Title: Dancer In Chains
Author:Caliadragon
Category: AU
Fandom:Buffy/Angel
Spoilers: Up to current season on both shows.
Warnings: Character Death, Angst
Pairing: No main pairing
Rating: R for language
Archive: Any list I send it to, those with previous permission and BC
Summary: Spike muses on the oddness of a chained Xander.
Sequel to The Dancer
Disclaimer: Not mine, just the situation.
Thanks to Edi for the beta.
Dancer In Chains
By Caliadragon
Well this was something I had never thought to actually see. Xander Harris chained up and in Buffy's basement. Sitting on the cot I slept on for so many months. At one time I would have found this whole thing rather amusing. Not now though. Now I find it disturbing and dangerous. There's something growing in those dark brown eyes. Something mad and dangerous. He stopped swearing about an hour ago.
He stopped speaking altogether. It reminds me of when Dru would go all quiet right before she would explode into action and bathe in the blood of anything in her path. Mine included. I can't quite grasp the fact that Peaches and the other mental midgets captured the boy and chained him up in Buffy's basement.
Besides the potential pain in the arses, I was the only one home when they got here. He was swearing to beat them all into oblivion and kill them. I believe him. Xander's lost, you can see it in his eyes. The light that shone there died with his lovers. I avoided him out of shame.
Andrew died saving my life. How could I face Xander after that? I deserved to die. I know Andrew killed his friend, but he was under powerful mojo at the time. The minute the spell ended, he went back to being a geeky sidekick. He was the one that pointed out the love that seemed to burn between Anya and Xander.
In the process he became a part of them as well.
I know that Willow avoided Xander out of guilt as well. How do you tell your best friend you're sorry for killing his wife? It wasn't her fault, but it doesn't make it any easier.
Buffy, well what can I say about Buffy? Everything revolves around her. Sigh. Bitter much? The minute soldier boy came back to town she was ready for me to leave.
Giles is still not acting like himself. He would have told everyone to get bent, if they said to abandon the boy to his grief. I still think something happened to Giles while he was in England. Something dark that's going to bite us in the arse sooner or later.
The Nibblet wanted nothing more than to stay with Xander, but Buffy and Riley told her to stay away from him, and to leave him to grieve in peace. Obviously that went well.
Then there's the cheerleader. She won't see or hear anything again. Lost in the world her mind has created to block out the pain of the First's violation. Xander seemed to be bringing her back, but she retreated when they drove him away.
Ah, the boy's looking at me, and there's something in his eyes. "So Spike, this must be an amusing sight for you," he says smoothly.
"Not really, pet. Personally I'd rather you were unchained, and we were upstairs watching Passions with the cheerleader. You two are the only ones who appreciate it the way I do." He smiles at that, and suddenly begins to cry. I can't take it, and go to him.
He's still crying when Buffy, Willow and Dawn come down the stairs. He's still crying when Giles unchains him. And he's still crying as we tell him how much we've missed him.
Watching him cry, I'm reminded of a poem Dru used to recite in her more lucid moments:
Broken broken
Shattered staked
my heart shall always break
It's easy to break
harder to heal
The pain is all I
can take
Broken broken
Shattered staked.
End For Now