Title: Afterglow 9/55 Note: This Story is NOT a work in progress

Written as a Long Stand Alone (Was written so it can be read with out reading the first story).

Sequel to Dream Once More (Archived at the Sand lot)

Author: T. Claybourne  (t.claybourne@yahoo.com)

AU And Crossover

Rating: NC-17 for sexual content but only in a few chapters mostly it is R for language

Pairings: Spike/Buffy Spike/female? Original Character/Male.

I'd like to thank my Beta Reader Hawera And muses Michelle Brach, Robbie Williams and Evanescence

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Chapter 9 Untamed, Unbound, Untied

How many sorrows do you try to and hide in a word of illusion that's covering your mind? I'll show you something good, Oh I'll show you something good. When you open your mind, you'll discover the sign that's there's something you're longing to find. Eurythmics

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It stood in the shadows across from the Hostel. It knew that it resembled a human male but it never thought of itself as human. It was the lord's keeper and that was all.

It had waited a long time for the right one. It had specific instructions as to what the lord required. Its orders were that the 'one-to-be- the-lord's', the Chosen One, must be full of hip and bosom, comely, with a sweet disposition and dark skin and hair. It had seen someone who fitted that description go into the Hostel with a friend, and now it waited for them to come back out. The scent of the Chosen One was lodged in its brain now; anywhere she went it would find her.

Finally its patience was rewarded: the girls came out of the Hostel, turned down the street and went into a special coffee shop, the type that sold the cigarettes that distort the mind. At last the opportunity to do what must be done presented itself: the girls left the coffee shop and the keeper approached them. The friend of the Chosen One was small and pale skinned. She was unimportant, so he started with her. It spoke to them both, its words and its eyes weaving a spell. As the keeper, its duty was to deliver, not ever to play with the Chosen One. Once they were under the keeper's spell, it sank its teeth into the small pale skinned blonde, drinking deep and receiving nourishment. It drained her, then tore her head from her body as was the way of all keepers. The Chosen One had not moved and paid no attention to her friend's condition. Careful now, it gently slid its fangs into her and took only one swallow. He felt the lord, his master, rejoice in his choice.

Grabbing the Chosen One, the keeper went off into the night to deliver her to his lord.

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Xander reached the kitchen and saw Mia just finishing drinking from a travel mug. She had changed into pajamas. Looking rather like women's underwear in the eighteen hundreds, they consisted of white knickers and a camisole top. They made her look so sweet that it was hard to grasp that she had just been drinking blood.

She looked up at him, her eyes still red from crying, and smiled ruefully. "What? .... You look panicked. You thought perhaps I was going for a walk in the sun?"

"I wondered."

He saw that her tears were starting to well up again, but she struggled to get them under control.

"Not this morning."

Xander was relieved and went over and hugged her. He felt her relax into the hug.

"I can't tell you what you being there meant to me," said Mia.

He pushed back to look in her eyes. He wanted to ask her what had happened, but she was so close to tears now he thought better of it.

"That's what friends are for."

He took her mug from her and put it in the sink.

"No. I have to rinse it or else it..."

He took the lid off and she jumped to his side. "I'll do it, don't look at it."

He pushed her aside and calmly rinsed it. "I've rinsed my share of blood-filled mugs."

More tears were leaking from her eyes, and she was trying to push them aside.

Taking her hand, he led her to her room. Pulling the sheets and comforter back he motioned for her to get in.

"Get some sleep and you'll feel better."

Mia did as he suggested, but as he prepared to leave she grabbed his hand. "Will you stay with me, just until I fall asleep?"

If Xander hadn't been so caught up with his emotions he might have questioned the idea of a vampire needing someone there while they fell asleep, but he was overwhelmed by her and he didn't give it a thought. She motioned to the other side of the bed and he went to sit there.

He swallowed when she pulled back the comforter. "So you don't get cold."

Mia grabbed and held onto his hand, and then snuggled down. Xander sat against the headboard. He felt the bed moving a bit and saw that she'd started to cry again. It was heart-breaking to see her like this. He lay down and took her in his arms, letting her cry against his chest. He lay there, listening to her for a long time. Something had happened last night, something that had made her break down, and judging by the amount of tears she had shed, it had been a long time coming. He didn't fall asleep until he felt her still.

Xander woke with his hand on Mia's waist. He just lay still, watching her. She looked like a corpse. He'd never really seen Spike sleep, so he'd never noticed how vampires stop breathing while they sleep. Well, he guessed, you didn't have to worry about snoring. It was a little creepy, but not as much as he would have thought it would be. She was cold except where he touched her. His body seemed to warm hers. He wondered what her natural hair color was. He guessed it didn't matter; Mia was a pretty hot blonde. Her skin was smooth, and he'd better stop thinking about that or something else of his would be waking up. Xander knew he should get up, leave her in peace, get his butt to brunch with Buffy, but he just couldn't. This might be the only time she would let him get this close and he wasn't about to waste it. He snuggled a little closer trying to warm her a bit.

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Mia woke feeling Xander's warmth and bulk at her side. With a sigh as she snuggled down closer until the reality of last night crept back into her memory. Carefully she turned over so she could look at him. He was staring at her.

"Morning," he whispered. The look of concern on his face was all too apparent.

Trying to dispel it, she smiled back at him "Morning yourself."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" he asked

Turning on her back and staring up the ceiling, she answered. "No, not today anyway"

Mia felt him get up from the bed. She sat up quickly.

"Xander." She touched his shoulder as he rose.

"Last night was just one friend comforting another, no worries," he replied.

She moved so she could kneel in front of him. Once there she searched his eye.

"I don't want this to make things weird between us."

Xander briefly glanced away. "We won't let it. It's just that even you have to admit things are changing."

"I'm... I don't want them to... I like the way we are. I mean I can't lose you as a friend."

Mia felt tears prick at the back of her eyes, although she found it hard to believe she had any left.

"I don't know what happened to you last night, but it had to be big. I'm pretty sure these were the first tears you've shed since you left LA, maybe even since you died. One thing I do know is that you're not going to lose me as a friend: it's obvious you need one."

Mia looked look down and took a deep unnecessary breath.

"I didn't make it in time. The vamps had killed a girl Dawn's age, and one was trying to sire her. I was so angry that I left him beaten to a pulp, waiting for the sun. "

"The siring must have triggered something. It's all right, you dusted them and they'll never kill again. Since we are sharing, there's something you should know. After holding you last night, well," he reached up and brushed the hair from her face., "it's hard not to feel a little more than friendship."

"It's hard for me to know what I feel right now. I'm sorry."

"I get that, and it's all right. We'll just work with this friendship thing." He smiled. "Now I need coffee"

"I'll make that for you, go get ready"

Xander headed upstairs while Mia went to the kitchen. He was only gone a short while.

"Willow left a note on my door that she'd meet me there. "

"Here's your coffee."

He grabbed it and thanked her, taking a large gulp. Xander watched her over the top of the mug. He knew that she was drinking her breakfast because she always used the same travel mugs; she didn't like anyone to see the contents. They had been silent and it had started to bother him.

"Listen, if you need me, call. It's only brunch and Buffy is here all summer."

"I'll be fine now. I plan on doing some writing in my journal, a little research and some laundry. Have anything you need washed?"

"You are not doing my laundry; I've got dirty shorts in there."

"I have seen dirty shorts before." She lied, Spike didn't use underwear. "Besides, bit too sunny out for me today to do much else. Go get your laundry, or at least put it outside your door so I can get it."

"You haven't seen... my... shorts. Sheesh, sleep one night with a girl and she thinks she can see your dirty shorts, but I'm lazy so I'll suck it up. You can go in my room and get it."

He watched as her eyes widened. "Willow will have to recast the spell now."

"No, she won't, I trust you."

"How can you when ...."

"When you don't trust yourself? Don't know, I just do." He walked over and kissed her on the cheek. "You should give yourself a break."

He placed his mug in the sink and headed for the door. "It is beautiful out today, well, at least for us non-flammables. I think I'll walk, so if they call tell them I'm on my way."

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Spike hugged the side of the building. Damn sun made it hard to be stealthy. He watched as the Harris boy came out and walked up the street. Now he'd tracked her here he had to decide what to do about it. His hand reached into his coat pocket and clasped the warm metal that was her locket.