dragonyphoenix

Title: The Thin Line Between Hell and Heaven
Fandom: BtVS
Characters/Pairing: Spike/Xander
Rating: R eventually, for sex, but PG for adult themes in this chapter
Concrit: Please, in comments
Disclaimer: They aren't mine, not yet, but the will be once I've taken over the world. Bwah-ha-ha.
Summary: There's a thin line between love and hate...
Notes: This is a reworking of my drabble, Don't Get Caught, which was inspired by forsaken2003's Weekend Stuck Together.
Notes: This story came out very Season 4 episode heavy: this chapter, "Goodbye Iowa"
Masterlist

“I love you. I've always loved you. Will you marry me?”

As the ending credits rolled, Spike threw a pillow at the tv. “Oh, come on. You're ending it there? Bloody Passions. I don't know why I even bother to watch.” His words trailed off as what seemed to be an army of Scoobies thumped down the stairs, sounding like a whole herd of elephants. “Hey,” he shouted.

“Sorry Spike,” Xander, trailing behind Buffy and Willow, called out. “Issues with the Initiative.”

“The Initiative? What, you mean those soldier boy blokes?”

“They tried to kill Buffy,” Willow said.

Spike took a long look at Buffy. “Didn't succeed, what a pity. Still don't see why you're invading my peace and quiet.”

“We're sleeping here,” Buffy told him. “Get over it. Actually, leave.”

“Hey, no,” Xander said. When Buffy glared, he added, “I'm not kicking him out so the soldier boys,” he paused and glared at Spike, “so the Initiative, um, guys, can get their hands on him.”

“It would be sort of unfair,” Willow offered. “We are all here for the same reason.”

“Wait a minute,” Spike said. “The Slayer is hiding?”

“Unlike you,” Giles replied.

Spike stood, jutting forward in a don't make me hit you pose but before he could speak, Xander stepped in. “Could everybody calm down?”

“It is sort of close quarters in here,” Willow agreed. “We should probably try to get along.”

“Get along?” Spike snorted. “With you lot?”

“Spike,” Xander said.

“What?” Spike stood there as Xander gave him a long look. “You invite the whole crew over, and I don't even get to take pot shots?”

“Spike,” Xander warned.

Spike flopped down onto the couch. “Fine. Spoil my fun.”

As Giles made himself as comfortable as he could on the lounger, Willow looked over at Spike on the couch but then sat on one of the kitchen chairs. Buffy sat at the other end of the couch, as far from Spike as she could, and then Xander flopped down between them. They sat there in silence for a couple of long, stretched-out minutes.

“So, what do we do now?” Willow asked.

After a minute, Xander added, “What's on tv?”

“Don't bother,” Spike said. “After Passions, the only thing on is Judge Judy.” He shuddered.

Xander looked at Spike like he was insane. “She can't be that bad.”

“Oh can't she? She's short, caustic, and scary. I swear that woman has some Sh'vlex demon in her.”

The rest of the day was so painful that Spike didn't care: the soldier boys could drag him back into that cage but it'd still be better than staying in the basement on more minute. Xander tried to get him to stay, although the others didn't seem to care whether he left or not. “I'm going,” he told Xander. “Just make sure nobody takes my chair.”

“Um, Spike?” Xander replied. “Technically, the chair belongs to me, and Giles has been sitting in it for the past four hours.”

“To sleep in, ya daft git.”

Xander nodded and Spike took off, the sounds of an argument - “What do you mean you're not tying him up?” - starting behind him. When he got back, even though Giles was sleeping on what looked and sounded like a bunch of beach balls, the chair was empty, waiting for him, with a blanket folded on the cushion.

Of course he didn't get to sleep long. The sun had only been up a couple of hours when Xander ran upstairs to grab food and the girls turned on the telly, the roadrunner from the sound of it. Spike, remembering his promise to Xander, was wondering if this didn't count as extenuating circumstances when Giles got up and turned it off. Unfortunately Xander ran down a minute later, yelling for them to turn it back on, something about a Polgara demon skewering people.

Buffy didn't even stop for breakfast, grabbing a bagel and heading out the door. Willow went out as well, leaving Spike along with Xander and Giles. “I suppose I could pick up some of my books,” Giles offered.

“Not a good idea,” Xander said. “The Initiative can find you there.”

“But Buffy and Willow,” Giles started.

“Buffy and Willow didn't go home.”

“You hope,” Spike said. “Don't know where Red went, do we?”

“She said,” Xander replied, “that she had a way to help and that she wouldn't go near her dorm.”

“So she's on campus, right next to all those solider boys,” Spike said.

“You don't know that,” Giles replied.

“Oh, please. If she mentioned her dorm room, it's because she's going to campus. Unless she's being really sneaky and heading home instead.”

“You know what? Enough of this.” Xander turned on the tv.

“Right,” Giles snarked. “Because cartoons about a short man in a hunter's hat will make it all go away.”

“All I need is for it to shut the two of you up.”

“You know, I do have books that might tell us something about the Polgara demon, in my flat of course,” Giles said.

“Fine. Go,” Xander said. “But if you get caught, who am I kidding? Of course we'll come rescue you, but expect a very stern talking to.”

“I'll keep that in mind.”

Giles returned, with two boxes of books, before Buffy came back with one of the soldier boys. Spike retreated to the laundry room, although he needn't have bothered. Soldier boy, whom everyone was calling Riley, like that was a real name, looked like death warmed over, and Buffy tucked him in behind the curtain right away. Spike was so busy listening to Riley, making sure he stayed asleep, that he almost missed her plan to take Xander into soldier boy central.

“I'm going with.” Spike touched a hand to his lips, not believing that had just come out of his mouth.

“What?” Two voices rang out with the same word. Buffy looked pissed; Xander, confused but pleased.

Not bothering to explain, Buffy said no as if that ended it.

“Yes,” Spike replied, addressing Xander. “You aren't going in alone. It's too dangerous.”

“I won't be alone. I'll be with Buffy.” Spike didn't bother to reply. “Besides they'll know you're a vampire.”

“I look human enough,” Spike countered.

“Those guys who spotted you the other night, the ones who called you hostile 17, are you trying to tell me they didn't recognize you?”

Spike thought a minute. “Pretend you're bringing me in.”

“No,” Buffy said. “You'll draw attention to us. It'll be more dangerous.”

Spike could see the logic of that, as much as he didn't want to. “Don't let him get hurt,” he said, nodding toward Xander.

Buffy gave him a funny look but merely said, “He'll be fine.”

After they left, Spike paced the room. “You could help me research the Polgara,” Giles offered. Spike picked up a book, but tossed it down again after about five minutes. “It would be easier for me to concentrate if you could keep still,” Giles added.

“Can't,” Spike said, lighting a cigarette.

Willow came back about an hour later, accepting without a blink that Buffy had taken Xander into the Initiative. She was more upset about some spell she'd tried that hadn't worked. Spike was ready to light into her when he heard Riley stirring. Slipping into the garage, he closed the door. Listening in, he heard Riley complaining that Buffy didn't belong in the Initiative, which was true enough, and then Willow's cry and the thud of a body hitting the ground. By the time Spike made it to Willow's side, Riley was up the stairs and gone. She was OK and all – not that he cared of course – but she was Xander's friend and in Xander's absence in was up to him to keep his friends safe.

“Told you not to trust soldier boy.”

“No, actually, you didn't,” Giles replied.

Spike just glared and waited for Xander, hoping he was all right.