Epilogue

"This would be a whole lot easier if I wasn't tied," Xander pointed out as he leaned a hip into the island of the small country house. Riley smiled at him, the edges of his eyes crinkling.

"Forget it, Sport. You can't play innocent injured party with me when I was there last night. You know the rules. If you don't follow orders on patrol, you get the day to think about the fact that you need to trust Spike and me to take care of you."

"Hey, I am all about the trust, it's the engaging the brain part that sometimes trips me up. And speaking of having to take care of me, that's not really with the fair because Spike's asleep and you're stuck babysitting the Xander," he pointed out with his best hopeful expression.

"Put the puppy eyes away, Guide of mine," Riley said as he held up the ham sandwich. Xander sighed and leaned forward to take another bite.

"I killed the vamp, didn't I?" Xander asked with his mouth full.

"Xander, this isn't about whether your decision was right or wrong, it's about you not following orders. Spike and I had both spotted the new vampire, but even if we hadn't, a quick, 'look--new vampire!' would have worked. I'll put you up against a kith-harn or a lomyx any day of the week, but you and vampires together give me gray hair."

Xander almost snorted his sandwich, and Riley gave him a dirty look. "You know I don't mean you and Spike. You're in a mood today, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yep," Xander admitted. "And manly pride dictates that I have to object to this. I mean, having to ask to be fed is bad for the male ego."

That made Riley hesitate for a second as he looked at Xander with a little concern. "I hate to point this out, but you agreed that this was fair. I was all for bootcamp style training and pushups. I was actually looking forward to ordering you to drop and give me twenty. You and Spike vetoed me."

"Ri," Xander laughed, "you take me way too seriously sometimes. I mean, the cuffs are annoying," Xander yanked at the leather and chains that kept his hands behind his back, "but pushups are cruel and unusual punishment, and there is a line where I have to put my foot down."

"Well then, it looks like those cuffs are staying," Riley smiled, the worry gone once his Guide gave him a little reassurance. Riley held up the last of the sandwich and Xander took it, chewing before he bent over to drink his milk through a straw.

"You could still unlock me, though. I promise the lesson has so been learned, or relearned. But, hey, I am definitely improving on the whole working as a team thing, and I was supposed to go Christmas shopping with you today," Xander pointed out when he'd finally gotten the last of his late lunch down. He turned his best puppy eyes towards his Sentinel. "You know Buffy will be all disappointed. If I had woken up before she took off, she so would have unlocked me." Xander was probably overstating that since Buffy rarely unlocked him, and then usually only after he confessed why Spike had cuffed him in the first place, which was almost always more embarrassing than just being cuffed, but he gave Riley his saddest pleading expression and hoped for the best.

"You can go with Willow and Susan tomorrow," Riley said, a look of amusement on his face.

"Oh no. No, I am not going shopping with the girls. Do you have any idea how scary that is?" Xander demanded.

"It'll be more scary if Clark hears you call her a girl. The woman is a decorated soldier with dozens of kills under her belt."

"And Willow is the most powerful witch in the world. Your point?" Xander asked. Susan wouldn't do more than roll her eyes and slip Ex-Lax into his hot chocolate.

"Well, I suppose you could still go with Buffy and me, but you're going to have a hard time explaining those cuffs to the lady at Harrod's." And now Riley looked like he was about to start laughing.

"Ha, ha." Xander rolled his eyes. "You know, I've gotten used to not having people stare and point now that I dumped the one-eyed pirate look. I think I'll skip the reminder of those inglorious days of yore."

"They would definitely stare and point," Riley said cheerfully as he headed for the living room, ruffling Xander's hair as he passed him.

"Okay, there should be a rule about you not doing that when I can't retaliate," Xander complained as he shook his head to get his hair out of his eyes.

"You can't ever retaliate. I can take you whether your hands are chained or not," Riley pointed out as he grabbed his coat. "So, are you okay here with Spike?"

Xander sat on the arm of the couch. "Yeah, he'll be up soon. If I need something, he'll be easy enough to wake. So, are you going to steer Buffy past that little jewelry store? Maybe see if she's particularly fond of any diamonds?" Xander prompted.

"We'll see," Riley said cautiously. "Four months living together isn't that long, Xander. I don't want to make another mistake and have another woman hate me as much as Sam does. I really don't want *Buffy* to hate me."

"I keep telling you, your souls are doing the flowing together thing. It's not going to fall apart, not unless you do something to sabotage it," Xander promised.

"And I have my Guide around to stop me if I'm doing something that stupid again," Riley added as he pulled on his coat and gloves.

"Not me." Xander shook his head. "I'll tell Spike, and he'll kick your ass."

"That's true," Riley laughed. "And he'd enjoy doing it a little too much. If Giles calls with that…" Riley stopped and looked at him. "I guess the machine will pick it up."

"If he calls before sunset, yep," Xander agreed. He had at least a slim shot at getting Buffy to cut his punishment short, but Spike never fell for the puppy eyes and Spike was so not going to pick up a call from Giles—magical, mystical book that they really, really needed or not.

Riley paused for a second, and Xander figured the man was probably plotting the reconciliation battle-plan version four. Buffy wanted Giles happy, Giles hated that the rest of them had fallen into their little hierarchy; therefore, Riley had to do something to make it all better. Xander wished him luck, but he doubted that Giles would ever do anything except grudgingly accept the changes. Spike insisted that Giles was just like an old, dethroned king whining about the whippersnappers who'd taken his power. Buffy and Willow thought he just needed to know they still needed him. Xander suspected that Riley would be happier if Giles just went away and took the last of the weirdness with him. After a second, Riley sighed, obviously shoving that problem off for later.

"Buffy and I are going to swing through Hemel Hempstead after dark. We think that's where all these new fledges are coming from."

"Just keep everything dialed back unless you plan on coming back here for me and Spike," Xander said as he went along with the topic change. He didn't really want to think about Giles too much, either. Conflict was so much worse when he knew it came out of love and worry because then he couldn't even get angry with Giles for doing the minimally-supportive thing.

"You could meet us there after sunset: the warehouses off Eaton."

"I'll tell Spike," Xander agreed. Riley pulled on a hat.

"Be good," Riley suggested.

"With you and Buffy out of the house and a few hours of privacy? No chance," Xander smiled and wiggled his eyebrows. Riley rolled his eyes before heading out the door. "See you later," Xander called after the door was closed, but he knew his Sentinel would hear.

Xander wandered into the bedroom and considered Spike sprawled across the red sheets. Crawling onto the bed, Xander used his teeth to pull the sheet down far enough for him to reach a small, dark nipple. He started with small licks until he was fairly sure Spike was awake and then he settled down to suck and nip the sensitive nub until it hardened under his lips. Lying next to Spike, he brought his knee up and rubbed it over the growing bulge under the sheet.

"Part of you is awake, anyway," Xander said as he watched Spike's lips slowly twitch up.

"Someone's feelin' frisky," Spike said. His hand darted out and caught the back of Xander's neck and pulled him in for a long kiss. When Spike finally released him, Xander was breathless and hard, and so off balance he couldn't right himself and sprawled across Spike's chest. Wiggling, Xander tried to get a leg under him, but then Spike's hand landed on his back, and Xander sagged. He rarely won the playful wrestling matches in their bed, but with his hands chained he wouldn't have a chance.

"I had hoped to wake a certain someone up by chaining him spread eagle to the bed and torturing him for hours," Xander mused. Spike pursed his lips.

"Then a certain someone had better learn ta follow orders because a certain someone gives up the right to play like that when he gets caught doin' something stupid."

"And like I told Riley, I killed the vamp, so all's well that ends well."

"That line work with him?" Spike asked as he pushed himself up on one elbow.

"Nope."

"Good. If that'd been the master of the line comin' round to challenge, you would have been dead before you could have pulled out your secret weapon, pet. You know the rules." Spike's words might have been grumpy, but the hands wandering over Xander's naked back and dipping under the waistband of his jeans were definitely not grumpy hands. "So, ya had dirty little plans for me today? I thought you were planning a shopping trip with Riley and Buffy."

"Nope. I ordered all my stuff online, so I was just going to go and torture Riley with some control tests, but when I saw you fighting last night, doing that whirling kick of death thing… I so had fantasies about tying you down and having my evil way with you." Xander wiggled an eyebrow in a way that he hoped looked evil. Spike cocked his head.

"We'll have to put your evil on hold, pet. 'Course that means I have time for my evil."

"I thought you weren't evil anymore, you know, what with you being soulboy now."

"Oi, don't even joke like that. I'm nothin' like him, and unlike some brooders, I still remember how to enjoy a little evilness," Spike said, and with a smirk, he flipped Xander so that Xander was now on his back, his arms trapped under him as Spike straddled his hips.

"Take torture, for example," Spike said calmly as he settled back, his naked butt settling in on top of Xander's crotch and slowly rocking forward and back. Xander threw his head back and gasped as his cock strained in the way too tight confines, and now he remembered why high school had been four years of baggy.

"Oh, shit…" Xander swallowed his words as Spike bore down a little harder. Lost in the rising need, he closed his eyes and gulped oxygen until finally, Spike stilled. When Xander opened his eyes, he found Spike leaning over him, a hand braced on either side of Xander's head.

"Problem, pet?"

"Oh yeah, big problem, and not to boast, but I do mean big."

Spike's lips twitched.

"And since I'm cuffed, it's your job to take care of me," Xander pointed out with a smirk of his own.

"Usually," Spike said slowly. "Problem is that someone admitted he'd planned to torture me. Can't blame a bloke for not wanting to be particularly kind to someone who'd planned to torture him."

Xander blinked, and maybe he just had too much blood detoured south, but it took him a second to catch on to the rules of this new game. Spike cocked his head to one side with his lips pursed together in that same expression he used when he was about to take Xander's queen in chess, and that so should have been an instant giveaway.

"So, pet. What exactly did you think you were going to be doin' to me today because I have to determine whether I'm offended enough ta torture you," Spike prompted, the lines around his eyes crinkling.

"I… oh!" Xander said as the little blood still in his brain hit the right cells. Spike rolled his eyes. "I would have chained you to the wall," Xander said quickly. Spike raised an eyebrow.

Spike didn't move, and Xander squirmed a little under the almost amused expression. "What?" Xander finally asked.

Spike bent down and pressed lips to Xander's neck. Xander squirmed as his cock hardened more, but all he could do was throw his head to the side to encourage his lover. Trailing kisses over the collarbone, Spike worked up until he nipped an earlobe and then whispered in Xander's ear.

"Slow down, pet. Have all night. So," Spike pinched Xander's nipple, and Xander arched off the bed as he pulled his shackles tight. "What exactly were you plannin' on doing to torture me.?I think I have a right to know what my subordinates have brewin' in those heads of theirs," Spike asked, his words lazy and slow against Xander's ear as a thumb stroked the tender nipple.

"I'd…" Xander swallowed and forced himself to take a deep breath and calm down before he came in his pants like a horny teenager. "I'd pull your arms up over your head… chain you to the wall so you couldn't do anything to stop me," Xander said as he watched Spike's eyes darken. Nervously, Xander licked his lips, and Spike's eyes tracked the movement.

"You would, huh?"

"Oh yeah. I'd see you naked and stretched out, all that strong muscle straining under the skin," Xander said slowly as his erection really did start protesting the tight clothing and Spike's weight.

"Seems like someone needs a taste of his own medicine," Spike said, his voice low and evil, but the expression was all lust. Xander hooked a heel on the edge of the bed and started scooting back right before Spike pounced, tossing him over onto his stomach and pinning him down.

Xander writhed, either that or he humped the mattress in an attempt to find some relief, but he was going to call it writhing and bucking as he fought hands that uncuffed him, but then held him helpless. Again, Spike flipped him, and Xander didn't even pretend to fight as Spike buckled new cuffs around his wrists. The cool leather soaked up the heat that seemed to pour off him.

"Somethin' wrong with this picture," Spike mused.

"Something like the fact that I wanted you chained here, helpless at my mercy?" Xander asked. He could get into this game. He could so get into this game. Spike smiled crookedly as he considered Xander like the last piece of chocolate at a girls' slumber party.

"Gonna pay for that, pet. Conspiring against your betters is a dangerous game." Spike reached down and unbuttoned Xander's jeans. He couldn't contain a sigh of relief as his cock finally got enough room to actually fill out. His boxers tented up as Spike slowly pulled the jeans down and off. Then he cat-crawled up Xander's body, dropping kisses at random points until Xander was squirming and fighting the restraints as he tried to buck up into that solid body above him.

"Right then, confession time. What evil plans did you have brewing?" Spike leaned down and sucked at the soft curve where Xander's neck and shoulder met. For a second, Xander couldn't come up with anything as his whole body was reduced to that one point and that one need. Spike pulled back, and Xander was panting.

"Won't confess? We'll see how long you can hold out against torture," Spike said with way too much amusement. Xander opened his mouth, but when Spike slid down and mouthed Xander's erection through the silk boxers, the words turned into a strangled squawk. Xander's whole body twitched as Spike slowly sucked the shaft through the silk, and each time he moved closer to the tip, the damp fabric left behind cooled in the air and sent shimmers of lust through Xander's body.

Xander twisted and struggled and gasped, but strong hands simply caught his hips and held him down. When Spike finally reached the sensitive head, Xander howled and fought with every muscle to get Spike off his legs. He had to have more or he had to make Spike stop or he was going to explode, and he really might not mind if he exploded.

Spike sat up and ran his tongue along his teeth. "Ready to talk?" Spike asked.

Xander nodded, words still scattered through his brain so that he couldn't actually form sound.

Spike shifted and lay down next to Xander, an idle hand stroking Xander's heaving chest. "So, confess or I'll show ya what a hundred years can teach a man. I'll bring you so close to the edge that you'll beg for release."

"Beg, I could beg," Xander agreed. He threw his legs open and then pulled his knees up. He just needed a little more.

Spike quickly moved to sit on Xander's thighs again. "Oh, I can make you beg any time, pretty. But right now is confession time. What exactly were you plotting against your master, pet?"

Xander took a deep breath and tried to ignore the throbbing need that had just about stolen from him the ability to form words. "I was going to tie your feet spread eagle and play with your ass until I could slide that big black vibrator all the way up you," Xander said as he watched Spike. Both their cocks twitched.

"Can't have ya thinking you can get away with thoughts like that," Spike eventually said as he stood up, stripped Xander of his boxers, and headed for the closet. Xander watched the play of muscles as Spike walked back with the leg chains. In seconds, Xander was laid out helpless, his arms over his head, his legs spread obscenely wide, and his cock bobbling happily in the air.

Spike settled in between his legs and opened the lube. "Don't have a lot of room to work with you all stretched out, but that's not the point. This is torture, luv. There are consequences for having dirty thoughts about tying me up," Spike said as he slipped one finger inside Xander. The familiar feeling of movement inside him almost made Xander come right there, but a sharp pinch to the inside of his thigh interrupted the perfect bliss. Xander glared.

"Can't learn your lesson that way, pet. If you had thoughts about shovin' this whole thing up my arse, you'll just have to endure." Spike smirked as he added a second finger, and Xander twisted as the fingers just barely brushed his prostate, making contact just long enough to drive up the hot need without actually giving any relief. From Spike's smirk, he knew exactly what he was doing.

Almost lost in need and the throbbing between his legs, Xander missed the first part of the vibrator sliding into him, but when the thick plug forced him open, Xander threw his head back and arched his back.

"More," he begged. "Just a little more. Harder." Xander's words came out jagged and rough, but Spike continued the slow press, the plastic thicker and thicker as it spread Xander wide, and then the thickest part was in, and his ass tightened around the neck of the toy.

"Need ta get cleaned up, and someone needs to calm down and think about the foolishness of plotting against his master," Spike said as he stood up and tossed the tube onto the nightstand.

By the time Spike came back from washing his hands, Xander had reclaimed enough blood from his cock in order to form not just words but complete sentences.

"So, what else did the evil little boy have planned for his master?" Spike asked as he circled the bed and considered Xander from all angles.

"You can't make me talk," Xander said, and that might have been an actual rebellious tone except his cock went and twitched again. Spike quickly turned a smile into a smirk of true evilness.

"You bloody well will," he promised.

"Dream on, oh peroxided one."

Spike raised an eyebrow. "Mighty mouthy considering your situation, pet," Spike pursed his lips and sat on the edge of the bed. After brushing Xander's hair back, Spike's hands lingered on Xander's face, tracing the bow of his lips and trailing across his closed eyes and then slightly skimming down Xander's neck and across his chest. The almost invisible touches set Xander on fire, and he quickly lost his new-found ability to form words.

Strong fingers rolled his nipples until they darkened and puckered, and then Spike leaned over and gently sucked on one. Xander's brain happily focused on that, ignoring the threads of desire sparked wherever Spike's wandering hands brushed: a thigh, his side, the small white scar from Africa, his shoulder and the giant hickey Spike had already left. Then Spike's fingers skimmed past Xander's balls, barely brushing the curled hair, and Xander gave a pitiful moan as his cock ached and twitched.

"Ready to talk?" Spike asked as he finally released Xander's nipple. Xander nodded.

"Right then, what did you have planned for me next?" Spike asked.

"I planned to let you come and then tuck you back in bed?" Xander asked with wide eyes. Spike looked at him for a second, cocking his head.

"Fine, I so would not have let you off. No way. I would have just been getting started," Xander admitted. Yeah, a little part of him wanted to come, but a bigger part just wanted more.

"Thought so. You always did have an evil streak, pet. That's one reason I picked you," Spike nodded. "So, are you going to talk or should I keep torturing you? Have to say, I am enjoying the torture, so you'd better talk quick or you'll lose your chance," Spike said as he sat next to Xander, one hand resting on Xander's chest.

"I would have gotten that ring gag and buckled it on you," Xander said. He could see Spike's eyebrow go up because that wasn't one of their favorite toys. "Oh yeah, the big ring gag," Xander clarified, and the eyebrow went up further. "Then I was going to turn that vibrator on and give you something to suck on. I figured I'd make sure you were filled so full on both ends that you couldn't think about anything else." Xander blushed. This was way past his normal quota for dirty talk.

"Can't let ya get away with thinking things like that about me, can I? What kind of a master would I be?" Spike asked as he headed back toward the closet. Spike was two steps away before Xander started feeling just enough panic to take the edge off the need. This was playing harder than they normally did.

Spike stopped at the closet door, and turned back. "You okay, pet?"

"Equal parts blind lust and slightly embarrassed panic," Xander admitted.

"Safe as houses, my little Shaman," Spike said before he vanished into the closet and reappeared with the large ring gag. "And I do appreciate the fact that you would use the gag on me because if you got me chained up and then turned the vibrator on, well, I would feel bad if I bit off that lovely cock of yours," Spike said as he came back to the bed. "However, I still need to teach you a lesson about what happens to evil little boys with their naughty fantasies."

Spike held the front of the gag with both hands, and Xander opened his mouth wide enough for Spike to slip it between his teeth. Almost immediately, Xander felt the saliva start, and if he could, he probably would have asked that Spike take it off, but Spike was buckling it, and Xander was reduced to random noises.

"You are evil, pet, planning to torture me like this after everything I've done for you," Spike said as he let his hands trail over Xander's body, across his stomach, down his spread thighs, and then Spike flipped the switch on the bottom of the vibrator, and Xander screamed. His cock was so hard that Xander almost came, and he fought the restraints. Need. That's all that existed in his world.

"Oi, can't have ya wakin' the dead. I guess I'll have to keep you quiet," Spike said as he crawled into the bed. Spike positioned himself over Xander's head and slipped his cock into the gag, pressing so far in that Xander had to focus on breathing for a second. Spike's cock filled him, pushing away all other thoughts. The vibrator worked on, sending hot flares through Xander and stretching him and filling him until he couldn't thing about anything else. Bending down, Spike took Xander's erection in his mouth, and Xander really did appreciate the ring gag because Spike would have lost something.

Spike pulled his hips back, pulling most of his cock out of Xander's mouth, and Xander tried to follow it up, sealing his lips around his prize and sucking. Spike thrust back down and released Xander's cock as he gave a strangled cursed, and Xander let his head fall to the pillow as Spike made small thrusts into his mouth.

When Spike again sucked on just the head, Xander screamed around the cock in his mouth and started coming. As his muscles tightened, the plug seemed to grow and Xander stretched and fought as he thrust up into Spike's mouth and then collapsed to the bed, his ass still full.

Spike reached down and flicked off the vibrator, and Xander sagged in relief as sensations that had been too much settled back into being just pleasantly overwhelming.

"Still haven't learned your lesson, pet, so you stay nice and plugged until you make me come," Spike commented as he sat up, his cock so hard that it was purpling. Xander frowned and tried to lean toward Spike's cock, a line of drool escaping. With quick fingers, Spike unbuckled the gag and tossed it to the floor.

"Open wide, pet," he ordered as he got back into position. Xander happily obeyed. With more freedom, now he could play with the foreskin, running his tongue along the edge. Soon Spike was thrusting again, and this time Xander worked harder, sucking and swallowing as he tried to take in more and more of Spike even though the angle was wrong for deep throating. He was rewarded by a jerk that drove the cock deep into him and then Spike was coming with a rough shout.

Spike pulled out, dribbling a few drops of come onto Xander's face and chest as he flopped down next to Xander.

"Right then, you learned your lesson, pet? You have any more deep dark fantasies about torturing your master?" Spike asked as he lay panting, which always made Xander feel good because when you can make a creature who doesn't need air pant, that's got to be worth something.

"I was planning on keeping you plugged just so you remembered that I'm evil," Xander commented casually.

"Randy bugger," Spike said with a laugh. "For that, you can keep that monster in you until I'm ready to get up for real," Spike said as he reached down and unbuckled Xander's ankles. Xander bent his knees to work the circulation back, but the vibrator in him was a monster, so he couldn't close his legs. With a sigh, he settled his legs back down.

"Ready ta finish sleepin' now," Spike said in that drowsy post-sex voice of his.

Xander just hummed.

"Ya alright, pet? You went kinda quiet on me."

"Brain leakage," Xander sighed. "And now you're going to have to tell Riley that you broke the Guide and made his brains come dribbling out."

"You'll recover," Spike snorted as he ran a hand across Xander's chest, his thumb detouring west to tease an unprotected nipple.

"You keep doing that and I'll make a recovery," Xander hummed. "Just not soon," he admitted. Drained didn't even begin to cover it. "Oh, and Riley said that if we don't have plans, we can meet him and Buffy by the warehouses in Hemel Hempstead. They think they've tracked the new vamp in town," he said before he forgot.

Spike hummed as he settled in. He threw a leg over Xander's leg, and settled his arm in on Xander's chest. Even if Xander hadn't still been chained to the wall, he wouldn't be going anywhere.

"Right then, should probably go and help them track the nest," Spike finally offered.

"Riley definitely can't be tracking without me," Xander agreed.

"Pet, no offense, but he's not that good at tracking with you," Spike pointed out.

"Hey, no dissing my Sentinel," Xander complained. He brought his knee up and gave Spike a shove since he couldn't do much more than that.

"Not dissin' the clod. He's a treat in a fight, and he can use that Sentinel hearing well enough, but he doesn't have a range anywhere near Jim, and I'm startin' to think he never will. The upside bein' that he doesn't have those zone outs Blair described."

"Don't count the Ri-man out so quick. He had a freaky dream last night," Xander said smugly. Yeah, Riley didn't have Blair around to put him on the fast track, but they were coming along just fine.

"Boy had a blue dream?" Spike asked, suddenly all interested. He had been about ready to settle his head on Xander's chest, but now he sat up and considered Xander with a whole lot of very alert curiosity.

"It wasn't blue," Xander admitted, and he could see Spike's interest immediately wane. Yep, Spike's demon definitely wanted Riley to develop the mystical side of Sentinel life. Like Spike had said a dozen times, the senses just meant a Sentinel was a human with more vulnerabilities; the mystical abilities were a Sentinel's true power. But when Riley's mystical side didn't appear, everyone had just sort of stopped talking about it.

"He was circling over a jungle when he saw what he called a cute, tiny jaguar kitten with round ears, and I am so not appreciating that particular description," Xander snorted. And yep, there was Spike's interested face again.

"He saw your spirit animal?"

"Yep, that was definitely a kod kod, unless you know of someone else with a spirit animal that's smaller than a house cat and looks like a miniature jaguar with round ears, and no, I didn't ever tell him what my spirit animal was. I have never told *anyone* that I have a spirit animal that makes people go awwwww. One of these days I really am going to trade up to something bigger," he sighed.

"Don't look a gift spirit guide in the mouth, pet," Spike said as he pinched a nipple. Xander's body tightened in desire, and the plug seemed to grow two sizes. Xander forced himself to take a deep breath and relax. Spike waited as Xander calmed his body; he might not be recovered, but his body was ready to try. "So, Finn was flying above?" Spike eventually asked once Xander sank back onto his pillow.

"Yep."

"Feel the need to make a birdbrain joke for old times' sake, I do," Spike mused.

"We aren't to the interesting part yet," Xander promised. "There was a big snake curled around the cat, an iridescent black and red snake that looked big enough to eat three kod kods."

"Yeah?" Spike lowered his brows.

"Riley challenged the snake, told it to get away from the cat, and the snake called him an idiot and told him it was ophiophagous, so Riley went fishing. And that last part is definitely dream logic for you."

"The snake was what?"

"I'm really glad you asked because now I feel less stupid for having no idea what it meant this morning. Apparently that's an animal that eats snakes. So, I was being protected by a beautiful snake that likes to eat other snakes. I'm thinking that's not so hard to interpret, although Riley was having this weird conversation with himself about how snakes symbolize hidden fear or phallic symbols or something weird and psychologic that wasn't really much with the making of sense."

"I've heard of someone talking to himself, but he was having a conversation with himself?" Spike asked, both eyebrows going up in an expression that very clearly suggested that the therapist was getting a call.

Xander rolled his eyes. "Okay, he was trying to have the conversation with me, but I just sort of nodded my head at him."

"You didn't tell him it was a Sentinel dream?" And now Spike just looked confused.

"Hey, I tell him that, and he's going to drive himself crazy *trying* to have more, and that way leads to frustration and short tempers. Nope, I'm going for letting him figure this one out on his own. Personally, I'm a little disappointed that he's totally off on the wrong trail with the snake thing. I was thinking that was pretty obvious."

Spike shook his head. "I know where you're going, pet, but he might be right. You're a Shaman and Riley's a Sentinel, so of course you have spirit guides. I don't know of any vampires who have them, so the snake might be somethin' out of Riley's imagination."

"Nope. You're the snake," Xander declared confidently. Spike raised an eyebrow. "I'm the Guide, and I say you're the snake. After all, when I’m using my powers, you're the one who guides me. I love Riley, in the older-brother and not the gay-man-sex way—Riley and sex are so off the list of approved thoughts—but even though I love him, I have to say he sucks on the helping me with the Shaman stuff. His advice is usually to just concentrate harder. Not really with the helpful. So you're the Guide of the Guide, and you now have your very own spirit guide."

"Pet, spirit guides are powerful mojo, just sayin' it's true doesn't make it true," Spike said slowly as he studied Xander.

"Spike, I know I'm big with the crap-judgment in the heat of battle, but when I'm not doing stupid stuff that puts me in the middle of danger, you trust me, right?" Xander asked. Spike cocked his head and then let his hand rest in the middle of Xander's chest.

"Trust ya with my heart, pet. Trust ya with everythin' except your own safety."

"Then trust me when I say this," Xander said seriously. "That's your spirit animal who's there with my spirit animal. I'm the Guide, so I know stuff like this. I have trouble explaining it sometimes because when I try to, I end up sounding slightly crazyish and I don't always know where my imagination stops and my powers begin, but I do sorta know what I'm doing with the Shaman stuff."

"You're bloody stunning at the Shaman bit, pet. And if ya say I have a spirit guide, too, then I believe you." Spike got a thoughtful smile as he considered the idea. Xander just knew his demon was going to be all over this no matter how many doubts the soul had. Yep, Spike's demon was still a power-hungry little beastie. Spike settled down next to Xander and pulled the covers up over both of them.

"Oh yeah, my vamp's got him a spirit guide," Xander said happily. Blinking into his Shamanic vision, he snuggled into the pillow. Spike rested his head on Xander's shoulder and draped a leg across his thighs, holding him down. Smiling at his lover, Xander watched the soul cord shimmer into the form of a large snake that gravitated toward Xander's warmth, draping a coil over Xander's body before settling his wide head down on Spike's chest. The unblinking eyes watched Xander the way they always did, the light reflecting off the black of them and the black and red of his scales, although if Xander looked closely, he could see the blue reflected even on the darkest scales.

He had to concentrate harder for the next part, and it took several seconds of staring into the shadows before his own blue cord coiled and knotted and slowly formed the small head and round ears and then the body and the short bushy tail. The color came last, the blue finally fading into the brown and black spots as the tiny cat walked up Xander's body, stepping over the coils of the snake that now watched them both, a forked tongue coming out to taste the air. The tiny cat circled several times before finally picking a section of coil and throwing himself down so that his back pressed to the snake and he nestled between Spike and Xander.

Knowing that all was well and that either his vampire or his spirit guide would warn him if it wasn't, Xander closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep.