Part 3

"Come on, Xander! This won't work if you don't at least try to hit me."

"I'm sorry Buff. It just doesn't feel right. Not now that I'm as strong as you are - stronger even."

"I'm a big girl, I can take it. Spike doesn't pull his punches when we spar. I don't expect you to either."

Xander nodded and tried again. Buffy had come over earlier that afternoon and Spike had asked her to help out with Xander's fight training, stating that any advantages she could teach him could save his life - and all of theirs. Buffy had wholeheartedly agreed to help, which was why she was now sparring with Xander and Spike was out on patrol by himself.

Xander came at Buffy and threw a quick punch to her face; she ducked to the side but it still caught her on the shoulder. As she went down she swept Xander's feet out from under him and he went down, as well. They both flipped back to their feet and grinned at each other.

"See? It's more fun when you fight back. Again, Xander; show me what you've got."

"Alright. You're on."

The pair continued to spar for a while, trading blows and taking some pretty hard hits. Buffy was thankful that Xander had his soul and was on her side. He was tougher than any vampire she had ever fought - with the exception of his sire. Angelus and Spike were good but they fell in second and third behind Xander. Willow and Tara had made dinner and were now standing in the doorway of the training area watching. They were both amazed by the speed and strength their friends possessed. Neither had ever seen Xander fight like this.

"Um, guys? Dinner’s ready, Dawn's just setting the table, so you should probably clean up a bit."

"Thanks, Wills! We'll be there in a bit."

Buffy grabbed a towel and tossed it to Xander before picking one up for herself. She wiped the sweat off her face and arms and then grinned over at her best guy-friend.

"That was fun. We should do this more often; I haven't had a workout like that in awhile."

"Don't let Spike hear you say that. He'll go out of his way to make sure he hurts you next time you guys spar."

"We should spar together. Spike and I against you. If you can defend yourself against the two of us, you should be alright against a bunch of fledglings on your own - even if there are dozens of them."

"Sounds good. We'll talk to Spike when he gets home."

~!~

They sat down to dinner just like they did every Friday night with the exception of Spike being absent. Normally, the blonde vampire looked forward to these weekly dinners with the scoobies for the simple pleasure of covering whatever food they had cooked in blood and then making as many disgusting noises while eating it as inhumanly possible.

Xander missed him. It just wasn't the same experience without listening to Buffy complain and Willow and Tara trying to be polite while steadfastly refusing to look at Spike throughout the entire meal. The only one not bothered by it was Dawn. She would just roll her eyes at him and dig in. Which was probably why Spike was always seated between her and Xander.

After dinner, Xander helped Willow and Tara to clear the table while Buffy and Dawn picked a movie to watch. He had to wonder what he was going to do when his little mortal family was gone, when he had no more ties to his lost humanity. It was a depressing thought, and he sometimes found himself wishing that they were immortal as well.

"Buffy was telling us about the attack last night. Do you think there's a new master in town?"

"That's the theory. There were a lot of vamps and they weren't local."

"How could you tell?"

"They were older. Not masters, nowhere near as strong as Spike or me, but they had a few under their belts."

"Hmm. I don't like the sound of that."

"Me neither, but we knew it was going to happen sooner or later. This is the Hellmouth, Willow. I haven't been dead a year yet; there's no way I'm going to keep it without a fight."

"I know, but I worry."

"I'm not alone; I have Spike and Buffy."

"I know, but you’re my best friend and I hate seeing you go through this."

"Last year if this had happened, I would be in your shoes. I'd be the one worrying about my friends going into battle. I do understand, Wills but I'm not the zeppo anymore. Token normal guy is stronger than any of you; I can hold my own."

"I know. But I still worry. I still worry about Buffy and she's been doing this for years."

Xander nodded his understanding and pulled Willow into a hug. They were called in from the kitchen a few minutes later to settle an argument between Dawn and Buffy over what movie to watch. Just as they were settling in to watch the movie, the front door opened and Spike came in. He nodded at Xander and the girls and headed for the stairs. Xander smelled something different about Spike and sniffed the air delicately. He growled and leapt from the couch in full game face. Buffy pulled Dawn behind her and handed her off to Tara while she and Willow prepared to get between Xander and Spike, if necessary.

Spike saw Xander coming and lowered his eyes. He knew that Xander had scented him, so he did the only thing he could think of to diffuse the situation. He bared his throat to his mate in submission and waited for the bite. Xander tore savagely into Spike's throat and drank deeply. He then spun the smaller vampire around and pressed him against the wall. He was running fully on instinct now, his demon knowing that he needed to re-establish his position. He didn't spare any thought to their guests as he tore the blonde's jeans down the sides and pulled them away from his body.

Buffy gasped as Spike was shoved face first into the wall. This wasn't normal behaviour for Xander, or Spike, for that matter, but he seemed to be expecting it. Chalking it up to freaky demon shit, she was ready to accept that this was a private matter and leave them alone. Then Xander tore Spike's jeans off and began to undo his own pants. She was thankful that Tara was quick and had already covered Dawn eyes.

"Take Dawn out of here. Wills, you too."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to get some answers."

"Be careful; I don't think Xander's himself right now."

Buffy nodded and Willow followed Tara and Dawn outside. Buffy stepped closer to Xander and Spike and then her eyes flew open in shock as Xander was suddenly in front of her. He was in game face and snarling at her. It was Spike that finally spoke.

"Everything’s fine, slayer. Go home."

"Spike? Are you ... Is Xander...?"

"Leave, Buffy. Your being here will only make it worse. Please."

It was the please that got her. Spike seemed... ashamed to have her witness whatever it was that was going on. She took one last look at her friend and his mate - who was still facing the wall, ripped jeans around his ankles - and shook her head sadly. She walked to the door and then spoke softly.

"Xander, please call me when you've calmed down. And don't... don't hurt Spike."

Xander just growled threateningly at her and glared as she finally left the house. He turned his eyes back to the semi-naked form of his mate and the growl deepened. He stepped up behind him and kicked the other man’s feet apart before savagely driving himself inside his unprepared body.

Spike howled at the intrusion but didn't fight it. He wanted this - needed it - as much if not more than Xander. It hurt. It hurt like the very devil himself was drilling into his ass, but it also let him know that Xander loved him. He was being reminded of Xander's ownership of him. He would do the exact same thing if the positions were reversed. Xander took little care about Spike's pleasure. This wasn't an act of sex; it was an act of claiming. It was a show of dominance and ownership. But all the same, as he approached his climax, he did reach around to find his mate’s weeping cock and begin to jack him off as well.

"Mine! Say it!"

"Yours."

Xander bit into Spike’s throat again as he climaxed. He felt wetness on his hand and knew that Spike had cum as well. He pulled out of his torn and bleeding hole and then walked away from him. He stopped and spoke in a low emotionless voice.

"Go and shower. I don't want to smell anything on you but soap when you come out."

Spike gathered the tattered remains of his clothes and headed up the stairs to their room. He was lucky his mate had a soul; he had gotten off easy. There was no excuse for what he had done - none at all. He didn't even know why he had done it. He stopped at the top of the stairs and looked down at his mate. Xander looked crushed. He felt his chest constrict with guilt over what he had done to his lover.

"Xander, I'm sorry."

"Not now, Spike. I don't want to hear excuses or explanations, not when I can still smell her on you."

"Xan, I..."

"NO!"

Xander roared and turned to face Spike.

"You will explain to me why you did this, but not until you have scrubbed her filth from your body. Do you understand?"

Spike nodded and walked away. Maybe the shower would help clear his mind. He had no idea what had come over him, why he had fucked that woman in the park. Hell, she wasn't even a woman; she was a vampire. One minute he was seconds away from dusting her, the next minute he was fucking her against the side of a mausoleum. It was as if he had been possessed.

Part 4

"So, you think you were possessed?"

"I dunno, Red. It wasn't me; I would never do that."

The two were sitting in the kitchen discussing the events of the night before. Willow had been asked to come over by herself and see if she could help. Spike had finally convinced Xander that he hadn't wanted to fuck the female vampire - that he had every intention of staking her, but something had happened to him - it was as if his body was responding to someone else’s will. Once Xander was calm enough to listen, he decided to give Spike the benefit of the doubt. He had been nothing but honest with him since the first night they had been together; he didn't think he was lying to him now.

"I know that. You were with Dru for over a century, you're the loyal type."

"Well, what Dru an' I had was different from what me an' Xan have. He's my mate, Dru was my sire. She owned me in a way, but I had no claims on her. We weren't always exclusive."

"Oh."

"But it wasn't like we were cheating. She and Angelus, well she was his childe and he had certain rights to her - to me too, seeing as I was hers. But mostly it was just the two of us."

"And with Xander?"

"We're exclusive. No one else. I don't want anyone else, Red. I only want him. That's why I need you to figure out what the hell is going on here. I can't lose him over this. I just can't."

"I'll do my best. Now tell me everything that happened that night."

~!~

Xander listened from the other room as Spike told Willow how he had followed the vampiress into the cemetery. He had already heard this; Spike had been adamant that he be allowed to explain after he had come down from the shower. Spike was so obviously upset by it, that Xander had to believe him.

Spike had told Xander that he was just doing a routine sweep. Keeping an eye out for any of the vamps from the other night when he spotted her. He followed her into the cemetery and was going to stake her, but when he looked her in the eye, something came over him. Xander listened as Spike explained how he was there, but not, as he pushed her up against the wall and drove into her with abandon. He said that it all seemed a bit surreal, as if he was watching someone else doing those things. He said the woman didn't even put up a fight, that she seemed to be expecting it. That was when Xander first suspected that there might be magic involved.

So now his mate was in the kitchen telling that same story to Willow, hoping that she could help him, prove him right. Xander had told Spike that he believed him, but Spike wanted to prove his theory anyway. He said he needed to make sure that whatever it was, it wouldn't happen again. It was a good idea, the not happening again, because Xander wasn't sure he could be so forgiving a second time. It was all he could do to keep from actually hurting Spike the first time. His demon screamed for vengeance, to make Spike suffer for his betrayal. It would not have been pretty if the demon had gotten its way.

~!~

Willow told Spike she would look into it, that it almost sounded to her like a kind of thrall. Spike was never any good at that sort of thing and told her as much. She promised to help him get to the bottom of things and then she left for home so she could research in peace and quiet. Xander and Spike fed together silently. Spike still felt horrible about what happened, and Xander couldn't get the image of Spike and this ... woman out of his head.

"Xander? Are we going to be okay, luv?"

"Yeah. We will... eventually."

"I... You know I didn't, I mean I wouldn't... I love you."

"I know. I love you too, Spike. I just can't stop seeing you with some faceless woman. It's stupid, I know, but it fucking hurts."

Spike tentatively put his arms around Xander and when he wasn't rebuffed, he pulled him into an embrace.

"It's not stupid. If things were reversed, do you think I would have handled this any better?"

"No. In fact I'd say you got off easy on account of my soul."

"Damn straight."

Xander sighed and carefully stepped away from his mate and turned his back to leave the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway and then looked over his shoulder.

"I'm going out. I need to kill things."

"You want company?"

"No. I really think I need to be alone right now." Spike walked to Xander and placed a soft, chaste kiss on his lips.

"Alright, luv. Just promise me you'll be careful. Those vamps from the other night could still be around somewhere."

"I know. I will be."

Xander left and Spike hung his head. He didn't know what to do, how to make this better. He always ended up fucking things up, but he thought this time - with Xander - it would be different. He loved him, truly loved him, and wanted nothing else but to be with him for the rest of his existence. They were mated - bonded in the vampiric equivalent of a marriage. Only in this case, it was forever, no option of divorce. If Xander decided he wanted out, he'd have to stake Spike to be rid of him.

Spike shook his head sadly; as far as he was concerned, if Xander didn't want him anymore, he'd welcome the stake. He walked out to the living room and flopped onto the sofa. Idly he flipped through the channels on the big screen TV and wished he had never gone out last night.

~!~

When Xander returned later that night, Spike was nowhere to be seen. Xander couldn't sense him in the house, so he went back out and began searching for him. He didn't like the idea of Spike wandering off - not with that she-vamp still out there.

Xander made a quick sweep through the cemeteries and looked around both The Bronze and Willy's. He saw no trace that his mate had even been there. He decided to check back at the house, and if Spike wasn't home, he'd call Willow and see if she would do a locator spell. He wasn't being paranoid - just cautious.

Of course, Xander sensed that Spike was home before he was even in the door. He felt himself relax; relieved that his lover was safe and home. He quietly made his way up the stairs toward their bedroom. He heard strange noises and so he quickened his steps. As he turned the corner he stopped in open-mouthed shock.

There on the bed - in their bed - were Spike and a dark-haired female vampire. Fucking. His mate was fucking someone else. In their home. In their bed.

Xander saw red. He knew that most vampires wouldn't keep any wooden furniture in their homes, but he had always liked wood, and right now he was thankful of his insistence that they bought the oak bedroom set he had wanted. He snapped the leg off the table by the door and was across the room before either of the occupants knew he was there.

The woman who had up to this point been riding Spike burst into dust as the makeshift stake impaled her through the back. Spike blinked in astonishment before leaping from the bed. Xander pounced on him. He wrestled him to the floor and was just about to sink the stake home when he heard Willow and Tara shouting at him to stop. Everything happened in a blur. Xander came back to himself and saw what he'd done. His hands were covered in blood. There were ashes scattered across the floor. Willow and Tara were in pieces - literally - scattered about the room.

"Nooooooooooo!"

Xander screamed and rushed from the room. He didn’t stop running until he found himself outside of Spike's old crypt. He climbed to the roof and allowed himself to cry. He screamed out his anguish - begging for the fates to take it back - to make it right. He had no right to ask for a favour, to demand the restoration of what he had so foolishly thrown away. There was only one thing left for him to do. One way to be with his mate again - to beg for understanding, if not forgiveness.

He was going to wait for the sunrise to come and claim him.

Part 5

Buffy ran through the streets of Sunnydale. It was only minutes before sunrise and Xander was still missing. When she had gotten the call from Spike earlier that morning, she knew something was wrong.

Spike had told her that he'd turned in early, since Xander needed some time alone and didn't want company on patrol. He said he'd woken up sometime in the middle of the night to Xander thrashing and screaming in his sleep. He had tried to wake him - to soothe him, but he had been struck in the head full force by his mate’s fist.

When he came to, it was hours later and Xander was gone. With the sunrise only a little while off, he didn't know what to do so he called Buffy. Which was why she was now running towards Spike's old crypt. Willow had done a locator spell and determined he was there. Buffy just hoped she made it in time.

As she rounded the gate, she heard him. He was sobbing piteously and it broke her heart to hear it. She had no idea what had sent him out into the early morning, but it had to have been bad for him to react like this. She had never seen Xander cry before. And he'd had a lot of reasons in his life to do so.

Climbing up onto the roof of the crypt, Buffy dropped to a crouch beside him. Xander turned his face toward her and she gasped at the sight of blood tears running freely down his face, the look of utter anguish on his demon features. It wasn't often that Xander vamped out, mainly during fights or when feeding. If he was all bumpy now, it had to be caused by severe emotional distress.

"Xander, you have to come down off here. The sun's coming up."

"I know. Leave me Buffy, I deserve to die."

Buffy blinked in confusion.

"Why? What could you have possibly done that you think you deserve this?"

Xander sobbed harder and managed to choke out a reply.

"Killed them, oh God. I killed them all."

Now Buffy was shocked.

"Who did you kill, Xander? Spike said you were having a nightmare or something and cold-cocked him. He didn't mention you killing anyone."

Xander didn't seem to hear her and kept talking.

"Tara, Willow. I... I ripped them apart with my bare hands. I staked my mate. I don't know what came over me, I was so... angry."

Xander hung his head and Buffy scooted closer. She put her arms around him and he shrugged her off. She did it again, only this time she was prepared for him to fight the embrace.

"Xander, calm down. No one's dead. You didn't kill anyone."

Xander turned confused yellow eyes to her and his bumpy forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"I didn't?"

"No. You gave Spike a hell of a shiner, but other than that, he's fine. So are Wills and Tara."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. Spike called me this morning after he woke up; he was worried. Willow's with him right now. Tara stayed behind to make sure Dawnie got to school. Everyone is fine, Xan. I promise."

"Oh, thank God!"

Xanders shoulders sagged with relief and he allowed Buffy to help him to his feet. They jumped down off the roof and made it inside the crypt just as the first rays of sunlight broke over the horizon.

~!~

Spike hung up the phone and let out a relieved sigh. Xander was safe - not toasting himself to a fiery cinder on top of his old crypt. Willow handed him a cup of tea and sat next to him on the sofa. Spike sipped absently at the herbal mixture and wondered where she had found it in his and Xander’s kitchen.

"Xander's okay?"

"Yeah. Slayer found him in time; they're holed up in my old crypt for the day."

"Hmmm. Can't say I envy them that."

"Nope. Me either. Kinda got used to living in an actual home now, don't think I'd be too happy living in a crypt no more."

The pair fell silent. Willow gently took Spike's hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. He smiled sadly at her and shook his head.

"This whole thing is my fault. If I hadn't... well you know, with that bint in the cemetery, none of this would be happening."

"You can't blame yourself, Spike. You had no control over what happened to you."

"If it was you and Glinda? Would you honestly not blame yourself? I look at him, I see the hurt, the pain that I caused him. Whether it was intentional or not, I made him feel that way. Me. I can't not blame myself, Red. I just can't."

Willow nodded her head in understanding.

"I know, and you're right. If I did that to Tara, I'd blame myself too."

~!~

It was only minutes after sundown when the door flew open and Xander rushed inside. For all Buffy's reassurances, he couldn't quite allow himself to believe that it wasn't true - that he hadn't killed his mate, his best friend and her lover in a pique of jealous rage. He flew across the room and pulled Spike into his arms. He kissed him so hard that their lips bled, causing both to morph into game-face.

Buffy cleared the doorway and watched in shock as Xander scooped Spike into his arms and carried him from the room. She looked over to see that Willow was just as startled as she was.

"So much for talking things out, huh?"

Willow giggled and walked toward the kitchen. Buffy shook her head and followed her. Once they were seated at the small dinette table, Buffy told Willow what had caused Xander to run out into the night and wait for the sunrise. Willow opened her bag and put several things on the table. Buffy recognised them as spell ingredients and raised an eyebrow in question.

"I think someone has put a spell on Xander."

"Really? Why do you think that? I mean, couldn't he have just had a nightmare?"

Willow shook her head.

"If it was just Xander, I might think that, but after what happened to Spike... Buffy, he wouldn't do that to Xander. Someone, or something, is messing with them."

"Okay. I believe you. How do we find out who it is and what they did? It can't happen again, Willow; you didn't see him, my God... He was so broken."

Willow felt her eyes well up with tears at the look on Buffy's face. It must have been pretty awful for Buffy to be this upset.

"I need to do a revealing spell on both Spike and Xander. But seeing as they're busy right now, it'll have to wait."

Buffy grinned at her friend as the sound of howls tore through the house.

~!~

Upstairs, Xander was in the process of reclaiming his mate over and over again - not that Spike was doing anything to discourage him from his task. In fact, the blonde was begging for more.

Xander couldn't stop touching Spike, kissing him, holding him, stroking his skin. He wanted to bury himself so deep inside of his mate that they became one being. It wasn't possible - physically, at least - so he settled for the only option available to him.

Turning on his side, cock still deep inside the smaller vampire’s body, Xander pulled Spike’s face to his throat and then let his own fangs pierce the flesh of his mate’s neck, as well.

Through the blood, Xander could feel everything that Spike felt, his pain, his worry, his disgust with himself, his love for Xander, his fear that whatever was happening would eventually tear them apart for good. Xander tried to send reaffirming messages to his lover through his own blood. To let him know that he didn't hold him responsible for what had happened and that everything would be all right.

They had never taken so much blood from one another before, usually only exchanging blood during climax or if one of them was injured. This was different. It was like a melding of their demons - and Xander’s soul. It was being as close to one another as possible and still remaining separate entities. It was, in a word, awesome.

After almost completely draining one another, they both instinctively retracted their fangs and licked at the punctures until they closed. Xander was still hard within Spike’s body and the blonde squeezed his muscles around his mate’s shaft. Xander groaned and claimed Spike’s mouth in a bruising kiss while rolling the smaller man beneath him. He never left the softness of Spike’s lips as he drove himself deeper and deeper inside his welcome, willing body.

Spike moaned into the kiss and pulled Xander in deeper. As long as he was there, as long as he was being held and kissed and fucked through the mattress, he knew that he was loved. That whatever had happened that had scared Xander off, it was over. For now, at least, and that was enough.

Part 6

"You know what?"

Xander said as he rolled onto his back and pulled Spike with him so that his mate was snuggled into his side.

"I think we should get a new bedroom suite."

Spike lifted his head and looked Xander in the eye.

"What? We just bought this one. You went on and on about how you wanted this set - even though no vampire in his right mind would want to surround himself with wood while he's asleep and vulnerable. Why the sudden change of heart?"

Xander’s gaze flickered over the table by the door. It was still intact, but he could clearly remember himself breaking one of the legs off and coming at his mate with it. He shuddered and closed his eyes.

"I just... I can't look at this one anymore."

"Xan, love, you didn't tell me what happened. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No!"

Xander shoved Spike off of his chest and sat up; he swung his legs over the side of the bed and was about to stand when cool arms slipped around him from behind and a soft kiss was placed on the back of his neck.

"It might help to talk about it. I know I felt better after I told you about..."

"I know. But this, this is... God Spike. I could really hurt you! Hurt all of you."

Xander hung his head and sobbed as Spike pulled him around and held him close.

"Shh, love. You won't hurt me. You won't hurt them either."

"But I did. I killed them, killed you too."

Xander’s answer was whispered so softly that had Spike not been a vampire, he wouldn't have heard it. As it was, he stiffened considerably and drew a little ways back from his mate. He tilted Xander’s head up and kissed him softly before looking him in the eye.

"I think you need to tell me what's going on here, love. I want to help, but I have to know what happened before I can do that."

Xander nodded his head and began telling Spike about what had happened, about what he had thought he'd done in fit of jealous rage.

~!~

Downstairs, Willow was pacing in the kitchen as Buffy told her what had happened when she had finally found Xander - how he had been waiting on the rooftop for the sun to come up.

"Oh, Goddess; poor Xander!"

"I know. I mean, I get that he and Spike are together; I guess I just never realised how together they are. He was so... lost. I mean, yeah, he was hurting because of what he thought he had done to you and Tara, but when he told me about Spike, he... God. He really loves him." Willow shook her head.

"It's more than that, Buffy. They're mated. They're two halves of a whole, neither one complete without the other. What Tara and I have - what you and Angel once had - it's nothing compared to what Xander and Spike have. I don't even know how to explain it."

"I think I got it. Wow. I mean, I thought... Angel was the first man I ever loved, and it still hurts when I think about what could have been. Don't get me wrong, I'm over him now - we would never work; vampire, slayer. It wasn't meant to be. But if it still hurts me to think about Angel, what'll happen to Xander and Spike if one of them leaves? Or gets killed?"

Buffy looked up at Willow with genuine worry in her eyes and Willow stopped pacing and took a seat beside Buffy at the table.

"They won't leave each other, Buffy. They can't. They're bonded."

"So... even if they didn't love each other anymore they'd be stuck with each other?"

"Yeah. That's why you don't hear of mated vampires very often. No such thing as divorce. The only way out is to kill yourself or your mate - and if you did that, you'd die soon anyway. One can't survive without the other."

Buffy's eyes widened in shock.

"So, when they say forever, they really mean it?"

"Oh yeah."

~!~

Spike held Xander and rocked him back and forth. He could hardly contain his anger at whoever was doing this to them. He couldn't imagine how much pain Xander had to have been in, coming home and finding his lover in their bed with someone else. He could understand why he had staked him. To be betrayed twice in the same number of days, and in his own home? Staking might have been too good for him.

And to top it all off, he had thought he'd killed his best friend since childhood. That sort of thing would leave scars. Especially the way he thought he'd done it. Spike had torn people to pieces before - the mob that had tried to burn his Dru, for example - and he knew it was bloody and messy and in a demon’s point of view, exhilarating. That was probably what was hurting Xander the most. That in his rage, his demon got off on it.

Spike was brought out of his musings as he felt Xander’s lips begin to wander along the column of his throat. He knew his mate needed reassurance, and sex was the best way to reassure the demon aspect of him. Xander gasped as Spike flipped them over and kissed him hard. He let himself be drawn away from the pain and horror of the night before and lost himself in the sensation of his mate’s lips on his, his hands on his skin, his hard cock thrusting against him. He opened his legs and canted his hips, unaware that he was chanting "Please, please, please" against Spike’s lips.

Spike reached toward the table for the lube when his wrist was caught in a tight grip.

"No. Just fuck me."

"Xan, I don't want to hurt you, not now."

"I want you to... I need this."

Spike felt himself begin to tear up. The desperation in Xander’s voice, the need for pain - for punishment - was almost too much.

"Okay, love. Okay."

Spike positioned himself at Xander’s entrance and plowed into him without preparation. He swallowed Xander’s cries with his own mouth as he plundered his mate’s lips. He could feel the blood around his shaft; knew that Xander had torn - badly - but started to piston in and out of him anyway. Sometimes, you just needed to bleed.

The pain was cleansing. It made him feel alive again, but more than that, it was Spike who was making him feel. He needed this, God he needed this, and as the pain turned to pleasure, he opened his now-yellow eyes and looked into the eyes of his lover, his mate, his eternity.

"Love you, Spike. Love you so damn much."

"I know, pet. I love you too."

"Show me?"

Xander turned his head and bared his throat to his mate. Spike bent down and licked along the sweet skin of his neck before whispering in his mate’s ear.

"Mine."

The bite was hard. It was brutal and painful and wouldn't heal for days. It was what Xander wanted, and Spike would always give him what he wanted. Even if it hurt him to do so. As Xander climaxed, screaming Spike’s name, Spike removed his fangs, buried his face into the pillow next to Xander’s head and roared. It was only partly in pleasure. Mostly it was in anger at what was happening to them, at what he was helpless to stop. Finally, Xander wriggled beneath him and Spike rolled off of him. He lay on his back, yellow eyes staring unblinking at the ceiling.

"I think we need a rubber sheet."

Xander muttered from beside him. He blinked then. Turning to look at his mate, he asked why.

"Because, I think we just ruined the mattress."

Spike looked more closely and then swore softly at the amount of blood on the bed between Xander’s legs.

"Shit, love. I'm sorry."

"Don't. It's exactly what I wanted. I needed that."

Spike nodded his understanding and flopped back onto his back. He knew what was coming, he knew they needed help. Whoever was after them wasn't going to stop. Not until he made them stop.

"I think we need to call Angel."

"Yeah. You're probably right."

~!~

In the kitchen, Buffy and Willow were both blushing and pointedly not looking at each other. The rhythmic thumping of the bed combined with the howls, growls, and snarls from upstairs was kind of hard to ignore, but they were giving it their best try. Finally, Willow broke the silence.

"Is it all vampires? Or just those two?"

"Why are you asking me?"

Buffy asked with wide eyes. Willow giggled at her friend’s expression.

"You're the only other person I know who has slept with a vampire. So... was Angel this loud?"

Buffy blushed and looked down.

"No. But we were only together the once, and maybe he was just trying not to scare me?"

"Maybe. I bet Spike would know."

Buffy looked at Willow in horror.

"No. You don't think... Oh, ewww! Angel and Spike? My Angel and the bleached wonder? Gross!"

"Well, I think it was probably Angelus, not Angel. And most likely a very long time ago. If you remember, Spike wasn't all that happy to have Angelus back a few years ago."

"True, but still, eww."

Buffy crinkled her nose and Willow laughed. The noise from upstairs had died off and the girls both breathed a sigh of relief.

END PART 6