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There’s Always a Sneer in Vegas (79a/?)
Title: There’s Always a Sneer in Vegas (79a/?)
Fandom: BTVS; Spike/Xander
Warnings: Slash,AU, Post Apocalyptic, violence,non-con, slavery, tentacles,
Rating: NC-17
Summary: It’s been seven years since Angelus killed Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Seven years after Angelus opened a portal to hell on Earth. Humans are food, slaves or on the run. There’s hope only in small band of resistance fighters. However, that’s a hope Xander Harris no longer has. It’s been six months since he was taken in a raid. At first Xander thought he was lucky the demons didn’t know who he was; but then that was before he became property to an Azora demon.
As always: Feedback makes my heart go pitter-patter.
UNBETAED
Previous parts here.
Secure all lose items. Keep arms and hands inside at all times. Remain seated until the ride comes to a complete stop. In other words..hang on.
***********************
“So…then that’s the plan?” Dawn said. “We hike in with some canoes and at sunset get the horses to walk us to the lake..then head to the island and then…what..hope we can take down what’s ever there, do the ritual at midnight and save the world?”
“Better than some of our previous plans,” Xander said grinning at Willow.
“Better than Spike’s plans,” Faith teased.
“Oi! Twat!”
The slayer blew him a kiss.
They all looked at each other. Whether they were ready or not, whether they liked it or not, this was it. Tomorrow, they would make their move to end Angelus’ reign.
***********************
If Spike was nervous, he didn’t show it. Xander envied that trait as he watched his Master rock to the swaying movements of the truck as they traveled to the rendezvous point with Oz’s pack. The mood in the truck was tense and filled with silence.
Xander glanced around and briefly met Tara’s gaze before her eyes slid away to look at Willow who was glancing at Dawn. Next he spied Larry watching Wesley who in turn was staring at Spike. Xander looked at Spike and found the vampire’s familiar blue eyes observing him; almost admiring him. The look eased a tightness in his chest and warmed the cold pit in his stomach. He gave Spike a small smile.
“Worried, pet?” Spike asked softly.
“Worried? No,” Xander answered. “Petrified..scared…nervous…yeah. But worried? No.’”
Spike chuckled. Count on his Xander to make him smile before a climactic battle. He reached out hand a brushed a fingertip over his nose.
“Well, if it is the end love,” Spike said softly. “We won’t be goin’ out alone.”
Xander looked around the truck again. Everyone he cared about; loved was in this truck. Faith and Oz were up front and the rest were in the back with him and Spike. A lump formed in his throat and he swallowed.
This was so much more than he’d had a month ago sitting in the vault slowing dying inside. Then he’d been nothing more than a “bottle.” He’d been without his family; his friends. He’d been on the verge of giving up not only on the world and the fight but giving up on himself.
He’d been close to becoming just one more vacant-eyed bottle until Spike. He looked back at the vampire. Spike had changed everything with a turn of a card. He’d saved Xander: helped him come back from the edge. He’d protected and cherished him. He trusted him and more important the vampire loved him. Then, he’d returned Xander to what was left of his friends and family to fight alongside with them in what might be the last battle to save the world.
Xander’s heart began to beat just a little faster and yet a little stronger even as he suddenly found his chest tightening as the emotion he been denying and fighting since Vegas surged to overwhelm him.
“We’ll be together,” Xander said his voice thick and laced with so much unsaid. He looked back around the truck. “All of us.”
“To the end,” Willow answered meeting Xander’s gaze.
“The..the very end,” Tara said verbally casting in her lot.
Larry nodded.
“Most certainly,” Wesley added.
“Together,” Dawn echoed.
The truck rolled to a stop. There were loud squeaks and clangs of the cab doors being opened and closed. Then there was a bang on the side of the truck followed by the muffled sound of Faith shouting, “We’re here!”
“Ready or not,” Spike said standing and wrapping himself in a blanket, “here we come.”
The doors of the trailer swung open letting in the afternoon sunlight. There was a long pause as the solemn group stared at the slayer.
“We’re not dead yet,” Faith said taking one look at the somber bunch. “And I don’t intend for that to change anytime soon. Oz’s pack is here with the boats. If we wanna make our date, we better move. I hate being late for a date. Its good way to miss all the fun.”
“Right,” Wesley said standing and moving towards the back of the truck. Tara offered her hand to Willow. The redhead smiled and took the other witches hand and together they made their exit. Larry looked at Xander and Spike then rolled his eyes. He shook his head and began to follow the witches.
Xander looked at Spike who was standing in the shadows of the truck with the blanket wrapped tight around him.
“Ready to be a Spike burrito?” he asked.
“That mean you are gonna eat me, pet?” Spike replied.
“Let’s just get through this and worry about ‘what’s for dinner’ later?’ Xander said with a groan and his master’s bad pun.
“Wot? Never heard about given a vampire sumthin’ ta look forward to after?”
After? Xander wondered. What does happen after?
He remembered what Larry had said earlier. If they won, this would be a human world again with human rules.
And no place for Spike, he thought. The emotions which had overwhelmed him seized control.
“Wha…pet?” Spike cried as Xander rushed forward and shoved Spike into the furthest and darkest corner of the truck.
Carefully Xander unpeeled the blanket from Spike’s face. Once more he stared into his lover and master’s eyes.
“You have something to look forward to, master,” Xander said softly. “We have something to look forward to…Spike.”
The blonde vampire stared at his Claimaint love obviously shining in his eyes.
“Pet…Xander,” he began.
“Shh,” Xander said laying a finger over the vampire’s lips. “Tell me…no promise me Blondie. Promise me we are gonna do this…we are gonna win. Promise we there’s a chance for after.”
“Xan, I promi…” Spike began to say when there was a loud bang on the trailer doors.
“We have the boats…time to go,” Larry’s voice boomed through the trailer. “Either move or get left behind. You already know which I’d prefer.”
“Get stuffed,” Spike snapped as Xander tugged the blanket back around the vampire.
“Yeah…well unlike some people I know when there’s a time and a place for that..and now is not the time or the place,” Larry replied.
Xander took Spike’s arm and began to lead him to the trailer doors.
“You know, Larry,” Xander said as he climbed down out of the trailer. “I’m beginning to wish we’d left you back in Vegas.”
“I’ve had similar thoughts,” Larry said.
“Right so if any of our wishes mattered right now I’m pretty sure none of us would be here,” Oz’s voice interrupted. “So let’s make like we’re all friends from high school and load up the boats. Pack nabbed three.”
He looked at Xander and the bundled and slightly smoking Spike standing just out reach of the direct sunlight.
“They also found a tarp. Think that will help with transporting the Blonde Sizzler over there.”
Xander looked back at Spike then back to Oz.
“Well, let’s get to packin,’” he said with a grin. “Get it…packing?”
“Now I have something to live for,” Oz groaned and shook his as he turned to lead the way to his pack and the canoes. “That will not be the last pun I hear before I die.”
***
Xander was hot and sweaty and not the good kind of hot and sweaty. They had been walking for a few hours.
Not walking, he thought. Hiking!
He might be faring better if weren’t for the fact he was one half of the two people porting the canoe with Spike.
Ok, Xander thought. The Big Bad needs to stick to a nice light type O for a while.
“Oooff!” he exclaimed as he nearly tripped over a root.
“Oi!” Spike’s muffled shout came from underneath his tarp in the boat.
The other porter, a member of Oz’s pack, stopped and waited for him to catch his footing.
“Shh!” came a chorus of voices from around him.
“You know, I could take over for a while,” Faith said softly dropping back from leading the group to help.
“No,” Xander said firmly as he rebalanced the boat on his shoulder and signaled he was ready to move forward.
“Xan, we are nearly there…” Faith began.
“Then help the other guy,” Xander said firmly.
“He’s a werewolf,” Faith argued. “He..he’s not as tired as you.”
“And I’m a Claimant…Spike’s Claimant,” Xander said he once again began walking. “And I’m talking the big Blowhard to the our final showdown.”
“Xander…”
“No, Faith,” Xander said firmly as they hiked. “The sun’s still up and while it is Spike is vulnerable and that means I need to watch over him…protect him…like he did me.”
Faith opened her mouth to continue her argument and then saw the look on Xander’s face. She recognized it. Short of physically pulling him out from under the canoe, he wasn’t going to leave. She nodded.
“Ok,” she said finally relenting. “Hang in there. It’s not too much longer.”
Xander nodded back then focused on watching his step. Inside the canoe, under the protective layers of the blanket and tarp Spike smiled. They’d come a long way since that first night.
Luv ya, Xander, he thought.
***
It was another thirty minutes of hiking and nearly sundown when the party stopped. There were fourteen in total; the seven Scoobies plus seven from Oz’s pack. Once they stopped the porters quickly lowered the canoes.
Meanwhile, Tara, Willow, Faith and Wesley moved forward to the edge of the clearing. They each had some dried fruit from their rations.
“Wot’s happening?” Spike from his cocoon.
“They’re trying to lure the horses,” Xander said as he tried to keep an eye on his friends and the last of the sunlight trickling through the tree leaves.
“Unwrap me,” Spike ordered as he began to roll out from under the blanket.
“Sp..Master the sun’s not completely down,” Xander argued even as he started tugging on the tarp of his vampire.
“It’s down enough,” Spike said as he shaded himself with the blanket and sat up to look around.
Tara and the others were making soft clicking sounds and focusing on the herd of the horses down by the water’s edge. Oz and his pack were pulled back from edge of the clearing. Quietly Spike crawled out of the canoe and kept watch on the group. Xander kept watch on the dying light.
It took just a few short minutes for the horses to notice their group. It took much longer for three of them to begin to slowly make their way towards the Scoobies. In the meantime the shadows deepened enough for Spike for to throw off the blankets and stand beside Xander.
As the sun dipped to fine a thin orange sliver on the horizon all but two of Oz’s pack slinked away into the shadows.
“Need to slip into something more feral,” Oz explained.
“They gonna...there not gonna. I mean...” Xander started to sputter. “I am a Scoobie..not a Scoobie snack.”
“Again with the puns I’d like to out live,” Oz replied. “Nah...no Scoobie snacking.”
“Oi! What about vampires?” Spike chirped.
“Well..they’re a little more flexible on that option.”
“How flexible?” the vampire growled.
“Hey...yer gonna be on the island...they’re going to be patrolin’ the shore. You won’t have anything to worry about,” Oz shrugged.
“Keep ‘em off me or I’ll put a leash on ‘em,” Spike warned.
“Uh...thought that was only for the Xanpets,” Xander said laying a gentling hand on his vampire’s arm while shooting a look at his old friend.
Oz just shrugged again. Spike muttered something under his breath.
“Oh look...pretty horses!” Xander said pointing back to the rest of the gang trying to refocus the vampire and werewolf’s attention. “See...pretty horses.”
Spike reluctantly turned to watch back at the shore. He didn’t like the thought of a possible werewolf attack from the trees, but then again he liked even less whatever tricks he was sure Angelus had waiting for them.
Least I know what I’m dealing with Dogboy’s pups, he thought. Oz stepped forward and sniffed the air. He looked briefly at Spike and then back at the horses. Xander watched the both of them.
Why am I always stuck with the things that go ‘grrr argh’ in the night? He wondered.
Dawn, Spike, Larry and Oz watched together as the horses plodded their way slowly toward the group. Eventually a large black stallion stepped in close to the slayer.
“Easy,” Faith said as she slowly reached out her hand and offered one the stallions a bit of dried apple. The horse laid it ears back, stretched its neck and then sniffed at the slayer’s hand. It whinnied softly then pulled back its lips to nibble gently at the fruit.
Seeing the stallion feeding from Faith’s hand it didn’t long for the other two to follow suit. Tara glanced back at Xander and smiled as a horse began to eat a dried apricot out of her hand. Xander smiled back.
“I don’t like it, “ Spike rumbled in a low growl. “Something isn’t right.”
“Of course something isn’t right,” Xander quipped. “We’re standing at the edge of a flooded hellmouth getting ready to charge into Angelus’ lake house without an invite. What possibly is right with any of this?”
“I mean….” Spike trailed off into silence.
“You mean what…master?”
“I don’t know..just sumthin’ ain’t right,” Spike said slowly watching the woods as the third horse approached Wesley.
The three Scoobies began to whisper quiet words into the horses’ necks as they began to pet them and feed them more treats fished out of their pockets. Eventually a few mares began to walk their way to join the stallions.
By the time the sun was fully down the gang had managed to lure a total of ten horses that were now pawing at the ground and nuzzling the group for more treats. Faith slowly raised her hand and made a “forward” motion with two fingers. She trusted the vampire would see it.
“That’s our signal,” Spike said to those still standing deep in the dark shade of the trees. Spike and Xander hoisted one canoe up onto the shoulders; Oz and Larry hoisted another one. The remaining two members of Oz’s pack who had not disappeared picked up the final one. Dawn walked followed Spike and Xander.
Cautiously they moved forward to rejoin the rest of the party. As they approached the horses begin to neigh nervously. They stopped.
“It..it’s ok,” Tara said as she brushed her hand gently down the flat head of the mare leaning in close to her.
“There’s a boy,” Wesley said calming the stallion nearest him.
When the small off shoot of the main herd began to settle again the group carrying the boats began to slowly move forward again. Eventually the entire party was reunited.
“Are we ready?” Willow asked Xander as she picked at a bit of seaweed tangled in a matted mane. Its breath was blowing hot against her skin. There was something “off” about it. Instead of smelling sweet and warm like grass it smelt stale and stagnant like standing water.
“Ready as we’re gonna be,” Larry said.
“Ok, Dawn, and everyone carrying the canoes line up between the horses,” Faith ordered. “We’ll lead them down to the water...”
“And hope we don’t trip the big ‘We here!’ sign,” Dawn said.
“That’s the plan,” Xander said as once again he hoisted the canoe on his shoulder.
“Hopefully the history books will make it sound better,” Spike said.
“They often do,” Wesley retorted as he laid his hands on the mare in front of him and started coaxing her back towards the lake.
“Who cares about the history books,” Xander said as he and Spike started to move. “I wanna know who’s playing me in the movie.”
“Oh! Maybe they can get Kate Winslet for me!” Dawn said excitedly as she followed along.
“Kirsten Dunst for me,” Willow chimed as she patted the side of her horse to get it move along.
“She..she would make a good you,” Tara said softly.
“I want someone bad ass, like Angelina Joile or Michelle Rodriguez,” Faith purred.
“I see we should have covered the definition of ‘stealthy’ before embarking upon this mission,” Wesley remembered the group in a hushed voice.
“For this group...this is stealthy,” Larry whispered.
A slight giggle went up and then quieted down until there was just the muffled sound of hooves and feet shuffling towards the edge of the water.
***
It was a short trip to the water’s edge and yet at the same time it was achingly slow. Once they had started to get the horses moving back to the lake, they moved fairly quickly. However, each step seemed momentous. It felt important and eerily final. It felt like a car crash in slow motion. It was happening faster than anticipated and yet awareness was keen in every millisecond as they careened toward their destination.
As they walked, Willow, Tara, Faith and Wesley kept a guiding hand tangled loosely into the horses’ manes. Dawn kept at the ready with a crossbow in hand as she followed Spike and Xander. The horses seemed to keep a little distance from the canoe being ported by Oz’s pack-mates, but not enough that they were excluded from the small herd.
The horses familiarity with the ground, a few guiding worlds from Spike and the slight light being offered by the waning crescent moon allowed them to make it fairly easily to the lake shore. Once there, the porters put down their boats and set them half in the water and half on the shore.
The others went to give the horses a final pat to scatter them. When suddenly the horses reared, let out a demonic shriek and began to charge into the water.
Tara screamed as she was jerked forward.
“Tara!” Willow cried as she too found herself being pulled into her water as her hands were suddenly sticking to the horse’s fur.
“Faith!” Wesley yelled hoping to warn his slayer as he tried jerking his hands free from where they were now entangled in a clingy black mane.
“Wes!” Faith answered while Xander quickly shoved Dawn down to the ground and began to run to Willow as she was now waist deep in the surf.
“Fucking hell!” Spike snarled running for Tara while Larry headed for Wesley.
Oz signaled his pack-mates and they began to shift.
Meanwhile the horses continued their charge into the water with the four Scoobies literally glued to them. As they trampled deep into the depths they too began to shift. Their fur turned to a sticky rough skin and their torso became more humanoid. The snouts grew longer and their blunt teeth sharpened into dripping fangs.
“Each Uisge!” Wesley cried as his head dunked under the water and then bobbed back up. He sputtered, “Water..demons! Drown.. ! Eat..!”
He sank again.
“WESLEY!” Faith screamed before she too was pulled under.
“Bloody hell! Pet don’t touch them!” Spike ordered as he wrapped his arms around Tara’s waist and pulled. She screamed in pain as her hands stayed glued to the demon. “Touch ‘em and you stick!”
A cold wind started to swirl around the lack. Clouds formed and red lightning streaked across the sky. The unmistakable crackle of powerful magical energy gathering could be felt. Xander tugged at Willow even as he could feel some of the energy swirling around her like water down a drain. It was if she was siphoning some of it to her. Then she began to mutter in a deep guttural language he didn’t recognize.
The Each Usige in front of her let out a high pitched agonizing howl as suddenly its skin was stripped from its body.
“Willow?” Xander cried in horror as the witch turned in his arms. Her eyes were solid black. Her skin was a pale ugly white except for the black veins of dark magic pumping through her. The Usige’s skin sloughed off her palms. She tilted head and looked over towards where Tara was starting to disappear among the waves.
“No!” Xander shouted in warning suddenly fearing what was about to happen. He was thrown backwards by an unseen force and landed flat on his back on the shore.
Willow’s arms shot straight out from her body as Tara slid screaming under the churning water. Slowly she lifted them and as she did the demon horse and Tara rose up from the waves. Willow tilted her hands palms out and for a moment the blonde witch and demon just levitated in the air above the lake. Then Willow snapped her arms apart.
Both the Usige and Tara screamed as they were ripped apart from each other. Spike’s hold on Tara was torn loose as well and he went flying back into the tree line. The Usige fell whining back into the foaming lake; black and red blood oozing down its side. Blue lightning swirled down from the sky illuminating Tara as she hung in the air, blood streaming from her palms as the skin had been ripped from her flesh. Eyes wide with pain and horror she stared at Willow.
Thunder crashed and lights began bending into purple spirals creating a vortex of wind and energy somewhere on the shore behind them. It swallowed up Tara’s feeble cry. Xander struggled to his feet. A sopping wet Larry climbed out of the lake to lend a hand.
“Willow! Stop!” Xander yelled over the force of the vortex. “You’re hurting her!”
Once again Willow turned to look at him. This time there was a hint of confusion in her alien black eyes. She turned back to look at the levitating Tara who was now cradling her bleeding hands to her chest.
Somewhere Oz and his pack’s howls of rage could be heard. In all the torturous nightmares he’d had in the Vault, Xander’s never had one as horrifying to him as this reality right now. He stumbled forward trying to reach Willow only to have Larry hold him back.
“We have other problems,” he screamed into Xander’s ear then pointed behind them. Xander turned and looked in horror as he saw figures moving out of the center of the vortex which was spinning wildly and growing. Xander looked around for Spike then Dawn. She was crouched on the ground by the canoes where Xander had left her. Spike was nowhere to be seen.
“Dawn!” Xander yelled back to Larry. “Get her out of here!”
Larry nodded and released Xander to go after her. Xander look back to Willow.
She was gesturing with her arms and as she did Tara’s sobbing form drifted closer. Willow tilted her palm again, this time to stop Tara. Then she studied the other girl like she was an ant under a telescope.
“Wi..Willow,” Tara sobbed her face streaked with tears and her hands arms and drenched red. “Pl..please help me.”
A beam of moonlight pierced the swirling chaos of lightning and energy. It was pure clean and illuminating. For the briefest moments it illuminated Tara’s face and reflected deep into the black void of Willow’s eyes. A burst of energy shot out through Willow like a shock wave once again knocking Xander to the ground. As it rippled and rolled away the black veins melted away from Willow's skin and the darkness receded from her eyes. Tara fell and landed at Willow’s feet. Willow sank down quickly beside her wrapping her arms around the weeping woman.
“Goddess! Tara! Oh Tara!” she cried. “I’m sorry! I’m..so...so sorry!”
Xander rolled up to his feet and looked back at the vortex in time to see the werewolves charge. Several blue female demons with short spikes on their forehead surged forth to engage them. The fighting was fierce. The demons fought as if well trained. They were a tight unit and their weapons were vicious and sharp.
They forced the wolves back and as they did more figures emerged from the vortex. Xander looked for Larry and Dawn. They were moving quickly toward the treeline far from the battle. He started to look away to refocus on helping Tara and Willow when he notice Larry and Dawn suddenly stopping. They froze as if they had become two living mannequins.
“No!” Xander shouted, rose to his feet and began to run to them.
TBC
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I'm glad you wrote more of this. Thank you.
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Very exciting chapter! Emotional connection, terrible puns, dreadful creatures: what more could we ask?
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