Lost Souls

Xander looked inquiringly as Giles hung up the phone. He was still buzzing, on a high from the spell that he, Giles, and Willow had performed. Since he made up the “heart” portion of the spell, he could practically hear the blood pumping through his vein – like the organ itself was feeling the residual effects of being one with the Slayer. 

“What’s up, G-man?” 

Giles, surprisingly, didn’t rise to the bait at the moniker, something that caused Xander to look more closely at the watcher’s face. 

“What is it? What’s wrong?” 

“I— that is— Angel. That was who rang. Wesley’s been in a terrible accident and is in the ICU.” 

“Aw… man. What happened? Is he going to be okay?” 

“Some type of explosion at Angel’s home. Angel suspects foul play. But, that’s not the worst part, I’m afraid. Cordelia— she’s—” 

“She’s what?” Xander demanded. 

“I fear she’s been hurt as well. Only, it’s her mind. She’s in the neuro-psychiatric ward.” 

“We’ve got to go,” Xander told him, already rising to his feet. “Right now.” 

“Yes, of course.” 

By tacit agreement, both men decided not to involve Buffy. She was still weak from the spell since she’d been hit a lot harder with the after-effects than the rest of them. Plus, she had Riley in her life now and the ex-soldier was still recovering from Adam’s machinations and the wounds he’d suffered from the fallout in the Initiative labs. Her job – as they saw it – was to play nursemaid to her current boyfriend, not go tearing off to Los Angeles to fix things for her last one. 

Pausing only long enough to gather a few things that Giles thought prudent they might need, the two hurried out to Giles’ car and were quickly on the road. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

“You smell funny— like,” Angel’s eyes flicked to a golden hue and his face shifted momentarily to that of his demon. “The Slayer.” 

Xander jumped up and edged closer to the head of Cordelia’s bed as if that would afford him some protection from the unpredictable vamp. “I think I mentioned something about a cow bell. Damn, Angel, you scared the bejesus out of me,” he snapped to cover his sudden unease. 

“Why do you smell like Buffy?” Angel demanded. 

“We did a spell. It’s a long story.” 

Giles walked into the room just then, his gaze going automatically to the scroll held in Angel’s hand. 

“Oh, I say. Is that—?” 

“The scroll of Aberjian. Yes.” Angel confirmed, turning away from Xander to pin his gaze on the watcher. “Can you read it? Something on here is supposed to fix Cordelia, or so the Oracle said.” 

“Yes, of course. Let me have a look.” 

Angel handed the scroll to Giles adding, “She said something about the words of Anatole.” 

“Very good. That should help narrow things down a bit.” 

Silence descended upon the room as Giles unrolled the aged parchment and began scanning its contents. Xander knelt down beside the bed and took Cordelia’s hand in his. Angel’s face was in its typical brood as he stared at the three humans, frowning as if that would make the process go quicker. 

A few minutes later, Giles found what he was looking for and began to read. Little did he realize the consequences of repeating the last word again and again, the effect it would have on Angel. 

“Unbind, unbind, unbind…” 

Angel screamed and fell back against the wall. His face was a mask of pure agony as his eyes glowed with an incandescent light. 

Xander’s gaze flew to the vampire. “Oh shit! Giles!” 

“Angelus,” Giles whispered. 

“What did you do?” Xander screamed even as he flew across the bed and pinned the vampire face first on the ground – this being accomplished only due to Angel’s incapacitated state. “Fix it. I won’t be able to hold him for long.” 

“Got that right, boyo,” Angelus sneered, easily throwing Xander from his back. He was on the boy in the next instant. “Hello, Xander. Been meaning to do this since you played White Knight in the hospital.” 

Angelus didn’t hear the soft chanting going on in the background, focused as he was on the body beneath him, the heightened sense of fear and adrenaline emanating from Xander. It was a heady scent, one Angelus was unable to deny the lure of a moment longer. His fangs sunk deep into the boy’s throat and he moaned around the mouthful of flesh at the distinct flavor. He could almost imagine that it was what a slayer would taste like as the rich, potent blood flooded his mouth. 

Mouthful after mouthful he sucked from the boy in a matter of seconds. His body, rock hard, grinding against the unmoving one beneath him. Having been so long denied human blood, instead forced to subside on pig squalor or whatever else the Soul deemed fit to drink, Angelus was desperate in his feeding. 

And the blood continued to flow with no end in sight. 

Until his body was hit with a wave of powerful magic. The words “be gone, be gone, be gone” ringing in his ears. Then a blinding light, followed by darkness, and Angelus slipped into unconsciousness. 

Giles closed his eyes and barely held onto the scroll as he slumped back against the wall drained of his strength. Whereas the spell to help Buffy had invigorated him, this one left him weak as a newborn babe. His feet slowly gave out and he slid down the wall until he ended up sitting on the floor. 

“Giles?” Cordelia called out weakly, confused. 

“Cordelia! I—that is, how do you feel?” His own voice was gritty, worn. 

“Like I was run over by a train. My head hurts. The visions—they kept coming, one after the other.” She sighed and changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on the pain. “I—I thought I heard Angel… and Xander.” 

“I—yes. Unfortunately, the spell that made you better also inadvertently released Angelus. I—” Giles glanced over to where Angelus used to be and froze. “Oh dear.” 

“What? What is it?” Cordelia tried to sit up in bed to see what Giles was looking at. 

“I—” 

Angelus was gone. But, so too, was Xander. 

“Oh dear.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Xander woke slowly, his face suffused with heat. He opened his eyes and winced at the sun beating down on him, shielded his face with his hand so he could look around; confusion marred his features as he took in the unfamiliar surroundings. The last thing he remembered was Angel losing his soul and Angelus taking a bite out of his neck. Realizing that, his hand lifted to his throat and felt the tell-tale sign of puncture wounds. His hand came away wet, and he looked in shock at the smear of blood coating his fingertips. Not enough to cause him to worry about bleeding out, but he’d damn sure had a chuck taken out of his hide. 

Suddenly galvanized into action, Xander struggled to his feet and searched for some sign of Angelus. He didn’t see anything, but that didn’t mean the vampire wasn’t lurking in the nearby trees out of range of the sun’s deadly rays. Determined to keep it that way, Xander started in the opposite direction, out into the open. 

The sun was just cresting the sky, and he figured he had maybe a handful of hours before the sun began to set and he’d lose his only means of defense against Angelus. Ignoring the hunger pains in his stomach, he broke into a run, later settling into a jog interspaced with a rapid walk when the hunger pains were replaced with a stitch in his side. 

Marathon runner he was not. 

Xander figured at least a few hours that had gone by when he saw a village in the distance. He broke into a run again, impervious to his pain, determined to reach the safety of having a roof over his head and the “no vamps allowed without an invite” clause firmly in effect. 

“Hello!” he called out as he entered the small village. Probably not the wisest thing he could have done, but as he wandered from building to building – what amounted to little more than huts, really – he realized the place was deserted. There was no sign of life anywhere. 

Some ingrained sense – maybe a throwback to his soldier possession days – had him surveying the huts closest to him for a place to wait out the dark. The first one he came to looked like someone’s home. The furnishings inside were sparse and rather archaic, but they would do. He shut the door and lowered the block of wood into the locking mechanism. 

“Home, sweet home,” Xander announced as he held his arms wide. He hoped that by stating the words out loud he’d activate whatever mojo that kept vampires from entering. 

With nothing left to do but wait, Xander searched the hut from top to bottom. He found rudimentary utensils and flatware on the wooden shelves attached to the wall; rags were stacked next to them. A small table with two wooden chairs at either end was collecting dust – apparently the place had been deserted for a while. On the opposite side of the hut was a narrow bed with animal skins for coverings. 

“Well, that answers one question, at least,” Xander muttered. Not that the knowledge that animals roamed wherever he was at meant all that much. Without weapons to hunt, acquiring food wasn’t going to be all that easy. And given what he’d seen thus far, it didn’t take a genius to figure out that he wouldn’t be running down to the local supermarket to grab something to eat. 

He’d probably starve to death before he figured out how to go about obtaining food. If there was still food to be had. He’d encountered nothing and no one on his trek across the desert. 

Ignoring his rumbling stomach, Xander sighed and flopped back onto the bed, coughed as dust float up from the animal skin. He put his arms behind his head, crossed his ankles and settled in to wait. 

The sun had started to set, and he didn’t doubt for one minute that Angelus would track him here. The big question was whether or not he’d live through the night. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

Angelus watched as Xander ran out over the desert, eyes narrowed as he growled low in his throat. While some small part of him respected the boy for taking his chances out over the open ground, he hated that he’d have to wait until nightfall to finish what he’d started. 

He’d have to be sure to thank Xander good and proper for the trouble he’d been put through. Angelus licked his lips at the remembered taste of Xander’s blood, already anticipating the succulent flavor, the extra something that made it seem so rich. 

Looking skyward, Angelus figured there were several hours yet before nightfall, time enough for him to regroup and shake off what he was sure had been a spell cast by Giles. If he ever got back to Los Angeles, he’d have to look the watcher up. Repay him for his kindness. Though he might go easy on the man since he had inadvertently released him from his cage – only time would tell. 

He settled back against the tree trunk and closed his eyes. As he did so, his hearing became more pronounced; what he heard, or didn’t hear, had him frowning. There was no rustling of four-legged critters scrambling about, no chirp from birds usually perched in the trees, no displacement of underbrush by insects. 

The unnatural quiet was unnerving. 

No matter, he thought, pushing it from his mind and sinking into sleep. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

Xander woke with a start and lay on the bed unmoving. He waited for whatever it was that had woken him to sound again. His heart rate kicked up a notch and adrenaline flooded his body making him practically vibrate on the bed. 

The voice, when it came, sent shivers down his spine, and he closed his eyes tightly and waited. 

“Hello, Xander.” 

There was a clicking sound against the outer wall, like Angelus was dragging a stick against the surface. 

“You don’t scare me, Angelus. Talk all you want, you can’t get in here.” 

“Do you really believe that, Xander?” 

“This is my home, buddy, and you don’t have an invite. So go find someone else to terrorize.” 

“You’re just making things harder on yourself, boy,” Angelus commented after some time. “If you come out now, I’ll make it quick.” 

Xander snorted. “Yeah, like that’s gonna make me open the door.” 

Silence greeted his retort and Xander had to wonder what Angelus was going to attempt next. He got off the bed and paced the small confines of the hut. Just when he thought Angelus had given up for the night and slunk back to whatever hole he’d found, his name was whispered not far from the front door. 

“Xander.” 

Over and over, until Xander thought he’d go crazy. He clapped his hands over his ears and rushed back to the bed. 

‘I’m safe. He can’t get to me in here,’ he thought.

Xander told himself that repeatedly, sometimes aloud – much to the amusement of the vampire lurking outside the hut. 

Angelus so loved his mind games; and it was going to be a treat when the boy finally cracked.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Ring. 

Ring. 

“Hello. Erm, yes. This is Rupert Giles. I am unable to take your call at this time. Please leave a detailed message as to the nature of your call and I will—” 

Beep. 

“Giles. It’s Willow. Did you know your message got cut off? Anyway, the reason I called is, well, I was wondering— Are you, that is— are you feeling alright? No residual effects from the spell? I’m, uh, just asking because— well, that is— Spirits, Giles! There’s spirits, and they’re trying to talk to me. All the time. I’ve tried calling Xander, but he doesn’t answer. Anyway, call me when you get this message. I’m at Buffy’s. She’s— she’s okay, by the way. Just a bit wonky still. Okay, bye— Call me!” 

Clatter. Clatter.

Click. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

“Giles? Tell me! What’s wrong?” Cordelia, though weak, managed to gather enough strength to get her voice to sound above a whisper. 

“I, uh, it appears that when I banished Angelus, I inadvertently sent Xander as well.” 

“What did you do that for?” 

“I assure you, it wasn’t on purpose, Cordelia. But, Xander said to hurry and there was some urgency in the matter, otherwise I might have— well, suffice to say, I wouldn’t have just read from the scroll of Aberjian without having done extensive research.” 

“Can you get them back?” 

“Yes, of course.” Hopefully. “But, I really must sit down and study this scroll properly if I’m to do it correctly.” 

“Go back to Angel’s. He’s got books there. Wesley’s kinda got the office overrun with them, especially since he’s been trying to translate the prophecy.” 

“I’m afraid that’s not possible. See, while you were, uh, indisposed, Angel’s building was blown up. Wesley—I’m afraid Wesley was badly injured as well. He’s in the ICU on a different wing of this hospital. I’d just come from there when—” 

“Wesley’s hurt?” Cordelia asked as she tried to sit up. 

Giles staggered to his feet, the scroll forgotten, as he attempted to get Cordelia to lay back and rest. 

“But, I’ve got to see him, Giles,” she protested. 

“I assure you, the doctors are doing everything in their power—they expect him to make a full recovery. They’ve just got him under observation because of all the smoke inhalation. He’s sustained a few broken bones, nothing serious, but he’s sedated to help manage the pain.” 

“But still—” 

“Cordelia, please. You’re not helping him by making yourself worse off. Get some rest. I’m going to find a motel close to the hospital and retire for the night and work on translating the scroll. I’ve a few contacts in Los Angeles that can get me the necessary books I’ll need. When I return in the morning, I’ll personally take you to see Wesley. Agreed?” 

Cordelia crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. Finally, she sighed and reluctantly nodded her head when Giles appeared adamant that she stay put. 

“Very good. Rest. I’ll return in the morning.” 

“First thing in the morning.” 

“Yes. Of course. First thing.” 

Giles left Cordelia, pausing only long enough to grab the scroll and hide it away in an inner pocket of his jacket before leaving the room. He stopped in the lobby and used the pay phone to make a call, and was assured that what he needed would be waiting for him upon his arrival. 

As he left the hospital, his thoughts turned towards Xander, and he just prayed the boy had the wherewithal to survive being stranded alone with Angelus – at least until Giles could bring about his return. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

Surprisingly, Xander had managed to fall back asleep. He finally figured that if Angelus were actually able to get inside, he would have done so rather than stay outside and taunt him all night. Feeling a bit better about his predicament, he’d settled back on the bed and pushed all thoughts of the deranged vamp from his mind. 

Now, with the sun high in the sky, Xander stepped out of his “home” and made his way through the small village. He was extra cautious, especially since Angelus could have been in any one of the abandoned buildings, taking care to remain in direct sunlight at all times. His first order of business was to find a makeshift bathroom, and barring that, a nearby tree. Second on his list was something to eat. 

His search of the abandoned building which he’d made his home had revealed nothing in the way of food products, though he’d found several knives of various sizes, as well as an assortment of other crude weapons – spears, bow and arrows, axes. One of the knives had found its way under his pillow while he slept and now it was tucked in his belt; he carried an axe in his right hand. 

With the first order of business seen to, Xander concentrated on the second. His stomach rumbled right on cue, but then, he’d not really eaten before the confrontation with Adam and the Initiative and afterwards, he’d been buzzing too much from the spell to bother. Then the call had come from Angel. He’d grabbed some potato chips and a drink while Giles had filled up his car with gas for the drive to Los Angeles. 

So, yeah, he was a little bit hungry. 

His stomach growled again, and Xander muttered, “I’m looking, I’m looking. Gimme a break here.” 

The other buildings he did enter were a bust; they had many of the same things that the place he’d commandeered had – modest furnishings, basic utensils, clothes and shoes. Left with no choice, Xander eyed the position of the sun and started away from the village. He figured he’d walked a good hour when he spotted trees in the distance – in the opposite direction from where he’d come. 

He jogged forward and almost squealed like a girl when he spotted the small lake. 

Water, he thought, and broke into a run. 

Xander fell to his knees when he reached the edge and smiled at how clear the water appeared. He scooped up a small amount in his cupped hands and brought it to his lips, gulped it down as if he were dying of thirst. 

He drank his fill before moving off towards the woods, mindful to stay in the sunlight at all times as he scanned the foliage for something edible. Hitting the jackpot not long afterwards as he happened upon what looked like a berry tree – on steroids. Hesitantly, he popped one of the huge berries into his mouth and chewed. Then immediately picked three more and practically swallowed them whole. 

“Oh, man,” he mumbled around a mouthful. “These are good.” 

Tomorrow he’d come back with containers for water and more berries. For now, he used his axe to hack off a small bushel and took it with him as he started back towards the village and what was looking more and more like it was going to be his home for awhile.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

“Ohhhh…” Xander groaned and clutched at his stomach as he lay on the bed. He wasn’t aware of the time, or of anything, for that matter, save the excruciating pain in his belly and the overwhelming desire to hurl. This he did, but all he ended up doing was dry heaving. 

He felt like his skin was going to go up in flames and in an attempt to cool down, rolled off the bed and crawled his way towards where he’d left the jug of water earlier. The floor shifted beneath his hands and feet and several times he had to stop as a wave of nausea washed over him. 

At the table, Xander rose to his knees and reached for the jug. In his weakened state, he ended up spilling over half the contents down his front – which felt good at the precise moment of impact, but did nothing to slake his thirst, or the fire that seemed to consume his entire body. 

The fever affected his common sense to the point where he cared not as he stumbled out the front door into the darkness of night, his one thought to immerse himself in the cooling water of the lake with all possible haste. 

Arms like steel closed around him from behind; one hand found its way into his hair and yanked his head to the side, exposing his neck and the pulse of the veins clearly visible to the vampire holding him. The vampire who whispered unintelligible words in his ear before sinking sharp fangs into his throat. 

Too lethargic to cry out, he hung limply in the arms of the creature that held him – Angelus, he vaguely recalled. He found himself suddenly released the next minute and was shoved hard in the back; in his weakened state he could do nothing but fall to the ground in a heap of uncoordinated limbs where he lay there unmoving, taking some small comfort in the slightly cooler dirt beneath his cheek. 

“Help me,” he pleaded softly, barely loud enough for the vampire to hear him. 

~*~*~*~*~ 

Angelus glared at the boy lying at his feet. 

He’d wondered at Xander’s actions as he’d opened the door and stumbled outside, unmindful to anything around him. So much so, that surprise had held him immobile for a moment before he’d rushed forward and attacked. 

Now, having tasted the boy’s blood, he knew why. It was almost like drinking holy water, it was so foul. And now that he’d taken time to actually study Xander, having walked in a circle around the body in a sprawled mess in the dirt, he could see there was something wrong with him. 

It galled Angelus to have to reach down and lift the boy in his arms and carry him out of the deserted village and towards the lake. Since Xander’s skin practically glowed red with the heat it was giving off, Angelus had to assume that was where Xander had been heading; the boy was obviously trying to cool off. 

He’d done his own bit of reconnoitering after Xander had fallen asleep last night; boredom had quickly set in – as did his hunger – and he’d left to see about finding someone to eat. 

His search had turned up nothing, and Angelus had returned to one of the abandoned huts near the one Xander had chosen not long before the sun was due to rise. Frustrated, he flopped back upon the makeshift bed, ignoring the plume of dust that settled around him as he linked his hands behind his head and puzzled about the weird circumstances he’d found himself in. Hunger pains had literally gnawed at his insides until he’d fallen into a fitful sleep. 

The moment the sun had gone down, Angelus had been out and tearing towards the forest, hoping that last night was a fluke and he’d be able to at least gorge himself on the wildlife that roamed about. Again he’d come up empty and had returned to lighten his dark mood and take is mind off his hunger by messing with Xander’s head. 

Then the boy had surprised him by stumbling out of the hut. 

“I’m going to drain you dry the second you’re better,” he muttered as he continued to walk. 

At the lake, Angelus was set to drop Xander into the water, but at the last moment, quickly stripped him of his clothes. 

“Be my luck you’d die of pneumonia before you got better, then where would I be?” 

Xander was oblivious, naturally, and even when Angelus dumped him naked into the lake, the boy didn’t move, forcing Angelus to wade out several feet and flip him over, lest he drown. As he did so, Angelus took note of the boy’s body, eyes critical as they skimmed over shoulders that had filled out rather nicely, in his opinion, a chest devoid of hair until a thin line appeared just below his belly button that pointed towards an impressive cock – cut, naturally – that lay flaccid between trim thighs that hinted at muscle. The gangly youth had definitely grown into his body. 

“C-cold.” 

Angelus redirected his attention to the boy’s face. A dark mop of hair was plastered to his skull; it was obvious the boy hadn’t had it sheared in a while. Thick brows were drawn together in a frown. When Xander’s lips began to purple, Angelus lifted the boy out of the water and waded back to shore, bending down long enough to retrieve Xander’s clothes before heading back to the village. 

Back in the hut Angelus had commandeered as his own, he set Xander down on the bed then found rope to bind one foot to the bed. Now that he’d captured his meal, he wasn’t going to take the chance of having it slip away. 

Already he could feel his mouth start to water, and unconsciously leaned down for a taste. He’d barely taken a mouthful when he drew back and spit it out. 

“Damn, boy. What the hell did you do to yourself?” 

He got no answer save for Xander’s quiet moaning.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Two days later, and Angelus had had enough. Enough with being on the brink of starvation, and he’d damn sure had enough with playing Xander’s nursemaid. It was just his bad luck that he saw no end to his torture anywhere in sight.

At night, he’d taken to the forest, hoping to find something – anything – to eat. He’d finally happened across a four-legged rodent no bigger than a rabbit; the blood had tasted like shit but had infused him with a bit of strength and taken a slight edge off the bloodlust he was feeling. He’d been set to chuck the dead animal when he was through, but instead had brought it back with him for the boy to eat.

He could be pragmatic when the situation warranted – though it still galled him to do so.

It had taken him forever to get a fire started in the makeshift hearth, and now that he had, he refused to let it go out, gathering enough wood and stacking it nearby to keep it lit. Accessing his human memories, he’d set about making a stew and was now spoon-feeding the still delirious boy.

The only thing that kept him from leaving Xander to his fate and taking his chances out in the great unknown was the remembered taste of the boy’s blood, the almost slayer-like tang and strength to it. That, and it had taken him a long damn time to find that single rodent, and he reluctantly acknowledged that it had been sheer luck on his part.

When the bowl was empty, Angelus set it aside and added a few logs to the fire before stripping off and settling next to Xander on the bed. He added “warm body” to his small list of positives about his situation as he curled up around the slightly smaller body in front of him and closed his eyes. The sun had begun to rise and he’d had a busy night; he was tired and more than ready to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~

Xander’s eyes shot open and he gasped sharply as he was pulled from a fitful sleep by what felt like knife-like teeth sinking deep into his neck. He struggled to get away, but found himself held in place by someone much stronger than himself.

“Stop. Please—” he begged weakly.

It didn’t and the agonizing torture continued; he was barely cognizant of the harsh growl sounding next to his ear. Long minutes passed, or so it seemed to Xander, as the thing attached to his neck continued to feed. Pain gave way to lassitude as his body was drained of blood. The fight went out of him and he unconsciously relaxed into the body behind him.

As he did so, he became aware of other things. Like how the pain seemed to ease and became a dull ache, not entirely unpleasant. How the fierce growl that pierced the otherwise silent room tapered off to something akin to a purr of pleasure. That the body wrapped around him was strong and cool against his overheated skin.

Xander sighed and closed his eyes, the weight of them too heavy to remain open any longer. Time passed in a haze and eventually he felt his neck released; a raspy tongue laved tenderly at his abused flesh causing goose bumps to break out along his arms as a shiver wracked his body.

The loss of blood caught up with him then and he drifted back to sleep.

~*~*~*~*~

Angelus flopped onto his back in the bed and licked his lips. For the first time in days, he was thoroughly sated, and he’d not even had to drain the boy for that to happen. The blood had been a bit bitter, still laced with whatever it was the boy had ingested, but beneath it, he’d been able to taste the strength in it.

Blood that called to him in the most elemental of ways.

It was why he’d not sucked every last ounce from Xander after sinking his fangs in deep and taking his first swallow. He wrapped his hand around his dick, still hard after feeding, and stroked it in memory. Groaning, Angelus arched into the touch and quickly brought himself off, grunting as he came all over his chest and hand.

The only thing that would have been better was if his cock had been buried inside some hole – preferably a warm one – instead of thrusting into his hand. He turned his head to the side and eyed Xander speculatively.

~*~*~*~*~

It took Giles a week to decipher the scroll of Aberjian, and he figured that he was able to accomplish the feat with such expediency only because Wesley had woken up and assisted with the translation. Now the three of them – himself, Wesley, and Cordelia – stood in a small circle, each holding candles as he recited the text that would bring back both Xander and Angelus.

“Be ready with the binding spell,” Giles reminded Wesley just before he started. “I’m not sure how long the spell’s effect will last on a vampire’s constitution. The last thing we need is Angelus ripping out our throats.”

Wesley nodded and he tightened his grip on the scrap of paper he held in his other hand.

Giles began the spell and the room was filled with a sudden burst of light and wind that quickly escalated the more he recited the ancient text. Both settled over the circle and grew in intensity as Giles read the last few lines. An explosion rocked the three occupants back a step and the room became filled with smoke; when it finally cleared, Xander and Angelus lay before them.

“Quick, Cordelia, grab Xander and drag him from the circle. Wesley, when she’s through—”

Cordelia grabbed Xander by both hands and yanked hard. He was dead weight, but she was able to pull him free.

“Okay, got him.”

“Wesley—”

Wesley read the lines on the paper and an invisible barrier sprung from the circle marked on the floor all the way to the ceiling, sealing the vampire inside. Giles nodded and stood poised over the Orb of Thesulah and began chanting again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Giles nodded decisively, satisfied that the vampire before him was once more Angel, then he turned away and made his way to Cordelia and Xander. Cordelia had just turned Xander over, and Giles was surprised at the length of the boy’s hair, the clothes much dissimilar from the ones he’d had on but a week ago. He knelt down beside the pair and laid a hand on Xander’s chest.

“Xander? Are you alright?”

Giles watched intently as Xander’s eyes fluttered and opened, confusion clearly evident in their depths.

“It’s Giles, Xander. You’re safe now.”

“Safe? What—? Where am I?” Xander looked around the unfamiliar room, trying to get his bearings.

“Los Angeles. In a hotel room I’ve rented.”

“Huh?” Xander’s gaze finally settled on Giles, having missed seeing Angelus sprawled on the ground on the other side of the bed.

“We performed a spell that brought you back. You and Angel,” Giles added. He was unsure of the trauma Xander might have suffered at the hands of the unsouled vampire so stressed using Angel as opposed to Angelus. “I’ve also done the soul restoration spell. He’s Angel again.”

Xander sat up with the help of Cordelia and Giles as a groan sounded over near where Wesley stood guard. He scrambled to his hands and knees and crawled towards the noise, ignoring the warnings shouted at him.

He froze in place as Angel lifted his head and looked his way. At the vampire’s guilt-ridden expression, Xander nearly threw up. As it was, he backpedaled away from Angelus – Angel, he silently reminded himself – and scrambled to his feet.

He was out the door before anyone could catch him.

The three occupants stared at the open door, too stunned to react. At the fierce growl, they turned as one to the forgotten vampire now banging at the invisible force field.

“Let me out of here!”

“What the bloody hell did you do to him?” Giles demanded as he stalked towards the circle. His eyes narrowed as he stared at Angel.

The vampire bit off a sharp retort and in a practiced move, ran one hand down his face as he let out a sigh. “The boy was stuck with Angelus for over five years. What do you think was done to him? Let me out of here, Giles, and I’ll explain.”

Giles continued to glare, but after a moment, turned and gave a terse nod to Wesley.

~*~*~*~*~

Xander didn’t return until dark, hoping that Angel had had enough time to “explain” things and leave, hopefully taking Wesley and Cordelia with him. He stood poised outside the door and it took him several minutes before actually knocking. It was answered almost immediately by a flustered-looking Giles.

“Xander! I— that is—”

Xander held up his hand. “Can we just… not? I just want to go home, okay?”

“I… uh… yes, of course.” Giles eyed the outfit Xander wore. “Would you, uh, like to change first?” 

“Into what?” Xander snapped, then immediately apologized. It wasn’t Giles’ fault that his life had suddenly turned into one huge mess. He ignored the voice that blamed Giles for performing the spell that brought him back. With something akin to regret, he glanced down at the leather vest, pants, and moccasins he wore. “I didn’t bring a bag, and this will do until I can get home and changed.”

“I’ll just gather my things then. I—that is, Angel told me everything. If you, uh, if you need to talk—”

“I’m fine, Giles. Just be happy to get back to Sunnydale, you know. Put this mess behind me.”

“If you’re sure?” 

“Very.”

The car ride back was completed in silence. Once Giles pulled up to the curb of his parent’s house, Xander quickly opened the door and let himself out.

“See ya around, Giles.”

He walked off without a backward glance.

~*~*~*~*~

“Xander are you even listening?”

Xander shook himself out of his daze and his face reddened at the attention he was getting from everyone in the room – Willow and Buffy staring at him with sisterly exasperation, Giles seemed almost embarrassed, while Riley was clearly commiserating.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“Well, this is important,” Willow whined. “These spirits won’t leave me alone! It’s been going on for almost two weeks now. You don’t notice anything different about yourself, do you?”

“Nope.” Nothing beside the fact that my heart seems to work better than ten men put together and I suffered no side effects from having Angelus feed from me on a daily basis. Oh, and the fact that I was gone for nearly five years and I haven’t aged a day.

“Oh. Well— that’s no fair.” She turned to Giles. “What about you?”

“Nothing here, I’m afraid. Unless you add my completing today’s crossword puzzle in record time.”

“No,” Willow huffed.

“Just tell them to make an appointment,” Buffy told her.

“Yeah,” Xander added. “Like business hours. No bugging you except during the hours of eight and four, Monday through Friday.”

“Ha ha, very funny.” Willow looked around as if suddenly realizing something. “Hey, Xander. Where’s Anya?”

“We broke up.” He stood up. “Look, I gotta run. I have to work in the morning.”

“Xander—”

“I’m fine, Wills. It’s no big deal. We’re just friends now.”

“But—”

“I’ll see ya later.”

Xander left the room and heard Giles call Willow’s name just as he opened the front door. Thank god. He wasn’t up to dealing with a sympathetic Willow – or a sympathetic Buffy, for that matter.

He was still trying to get the image of Angel, and his horrified expression, out of his mind. One that had yet to leave him in the four days he’d been back in Sunnydale. Already he could feel his stomach knot up, and rather than return home, he decided to walk through the streets of Sunnydale to take his mind off things.

As he reached the park, the hairs on the back of his head stood up. He swung around to confront the threat, internally chiding himself for having forgotten that he lived on a hellmouth and all sorts of evil things were out and about at night. Something slammed into his chest, tackling him to the ground, and he grunted as something hard and rather heavy landed on top of him.

“Stay down,” it hissed, and Xander could have sworn it sounded like Angel. He didn’t get a chance to find out however, because his attacker jumped to his feet and stalked off.

Sounds of fighting drifted his way, and Xander struggled to sit up so he could see what was happening. It turned out it was Angel, fighting four vampires and making quick work of the small group – violently so. Angel didn’t have a stake, and was instead calmly ripping their heads from their shoulders as if it was something he did every day. He thought he heard words like “learn your place” and “respect your elders” and something that sounded suspiciously like “mine” interspaced with the one-sided fight.

Then again, his head had made a rather hard impact with the ground.

When it was over, four piles of dust were all that was left of his would-be attackers, and those were scattered as Angel deliberately walked through each pile, muttering under his breath. Then his attention shifted, and Xander was powerless to move as Angel looked his way.

“Angelus,” he breathed, and was gifted with a knowing smirk.

“You think I would have been let out of that cage if they thought I was anyone other than their precious Angel?”

“But—”

“You wear your heart on your sleeve, boy. They would have seen through any contrived act of yours.”

“Did you—?”

“Your friends are still alive. All bets are off if the Slayer catches me here. Let’s go.”

“But—”

“I can just tie you up.”

“You won’t.”

“I will.”

“Yeah, you probably would, you bastard,” Xander laughed. He held out his hand and Angelus easily lifted him off the ground, then he gasped as he was drawn close and fangs abruptly tore into his throat.

“Fuck, but you taste good, boy,” Angelus murmured against Xander’s neck when he was done feeding. He laughed as Xander’s legs gave out and he had to lift the boy into his arms.

“They’re gonna hate me, aren’t they?” Xander asked some time later. They were in Angelus’ car; Sunnydale was far behind them. When Angelus didn’t answer him, Xander voiced his question again.

Still nothing.

“Angelus?” 

“What?”

“Are you going to answer me?”

“No.”

“No?”

“No.”

“You know they’re gonna try and find us.”

“They can try.”

“I don’t want you to kill my friends.”

The corners of Angelus’ mouth turned upward.

“I’m serious.”

“Guess we’ll just have to make sure they don’t find us then.”

Xander’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Angelus; the vampire was looking too smug by half. “What did you do?”

Angelus pulled out the scroll he’d lifted from the watcher’s home and tossed it to Xander. “Ready to go home?”

The End

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