Chapter One:

Potentials decorated the living room, looking more than a little depressed. Their silence was disrupted as Giles entered, a photograph in his hand. He was followed closely by a very vocal Andrew.

“See, it’s not the hot pocket itself - even though it did have that new-and-improved thicker tomato sauce - it’s just the fundamental lack of respect.”

Giles took a magnifying glass out of the desk drawer and focused it on the photo. “Shut up. Pay attention.” He turned to Dawn with a hint of urgency. “Dawn, what do you see?”

“What am I looking for?”

“On the back wall, A… knothole.”

Dawn focused carefully on the photograph. Through the magnifying glass Dawn saw appeared to be a an imprint of Caleb’s ring in the wood on a wall next to a statue of Mary. “That’s not a knothole,” she said, her excitement barely contained.

“Amanda,” Giles said, almost absently, “would you go down to the basement and get Spike?”

“Maybe this’ll help…” Dawn said quickly, “if this does bring us closer to Caleb.”

Faith walked into the room eating a pastry. She didn’t acknowledge Andrew’s glare. “Sounded like there was news.”

Spike’s attitude as he entered the room spoke volumes. He obviously didn’t like being summoned. “What’s up… Rupert?”

“Spike, I have a mission for you,” Giles said firmly.

Spike nearly snorted. “Oh, really? ’Cause, you know, sometimes our missions end up with you trying to kill me. I’m not fond of those.”

“Neither am I!” Xander asserted with a frown as he made his presence known.

“This is bona fide…” Giles assured them, “with real ramifications. Take a look at this.” He handed Spike the photo and the magnifying glass.

Xander looked over Spike’s shoulder for verification.

“Looks like our boy’s been here. You want me to go check it out?” Spike asked.

“I need someone who can take care of themselves in case Caleb has… left some souvenirs.”

Spike shrugged, grabbed Xander’s hand and led him toward the door.

Andrew whined “Are we gonna get to the food-stealing issue soon?”

Without looking up, Giles called after Spike, “Take Andrew.”

Spike, Xander and Andrew reacted simultaneously. “What?” they demanded incredulously.

Dawn cut in, “Well, you are always saying you wanna get out of the house more.”

“Yeah,” Andrew stammered, “but-”

“There may be demons… lurking about,” Giles suggested. “You never know. He’s a demon expert. He can help.”

Xander’s eyes widened as he gave a disbelieving snort.

“Oh, please,” Spike rolled his eyes.

“Well, he can bring his pan flute thing along,” Giles said absently, expecting to be obeyed.

“There’s only room on the bike for two,” Spike glowered.

“Excellent. Off you go.”

When Giles pushed him out of the chair, Andrew moved to follow Spike, who held up a hand and shook his head.

“Not happenin’, Rupert,” he said firmly.

“What *is* the problem?” Giles asked, bewildered.

“The problem is, *I* am going with him, G-Man,” Xander grinned almost viciously, “so there won’t be any room for *him*.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Xander,” Giles said anxiously. “You are needed here.”

“Really?” Xander said, crossing his arms. “’Cause it’s starting to sound like you’re trying to get rid of Spike again.” Xander took a menacing step toward Giles as Spike grinned proudly. Dawn and the potentials were taking notice, too. Andrew just backed away slowly.

Xander continued flatly, “You *are* aware that *my* life is linked to his now, right? And that if *something* were to happen to him, *I* would suffer for it. Right? You *know* that, right?”

Giles paled then flushed with embarrassment. “Of course, Xander, Spike. Your, uh,” he glanced at the girls, “*situation* had momentarily slipped my mind. I do apologize. Of course you’ll be going together,” he frowned. “Do be careful.”

Spike glowered at him. “I protect what’s mine, Watcher. Thought you would’ve figured that out by now.”

Giles took a deep breath, still frowning, as Spike and Xander left. Turning his attention back to Andrew, he said, “Andrew, there is no need for this fussing about. Just go to the store and get more food.”

Chapter Two:

“Hey, guys, how’s it-” Buffy broke off as she realized the living room was empty, “going?” she finished.

Giles answered from the dining room, “Buffy. Are you hurt?”

“Oh… Caleb came back looking for seconds.”

“My God, is h-he-”

“Still able to make me see cartoon birdies all around my head? You betcha. The short lack of consciousness was nice. I feel rested.” She sat down with a groan. “So…how did those police files work out? Were they helpful?”

“Uh…uh… yes,” Giles answered as he sat. “Very much so, I think. Um… there’s evidence that Caleb may have established a foothold up north.”

“That’s great. That’s-”

“I, um… I sent Spike to look into it.” He took a sip from his mug, trying to pass it off.

“Spike?” Buffy demanded. “Is this a mission from which you intend Spike to return alive?”

“Yes,” he answered calmly setting down his mug. “I was going to send Andrew with him.”

Buffy didn’t hesitate. “Again I ask the question.”

Giles looked up at her. “Xander objected. He accompanied Spike instead.”

“I see.”

“Buffy, you weren’t here. Decisions have to be made in your absence.”

“Yeah, well, those are the ones that have been scaring me.”

“I did what I thought was right,” Giles insisted.

Buffy rounded on him. “You sent away the one person that’s been watching my back - again.”

Giles responded quickly, his voice filled with indignation. “We’re all watching your back.”

“Funny…” Buffy mused. “That’s not really what it feels like.”

Chapter Three:

As they pulled into the parking lot, Spike frowned. The place looked disreputable at best. It was one of those half bar, half diner hang-outs. He wasn’t sure he wanted to bring his Consort into this place. Unfortunately, it was almost midnight and this was the only place still open. And Xander was hungry. Spike sighed heavily. He would just have to trust that his mark would protect his boy. If it didn’t… well, he would.

“Stay close,” he muttered. He was careful to stay to the left as he let Xander lead them in.

Xander paused in the doorway. The place reminded him of Willie’s - complete with demons and vamps. He smirked and headed straight for a booth and plopped down with a grin. He grabbed a menu, glanced at it and put it back with a grimace.

“Uh, Spike?” Spike sank into the booth across from him and looked up expectantly. “Could you order me a burger, fries and a beer? And order your own fries. If you steal mine, I just might starve to death,” Xander said.

Spike laughed softly. “Sure, pet. But one question.”

“What?”

“Why can’t you order for yourself?”

Xander grinned. He leaned forward across the table and whispered “’Cause I’m going to the bathroom.”

Spike laughed. “Go on then, but-”

“I know! I know! Be careful.”

“Yeah, pet. You got it.”

Chapter Four:

Spike lowered the bike’s kickstand and gracefully dismounted. He had brought them into a broad clearing near the road that had an open view of the stars.

“It’s a good thing you were telling the truth back there,” he commented, idly.

“Huh?”

“About Angel giving you to me. I’d almost forgotten about it myself.”

“Really?” Xander didn’t believe that for a minute.

“Almost. I said ‘almost’. I really have thought of you as mine ever since. That’s why I never actually harmed you. I planned to turn you back then. But not until you were older. Child-vamps don’t usually do too well. Remember ‘the anointed one’?”

“That kid that led Buffy to the Master?”

“Yeah, him. I put him in a cage and let him burn in the sun. That warehouse had a lovely ‘sunroof’. I figured I’d put it to good use.”

Xander laughed.

Spike shrugged out of his duster and laid it gently on the ground. He glanced up at the sky and then nodded approvingly. “C’mere, luv.”

Xander raised an eyebrow and edged forward cautiously. “You’re really gonna… here?” he squeaked. “Anyone could-”

“Not likely, pet,” Spike assured him, reaching out his hand. “How many cars have we seen tonight?”

“Uh, none - except at the bar. Those master vamps… They could…”

Spike shook his head slowly. “They won’t. And even if they did, they’re old enough to respect the old ways. They’d guard us til we were done and then leave without a word. They wouldn’t even watch.”

“Why not? We’re hot together!”

Spike snickered. That was just like his lover. He didn’t want anyone watching, but he sure was indignant at the thought that they wouldn’t want to… “Yes, we are. That’s why. We’d be too distracting. They wouldn’t be able to guard us if they were watching us.”

“Oh.”

Spike laughed and pulled Xander into his arms, kissing him thoroughly. His nimble fingers quickly divesting the larger man of his clothes. Naked, Xander shivered lightly in the cool night air. Spike’s eyes were flecked with gold as his hands stroked gently along Xander’s body.

“Lie down,” he murmured huskily.

Xander slowly lowered himself to the ground, grateful for the soft lining of Spike’s duster. Spike rolled up Xander’s jacket and tucked it under his boy’s head. He knelt, trailing fingertips lightly along Xander’s torso, eyes hot with lust, sparkling gold in the clear night. “Look up, Xan. Look at the stars. See them. Watch the stars while I worship your body.”

“Worship, huh?”

“Hush, brat,” Spike smirked. “This is a serious moment.”

“That smirk isn’t really convincing me, Spike.”

Spike lost it. Laughter rippled out of him as he rolled to the ground to lie beside Xander, staring up at the stars. Once he regained control, he rolled, still fully clothed, onto Xander, pinning him to the ground. He raised a hand to his Consort’s smiling face and, eyes blue and serious, he whispered, “I love you, Xander. You are the light in my darkness. The only sunshine I will ever know. But I can give you stars you’ve never seen and love enough to fill those stars with jealous light.”

Xander gulped. His eyes glowing with love, he whispered back, “I thought you said you were a *bad* poet.”

Spike smiled. “I was. Am.”

“Sounded pretty good from here.”

“You’re just in love with me.”

“Maybe. Or maybe, William, you were just ahead of your time…” Xander kissed him, a leisurely kiss intended to inflame his senses.

Spike moaned into his mouth and pulled away. Straddling Xander, he quickly stripped out of his shirt. Xander’s hands moved to Spike’s waist and unbuckled his belt before unbuttoning his jeans and slowly lowering his zipper. Spike went still as Xander’s hand slipped inside to cup him. A shiver ran through his body as Xander began to massage gently. When Xander’s other hand reached in to stroke his cock, Spike grabbed his wrists. Yellow-flecked eyes met brown. Spike shook his head slowly and removed Xander’s hands and moved them above his head. He held them there firmly for a moment, eyes locked with Xander’s. When he released them, Xander slid one hand into the other, clasping his wrist and holding them in place. Spike nodded his approval. Xander smiled up at him as he stood and removed his boots and jeans.

Spike’s movements were fluid as he finished undressing and knelt, straddling Xander’s thighs. Xander’s eyes were wide in expectation as Spike lowered his head.

“Watch the stars, love,” he whispered just before his cool mouth closed over Xander’s erection.

Xander gasped his appreciation. Time seemed to stop as he gave himself over to the night sky. He never even noticed Spike’s hand fumbling at his side as he reached into his duster pocket for lube. He didn’t see his mate use that lube to prepare himself. He had no way of knowing how much time had passed when Spike’s mouth released him. But he could no longer keep his eyes on the stars as he felt his mate’s body envelop him.

Spike stretched out over Xander and kissed him long and deep, his hands caressing him insistently. “The stars, love. Watch the stars.”

Xander tore himself away from the blue eyes boring into his and focused on the stars above him with some difficulty.

Spike chuckled softly and began to move. It didn’t take long until Xander was gasping out his need. Spike smiled and whispered, “Come with me, my love,” and to Xander, it seemed that the universe itself exploded around them as he emptied himself inside his beloved.

Chapter Five:

Spike pushed Xander behind him as he opened the creaky front door of the mission. Spike sighed and walked. Xander looked around him and stepped inside.

“No one’s here.” Xander looked around nervously. “I’m gettin’ the wiggins.”

“Yeah. Stay behind me, huh?”

Xander shot him a look.

“Right,” Spike sighed. “Well at least keep me on your left, eh?”

Xander smiled. “You got it.”

Spike shook his head and rolled his eyes before turning and heading further into the mission.

Xander laughed softly as he followed, enjoying the view. He loved the way that duster swirled around his Mate as he walked. Being so preoccupied, he didn’t notice the robed figure that jumped out of the closet before he was pinned against the wall.

“Spike!” he called sharply as he fought his way free, pushing the monk toward Spike. The monk whirled quickly and slammed his fist into Spike.

Spike retaliated immediately, pushing him against the wall. The monk fell to the ground and pushed the hood off his face. Xander gasped at the sight of the burn mark on the monk’s cheek. It was the same mark Caleb’s ring had made on the neck of the Potential he tossed onto the road. Spike bent down to get a closer look.

“Tell me about the mark,” he demanded.

“Oh…” He quickly covered the scar with his hand.

“Hey! Are you part of Caleb’s faction?” Spike glared.

The monk shook his head vehemently. “No! No!”

Spike calmed at that response. “Then tell me what happened.”

“I c-can’t,” he stuttered weakly, shuddering in fear.

Xander knelt down beside them, placing a comforting hand on the frightened man’s shoulder. “He’s our enemy, too.”

“We’re trying to fight him. Caleb,” Spike clarified. “We need your help.”

“You can’t fight him. You can’t stop him. You can only run,” the monk insisted, fearfully.

“We will fight him,” Xander asserted. “And we’ll win… Eventually,” he half smirked. “We always do.”

Spike stood up and glared down at the monk. “Talk.”

“I’ll do better. I’ll show you.”

Spike offered the man his hand and helped him to his feet. “One night,” the monk continued, picking up a candelabra, “some time ago, a man arrived at our doors.”

“And you said, ‘come in, do some damage’?” Spike asked sarcastically.

“We are - we are a benevolent order, and, yes, we welcomed him. We offered to feed him… but he had come for something else.” He walked up to a statue of Mary in an alcove. The same statue in the picture that had led Spike and Xander to the mission in the first place. He touched a secret lever, causing the statue to swing out of the way, revealing a secret compartment behind it.

“Behind *this*, he revealed something even we didn’t know was here,” the monk said with some excitement. “A secret room.” He walked in; Spike and Xander followed, curious. “He was excited,” the monk continued, “talking the whole time… destiny, that sort of thing.”

“Yeah.” Spike tilted his head at Xander. “We hear he’s a real smooth talker.”

The monk took a tapestry off the wall, revealing an inscription behind it. “He was going on about this ancient inscription.”

Xander shot Spike a sidelong glance and shrugged.

“He read it… and he didn’t like what it said.” The monk seemed a bit confused. “His temper… He was the purest evil I’ve ever seen. He burned his mark upon me. And then I ran and I hid… and I listened to the others die.”

“Running away… saved your life,” Xander said comfortingly.

Spike took the candelabra from the monk and walked over to the inscription. “What does it say?”

The inscription was written with Greek letters, but the words were Latin: *Non tibi est. Ei solae tractare licet.*

Spike translated the inscription with a smirk. “‘It is not for thee. It is for her alone to wield.’”

With a tilt of his head, Spike gave Xander a sexy, knowing smirk.

“Oh, yeah,” Xander grinned. “I can see how that would seriously piss ‘Mr. I-Hate-Women’ off.” Then he frowned. “Only question now is… What exactly *is IT*?