Eleven
Twenty Three O Five: 6
by Josie_h
Notes
Richard’s initial words to the rather fragile Willow had been, “Hi I’m friends with someone who is… still around and he said to say there were yellow crayons (?)… and um… I’m not sure what that means?”
“But it can’t be!! Who are you???… Who are you?? Do you know what happened?? You bastard… Did you kill him!? Why are you ringing me? We have nothing! I have nothing!!! Who in the goddess’s name…??”
Richard was unable to continue the call and simply passed the phone to Spike who did not hesitate, this was Xander’s to do.
Xander grabbed the phone.
“Wills… please just…. um … please… listen!”
“Oh my Goddess… um…!!”
The hitched sob and wail of grief was not something Xander was not equipped to handle. Spike felt it and hugged him tight from behind and sending love through their link.
The call was difficult, Willow was obviously sitting sobbing on the floor of the coven in England while Xander was held in his Sire’s arms in Canada. Spike finally took the phone as his mate became too distressed to speak.
The Council had been informed of Xander’s court case and consequent ‘hospitalization’, but his friends were utterly stunned when his depression and consequent suicide was reported. There were no immediate family in the USA and he had already been ‘let go’ by his employers, so a distant relative of his mother, an Uncle Rory had been contacted upon his demise. Apparently he had organized a quick cremation for his cousin-in-law’s screwed up kid and was rather miffed at having to send most of Xander’s funds to ‘some guy in England’.
Giles had blamed himself, though under the court’s jurisdiction the Watchers’ Council had no power to extract Xander from the institution for the mentally ill and they had honestly taken heart that at least it was not a jail sentence and only a short stay. Willow received the money from Xander’s estate a day before they were informed of his demise. She had immediately sought out and been (reluctantly) provided with a summary of Xander’s medical records and final days… the date of suicide noted some four weeks *post* Spike turning him in W & H’s ‘care’.
Giles was currently extremely ill and currently in hospital with double pneumonia. He had been working tirelessly for the new Watchers’ Council and taken Xander’s death very hard. Giles had benefited from Xander’s Will, but it was in no way conciliation for the loss of a dear friend.
“You OK witch?... Need ya focused ‘cause the boy here, well he has to have a chat…”
“Oh Goddess Who is this!?? But um… yeah… of course…”
Spike handed the phone back to his partner and hugged his mate tight.
“Hey Wills?!” The familiar voice evoked a flood of tears at the other end.
“Oh Goddess… Ummm Oh! Xander??!! ::Sniffle::”
“Yeah um hi…..”
“But they said you were…”
“And I kind of am… but not by choice… And I didn’t know how to….”
“Well that’s it…I am *so* mad at you Mr… they said… ::pause and sniffle:: we even had a ceremony ‘cause they… they… OH Xan!!!:: sobs and hitched breathing:: You were… and now you can’t be?!! ::sob::”
“But that’s the thing Wills… I am… dead, I mean courtesy of Wolfram and Hart… Hey it’s… well… I’m um… well…. I’m-a-vampire-Will! And before you get all stakage with me, we’re both chipped and… I was bonded to Sire before I ever fed… so the whole soul shared thing and the non killing thing … kind of a given.”
“But who’s Sire and Soul??? Angel was dust in that alley I saw the report! And now Spike?”
“Spike…. Um… wasn’t killed in the Black Thorn thing… but the law firm .. *f-ing* bastards… stuck him into ‘stasis’ until they found someone, well me… then made him a Childe while he was still unconscious!”
Willow was still struggling, “But… but then how did they…?”
“New chips… me as human… before I was turned … then shoved a tube down his neck and a catheter into mine… He had no choice… Wills!... Spike is as much a hero as he ever was… even more! Geez Will… I’m tied to his soul … we’re mated, I know the goodness in him… and I can’t even fully explain what happened… I guess I just hope you can … umm… hold onto who I was and get to know me as I am… ‘cause I’m still here… I am Will … I’m different … but I’m here.”
The lovely wiccan was sobbing and tried her best, “Ohhh Ohhh Sweetie….They sent us your things…!!! We… um… the bastards sent us your *things*! They *killed* you and sent us your things!! They said you’d… Oh Goddess Xan! I’m so sorry! I knew, I mean I should have known but we didn’t… oh Xan!! And now Giles is so sick… I um Ohhh…”
Xander could feel his friend slipping and felt his demon rising. His friends had been lied to and suffered and were as much victims as he and his Sire. His eyes shifted to gold as his features shifted but vengeance was for another day. For now he simply needed to comfort and reassure a friend.
Spike hugged him tight and bit gently into his jugular. The act grounded him and he finished the conversation promising his ongoing contact and quietly explaining to Willow the nature of his Mated status. The following day it was a very emotional Giles who, from his hospital bed explained the uniqueness of the virgin Mating of the two to the witch. Willow then held him as *he* cried. The older gent felt directly responsible for the entire set of awful occurrences, but strangely comforted by Xander’s new status).
The phonecall had raised the Wolfram and Hart issue again and Spike worried. Despite their discussions, Richard still seemed blissfully in denial regards the threat to his own person from Wolfram and Hart. He was sensible enough to stay off their dial by taking a job so out of character and for cash that it was unlikely they would find him that way, but the rest of his lifestyle, particularly his nighttime activities still compromised his safety.
Richard had watched the loving relationship of his two housemates solidify. He reveled in Xander discovering the various aspects of his vampiric nature and the joy it gave Spike. He watched them sparring, Xander’s speed and power increasing exponentially as they gained condition. He watched the taut muscles and lithe movements as they kissed in front of him for the first time on the rather battered couch and excused himself to deal with a rock hard erection in private. He looked on longingly as the forced partnership of the Mated Pair matured into unconditional love and deep devotion. And he wondered at the strengthening link that seemed to allow the two otherworldly beautiful men a synchronicity and connection that was quite extraordinary. And he wished he could find even the smallest hint of that for himself.
The human had been out to nightclubbing again, something he did regularly since their move to Vancouver, but each time he seemed failed to find anyone prepared to do more than have a casual fondle. He bounced home on Sunday after all night adventure claiming he’d found ‘the one’. That was around a fortnight or so before Xander’s call to Willow, by the end of the month however the new friend would no longer return his calls… He had tried six times in a single, desperate afternoon, before Spike hung up the phone in the middle of him dialing a seventh with a gentle hand on his wrist and a fond fatherly tone, “Leave it pet.”
Richard slumped down on the floor beside to low bench the phone was perched on. Spike took the handset from their defeated looking friend and placed it back in the cradle, then sat down beside him, calling Xander through the link as he did.
“What’s all this about pet? You don’t need to chase some bastard who is too impolite to even pick up a phone!”
“But see that’s just it isn’t it!… He’s not being impolite is he? He doesn’t *want* me, he said he did but now… and as much as I try for anyone it’s never good enough is it… and who could blame them? All you’d have to do is walk into a room and guys would be lining up to be with you! Xander too! But me? I just get someone interested… and it either ends up as a total bust after one night, or finishes just when I really think we’re getting somewhere…” The dejected Richard hugged his knees to him, hung his head and picked at the carpet. “And look at you two! I just wish… I just want to feel… like I’m loved”
Xander dropped down on the other side of their human friend and slung a friendly arm over his shoulder just as Spike started to rub his lower back just as one might for an upset child.
“Ahh mate… But you are, and very much! And better that the bastards should dump you than abuse you and lead ya about by your privates ‘til they get sick of their own games, or spend a hundred plus years with you then throw you off for a bloody wanker with antlers,” Richard looked up utterly confused. “Listen pet… expert in rejection here, an’ you’re lucky these bastards don’t muck you around… They don’t deserve you Luv! They never will! Smart, funny and easy on the eye… c’mon bloke like you with a heart o’ gold and the minerals to match? Plenty of fellas be tickled pink if ya just gave ‘em a second look!”
But Richard was tugging at the carpet again and Xander noticed two hot drips splash onto the warn fibers. Finally Richard sniffed then shook his head a little. “I’m sorry, it’s just… I don’t know… I’ve ruined my career with the whole…” He glanced up to see that both Xander and Spike were both looking extraordinarily contrite and rather pained by the reminder of Richard’s sacrifice on their behalf and quickly added, “But I wanted to!! You know I don’t regret that, in no way… it’s just um… I just know I need… to feel like…”
Spike cut him off by lifting the tearful face and kissing him hard on the lips. “You need a little TLC pet, just let us take care of you for a little while.”
Spike returned to kissing their friend more gently this time and slid his tongue into Richard’s welcoming warm mouth. Xander took his cue from Spike and received a loving jolt through the link as he moved in front of the human. He pulled Richard’s legs to near straight, and apart enough to sit between.
As Spike deepened the kiss and slid his hand under the man’s shirt, Xander began to stroke and massage the man’s inner thigh through his jeans. Richard was so stunned by the turn of events that he forgot to protest, instead moaning as his nipples were played with. He vaguely registered the button and zip of his jeans being parted then jumped a little as a cool hand took his already hard erection and began to expertly pump it while caressing the heavy sac and perineum with another hand.
Spike broke the kiss to find his lover’s mouth, biting his own tongue and filling Xander’s mouth with the precious fluid and the taste of Richard. They both kept up their ministrations and moments later Richard came hard as he watched the erotic scene whilst being impossibly stimulated by four hands.
In the afterglow they led a compliant human to their bed and simply lay either side holding him and stroked their friend gently.
As Richard drifted off to sleep he managed a simple … “Thank you”
“Our pleasure pet, our pleasure.”