Xander sniffed around and thinks he has caught her scent! There! It had to be her, he had to listen to his dog intuition.

She was walking home after a late patrol. Buffy sighed, walking slowly. With Xander missing, she's been out till dawn two nights in a row, hoping to catch any hint or sign of him, with no success.

Riley had joined her yesterday, which she guessed was nice, supportive, but he made her tense lately. He just seemed so overbearing, like he wanted something out of her she just couldn't provide him.

Buffy figured she couldn't totally blame him though, his whole life's work so far has been in the military and now the Initiative was disbanded… kinda (totally) by her hand…

She just wished he understood her better, maybe without explicitly having to tell him… How she had quit the Council in high school, once she knew they were manipulating her. Especially with drugs like the cruciamentum as the Initiative did with Riley. Buffy hugged herself and sighed again, nearing her house.

Wishing Xander was around to even just chat with, she worried she'd gotten him into some trouble on patrol. He usually had some wisdom between jokes to bestow, even if they were sort of childish. But his was a different perspective usually to her own and she missed him.

All of a sudden, she heard panting and then, "Gus!" she exclaimed, the dog made her smile, animatedly circling her, "The sun's coming up, puppy. What're you doing out?"

Xander was elated to find her before she got home, taking a minute to revel in the happiness and then whimpered into a focused bark, "Come on Buffy, Spike's hurt! He needs your help!"

Buffy's eyes narrowed, waking herself up from the long patrol, the dog didn't seem calm like last night at all. Was that blood on his fur? "Is something up, Gus? Something wrong with Spike?"

Xander nodded as much as he could, ending with a solidifying bark, and tug of her coat sleeve, "Come to his crypt with me now!"

She was completely devoid of tiredness now. Gus was definitely covered in blood and she gasped, "Come on."

Dog Xander didn't need the confirmation from her to start running towards Spike's crypt. He was pleasantly surprised that Buffy's slayer speed was up to par with Spike's and they got there in no time.

She kicked open the door for them to bound in, as she usually did, but the sight was much different this time. Spike's bloody body laid there, right where he left him. Xander whimpered and looked to Buffy, she was pale as a ghost, taking in the sight.

He could even hear her heart beating faster at the sight of the bleach blonde vampire. Seeing what looked like to be a discarded wooden stake on the floor in the stain of blood, she swallowed, "Not dust."

Obvious good sign, she thought humorlessly, as she focused on Gus, whimpering and nudging the cooler beside the blood with his nose.

She flung the lid off the cooler finding what the dog implied, a plastic container of blood. The smell when she peeled back the lid reminded her of when Spike first got the chip and she had to feed him in the bathtub at Giles' apartment.

All business and not gagging like she had those times before, she placed it on the floor and kneeled beside the stone column Spike was laying beside. Reaching for the unmoving vampire, she slid him till he was sitting upright, between her now outstretched legs, by his armpits.

Gus was whimpering at her. Honestly Xander was happy Buffy was so strong. Spike wasn't even doing his weird shallow sleep-breathing right now, he was sure he was heavier than his usual dead weight.

Buffy tilted Spike's head back on to her shoulder so she could see his face, Gus/Xander's eyes wide on her. She gripped his jaw and opened his mouth, breathing out to calm herself before she reached for the container of blood.

She poured some down his throat, watching it and his empty, smooth, unresponsive face. Buffy's mind was reeling, had Spike gotten staked? But survived?! Could he have the Gem of Amara again?!

His dark eyelashes looked long against his high cheekbones, not a flicker of movement, she poured more down and looked to Gus with worry.

Xander looked back at her with equal concern, hoping the blood would help his friend. He sat in between Spike's splayed legs, Buffy held him across the chest with one arm, his back against her, with her legs on either side of his.

Buffy waited a few more seconds before trying to pour more blood down his throat. She was sure it wouldn't go down without some effort from him. She blinked at Gus's sad face and sighed, leaning her forehead against Spike's neck.

"Come on…" Xander whined a little trying to will Spike with his mind. Buffy wrapped her arm more tightly around his shoulders, which was holding his head up against her shoulder. Her knees raised like arm rests beside his body, she was hugging him with her whole being.

Spike swallowed! Yes! Buffy felt the movement of his adam's apple and she plucked her head up fast to look at the vampire in her arms. She felt so warmed that he was stirring against her.

"Shhh," Buffy was following her gut and recalled how her mom used to hold her when she was sick, she kept him still against her and fed him more blood. This time she watched his lips curve to the container and she smiled.

Xander stood and was trotting around jumping over Spike's legs joyously, wagging his tail, yipping, "Yes! He's up! He's gonna be just fine!"

Spike swallowed the next mouthful of blood and started shifting and sitting up on his own. Buffy's arm released from around his chest and fell away to rub his arm.

Spike coughed, his hand came up and rubbed the deep, slowly healing, puncture hole in his chest, clearing his throat. Thankful the stake was out and Riley was gone.

"Okay, drink the rest and then tell me what happened." Buffy's whispered voice so close to his ear shocked his eyes open as he came to and she was pushing the container of blood into his hand now.

Did she know she was rubbing his shoulder and leaning into his neck like she was? Her legs were wedging him into her embrace. He took the container and sadly imagined this angel-type figment of Buffy would leave now.

Closing his eyes, drinking the blood as she commanded, but trying to revel in the moment of her holding him as long as he could. It wasn't hard though, because she surprisingly didn't make a move to stand up away from him.

He only opened his eyes again when he felt Gus's fur against his other side, he smiled. What a whirlwind these two days with this dog has been. Now Buffy, real Buffy, was doting on him and it was all because of Gus.

"Thank you, boy," he whispered, licking his lips to clear them of the blood, and leaned forward to rub his face right back in the dog's neck.

Buffy's pleasant warmth and scent shifted now, he hoped she was lingering on purpose, but he couldn't lie to himself as much as all that had insinuated about her helping him.

"Gus definitely needs a bath." She said, watching the vampire pet the dog on the floor pooled with drying blood as she stood up and carelessly wiped Spike's blood and the crypt dirt into her jeans.

Why did she all of a sudden feel anxious when his blue eyes looked up at her?

"Thank you too, Buffy" Spike sincerely answered her, blessing her for taking care of him, knowing full well Gus was filthy with his blood just by the smell if not the look of, what used to be, his white belly.

This dog must have had the sense to find Buffy to help him after he pulled the stake out, even when he hadn't asked or expected it from him.

Buffy shared a long look at the floor, mostly because she was blushing for some reason, she wouldn't say she was welcome… right? Was she feeling like "no problem," was appropriate? She ended up just looking back at Spike and smiling shyly.

Xander snorted at what he deemed a flirty response and headbutted Spike gently for him to stand up. His friend was obviously feeling awkward and the vampire should stand up and make her feel more comfortable.

Spike was smiling back, getting the dog's hint, and got up. Slower than his normal grace, a hand fell to the hole in his chest, as he stood up straight.

Buffy's smile fell back into concern, "Who did this to you?"

Spike blinked and smirked, thinking for a second he'd be able to say "Your dumb Captain America boy toy." and possibly have Riley out of her life for good.

But he thought better of it, she couldn't hear it from him, it'd be too much to his advantage, even if it was the truth. He sighed, shrugged, and said, "No one."

She gruffed, her mood changing immediately, exasperated, "Are you serious? You want me to believe you staked yourself?!" She bent quickly snatching up the stake on the ground and realized it was plastic, made to look like wood.

Spike was just watching her, her eyes on the stake and Gus barked at his friend, "Please Buffy, put it together! It was Riley!"

She looked at Spike sternly, and he answered, "It's no big deal."

"Your dog certainly didn't think so or else he wouldn't have gotten me." Buffy pointed the stake loosely at Gus, who yipped in agreement.

Damn straight, "it was not a big deal" pleassseeee, Xander thought sarcastically.

Spike fidgeted with the hole in his t-shirt where the stake went through and held it open to the dog and her as proof, "We're fine. Practically good as new."

Buffy shook her head, stupid, proud, vampire... man. He sat on the arm of his chair and Gus followed over to him.

Xander couldn't believe Spike was trying to do this "cool dude" nonsense with Buffy. Spike's hand rubbed Xander/Gus's dog head and he smiled at Buffy. Her hand on her hips with an attitude both dog and vampire were very familiar with.

"He's just a sensitive pup." Spike ruffled his cheek into his ear and Xander's leg twitched at the pleasure even though he took offense to the vampire's disparaging statement.

"I'd have slept it off… but really, Buffy…" Spike's smirky attitude fell away and left him the way Xander was used to seeing him since becoming a dog, "Thank you."

Buffy's hands fell away from her hips and she locked eyes with Spike. He thanked her, twice now. Had he always had such calm watery blue eyes, or had she just never looked at him properly before?

The blush on her cheeks was returning and she looked to Gus. The neutral zone she thought, who was still getting petted, mouth open in pure rapture under Spike's attention.

She smiled, seeing that serenity, regaining her confidence, "Well, sleep it off then!" Buffy said instead of just accepting Spike's appreciation and she noted his knowing smirk at her response and continued, "If Gus is really such a sensitive dog, maybe he could help us find Xander later?"

Buffy closed her eyes, was she really inviting the duo to search for her friend? OR was she inviting Spike under the guise of Gus's intuition because she felt some weird jealous butterflies about him since seeing him staked by someone other than her? She wasn't sure.

Xander pepped up and barked in agreement. Finding himself, haha he could definitely help with that! Spike and Buffy chuckled at Gus's obvious excitement.

Smiling back to Buffy he made sure to lock eyes with her again since it seemed to make her blush today, and said "Sure, I'll bring him by tonight."

They shared another smile and Xander popped up, turning around, happy in between them. Ooooh, he was so excited to be a human again and getting these two together!

TBC!
So happy you all are enjoying the story and/or giving me feedback that you don't believe even a dog-shaped Xander would be friendly with Spike hah. I love reviews!