A/N: Claim communication in single quotation marks.
"When will we know if it's worked?"
Spike shrugged. "That's one thing Wesley wasn't sure on. But hey."
Buffy looked up at him. He was lying on his side, propped up on his elbow, looking down at her.
"You're starting to get some colour back in your cheeks."
Buffy was thankful for the comment but didn't really believe it was a sign. "It's hardly proof."
"If you were getting worse, you wouldn't be lookin' better."
The slayer lowered her eyes again. "Then why do I feel worse?"
"What do you mean?" Spike asked, taking her hunched up position on the bed into account now.
"The pain's worse than before."
Panic started to build in the pit of his stomach again. "Love, why didn't you say anything?"
She responded by curling up some more. All of a sudden, a peculiar feeling came over him. It was painful but just about bearable. Like a really bad headache but not in his head. What was all that about? He tried to put the sensation to the back of his mind as Buffy didn't seem to be relaxing. He rubbed her back, soothingly.
"I'm gonna go see if Wesley knows what's happening. Won't be a minute. Don't worry about anything, love."
She managed a smile.
After examining Buffy and consulting his books, Wesley had a rough idea as to what was happening. "It could be a couple of things."
"Like what?" Spike asked, holding his mate close.
The ex-watcher let out an involuntary sigh.
"I originally thought that it could be that the claim hasn't worked and the process is continuing."
Both Buffy and Spike felt as if they'd been hit in the stomach by the heaviest object imaginable.
"But that doesn't explain the sensation you experienced, Spike. Can you explain what it is you felt?"
"Like a burning, pounding in my chest."
"And that's what you felt too, Buffy?"
The slayer, still in discomfort, simply nodded.
"Traditionally, a claim allows mates to communicate telepathically. Most of the time, they can choose what to share with the other but that isn't always the case. I'm guessing that when Buffy's pain became too much, you felt it too, Spike."
"So?" Buffy interuppted. The two men looked at her.
"That doesn't prove the claim has worked."
"True but, the telepathy clause has more to it than that. In this particular instance, a healing claim, Spike's demon is feeling your physical pain. If it was having no effect on your condition, he'd only be feeling your pain emotionally. If that makes sense."
Wesley gave a the pair a minute or so to process his words.
"Let me get this straight," the vampire started. "I wouldn't be actually feeling what Buffy is if the claim wasn't helping fight off Illyria?"
Wesley nodded.
Spike kept calm but all he wanted to do was breathe a big sigh of relief. Buffy knew it was too early to celebrate, however, when her old watcher's face remained the same.
"But the journey is still far from over."
The slayer squeezed Spike's arm, waiting anxiously for Wesley's next words.
"We can never truly know the extent of Illyria's power and I fear that she may find a way around the claim."
"But you don't know that for sure?" Buffy asked hopefully.
"No, but there is one thing I'm sure of." Wesley got up out of his seat and made his way over to the couple sitting on the bed, kneeling down in front of Buffy.
"You've got a major fight going on inside of you. Illyria will do anything to stay. This recovery isn't going to be pleasant."
The sick woman didn't seem to react to this revelation.
"I promise, we will do everything we can to help make you as comfortable as possible."
He gave her free hand a reassuring squeeze before getting to his feet and heading for the exit. "It won't be forever."
Buffy didn't really tense up until Wesley had left. She kept trying to etch his words into her brain. 'It won't be forever. It won't be forever.'"
Soft lips placed kisses over her claim mark. The action was soothing and pleasurable, the scar now a sensitive spot that made her feel close to her mate, but this was only a short term solution to calming her down and Spike knew that.
"You've seen the resources they've got here. We've got everything and more to help you through. Promise you won't feel a thing. Won't leave you."
She thought herself out of her petrified state. "I know."
Dawn returned not long after Wesley had left, deciding that Spike had spent long enough with Buffy, and was relieved to see her sister awake and looking reasonably better than she did before. There were rumours circulating that Angel had ordered Knox's immediate execution so Spike had left to find out what was going on.
The girl ran straight for Buffy's arms but was careful not to shove her too hard on impact. Buffy's pain didn't seem to matter as much to her when she knew her baby sister was safe in her arms. "I'm sorry if I scared you earlier," she whispered.
"You didn't scare me. I was scared FOR you. Different thing." She shuffled further onto the bed, forcing the slayer to budge up.
"I know. But it can't have been pretty."
Dawn couldn't think of anything to say to that, so smiled weakly instead. Buffy played with Dawn's hair as a short silence passed them by. Soon though, Dawn couldn't keep her curiosity under wraps.
"So...you and Spike like soulmates now?"
Buffy was taken aback. "What? I mean, how?"
"I listened in for a while. Sorry," Dawn admitted. She quickly went to defend herself when she was on the receiving end of an itritated look. "Spike told me he'd found a way to save you but wouldn't tell me what it was! You seriously thought I'd just walk away?"
"No. I guess not. But I still wish you'd waited for us to tell you. How much did you hear?"
"Everything up until Spike freaked out and you started to go really deep about your feelings. Even I know when to make my exit."
Buffy breathed a subtle sigh of relief. "Good. Some stuff is private."
Dawn seemed to be waiting for something. "Can I see it?"
"See what, Dawnie?"
The youngest Summers wasn't sure what to call it so simply looked to her neck. Buffy immediately got the message and pushed back her hair proudly, in a way. Dawn looked fascinated by the bite mark. Of course, she'd seen the scar of Angel's bite before but this somehow seemed...different. Why, she didn't know. Buffy knew that Angel was gonna freak when he got back but she didn't care in the slightest what he thought. Not anymore.
'Don't worry. He won't try anything.'
The slayer flinched as an echoey version of Spike's voice interrupted the silence. What the hell? He wasn't even in the room? None the less, he continued speaking.
'I know. Creeped me out at first too.'
Dawn noticed her sister's edginess. "You okay?"
"Yeah..." She swore she felt Spike smile then. "Just still getting used to this whole thing with Spike. If you haven't noticed, claims are kinda crazy."
While she had the concentration, the slayer cleared her mind and focused on communicating with her mate.
'You mind? The whole silent talky thing is kinda distracting.'
The vampire didn't respond straight away, causing Buffy to worry that he'd taken her message the wrong way.
'Easier said than done, ducks. This is all new to me too.'
'So come back and explore it with me.'
Spike's sudden and rather inappropriate thoughts caused her to blush. Fortunately, Dawn had her head down and didn't notice. She looked close to nodding off. Well, it had been one hell of a day. Deciding to wake her before she fell completely asleep, Buffy pushed the hair from her little sister's face.
"Do you wanna go see if there's a free room somewhere? Fred might know."
"Fred?"
Of course. Dawn didn't know anyone here. Spike suddenly felt close. 'I'll take her next door. Make sure no one disturbs her.'
The slayer followed her senses and knew Spike was stood outside. She turned her attention back to Dawn.
"Don't worry. Spike's outside. He'll find you somewhere."
"How..." Dawn looked to the door and then back to Buffy. "Let me guess. Claimy stuff?"
She nodded. "Right."
Spike made an appearance again a few minutes later, minus a sleepy Dawn.
"Are your thoughts safe to read now?" the slayer asked.
Spike slumped down on the bed next to her. "Define safe, love."
"The kind that doesn't cause me to go completely red in front of my baby sister."
The vampire didn't seem too sincere in his following apology. "Well, you're thoughts right now suggest that you don't mind all that much," he confessed, capturing her lips in a searing kiss shortly afterwards. Neither of the loved up pair noticed a jealous, irritated Angel spying on them through the blinds...
