All Souls' Night, 4/7
Oct. 31st, 2007 01:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sevendeadlyfunPairing: Spike/Xander, mentions of Spike, Buffy, Willow friendship
Rating: R overall
Warning: Character death...sort of
Summary: Ten years after Sunnydale's destruction, Spike returns to the ruins. Chasing his lover on All Souls' Night, when the dead can return and walk amongst the living, Spike will do whatever he must to get Xander back.
A/N: Written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
fall_for_sx. Thanks to my beta,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kidcyclone , for putting up with my complete insanity while writing this. Also, a big thank you to virtualpersonal for her inspiration over atwaywardbunnies . I've twisted her plot bunny completely out of shape, but it was still the inspiration!
“What the bloody hell?” Spike muttered, kicking open the door to his crypt. His eyes darted around the large room, lighting on the sarcophagus. He laid Xander’s body on the stone slab, absentmindedly smoothing back the hair that fell into Xander’s eyes.
“Red,” he said quietly, “what do you mean you found her soul? How in buggering fuck is Buffy’s soul doing a walkabout?”
“Spike,” Xander said softly and Spike stiffened, glancing down at the body on the sarcophagus. He was still nearly unconscious, the spell still holding. So, if it wasn’t Xander, it had to be…
“Xander,” Spike breathed, looking up and out into the gloom of the crypt.
“Yeah,” the voice said again. “It’s me.”
He walked forward from the shadows and stood next to Spike, looking down at the lax form on the slab. Spike turned slightly, staring at his lover’s…soul? The difference between the two men was amazing.
This was Xander, the real Xander, the Xander he knew and loved. The slightly slumped shoulders, the relaxed and easy smile, the utter Xander-ness radiated from the translucent man standing next to him. Spike found himself breathing heavily, almost panting, as long-buried emotion swelled inside him.
“Xan,” he choked out. “What the hell are you doin’ in Sunnydale? Of all the places for a soul to be…”
“You know what they say,” Xander grinned, eyes shifting to stare at Spike. “Hell is where the heart is.”
Spike snorted. Trust Xander to turn death into a joke. He’d always thought the other man would go to his death with a wisecrack. Should’ve figured on him being an after death comedian.
“Come to get you back,” Spike confessed quietly. “I-I’m sorry, Xander. ‘S my fault. Never shoulda…I drove you off and you died.”
“Yeah,” Xander nodded. “Gotta admit I’m still a little pissed about that.”
Spike stayed silent, still staring at the shimmering almost not there presence in front of him. What could he say? How do you apologize for killing someone? It’d been over a decade since he’d gotten his soul and he still didn’t know.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Xander smiled shyly. “I’m guessing by the presence of my creepy undead self that you’re gonna shove me back in?”
“Trying to,” Spike admitted. “Red…Willow’s got a new spell. No crap curse for you, no worries about being happy.”
Spike had insisted. One of the things he loved about Xander was the younger man’s complete and uncomplicated happiness. Seeing that brilliant smile warmed his dead body and he’d rather not have Xander than condemn him to an eternity of unhappiness.
“New spell,” Xander echoed. “Somehow, I’m not so thrilled.”
“There’s one condition,” Spike told him. “Well, okay there’s a lot of conditions, including tracking the soul to where it rests and bringing it forth on All Soul’s Night. But, the things is…we gotta have the soul’s permission. We can’t bring you back if you don’t want to be back, Xan.”
Xander cocked his head, a thoughtful look on his face. Spike fidgeted, shifting restlessly from one leg to the other. This is where it all went arse over teakettle. If Xander was happier dead, well mostly dead, than it was all over.
“If I say no,” Xander asked slowly, “what’re you going to do with him?”
Spike sighed heavily, tipping his head back to stare at the ceiling. Of all the questions for Xander to ask…He straightened, staring straight at Xander’s soul.
“I don’t know,” Spike answered finally. “I’m not sure I can stake you, any version of you. I don’t want him, if that’s what you’re asking. All of the things I love about you, they’re part of you and none of him. But, don’t ask me to kill you because I don’t think I can.”
“And what about Buffy?”
“What about her,” Spike asked, confused. “She’s not thrilled we’re re-souling you. Thinks we’re ripping you away from your heavenly rewards. But, she’s here and she’s helping, so I guess that’s as much of a blessing as I’ll get.”
“No.” Xander shook his head. “What about her soul?”
“It’s here. At a part of it is. Xander!” Willow walked in, arm around a weeping Buffy. Her green eyes lit up at the sight of Xander, and she smiled broadly. “Spike found you! Uhm, both of you.”
“Nah,” Xander contradicted. “We found him. Spike’s tracking skills have gone to shit in his old age.”
“Oi!” Spike protested. “Have not. I’dve found him eventually.”
“Sure,” Xander dismissed him. “So Wills, what’s up with the Scooby soul reunion?”
Willow shrugged, looking fondly at him. “I’m not sure. I have an idea, but with no books…I can’t be sure.”
“Not nice to lie, Red,” Spike said gruffly, looking at Buffy uncomfortably. “You know exactly why the Slayer’s soul is wandering around this little ghost town.”
“Spike,” Xander said warningly.
“No,” Spike said. “It’s true. Let’s not dance around it. When you nits brought her back, you didn’t do it right. Slayer came back wrong.”
“Spike’s right,” Buffy whispered disconsolately. “He’s the only one who could see it. T-tara did a spell to ch-check. But, I th-think maybe she just…missed something.”
“No,” Willow said firmly, eyes bright. “Tara wouldn’t have missed anything. This isn’t about us bringing you back. It’s something else. I’m sure of it.”
“Well, whatever,” Xander finally said, looking uncomfortable. “That spell? The one you were going to use on me? Will it work on Buffy?”
Spike growled, his face rapidly shifting into the harsh angles of his demon. He couldn’t bear to get so close and to have some stupid sense of nobility bollocks this up. There was no way Willow could perform the spell twice. Not enough time and nowhere near enough energy for two such powerful spells.
“Theoretically,” Willow mused. “Her soul would have to consent but…yeah.”
“Then, do it,” Xander said quietly.
Rating: R overall
Warning: Character death...sort of
Summary: Ten years after Sunnydale's destruction, Spike returns to the ruins. Chasing his lover on All Souls' Night, when the dead can return and walk amongst the living, Spike will do whatever he must to get Xander back.
A/N: Written for
fall_for_sx. Thanks to my beta,kidcyclone , for putting up with my complete insanity while writing this. Also, a big thank you to virtualpersonal for her inspiration over atwaywardbunnies . I've twisted her plot bunny completely out of shape, but it was still the inspiration!“What the bloody hell?” Spike muttered, kicking open the door to his crypt. His eyes darted around the large room, lighting on the sarcophagus. He laid Xander’s body on the stone slab, absentmindedly smoothing back the hair that fell into Xander’s eyes.
“Red,” he said quietly, “what do you mean you found her soul? How in buggering fuck is Buffy’s soul doing a walkabout?”
“Spike,” Xander said softly and Spike stiffened, glancing down at the body on the sarcophagus. He was still nearly unconscious, the spell still holding. So, if it wasn’t Xander, it had to be…
“Xander,” Spike breathed, looking up and out into the gloom of the crypt.
“Yeah,” the voice said again. “It’s me.”
He walked forward from the shadows and stood next to Spike, looking down at the lax form on the slab. Spike turned slightly, staring at his lover’s…soul? The difference between the two men was amazing.
This was Xander, the real Xander, the Xander he knew and loved. The slightly slumped shoulders, the relaxed and easy smile, the utter Xander-ness radiated from the translucent man standing next to him. Spike found himself breathing heavily, almost panting, as long-buried emotion swelled inside him.
“Xan,” he choked out. “What the hell are you doin’ in Sunnydale? Of all the places for a soul to be…”
“You know what they say,” Xander grinned, eyes shifting to stare at Spike. “Hell is where the heart is.”
Spike snorted. Trust Xander to turn death into a joke. He’d always thought the other man would go to his death with a wisecrack. Should’ve figured on him being an after death comedian.
“Come to get you back,” Spike confessed quietly. “I-I’m sorry, Xander. ‘S my fault. Never shoulda…I drove you off and you died.”
“Yeah,” Xander nodded. “Gotta admit I’m still a little pissed about that.”
Spike stayed silent, still staring at the shimmering almost not there presence in front of him. What could he say? How do you apologize for killing someone? It’d been over a decade since he’d gotten his soul and he still didn’t know.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Xander smiled shyly. “I’m guessing by the presence of my creepy undead self that you’re gonna shove me back in?”
“Trying to,” Spike admitted. “Red…Willow’s got a new spell. No crap curse for you, no worries about being happy.”
Spike had insisted. One of the things he loved about Xander was the younger man’s complete and uncomplicated happiness. Seeing that brilliant smile warmed his dead body and he’d rather not have Xander than condemn him to an eternity of unhappiness.
“New spell,” Xander echoed. “Somehow, I’m not so thrilled.”
“There’s one condition,” Spike told him. “Well, okay there’s a lot of conditions, including tracking the soul to where it rests and bringing it forth on All Soul’s Night. But, the things is…we gotta have the soul’s permission. We can’t bring you back if you don’t want to be back, Xan.”
Xander cocked his head, a thoughtful look on his face. Spike fidgeted, shifting restlessly from one leg to the other. This is where it all went arse over teakettle. If Xander was happier dead, well mostly dead, than it was all over.
“If I say no,” Xander asked slowly, “what’re you going to do with him?”
Spike sighed heavily, tipping his head back to stare at the ceiling. Of all the questions for Xander to ask…He straightened, staring straight at Xander’s soul.
“I don’t know,” Spike answered finally. “I’m not sure I can stake you, any version of you. I don’t want him, if that’s what you’re asking. All of the things I love about you, they’re part of you and none of him. But, don’t ask me to kill you because I don’t think I can.”
“And what about Buffy?”
“What about her,” Spike asked, confused. “She’s not thrilled we’re re-souling you. Thinks we’re ripping you away from your heavenly rewards. But, she’s here and she’s helping, so I guess that’s as much of a blessing as I’ll get.”
“No.” Xander shook his head. “What about her soul?”
“It’s here. At a part of it is. Xander!” Willow walked in, arm around a weeping Buffy. Her green eyes lit up at the sight of Xander, and she smiled broadly. “Spike found you! Uhm, both of you.”
“Nah,” Xander contradicted. “We found him. Spike’s tracking skills have gone to shit in his old age.”
“Oi!” Spike protested. “Have not. I’dve found him eventually.”
“Sure,” Xander dismissed him. “So Wills, what’s up with the Scooby soul reunion?”
Willow shrugged, looking fondly at him. “I’m not sure. I have an idea, but with no books…I can’t be sure.”
“Not nice to lie, Red,” Spike said gruffly, looking at Buffy uncomfortably. “You know exactly why the Slayer’s soul is wandering around this little ghost town.”
“Spike,” Xander said warningly.
“No,” Spike said. “It’s true. Let’s not dance around it. When you nits brought her back, you didn’t do it right. Slayer came back wrong.”
“Spike’s right,” Buffy whispered disconsolately. “He’s the only one who could see it. T-tara did a spell to ch-check. But, I th-think maybe she just…missed something.”
“No,” Willow said firmly, eyes bright. “Tara wouldn’t have missed anything. This isn’t about us bringing you back. It’s something else. I’m sure of it.”
“Well, whatever,” Xander finally said, looking uncomfortable. “That spell? The one you were going to use on me? Will it work on Buffy?”
Spike growled, his face rapidly shifting into the harsh angles of his demon. He couldn’t bear to get so close and to have some stupid sense of nobility bollocks this up. There was no way Willow could perform the spell twice. Not enough time and nowhere near enough energy for two such powerful spells.
“Theoretically,” Willow mused. “Her soul would have to consent but…yeah.”
“Then, do it,” Xander said quietly.