Rating: NC-17

Warnings: D/s, Blood Play, Rimming, Bondage, Food Play, CBT

Pairing: Spike/Xander

Summary: Everyone has wants and desires, Xander and Spike enjoy each others, while trying to keep the ones they love safe.

Previous parts: Need & Want

There was a loud obnoxious buzzing from somewhere. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but if it kept up the blasted thing was going to wake up Xander. Finally, Spike's brain kicked in enough to recognize it as the intercom from the security desk. He jumped to his feet and rushed out of the room, to stop it before it woke his consort.

"What the bloody Hell has you laying on this blasted buzzer at this time of the night, mate." He snarled into the speaker.

"Sir, I'm sorry to bother you at this hour, but I have strict instructions from Mr. Harris regarding Ms. Summers. I'm to alert him if she's ever in the area."

"And where is she then?" Spike asked, with a sinking feeling in his stomach.
"At current, Sir, she is just outside the building, accosting tenants as they try to come home."

"Accosting?"

"Yes, sir, she's accusing them of hiding a 'Pain in the neck chipped vampire' and being most disrespectful."

"Someone will be right up to take care of things." Spike said calmly.

He quietly slipped into some clothes and was just sliding out the door to the parking garage when a warm arm slid around him.

"And just where do you think you're going, without telling me?" Xander asked, nibbling at his neck.

"Just going to take care of a troublemaker, that's all luv." Spike said with a smirk.

"Just going out to let Buffy smack you around for information you mean, right Spike?" His mate looked at him with guilty eyes, and something else behind the guilt, maybe resignation. "It's part of my job with the company to keep her from making trouble here, that's why I was so careful about who the company leased to. More to the point, its part of my job as your consort to stand by you. You are not going to take a beating from her royal Buffness just so she can vent her frustrations and get a little information."

"No?" Spike asked, not quite believing it, in spite of everything.

"No. If she asks politely and you know the answer, I'd appreciate it if you'd share the information, but she won't be beating it out of you. Now let's go see what the trouble is."

"Are you sure, pet?" Spike had to ask.

"Positive." Xander said with a smile before taking Spike's hand and heading out the front door.

-----

Buffy Summers was not having a good night.

She'd been double teamed by a horned, slimy, fork tongued demon early on in the evening. It started out as a single opponent, but after she'd sliced and diced, the thing had regenerated itself; both halves. Only Riley's presence had kept it from being a total disaster. They managed to get away, but Giles had no clue what it could be, and Spike was... well annoying her even more than normal, if that was at all possible.

She figured she could beat a little information out of him, but the undead bastard was nowhere to be found. His crypt was even dustier than normal, and unfortunately it wasn't his dusty remains. Giles hadn't seen him lurking around for blood in days. Willy hadn't seen him either, but had heard he was staying in the new apartment building across town.

What she found when she got there just pissed her off even more. Demons were coming and going like it was nothing. There was some shaggy demon acting as a guard, and when she tried to beat some answers out of him, she'd found herself flying across the room with each attempted blow.

No she was not a happy slayer. She was furiously pacing outside the building, waiting for someone to come or go so she could get some answers without whatever magic was protecting them. Riley was sitting at a bench off to one side, quietly offering the appropriate yes or no to her verbal ranting, and otherwise keeping wisely silent. The shaggy demon in the guard outfit had called someone, so she expected some sort of attack at any time.

When she heard the ding of the elevator, she didn't know what to expect, but what she got was Xander and Spike. Xander and Spike together. Xander and Spike together in an obvious den of evil. What the hell?

"WHAT THE HELL? Xander what are you doing here? And just what the hell are you up to Spike?"

Xander stepped forward, effectively blocking her path to the bleached menace. "Could you tone it down a little, Buffy? Some of us were sleeping." Xander said to her in his normal calm, but goofy manner.

"Xander what's going on? Why are you with Spike in this demon infested building?" Buffy asked him confused.

"I wanted to have this conversation with Giles and you together, but you've both been so busy lately I haven't had a chance. Okay, first things first, take my pulse, notice the still warm still breathingness that is the Xan-man."

Buffy did as requested, satisfying the niggling part of her brain that kept saying something was wrong with her friend. "Yeah, OK, you're still among the living, so how does that explain what you're doing in a den of evil, with Spike of all people... things... vampires."

"Well, I wasn't trying to explain, yet. I was just making sure you noted that, before I start."

"Xander," She said with a warning growl in her voice. "Get to the point."

"You want a point? How about this one?" He asked growing irritated with her. "Spike and I are pretty much the vampire equivalent of married."

Instead of the attack he expected, Buffy pulled back, looked at him for a moment with a strange look on her face, and then started laughing her ass off.

Only a little insulted, he continued. "This is one of the projects my company worked on, and all the tenants who live here are special needs tenants, generally, but not always, demons who require special accommodations in their apartments. None of them are evil, I was very careful to check it out with Giles' books before their applications were accepted." There was an irritated noise from behind him. "Well almost none of them are evil, after all, Spike lives here, and he's totally evil."

"Thanks, luv." Spike said coming up behind Xander and kissing him on the side of his neck, just above his claim scar.

Buffy looked at him in shock, quiet for a half a second as she waited for Xander to turn around and start yelling at Spike, and then she flew at him going from amused to pissed in .5 seconds. "What the hell did you do to him?" She screeched as she tried to get to Spike.

Tried, because Xander was holding her back and keeping between her and the bleached bastard. She could hear movement behind her, which meant Riley was joining the fun. Good, he'd always wanted a piece of Spike, and unless he'd deactivated the chip, Riley could easily take him. Then she'd calm down Xander and get Giles and Willow to fix whatever Spike had done to him.

Xander heard and saw the threat to his mate at the same time Buffy realized he was moving. He waited a moment, careful to not obviously notice Riley. When the timing was right, he threw Buffy backwards, so that she slammed into her boyfriend and took them both to the ground. Using the free moment he threw Spike back into the lobby, before Buffy was up and after him again.

Instead of stopping her, he stepped aside. Buffy was so angry she forgot about whatever weird magic was keeping her from hitting things and she took a swing at Spike, who also forgot the no violence spell, but remembered the chip and just cringed back. There was a powerful crack and Buffy found herself flying back into Riley, who'd just managed to get to his feet.

"What the hell IS that thing?" Buffy screeched, totally infuriated that her strength and fighting skills were useless inside the building.

"Anti-violence spell." Xander explained. "That's what this sticker means." He said pointing towards a sticker on the door very similar to the no smoking sign next to it. A fist was pictured behind a red circle and a slash. "No violence in any of the public areas of the building. One of my better ideas, if I do say so."

"Y-You used magic against me?" Buffy asked, tearing up.

"I always said the bint had a big head, but this is ridiculous, luv." Spike sneered from the lobby.

"It isn't against you, Buffy. It's against anyone. You cannot do violence in the public areas of this building. It's a safety feature, and a nice selling point."

"So this is your big job? Catering to evil?" Buffy sneered.

"Do you EVER listen when he talks, Slayer? Boy has saved your life over and over, and you can't be bothered to clean out your ruddy ears from time to time and listen? There's gratitude for ya." Spike bitched, pacing and itching to light up a smoke, but not quite daring, since that ban was enforced with a spell too.

"What?" Buffy asked, her emotions in a jumble.

"What he means is I already told you, Buffy. Spike is the only evil demon living here. Most of the tenants are perfectly friendly. Hell, it's not even an all demonic building. I'm not the only human who lives here. Mrs. Chetchky in 12 C is human. She's in a wheelchair and her needs are the same as a Tilembic demon. Low appliances, wide doors, generally having everything low enough that she can reach it. Nate in 6 D is deaf, which makes him a great tenant to share a wall with the Skreelock demons who live in 6 C and 6 B. Then there's the fairies who are renting the space above the Grindlans."

"Isn't that a little like throwing stones in your glass house, Xander?" Buffy asked viciously.

"Huh?"

"Calling other people fairies when you claim to be married to Spike." She explained with a mean little smile on her face.

"They are real live make dew on the flowers, wings and glitter type fairies, Buff, but it's good to know where you stand on the matter." Xander said bitterly.

"Just go home. We'll talk about this tomorrow, with Giles." With that he turned and walked back into the building. He wrapped an arm around Spike and led him back into the elevator, leaving a stunned Buffy standing outside the door.

No the slayer was definitely having a bad night.

-----

They took Spike's car to the Magic Box, but didn't actually park and make their way inside until Tara and Willow arrived. He wasn't afraid, per say, but he didn't want to underestimate a pissed off Buffy and Ripper, not to mention Riley. Anya would be on his side, she'd known for months that he had plans for Spike. Willow and Tara could be counted on to at least do what they could to keep the peace.

Willow and Tara would have to deal with either lying to Buffy, or face her wrath when they explained what they knew, and that just wasn't very fair to them. He kissed Spike quickly before they slipped in the back door. He could hear the not so dulcet tones of Buffy in a pissed off rant from the back door of the shop. As one, he and Spike stepped up to the doorway to the front of the shop.

"I'm telling you, Willow, Spike has him under some kind of spell. He's got Xander living in this weird building with all kinds of spells on it. And there are demons. Xander is living surrounded by all kinds of evil demons."

Xander stepped into the room at that, furious. "Good to see you're consistent, Buffy. What with the never fucking listening, and all."
Buffy whirled around to face him, drawing a stake from her pocket as she spotted Spike.

"Um, Buffy, you're gonna want to put that down, kay? Cause I'm thinking threatening Xander's husband is a bad idea. So maybe we could all sit down and um... talk." Willow said in her 'trying oh so hard to be calm' voice.

"Yes, Buffy, quite. I for one would love to hear the explanation for this." Giles intoned from the other side of the shop.

Buffy turned to argue for a quick dusting, but found herself on the receiving end of both Willow's resolve face, and Giles' stern Watcher face. "Fine." She said with a pout and flounced over to sit down, stake at the ready for when she got the go ahead. Suddenly something clicked for Buffy. "Wait, husband? I never told you that part, Willow." She looked at her friend with more than a little hurt and suspicion.

"Xander's practically my brother. Do you really think he got the demon equivalent of married without telling me?" Willow said, brave face to the fore as she waited for the blasting she knew would be coming from Buffy, who instead, sat quietly trying to figure things out, like it was a difficult math problem.

"The most relevant part of this little scenario, at least to my thinking, is just how Spike was able to 'marry' you Xander." Giles said watching him carefully.

"Well, since I'm no longer entirely human, the chip doesn't effect me, Giles."

Strangely enough, Buffy was the only one in the room who seemed even a little shocked by this.

"Your adventures on the Hellmouth have altered you to that degree?" Giles asked, cleaning his glasses.

"I'm pretty sure it was mainly the primal. Even with it gone, my way of thinking about certain things was altered."

"Altered how?" Giles asked, watching him warily.

"Altered to the point that when Angel gave me to him on Parents' Night, I started seeing Spike as a potential mate." Xander said quietly.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Buffy asked, angry as she remembered when the hyena saw her as mate potential. "What did you do?"

"Nothing like what happened with you, Buffy." Xander said, quietly. "That was the hyena spirit all by itself. It wanted to force you to submit even though that wasn't how you took or rejected a mate. It... I wanted, and couldn't grasp the concept of you not wanting us back if we could prove our worthiness as mate. Once the primal left, I was back in control, and very much aware that no means no. I just had a different view on the world at large."

"Such as?" She asked impatiently.

"Such as liking guys. Although that little nugget took a long time to come to terms with, let me tell you. I started finding strength of character more attractive than strength of looks, not that I wasn't attracted to some mighty beautiful people, but they all had an inner strength to them. I mean say what you will, but Cordy? One of the toughest cookies out there. Spike and Anya both had that same take no prisoners attitude."

"Still not getting why your getting snugly with the evil undead over there." Buffy snarled. "You hate vampires, remember. I mean you were oh so fond of Angel."

"Angel was making romantic googly eyes at an impressionable young girl who had the weight of the world on her shoulders, he lied about who he was, and kept secret after secret to look better, even when the truth could have saved lives. If you can honestly tell me you'd let Dawn date a souled vampire whose 250 years old when she's sixteen, I'll never ever say another word against him."

"That's not the same thing... and besides at least he has a soul." Buffy said, trying to turn things back around.

"You know I liked Angel better without the soul, at least then he wasn't being a complete fucking hypocrite." Xander said before he could stop himself.

"So that's it huh? You like 'em without souls? So did you pant after Angelus then? Was he strong enough for you?" Buffy asked, infuriated.

"Not hardly, Buff. I like my men with at least a shred of sanity. I mean of the two which one tried to save the world and which one tried to end it?"

"I hardly think this is productive, or relevant. We're here to discuss the current... situation, not dwell on past mistakes." Giles put in.

"You're right, Giles. Here is the current situation: My hyena is mated to Spike." He reached and pulled back Spike's clothes to show the bite mark on his shoulder. "Spike's vampire has taken me as a consort." He reached up and pulled his shirt to one side, showing Giles his claim mark. "I'm working for a company that in part, creates housing for non-humans. Specifically those who are either neutral or good. Spike and I live in the first mixed apartment building that the company finished, and one of the suggestions I made to improve our properties was a no violence spell in all public areas, which has Buffy pissed since she tried to attack unarmed harmless demons, and Spike, last night without cause. By the way, you almost decapitated a human, Buffy. The hairy deaf guy who came up behind you while trying to get into the elevator. Management asked me to let you know you're not welcome on the property unless your there to visit me, in which case you will use the private entrance."

"He snuck up on me." She said defensively. "And it would be just like evil to try and keep me out. What are they going to try and do to me if I show up again, have me killed?"

"I swear to God, it's like you have selective hearing when it comes to the term not evil. They won't have you killed, Buffy. You'll be trespassing, and security has been given orders to call the police and have you escorted off the property. If that doesn't work they'll probably have a restraining order issued."

"Like that's going to stop me." She said standing to get in Xander's face, furious at the threat, violent or not.

"It most certainly should." Giles said fiercely. "If Xander is telling the truth, and I can only assume he's brought proof, then you were very much in the wrong. Moreover any assault on Spike, particularly unwarranted, is an attack on Xander. Staking Spike would very likely have serious repercussions on Xander's mental and physical health, possibly fatal ones."

Giles quickly found every eye in the room was focused on him.