Backfire - Spander Files

Spike wasn’t angry when Xander didn’t acknowledge the apology. In fact, he
appreciated it. The sorry was just something a part of him needed to say, and if
confronted with it, Spike would have denied it had ever escaped his lips. Xander
seemed to know this, and that action alone pushed away any doubt in Spike’s mind
that Xander was more extraordinary than any creature he had ever met.
This wasn’t supposed to have happened. Spike had a plan once. Didn’t he? When
had he fallen for this little human boy? And why was it mutual?
And why, of all the living breathing happy-meals out there in world, did Spike have
to ruin this one?
*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*`*
The progression was fast. Much faster than anyone expected. Giles later concluded
that it was Angelus’s death that caused it. If Xander had just been abandoned, then
it would have taken much longer.
Xander hadn’t even known he was doing it. But by the time Spike woke up to the
smell of Xander’s blood, again, the boy was already soaking in it.
Buffy came back to the apartment a few hours after dark. She had not contacted
anyone that day, choosing instead to wallow in the loss of her love, and work
through her anger with an early patrol that left several fledges screaming in pain
from broken bones and missing parts before they were dusted.
She was much calmer as she stood at Giles’ door, but the moment she entered, she
smelled the blood. It appeared that Giles, Willow, and Oz hadn’t noticed. She
wasn’t sure if it was her Slayer-senses that brought the strong scent to her attention,
or perhaps the other three had unconsciously gotten used to the smell, so they didn’t
notice when it had become overpowering.
Either way, the gang barely had a chance to acknowledge her presence before she
flew passed them and into the back bedroom. Giles and Willow were behind her in
an instant, and if Giles had not remained the level-headed Watcher that he was,