Note:  the final scene at the airport in the movie did not happen. No showdown, no Max/Clay tangling, no airplane, nothing like it.  They're still hunting for Max.

Warning:  some bondage, some kinky stuff, some drugs during sex to enhance it. Some biting.  A bit of knife play & one with fisting.  Mpreg too.


A New Master Plans





The priest knelt to do his nightly prayers.  He knew all too well how quickly things could turn bad.  Earlier he had to come out of hiding to help a group of young teens who shouldn't have to save the world.  It wasn't his first time but he was an adult.  They were barely adults and had their whole lives ahead of them.  None of them had even picked a job to be miserable in yet.  He said his nightly prayer that the demons would calm down and added that he hoped the slayer's team got some help and some sense given to them.  The slayer had nearly made him break and paddle her for her attitude.  And her boyfriend was worse.  He finished up and blew out the lantern beside his bed, climbed in to stare at his ceiling and consider why he was here.  God had sent through his transfer by making him fill it out when he was drunk.  Clearly He had His reasons.

***

Xander woke up in a brightly lit room.  He glanced around, his eyes half closed.  No one.  He got up and took a better look around.  Bathroom through an open door.  He was on a regular bed.  So clearly not a hospital, no matter how strong the hospital smell was.  He slid out of the bed and went to the bathroom.  His lower half was screaming at him.  He checked.  No blood.  He found an ivory looking prosthetic in his ass.  Which was not usually his style.  Or a hospital's.  He was getting flashes of what happened but he had to ignore it because having a screaming hissy fit didn't really work for him at the moment.  He cleaned himself up with a warm washcloth and went to scrounge clothes. 

He was not staying in this charming unbleached cotton shift he was wearing.  Mostly because he didn't want anyone to see him in the sacrificial gown.  He'd never live that down.  He found some pants and a shirt, not his but his wallet and house keys were under it.  So were his work boots.  He slid into them and checked the rest of the room for anything useful.  No weapons.  Not even a spork.  He broke a chair and had a set of stakes.  That would help.  He checked the door carefully and it opened.  He checked the hall then walked toward the bigger set of lights.  That was probably toward the exit or someone he could torture to find out what had happened.

"M'Panni!" someone shouted.

Xander turned and staked them, noting the knives.  He took them and moved on.  Others had probably heard so it wasn't safe to stay there.  A few more shouted at him and got in his way.  One had a sword.  Which pleased Xander to no end.  He knew how to use a short sword.  He checked a doorway and walked through it, barely noticing that it looked completely different.  The last one had been stone, this one was wood paneled.  He kept going, taking out anything that got in his path.  He knew very well if there were humans they were in league with the demons who had kidnaped him.  The demons wouldn't make him flinch but the humans might later.  Maybe.

He went through another few doorways that led to different looking hallways.  Then he ran into a sneering guy in a suit.  "What have we here?" he demanded, looking him over.  "You look disgusting and who uses a sword in this day and age?"  Xander beheaded him with a growl.  "Huh," his head said.  "I guess it's a good thing I did the immortality ritual after all, no matter how gross it was."

That was enough to make Xander pause in his quest to get free.  How often did you see a talking head?  "Did it include eating poisonous spiders?" he quipped.

"No, I saw that one.  A lot of work and you couldn't really enjoy the spoils of it as a huge worm."

"Yeah, we blew the last one up."  He picked up the head by the hair.  "Which way out of here?"

"Why should I help you?" he asked with a smirk.  Xander shook it.  "Hey!  The hair still has feeling!" he shouted.  Xander stared at him.  "Use the blue door!" he said.

Xander looked.  He checked the few sliding vinyl type doors.  The blue one was his last choice.  You probably couldn't trust a bad guy who was now a talking head.

"The blue one," he huffed.

Xander glared at him.  "Would you trust you in this situation?"

"Well, no.  My minions can help you and me."

Xander looked at him.  "I can kill them too."  He finally opened that one and walked into an office area.  He looked around then at the head.  "Magical doors?  Really?  How cheesy."

"They're very handy."  Someone came stomping in.  "Wade, this grotesque looking young man beheaded me."

"I'm going to punt you," Xander said.  He looked at the tall, buff, armed guy.  "I'm just trying to escape the people that had me.  He got in the way.  Is there a doorway somewhere nearby so I don't have to stab you too?  Because you're kind of big and look better trained than the demons or this guy."

Wade's mind was starting to churn to a stop.  "Why do you have a sword?"

"They come in very handy if you know how to use one."

"Uh-huh.  No guns?"

"None of the demons had them," Xander quipped.  "Doorway to finish my brilliant escape plan?"

"Demons?" he snorted.  Xander held up the complaining head.  He was still whining about his hair being pulled.  "How did you do that?"

"Some of us do know about the existence of magic," Max quipped.  "I kept it from the more...literal minded of you, Wade.  Can you put me down, young man?"

"Shut the fuck up," Xander ordered.  "The talking head has no choice beyond being punted or being carried by his hair at the moment."  The talking head shut up.  He looked at the big guy again.  "Doorway?" he asked politely, for him.

"How about we let you clean up while I figure some shit out?" he countered.

"I'd hate to have to kill you all to get free."

"Won't happen, kid, and you're not a hostage.  I need a better report so I can report to his other lieutenants."

"Let him borrow a guest room," Max agreed.

"He can borrow yours since you don't need it," Wade said, glaring at him.  "We'll be talking."  Max swallowed.  The drool he had dripped out of his open throat hole.  "That's disgusting.  Where's the rest of him?"

"By the doorway."  Xander pointed behind him.  He looked  it had shut.  He could still see the outline so he opened it and pointed.  "There."

Wade looked then nodded.  "Nice beheading, kid."

"Thanks."

They both heard people screaming 'M'Panni' and Xander groaned.  They backed away from the door.  Wade couldn't get it fully shut before some rude demon pushed his way through.  "M'Panni, you must come back so we can protect you.  We have to protect you in your fragile state."

"First, oh hell no I'm not going back there," Xander said firmly, glaring at him.  "Secondly, I know what that means and I'll kill myself first."  The demon's eyes bulged and he backed up bowing.  "I want the rest of my shit.  Now."

"You are ours now, M'Panni!"  He fled yelling that the M'Panni was pissed off.

Xander carefully put the head down on the desk.  "Can I borrow this?" he asked, grabbing Wade's gun from his shoulder holster.  "I'll bring it right back.  Not lead, right?" he asked as he walked back through the doorway.  He found the meeting room by following the wailing.  "You guys fucked up anyway!  Some of us are hunters."

"The slayer said you are not one," one of the demons said happily.  "That you were not useful as a hunter so therefore you're a blood innocent."

"I haven't been a blood innocent since I was six and had to kill the neighbor's dog in an act of mercy," Xander said in their native language.  "One of the older kids had tortured it."  They backed up looking scared.  "Beyond that, I don't fit the other requirements since I'm not a virgin."

"You are!" one shouted.

"I've had three men and four women, how do you fit that into the definition of 'virgin'?" Xander asked sarcastically.  The demons started to look really scared.  "I want information and I want it now."  One rushed him so he shot it.  And most of the rest.  He left the one wearing priest's robes.  "Now," he said, walking closer.  "I want some answers."

"You are out of bullets.  I know how those machines work, M'Panni."

"Doesn't mean a dry fire won't cause a bit of damage," Xander quipped, grabbing him and sticking the gun against his ear.  "Now, let's talk.  I know I don't fit.  What exactly does that mean?"

"That the baby will be evil, that he'll try to take things over.  Unless the parent is very firm."  He put a hand on his stomach and swallowed.  "We're doomed!" he moaned.  "She'll be evil incarnate."

"And if I end it?" Xander asked.

"She has latched onto your lifeline.  If you die, she will live as you feed her like a cocoon.  If you try to kill her it will kill you."

"If I carry her?"

"Everyone is doomed!" he said.

Xander sneered.  "I'll be sure to tell the slayer that."  He let him go after dry firing in his ear.  The demon screamed and held it.  "If you come near me again I'm going to kill you all," he said in English.  Normal bullets wouldn't kill the demons.  Just injure them a lot.  "I want all the information on this and all the other gifts that the clan has in my hand by tomorrow," he told the crying priest, getting a nod.  "Never come near us again."  He turned and found Wade staring in awe.  "Can you find the way back?  I got turned around," he said quietly, handing back the gun.  "Sorry, I didn't mean to borrow for so long."

"That's not a problem.  It was a good thing."  He smirked and walked the kid back to the office.  Xander got the door closed and slumped down against it.  "C'mon, you can use the boss's bedroom and bathroom to clean and get a nap."  The kid looked at him.  "You're clearly in no shape to go on right now.  Break your path here."  Xander nodded, getting up and letting himself be led that way.  Wade gathered Max's head to bring with him.  He opened the door. 

"Bathroom.  Then take a nap."  Xander gave him a grateful smile as he stripped off to do that.  Wade waited until the kid was under the shower to find his wallet and ID.  He memorized the information, going back to the office.  The housekeeper would take care of the bloody clothes for the boy.  He called Max's personal assistant.  "I want everything you have on one Alexander Lavelle Harris, Sunnydale, California within forty-five minutes."  He hung up and called the other lieutenants.  "Tomorrow, 2pm, Rusco's," he ordered.  "We have to have an administrative talk about Max being injured."

"I can't," one said.  "I can't fly out for maybe three days.  Max's last mission has me in the backwoods of Tibet avoiding the Chinese army to get a book."

"Fine.  Have your phone handy for a video conference."  He hung up and found the stash of pain killers to take one for his new headache.  The kid had promise.  He was a bit cold but not as psycho as Max was, or hadn't seemed to be.  Twenty minutes after he had requested it the door to the office opened and Max's assistant walked in.  "That was fast."

"Max was looking him over to see if he could be turned."  She put folders down.  "Hacked from Wolfram and Hart.  The one we've compiled.  The one from the demon underground."

"You knew," Wade said coolly.

She moved her necklace and suddenly she looked a bit light greenish and had very large, alien looking eyes.  She put it back into place.  "Max has known about us since he was younger.  One of them tried to get him to sign on but he beat them."

"This kid knows about them how?"

"He helps a hunter of them.  He's not trained.  He's a bit odd.  He's dating a former vengeance demon.  The same one that cursed Henry a few years back."  Wade shuddered.  He had put him out of his misery when the guy had suddenly started to bubble up like he was being melted by acid.  "He's a very interesting young man."

"What does M'Panni mean?  The blue things all called him that."

She blushed.  "Mother of the heir.  He was?"  Wade nodded.  "Oh, dear.  The one they picked for that was supposed to be a virginal, blood innocent who knew nothing about pain and suffering.  That is the opposite of that young one."  She walked off.  "He can't do anything about it either."

"Wonderful," Wade muttered.  He'd leave that bit of strangeness in the back of his mind for now.  He looked over the different files.  Some were clearly crap.  Some were by the things he preyed on.  They'd have a unique view of his skills because they needed it to get around him.  It was enlightening.  The kid was sounding like a younger version of him when he was still *nice* and innocent.  Then again, the kid had a kill count like Wade had his first and second year in the Canadian military.  He leaned back, considering things.  The kid could handle the work and they needed someone to cover for the less than legitimate things going on.  He'd have to see how the meeting with the other lieutenants went tomorrow.

***

Wade gathered the head.  The kid had woken up, gotten fussed at by the housekeeper, and she had fed him into another nap.  He clearly needed it.  The demon blood had hidden some prior injuries.  He put the head in a box, no matter how much it complained.  "Not like I can carry you to the meeting I called in the open," he said sarcastically.  He put the top on it.  "Shut up before I put you in the prison."  Max huffed but stopped complaining.  It made good sense not to let everyone know they could do the same thing he had.  Wade walked up the street to the restaurant he had chosen.  He smiled at the hostess.  "Marilyn, nice hair."

"Thank you, Wade.  All but two of you are here.  One I tossed back outside for being obnoxious on his phone."

"Let him back in.  Back room?"

"As always."  He tipped her and walked back there.  She got the other of the lieutenants in.  The one who had the best video conferencing device called the one in Tibet.  Wade put the box in the center of the table.  "We have a problem."

"I figured it had to be bad," another of them said.  Wade pulled the head out of the box.  "That's definitely not the problem I expected when you said injured."

"Apparently the boss had been dabbling in immortality rituals and got beheaded by a young guy that we ended up saving from a bunch of demons," Wade said, sitting down.

"If it was anyone but you I'd find a way to have them committed," the one in Tibet said.  "But I know you're not taken to flights of fancy, Wade."  He looked at the head.  "Is he dead?"

Max glared at him.  "No, I'm not dead.  That's why I did the ritual when I was twenty-nine.  I'll be twenty-nine forever."  He tried to look around.  "Wade, where is my body?"

"Still in that corridor.  I'm not sure what we can do with it, boss.  Can we reattach the head?"

"Probably not," Max admitted.  "I need a cybernetic body."

"No one's working on that now," one of the others said.  "You had that research pulled last year, Max."

"Damn," Max muttered.  "Then we need to get me a better platform and teach that new guard not to pull my hair."

Wade snorted.  "He's not guard material.  He's too pure.  He'd make a good figurehead though."  The others stared at him so he handed over the demon underground profile.  It was the most correct and thorough of all of them.  They all nodded they liked that idea.  "Have him be the guy who killed Max to take over?"

"You're still my minions," Max complained.

"Watch me punt you," one of the other lieutenants said bitterly.  "You've just screwed years of plans you had us put into place."

"The boy came in from killing a whole bunch of demons with a sword," Wade said when they all looked at him.  He was smiling.  "When one showed up to complain at him about it, he went to correct their wrong thinking about how innocent he was with my gun, which he politely asked to borrow."  They all grinned.  That sounded promising.  "He dry fired on the last one.  The bullets didn't kill them but they sure made a mess and he got info from the last one before he fired in his ear."  That got a brighter set of smiles.  "I have him resting right now in Max's bedroom.  Kid's only twenty."

"Business sense?" one asked.

"Probably not from a set of classes.  I don't know what type of thinking he uses.  I'm searching down the rumors of him knowing weapons though."  That got a mass nod.  "So, let's make some decisions."

"You're still my minions," Max reminded them.  "I can have you all killed."

"Unless you're going to gnaw us to death, no you can't," the one in Tibet complained.  "You're not exactly as scary as a head, boss."

Wade nodded.  "The kid threatened to punt him and to find a cactus to sit him on."

"That would hurt.  My throat is still very tender," Max complained.

"Hey, no more problem with your hand, boss," the one in Tibet said.

Max glared at the phone.  "Not.  Funny."

The guy grinned.  "Could be worse.  You could have less neck."

"We can use him to display the jewelry he had us steal for him," the one in Tibet quipped.  Max glared harder.  "By the way, that book?  Is it more mystical stuff?"  Max tried to nod.  "Figures.  Still want me to bring it back, Wade?"

"The kid knows about that stuff but no one says that he uses it."  He considered it.  "Might as well since you're over there."

"Sure.  I'll be flying back late tomorrow and get there mid-day the next day."

"Fine."  He looked at the others.  Who all shrugged. "Figurehead or head?"

"Figurehead," was the consensus.  They used to be scared and proud of working for Max.  Now.... not as much.  Max was getting huffy so one of them stuck a breadstick in his mouth.  They got to see first-hand how swallowing worked now.  It made a gross mess on the table.  One of the lieutenants dropped his head back into the box and put the lid on it.

"He'll make a great advisor," another agreed.  Wade nodded that made sense to him.  "You'll talk to the boy?"  Wade nodded again, grinning some.  "Make sure he's mostly sane?"

"I can do that.  You guys coming back to see him first-hand?"  They all nodded and put down money to pay for the damage to the table and the breadsticks.  The clean-up boy was grossed out by the vomit looking stuff but it was his job and he took the extra tip too.

Wade walked them back to the hidey-hole they had and let them find places to squat and make their own methods of approaching the kid.  He walked up to the bedroom and knocked before walking in, finding Xander getting dressed.  "You can borrow stuff."

"No thanks.  I'm not really the suit type and he's a bit more fey than I am," he said dryly, smiling at him.  "How is the head?"

"Pissed off but in a box."

"I almost suggested putting him in a torture dungeon as a blow job torment," Xander said.

Wade grinned.  "I could come to like you, kid."  He crossed his arms over his chest.  "This demon shit?"

Xander considered it for a minute then wrote down two names.  "Look these up.  I'm sure you've done a background check on me already."  Wade nodded, taking the paper.  "The first is a past event.  He's dead.  The other we were ending."

"I can do that.  Want to come to the office?"

"I'm not really an office sort.  Got a whet stone?  These knives are weak."

"In the office."  He took the kid that way, letting him have it and the oil while he searched those names out.  What he found did not amuse him.  "I saw the film of your graduation," he said when he realized who that was.  Xander smirked at him.  He kept going, shaking his head.  "What a dick."

"Yup.  He kept trying to lay blame in other directions and doesn't quite manage it in a realistic manner.  How many people can really die by gangs on PCP?"

Wade looked up the kid's town and snorted.  "That is the worst set of cover-up lies ever," he agreed.  He looked up the other one and frowned.  "They're still going?"

Xander walked over and leaned down, pointing at a name.  "She died recently by her creature.  This one is a team leader.  Buffy's dating him," he said quietly.  "We're not sure if the old Mayor knew about them.  His people are still running the town."  Wade nodded.  Xander pulled up something else and Wade nearly had a happy moment from the torture.  "They're doing that to harmless species.  We were working on stopping them.  I can only imagine what the group's going through without me there."

"They think you were killed," Wade said, pulling up the obituary.  It was short.

Xander read it and glared.  "Really?  How long was I gone before they did that?"

"No clue."

Xander called someone.  "Don't say my name out loud," he said when the guy answered.  "What the fuck, Spike?"  He listened.  "I don't care, you know that.  You can't have my weapons.  No, not turned.  They thought I'd make a *wonderful* M'Panni," he said bitterly.  "What happened?"  He listened to what Spike wasn't saying.  "So who told them I was dead?"  He rubbed his forehead.  "So I disappear and Willow just decides that I have to be dead, not missing and able to be rescued, or even with Buffy's *friends*?" he asked bitterly. 

Spike said that Riley told her they wouldn't have taken you.  "Mermaid," he quipped.  "Thanksgiving?  Sounding familiar and reasons for them to have taken me?  No, I don't ....  I'm not sure I want to come back," Xander admitted.  "If they dislike me that much that I was dead within twenty minutes of being missing, then .... I want my weapons, I want my comics, I want my clothes.  I want the ring I was going to give Anya.  Can you arrange that?  What city are we in?" he asked the man behind the desk.

"Calgary."

"We're in Calgary, Spike.  Yeah, that's me.  No fuckin' clue," he admitted.  "I have no idea what I'm going to do about the whole M'Panni thing.  That's what they said.  See if you can get me some references too?"  He smiled.  "Thanks.  You mean Anya left some of my money?"  He rolled his eyes.  "Sure, if you can get it before she does, Spike.  I have no idea.  Maybe I'll sell one of the weapons.  No clue."

"We can help with that," Wade quipped with a smile.

Xander looked at him.  "We'll see."  He went back to listening.  "Yeah, go ahead and tell them that you heard I wasn't dead, wasn't turned, and wasn't coming back after I had to rescue myself.  Thanks."  He hung up and resisted the urge to throw something.  He picked up the knife he had been sharpening and threw it at an ugly picture.  "Damn them."

"Sometimes having friends suck."

"I've known Willow since the first day of school," he growled.  "How dare they treat me like that!"

Wade patted him on the arm.  "It's better up here."

Xander looked at him.  "I have no idea how to even get permission to work in Canada.  Calgary is in Canada, right?  It's not one somewhere in Europe?"

"No, we're in Canada."  He leaned back, watching the hissy fit the boy was having.  "I'm not sure if there's another city named Calgary anywhere."

"How would I know?  I was in the worst school system in the world."  He huffed, starting to pace.

"Sit down, kid.  You were a victim of torture recently."

"I wasn't a victim.  Victims beg and plead for mercy.  I didn't beg, didn't plead, didn't give in, and frankly it was pretty pitiful.  The whole horn-looking funnel into my ass while I'm naked on the altar thing wasn't as weird as I've seen.  Even when the purple stuff made me crap explosively all over the altar or when they poured in the brown stuff that kinda stuffed me full, or even when they pulled out the funnel to put in the ivory thingy.  All I remember is a bright light that hurt as I passed out, which as close to a victim as I came so not one, thank you," he babbled angrily.

"Okay, then you were an unwillingly participant," Wade said dryly, smirking when the kid stared at him.  "You're still injured."

"Got 'em getting Oz out of the Initiative."  He got the knife free.  "That wasn't expensive, was it?  I'd hate to have to work my whole life to replace the ugly thing."

"It was but it's ugly and not worth too much," Wade said.  Xander relaxed some.  "So, now what?"

"How do I apply to work up here?"

"A lot of paperwork.  Though we can hire you."  Xander stared him down.  "We do have...plans that having a head in charge won't work for."

Xander crossed his arms over his chest.  "Frankly, I've heard a bit of rumors about your former boss, the head.  I would've killed him less quickly if I had known that was him."  Wade sat up, staring at him.  "There's probably a reason people call me a white knight," he said dryly.  "Personally, I don't care about arms except when they take out dirty things like the Initiative.  I've already spent five years helping save the world.  Why would I want to change sides?"

"Point," Wade agreed.  "Some of the plans aren't really good anyway."

Xander smirked.  "Take down the Initiative and we'll see.  I can't do anything until they're gone since they got a friend and they're a danger to me anyway."

"I saw something about mermaid taint.  I didn't see a single thing about any Thanksgiving."

Xander nodded.  "I wouldn't let anyone say anything because I knew what would happen if it got out.  Let's just say I had a talk with some long-dead natives."

Wade blinked because that was a bit strange.  "Why would that be worrying?"

"Look up Halloween?"

"I saw something about that."  He looked in the dossiers.  He burst out laughing.  "You....  Soldier?"  Xander smirked and nodded.  "That's how you got the gun and knife training," he realized.  Xander tipped his head, smiling now.  Wade drew the dots.  "You did?" he demanded.

"I don't remember anything from them but they sure as hell made my thanksgiving memorable in a bad way.  Especially since Anya kept saying that it sucked that what I had meant she couldn't get orgasms."

"That's very blunt," Wade said.

"You should meet Anya."  He looked around the room then at him.  "How many people are watching us?"

"Three, all security cameras are monitored by a trio in the security office," Wade said.  "How did you know?"

"I'm getting that creepy feeling of being watched."

"That happens."  He stood up and walked around the desk to stare at the kid.  The kid was a few inches shorter.  "I can have the Initiative taken out."

"They have victims who don't deserve it," Xander said more quietly.

"I can have someone show up to help them.  Including your friend Buffy they want to test on."

"That would suck but her death wouldn't call a new slayer.  The only way that happens is if Faith dies."

"Saw her name mentioned."  He stared at the kid.  "We need a figurehead."

"I don't want to be involved in the wrong side of the war.  Are those two mutually exclusive?"

"Max was all about getting the US back on top so he could benefit from the arms dealing."

Xander considered that.  "Wars suck and we've had too many for too long.  There's better ways, including working things so we outclass Japan in some areas."

"That takes more time than starting a war."

"Yeah but then you'll get some demon overlord who'll want to take over the US at that time.  We've stopped a few so far."

Wade considered that statement.  "How many?"

"Judge.  Master if he had gotten truly free within a few years.  Angelus twice when he lost his soul.  Spike doesn't want the paperwork.  The old Mayor was going to make sure he ruled everything before he ate it all.  The Initiative said that they're working to put demons in the military to help soldiers and save lives.  Their creature was going to rule it."

Wade shook his head.  "I don't know of any unit that liberal."  Xander shrugged.  "How were they doing it?"

"The thing that killed Dr. Walsh was her Franken-soldier made with human and demon parts.  He killed her and was going to start taking over the town and then move forward."

"Yuck," Wade muttered.

Xander shrugged.  "We caught someone who did it to his brother when he died during a football game.  He was going to use my ex Cordelia as his wife."

"I saw some pictures of her.  She's pretty."

"She's mean.  Everyone I date is mean," Xander said.  "Though I deserve it from her.  I screwed up in a permanent way with her."

"Sometimes that happens.  Especially when you're a stupid kid."

Xander nodded.  "That's why I had Amy cast the love spell that went oh so charmingly wrong."

Wade blinked then burst out snickering.  "That was covered."

Xander snorted.  "It was freaky.  Especially when they got to 'if we can't have you no one can' part of the day.  And to think, Willow used to crush on me."  He shook his head quickly.  "How evil overlord are you guys?"

"We'd definitely like to see the US on top again," Wade said.  "We're very good at weapons dealing and prompting things so that higher weapons get into the right hands."

Xander shook his head.  "A new war won't help.  Willow was saying if there was one we'd have budget problems in the US.  She was doing a paper on it for a class against what we went through in the 30's and 40's."

Wade considered that, sitting behind the desk again to hack that file and read the report.  She had some good points.  He forwarded that paper.  "We can get an official viewpoint from someone who studies it professionally."  Xander nodded, sitting down carefully. "What would you invest in instead?"

"I like weapons.  I really like weapons," Xander offered with a grin.  "But what about that stuff so that only one specific person can use them?  Or even the game industry?  How many people spend thousands a year on games?"

"Hmm.  Which is a highlight of Japan's economy," Wade agreed.

"They're really our competitor.  We'll never get the manual jobs back from India or China," Xander said.  "My father's nearly got shipped overseas and the fit was enormous.  The cops actually showed up to tell him to quit screaming about it."

Wade shook his head.  "Your whole town needs remade."

"Amen," Xander quipped, waving a hand.  "Can't do that with the hellmouth though.  It'd make a charming resort town if you could fix that but as far as I know no one can."

"How do you feel about drugs?" Wade asked.

Xander held up his knife.  "About like I want to give this a blow job.  Life's dangerous enough without being screwed up while you're being prey."

"If you look at it as you're prey instead of a hunter, it can relax your nerves and let whatever happens come," Wade countered.

"Yeah but that way leads to thinning the gene pool in the wrong way.  We've lost too many people that should've had their genes carried on to drugs.  People like Hendrix and Joplin."

"True," Wade admitted.  "People do like their music."

Xander smirked.  "I'm very multi-style about music."  He shifted.  "We sell drugs?"

"We have some people trying to develop a new club drug."

Xander grimaced and shook his head.  "No thanks."  He stood up.

"It could be moved to mind control.  That could be helpful."

Xander stared at him then shrugged.  "You don't look like you're a big fan of Orwell.  Or crappy movies about genetic futures."

"I'm not.  It's looking like an area we can make decent money in."

Xander shook his head.  "The mob has most of that tied up."

"Point.  There's people who'd kill to make their people zombies for their control."

"GI Joe had a headband that did that."

"You're basing your argument on a cartoon?" Wade snorted.

Xander smirked.  "The geek trio in Sunnydale made one too."  He walked off.  "Let me get the rest of my stuff."

"Sure."  Wade looked them up.  That was very interesting and could probably be a big seller.

"I wanted to give it to Spike so he could have minions who listened to him again," Xander quipped from the hallway.

"He might've liked that," Wade agreed.  "I might like that too."  What he found when he had the trio hacked was super interesting so he passed them onto their technical division so they could be properly employed and used.  They had excellent geeks in their employ who could mentor the three wanna-be evil ones.

Xander came back and looked over his arm, shrugging.  "The Buffybot is very good.  Sometimes I can't tell the difference."  He sat down again, sipping some water the housekeeper had given him.  "What about using the drugs in a medical capacity?"

"That would be healing people."

"Look how much more Gates makes now that he's not being the evil head of Microsoft and is out doing things," Xander counted.

Wade slowly nodded.  "We can use it as a cover for some things."

"If you can turn that drug into something like an anesthesia for the field medics, the army pays big probably."  He sipped his water and put the glass on his thigh.

"Could be," Wade agreed.

Xander smirked.  "The Lex Luthor plan the head had won't win the US any friends.  We've got a pot smoker in the White House for another few months.  The next one took cocaine and drank too much when he was younger.  It made him paranoid in different ways by the way he speaks."

Wade shook his head quickly.  "He's more likely to want a war."

"Yeah but what if one happens naturally?" Xander countered.  "There's all sorts of stories about the US being attacked in the underground."  Xander got up and got him onto one of his favorite paranoid sites to lurk at.  Then he sat down and went back to sipping his water.

Wade read what was there.  It wasn't pretty.

"Find a way to put us on top by supporting the troops, Wade," Xander said more quietly.  Wade looked at him.  "What would you have liked the last time you were on duty?  Because I can tell you used to be a soldier of some sort."

"Special Forces in Canada's forces," he said with a smirk.  "There's lots of things I could've used, kid."

Xander nodded.  "If we have a war, and we can manage those things, then what?"

"That does give us a lot of credit and notice.  But if they catch the illegal side then we're screwed."

"Then be more subtle.  Or arm private militias who want to help.  I'm sure there's plenty."  Wade nodded.  "Hell, make a lot of people happy everywhere.  Get the people like the geek trio onto how to make cheaper, cleaner, faster water for those places having a drought or in the Middle East."

"So you're saying take over something they consider indispensable and make them come to us to get it," Wade paraphrased.

"If we take over, do it the best way we can, and aren't mean about things like water creation, then they'd want to come to us.  Which would gain us more status and more selling power.  Plus we could branch out and become wider known for that and other things.  Just doing weapons means one of us has to become Tony Stark."

"Again with the comics?" Wade snorted.

Xander smirked.  "I like comics.  A lot of the people who draw them have a better handle on science than I do.  I've learned a lot from them."

"I'd never stoop myself to that level."  He shook his head.

"Everyone needs some fun in their lives.  What's yours?"

"I like being in the field sometimes."  He smirked.  "Sometimes I get to do some convincing."

"Spike said the same thing once."  Xander shook his head.  "At least you're not a bleach blond vampire."

Wade ran a hand over his short sandy-blond hair, shaking his head.  "Not by any means."

Xander snapped his fingers.  "What if one of the demon apocalypses get into the open?  What would people really want if they knew about demons?"

Wade moaned at the very thought.  What weapons that could bring into play of the average person's hands.  Not to mention militaries and other paranoid groups.  "Jesus, that made me hard, kid."

Xander blushed.  "I'm still officially dating Anya.  She'll torture me after she gets her job back."

"The people getting your stuff can talk to her."  He considered it.  "How would we get them into the general view?"

"The Initiative's files being blown open in the press," Xander said simply.  He grinned.  "Not like they haven't kept careful records of how they tortured people.  You could even have a commando type raid to get the soldiers incapacitated and then have them blown open during the rescue if you wanted to be dramatic."

Wade nodded, making that plan.  "I can do that.  Kills two birds with one stone.  We can probably even make it look like the demons hired them."

"There's a few larger councils that might want to try to hire someone but I doubt they'd have a clue who to go to.  One's in Pasadena."

Wade nodded, typing out messages to make that happen.  It'd definitely get the kid on their side.  It'd definitely help.  It'd also hype their speciality weapons companies.  Plus their chemistry division if they could start working on a cure for vampirism or something.  "How do vampires really get made?"

"Bite, feed, suck some of the feeder's blood, die, wake up souless," Xander said.  "Has to be intentional."

"So not just general feeding?"

"No, has to gulp some.  The more the better the childe instead of a minion."

"I wonder if you could create a chemical weapon that would eat the virus causing it," Wade said, typing out another message.  He got back a dirty one from the researcher about how they weren't real.  Wade forwarded some of the hacked files to him.  The researcher sent back swearing and said if they were part of them, he was quitting.  Wade calmed him down and said they were ending them later this month.  They were not joining the group.  The researcher calmed down and went to work on that idea.  Wade smiled at the kid.  "Not a bad idea."

"Thank you."  He grinned.  Then he yawned.  "Sorry."

"Being an 'unwilling participant' takes a lot out of you.  I've had a lot of torture victims suddenly fall asleep right in the middle of the good parts before.  Go nap."

Xander grimaced.  "Eww.  You really are like the living version of Spike.  Don't put blood in my cereal like he did?"

"That's disgusting," Wade said.

"Yeah, it kinda was."  He finished his water and went back to his borrowed bed.

Wade sniffed the glass and sent the housekeeper a note to quit drugging the boy so hard.  Then he made new plans.  The other lieutenants came in smiling.  They liked the kid too.  Maybe they'd let him have the kid as a personal pet or something.  He was cute and didn't look easily broken.

***

Wade followed in the 'rescue' team.  They were officially a private security firm who was looking to free a hostage.  With the kid's help he had picked one from the cameras that looked human most of the time and was peaceful.  The team leader knew this was a set-up.  He didn't know why so his reactions could be bluntly honest and disgusted.  They got to the elevator/air vent in the woods and got entrance, going down there.

The secondary guy was looking around.  "What the hell?" he hissed to the leader.

Wade pointed.  "Testing rooms are that way."  They went that way.  The secondary guy broke at the first body that had been left strapped down to a bed and was dead of blood loss.  Even if it was pink and blue blood.  The Initiative soldiers were left laying where they fell.  The leader looked disgusted and they searched for their target, getting him free.  Then the team came back to free the other hostages with official support.  Not before Wade had stuck the little machine on their mainframe so their hackers could get all the files off.  They needed them to leak.

The official sorts were mostly FBI and they tried to keep pictures out but that wasn't going to happen.  Even when CID and other military police showed up to take over.  As soon as one mentioned a cover-up, one of the FBI people was calling a press contact.  Wade kindly slipped that one a copy of what they had hacked before they had gotten here.  Then he strolled off with the rest of his team.  They were already talking to press people.   Wade went to watch his new boss's former friends.  Even he could feel the wrongness around the town so his new 'boss' was not coming back here.

Buffy was worrying.  She was twirling her hair as she watched a lot of official vehicles go screaming past with sirens and lights on.  "I wonder if whatever's going on is why I haven't heard from Riley for a few days," she said to Willow, who was leaning on her shoulder.

"Probably.  Maybe they messed with the wrong demon."

Buffy nodded.  "Can those sort handle demons?"

"If you show up, they're going to take you into custody and start asking questions," Willow reminded her.  "We can't have you in a jail cell, Buffy.  Then we'd only have Spike to hunt."

"I miss Xander.  He'd know someone in the poker circuit to ask," Buffy admitted.

"But he's at peace.  I'm sure he is since I couldn't scry him."  Willow gave her a hug.  "We all miss our Xander-shaped friend."  Buffy nodded, hugging back.

Wade strolled off.  The girls were bitches.  They really were.  He had thought that before but now he knew.  He ran into someone that had to be Anya.  She looked like the picture in Xander's wallet.  He stared at her over his sunglasses.  She looked up from her coffee drink to stare back.

She cleared her throat.  "You're someone I tried to get a few times but you never left me anyone to work with.  Why are you here?"

"Doing some private security work," he said smugly.

She blanched.  "I saw the FBI people."  He nodded.  "Why?"

"They were inconvenient and in the way.  The boss said so."  He smirked at her.

She swallowed some coffee.  "This town really has nothing for your sort.  It barely has things for me to do for fun."

"I have some fun waiting on me.  I'm just...gentling him to the idea."

She put down her cup, staring at him.  "I heard my pookie was actually alive."

"M'Panni," he said quietly.

She burst out laughing.  "That's the biggest mistake in choosing ever."

Wade nodded.  "He took out Max, mostly."

"Damn!"  She hopped up and glared at him, hands going to her hips and one foot starting to tap.  "I want him back."

"No."  He gave her a smug look.  "You didn't even look for him and he knows that.  He talked to someone."  She blanched and shook her head.  He nodded.  "Yeah, he did.  The day after he got free."  She slumped back into her seat.  "Therefore, release him from whatever you put on him, little girl, and I don't have to make *you* fun."

She shuddered.  "I don't like being on the receiving end.  I never get the good orgasms that way."

"Find twins.  I find them fun.  You can alternate so you never run out of fun when they have to rest."

She shivered.  "That's a very naughty idea and I have just the toys to reenact it until I can find some."  She smiled.  "Fine.  He's yours.  For now."

"Good."  He put an envelope on the table.  "He wanted the ring."  She glared.  He stared at her.  "That way he can stare at it and pine."  She put it into the envelope and took the letter and pictures.  "Have a better day, Anya."

"Next time, don't shoot the one I'm working on so fast, Wade.  I had plans for him."

He shrugged.  "It was grossing out Max."  He left.  Xander was now his free and clear. He could commence wooing him.  Plus he had to put a plan in place for that kid that he was carrying.  There was no way he was letting anything more evil than himself around the kid.

Anya sulked and got some cookies to go with her sugary coffee.  She needed it now that she was officially single and not a widow.

***

Wade walked into the office and took the headphone off the kid's head, handing him the envelope.

Xander looked at him.  "You baited Anya?"

"She'd probably be fun to play with."

"She was a dish it out but can't take it sort," he said, looking inside the envelope.  He poured the ring into his hand, staring at it.  "I might pine away to it."

"No you won't.  You have a whole, interesting life ahead of you."

Xander shrugged, putting it into his pocket.  "We'll see how that goes.  How goes the throwing up of information?"

"Two of the FBI guys did puke," he admitted.  "The press people were highly pissed off that they hadn't heard of this sooner."  He helped the kid up and sat down behind the desk to end the listening link to his earpiece.  Then he looked at him.  "That's a boyfriend move, kid."

Xander shrugged.  "I do take hints but I'm not ready to jump into anything right away."  He walked off.  "Can you tell the housekeeper to please quit giving me stuff that makes me sleep?"

"No.  You need the rest."

"Sometimes the nightmares are cathartic," Xander said, staring at him.  "It means I haven't totally slipped to the dark side, no matter how easy it would've been to do that while I hunted."  He went to his room.

Wade was nearly moaning in pleasure at that.  He did pass on that message.  She'd switch it for something easier on him.  The boy clearly knew which kink button to push on him.  Even if he wasn't doing it intentionally his mind was saying 'yes' to everything Wade could promise him.  Wade followed, finding the kid in the shower.  He decided to go back to his suite and turn on the video system.  He had a sixty-inch screen that could focus anywhere in Xander's apartment. 

Him showering was a nice show.  He'd have to get the kid some of his own soap so he quit smelling like Max's rose and herbal special shampoo.  And some clothes.  Max's would never fit the kid and he wasn't exactly a suit type.  Especially with him needing to gain weight soon.  Xander was getting happy in the shower, which made Wade very happy.  They both ended up naked and wanking off in their own ways. 

Though Wade had the better show.

***

Wade led Xander into the shop he liked.  Xander was giving him a strange look.  "You've got to fit something of the corporate image, kid."  He pointed.  "Dress pants.  Boots you can kick people in.  Polo shirts or better."  Xander huffed but went to look.  "Don't forget, I'm getting you in the gym soon too."  Xander stared at him.  "You need some definition and some self-defense work."

"I could use taught how to do it properly," Xander admitted.  His hand was over his still-flat stomach.

Wade rolled his eyes.  "We can manage around that problem.  Get some and the next size up too just in case."  Xander nodded, taking some to try on.  Wade switched most of them out on him; Xander gave up and let him pick everything since he didn't really understand good clothes.  Wade stared at him.  "Belt."

"Why?  They fit."

"It's expected."

"I have no idea about that stuff," Xander complained.  "I've never worn better than jeans."

"Well, now you can."  He got him a belt and handed it over.  "With a bit of extra room."  He tipped his head to the side.  "Better boots.  Shinier."  He found him a pair and handed them over.  Then a few more outfits he wanted to see the kid in.  Xander huffed like a girl but dealt with it well enough.  Wade smiled at the kid when he came out the next time.  "Good."

"I look like a dork."

"Yeah, you do."  He handed over a different shirt.  That got a better response.  Pocket t-shirts were okay for some things.  Wade finished getting him kitted out and then took him to look at other things.  Xander found something he wanted that was theoretical.  Wade looked at the camouflage shield and nodded.  "That could help later on."  He texted his people while they finished the shopping.

"I'm not a princess," Xander said once they were in the car.  "I may have to learn how to use manners but I'm still not a princess."

Wade looked at him.  "I never considered you princess material, Xander.  You're too flat chested."  Xander relaxed.  "Though you're right, you need to learn manners.  You'll get used to it."

"So this isn't some sort of grooming thing?"

"I only groom victims I intend to play with for a long time," Wade said sarcastically.   Xander gave him a pointed look.  "We'll see about anything that might happen later.  For now, learn to integrate yourself and your ways into this new you."

"This new me is uptight and wears clothes that suck."

Wade laughed.  "You can wear jeans on the off-hours."

"Then we need to pick some up."

"Next time."  He started the car and drove them back to the house.  "We really should move soon."

Xander nodded.  "I can do that.  Not like I have a lot to pack."

"That's why you have a housekeeper."  Wade made the plans to switch residences that night.  Xander made sure he had Anya's ring, the head of Max, and his old clothes that the housekeeper hated.  Wade probably did too but yay!  That was who Xander was.  The housekeeper took the bag from his hand and shooed him off.  Wade escorted him out to the limo.  Xander wasn't used to riding in it so he was uptight.  "What?" Wade asked from his seat.

"This is my first plane ride," he said quietly.

Wade looked at him.  "Want a drink?"

"Eww.  No."

"Fine."  He smiled slightly and found the vial of knock-out drops he used on Max when he started to get into a manic mood.  Wade was mostly immune to them.  Xander wasn't yet.  He put some on his lips subtly behind the folder he was studying.  He felt it sink in.  He moved quickly, kissing Xander.  Xander moaned into it and went limp a minute later.  Wade wiped off the medicine and got comfortable.  He did have to grin when the kid started to huff and purr in his sleep.  It was adorable.  He'd have to try that again later without the knock-out drugs.

***

Xander woke up with a start, looking around the plane.  He glared at Wade and hit him on the arm.  "I wasn't that nervous."

He pointed.  "We're flying over San Francisco soon."

Xander looked.  "We're really high up."  Wade nodded.  "We aren't going to crash, right?"

"Probably not.  That'd be a freak accident and your ex didn't get her powers back."

Xander relaxed back into his seat, staring out the window.  "How tiny everything looks from up here," he said quietly.  "Like everything down there only has tiny problems to go with their tiny bodies and buildings."

Wade looked then at him.  "That's the Golden Gate bridge."

"I've seen it in pictures."

"No road trips?"

"That would require less spending on booze and wanting to be together," Xander quipped.  He looked at Wade.  "Where are we heading?"

"LA."

"We're going to be near Deadboy and Cordy?"

"Not exactly.  They shouldn't hear you're there."  Xander shrugged and settled in, going back to watching the tiny world below them.

When the demon appeared, Xander was up before Wade could do more than pull his gun.  Both the knives in his hands were sharp and the demon died fairly quickly.  Xander looked at it.  "Why did you show up?" he quipped.

"I guess we can chop it up into pieces and shove it into the toilet," Wade decided.  "It's not huge."  He and one of the guards dragged the demon corpse to the tiny bathroom.

Xander leaned into the service cabin.  "Do you have any coffee grounds?"

"I can make single cups," she offered with a perky smile.

"No, I need coffee grounds."

"Dry?" she asked, handing over a bag of coffee.

"Wet but I can do that.  Thanks."  He grinned and patted the guard, making him move.  Xander added some water into the bag and then shoved the contents into the demon's mouth.  The whole body exploded in neat little pieces of goo.  Xander got some paper towels and wetted them down to wipe the walls.  "It's easier this way than the mess of making parts."

"I guess it might be," Wade decided.  "How did you learn to do that?"

Xander grinned at him.  "Spike.  He told me a lot of ways to kill demons when he was being bored tied to my old recliner at night."

"Huh.  Demonic chemistry is messy but fun."  He helped clean up the bigger than average bathroom.  Still tiny but they only bumped into each other when they moved.  Finally it was done and the dirty towels were flushed.  The last few chunks went down in the next load and it was done.  Xander washed his hands then went back to his seat.  Wade did the same, following him.  Wade was staring at the pants.  "Are those the looser ones?"

"Yeah.  I didn't figure I could sit for a long time in the tighter ones."

"Maybe.  We can fix some of that with tailoring."  Xander looked at him.  "Even with that issue."

"How are you affording this?" Xander asked quietly.

Wade smirked.  "I inherited Max's estate."

"Oh, okay."  He got comfortable watching out the window.  "We're over wine country?"

Wade looked.  "Or the agriculture belt."  Xander nodded, staring down there.  "Can you teach me the sword stuff?"

Xander beamed at him.  "I jumped in and taught myself but I can teach you what I know."

"I can find us a tutor to up those skills too," he decided.  Xander hugged him then went back to the window.  "Don't want you unprotected," he said, trying to sound gruff.  Xander grinned at him.  "Don't go all mushy and girlish," he warned.

Xander cackled.  "I've been surrounded by girls for *years*, Wade.  I can understand them, I can shop with them, all that.  I just don't because I'm not really comfortable in Victoria's Secret."  Wade shivered.  "I'm not cross-dressing."  He sat back and went back to his watching.  "Next time can I get on the plane without being carried like a damsel in distress?"

"Sure."  He settled himself back in.  It was mean of Xander to shoot down a new kink Wade didn't realize he had.  Maybe he'd get him to try it sometime.  Xander got up to go get a soda, having to bend down to get the knife he had dropped out of his pocket.  Wade and the guard both tipped their heads to stare at the tight butt being flashed.  Those pants clearly needed tailored to show him off better.  Wade mentally shook himself free, staring at the guard.  The poor guy blushed and looked away.  Xander came back.  "Where's your belt?"

"It was too tight so I took it off.  It's in my jacket pocket.  Or yours if that's yours."  He pointed.  Then he took a sip of soda.

"Mine."  Wade watched the kid inhale the soda like some coffee addicts did their first cup of the morning.  He'd have to make plans for that need.  Max had been a martini before dinner sort.  Xander was a hardcore soda addict at the moment.  "Is that good for you?" he asked quietly.

"The damn thing can withstand a nuclear bomb.  I doubt caffeine is going to bother it," Xander said before taking another drink.  Wade smiled and relaxed, letting Xander enjoy the view.  "Can we pick up a burger on the way to the house?" he asked quietly.

"We can get you food at the house.  It's not safe to eat the cheap burgers.  They can make you sick."

Xander looked at him.  "I've eaten plenty of things that were nearly poisonous, Wade."

Wade smirked.  "We can fix that too.  The housekeeper is making lamb tonight."

"Isn't she on here?"  He looked around.

"Different ones to upkeep each house," Wade said.

"Oh.  I guess that makes sense."  He shifted and got comfortable, looking out the window.  "Did you erase the stuff from my roadtrip?  I know someone put tapes up."

Wade shook his head.  "I'll look to see if they're too inflammatory."  That was a very good tease.  Though Xander didn't seem like he was.  "What did you do on it?"

"I worked at the Fabulous Ladies' Nite Club in Oxnard to pay to fix the car that blew up on me."

Wade used the shielded internet to look that club up.  When he found out it was a strip club he mentally shook his head.  "You're right, having that stuff found could look strange."  He went looking for it.  The kid was pretty damn decent.  When Wade realized that guard was trying to see he scowled, sending him to the other side of the plane.  Maybe he'd remove all sorts of Xander things from the internet.  He didn't want anyone to intrude on his new boy.  He could be a bit possessive and mean when people tried to poach what was his.

Xander looked over his arm and changed film.  "I looked like a dork usually.  They tipped me to get me off the stage."  He sat up again.

Wade watched it.  It was clearly earlier since the boy had less rhythm.  Though there was definitely some tipping to get him to take stuff off, not to get him off the stage.  "I think it was more them wanting more, not less of you," he said dryly.

Xander gave him a funny look and shook his head.  "The boss said that I sucked, that's why I never got tips."

Wade showed him the film.  "You're getting tips."

"You had to cover the pay for the bartender, the DJ, and the bouncer," Xander said. "I barely made above that."

Wade snorted.  "I doubt that since some of those are hundreds, kid."  He showed him one, zooming in on it.  "I think that boss stole some."  Xander shrugged and slumped down.  "If you want to practice, you can.  Max hired some sometimes for the guards."

"No thanks," he squeaked.

Wade smirked at him.  "Maybe we'll see.  It's supposed to be a pretty good workout."  He went back to watching them.  Xander was not bad at all.  "Tomorrow we'll do some time in the gym to get you in better shape."  Xander nodded at that practicality.  "How much gym time do you usually do?"

"I was working construction for about six months," Xander said, looking at him.  "Not much time to put in at the gym between that and patrols."

"You guys had *patrols*?" Wade asked.  "The blonde one went on patrols?"

"Yeah.  We went out as a stake happy posse," Xander said dryly.  He found a demon website for him and let him browse the videos.  "They have an 'appreciation for Buffy's skirts' society on there."

Wade settled in to watch them, shaking his head.  Yup, those girls were true bitches.  Damn!  Maybe he should make them a fun toy?

Xander shook his head.  "They're the only friends I had, Wade."

"I don't have any myself but I'd never even think about it with the way they were talking about you."  He let him see that one.

Xander shrugged.  "They said worse to my face.  I was *normal*."

"No, I'm what normal is and I'd *love* to show that to them," he said, going back to watching.  "Who wears hooker gear on patrol?"  Xander burst out laughing and got up to use the bathroom.  "Seriously.  And *heels*."  The guards gathered around.  "These were his two best friends.  If they show up, you don't speak their language, which is apparently a bastardized form of english."  They all nodded.

"They weren't always bad to me," Xander said as he came out.  "They were better when we were younger.  Before Willow got magic and Buffy got support for her super-special club of girls."  He sat down and changed videos.  "This was us in our first three months."

Wade watched.  "Did no one train you?" he asked.

"The memories from that halloween."

Wade looked at him.  "We'll be fixing that first thing."  He went back to watching.  "They were less bitchy back then," he decided.  He moved forward to the next one chronologically.  They got worse and worse as things started to split the group into the boy/girl groups.  Then Willow started to floating things instead of doing it by hand.  The girls got 'special' and Xander became 'normal'.  "What's that?" he muttered, clicking on one of the videos.  It was clearly security camera footage.  It was Xander talking to a zombie.  Xander was shuddering next to him.  Wade listened.  Xander had nearly slipped then.  But he kept going and the girls clearly never heard about it.  "The furry one?"

"Oz.  He's in Tibet."

Wade nodded, going forward.  There were reports between them.  This was the information that was missing from his underground dossier.  It gave him a better picture of his new figurehead boss and possible toy.  He was hurt but covering well.  He was on the borderline of going dark to help the good guys.  Wade had tried that but he had slipped too far.  Max had been the one to pull him back from that crevice.  Wade could do that for the boy.  He finished that site's info sources, looking up the newly dubbed 'LA team'.  It had what happened between Xander and Cordelia.  "You did Willow?" he asked, looking disgusted.  He'd never touch that, even with gloves on.

"Nothing beyond kissing and they all blamed me," Xander sighed.  "It screwed up so many things."  He looked over.  "Cordelia got seriously injured.  It's ruined her chances to model and some acting gigs."

"There's corrective procedures."

"Her parents got turned in for tax evasion," Xander said quietly.  "I will protect Cordelia to this day."  Wade stared at him, nodding slightly.  "She got the raw end of that and I can help her sometimes."

"I don't mind that.  Sometimes ex's are better for you than family."  Xander relaxed and smiled.  "How did Buffy date the vampire guy?"

"With me going 'ewww, he's got to be clammy' many times," Xander said dryly.  "Though they only had sex once.  He lost his soul in a perfect moment of happiness."  They shared a look.

Wade shook his head.  "She has pitiful taste."

"She's dating Spike I think," Xander said.

"Still pathetic to date a corpse.  I wouldn't want to date a zombie."

"Vampires have more brains than zombies.  And apparently Anne Rice was wrong.  Spike said some of them play with viagra for hours of torturing fun."  Xander patted him on the arm.  "If you get turned I'll make sure you're staked because you'd be too scary, Wade."

"Thanks, kid."  That almost gave him a warm fuzzy feeling in the pits of his cold heart.  The plane was shifting altitude.  Xander was getting tense.  "We're near LA, changing incoming vectors," he said calmly and quietly.

"So not crashing like all those little planes on the news?"

"This isn't that small of a plane, Xander.  Relax or I'm pulling out the knock out drops again."  Xander punched him on the arm and got up to change seats so he could look out the other side of the plane.  Wade shook his head.  The information he had painted a slightly different picture of the kid.  An injured knight of the ancient times with some screwed up morals from the hunting.  A bit dark.  Tarnished armor.  And slightly kinky since he was sucking on his lip in a way that was encouraging that guard to flirt with him.  Not that the kid noticed.  Clearly some self esteem work needed to be done.  He'd have to deal with that later.  Once Xander was headed to be his and only his.

***

Xander walked into the new house yawning.  "I thought I said no knock out drops."

"You were nearly asleep in the car without them, kid."

"Fine."  He nodded at the staring guards.  "What?  Do I look that weird?"

"No," he said.  "The head does."

Xander looked at the scowling head.  Then he handed him over.  "Find him a spot to sit and glower."  He walked off yawning.  "Dinner?"

"Left," Wade ordered.  Xander went where he ordered.  He shook his head.  "Anytime he drools he swallows and it drips out of the bottom."  The guard just nodded and carefully put it down.  "Put it on the dog pillow in the salon."  He followed the boss.  He had reports waiting from everyone else.  Dinner was served and Xander took the folders from him to put down.  "Work," Wade said.

"Dinner," Xander ordered.  "I'm told it's impolite to work over dinner.  Willow nagged about that a lot during our senior year."

Wade looked at him.  "Fine."  He cut into his lamb, eating a bite.  "Nicely tender."

"I'm wonder what sort of cow that is," Xander said, looking at it.  "And what's with the green stuff?"

Wade smiled.  "It's lamb."

"Like baby sheep?"

"Yes.  The green stuff is mint sauce.  It's traditional.  Try it."  Xander ate a bite, slowly chewing.  Then he shrugged and ate another bite but scraped the sauce off to cover the other green stuff.  "You need your vegetables."

"I lived on burgers and take out for nearly twenty years," he quipped back.  "The only vegetables I know are chinese."

Wade shook his head.  "Can I kill your parents too?"

"No.  They're living in a hell they made."  He ate another bite.  "Needs hot sauce."  Wade gave him a strange look.  "It does."

"We'll fix your taste buds so they're normal for everyone else too."  Xander gave him a pointed look.  "Really."  The housekeeper brought some out for him and some stir fried vegetables.  Xander gave her a quick hug and dug in.  Wade shook his head.  He could stand that he guessed.  "Thank you."

"The boy needs good food to grow stronger."  She left.

"I still make a sucky M'Panni," he called after her.

"I know."

"Thank you for humoring me."

"Welcome, Xander."

He grinned.

Wade shook his head.  "She is?"

"Yeah, I know her cousin.  He runs the bakery in Sunnydale."  He ate another bite once the lamb was fixed the way he wanted it.

"Huh."  Wade stuffed his mouth.  "Settle in tonight.  I'll meet you in the gym tomorrow, see where we're starting on your self-defense."  Xander grinned and nodded.  "Then we'll go over the plans while we're here."

"Okay."  He ate another bite.  "Are you going to keep scaring that one guard for whatever reason."

"He was flirting."

"He was being nice, not flirting.  There was no eye contact moves or anything."  Xander ate another bite of the vegetables.  "No one really flirts with me outside of Anya, Wade."

"Bullshit."

"Fine.  Don't be mean to him.  If I'm worthy to be flirted with by studly guys then he shows incredible taste."

Wade stared at him, carefully putting his fork and knife down.  "No flirting with the guards, Xander."

Xander blinked at him.  "I'd never flirt with anyone.  I don't tend to be the one making the moves.  Anya pounced.  Cordelia and I just mutually fell together.  Willow and I too.  The strippers I slept with all tempted me to go with them.  I suck at flirting.  That's why I made crap drink sales at the club."

"You've done a good bit, but it was probably unintentional," Wade said dryly.  Xander blushed and ducked his head.  "Or not."  He stared at him.  "No flirting with the guards."

"I'd never flirt."

"Uh-huh.  Just say no works."

"If he's being polite I'm going to talk to him.  I'm not your abused spouse."

"No you're not."  Yet.  "But still, no flirting.  I'll have him transferred to guard Jack."

"He's a nice guy.  He also realized about...."  He waved a hand at his stomach.  "He was asking me about her."

Wade grimaced.  "We'll go over that later."  Xander stared at him.  "Fine.  He can stay.  Still, no flirting."  He picked up his knife and fork and cut off a piece of meat to chew.

"I have no idea why anyone would want to flirt with me anyway," Xander complained, eating some more.

Wade squeezed his fork and knife.  "It's because we show exquisite taste."

Xander blushed again. "Maybe this is a drug-induced coma on the altar," he mumbled.

Wade got up and hauled Xander up to kiss him.  "It's not.  It's all real."  He stared at him, making the boy swallow.  "Now, eat.  Then you can go rest.  Then tomorrow I'll see you in the gym."

"Yes, Wade."

"Good boy."  He smirked and gave him another hard kiss.  "Finish up.  You're exhausted."

"A bit."  He sat back down and went back to eating.  He apparently had something to think about tonight.  Wade sat back down and went back to his own dinner.  When he was done, Xander finished his water.  "Bedroom?"  Wade escorted him and showed him where things were then went back to his dinner and the folders.  Xander took a shower and went to bed naked.  The sheets were so soft they deserved bare skin.

Down the hall, Wade watched the monitor instead of reading.  When he heard the first huff of sleep he got back to his updating.  That guard had made himself inconspicuous but he could find him later to lay down the law.  Xander needed guards who wanted to protect him, and that one was good at it, but there would be no flirting with what was Wade's.

***

In the morning, Wade found Xander in the gym.  He was wearing jeans and a loose t-shirt.  He'd fix that fashion mistake later.  Xander was using one of the leg press machines.  Wade checked the weight, which was a very respectable one-fifty and nodded, moving to warm up.  "Did you stretch?"

"Oops."  Xander let the weights down and got up to stretch.  He stretched up then out then down to touch his toes.

Wade looked up in time to see the firm ass nearly in his face.  "Can't you do that on the floor?" he asked, trying hard not to react.

"No, I can't reach my toes if I do it sitting down."  He tried to bend backwards but nearly fell.  Wade got up and moved him to a wall to let him brace against it.  "That's easier?"

"Usually.  Walk your hands down the wall."  He went back to his own stretches.  When Xander got done with that one, Wade made him do the series he did.  It could only help his flexibility.  Xander shrugged but did them then went back to the leg press machine.  Wade started on arm curls with free weights.  When Xander got done he looked around.  Wade pointed and helped him set the machine, teaching him how to use it.  By the time Xander had done all the machines, Wade was ready for a spar.  He got the kid to the open area in front of the mirrors.  "Okay, come at me."

"Huh?"

"Like you're attacking, Xander," he said patiently.  Xander nodded and tripped into it.  Wade pushed him back, staring him down.  "For real.  I saw you do better right after you started to patrol.  Try to impress me and I'll give you a leg rub."

Xander grinned.  "I could like that maybe."  He attacked better this time.  "I don't want to hurt you and I need a weapon."

"We'll train you how to do it without a weapon," Wade said patiently.  But he did get him some wooden knives.  That worked better and Xander was better and more confident with it.   Wade defended well.  Now he knew where to start the kid's training at.  "Okay, slower and come at me again."  Xander tried.  "No, slower."  Xander huffed but tried again.  Wade hip-tossed him.  "How would you handle a normal mugger?"

"I don't."  He looked up at him.  "That was mean."

Wade smiled.  "Yup.  Expect a lot more of it too."  He helped him up and showed him what he wanted him to do.  Xander nodded and mimicked it.  "Better."  He taught him more moves.  It went better until lunch.  Then they broke to eat.  Xander stared at the salad then around.  "What?  They're good for you."

"I was wondering where the gaggle of girls were."  He scowled.  "That's girl food."

"Well, you do have that girlish condition," Wade quipped.  Xander kicked him on the shin and added a lot of dressing so he could eat it.  At the end, Xander got a snack cake and went back to the gym.  Wade had to shake his head.  Xander was very unique.  Though, twins of him was a definite dirty dream for later.  He went back to help improve the kid's self-defense.  He wanted him able to defend himself if they were attacked.  Because it could happen if others heard Max was kind of dead.

A few minutes later Xander walked Max's head out to one of the guards, handing it over.  "Completely humiliate him for calling me fat.  Preferably in a way that makes him demand a total wash."  He walked off shaking his head.

The guard smirked.  "I can do that."  He went to hand him to the gardener's dog.  "Here, poochy, have a new toy."

"Don't you dare," Max warned.  "I'll have you killed!"  The dog barked and fetched it when he was thrown.  "Eww!  Dog drool!  Get off my nose!"

The guard smiled at the bemused gardener.  "The new boss said to humiliate him in a way that meant he needed a great face wash."  He went back inside.  The dog was happily throwing his new ball in the air to catch it and then batting it around.  The puppy he put up with came out to play too.  The gardener helped by tossing it so they could play fetch.  When they got tired, the puppy buried it in the rose bushes.  He even peed on it to make sure it smelled like it was his toy.

***

Xander woke up the next morning sore.  He still made himself get up, shower, and then go eat something.  No matter how much his jaw ached.  He had no idea why his jaw ached but it did.  Wade gave him a look over his morning coffee.  "Sore," he admitted quietly.  "What was I chewing on?"

"You had a few nightmares.  Maybe you clenched your jaw shut?"

Xander shrugged.  "Maybe."  He sipped his soda and dug into his granola cereal.  He liked it and the housekeeper was thrilled that he liked something semi-healthy.  Some day he would have to do something about the nagging.  He finished, got another glass of soda, and went to stretch.

Wade smiled.  The kid had good sense but he'd have to figure out what he had done the night before.  The guards should know.  He popped into the security office.  "Any idea why Xander's jaw is sore?"

"He had a few nightmares with his jaw clenched so hard he was probably gritting his teeth," the head guard said, looking up at him.  "Should we start to background check therapists?"

"I doubt he'd go for it.  Any idea on the cause?"

"He didn't say a thing," the head guard said.  "Not a single sound.  He went rigid, clenched his jaw, and rode them out."

Wade nodded.  "I'll see if he remembers then."  He went to the gym.  "The security cameras said that you went rigid, clenched your jaw, and just rode out the nightmares?" he asked quietly.

Xander shrugged.  "Usually I have shouting ones.  They annoyed Anya to no end when I was reliving graduation."

Wade nodded.  "I can understand that.  Do you remember any of it?  Maybe want us to find someone for you to talk to?"

"I'd never do therapy.  Willow's mother tried once when I was younger and I blew her theories out.  It actually made her go drink."  He finished his stretches.  "I didn't say anything?"

"No."

"Huh.  Maybe I'll try some meditation later to see if I can figure out what they were about."  He shrugged and went to his planned circuit of machines.

"If it gets too bad we have some of that knock out syrup here."

"I'll do that."

"Good.  You look tired."

Xander gave him a weak smile.  "For all I know it was the thing that I'm not thinking about."

"Could be," he admitted.  "Hormone shifts or whatever."  He'd look up pregnancy later to see if it did encourage nightmares.  Beyond Wade's of being one of those _Leave it to Beaver_ sort of fathers.  The one with the sweater vest and him smoking the pipe had made Wade shout and flail for over an hour last night.

***

Xander was meditating when he ran into someone he didn't expect.  "Jesse," he said quietly.  "What the hell?"

Jesse, his childhood friend that had been taken by vampires, squatted down in front of where he was sitting.  "Dude, damn."  Xander gave him a pointed look.  "Not exactly a *white* knight here, Xander."

"We're stopping problems."

"Yeah, and they're creating some underneath you."

Xander snorted, shaking his head.  "Not a problem.  Remember Galatin?"

Jesse grinned.  "Vividly.  I was going to remind you of him."  He sat down across from him, nodding at his stomach.  "That's stranger than Cordelia and Willow getting along."

"They still don't get along."  He looked at his stomach then at his soulmate.  "I had not a bit of say."

"I saw."  He patted him on the forehead.  "It's not a nightmare if it'll come true."

"I have visions?" he demanded.  "Like slayer dreams?"

"Yeah, she woke them up.  If you had stayed in Sunnydale they might've stayed hidden until you ascended like Cordelia will some day."  He grinned.  "What're you going to name her?"

"I'm not sure I should since she'll be evil incarnate."

"Good point.  In that case, name her after Warren.  He's about psycho too.  Or Wade."

"He's...  different."

"Yeah," Jesse snorted, giving him a look.  "I know I passed that gift to you when it happened in my life."  He hugged him.  Xander hugged him back.  "Eenie miney mo, catch an Evelyn by the toe," he whispered.  Xander nodded at that request.  "Beyond that, visions suck.   Hormones bring them harder.  Pay some attention.  Sometimes it's the little picture, not the big one."  He kissed him.  "I'm waiting.  Don't stray too far over the path, Xander."  He winked and disappeared.

Xander woke up gasping, making himself calm down.  He took a few calming breaths, willing the pain in his chest to stop.  He finally looked up, seeing Wade and the guards staring.  "Jesse said hi and you're evil," he told Wade, getting a grin back.  "He also said I'm going to start getting visions.  If I had stayed in Sunnydale, they never would've come up."  He got helped up.  "Let me go rest, guys.  Sorry if I freaked you out."  He walked off.

Wade followed.  "Visions?"

"Yeah and he said sometimes it's the small picture of them instead of the bigger one I'll see."  He glanced over.  "I have no idea how that goes.  You'd have to ask Angel's seer."  Wade nodded.  He opened his bedroom door.  "Let me take a nap," he said quietly.

"At least you know he's happy."

"No, he's not.  He's a puppet, that's why they sent him."  Xander looked at him.  "Jesse was turned, Wade.  I had to stake him.  I knew him before I knew what words were and I had to stake him."  He walked in and gently closed the door, going to his bed to curl up round his stomach.

Wade went to look that guy up.  Clearly he was important.  "He'll start to have precognitive events," he told the guards.  "Record them, whatever he says, and how long they last."  They nodded, going to look that information up.  They had no idea how to field treat visions.  Wade was doing the same thing.  For someone who had just learned magic was real, visions were freaky.  He also looked up where Angel was so he could talk to the seer he had on staff.  Maybe he had some idea about how to stop them.  Or handle them easier.  Everything he saw said that visions could be deadly if they went on for a prolonged time.

***

Wade walked into a demon bar.  He was silently freaked out by all the strange creatures.  He felt like he had walked into that bar in the Star Wars movie that he had been forced to watch as a punishment from Max.  He found the man he wanted and nodded at someone who stared at him.  The man he wanted looked up at him.  "I have a few questions for you."

"Yeah, I had a vision saying you wanted to talk about 'em," he said, his Irish accent softened.  "Back room's free."  He led the way, taking his beer with him.  He sat down.  "How is the boy?"

"Fine.  He's training hard so he can protect himself."

"Good.  Especially since the Powers That Be don't like him with you."  Wade snorted.  "I'm their mouthpiece for Angel."  He shifted and put his feet up.  "I've never found anything that could help the pain and I'm not sure if he can take them anyway with *her* being around."  Wade nodded.  "Mostly, you soothe, take dictation of whatever happened, and then let him nap it off."

"Can they be passed on?" Wade asked.

"Not that I'm aware of.  I'm not sure what source his come from.  Mine're gifted," he said.  "If'n I'm dying I can pass 'em on."  He took a drink of his beer.  "No one's sure the cause of his.  There's been no seers in his line."

"Then again, there were no witches in Rosenburg's line," Wade countered.  "It was just *coincidence* that a very strong witch was born to join up to a really strong slayer?"

"Perhaps."  He smiled.  "If so there's some other powers interrupting the PTB's games.  Which they hate.  They try very hard to take out any interference."

"Which is why I'm helping him train."

Doyle snorted.  "Be honest, Wade.  You're doing it to gentle him to your touch and ways.  Which might not be healthy for him.  What happens if he slips too far into the dark?"

"He won't.  He'll never be the psycho that Max was or the killer that I am."

"Boy's killed plenty," Doyle pointed out.  "The demon underground was conservative on his kill count."  Wade nodded he had realized that.  "He tries very hard to step back from each minute slip toward the dark whenever he has to do something.  Leading won't be any better for him.  He'll want to be in the thick of things."

"There's ways to do that without selling your soul to the devil," Wade said.

"Some say you have."  Doyle stood up.  "If'n the boy needs help, send him our way.  Cordelia cried over him.  She'll help protect him after she beats the living hell outta him."

"She seemed feisty."  He smirked.  "I'll let him know."

Doyle nodded.  "Never forget, Angelus gets to him first and you'll have to stake him too.  Angel never forgot what he learned about the princess' wish verse.  She alone knew what sort of threat the boy could be if he wanted to be.  Or he's driven there.  She alone knows how to handle him when he's in that much pain.  By the way *her*, the one in his head, is a mite possessive.  So if you mate to him, it's not gonna go away.  Ever."  He finished his beer on the way out.

Wade considered it on his way back to the car.  He drove back to the house, then went to find Xander.  "I talked to Doyle."  Xander winced.  "Nothing bad.  He said to tell you Cordelia cried."

Xander slumped, shaking his head.  "I'm sorry.  I should've thought to call her.  Maybe I'll go lurk somewhere she can catch a glimpse of me and figure things out."

"He said she'd beat you to death."

"Probably, yeah."  He looked up.  "Any other revelations?"

"He said he's never found anything for the pain.  I'll have someone start working on that."  He stared down at him.  "What's a wish verse?"

Xander winced.  "Wish demons, like Anya, can create narrow pocket universes if the wish they're granting calls for it."  He shifted and sighed a bit.  "In this case we're talking about Cordelia making one because I called her by Buffy's name."  Wade grimaced, sitting down.  "She wished Buffy hadn't shown up.  So there, I was turned."  Wade nodded slowly.  "I had turned Willow.  Willow and I were having tons of fun torturing Angel." 

He looked at his stomach then at Wade.  "Willow became a leather wearing, any pain is good for her sort of vampire who liked to torture.  I was the favorite grandchild of the Master.  The one Buffy defeated in tenth grade."  Wade nodded slightly.  "I wasn't really nice.  From the flashes I got, I had this thing about having Angel's chest open and was slowly sticking tiny toothpicks into a corner of his heart.  Just on the edges where I had clamped off a tiny piece."  Wade shuddered.  "Yeah.  I wasn't nice or pretty.  I was a good hunter for the group but he was my fun.  Which is why Angelus taunted me about how much my death would hurt Buffy.  I promised I'd be there when he died.  I kinda was the method but not in the room."

"So her wish meant she saw how evil you could go?"

Xander shook his head.  "I could have went more evil.  Angel torture was just for fun.  There was nightly hunting for food sources and other things that proved my alpha hunter status.  I got a flash of me taunting a group of sorority chicks I had tied up and were cutting the 'cute' things off bit by bit.  I had started with the hair and was on the nails in the flash I saw."  He looked at Wade.  "So apparently my dark side is really deep but I've stayed out of it for years.  Jesse was one of the anchors I had when I was younger and more pissed at the world."

"A lot of teenagers have that sort of rage."

"I had rage, and I had reasons for the rage," Xander admitted.  "I also had alcoholic parents.  We had a monthly day off for funerals for classmates as far back as I can remember, but it was like they became less than real once they were buried.  In days, it was like they were never there and I seemed to be one of the few that realized that.  Jesse did.  It always upset him.  Most of our classmates had their funerals during mass services in the gym."  Wade shuddered. 

"That's what the vampires did.  I was always so pissed off that no one seemed to care that they had died.  Kids I had grown up with.  When it happened with Jesse's death I nearly lost it on Willow.  She did the same damn thing and seemed to not remember him.  I nearly staked her one night for saying that she only had ever had one guy friend, me," he finished quietly.  "Then Buffy joined us at the right moment and I had to calm myself down.  I took it out on the vamps that night."

"I can see how hunting would ease that.  No one realized?"

"Within days it was like they never existed.  If you ask my former friends, they probably say the same thing.  I was a good but normal guy who had helped out when he could, did some of the research, fetched snacks.  I doubt either of them could remember what I really looked like.  Anya, she'll remember.  Spike, he'll remember.  Neither one are infested by whatever causes that."

Wade considered it.  "What 'her' was he talking about in your head that's possessive?"

Xander blushed and shrugged a bit. "You didn't see anything about the zoo trip?"

"I did."

"Did it say anything about hyenas?"

Wade thought back.  "You kept her?"

"They couldn't banish her.  She's mostly locked up.  She's a great help on patrol.  So are the memories from the halloween soldier."  He stood up.  "Any other good news?"

"Doyle said he wasn't sure who had gifted you with visions and whoever the Powers That Be are might be pissed?"

"Yeah, they're over slayers.  We've seen their sucky ideas in the past.  It wouldn't surprise me any if we're attacked to try to either capture me or kill me."  He shrugged.  "No different than back at home so Buffy would get upset."

Wade stood up, staring at the kid.  "What sort of hyena was it?"

Xander grinned.  "The matriarch of the clan."  He walked around him.  "I'm going to shower off the sweat."

"Need a back scrubber?"

Xander grinned.  "Not yet.  Maybe sometime soon.  Anya's main mistake was how she assumed things, Wade.  I may not be the one to go hunting but if I'm being wooed, I want to be wooed.  Not just pounced."  He left him to think and look up things.

Wade went to look up hyena matriarchs first off.   The rest he could consider tonight.  Though he did watch Xander in the shower.  Wooing huh?  He might be able to pull up a few ideas.  It wasn't his thing but he had a plan about how to get Xander into bed.  It'd just take a few weeks.  Fortunately Xander wouldn't want flowers, candy, and long walks on the beach.  Well, candy maybe.  Xander was going to get fat from his sweet tooth.

***

Xander was lurking around Cordelia's apartment building.  She was coming down the stairs.  She paused and looked his way so he grinned and disappeared.  He heard her chasing but he made himself disappear.  It'd hurt too much to talk to her right now.  Especially when she beat him to death with her high heels.

Cordelia huffed, looking around.  "I saw you so I know you're real," she growled.  "I'm going to kill you, Xander Harris."  She stomped over to her car and drove to talk to Angel.  "I saw Xander," she said as soon as she walked into the office.

"He died," Angel said.  "Was he a ghost?"

Doyle cleared his throat.  "He didn't die."  Angel stared at him.  "He did get taken."

"By?" Cordelia demanded.

"A M'Panni cult."

Angel shuddered.  "That's bad for any human.  Hold on, he is?"

"He's the worst choice ever," Doyle said.  "Though yeah, he's in hiding."  He looked at Cordelia.  "You'll see him sometime soon."

"Then why did Willow say he had died?" she asked, starting to sound shrill.

"Because she never looked," Angel said when Doyle just stared at her.  Doyle nodded.  "Why?"

"They decided it must be so when she couldn't scry him.  Underground said he found a sword and made his own way out.  Found a protector when he took out a sorcerer."  Cordelia sank into a chair.  Doyle leaned over to hug her.  "He's fine, even if he is in a weird place.  He'll always come to help you if you need him to."  She looked at him.  "He will."

"Where is he?"

"With his protector, who probably will take him out of the city in a few weeks."  She slumped.  "He's happy enough, princess.  Things are a bit weird but he's mostly happy."

"Things are always weird around Xander," Angel said.

"The same Power that gave Buffy a strong witch gave him visions," Doyle mouthed.  Angel shuddered.  He cuddled Cordelia.  "He's got minions and someone evil tryin' ta woo him."

She let out a snort and wiped her cheeks off.  "Sounds like him."  She looked at him.  "He's really all right?"  Doyle smiled and nodded.  "What's a M'Panni cult?"

"It's a group of demons trying to give a higher demon an heir by choosing someone innocent and pure to knock up ritually by magic," Doyle said with a grin.

She burst out laughing.  "Him?  Xander!"  She cackled.

He nodded.  "Yeah, bit of stress there but he fought his way out."

"He is?"

"Yeah.   Due around the holidays."  He winked.  "If'n you need him, he'll be there."  She nodded, going to clean up her face.  He looked at Angel.  "That new overlord?  That's him," he mouthed.

"Good to know."  He went to the sewers to laugh his ass off.  Xander Harris, mother to a higher demon.  It was almost cosmic justice for the clown of the slayer patrol.  He heard the hatch shut and be locked on him, glaring at it.  He'd get Cordelia later.  He turned at the sound of a footstep, having to duck when he heard the gunshot.  Beside him, some of the tunnel slime lit on fire.  Flare rounds.  He disappeared up the tunnels.  He'd find out who had done it and deal with them in finest master vampire fashion later.

Wade smirked.  "Dick."  He left, going back to the house.  Cordelia was calmed down.  Xander had pulled his dramatic showing off.  Angel was running now.  Maybe Angel would keep going all the way back to Sunnydale.  Wade got to go release more information on demons to the media to keep them in the limelight so no one could forget.  People were trying to ignore it now.  It was too soon for their plans.  So maybe he'd release the tape of the graduation battle.

***

Xander looked up as someone came running into the office and grabbed him.  "Hey, no grabby hands!" he complained, getting free.  "What's wrong?  Are we being invaded?"

"Yes!  By the press!"  He hauled him off to Wade.  Wade had made it very clear Xander was his.  "We're being invaded by the press."

"Great," Wade muttered, taking Xander from the guard.  "Why?"

"When we released the graduation footage, someone got some from the FBI that showed even more of the battle."  Xander winced and hissed.

Wade looked at him.  "Your doing?" he guessed.

"Yeah.  I wanted them to see that the kids actually fought and died for their family's safety," he said quietly, sitting down.  "The stuff you released was kitten chow compared to the real thing, Wade.  I had the full footage, I had picked up a fallen video camera after the battle and put into a safety deposit box.  I had it sent to the same people."

Wade looked that up, shuddering.  "I apparently only found the edited footage."

Xander nodded.  "The FBI did to edit out the deaths since they couldn't do a report on it.  The edited footage went into the report."  He pointed.  "He used to play tag with Jesse and I in middle school when we were bored.  That was before he found football."

Wade nodded, making a call to the reporter about that.  Then they evacuated the vulnerable Xander.  "How did they know you were here?"

"I think since I used your source it linked me to you?" Xander guessed.

"Probably.  Which isn't a bad link."  He got them into the limo in the garage then they left for the airport.  "Think you can do it undrugged this time?" he asked.

"Hopefully.  I hate the sudden wake up at the end."  He patted himself down.  "The ring and stuff."

"It'll be shipped.  I told Edna to ship it," Wade said calmly.  Xander relaxed and nodded.  He also pulled out his phone to text someone.  "Which one?"

"Cordy."  He put the phone up.  "I told her it was my bad."

Wade shrugged.  "It's incredibly helpful."

"Maybe Buffy will get some new backup she can hit on that's living."  The guard with them shuddered.   "She was dating Spike the last time I heard."

"Yuck," the guard muttered.  Wade smirked at him.  "Dead dick can't be any good."

"To hear Spike tell it, he's the best there ever was," Xander said dryly, shifting some to get comfortable.  He moved off the seat belt and it was better.  Wade was looking amused.  "It was trying to climb up my ass to join Evelyn."

"You named it?" Wade asked.

"Jesse wanted that name.  It's, it was, his sister's name before she died of drowning in the tub."  Wade nodded once at that.  "I'd like to remember Tara somehow too."

"We'll see."  Xander grinned.  They made the trip to the airport faster than normal.  Xander stared at the stairs up to the plane.  He hesitated but Wade picked him up.  "C'mon.  Or I'm drugging you again."

"I'm fine.  Let me down."  Wade let him down and he walked onto the plane himself.  He scowled and swatted Wade on the arm.  "I was just hesitating, not freaking out or anything.  I'm not a princess to be carried.  Speaking of carried, we forgot the head."

"He'll be shipped too."

"Fine."  He sat down and got comfortable once his seatbelt was on.  Everyone else who needed to be there got on and they took off.  "Where to this time?" Xander asked Wade.

"Peru."

"Cool.  I've only seen pictures."  Wade grinned at him.  "Do I have a camera?"

"Yeah, we have one somewhere I'm sure."  Xander beamed at him for that.  Wade made a note to get one.  If the kid wanted to play tourist it was probably good for him to get out of the house sometimes.  He'd just be very protected by Wade himself and a few guards.

***

Cordelia looked at her phone when it beeped.  "My bad," she read.  She frowned.  "What did you do and why did you text me?"  She looked at the tv, turning it on to see if something was on the news.  Maybe it was a misdialed text?  No, there she was fighting for her life.  "I'm going to murder Xander," she growled.

Doyle, who had been walking in carefully backed out and walked off.   He wasn't going to get in the middle of that.  Though he did turn on the tv in the apartment below the office.  Yup, there was their princess with a weapon.  "No wonder she's mad.  It makes her look very butch."

Angel woke up to come out and look at the tv.  "How did they get that footage?  It's the uncut version."

"Cordelia was just swearing at Xander."

"Damn it," he muttered, calling Sunnydale.  He got Joyce.  "Are you watching tv yet?  Someone released footage of graduation."  He hung up and went back to bed.  "Let me know if there's any fallout."

"Sure."  Doyle sat down to watch it.  It wasn't pretty but it was a fairly effective battle.  He flinched when the high school went up.  It was necessary though.

***

Up in Sunnydale, Buffy and Willow were staring in horrified awe at the footage.  Buffy's mother Joyce was doing the sensible thing and packing for them.  Before the locals came after her daughter.  She nudged Buffy with the bag.  "Go see your aunt.  Willow, you too."  She nodded, going back to the college to pack.  She nearly packed her girlfriend but Tara got her calmed down and they packed everything, including the cat, so they could visit somewhere safer.  They could already hear angry people ranting about the school blowing up. 

Willow decided trying that new teleporting spell she had just learned was safer.  They made it to Buffy's room, where Willow had to stun some people to get them out of their things.  They got packed too and then they teleported to Buffy's mom's house.  Joyce gave Tara the car keys since she could drive and Buffy couldn't.  Then they fled the city.  Before the lynch mob got them.  Joyce followed once she had closed the gallery and packed up everything.

Whoever had released that footage was very evil.

***

Angel came back to the office that night after hunting with Buffy, Willow, and Tara following him.  Angel looked a lot worse for the wear.  His clothes were torn.  His hair was messed up.  He looked like he had been mobbed.  Cordelia stared at him.  "Fangirls," he said quietly, going to change and get presentable again.  Maybe he'd get the time to ice his new bruises too.  The non-goth fangirls had been worse than the goth ones.  A few of the non-goth ones had tried to see if Anne Rice was right and vampires couldn't have sex.  He sent them at Spike to get that told to them.  Spike would probably turn them into minions but oh well!

Buffy looked at Cordelia.  "Have you guys had any problems?"

"My agent called me growling about being in a movie he didn't know about."  She sat down.  "Xander released it."

"Xander's dead," Willow said.

"Xander got snatched by a M'Panni cult," Doyle corrected.  "I *saw* it, Rosenburg."  Willow slumped.  So did Buffy.

"What's one of those?" Tara asked quietly, looking around.

"M'Panni means heir of the demon," Doyle said dryly.  "They need blood innocents."  He stared at Buffy until she whimpered.  Now she knew why they had picked her backup and friend.  "He's got a protector.  He got himself free by finding a sword."  He looked at Tara, smiling at her.  "C'mon, there's a bathroom so you can freshen up."  He showed it to her, making her blush. 

"I'm Doyle.  I'm Angel's seer," he said quietly.  She grinned and patted him on the wrist then went into the bathroom.  Doyle left.  His lessons had been taught for the day.  He ran into the fangirls outside and told them how to get to Spike and the vampire bars.  They fled to do that.  A few were still giving the building cow eyes so he told them that Angel was hiding from his true love and ex-girlfriend.  It'd be days before anyone saw him.  She decided to go find Spike and get that story told to her.

Maybe Xander had a gift for chaos?  With the way he had sown it, it was entirely possible.

***

Wade was coming down the plane's stairs when they were attacked.  He naturally opened fire on them.  "Who are these stupid idiots?" he demanded.  The idiots had taken cover behind some machines and crates.

"Watchers," Xander called from the bottom of the stairs.  "They'd like me really dead."  He ducked one gunshot, then pulled one of the guard's spares and shot the one in front of him.  Then another one Wade couldn't get due to the angle.  "Okay, I'm done now."  He handed the gun back.  "Wade, let's not stay here?"  He walked back up the stairs.

"I doubt they'll let us leave before the police question us," Wade said sarcastically.  Xander went down to loot one's pockets, handing the ID to Wade, who nodded at it.  Then Xander went to hide.  When the police got there, Wade held up the ID.  "They were trying to kill my boss."

One of the officers looked at the card then spit.  "Evil has been vanquished," he sneered.  "I need your identities for the forms."  Wade showed him his.  Xander got called out and pulled his with a sigh.  The officer crossed himself, backing down.  "I have heard of your town."

"I helped defend it  few times," Xander said dryly.  "The Council hates me because I helped one of their girls continue to fight for years."

"How?" the officer asked.

"Backup.  She always has backup beyond her watcher."

The officer smiled.  "We will pass it on to the one down here."  Xander grinned and wrote an address.  "Hers?"

"Where she's hiding in LA.  The news people in the US got film of a battle we had been in.  She's hiding."  The officer nodded and left them alone.  They were cleared to go.  Xander sat down.  "So, where to now, Wade?"

"Which ocean do you like better?"

"I've only seen the Pacific from the beach by Sunnydale."

"Sure, Atlantic it is then."  He ordered the pilot and they took off after filing the proper flight plan documents.

"I think it's great I get to see new places now.  I always wanted to travel.  If my car hadn't broken down after graduation I had plans of hitting most every state."

Wade smiled.  "If we get attacked there, we're going to London."  Xander squealed and hugged him and then bounced a bit in his chair.  It was nice to see Xander happy.  "Go wash your hands.  You have GSR on them."  Xander went to do that.  So did the guard.  Wade did his last, waiting until he was alone to smile and shake his head.  Xander was a huge goofball with a violence problem.  He really could like the kid.

***

Xander bounded around the new compound, looking at all the fruit trees.  He picked something from each one to try.  A few he made faces at and handed off.  So Wade got lunch too.  Then they went inside to explore the house.  Wade hadn't been here in years.  He needed to make sure he remembered where all the emergency exits were.  Xander was pouting by the end of the tour.  "What?" one of the guards asked, pouting too.

"There's no gym.  Wade can't continue my self-defense lessons."

"We can do it in the sand garden," Wade said, smiling at him.  Xander grinned and bounded off to the kitchen to talk to this housekeeper.  He looked at the guard, who had been the one to flirt with Xander.  "Go guard the gate, make sure no one stupid tries here."  He nodded, going to do that.  Wade went inside.  "Protein with dinner," he reminded the kid when he was talking about a fruit torte.  "Then sugar."

"Yes, Wade."

"Good boy."  He walked off happier.  He heard the high-pitched giggling from the housekeeper and shook his head but he was still smiling.  Xander and she got on well.  It was a good sign.  Xander bounded past Wade and headed to one of the outbuildings.  "No going near the stables when you're that hyper," he called after him.  "You'll scare the nags."

"Oops."  He looked at Wade.  "I've never seen horses."

"We can go look.  Just calm down.  They'll get scared and hurt themselves."  Xander nodded.  They walked that way.  Wade paused in the doorway with the kid.  He could hear a horse start to frantically neigh.  He looked at him.  "That's bad."

"They might be able to sense the hyena?" he guessed.  He moved closer to the panicking one.  "Calm down.  I'm a people.  Really.  See, no fur."  It was still looking and acting panicked so he opened the door.  It was kicking it, it seemed like the thing to do.  It ran outside to pant in the sun.  Xander moved to the doorway.  "Are you all right now?"  He carefully moved closer.

 Wade made him stop.  He went to get the horse by the halter and bring her back.  Xander let her sniff him and petted where Wade pointed.  It calmed the horse down and she finally accepted he was a human who could pet and spoil her instead of a creature that would hunt her down as prey.  Wade let him pet her while he checked on his usual mount.  Since Xander seemed to like the horses maybe they'd get some riding time in.  His usual mount was happy to see him and get an ear scratch.   Max's got the same treatment.  She was getting old.  He came out to find Xander cuddling the horse.  "They can't really hug back," Wade said.

"She gives a good cuddle."

"We'll see if we can ride tomorrow afternoon."  Xander smiled and nodded.  He let the horse be put back into her stall.  Xander generously gave each of the horses a sugar cube from the jug of them on the wall.  He and Wade went to check on the K-9 dogs.  "No petting," Wade warned.  "Only their handlers can."

"Okay."  He let them sniff him.  He got a few nuzzles but the handlers pulled them back.  "Is she with puppy?" he asked, pointing at one.

The handler smiled.  "She is in whelp.  Maybe one of the new pups will make a good replacement when she retires."  Xander grinned and walked off with Wade.  "Well now," he said quietly, watching them walk off.  "Max's heir and Wade?  That's different.  I didn't think Wade would ever settle on anything but a bimbo."  Wade glared back at him so he smiled and waved.  Wade shook his head, following the boss to the next outbuilding to look it over.  Apparently they found a problem.  Some young woman screamed and ran out of it toward the gate.  "I didn't know we had an infestation of bimbos."

"Who let the sluts in?" Wade bellowed.

"Is that like who let the dogs out?" Xander quipped.

"With some of them, very similar."  He went in to clear out the other bimbos.  "Max is dead, ladies.  The new boss only likes them dangerous and deadly."

Xander leaned in to smile and wave.  "Unless you've killed at least two people, you're too nice for me."  They pouted but left.  "Sorry.  If the guards want to hit on you, that's between you and them."  He waved at their backs.

"The guards got taught to ignore the skanks Max used to like," Wade said.  They walked on.  A few more sluts were routed from the pool area.  Xander tested the pool and frowned at it.  "It's saltwater.  That way you don't need the chemicals."

"I wonder if that would set off the mermaid taint," Xander said, staring at it.

"Let us get a clear DNA swab first," Wade said, leading him inside.  "Roque, get me a DNA kit?"  One got handed over.  Xander grimaced but let Wade swab his cheek.  "Send that to the tech division."

"Sure."  He glanced at Xander then left them alone.  It was cute how Wade was hovering over the kid.  A bit weird but so was the kid.

Wade got them to dinner and then to bed.  Xander was yawning.  Wade had drugged his last glass of water with the knock out drops.  Xander gave him a dirty look for it too but he just smiled back.  "You need your rest."

"Fine.  I'll go to bed at dark like I'm a little kid."  He went to his room and snuggled in naked under the sinfully soft sheets.

Wade went to the office to call the tech people.  He checked on the security cameras.  "Why is he naked?" he complained.

One of the guards leaned in.  "Xander said the sheets are so soft they deserve bare skin."

"When did you ask?"

"The other day when I caught him so sleepy he was still half dressed."  He grinned and disappeared.

Wade shook his head.  "Only him," he muttered.  The tech people were starting to pull up reports.  Including one that said the machines wouldn't read his DNA.  They'd have to do it the old way.  "That's good to know."  He forwarded the report on what probably was causing the problem.  The techies groaned but dealt with it.  Wade watched the security camera.  The kid was restless tonight.  He went to check on him, finding something crawling into the bed with him.  He kicked the scorpion and then stomped on it.  Xander hummed.  "Scorpion."

"Native?" he mumbled.

That was a good question.  "No.  I have no idea where it came from."  He called that in.  Xander made a grabby hand motion.  "What?"

"Sleep?"

"I don't sleep with people."

Xander pouted.  "Protect me?"

"I guess."  He sat down and watched.  The next time a scorpion got put in the window they caught the slut that was doing it and Wade got to have some happy fun in the morning.  Xander slept peacefully.  Wade snuck out and went to have some happy fun.  He was down to his pants.  His shirt, socks, and shoes were safely out of range of any blood spatter.  The slut was begging prettily for mercy.   He heard the report that Xander was wandering around naked, going to stop him.  "Hey, no wandering around naked," he complained.  "Where did you get that scar?"

Xander hummed and leaned against his chest.  "Warm and safe," he mumbled.

Wade took him back to the bedroom and tucked him in.   Xander made grabby motions.  "Let me go torture the one who tried to kill you."

"No, get her tomorrow."  He pulled Wade down and rolled over so he was pinned.  He sighed in pleasure.  "Thank you."  He snored and huffed.

Wade stared at his boss, looking worried.  "How did you do that?"

One of the guards leaned in.  "Need a helping hand?"

"A bit," he said dryly.  The guard came over.  Xander hissed and then growled.  The guard slowly moved closer.  Xander came off the bed growling and snapped at the guard.  The guard decided he was going to carefully back out.  Xander lay back down with a huff of pleasure.  He snuggled in and went back to full sleep.  Wade looked down at him.  "That's really weird."

Another guard leaned in, holding up the bottle of knock out drops.  Wade looked then shook his head.  Another bottle got held up and Wade nodded.   When Xander started to growl, the guard tossed the bottle and walked back out.  Wade put some on his finger and let Xander suck on it.  The snoring and purring quit and the boy fell into a deep, nearly coma-like sleep.  Wade wiggled free.  Xander still pouted.  "You'll see me in the morning."   He went back to his torture.  It wasn't as happy anymore.  Though the slut was fun to torture he was still unsettled by the cuddling.  He hadn't cuddled since he was a child.

***

Xander woke up licking his lips.  He scowled at the window then around.  "I'm going to break him of that drugging me habit."  The door was knocked on.  "What?" he called.  "I'm not happy."  The door opened and Wade walked in with a tray.  "I'm going to kick your ass for drugging me again."

"You *cuddled* and then you tried to eat a guard."

"Yay," Xander said sarcastically.  "Why can't I move?"

"Not a clue.  Nothing's holding you under that sheet."  He put the tray beside him.  Xander tried and couldn't move.  "Maybe it's not fully off."  He smirked.

Xander stared at him.  "I'm still going to kick your ass."

"That's what sparring practice is for," he agreed happily.

Xander growled low in his throat and suddenly magic came at him.  Wade was now across Xander's lap and he spanked him.  Wade had to wiggle free.  Xander smirked. "I'm still going to get you."

"Uh-huh."  He stared down at him.  "That won't happen again."  Xander stared at him.  "Eat brunch."

"No more drugging me."

"You're fine."

"Clearly not since I can't move."

"That's normal.  It'll come back in about an hour."

"By then, this bed will be floating.  Remember, she's sitting on my bladder." 

Wade winced and helped him up, walking him into the bathroom.  Then Wade fled to somewhere he could be safer and think.  He hadn't seen Xander's bad side before.  He was thinking that Xander was a lot nicer than Max.  Perhaps he had to reevaluate that idea.  When he heard Xander moving around he went out to the sand garden.  Xander was still in a bad mood.  He was growling.  He had a knife.  "Okay, no more drugs unless they're necessary," Wade said.  Xander stared at him.  "Want me to pinky swear?" he sneered.  Xander lunged.  Wade disarmed him because he was still wobbly.  That meant he missed that Xander had the taser.  Wade yelped and moved away.  "Damn it!"

Xander smirked.  "Do.  Not.  Drug.  Me.  *Ever*.  Again," he said quietly.  "I'm not your toy.  I'm not your abused pet.  I'm not your kitty cat who spazzes on trips.  If you *ever* drug me again and I'm not in a somewhat critical situation, I'll kill you."  He stared at him then he walked off.   He went back to the pool and dove in.

Wade rubbed his side, watching the boy huff off.  "Okay, he's got a very dark, moody side that's somewhat sexy," he decided, following him.  He heard him dive in.  "We don't have a clean DNA profile yet," he complained.  Something got thrown at him and he ducked.  "Sure, I'll lifeguard since you're still shaky."  He sat down on one of the loungers and watched Xander work his bad mood out.  He noticed that Xander was swimming under the water and not coming up for air.  He timed it.  Xander clearly got a few things from the fish DNA.  He cleared his throat and stared at Xander until he came up for air.  "Thank you."

"Bite me."

"Ask me later when we're both in better moods."  Xander glared but went back to his laps.

Roque came out with the DNA report.  "I thought my team was bad," he muttered, walking off shaking his head.  Something hit him on the back of the head.  He glared at the pool.  Xander stared at him.  "Problems?"

"Yup.  I found out who gave him the stuff to drug me.  If it *ever* happens again, I'll find that sword I used last time."

"We have guns," Roque quipped.

"Who said you'll reach it?" 

Roque pulled his.  From behind he was knocked down and bitten on the arm.  "Damn it!" he shouted, struggling to turn over.  A warm growl hit his ear.  He paused and looked back.  The dog there was growling and was clearly not normal since it looked like it was on fire.  "What are you?"

"I have no damn idea," Wade admitted.  "Kid?"

Xander leaned on the side of the pool.  "Good job, Bu."  The 'dog' walked over to get petted, panting happily, tail wagging, at the human.  "Good job.  Very nice job.  Did Spike send you?"  The dog barked and sat down, laying down to stare at him.  "Go fetch Wade.  He can run like a vampire."  He pointed.  Wade got up slowly.  The dog looked at him.  It got up.  Wade and Roque took off running, the dog following at an easy jog. 

Xander went back to his laps happier.  The dog was happy too with the new playtoy.  By the time the dog was tired, Roque and Wade would not underestimate Xander ever again.  Xander was in a happier mood too.  He had even gotten cookies out of the housekeeper.  "C'mon, Bu.  Let's find a book to read.  I'm sure I saw the library."   The dog trotted with him, panting and barking happily at everyone they walked past.

Wade and Roque wandered into the kitchen dripping sweat.  "I'll get him back for that some day," Wade told the housekeeper.  She handed them bottles of water.  Then little packets of lemonade mix to put in them.  They sipped carefully so they wouldn't get sick.  "Is that damn beast still here?"

"Headed for the library with his master."  She smiled.  "Did they play with you?"  Wade glared.  She patted him on the hand, handing over a second bottle and more packets. 

The men went to take showers then Wade went to talk to Xander.  Roque would get killed if he tried; Xander was Wade's so he could talk to him.  Wade walked into the library with some of Xander's stash of holy water.

"That won't work on Bu."

Wade paused then splashed Xander with it.  "I was going to shoo it off after I made sure you weren't possessed by someone stupid."

Xander looked up at him, smiling.  "I warned you to never drug me again."

"You're not that good without the help."

"And yet, I still got you."

Wade glared.  "This is not a game at this time."

Xander stood up, staring at him.  "You're the asshole who drugged me.  I didn't think kidnaping was your sort of thing, Wade."  Wade slammed him against a wall.  Xander moaned and pushed back.  Wade had a good hold and was smirking.  So Xander kicked him in the stomach, getting a grunt.  His other foot hit Wade's crotch and Wade went down.  Xander slid down to stare at him.  Bu was growling.  "Down," Xander ordered.

Wade stood up with a wince.  "If I wasn't tired....."

Xander patted him on the arm.  "I have boundaries and you crossed it," he said quietly and calmly.

"You pulled me down to cuddle!"

Xander stared at him.  "Most people that wanted in my panties would consider that a good thing," he sneered.  He got up and walked off with the dog.

"Damn it," Wade muttered, following him.  He had the master key to all the doors in the house.  Xander had blocked the door somehow so he broke the door in.  "I don't cuddle."

"That's your problem.  Anyone I'm fucking is probably going to get cuddles."  Xander went back to his book.  When Wade walked closer to take the book, the dog stood up and growled.

"You, sit," Wade ordered with a point in the corner.  The dog barked and wagged his tail, looking happy.  "What?"

"You sound like a pack matriarch," Xander said dryly.  He patted his thigh and the dog hopped up to get petted.  "If I'm with someone, I expect them to want to spend time with me, including in bed outside of sex."  He looked up at him.  "I'd never fuck someone I couldn't sleep with."  Wade glared.  Xander stared back.  "So that makes this your problem and you can let me know when you've got it solved."  He went back to reading.

"I can send you back to Sunnydale."

"And I can go back to kicking ass," Xander said dryly.  "Spike and I can do it.  We have before.  We can do it again."  Wade huffed off.  Xander shrugged and went back to reading.  When he wasn't called for dinner he pulled out something from his stores of stuff to nibble on.  If things weren't better in the morning, Xander would find a way to leave.  He settled in to finish the book with his dog.

The housekeeper walked in scowling.  "You weren't at dinner."

He grinned.  "No one called me so I had some jerky."

She huffed and went to get him a tray, bringing it back.  "There you go.  I'll send someone to fix the door."

"I can.  I worked construction for about six months."  She smiled and patted him on the knee, heading back to the kitchen.  Xander finished dinner, bringing the tray back, then came back to fix the door.  Finally Xander turned off the lights and laid down.  The dog nestled in beside him and it was comfy.  He needed more physical contact.

***

Wade wandered around the office growling and throwing things.  Roque walked in.  "He fixed the door and settled in.  The housekeeper brought him food."

Wade paused to stare at him.  "It's a bad idea."

"It's not a bad idea.  He seems to have good ideas."  He left.  He respected the kid.  He knew some drill instructors that would've used that dog trick on someone who had pissed him off too.  The kid had his scary side, though it was nice watching Wade figuring the kid out.  Maybe if they didn't work out, he'd introduce the kid to Clay.  If Clay lived through everything.

Wade went to check the security cameras.  He was confused and pissed off.  He wasn't used to anyone telling him 'no' or setting down rules on him.  He especially wasn't used to being treated like a jackass about something like that.  And really, who cuddled anymore?  That had went out in the sixties.

***

Wade paused to look at the door repair.  It wasn't too poorly done.  He knocked politely then walked in.  Xander was in there packing.  Wade took the bag and tossed it back in the closet, handing Xander his breakfast tray.  Wade left and went to get his own then came back so they could talk in private.  He had turned off the security cameras for the room.  He settled in at the desk.  "Where were you going?"

"Home."

"You can't do that."

"I can.  You said I could."

"I was wrong."  He ate a bite.

Xander sighed but dug in.  "Thank you for bringing me breakfast, Wade."

"Welcome.  I thought we should probably argue away from the guards.  Before the one that likes to flirt with you gets any ideas."  He ate a bite of toast.

"He doesn't flirt with me."

"He does."  He finished that triangle of toast and picked up a piece of bacon.

"Are you going to treat me better?"

Wade looked at him.  "I treat you fine, kid."

"First, I'm not a child."

"You're closer than I am," Wade snorted.

Xander stared at him.  "I haven't been a kid since I was very young and started to raise myself."  Wade nodded at that.  "I know I'm younger than you, but I'm not going to let myself be treated like a naughty kid or a bad kid."

"Fine."

"I won't be drugged because you feel like it."

Wade called up the security footage and showed him why he had been drugged.  Xander watched while he ate.  Xander finally shrugged.  "You pulled me down to *cuddle*.  Which I do not do."

Xander looked at him.  "Anyone I'm sleeping with I expect to sleep next to.  If you can't handle that then I guess I'll flirt with that guard."

Wade's eyes narrowed.  "Not every couple sleeps together."

"They're not having healthy relationships.  Which I also refuse to be part of.  I might fuck for fun but if I'm fucking for a relationship, then I want to be with them, even at night.  Anya hated to cuddle too but she'd lay there and let me curl up against her."

"We'll handle that part later.  You still nearly bit one of the guards."

Xander stared at him.  "Who drugged me at dinner?"  Wade grimaced.  "If you hadn't, I probably would've been closer to my normal sunny personality," he said dryly.  "Which means I wouldn't have growled and went hyena on them or you.  Tiny bad to huge bad. Then you lost your fucking mind because I wanted some comfort in my weakened state."  He stared at him.  "As I said, you will *never* drug me again unless it's medically necessary."

"Fine, I can see that," Wade said calmly.  "You still pulled me down to cuddle."

Xander huffed.  "Yes, because I was in a weakened state and for some reason the hyena thought you might be coming closer to being a pack member.  Which protect each other," he said, talking down to him.  "If you notice, I was acting *protective*, not just cuddly.  And again, if you hadn't drugged me during dinner, I wouldn't have gotten to that state.  So really you're responsible for your own cuddling."  He finished breakfast and went into the bathroom.  He came out and found the plates gone and the room empty.  He grabbed his bag and snuck out, heading out of the compound.  He realized one of the guards was following him and lost him fairly quickly.

Roque kept following the kid.  He was better than the average guard.  Of course, he lost the kid when he went into a demon bar and disappeared without leaving.  He called Wade to tell him that.

***

Xander walked out the other side of the portal and waved, heading to his storage area.  He knew Spike had put most everything there.  The rest he could move somewhere safer.  He still had that hidden bank account that Anya had never heard about.  He settled in to sort things out.  He had left most of the new clothes there so he needed his own.  He also needed to handle his weapons stash.  He had some things that really needed to be liquidated so he had money of his own. 

Then maybe he'd get a car, go hunting on the sly, kill some more demons.  Until he got too tired of the life and found something else to do.  He called one of his contacts, who spluttered that he was dead.  Xander's snort was his answer back.  The demon met him at the warehouse and quickly found what he wanted among all the cases.  He paid, let Xander help him load them, then left to tell the others that Xander wasn't dead.  Though he was hiding from the slayer for some reason.  The demon bar decided it was probably a wise idea on his part.

***

Three weeks later, Wade found Xander killing a few demons and shot one for him.  "Killed by lead," Xander quipped.  Wade changed clips and shot it again.  This time it died.  "Thanks."  He killed the last two and panted, looking around.  "We're going to be attacked again really quickly."  He straightened up and stared at Wade.  "Why are you here?  Are they in the way?"

"I came looking for you."

"You made your choice, Wade.  I'm not bending those rules for whatever this is."  A new demon appeared with a roar so Xander killed it.  He looked at Wade again.  "So why show up?"

"I thought we should finish our talk."

"You disappeared."
 
"You huffed off to hide in the bathroom.  I was only putting the plates back in the kitchen."  He looked around then at Xander.  "Is this good for you?"

"She's protected.  I can do this for a few more months."  Wade shot the next one that showed up.  "Silver," he said with a grin.

"Got some in there too."  He moved closer.  "Can we start over?"

"You will never drug me again," Xander said firmly.  "That's not negotiable."

"Even if it's for your own good?"

"Yup.  Unless it's a medical necessity."

"Fine, I can agree with that.  Can you get rid of the hyena?"  Xander shook his head.  "You sure?"

"Giles tried.  She's my best friend now."

Wade nodded once.  "I can understand that.  Can we go somewhere less creepy than this cemetery?"

"I still have to finish killing the ones that are going to appear."

Wade huffed.  "Why?"

"Because they're trying to take out an orphanage in the next town."

"I can get Buffy sent here."

"It'll be too late by the time she flies out.  They've got to get them tonight."

"Okay," Wade decided.  "We can handle this."

"I can do it."

"Shut up," Wade ordered, starting to scowl again.  "You can't do it on your own."  Xander glared at him before walking off to take on something that had just appeared.  "Why not closer to the orphanage?"

"Because they can only appear here.  The rest of the town is protected."  He took a swing.  The demon ducked.  Xander shot it with his other hand.  Another few appeared and they killed them too.  Xander sighed and wiped his forehead off.  "I'm out of shape."  He walked off to get some of his water.  Another demon appeared.  "Let me get a drink and I'll kill you."  It growled and tried to pounce.  Wade killed it.  "Thanks."  He took a few drinks and put his bottle back down.   Xander checked his phone.  No message from the orphanage.  That was a good thing.

Wade moved closer.  "Buffy's in town talking to the orphanage staff."

"That's wonderful.  I don't think anyone snuck past me.  She can stay there or we can switch out."

"Switch out."  He called the guard that had picked her up earlier.  They switched on the way out of the cemetery.  "He left you a mess," Wade told her.

"Gee, thanks."  She looked at the mess, grimacing.  "Yup, that's a mess."  She sighed and settled herself in to handle anything that showed up.  Xander had clearly done a lot of them.  She'd probably have more later.  They still had six hours to show up.

Xander and Wade cleared the orphanage.  They settled in to watch to make sure nothing got past Buffy.  He and Xander would talk over breakfast.

***

Xander looked over as one of the guards brought him coffee.  "Thanks."  He sipped and put it beside him.

Wade nodded his thanks for his coffee.  "Anything going on out there?"

"She's gotten about ten demons."  Xander nodded.  "All bigger things with a lot of teeth and claws."

"They all seem to have a lot of teeth and claws," Xander said.  He sipped his coffee, nodding at one of the nuns that ran the orphanage when she walked past.  "Everyone good, Sister?"

"So far."  She smiled at the others.  "They look very competent."

"We are," Wade agreed.  "All military trained."  She patted him on the cheek and walked past them to check on the boys' dorm.  He looked at Xander.  "When does this fun event end?"

"Dawn."  He finished his coffee and tossed out the paper cup.  He spotted a tiny demon sneaking their way as a bush and got up to light a flare into it.  The demon screamed and went up in a plume of fire.  "No coming near children."  He sat back down.  The demon died and went to ashes.

Wade shook his head.  "This is insane."

"No, this is kinda normal in my life," Xander admitted.

"Still insane."

"If you're sure."

"Pretty much," Wade quipped bitterly.  A few more demons got shot, but they were nice enough to use a silencer.  Finally it was sun up and they could relax their guards.  A few more demons tried to rush but Xander got them.  Wade grabbed Xander's arm.  "Breakfast?"

"Next town?  This one will be freaked out for a few days."  He got free and headed for his car.

Wade stared.  "Sure, we can follow you."  He motioned the guards to follow.  He got into the back of the car.  They followed his boyfriend to the next town's motel.  It had a small restaurant.  Wade was starting to hear banjos with the way everyone was staring at them.  Xander smiled and waved at the cook, who grinned and waved back.  He sat down.  Wade sat across from him, looking like he was casually sprawled instead of on alert and tense.

Xander stared at him.  "Relax.  No one here's going to eat you."

"No dog?" he quipped.

"No, he's back in Sunnydale helping Spike patrol."  He smiled at his automatic glass of soda.  "Thank you, Marybeth.  Can you get Wade some coffee?"

"Sure, sweetie."  She went to get the other boys' drink orders.  She stared at one.  "No beer before noon.  It's Sunday."

"Coffee then please, ma'am."

"I can do that."  She went to make a fresh pot.  She got them menus and let them talk.

Xander looked at Wade.  "So, you got your first night of the idiotic part of hunting.  How did you like it?"

"I didn't really."  He sipped his coffee when it came.  "Two eggs, over easy, really soft middles, toast, jam, and bacon," he requested when the waitress paused beside the table.

Xander grinned.  "Pancakes just like yesterday?  They were really fluffy and good."

"Sure, sweetie."  She winked and walked over to the other table.

Xander looked at Wade.  "So."

Wade waited until they got fed and the waitress walked off.  "No more of what we talked about unless it's necessary.  No more nagging either."

"And you'll quit bitching if I get huggy?" he asked, eating a bite of pancake.

"I don't really like it but we'll see."  He glanced around.

Xander grinned.  "Her brother is very sweet and wanted to help me clean my guns.  He was making his boyfriend jealous."

Wade relaxed more, nodding.  "Fine.  If you have to get huggy I'll let you hug Roque or someone."

"I'd have to handcuff Roque to hug him.  And I'm sorry, but that whole 'being with me' thing still stands."

"If it comes to that, we'll talk about it," Wade decided.  "Are you coming back?  Even Max's head is fussing."

"Fine," Xander said after eating a bite.  "As long as things get better."

"We can do that."  Wade finished relaxing and his breakfast.  He even paid.  "The rest of your stuff?"

"I have a few shirts drying at the motel."  He led the way to his room, gathering his few things.  He packed them into the car.  Wade took the bags to put in theirs.  "Weapons," Xander complained, going back for them.  The guards all looked at how he had concealed them but Wade got them into the other car and the bags.  They searched the car for Xander while Wade got him into the back.  Wade looked up then climbed in.  Xander looked at him.  "You're serious?" he asked quietly.  "No more drugging me without a really necessary cause?"

"Never again," Wade agreed.  "But if you freeze during an important moment I'm having one of the guards carry you off."

"Fine.  If they can heft my fat ass then fine."  Wade smirked at him.  "Where are the other two going to sit?"

"One can drive your car to the nearest dealership and then join us in a cab."  Xander huffed.  "We have plenty of cars and that's a piece of crap."

"He needs to check under the flap for the money stash," Xander said.  Wade called that to one of them.  They found it and handed it to Xander.  "Thank you."

Wade looked at the bundle.  "What did you sell?"

"A few things I hope I won't need anytime soon."  He tucked it into his pocket.

"We probably could've gotten you a better price."  Xander shrugged.  "We'll help you invest it for the next time you decide you need a hunting vacation."  He shifted.  The driving guard got in.  The other two took Xander's car to finish the search and then sell for him.  "We're going back to the islands."

"Okay.  I liked that house."

"Good."  He smiled.  "How is your stomach?"

"I'm fine.  No morning sickness."

"Good."  They drove to the airport.  He helped Xander onto the plane.  Their bags got put in for them.  No one challenged them for their passports. They got to leave on time and without problem.  By the time they got back to the island compound, Xander was half asleep against Wade's arm.  Wade let him because he didn't want to start another fight already.  There was no telling where Xander would go this time.  Or how many demons he'd have to kill to lose his bad mood.  They walked in and Wade let one of the guards guide Xander to his bed.  He stared at Roque.  "Don't lose him this time."

"Like I expected him to use a demon portal?" Roque complained.

"Well, expect anything.  He's slippery when he wants to be."  He checked on things then went to make sure Xander stayed asleep.  Wade didn't want to admit that Xander leaving had caused a fairly strange feeling in his chest.  He hadn't liked that feeling.  He didn't want him to do it again.  If he had to cuddle to make sure it didn't happen again, he guessed he could do that.  Very rarely but sometimes.

***

Xander looked up from his sparring practice with Roque when someone screamed.  He took off jogging, one hand on his expanding stomach.  He found one of the guards on the ground, holding a bite.  "Get me a knife," he ordered calmly.  Roque handed one over.  He cut the head of the thing biting him.  "Salt water or saline."  Some got tossed to him.  It removed the head so he could check the wound.  "Let's clean it."  He looked around.  "Medical kit?"

"ER?  Yes there's one within a mile," Wade said.  He pointed.  Two of the guards picked him up.  Another took the thing that had bitten to the car so the ER could identify it.  Wade helped Xander up.  "Quick thinking."

"I learned how to do some of the field medic stuff for the group when Giles got overloaded.  Or Willow since she used her mom's books to learn."

"I'll get you some updated books on that," Wade said, smiling at him.  Xander grinned.  "Roque, how was his self-defense?"

"Not bad.  Not great.  He's slow.  He's still guarding his abdomen."  He stared at the kid.  Then at Wade.  "It's kind of clear why.  He should be sticking to yoga."  He walked off.

"I'm fine," Xander complained.

"We'll check," Wade said.  "There's recommendations on that topic."  He walked him off to the office to look that up.  It was the only way Xander would let him hold the reasonable restrictions.  "How far along are you?  Four months?"

"Eighteen weeks."

Wade nodded.  That played well into his plans.  Xander was in that happy second trimester spot.  Pretty soon he'd need some...help with things.  "It looks like you should probably slow down.  No jogging.  No violent actions.  Yoga seems to be acceptable."

"I don't really like yoga."

"So maybe some tai chi.  It's more martial arts style movement than stretching."

"I might try that.  Do we have any tapes?"

"A few of the guards do it each morning.  I'll have one teach you."

"I can ask."

"Most of them would do it for you anyway," Wade said dryly.  He looked him over.  "How are you handling things?"

"Some friends of Anya."  Wade growled.  "The vibrating type," he said dryly.  "Anya was a toy girl."  He smiled.  "They're handy."

"They can hurt you if you use them wrong."

"I never get enough time to use them wrong."  He shrugged and stood up.  "Let me go ask to be taught that."  He strolled off.  He walked into the guards' ready room.  "Guys, can one of you teach me tai chi since I'm no longer allowed in self-defense classes?"

"Sure, Xander," one said with a smile.  "Maybe it'll help your balance issue."

"Not for a few months probably but maybe."  He shrugged.  "Thanks."  He grinned.  "Tomorrow?"  The other guy nodded.  "See you after breakfast."  He walked back to the office.  "Wade, where did you put my reading books?"

"In your sitting area."

"Okay."  He went to look them over.  He took one out to the pool.  He decided to do some laps then he'd read in the sun.  Even if it made him feel like a bimbo, it was a good afternoon off.

Wade came out to sit with him.  "You're definitely showing."

"I got told I was off balance."

"Sometimes but I'm told that's normal."  He watched how Xander was moving.  He was almost wiggly.  Yeah, his plans could go forward from here.  When Xander got out to read in the sun, Wade got them some tea.  Xander grinned and went back to reading.

***

Xander looked up as someone knocked on his door.  "What's up?" he called.  Wade let himself in.  He noticed Wade locked the door.  "Big problem?"

"No.  Thought you'd like some company that doesn't hum."  Xander blushed.  Wade smirked.  "I'm uptight today."  He took off his shirt.  Xander was staring.  He made it a good show, making sure his muscles all rippled as he flexed them.  He toed off his house shoes.  He wasn't about to struggle with anything so he had changed clothes to come in here and make his proposition.  He moved closer.  Xander put his book aside without the book mark.  Wade plucked it off the sheet and put it on top of the book before undoing his beltline button.  Xander was clearly watching so he eased down the zipper.  The pants came off.

"Commando all day?" Xander quipped, then licked his lips.

"No, just in the last few."

"I thought you were taught to fight naked," Xander teased with a grin.

"Then I was taught to put on boxers and a t-shirt to make sure I was less vulnerable."  He moved closer.  Xander moved the sheet, showing he was naked like usual.  Wade climbed into the bed.  "These are softer than mine."

"They're worthy of naked skin."  Xander took a kiss.  "Are you sure?"

"Yes."  He took control.  Xander had said he didn't like to do the leading.  That worked very well with Wade's agenda for the next few nights. He made Xander lay back while he explored him.  He removed the camouflage shield over the tiny little bump.  It left Xander totally naked.  Xander was letting out breathy moans.  He was liking the stroking and teasing.  Wade was enjoying it too.  He found the lube he had brought in.  Xander got a bit of nibbling on a nipple while Wade opened the tube and squirted some out.  Two fingers went into Xander's ass, making him arch up.  "Easy.  Let me handle it."  Wade moved quickly, slicking himself up.  He slid in quick and hard.  Xander hissed and stiffened.  "Too fast?  Not slick enough?"

"You're only the fourth one up there," Xander panted.  Wade pulled out a bit and added more lubricant.  He eased back in more slowly.  Xander relaxed.  Wade shifted them so Xander was on his stomach.  "No, can't," Xander said, struggling to get free.  Wade shifted them onto their sides.  Xander relaxed.  "Sorry, squishing the lump."

"We can handle that."  He shifted Xander onto his knees then pushed his head and shoulders down, holding down his hands.  It was nicely submissive for Wade's tastes and made sure Xander was more comfortable.  It gave Wade great traction to ride him hard and fast.

Xander shifted some.  "Wade, my prostate is to the right and a bit higher up.  It's waving 'here I am' for you," he complained.  Wade shifted and hit it.  Xander squealed.  "There it is!"

Wade smirked.  "Good to know."  He hit it on most every stroke.  Xander finally squeaked and came.  Wade slowed down, stroking him through it.

"Wade," Xander said, trying to wiggle.

"Sensitive?" Wade teased.

"Yes!"

"Good."  He went back to riding him.  The extra sensitivity made it almost a torture for the boy a few minutes.  Xander got to get happy and go over again.  Wade let him and then went back to riding him hard and fast.  It was good for both of them.  He pulled Xander up and flipped him over suddenly then slammed back in and rode him hard, staring down at him, still holding his hands in place on the pillows.  Xander was thrashing now.  "Bad position?" he taunted with an evil smirk.

"No, I'm starting to feel like Anya!" Xander complained.  He wiggled his hips.  "Left?" he begged.  Wade shifted and found his prostate again.  "That's it!" he panted.  He was making pretty begging noises.  Wade was clearly enjoying it.  Xander finally came again and Wade let himself follow.  Xander panted, trying to catch his breath.  "Damn."

"Often," Wade agreed.  "There's a good thing about the second trimester.  You get three full months of neediness."  Xander nodded, shifting some.  Wade got up to get a washcloth.  The boy was pouting but Wade came back with it and cleaned him up, getting a few moans of pain.  "Sore?"

"Tiny bit.  It's not a real often thing."

"Then we'll work on that stamina too."  He put on his t-shirt and the boxers that were in his pocket.  Xander pouted.  "I can't sleep naked."

"Sleep in here?"

"I can do that," he decided.  The first time was supposed to be a bit special.  He curled up on his side, facing the door like usual.  His pistol and knife went under the pillow with one hand on them.  Xander snuggled against his back and got comfortable.  Even if one arm did make its way over Wade's waist, he was all right with that for the moment.  Xander was huffing and purring within minutes.  Wade moved the arm slightly.  Xander retaliated by putting a foot over Wade's legs.  "No."  He moved it and shifted some.  Xander curled back against his back but quit being so clingy.  It was comforting to fall asleep with Xander nestled against his back.  It was a lot different than the bimbo patrol he always kicked out of his bed.  They didn't purr at his back but they also tried to get him to knock them up.  He couldn't do that with Xander already pregnant.  No matter how good it was, there was carefree sex helping Xander cure his prenatal itch.

***

Xander showed up at breakfast the next morning blushing.  Wade smirked.  "Morning," Xander said.

"Morning, Xander."  Wade handed down the toast.  Xander nodded his thanks, getting a few pieces.  "What's on your agenda today?"

"My first tai chi lesson."  He nibbled.  "Then maybe some more pool time?"

"I was thinking maybe letting you learn how to ride the horses," Wade offered.

"I might be a bit sore for that."

Wade smirked.  "We can cure that."  Xander blushed brighter and it was...almost cute on him.  "Eat.  You need to keep up your strength.  I've got to talk to our tech people."

"We need to get them ready to make stuff for the vision I had last night."  Wade dropped his toast, staring him down.  "I saw an invasion."

"There's no way in hell you'll be there," Wade said.

"I'll be a few months post birth," Xander said quietly.  "So we can be out of the house for ...whatever you had planned."  He held his stomach.

"I won't let it go on that long," Wade assured him.  Xander nodded, swallowing some of his soda.  "Invasion?"

"Open portal, vomit demons.  Downtown LA.  All we have is Buffy's team and the LA team."

"So we'd need help," Wade agreed.

"Anything like a world ending emergency I have to help with," Xander said quietly.  "I can be back in shape by then."

"We can work on that plan," Wade agreed.  "Find out more about it."  Xander handed down his notes.  He read it over, nodding slowly.  "We'll verify what we can."  Xander nodded, finishing up.  "Eat some meat or eggs too."

"Then I fart."

"Yay.  Eat some bacon at least."  Xander nodded, eating a few pieces on his way to the sand garden and practice area.  Wade took the notes to get their best researchers onto the problem.  He went to the sun room to watch Xander's first practice.  He had an idea of what to do about the evil baby Xander was carrying.  He could handle it since Xander couldn't.  Xander would never be that cold.

***

That night, Xander found himself slammed against his bedroom wall as he came out of his shower.  Wade lifted him slightly and used his knee to hold him while he slid an ampule of lube into Xander's ass and popped it in there.  Xander groaned.  Wade bit him on the shoulder as he moved closer.  "Deep breath," Wade said in his ear, earning a shiver.  He slid in slowly and carefully.  Xander was whimpering by the time he bottomed out.  "Comfortable?" he asked.  He slid out then back in harder and harder until Xander was thumping the wall with his feet and making those beautiful begging noises.  Xander finally came and Wade bit him again, looking smug.  "Let's get you onto a softer surface."

Xander groaned as he was let down.  His legs were weak and shaking.  "Some day I'm going to do that to you."

"Sure, if you think so," Wade said with a smirk.  He tossed Xander onto the bed.  Wade looked him over.  "Pick a position for a long, heavy ride."  Xander shivered, shifting onto his back.  "You sure?"  Xander nodded.  "Okay."  He climbed back on top and slid in.  It was a good, solid, long, hard ride.  Push and pull, and wiggle by Xander trying to get him deeper and back.  Push, pull, wiggle.  Push, pull, wiggle, moan, begging and thrashing.  Push, pull, wiggle, moaning and thrashing, and then spurting in a plume.  Wade licked a drop of it.  "Tasty."  He went back to his hard ride.  Xander was still sensitive but it was doing good for his stamina.  Finally Xander shrieked and went stiff.  Wade smirked as he let himself go over.  Xander came and came until he went limp.   Wade licked it off, letting Xander pant and calm down.  "Better?"  Xander nodded, hugging him and kissing him.  Wade could appreciate that.  "We should clean up."

"If I'm messy it's your fault.  You should be proud."

"I am but I know it'll become glue."

Xander shrugged.  "You can't move.  I'm comfy."  Wade snorted but let Xander hold on until he fell asleep.  Then Wade got the warm washcloth and cleaned them both up.  Wade put back on his t-shirt and boxers, curling back beside his very clingy boyfriend.  Xander curled up against his back again and after a few aborted and thwarted attempts, he just cuddled there instead of trying to turn Wade into a pillow.  Maybe Wade would reward him in the morning by riding him even harder.  Xander seemed to like it hard and heavy.  It made them a good match.

***

When he was about seven months along, there was an attack on the house they were in.  Wade had handcuffed Xander to the bed so he ran off to handle it, leaving Xander there.  Xander struggled and finally got free, heading out to help.  He threw on a robe, grabbed his guns and a few knives.  He walked out into the aftermath.  "What the fuck?" he demanded.  One of the people on the floor flinched.  "Wade?"

"They attacked.  They want to kill Max."

Xander walked off, grabbing the head.  It complained that he was pulling his hair but yay.  Xander kicked one of the guys on the floor on the knee.  "Him?"

"You kept his head?" he demanded, glaring at Wade.  "You suck fuck."

Xander shook the head.  "Hey!" Max complained. "Easy on the hair!  It might not grow back."

"That's freaky and so wrong," the team leader complained.

"Yeah, well, that was his shit," Xander said, dropping it on his lap.  "That's about all he's good for now though.  That and vile ideas that I've objected to out of hand."  He looked at Wade.  "Get the team's doctor."

"What?" Wade demanded.

Xander hit him on the arm.  "The fucking team doctor, Wade.  Now!"  Wade grumbled but called.  "Sorry.  How and why did you get involved in Max's idiocy?"

"He set us up," one of the team said, glaring at the guard.

Xander groaned.  That guard was now growling and fingering his knives.  "Roque!" he snapped, making him flinch.  "Down, puppy, sit!"  Roque backed down, looking scared.  "Find them a *room* that they can rest and heal in."  Wade walked him off.  "What?"

"That's my job."

"Why didn't you fix the loose ends?" he asked.

"I didn't think it was necessary.  They were solving some things for us."

"Yay!  How many others are there?"

"Two, three.  I think we have one of the others in custody."  Xander punched him, knocking him down.  "Is this a mood swing?" he guessed.

"No, this is a 'you fucking moron' speech in sign language," Xander said dryly.  "If you had cleaned it up after Max was mostly killed, then we wouldn't have been attacked and we could've called on their help in LA in a few months."  He walked off.  "Doc?"

"Not here yet," one of the guards said.

Xander found his cellphone and called.  "I know I owe you, I need a major favor.  Someone Max fucked over is injured.  One looks like he may have some glass in his eye."

"His glasses fractured," one of the team said.  "Don't touch him."

Xander looked at him.  "I don't play like Max, guys.  I refuse to become that sort of psychopath."  He took the shield off his stomach.  They all stared at the wiggling bundle.  "Roque, room?"

"There's an open suite or one of the torture rooms.  That seems suitable."  Xander smacked him.  "I'm not yours," he growled.

"Make fucking amends, jackass!  You've known for how long that Max was dead?"

"No I'm not and some day I'll undo all the warping you've done to my staff, young man," Max's head said.  He stared.  "You're really far along."  Xander punted him.  "Ow!  Be careful!  You nearly broke my nose."

"Wade, send the head out to the dogs please."  He helped the team up and to the suite.  "Here, sit," he ordered the injured one.  "There's a bench behind you."  The guy nodded.  His healer was let in.  "Here, Doc.  Thank you."

She nodded, patting his stomach.  "She seems active today."

"She was getting happy too until these guys rushed in to get Max even though he's dead."

"Wonderful."  She checked the more minor injuries.  She saved the worst one for last.  "I need some saline solution.  A lot.  I need to do an eye wash."  Xander called out for it.  A few bottles came in.  "I might need more."

"One of the guards is running out, Doctor Henders."

"Thank you.  Xander, be my nurse please."

"Of course."  He held the basin, helping her remove the glass and dust from the poor guy's eyes.  She added some of her healing gift and then bandaged them.  "How often?"

"Eye wash twice a day every day for a week," she said, looking around.  The others nodded.  "If he feels more grit I'll be back in three days to check it.  Keep them bandaged between.  His eyes should heal fine."

"Three shards?" the team leader asked.

"Four.  One was fractured and had to be pulled out separately.  I've added a touch of my healing gift to it.  He should heal just fine but maybe need to change his prescription."  They nodded.  Xander handed off the stuff, letting a guard put it aside.  She looked at Xander.  "She's not happy."

"I'm pissed no one thought to stop the supposed loose ends since we all but killed Max," he told her.  "We should have."  He looked at the team.  "I have no idea why Roque didn't tell you or why Wade didn't end the loose ends.  You guys aren't loose ends."  He rubbed his forehead.

The healer touched his stomach.  "Blood pressure down," she said quietly.

"I will.  Let me go chew on someone and then I'll meditate."  She smiled and nodded, leaving them alone.  "We'll deal with things in the morning, people.  For now, rest.  I'll make Roque do something else tonight."  He left, walking out into the shouting match.  "ENOUGH!"  Everyone flinched.  He stared, hands on his hips.  "I've had fucking enough!  We're coming up on a fucking apocalypse battle in five damn months!  We have to get ready for that!  We have all sorts of other shit coming up before then!  Including dealing with the stupid law firm for Hell.  I don't believe in loose ends.  We don't act like Max anymore.  I'll be damned if I'm going to sacrifice any military unit that might actually be helpful to have on hand in those five months in LA just for shits and giggles.  Wade, the other loose ends?"

"One's captured and waiting on my special talents.  One's still loose."  Xander glared, starting to tap a foot.  "You know, when you do that, you remind me a little bit of your friends."  Xander punched him again.  Wade rubbed his sore jaw.  "You feel better?"

"No, I don't!"  Wade backed down.  He looked around.  "Roque, you had better get on your fucking knees.  You knew damn well it's been over with and you let them keep going.  Some teammate you are."  He sneered at the older guy then at the others.  "That other team?"

"Healthy," one said.  "So far."  He glanced at Wade.

"Did you break the bed?" Wade asked.  Xander glared at him again.  "Just wondering if you're going to be fixing it tomorrow."

"You know what?  It won't matter."  He walked off.   "What was this over?"

"Those green bombs," Roque said.

Xander snorted.  "Pussy weapons compared to some I got from some demon contacts, people.  Beyond that, not starting a war for the US.  We're already in one!"  He waved a hand.  "Let me go calm down my damn blood pressure before I have to see someone officially."

"You haven't had any prenatal treatment?" Roque demanded, glaring at Wade.  "You know better than that!"

"Not yours," Xander quipped bitterly.  "Though I'm wondering if you're better at it."

"Of course I am."

"No way in hell will you find out.  I'll kill him and you first."

Xander looked at them.  "Do you really want to watch the cocoon of me for a few months?"  Wade shuddered.  "Good!" he said with mock cheer.  "Then let's fix this shit that we left hanging off our tails.  Now!" he snapped.  The guards ran to do his bidding.  Xander went to meditate on his blood pressure.

Wade growled.  "Fine," he said.  "Fix the loose ends.  We can undo the last plot of Max."  Everyone nodded.  "Let me go talk to him."

"Let his blood pressure go down first," one of the guards ordered.  Wade glared at him so he backed down.  "His blood pressure going too high is bad for him.  It can kill him."

"Only she can kill him."  He stomped off.  "Find him an OB."

"I've already narrowed the list down to three," he quipped.  "Background checks are done."  He walked off to get that folder.  He patted Roque on the arm.  "We all joined Max's team because of similar things.  I'm just glad Xander's more sane and he fucks Wade into more sanity too."

"What weapons did he get from demons?" Roque demanded.

"No clue.  It's probably in that room that we're not allowed in."

"My personal armory is in LA waiting on things," Xander called from the solarium.  "Hush."

"Yes, Xander."  They backed off.  Roque waited outside his team's door.  He had some ass kissing to do.  They'd never take him back but he did have to mend that fence.  Or else there'd be a fight to the death and with what they had seen about the invasion coming up, they would need a team like the Losers.  Then again, sometimes Xander was a lot like a whole team of Losers all by himself, without the hacking because he couldn't.  Yet probably.  He was sure Wade would have him taught sometime.

***

Wade walked into Xander's room in the morning.  "You're seeing someone today."  He put the three files down.  "Pick one."

Xander looked at him.  "You're kidnaping a doctor for me?"

"I can if we must."

"Why don't we call one of the demon healers in LA?  They'd know about her peculiar nature.  They might even be able to teleport her out."

"That could help.  How would I find one?"

"Ask Angel?"

"I can do that."  He stared at him.  "Remember, I'm in charge," he said quietly.

Xander smiled and got up, handing him a file he had in his briefcase.  Wade read it and went absolutely colorless.  He was wobbling like he might pass out.  "I can find better than that.  We may rule together, because I have contacts you never will, but I don't want any more of Max's bullshit endangering my life.  Can we agree on that?"

Wade carefully closed the folder.  "I can.  Where is this?"

"LA.  Ready for the invasion.  We can send it into the portal and set it off."

"Yeah, we can probably do that.  It might be too large though."

"It's backpack sized."

"Not in that manner.  It might eat more area."

"Huh.  Well, if someone can soften it some, okay.  Or we can send that directly over there.  That should close the portal from that side."

"I can start planning that action."  Xander pointed up the hallway.  "They're a good choice to help with the invasion.  You're still going to be too sore."

"Yay.  It's my duty to be at the serious apocalypse battles, Wade.  I'll be a few months post-delivery.  Find me a costume so no one realizes I'm me if you want.  As long as it doesn't hinder my movement or view."  Wade nodded, walking off with the folder.  "Thank you."

"Welcome."  He handed Roque that file.  "Figure out how to soften it.  He wants to send it through the portal to close it from that side."

"Okay."  He looked it over and had to sit down.  "He found what?" he demanded.

"It's in LA.  Send people to guard them."  Roque nodded, taking a few of the guards with him.  "Send back one of the demonic healers there."

"I can ask that dead penis guy to find him one," Roque agreed.

"Did you apologize?" Xander called.

"No."  He slammed his room door.

Xander grimaced.  "Fine, I'll work on that later.  Or I'll make him babysit the evil bitch I'm having."  He stomped off into the kitchen.  The cook knew he was on dietary restrictions and gave him an apple.  He gave her a quick hug.  "Thank you."  He walked off eating it.

"Go do your meditation, Xander.  Your blood pressure is obviously up," the housekeeper yelled after him.  Wade walked up behind Xander and clipped the automatic blood pressure cuff on him, scowling at the results.  "See!  Even he's worried."

Xander nodded.  "That's where I'm going.  Really."  He waved as he disappeared up the hallway.

Wade pointed at one of the guards then at Xander's back, getting a nod and that guard following him.  He went to check on the team, letting the housekeeper in to give them breakfast.  "Xander is adamant that you're useful."

Pooch sneered.  "Your boyfriend mad at you?"

"He's the one that took out Max."  Pooch piped down.  "He was escaping the people that knocked him up and got him too."  He looked around.  "Roque just headed to LA.  Xander is insistent that he's apologizing, even though we both know you'd never accept it.  He's a bit hormonal right now."

"Sixth month?" the one with the bandages asked.

"Seventh," Wade complained.  "Two more months and we'll have some sanity."  He left them alone.  "He might visit later."  He closed and locked the doors.  Wade went to the office, where Max's head was complaining at someone on the phone.  Wade hung up on him and walked the head down to the dungeons.  He dropped the head on a naked captive's crotch.  "That's all he's good for right now beyond pissing off the new boss."  He walked off.  He didn't need Max's stress on top of Xander's.

The captive looked at the head.  "That's really weird."  But it was handy and he was down here because he had applied but they had found out he was an unacceptable version of a pervert.  So a head.... a new and interesting kink he could try.  Max complained until his mouth was stuffed.  "No suction, that sucks."  It was still nice enough.

Wade called everyone.  "All right, what plans has Xander made for the invasion?  Apparently he's been making some and not telling the rest of us until we got invaded by a loose end of Max's."

"Is he all alright?" one of the techies asked.  Someone on his end complained.  "I like Xander.  He sent me candy for my birthday."

"It's good you guys still get along," Wade said patiently.  "What other plans has he made, Andrew?"

"Oh!  He's got tons of plans.  Including a battle plan he sent to Angel through us and gathering some weapons in a place that even the local agents can't hear of."

"I saw one of those today.  What else did he gather?"

"He'd never tell me all those.  I'm a computer geek, not a weapons geek."

"Fine," Wade said, starting to lose his temper.  "I want the full file on whatever he's been working on.  Everything on every plan."  They got emailed.  "Thank you!"  He hung up with a stab of the button and settled in to look over the things Xander had done behind his back.  Which turned out to be good things for their group.  "He really can plan," Wade said, looking amused.  He heard feet running.  "What happened?" he yelled.

"One of the other lieutenants attacked Xander and Xander stabbed him," someone shouted back.  Wade hurried to fix that.  Before Xander took out more people.

"Yes, bitch, I'm pregnant.  Duh!  Almost everyone else figured that out last month!"  He huffed.  "I was being calm and happy until he decided to try to attack me, Wade."

"I know.  Why don't you go get some chocolate."

"I can't have any until my blood pressure comes down."  He stomped off anyway.  Someone else came at him with a knife so he put all the self-defense lessons to good use and broke the guy's knife hand, and arm, and then a few ribs when he kicked him.  "Anyone else?" he called.  "Last chance to try me before I find a gun!"  A few more came running at him but they were moving him to the kitchen, where he was safer.  "I can beat their asses."

"Why?" one of the guards quipped.  "That's my job, Xander.  I'll never get a bonus to buy my sweetheart something nice if you keep taking my job."

Xander sniffled and hugged him.  "Girls like jewelry, even if it's not the special ring."

"I've got my eye on *the* ring."  He grinned.  Xander grinned back.  "Can he have some chocolate?"  The housekeeper got them some chocolate chip muffins.  "Thanks."  They all calmed down until Wade came stomping in.  "Another one?" the guard demanded.

"No," he growled.  He helped Xander up.  "C'mon, let's see if we can work on that mood swing before you cry on someone after you beat them to death."

"Why would I cry on someone I beat to death?  I'm more likely to cry on someone who does sweet and mushy stuff.  These two do very good boyfriend mushy stuff."

Wade glared at them but they smiled back.  "I'll take some pointers later," he told Xander as he walked him off.

"Greg needs a bonus so he can buy his girl a ring before the invasion."

"If he's due one I'll make sure he gets one," Wade said patiently.  He got Xander into his room and took him to the shower.

"I'm not sweaty."

"I was going to have you in the shower."

"Oh!"  He grinned and stripped off then grabbed the lube.  "Get me really slick and give me a backrub at the same time?"

"I might be able to manage that."  It was good stress relief for both of them.  So when Xander nicely spread out like he was being frisked against the shower wall, all Wade could do was prepare his boy and then take him hard and maybe be nice enough to work on his shoulders as well.

***

Up the hall, the other guards were all smiling at the happy noises.  "It's good that Wade can cure mood swings," one quipped.  "And that Xander can calm him down."  They others all nodded.  "Did you notice Xander left them living?"

"They can sacrifice their lives in LA," the head guard said.  "Xander's orders."  The others all nodded.  "Should we worry about anyone else?"

"Only if his former friends find him," the one that followed Xander when he was hunting without Wade said.  "They're a bit pissed at him."

"Good."  The head guard nodded.  "Check on everyone.  I haven't heard Max complaining recently."

"He's in the dungeon with the pervert being useful."  That got a few grimaces but they would handle it somehow.

***

Xander came out for dinner, finding the 'loose ends' teams had been let go from their rooms.  "Hey, guys."  He saw the complaining head whining about all his plans going to hell.  "Max, shut up before I find a cactus to use as a head stand for you."  That shut the head up.  Xander was more than mean enough to do that.  Xander sat down in his spot, then got up and found his butt pillow.  Then he sat down once it was down.  He sighed and smiled.  "Sorry, sore butt."

"We heard," one of the guards quipped.

Xander looked at him.  "Not from that.  The baby wanted cheese.  Wade was sweet enough to give up his nap to get us cheese."  He smiled.

"I can't imagine Wade being *nice* but if he does it for you, good for you on taming him," the other team leader said.

Clay nodded.  "Ditto."

Xander grinned.  "He's been very good and barely freaks out at anything going on.  Even when we have demons show up."

Wade walked in.  "Your healer will be up tomorrow."  He sat down, looking at his boyfriend.  "Then we'll talk about how you haven't seen anyone until now."

"It's not like anything will harm her."

"Maybe," Wade said.  "It could still kill *you*."

Xander sniffled.  "Quit making me feel mushy, Wade.  You said I can't do that anymore in public."

"That was because you nearly cried at a pile of kittens in a basket," Wade reminded him.  "Not exactly the macho stereotype there."

"I look hot with artillery, swords, or guns.  That's all the macho cred I need."  Xander grinned.

"If that was the case, we'd all be macho studs," Jensen said.

"I'm sure you are in your own way," Wade said, trying to stay diplomatic.  He would skin whoever let them out later.  Maybe literally so he could survive the next two months of mood swings.

Xander smiled at him.  "At least it's not one that carries for years," he mouthed.  "Or the shorter ones since they tend to kill you."

"Yeah, that's a good thing."  He sipped his wine.  "Helga?" he called.  Xander and a few of the others stood up as she came in with the rolling tray for large dinners.  Xander helped her put bowls on the table.

"Sit," Wade ordered.  "You're not to lift."

"I know.  I hate feeling helpless."

"You're not helpless.  I did a lot of your self-defense training myself," Wade reminded him.  Xander grinned.  That's when Wade knew he was not only getting laid tonight, it was going to be a marathon session.  He'd have seconds on dinner and dessert to bulk up for it.

The rest of the table went to small talk until they all had food, and the housekeeper was back in the kitchen.  "So, invasion?" Clay asked.

Xander nodded, getting up to get the notes he had made.  He brought them back and handed them over.  "Five months.  LA.  Vomiting of the plane."

"We're still getting that law firm first," Wade said, growling but looking happy about it.

Xander smiled.  "Oooh, is that like a dowry or a bride price?" he teased.  "Greg could use some of that with his girlfriend."

Wade stared at him.  "If you want a ring that badly, we can go to that shop in LA that said they'd do the pretty piercings for you."

"I'm not really into piercings.  Maybe a necklace?"

Wade smirked.  "I already got your birthday present, Xander."

"Okay."  He grinned and wiggled, then dug into his food.  "Eat, guys.  Please.  Helga's a great cook and I feel like I'm turning into a cow when I eat alone."  They all dug in, passing around the notes.

Clay cleared his throat.  "What sort of backup will we have... what was your name?"

"Xander.  We'll have the LA team, we'll have Buffy's team from Sunnydale.  We may have a few random hunters."

"So we could really use all the help we can get," Pooch said.  Xander nodded, stuffing his mouth with some of the nice veal steak.  "We'll see what we can pull up.  Are you keeping us captive here?"

Xander shook his head.  "No.  Wade?"

"I'd rather."  He stuffed his mouth.  He and Xander shared a look.  Xander clearly had his reasons.  "Why?"

"Everyone should have a moment to say goodbye before an apocalypse battle.  Apocalypse sex is always the best sex."  He grinned and ate some of the vegetables.

"I guess," Wade admitted.  "Though, second trimester sex....."  Xander blushed and ducked his head.

"We could probably prep more people to be aware that they might be needed that day," the other team leader said.  "Two of my people are married," he told Xander.

"Me too.  I have a son that's just about four months old," Pooch said.  "Jensen has a niece that's eight and a sister."

Xander nodded, looking at Wade.  "We're not Max."

"No, we're not.  We're not exactly nicer either," Wade admitted.

"Yeah, but we spent a lot of time and energy prepping for this event.  Someone finding that we have them is probably a bad thing to have happen.  Or that pervert in the dungeon that you wanted to change the ways of."

"Eehhh.  I'll deal with him later," Wade decided.  Xander gave him a look.  "You can take a hot bath."

"Maybe."  He grinned.  "Maybe not."  Wade groaned.  Xander ate and was happy with the plans going on.  "Did Roque run to LA?"  Everyone nodded.  "Well, if he can figure out how to tone that down it'd be nice.  I'd personally ask Warren and the geek trio."

"I'm sure he can," Wade agreed.  He was going to agree to almost anything to get out of dealing with another mood swing.  Next time Xander might stab him.

***

Wade came in from teaching the person in the dungeon to be a better being and found himself pounced against a wall.  "This is different," he quipped.  "Shouldn't you be in front?"

"Did you think I was going to take it all the time?" Xander purred in his ear, nibbling on the lobe and sucking a bit.  "That I was going to be the wife?"

"No," Wade lied.  "I didn't think you wanted to play this way right now."

Xander snickered, his warm breath ghosting against Wade's neck.  "Liar.  But with any good pack, the matriarch has to claim like she's been claimed."  Wade shivered.  Xander pulled out his favorite knife, which was a gift from Wade, and used it to cut his shirt off.

"I like these pants."

"I like them better on the floor."  He cut everything off Wade's body.  "Aww, were you going commando while torturing the poor deluded pervert?"  He leaned against the naked back.  "Did you teach him better by making him suck you off while you hurt him?" he whispered.

"Jesus," Wade moaned.  "I gave up torture like that a few years ago.  Xander, why are you doing this to me?"

Xander stroked the back of the blade over Wade's stomach.  "Because you like it."  Wade shivered again.  "Now, are you going to be a good boy or do I have to go all hyena and stalk you around the bedroom?"

Wade swallowed.  "I'll be good but this is going to be very rare.  I might end up hurting you if we play too rough."  He winced as the blade made a quick scratch in the shape of an 'x' on his chest.  "Blood play?"

"No, just making sure that others realize that you're as much mine as I am yours.  After all, it's pretty clear I'm yours."

"I've had a lot of fun working on your lesser areas so you could be mine," Wade agreed.

"I know.  It shows.  In a few months we can go back to sparring too."  Wade got hard and moaned.  Xander smiled.  "Good boy.  Now, spread your feet."  He kicked them apart.

"Bed?" Wade asked.

"Eventually."  Xander found the lube and opened it with the knife then tossed the knife into a chair.  He spread it on himself then inside Wade, who was nearly shaking.  "Not enough?" Xander asked.  "I can add some more."

"Please.  It's been real rare that I've bottomed."

Xander grinned.  "Awww, I got a virgin?"

"Not hardly," he growled.  Xander squirted more lube in him and he groaned.  "Opening me?"

Xander carefully slid the thing on the table next to him into Wade's hole.  He pushed the button.  The rotating, slowly expanding toy made Wade shake and try to clutch the wall.  "Nearly there," he soothed, working on Wade's tense back.  "Is this a bad thing for you?"

"No," he panted.  "That's getting huge."

"Not nearly as big as I am."

"Sometimes the burn is the fun."

Xander turned it off and tossed it on top of the knife.  Then he moved up closer and slid in.  "Sometimes it is," he agreed.  Wade shouted and bucked back.  Xander smiled, nibbling on Wade's shoulder and neck.  Wade swatted at him but he bit harder, making him whine and arch back.  "Want more?"

"Yes!"

Xander slowly rode his mate.  Wade was trying to climb the wall.  Xander eventually turned him around and clipped the leads to his wrists then hit the button to haul him up.  Wade shouted but Xander grinned.  "Like a sling, only without the back support.  I couldn't find one to fit you."  He did his ankles then lowered Wade to where he had access to his cock and hole again.  "How's that?"  He fingered the outer rim, making Wade stare at him.  "What?"

"What are you wearing?" he panted.  Xander walked around, casually stroking Wade's cock while he showed off the leather pants that were crotchless front and back, and the leather strap vest.  Xander was barefoot.  Wade swallowed.  "I like that outfit."

Xander leaned down to kiss him.  "It's very useful too."  He took off one of the straps and used it to gag Wade.  "I think you're going to get a bit loud.  Wouldn't want everyone to hear."  He winked and leaned down to lick across the head of Wade's cock.  "Hmm.  To cockring or not to cockring.  That is a very good question."  Wade was shaking his head.  "You sure?  I intend to make you come like you do me."  Wade nodded.  "Okay."  Xander gave him an excellent blow job.  Wade was wiggling in the simple straps.  Xander undid more of his vest to give him some butt and back support by linking the straps together.  "Good?"  Wade nodded.  Xander grinned.  "Good."  He went back to his teasing.  Wade was groaning in pleasure.  "You never asked me to blow you before."

"Not special," he mumbled.

Xander smiled.  "I know, blows are for cheap things in the club.  I'm obviously better than that."  He stroked over the straps to check them then moved to lick Wade's balls.  Wade whined but Xander liked to play.  Wade was going to have to get used to the tease and the oral sex.  Wade shot off.  Xander grinned.  "That's one.  I expect at least the three I usually get."  Wade was panting hard.  Xander was fingering his hole again.  "I think that you've shrank back down some."  Wade's eyes went wide but Xander was slowly and steadily pushing into him again.  Wade arched up, moaning.  "Good burn?"  Wade nodded.  "Good boy." 

Xander set up a deep, hard, slow rhythm.  Wade was trying to get him to go faster so he slammed in once.  Wade yelped.  Xander smirked.  "I know what I'm doing, Wade.  I'm being a great tease and making sure that you know you've been claimed."  He went back to the slow, deep riding.  Now he was teasing Wade's nipples and cock with his hands as well.  Xander pinched Wade, getting no response.  He tickled him and Wade nearly jumped out of the impromptu sling.  Xander smirked. He slammed in and tickled him.  Wade was nearly screaming at him to stop it but Xander had applied that strap too well. 

Finally, Xander let Wade come again and quit torturing him.  He sucked on the head of his boy's cock to catch all the come that came out.  "Tasty."  Xander slammed in like Wade did to him, making him try to shift.  "Aww, are we sensitive?"  Wade nodded.  "If you can get me off before you go off again, I'll let you go free instead of finding my toys and using them on you."  He winked and gave Wade the ride he had wanted: hard, fast, slamming into him until Wade was howling and begging.  They both came.  Xander panted, leaning on Wade's thigh until he caught his breath.  Then he did the gentlemanly thing and got the warm washcloth to clean them both up.

Xander undid one wrist strap and the gag, looking at his boy.  He took a kiss.  "Was it good?"

Wade nodded, swallowing.  "Very good.  Get me free?"

"I could keep you this way so I can have my wicked ways with you in the morning.  Maybe even climb on top and ride you in the morning like the stud you are."

Wade shivered.  "You'll be riding me in the morning one way or another but I can't sleep in this and you know I'll be grumpy instead of in the mood to fuck you until you're not teasing any more."  Xander let him get free then strolled over to the bed.   He got on his knees, showing the end of the plug he was wearing.  "Hmm.  How big is that one?"

"Inch and a half."

"Good."  He pulled it out with a plop.  He loved it when he took Xander while he was still tight.   Wade found the viagra pill and took it.  He could tease his boy until it kicked in.  Xander would appreciate it back.  First he took off the camouflage shield and tossed it aside.  "I already knew."  He patted the lump.  He looked over Xander's body.  "How adventurous were you looking for?  Because I gotta say, that sling would be great for me to make you ride more than my dick."

Xander looked back at him.  "I'm not really into fisting tonight.  After the apocalypse, if we both survive, as a present for surviving."  Wade smirked and nodded at that promise.  "Any other naughty ideas?"

"Many."  He got the knife and wiped the spilled lube off the blade then cut the pants off him.  "I should brand you with my initial."  He looked at his chest.  The scratched on 'x' was red but it hadn't drawn blood.  He knew Xander didn't like blood play.  But maybe a small one....  He nicked him on the hip and leaned down to taste the blood.  It tasted hot.  Normal, which threw him a bit, but hot.  He licked over the small wound to catch all the blood.  Xander was moaning.  "Want another one?"

Xander took the knife and made his own cut on his shoulder.  "Claiming is usually a bite."

Wade smirked and bit down on the shallow cut, making it deeper and drinking the blood that came up.  Xander was shivering.  "This means you're my bitch, you know that right?"

"We'll talk about wife, but bitch I'm not unless you suddenly get a motorcycle."

"There's one in the garage."  He licked across the bite mark.  "I can see boyfriend and male lover."  Xander smiled back at him.  "Mates mean serious things I can't even think about."

"I get that."  He sat up and leaned back to hug Wade around the neck and rub his back against Wade's chest.  "I fully understand that feeling."  Wade and he kissed.  "Weren't you going to claim me?" he asked with a teasing grin.

"I am."  He pushed him back down and looked at the slowly shrinking hole.  That was nice.  Nearly unstretched fully.  Even after four months of nearly nightly sex Xander was still tight if he didn't prepare him enough.  This time, he slicked himself up and slowly entered.  He wanted to feel it as Xander opened around him.  Xander was moaning and clutching the pillows to hide his noise. 

"No, I want to hear it.  Everyone else has heard you squeak, squeal, and moan.  Though it was nice you didn't want me to be embarrassed."  He licked over the bite again.  "Out loud, Xander."  He moved the pillow, putting it under Xander's stomach.  Once he was fully inside, he paused then pulled back and started a long, hard, prostate-seizure inducing ride.  Xander was making pretty begging noises louder than usual.

Wade bit him on the same mark again.  It was good Xander realized where he belonged.  He finally sat up again and wiped off his mouth.  He had drooled a bit.  He grabbed his boy's hips and rode him as hard and as fast as he could.  Xander was whimpering.  Wade smirked and reached around to stroke him.  That's what it took for his boy.  Xander shot off explosively and Wade had to follow.  He panted but thanks to the little blue pill he was still hard.  Wade smirked, looking down at his tired, sweaty boy.  He moved the pillow and flipped Xander over, holding him down. 

"Don't move."  He got some of the straps and came back.  Xander's hands were tied to the footboard.  His feet were free to kick and thump on Wade's back and thighs.  The pillow that now had come on it was put under Xander's hips.  Another two supported his back and neck, then one specially for his head.  He looked at the way the straps had been put up, seeing that they'd swing over.  He tied Xander's feet up in the air.  "No more swollen ankles," he teased.  Then he slid back in.

It was nearly a straight up and down motion now but it was still good.  When he got tired of that, he released his feet, letting them thump down.  He went back to riding his boy to remind him who he belonged to.  Xander's cock was trying to come back to life.  Wade leaned down to lick across it.  It tried and got halfway to the fully hard stage.  Wade pulled back.  "I should fix that softness.  How should I do that?"  He looked around, finding the other viagra.  "Probably not good for her."  He smirked and looked at the open hole.  "Give me two minutes to get something from the office."  He got up and headed out, not caring who saw him naked.  It was clear Xander had claimed him and now he was going to claim his boy.  He brought back the small vial.  He closed and locked the door then walked back to the bed.  Xander was trying to wiggle so he could scratch his nose.  Wade did it for him, holding up the vial.  "Know what this is?"

"That kinky club drug?"

"Yup."  He smiled and poured it into Xander's open hole.  Xander shivered and shook while it took effect.  It was like E in that it made you feel good.  It was like roophies that it lowered your inhibitions.  It also had some viagra in it.  Some ginseng for energy.  It lasted for two hours.  Which was more than enough time to finish claiming his boy.  He slid back into the hole.  The remains of the drug were acting on him too.  Xander screamed in pleasure and kicked at him.  Wade smirked and rode him harder and faster.  Finally, as they were coming down, they both came again.  Wade barely got Xander unhitched and then they collapsed together.  Tonight, Wade wouldn't mind the cuddling.  Or the baby kicking him.

***

Everyone watched as first Wade then Xander wobbled out the next morning.  Wade sat down with a hiss and a wince.  Xander sat down on his special pillow with an even bigger hiss and a wince.  No one was going to mention the clear bite mark on Xander's neck and shoulder, or Wade's brand new one that was still slightly seeping blood on his arm.  They got served breakfast and the guards quietly congratulated Wade on finally landing Xander in a more permanent fashion.  It was good for all of them.  They tempered each other with the bouts of kinky sex.  Maybe Xander wouldn't try to stab the mailman when he delivered another poisonous letter.  Or cry on him for the happy mail and the bills.

The watching commandos were amused but confused.  This wasn't the Wade they had known for years.  This one was... well, he was clearly a bit weird and a bit sated but maybe not enough to take out his torturing psycho tendencies.

***

The time finally came for the baby to be born.  The healer got the baby out without any damage, knocking Xander out during it as Wade had instructed.  Wade had the baby handed to a guard, who took it to Sunnydale.  Then Wade called someone else and they brought his surprise.

The healer cleared her throat.  "The baby was harmed by something."

"They kept saying the spawn of that demon couldn't be killed, but no one ever said anything about harming it."  He smiled.  The healer shivered.  "Thank you for your help.  I'm sure we'll be seeing you in a few months."  She bowed and left after healing Xander's injuries.

Wade was sitting up, letting Xander nap, when his surprise was brought in.  "Thank you," he said quietly.  That guard nodded and left.  He looked at the little bundle then put her on Xander's chest.  That woke him and he blinked.  "Morning, princess."

"Wade, what?"  He stared at the cooing baby.  "Is she ours?"

"Yes."

"No one's going to come running up and shout that she was stolen?  They can't take her away from us?"

"No, they can't."  He scooted back down.  "She's *ours*, Xander.  I had our geneticist do it for us."  Xander sniffled and hugged him around her then untucked her blanket to look her over.  Wade smiled.  "The other one is being given to her actual father.  I'm having her left on your supposed grave so he can pick her up."  Xander smiled and nodded.  "So, Tara Evelyn?"

"Evelyn Tara...."

"She's got mine."  Xander smiled.  They cuddled her, getting to know her.  The baby's nanny was already waiting so when she needed to be changed, Xander let her take the baby.  Xander flipped over to kiss his lover.  "Sore?" Wade asked.

"No, but I was warned that for the next six weeks someone could possibly redo the fertility problem I just got through."

"Hmm.  Blow jobs only then," Wade teased.

Xander rubbed up and down Wade's cock.  "Isn't that why you've got a fantastically tight ass, Wade?"

"Yes it is.  We'll see."  He smirked.  Xander kissed him.  Tonight they could keep it at rubbing off.  It was good enough and a long, emotional night ahead of them.

***

Epilogue: the invasion

***

Xander looked around the scene.  He was scared.  For the first time he was really scared.  "No," he said when one of the guards tried to move him.  "I've been in hellish battles before.  I'm staying."  They nodded, grouping around him and Wade to kill the demons as a team.  "Has Roque put the bomb through yet?" he called.  Wade nodded.  The demons weren't coming as fast.  Most of the stream was ending.  He saw the team taking down the building run and Wade warned Roque.  Roque made it out in time.  The building went up in a fantastic fireball.  They helped the LA team and Buffy clean up the last of the demons.  By then, the military was showing up.  Agents were showing up.  News crews were showing up.  Xander looked over at Wade, taking off his mask.  He winked.  "I say we go feed Evelyn and then do the dirty thing I promised."

"I can agree with that.  Thankfully the nanny takes care of all the inconvenient things with you."  He smirked and motioned. Their teams fell back and faded into the shadows so they could move to the house in LA.  Wade had set up a surprise before they left that morning.  He walked Xander into their suite and smiled at his shock.  "I found a good quality one that will stand up to even the hardest ride," he said in Xander's ear.  He fingertip-teased the bite mark that had scarred.  "Want the sling or to be on your knees?"  The sling had two ceiling strap and two floor strap sets so it didn't have much movement but Wade could release the floor ones later on to give him that swing.  It was dark brown leather.  Very soft, yet strong leather.  The hand grips were suede. 

"Which will be easier on me?"

"Either's good.  On your knees will be easier on me."  Xander nodded, stripping off, making it a good show.  Wade watched, very pleased with his boy's willingness to try new kinky things.  "You sure?"

Xander smiled.  "You can have me in the sling once we're done with the kinky thing."

"Hmm.  That's a good idea."  He smiled.  "I can arrange it so you're on your stomach in it."

"Hanging feet?"

"No.  I can hitch them down."  He adjusted a few things and put Xander in it on his stomach.  It fully supported his front.  His ankles were tied to the floor anchor straps.  His wrists were tied to the other set.   Wade took off his shirt and looked at the open area he had waiting on him.  "Want to hit the bathroom first?"

"Maybe."  Wade let him and then strapped him back in.  Xander had even cleaned himself up.  He had heard the enema bottle be unwrapped.  "Go okay?"

"Yeah.  This way I'm not gross."

Wade bit him lightly on the ass cheek.  "You're not gross."  He grabbed the first thing he wanted.  "First, you should be clean back here."  Xander shivered but Wade shaved him.  He even used the shaving brush to start opening his hole by resting it there in between uses.  He wiped him off with a damp cloth.  "That's pretty."  He meticulously cleaned the little rosebud's ring with the washcloth.  Xander was shifting so he put it aside and found the bottle of lube.  He wet his fingers down and stuck two in.  Xander grunted.  "I know."  He walked around to grab a kiss.  "It's going to be a longer prep this time.  Just relax."  He kicked the bucket under the sling into a better position, just in case, and went back to fingering Xander open.  He got up to three before someone knocked.  "Xander's proving why apocalypse sex is the best yet," he called.

"We got followed.  There's press everywhere outside," the head guard said.

"That's fine.  We'll handle it later."

"Okay.  If you're sure."

"Send out a decoy," Xander called.

"I can do that."  He sent some of the guards off as a decoy in the limo.  He had no idea what apocalypse sex was and he wasn't sure he wanted to.

Wade smiled, nibbling on Xander's butt cheek again.  "Nice idea."  He slid up to three fingers.  He had done this a few times when he wanted a softer ride.  Xander was relaxing and it was nice.  Wade added some more lube and worked his way up to four fingers.  That was making him stretch a lot more and Xander was hissing but he eventually did relax.  Wade tucked his thumb in and slowly but surely made his way inside.  He added more lube to his hand and then up to his wrist.  He didn't want to get too far this time.  Maybe after the next apocalypse. 

He slowly worked his way up to his wrist, making Xander thrash and howl.  "Easy," he soothed, twisting his hand some.  He did hit Xander's bladder but that's what the bucket was for.  He intentionally rubbed his knuckles over Xander's prostate, making him yelp and go rigid.  "Relax," Wade reminded him.  Xander was shaking.  Simply shaking.  Wade smiled and played for as long as he wanted.  When he pulled out he walked around to kiss Xander.  "Next post-apocalypse battle I'm going farther."  He took a second kiss and let Xander see his hand.

Xander swallowed.  "That's a lot."

"That was barely a few inches.  I've seen guys go in up to their elbows."  Xander stared at him.  "A few inches each apocalypse battle."  Xander swallowed again.  Wade took another kiss.  "I should clean you out like this."

"Doesn't go into the bathroom."

"I'm pretty sure you can rest on my lap or in the shower so I can properly clean you out, Xander."  He got him free and down, leading him into the bathroom.  Xander was walking a bit funny but that was to be expected.  He laid him across his lap and stuck in the shower enema hose.  Xander whimpered when it flowed in but Wade was very good to his boy.  He teased his cock until Xander came.  He'd slowly learn to like enemas that way, associate it with good things like being stroked off.  Once he let Xander release the water Wade used two fingers to get in there and scrub the walls of his insides to make sure they were squeaky clean.  Xander was back to whining and wiggling.  Wade spanked him the once and then flipped Xander to his feet, staring at him.  "Knees."  Xander fell to his knees and gave Wade a great blow job.  It was a hero's reward in every meaning of the word.

"I should fuck that pretty mouth of yours," he said quietly, doing that.  "I heard you baiting Angel again.  Told him to bite you too and that's my privilege, Xander."

"It was a taunt," he said around the cock.

"I know.  Angel taunting is a great habit but still.  Only I get to bite you."  He smirked and let Xander do him better.  "After this, I'm going to see how fast you unstretch.  I know it could take a full day but I think I'll test it."  He winked.  Xander pulled off and turned around to sit on Wade's cock, letting himself ride the hard pole.  "That's pretty."  He turned off the shower.  It let him change position without getting a face full of water.  That let Xander change so he was in a better position to ride.  "I knew those horse riding lessons were going to come in handy."  Xander nodded. 

Wade casually stroked Xander's cock in time with his motion.  It made Xander speed up.  "Ah!  Slower.  Ride me nice and slow, Xander.  Make it a memory I look back on and have to jack off about."  Xander added a slight twist to his hips on his way up.  That was appreciated and Wade was clearly getting the better end of the deal, even if Xander was still pretty open.  Wade finally had to grab his hips and pound into him so the boy could come and go limp against him.  "That was pretty," he said in his ear.  "Got more for me?"

Xander leaned his head back on Wade's shoulder.  "I think we should try that again," he said hoarsely.  "Just to make sure I really like it as a reward for helping win an apocalypse battle."

Wade smirked.  "How naughty you are.  Want the bed?"

"I want to see it this time."

"I can arrange things for that."  He stroked over Xander's hip.  "That means we have to move."

"We can move when you fall out of me."

"I'm still hard, Xander.  That's going to take a while."  He smirked and got Xander up.  "Bend over, let me check my shaving job."  Xander did and he ran a finger around it.  "Very nicely shaved.  I'll have to make sure we can keep that clean."  Xander nodded.  "I should shave the rest of you too."  He settled Xander on the bench on his back, letting one leg hang off.  Wade got the razors and shaving cream, coming back to work on the thick pubic mound.  Xander had to grab the bench.  "I'd never cut you here, Xander.  I'd lose a whole lot of fun when you killed me."  Xander nodded quickly.  "Relax.  Good boys get blow jobs and more fun."  Xander made himself relax.  Wade smiled.  Xander had taken well to his training.  Once he had him totally shaved, even getting the tiny ball sac hairs, he rinsed his boy off and took him out to he bed.  There was a mirror near the bed.  Wade tilted it and then one across the room.  That helped.  Xander could see now.  Wade grabbed the bottle of lube and came back to the bed, getting out of the way.  He lubed himself up and slowly worked his way back inside his boy's body.  Xander was staring hard at what was going on. "Like it?"

"A bit," Xander admitted.  "It's kind of weird looking."

"It's really pretty," Wade corrected.  "Nearly as pretty as when I'm slamming into you as deeply as I can go."  Xander arched his back.  Wade pushed it back down.  "You have to unstretch for that."  He got a bit deeper this time.  Xander was back to the non-verbal begging noises.  Wade leaned down to puff some air over the hole.  It made Xander twitch and tighten around his arm.  "That's right, just like that, Xander."  Xander tightened around his arm and Wade twisted it, earning another set of pretty noises.  Wade had to smile.  His boy was so sweet to tempt him into going deeper.  He finally pulled back and slid into the very open hole to ride him.  Xander finally came and went limp, falling asleep a minute late.  Wade put in a butt plug then went to clean himself up.  Maybe he could talk Xander back into the sling in a few hours.  They could count this as their honeymoon.  You always had great sex on your honeymoon.

The End.