Spike frowned, suddenly remembering why it was so hard to operate with Dru. Was she always so childish? And he idealized this while she was away, why? "What does Miss Edith say about it, Pet?"

Dru pouted. "She says no more until tonight."

Spike grinned. "Be sure to bring home another doggie bag then, hmm?" He stood and pulled an especially nice bottle of blood out of a desk drawer. "Meanwhile you and I can have this, shall we? Excellent vintage."

Dru perked right up.

***********

Faith and Lindsey were already there when Angel and Buffy got to the crime scene. "Oh, hey, look," Lindsey called out. "It's the gruesome two-some."

"Very funny," Buffy snapped. "Your mom tell you that one?"

"I'll tell you what's funny," Faith snapped. "I see two things here which don't belong. Guess what? Oh, my, could it be the weirdo detectives from the station? I think it is. It's gonna be even funnier when you two turn around and walk away. C'mon, amuse us."

"We, uh, thought you two could use a hand," Angel suggested.

"Really. Well, we don't. Bye now." Faith turned away, dismissing them. Lindsey continued to stare, clearly amused.

"Call it professional courtesy," Buffy called after Faith.

The other woman didn't even turn around. "Call it horning in on our crime scene, B."

Angel sidled closer to Lindsey while the two women went at it. "So, anything interesting?"

"Lots. Many things which will help us solve this crime. Clues even."

"Wanna fill me in?"

"Not really." Lindsey laughed. "Faith would tear my throat out."

Across the room the two women were finally facing off, nose to nose. Angel watched their heaving breasts, smelled their arousal and adrenaline, and tried not to let its effect on him show.

"Tell you kids what," Faith all but purred. "We just handed some of our field notes to Finn and Miller to make *them* go away. Why don't the four of you go have fun and when we solve this case with our superior adult skills, we'll let you know."

"Gee, I thought adults had already learned to share."

Faith bared her teeth and growled.

Angel grabbed Buffy's arm and dragged her back out of the line of fire. "I think we'll go track those two down and get back to you." Before any more words could be exchanged he dragged his partner out of the dark warehouse. She yanked her arm out of his hand before they got to the car.

"I still want a look at that crime scene," she announced.

"Give it a rest, Buff. They're not going to let us in there. Let's go find Finn and Miller, take them out to dinner, pump them for facts and then come back later."

She growled about it, but knowing he was right, she crawled into the passenger side of his caddie anyway.

********

Xander put away his final folder for the night. Great, only one. Still time for a drink. Whistling cheerfully to himself he shut down the office and headed out. He'd finally convinced Wesley to take a night off and it felt great to be able to knock off early too. Ahh, the blessings of not having a boss around. And, well, an admittedly quiet night. The day shift had taken care of a lot of it.

He flipped on his pager and bounded out the door. The night was electric. He could feel something big was going to happen in the marrow of his bones. It was the sort of night for one of those lightning storms without rain. It was a night for sex and desperation. He could taste it in the smoggy air.

And not too hot. Maybe there wouldn't be too many murders tonight. There was less crime when it was cooler.

Smiling, he jumped in his old Nissan and revved it up. Flipping on the radio, he hummed along to Sid Vicious and backed out of the parking lot.

**************

If Angel had known Buffy was head-over-heels for Detective Finn, he would have spared himself the agony. Cotton candy was bitter by comparison. They were lost in each other's eyes, giggling softly, and playing footsie under the table. Growling softly to himself, he sipped his water and looked across the table at their other companion. Detective Miller just appeared embarrassed. He was concentrating on his slab of beef on bread to the absolute exclusion of the physical world.

"So?" he finally tried. Buffy and Finn ignored him. Miller didn't hear him. He kicked the detective under the table. "So..."

"Uh, yeah?" Miller asked.

"This case you and Finn have got information on...care to share?"

Miller glanced over at the lovers, blushed again, and then looked back at his burger. "Went to the crime scene with McDonald and Wilkins," he mumbled tonelessly. "Found the six bodies about eight this evening. Looked like a drug thing."

"Except for the exsanguinations," Angel prompted.

"After a narcotic overdose it is common for the human body to exanguinate, or bleed out, through the mouth and nose upon decease."

Angel quirked an eyebrow, wondering if Miller had memorized that little speech or if he'd made it up on the spot. Either way, it was excellent obfuscation, or at least it would have been if Miller had been a better actor...and had some kind of explanation for where all this blood had gone. Hmm... "So, I didn't see any blood on the ground. Where did it all go?"

"Seeped into the ground."

Yeah, right. Now, why was Miller lying? Why bother? Angel knew when someone was rationalizing to himself, and Miller wasn't. That was the speech of a man trying to convince others that they hadn't seen anything. Why? What did he know? "Of course," Angel finally said. "I should have thought of that."

Miller finally looked up and smiled shyly. "Fries?"

"No, thanks." Angel fidgeted, sipped his water, and tried to ignore the sugar oozing all over the table next to him. He finally snapped when they started blowing kisses and a misplaced foot crept up his leg.

Angel shot to his feet, up-ending his chair with a metallic clang. "Time to go, Buffy."

"I haven't even finished my burger," she whined.

"We've got...paperwork."

"But - "

Finn's beeper went off. "It's okay," he told her, checking it. "C'mon, Graham. We got a call." He stood, but Buffy pulled him back down by his tie and kissed him lasciviously.

"You be careful," she admonished.

"I love you."

They murmured some indecipherable nonsense and nuzzled noses. Finally Finn pulled himself away. He gestured to boy wonder and the two of them left through the back door.

Angel pulled out enough money to settle the bill. "Well, that was a waste of cash?"

"Hmmm?" Buffy asked bemusedly.

"While you were mentally sucking face I tried to actually find out something useful."

"And?" Bills on the table, they both stood and made their way out the front door. "What did Graham tell you?"

"He obfuscated."

"He what?"

"So, what's that boyfriend of yours involved in?"

"Excuse me?"

Angel frowned, crossing his arms. "Miller tried to convince *me* that nothing was wrong. He was covering for something, and I'll bet that boy of yours is involved."

"Riley isn't a part of anything. He doesn't even know the nasties exist." Buffy leaned against the caddie, crossing her own arms belligerently.

"You believe that if you want to, but Miller was purposefully trying to snow me."

"Ever thought that maybe it's just Graham?"

Angel frowned, but had no reply.

"Look, it's later. Let's go back to that crime scene. Maybe Lindsey and Faith have left."

**************

Spike put "Sid Sings" on long play, grinning evilly to himself. It never failed to garner a call from that stupid old bint who didn't know there were two knobs on the radio. He flipped on his answering machine, complete with obscene message and then wandered down to the floor of the Raven.

It was a rambunctious night. Bodies writhed all over the dance floor. Up on the platforms amateur strippers squirmed around iron poles. Vampires ducked in and out of the crowd, only their signature red-wine glasses giving them away. And everywhere, sex. Spike could smell it wafting through the air. Hot sweat and sex.

"Ahhh, bloody delicious."

Over at the bar, Xander parked himself on a free stool and leaned over on his elbows. It didn't take him but a moment to grab the strange red-head's attention. "Manhattan. Where's Darla?" he yelled over the pounding music.

The red-head motion for him to move to the corner. It was an acoustical dead spot, so they could hear one another. "She moved back to New York. Said she was tired of all this sun."

"Ooo-kay. Tired of the sun. That's a new one."

"I'm Willow." She put his drink down in front of him.

"Xander. So, what brings you to work at the Raven?"

"Struggling grad student. Lost my teaching fellowship in the last budget cuts and it seems like my dis is never gonna be done." She smiled, but before they could talk more another patron grabbed her attention. "I'll see you in a few," she whispered, winked and then scurried over to her next customer.

Calm, cool and content, Xander just sat in the dead space for a moment and relaxed.

"Well, well, well," a pale hand landed on his shoulder. "Look who's here."

"Excuse me?" He turned around into the prettiest blue gaze he'd seen in a long time. Bleached white hair that looked fine as silk, china skin and black leather subsumed his gaze. "Hi."

"Evening, pet."

"Uh, hi, do I know you?"

"Do you want to?"

"God, yes." Xander swallowed hard. "Umm, I mean... Let's just pretend I said something cool."

Chuckling, Spike lit a cigarette. "Actually, pet, you know me quite well. You call me all the time."

"I call you?"

"Mmmm, and such nice calls they are too, sexy and perverse. You're my favorite little M.E., aren't you, Xander?"

"Spike? You're Spike?" In his excitement, Xander swiped his drink with his elbow and knocked it all over the bar. "Oh, damn. I'm so sorry."

"S'alright."

Willow hurried over with a towel and quickly helped mop up the mess. "Another?" she asked.

"Give him a glass of the house best," Spike told her, "and some out of the old bottle for me." Willow nodded and scurried away again. "You do like the house wine, don't you?"

"Always. I'm usually afraid to ask for it though."

"She'll know who you are now. You won't have to ask." He took a long puff of his cigarette, his gaze thick and penetrating. Xander felt like he could drown in it. "So, how was...work?"

"Bloody. I beheaded six bodies tonight."

"You say such sweet things."

************

Lindsey flipped open his ringing cell phone. "Yes?"

"I suggest you leave the premises, Detective McDonald," DA Holland's voice purred at him.

"And why is that?"

"Because a very old friend of mine asked you to."

"Understood, sir." He hung up. "Hey, Faith, we gotta get out of here. Big guy says so."

"What are we going to tell the Captain?"

"To butt out?"

"Somehow I don't think she's going to like that answer." Faith grinned. "We'll tell her we have a lead."

"Sure." Lindsey put his cell phone away and followed his partner out of the building, unconcerned that they would be lying to the Captain, letting a case go dead, leaving everything unsolved...again.

***************

When Angel and Buffy got to the warehouse, all the lights were on and the music was blaring.

"So much for being a crime scene," she muttered.

"We'd better go in there and stop them before they destroy all of the evidence."

"Right behind you, partner."

******************

"So, may I ask?" Xander sipped carefully at his wine.

"What, ducks?"

They sat in one of the back booths idly playing with their glasses and flirting with one another. "I know you're probably not going to tell me, but what's had you so ticked the last couple of days."

"Ticked?"

"Well, yeah. You've been sniping at all the callers, playing non-stop Sex Pistols - "

"And what is wrong with the Sex Pistols?"

Xander grinned, spinning his glass slowly. He'd had enough wine by now to make everything a bit fuzzy. "Nothing. But, those three Barry Manilow songs you subjected us to were just plain cruel. Where in the Hell did you come by them, anyway?"

"I bought them for just such an occasion. Be glad I wasn't pissed off enough to play Celine Dion."

"Thanks, but I'm already scared for life."

Spike dipped one long finger into his glass and then sucked the red liquid off of it. "I've had family in town. You must know what that's like, luv."

"Only family I've got left is my grandma and she's the kind who keeps butterscotch candies on the coffee table and over-feeds me."

"Well, I suppose that's a good thing. What I've got is *family*."

"Oh, I see. Yes, I've heard of that condition. You know what Dead Milkmen would suggest?"

"Set them on fire?"

"I think that's their answer to everything, yes."

"I really like you, Xan, you know that." Spike smiled, which made Xander a bit nervous. He squirmed in his seat. "Anyway, this family is of the typical raving lunatic type. Both of them. One is a bloody goody-goody and the other sod is nutty as a cat on nip."

"Sounds not fun."

Spike grinned, pulling out his cigarettes. "Mind if I smoke?"

"Actually, yes."

Spike pouted.

"Well, you asked."

"Fuck you." He lit his cigarette and took a big puff. "You want to go dancing?"

"Dancing?" Xander coughed, waving the smoke out of his face.

"Sure. I know this place..." He blew more smoke in Xander's face. "Great place. Loud music, lots of lights, lots of bodies."

"Will you put the cigarette out?"

"No." He blew still more smoke over his tablemate. Xander hacked and coughed theatrically. "Cute, pet. Come dancing with me. You'll like it. Lots of gyrating fun."

"Fine." Xander threw back the rest of his wine. "Just quit blowing smoke in my face. Otherwise I'm out of here."

Chuckling, Spike stabbed out his cigarette on the table. "Helps to own the place. I can do whatever the bloody hell I want." They both stood. Spike shrugged into his duster. With a swagger, he led Xander out of the Raven.

Out back two cars waited. One was a beaten up black-mat Desoto with the windows blacked out. The other was a silver Jaguar convertible which gleamed in the lamplight.

"Which one, do you think?" Spike asked.

Xander licked his lips, his lanky body swaying seductively in the evening air. "I've never ridden in a Jaguar before."

"I bet you've never ridden in a Desoto before either." The blond seemed quite amused. He lit another cigarette, careful to blow the smoke in the other direction this time.

"You've got me there." Slinking forward, his fingers rubbed the air just above the Jaguar's hood. "Somehow, a Desoto just doesn't give me a hard-on."

Pheromones laced the evening air. Spike pressed himself up against Xander's back, rubbing up against his ass. "I think we should definitely take the Jag." The whelp moaned. "Definitely. Into the car, pet. You can show me just how much you like it on the way to the club." The driver's side door was right in front of them, so he opened it in invitation.

"I can drive?" Xander asked.

"Not bloody likely. I just wanna watch your ass as you crawl across the seat."

Xander leered at him. "Really?"

"Get crawling, mate."

Tossing another grin over his shoulder, Xander bent down and crawled across the seat, wiggling his ass decidedly more than was strictly necessary. Finally, he slid down into the butter-soft leather seat on the passenger side. He moaned as he sank into the seat.

"Really like the Jag, huh?"

"Mmmm..."

"You want to have sex with me or the car?" Spike slid behind the wheel.

"I was thinking sex with you in the car."

"Such a sweet pet."

***********

"Wilkins! McDonald!"

Sighing, Lindsey flipped closed the file folder in front of him and stood. "Knew it was coming. Any ideas on what we're going to tell her?"

"I'll make up something," Faith replied, tucking the gun she had been cleaning into her ankle holster.

Lindsey nodded and gestured toward the Captain's office door.

Captain Kate Lockley sat rigidly behind her desk, flipping through the latest reports. "So, what are you two doing in the office. It's a nice night. Shouldn't you be out, oh, I don't know, solving a case or something?"

"We're just catching up on some paperwork, Captain," Faith assured her.

"You don't do paperwork, Wilkins. You sit around and watch your partner do it." She smiled wryly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Want to try again?"

"I was doing paperwork," Lindsey complained.

"I'm sure you were. That's all you two ever do. Have either of you ever considered actually catching a bad guy. See, we're police. We catch bad guys. It's the way of things." She waited for an answer, but none was forthcoming. "What's the latest on the raver case?"

"We have a couple of leads, but nothing solid," Faith told her.

"Well then, I suggest you get cracking. NOW!"

They both jumped. Lindsey scurried out of the office. Faith followed along more casually.

"Man, she really needs to get laid," the brunette told him before strutting out of the bullpen.

**************

Spike raced through the streets of L.A, one hand on the wheel and the other in his lap, on top of Xander's curls. The mostly soused young man was doing his best to suck his cum out of his balls. And his best, Spike had to admit, was fuckin' great. As he pulled up to the old dock warehouse, he considered just taking this little nummy treat back to his pad, but then the poor child would miss out on all the fun. And what good would talking to Angel tomorrow night be if Spike hadn't killed off the competition.

Smirking to himself, he gripped Xander's curls and thrust up into the boy's mouth.

**************

Slightly earlier that evening...

Buffy and Angel stepped warily into the swirling lights. Everywhere sweating bodies pounded themselves against one another in time to the music. Scantily clad morsels writhed in homage to hedonistic pleasure. Buffy gasped. Directly in front of them two women had given up any pretense of dancing and were simply necking on the dance floor, their hands groping each other's half naked bodies obscenely.

"I think it's gone!" Angel shouted in Buffy's ear to be heard over the thrumming music.

"What?"

"The evidence! I think it's gone!"

"Yeah!" She backed up into him. "We'd better go!"

They both turned.

"Go where, Daddy?" Druscilla stood in their path, her eyes lit yellow with glee. "Don't you want to stay for my party? There's so many wonderful pressies."

"Dru," he growled, backing up and dragging Buffy with him. The Slayer pulled out a stake behind her back.

"Don't you want to stay, Daddy? We're going to have so much fun."

"Let us go," Angel ordered.

She frowned, her eyes narrowing. "You're not being any fun, Daddy." Behind her several rather wild eyed looking minions appeared, their impeccable 80's style speaking volumes about their nature. "Wrap Daddy and his pet up for me. I'll want to open them later."

The minions surged forward, overwhelming Angel and Buffy. The Slayer managed to dust four of them, but it was no use. There were too many. The remaining vampires trussed them up and carried them up to Dru's office by their arms and legs. Angel watched his newly cleaned leather duster drag on the ground in despair.

Above the crowd, a long, steel stairway in the air led to a many windowed office, obviously a leftover from when the place had actually been a warehouse. Inside the two of them were tied to a steel pole. Angel felt like a trussed up Christmas goose.

"Enjoying yourself, Dru?" he asked the woman who had come up the stairs behind them.

"Why don't you like to open pressies, Daddy?"

He growled at her.

"You're making Miss Edith angry. I don't like it when Miss Edith is angry." She frowned. "We're going to go downstairs and open some pressies. Spikey will come and he'll open them with me."

"You do this," Buffy warned, "and I'll totally stake you."

"Slayer." She addressed the girl for the first time. "The stars said you were coming. They didn't say anything about Daddy being so obsessed with you." She suddenly brightened, an idea coming to her. "Take them outside and hang them on the beam over the crowd. We'll drop them later for fun."

"I want some Slayer's blood," one of the minions next to her growled. "I bet she's totally sweet."

Dru grabbed the young man by the neck. "Go out there and hang them up or I will eat your heart with a spoon," she hissed.

The minions all scrambled to do her bidding.

***************

Spike lead the still wobbly young man into the club. Xander obviously wasn't used to this much drink.

What he saw sobered him immediately.

Music still pounded through the club, but most of the people on the dance floor had already collapsed. Minions wandered through the melee, drinking at random. Xander surreptitiously pulled the stake he now carried for protection out of his jacket.

Spike turned to him, his eyes yellow with glee. "The question is, do I just drain you or do I turn you and torture Angel with that fact for all eternity."

Very sober, quite suddenly, Xander backed slowly away. Spike followed, matching him step for step. "You don't want to do this," he told the blond vampire.

"Oh, I very much do."

"What'd I ever do to you? Huh?"

"That's my sire you've been playing footsy with."

"You mean Angel?"

"Of course I mean Angel, you bloody wanker!"

Xander's back hit the wall, the stake he held behind him digging into his skin. He glanced up, taking in the scene above him where Angel and Buffy dangled from a beam above the carnage. Oh, boy. "So what? Why do you care?"

"He likes you, whelp," Spike spit out, edging closer. "He likes you more than me. Well, after tonight there won't be a you. Takes care of that bloody problem, doesn't it?"

"We're talking about that Angel?" Xander pointed with his free hand.

Spike turned to look. "Bloody Hell!"

"Do you see all the wonderful pressies?" Dru asked, coming toward them.

Xander took the opportunity to hit Spike as hard as he could, knocking him over. Then, he turned on Druscilla. She batted the stake out of his hand.

"Bad kitten," she hissed.

Glancing around him, Xander's eyes alighted on the fire axe on the wall. He broke the glass and grabbed it. A hefty swing kept the vampiress at bay. Spike tried to tackle him, but Xander put a big, bloody dent in his shoulder.

"Stay back! Both of you!"

"You can leave, pet," Spike, gritted out, cradling his wounded arm. "You just leave and we'll forget all about this little incident, won't we?"

"I've got to be the biggest idiot in the world," Xander muttered to himself, stepping forward and swinging the axe to clear his path. Both of the vampires in front of him jumped back. "Dinner time is officially over," he said aloud.

"I don't like him, Spikey. Make him go away."

Xander took another big swing. "Everybody leave now! Before I chop off some heads!"

"Little kitty wants to play," the dark haired vampiress purred. "Everybody come play with the kitten." The ten or so minions left gathered round.

"He's got an axe," a rather bright one noted.

"Go PLAY with the kitten!" Dru shoved him forward. Xander swung wildly and sliced off the minion's head. The body in front of him exploded in a shower of dust. So far so good, Xander congratulated himself. Stepping forward, he swung at the rest of them. The minions circled around to try to get behind him. Backing up to the steel staircase, he warned off the minions with swings of his axe as he went.

"Xander!" Angel called, seeing the plight of the young man on the stairs.

"Not now, Deadboy!" Xander shouted back, trying to concentrate on what he was doing. Another head rolled and another pile of dust. There were too many of them. Way too many. Had to get to Angel and Buffy.

As carefully as he could, he crawled out onto the beam the two were hanging from. "Who thinks they can survive a two-story drop?"

"We both can," Angel growled. "Get us down!"

Xander swung his axe a few more times, beheading another minion. The rest moved back a bit. Finally gaining a bit of breathing room, he backed up to the ropes that held his friends and started chopping at them. Buffy and Angel dropped to the ground below.

When he stood back up, he found himself face to face with a minion. Xander swing wildly, knocking it off the beam, almost falling off himself in the process. The only good thing about his precarious perch was that they could only come at him one at a time. Whenever a minion got close enough, Xander swung at his head. Behind them, Buffy was already up the stairs and in action. They had the minions trapped between them. Xander beheaded another, producing a great pile of dust.

Buffy fairly flew as she punched, jabbed and kicked. The stake in her hand turned the very air around her gray with ashes.

Trapped as he was between Xander and slayer, the final minion took the only way out he could, barreling into Xander and knocking them both off the beam. The minion hit the ground with a massive thud. Xander flew through the air, praying to anyone who would listen that he came down easy, only broke a few bones.

He landed in a pair of strong arms.

Angel cradled his precious Xander against his chest.

"Angel?"

"I've got you."

Xander just nodded and hugged the vampire tighter.

Buffy finally made her way downstairs. "They're all gone or dust. All except you that is." She crossed her arms and glared at Angel.

Xander hugged his vampire tighter. "No! Mine!"

"He's going to kill you, Xander. Vampires are dangerous, blood-sucking fiends."

"Not me," Angel told her, returning Xander's emphatic embrace. "I don't eat people anymore and I became a cop to make up for the wrongs of my past."

"Better dusted than sorry." She stepped forward threateningly.

"Not gonna happen." Xander slipped down out of Angel's arms and stood in front of his vampire, his position on the matter perfectly clear.

"I don't think you understand," Buffy started, but Xander interrupted her.

"No, you don't understand. He's good now. You don't stake him. End of story."

Angel wrapped his arms around his Xander, nuzzling close. Eradicating that other scent. Other scent... Familiar other scent...

"Fine. But one step out of line and you're dust," Buffy told him. Spinning on her heel, she stomped out of the club.

Angel turned Xander around to face him. "Spike."

"What?"

"You smell like Spike."

"Oh, uh, yeah." The brunette laughed nervously. "See, I was really drunk and... Do all of these explanations start that way?"

"You're mine!"

"Yours? I'm sorry, do I come with 'Property of' tattooed on my forehead?"

Angel sniffed him up and down. "You had sex with him," he spat, incredulously.

Xander backed up, suddenly as afraid of Angel as he had been of the mass of minions earlier. Maybe Buffy had been right. "Calm down, deadboy." His back hit the wall. "Look, it was just a bit of drunken fumbling. It didn't mean anything. And why do you care anyway? It's not like you've ever shown more than token interest in me before."

"I have certainly..."

"Don't you even..."

They stared at one another for a moment. "Could we finish a sentence?" Angel finally growled.

"Fine. I've got one for you. You have no claim on me."

"But you want me to." Angel flattened himself against the human, insinuating his knee between Xander's thighs.

"Asshole," Xander muttered. "You gonna kiss me or what?"

Angel wrapped his pale fingers in Xander's sable curls. Tipping the young man's face to side, he captured those lush lips, mauling them. He finally pulled back when he felt Xander struggle for breath. Blood flecked the young man's lips where Angel's fangs had sliced them. He shoved the dazed young man away.

"What?"

Angel shook his head, backing away.

"What? Where are you going? Angel?"

"I hurt you."

Xander traced his lips with two of his fingers and then stared at the bloody tips. "I don't care," he finally said.

"I'll hurt you. I won't mean to, but I will."

"No, Angel - " But the vampire turned and fled before he could say anything more. "Wait! Angel!" Xander chased after him, but he was too late. Angel had already taken off. "Wait! Damn you! How do I get home?"

Looking around, Xander took in the rather miserable situation out here at the edge of the docks. No phone. No car. Dark. Shit! He started walking because he didn't know what else to do.

Eyes were staring out of the dark at him. He could feel them. He sped up until he was running.

"You there! Stop!" A patrol car pulled up behind him.

Almost sobbing, Xander came to a standstill. "Oh, thank you, officer. I need to get home."

"Are you drunk?"

"Umm, no. At least I don't think so. Not anymore. Look, can you call me a ride. They just left me here and - "

The officer pulled out his breathalyzer. "I want you to blow into this, sir."

"What? No. I.D., I've got to have some around here somewhere." He dug through his pockets. "I'm Dr. Alexander Harris of the L.A. Medical Examiner's office."

"Sir, I really think you should blow into this."

"No! Listen to me. I work with cops everyday. I'm one of the good guys. Can't you call me a cab or something or drop me off somewhere nicer or...or something."

"Sir, you should get into the patrol car."

"Shit! You have got to be kidding me!" Xander protested. The officer's hand moved to his gun. "Wait. Not a problem. Getting into the car now." He held up his hands in surrender. The officer held open the back door and he scrambled in. "So getting into the car. Fuck!" At least it gets me downtown, he thought to himself.

It was Lindsey who came to get him out of lock-up.

"And none too soon," he told the young man. "Bruiser over there was eyein' me like his next girlfriend."

"Come on, Xan. Let's get you home."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Lindsey smiled, throwing an affectionate arm around his friend's shoulders. "So, what were you doing down by the docks anyway."

"Got drunk and let somebody take me dancing. Ran into Angel and Buffy and another crime scene. Hey, have they come back yet?"

Lindsey snickered. "Summers and Faith just went out to another crime scene, probably yours. We've agreed to 'work together'." He drew big italics in the air around the words.

"What about Angel?"

"Nope. Why?"

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch when I find him. That's why." Xander snorted, hunching further into himself. "He's the one who left me there."

Lindsey's face hardened. "Really..."

"Oh, yeah."

"Could I tenderize him a little for you?" They both stepped onto the elevator and as soon as the door shut Lindsey backed the boy up into the wall.

"Lin?"

He traced a manicured nail down the side of Xander's face. "I could kill him."

"Lin?"

Then he captured those lush lips with his own, plundering them without mercy, until Xander was lightheaded and breathless. "Xan..."

"What are you..."

"If you have to ask, I'm not doing it right."

Xander smiled, wrapping his arms around Lindsey's neck. He stole another quick kiss. "I guess I'm asking why."

"I've wanted you for so long and tonight you just look so...ravishable."

"Mmm, yeah, ravish me."

Lindsey pulled away when the elevator reached their floor, but his eyes promised a wealth of further delights. Xander hurried through the halls, Lindsey hot on his heels.

Within the hour, Xander found himself flat on his back in Lindsey's bed, his ankles pushed back nearly to his ears as the other young man thrust into him over and over again.

"Take that Angel!" he thought viciously, as he thrust up into Lindsey's embrace.

**************

"Spike!" Angel stalked into the Raven, his trench coat billowing out behind him.

"Peaches." Spike met him at the bar.

"You stay away from Xander."

Nonchalantly, Spike poured himself a glass of blood. "Who's gonna make me?"

"I protect what's mine."

Spike snorted. "Be serious. You're weak as Hell from drinking pig's blood all the time. Come at me, old man. Winner takes all."

"I've claimed him. He's mine." Angel clenched his fists in single minded fury.

"I couldn't smell you on him." Spike took a long sip from his glass. "But you could smell me, couldn't you, all over the whelp. I think, that makes him mine." He smirked. "I think you should stay away from him."

"Spike..." Angel warned.

"But out of respect for you being my poof of a sire and all, I'll make you a deal, you stay away from him and I won't kill or turn him. What do you say?"

"Don't think I don't know what this is about."

"And what is that?"

Angel smirked. "You don't want to see me with anyone else."

"You're a poncy bugger. You know that." Spike slammed down his glass. "This conversation is done. Have a fun time collecting the body." He turned away, but Angel's voice called him back.

"You have a deal."

"Do I?"

"Just stay away from Xander and so will I." Angel swallowed hard. "Agreed?"

"I said nothing about staying away from the whelp, only that I wouldn't kill him." Spike smirked at his sire over his shoulder. "Won't you have fun sniffing me all over him? Able to do nothing."

"Spike..." Angel protested, but the other vampire just walked away.

"Asshole," the brunette muttered into thin air. Spinning on his heel, he rushed out into the graying morning, intent on getting to Xander before Spike had a chance to seduce the boy again.

************

Xander stepped up to his apartment door, key in hand.

"Xander?"

He spun around, keys grasped defensively, splayed through his fist of fingers.

Angel stepped out of the shadows.

"Deadboy," the young doctor muttered. He unlocked his door and swung it open. "Well, get inside before you fry."

The vampire stepped past his human, getting a healthy whiff of Xander's post-skirmish activities as he did so. "Who was it?" he demanded, seeing red.

"Yell at me and I'll throw you right back out into that sun."

"Who - was - it?"

"Who cares? You left me. Did I even occur to you to wonder how I was going to get home."

Angel flushed, embarrassed, and turned away.

"Look at me! I just jogged through some of the seediest areas of LA tonight. Alone. By myself. With no one to help me."

"Xander..."

"Sit down and listen, deadboy!" he snapped. The vampire sat on the couch. "Then I got picked up by the cops who thought I was drunk and disorderly, so they took me down to lock-up. See, I couldn't find my ID. They were all apologetic and crap when Lindsey came down and got me and told them who I was, but that hardly made up for the singular joy of being felt up by Bubba in the cell like I was some kind of prime-cut beef."

"I..."

"Shut-up! I'm not done. So, one of those smells you're taking in right now is eu-de-criminal."

"The other is Lindsey, isn't it? I can smell him all over you," Angel growled. "You've become a slut."

"Get out." Xander jerked open the door, letting the deadly sunlight stream in. A stray beam hit Angel's leg. The vampire screeched and jumped behind the couch.

"Problem?" Xander asked.

"Please shut the door."

"Please? Now you find manners." Xander shut the door with a snort. "Why did you come here?"

"Spike is bad news."

"You're not scoring points here."

"You've got to listen to me - "

"Stop!" Xander collapsed on the couch. The vampire nervously sat beside him. "Look, Spike tried to kill me. I don't have to be warned off him. Credit me with a little intelligence."

"I'm sorry."

"Good. You should be." Xander stood. "There's a blanket and everything. I expect you to be gone by the time I wake up."

"I'm really - "

"Stop. Just stop. Give me time to cool off."

Xander disappeared into his room, Sydney hot on his heels.

Inside his bedroom, Xander collapsed on his bed. Sydney jumped up next to him, rubbing his fury face into the young man's arm.

"Why can't men be like you, Syd? The perfect man, cuddly as a cat, with looks like James Bond and a voice like melted chocolate." He sighed. "I know. Two out of three is out on my couch. And the verdict is still out on number three. But...but..." He scratched under Sydney's chin. "Does the phrase weasel shit mean anything to you, Syd?"

"Meowwww."

"Exactly."

He sighed and stood, stripping off his sticky clothes. "Damn it! I can't even go out there and take a shower, Syd. Damn that vampire!"

*************

Out on the couch, Angel sighed, listening to Xander's tirade. He wasn't sure if he was sadder hearing of the boy's anger or his love.

***********

When Xander rose in the evening, his couch was empty. Carefully, he smoothed out the already folded blanket, wondering if he could repair things with his vampire.

"Do you think vampires eat chocolate, Syd?"

"Meow."

"How right you are."

***************

Angel got in that evening to find a Lindt's on his desk.

"Sorry about all the yelling. Promise you won't leave me anymore and I promise I won't let the sunlight in. - Xander."

With a silly smile, he pocketed it in his long trench coat.

"What's that?" Buffy asked.

"Nothing."

"You feeling all right, big guy?"

"Never better."

With a shake of her head, Buffy pulled out the case file. "It looks like whoever did this has disappeared like a puff of smoke."

"That's what I hear," Angel confirmed.

"When were you going to tell me?"

"It wasn't exactly on my list of things to do."

Buffy snorted. "Well, I've decided not to stake you."

"I appreciate that."

"Seems there are long stories about Angel D'Eire, the repentant." She hopped up on the desk and dangled her legs. "So, you're still with the repentance gig, right?"

"Why? Got a pilgrimage in mind for me?"

"Only if it's to Maggie's All Night Diner."

Angel smiled. "I supposed I haven't tithed yet this week."

"Yippee!" Buffy jumped down, but suddenly stopped short. "That was a yes, right?"

"Yes."

"Yippee!" Grabbing his hand, Buffy dragged her partner along behind her, out of the station, into the welcoming night.

END