Templum Bellonae

After Not Fade Away, Xander is house-sitting in Rome when Spike shows up looking for Buffy. This story is Spike/Xander, but mostly it’s about Xander’s eye, and what having lost it means to him.

Beholder by Kimberly

Spike goes looking for Xander in Africa, hoping to get something he can’t get from anyone else. Xander can’t give him what he wants, but he has a counteroffer.

Aside from being a good read, this story makes some excellent points about Spike and Xander’s canon relationship.

Choices by Crazydiamondsue

I’m not big on threesomes, but Spike/Xander/Anya is one that actually works for me.

Spike gets hit with the Gemini stick (The Replacement) instead of Xander, and it has an unexpected effect. Spike stays with Xander and Anya while the gang looks for a way to reverse the spell.

One, Two, Three by Ladycat

I think I’ll just quote from the author’s summary, which pretty much says it all:

So, you wanted more details on what Xander did on his summer vacation … Think Catcher in the Rye meets gay vampire porn.

No Power on Earth by Circe

When he hears that Spike is still alive, Xander comes back from Africa to see him. The fact that they have their reunion in Angel’s office is what really makes this story.

Reunion by Flaming Muse

Xander needs a date for a company party. The only one available is…Spike.

“And you care about my professional endeavors?” Xander snapped. “Please. Look, Spike, I don’t know what the scam is, but—”

“No scam.” Spike’s eyes were eerily direct as they bored into Xander’s, his hand again a vise on Xander’s arm. “Bit of free food and tormenting rich old biddies who need some young blood—”

“You’re old enough to be their grandfather! Probably their great-grandfather!”

“—young blood to spice things up. Don’t make this a big deal, Harris, and no, you aren’t getting rid of me so you might as well just deal with it.”

Half-Windsor by Ladycat

This is a Spike/Xander story, continuing in Blue-Eyed Boy, with a Spike/Buffy epilogue, Some Scenes from the Later Life of Two Heroes (which continues in the in-progress Waiting Around.) I was just looking for some light, snarky, S/X fun when I stumbled across this, like fishing for trout and catching a shark instead.

After Not Fade Away, Spike is living with Illyria, mourning Angel and the rest of the gang, and isn’t really prepared when Xander, back from Africa and profoundly damaged, shows up in LA.

Over and above some really great writing, there are a few things I think this story does really well. Most S/X stories, profoundly as I love them, tend to gloss over Xander’s attitude toward demons in general and Spike in particular. This one doesn’t, while offering a plausible reason why Xander would get involved with him. I like that the story doesn’t take the easy way out, making Spike the answer to all of Xander’s problems. There’s also a certain amount of humour, even absurdity, which helps to lighten some of the darker moments.

The best thing about The Approved Mode of Payback and Blue-Eyed Boy is that they take a hard look at what the outcome of Chosen might have been, and sadly, their predictions seem all too plausible.

The Approved Mode of Payback by Herself

Excellent and creepy story about Wesley and Connor. Departs from canon after Tomorrow.

Connor wandered over to the table, curiously sniffed the glass, then raised it to his lips.

“Don’t drink that.”

“Why?”

“It’s bad for you. Like poison.”

Connor gave him a long, slow look. “You drink it. You’re not dead.”

“It takes time.”

Silence for a while, then, “There are faster ways to die.”

Wesley shrugged. “It’s the journey that matters.”

Deliverance by Debchan

A fairly short, slightly angsty, delightfully romantic piece of fluff. In an attempt to put a halt to a demonic investment scheme, Spike takes part in a plan Xander hates.

Lt. Uhura and the Change of Life by Witling

Years after Chosen, Spike and Xander are both helping Buffy to train a houseful of slayers, when a somewhat traumatic event causes Xander to reevaluate his life. And Spike to come up with a cunning plan.

This story is nice and light, without too much angst. Season 2 Spike is the most fun to watch on TV, but in print, I like Spike the way he is here—snarky but mostly the fool for love.

The story continues in Parts 4-7 and Parts 8-12.

My Funny Valentine by Witling

A strange but interesting story. Xander disappears, and when the gang finds him, he’s several years older and has been heavily abused. Although Spike hasn’t the slightest interest in him, he ends up being stuck looking after Xander during the day.

This is one of those stories that’s more about the journey than the destination. I wasn’t overwhelmingly impressed by any one thing, but I enjoyed it immensely from start to finish. I particularly loved Spike’s after-school snacks for Dawn.

The Magic Number by Witling

After Home, Lindsey returns to L.A.

All the Lost Angels by Vylit

Dawn gets a surprise when she finds out her nice, well-adjusted boyfriend is adopted. And then he takes her to meet his real father.

The Woman He Woke Up To by Seldear

AU. What if Cordelia never started working for Angel after they met at the party in City Of?

Another Life by Rheanna

While Angel’s still a puppet, he and Spike fight some vamps. The image of puppet!Angel wringing out his arm after he comes in from the rain will stay with me for a long time. Fanart’s usually not my thing, but my God, this is excellently drawn and hilarious. There’s nothing funnier than puppet!Angel, after all.

Smile Time: the Comic by strid

The subtext of homosexuality began to put Hollywood in a quandry, however. Because they shoved their gay characters into symbolic closets, the audience’s ability to look for and read that symbolism grew, thus creating subtext where it wasn’t always wanted. This, then, gave rise to need for more symbolism, to show where the homosexuality began and ended.

One of my favourite fandom essays.

Wesley, AtS and gay stereotypes by The Brat Queen

Three months after NFA, TPTB bring Darla back for her shot at redemption.

Okay, so. romanyg came up with this cool idea of having “Darla: the Series,” gender swapping the key roles in A:tS. And it was a really, really cool idea. And it inspired me. So, if it *was* Darla’s TV show instead of Angel’s, and we didn’t AU but worked post-NFA, as a spinoff series, giving all my favorite dead characters screen time… what would we get?

Unfortunately a WIP, and not updated since the end of 2005.

Darla: the Series by Dess

Yet another Angel S6 series, this one the collaborative effort of a number of authors. Angel, Spike, Illyria, and Gunn survive the last battle, and a few other old friends show up in the course of the season. And in lieu of the Hyperion, the AI team is now living in an old movie theatre (which actually would have been pretty cool-looking if they’d done it on the show. And so perfect for the L.A. setting…)

Angel: No Limits by Ladycat, The Brat Queen, Jane Davitt, Just Human, Kara, Kita, Mad Poetess, Ros Fod, Soundingsea, Stakebait, Tracy, WesleysGirl and Wolfling

Not my favourite Angel S6, because no slash and not much Connor takes off a lot of points. But those deficiencies aside, it’s well-written and in-character. Angel, Spike, Illyria, and Gunn manage to survive the battle, but L.A. will never be the same.

Angel: Season Six by Mutant Existential Scoobies

So very AU—crackfic at its best. There isn’t really any BDSM or non-con, but there are flavours of both.

My lame summary-writing skills aren’t up to tackling this story; you’ll just have to read it for yourself.

Protocol by The Brat Queen