Author: Summer
Rating: R?
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters and all here are on loan for this fic. They belong to Joss, Warner Bros and Fox as well as Mutant Enemy.
Summary: Spike has been turned human because of the Ghorac Demons bite but is seriously ill. Will he tell Buffy? Can they get together before the end?
Authors note: Buffy never died. Set sometime in between seasons 5&6 but after Joyce died.
Feedback: That would be excellent I'd love it!
Chapter Ten - News
Buffy turned round as she heard the sound of her sisters footsteps racing down the stairs.
"BUFFY, BUFFY" Dawn shouted running into the kitchen.
"What? What's wrong?" Dawn stood there for a moment catching her breath "Dawn what's happened?" she asked worriedly.
"Spike.........." Dawn stuttered "He's..........gone".
"Gone? Gone where?"
"Buffy..think if I knew that I wouldn't be so worried! Here.........he left this behind...it was on his bed" Buffy took the empty pill bottle from her sister. Turning it over in her hands she read the label.
"Did Spike take all of these?"
"I don't know. I he did he must of been in some serious pain".
"Serious pain, Dawn he could be dead! How many tablets do you suppose were in here?"
"Um.....I don't know but there couldn't have been more than six or eight.....maybe".
Buffy moved past Dawn to the phone. Dialling a familiar number she waited for an answer.
"Who are you calling?" Dawn asked
"Giles"
"Hello, Magic Box how can I help you?" A voice on the end of the line answered.
"Hello Giles?" It's Buffy we've got a problem. Is Spike there?"
"No of course not Buffy it's only eight o clock we haven't opened yet.
"Then we've got a problem" she said again.
"Why Buffy? what's happened?"
"Spike.......he's missing, we think he took some pills but we're not sure how many!"
"My goodness" the British voice replied "I'll come over right away"
"No Giles, I'll come to you, I can look around for him as I'm driving".
"All right well.....if your sure".
"I'm sure".
"Very well then, I'll see you soon"
"See ya" Buffy hung up the phone and turned back to Dawn. "Get your school bag I'll drop you off" Buffy said moving over to grab her keys off the counter.
"What? but I want to go with you" she protested.
"Dawn, no you have school".
"But......this isn't fair" Dawn was becoming frustrated "I want to search for Spike" Buffy stared at her sisters pleading face. Sighing she finally gave in. She wasn't in the mood for an argument anyway. "Fine, get your coat. And this is just for today remember" Dawn nodded in agreement reaching for her coat.
"I'll meet you in the car" Buffy said turning and walking outside.
*******
"Anya" Giles called as he made his way to the ground floor of the Magic Box. "Anya" he called again looking around the store "the girl must be in the stockroom". Sighing quietly he removed his glasses once again to be cleaned. He was just about to put them back on when he heard the distinct sound of the shop bell.
"I'm sorry were..................SPIKE!" he shouted getting a good look at the person who just entered.
"Watcher" Spike replied walking over to sit down.
"What are you doing here? where have you been? why aren't you at Buffy's?"
"Woe, woe, woe Watcher" Spike said holding up his hands in mock surrender "what's with all the questions?"
"Buffy and Dawn have been worried sick!"
"Buffy? she was worried about me?" he said a grin crossing his features.
"This is serious Spike!" Giles said a stern look coming over his face "how many pills did you take?"
Spike sighed realising what must have happened "only four"
"Four?"
"Yeah four. There was only four in the bottle. You wouldn't happen to have any painkillers here would you?" Spike looked up at the Watcher.
"I'll go and check" Giles said moving over behind the counter to search through the drawers. "Ah here we are" he said pulling out a whit pill bottle "I'm afraid they're only aspirin".
Spike sighed and stared down at the floor holding his head in his hands "that's fine watcher, doubt they will do anything though".
"Tell me Spike" Giles continued coming over with a glass of water and two pills "do you get these headaches often?"
"Well besides when I hit people. The ones recently are different".
"Different? in what way?"
"More..........intense and frequent it's just a continuos ache, like a throbbing"
"Mmm interesting, and when did this originate?"
Spike sighed again "I don't know Watcher just give me the damn pills" No sooner than Giles handed Spike the water and pills than they were gone. swallowed. "Thanks" spike looked up at the Watcher again "how long before these start to work?"
"Shouldn't be too long" Giles commented walking back to the counter.
They both looked up as the bell above the door rang again and in ran a worried looking Buffy and Dawn.
"SPIKE" both girls exclaimed running over.
"Where the hell have you been? Are you okay? What happened?" a barrage of questions came all at once.
"Well, what do you want me to answer first?"
"Where were you?" Buffy asked sternly.
"I couldn't sleep so I got up early, came down and this sodding headache started up again" clutching his head he continued "so I went out to find a Pharmacy, only to find they weren't open yet! I was tempted to break in but...................."
"What about the pills?" Dawn asked leaning forward to give Spike a hug.
"Hey Nibblet you don't think I'm that stupid do you?" Dawn shook her head "Nah course not, now give me another hug".
Buffy took that opportunity to move over to Giles for a quiet talk. He lead her over to the corner of the room.
"I think we need to get in touch with the initiative as soon as possible. I had a little talk with Spike before you arrived" Giles paused "It seems the headaches have been getting these headaches frequently".
"Well I might have some news then" she said taking a piece of paper out of her pocket "I found a recent postcard from Riley it was on my fridge. I don't know I must have forgotten all about it with all the recent events. It has a number on it. It's a long shot but it's the only shot we have at the moment" Buffy looked over to where Dawn and Spike where talking "I wonder why he never told me about the headaches" she said more to herself than to Giles.
"I don't know Buffy maybe he didn't want to worry you, I wouldn't"
"Yeah maybe" Buffy said giving Giles a smile and turning to the phone.
*******
At least three weeks had passed by since the little incident with Spike. Although Spike was still receiving the headaches they weren't as bad thanks to some strong painkillers Buffy had picked up at the chemist.
And although Buffy had eventually managed to reach the Initiative they had yet to answer any of the messages she had left.
That night the whole gang including Giles were round at Buffy's house watching a movie, well when I say watching I mean arguing over a movie.
"And I say we should watch 'the mummy'" Xander commented from his place on the end of the sofa.
"Why Monkey Boy so you can see your ex girlfriend one more time?"
"Hey! How do you know about that?" Xander asked looking at Buffy "How does he know about that?" Buffy just shrugged her shoulders while the rest of the group tried to hide their smirking.
"I have my sources" Spike said leaning back on his chair looking at Dawn.
"How about we watch 'Armageddon'?" Dawn asked turning to her sister.
"No thanks Dawnie I've seen that one already, about three or four times if you know what I mean!" Dawn just rolled her eyes and slouched back onto the floor leaning up on her elbows.
"I've always preferred 'Dead Poets Society'" Giles commented form his place on the other side of the couch. A barrage of groans were coming form all around the room.
"Are you kidding Watcher? We don't want to watch some pansy assed film like that. We might as well watch the 'Bridges of Madison County'".
"Hey I like that film" Willow said from her place on the carpet with Tara and Anya.
"I rest my case" he said "We're all gonna watch 'Bad Boys'!" winking at Dawn.
"Ooh Will Smith" Dawn said getting up off the floor and moving over to Spike. "Can we watch that Buffy? please?" she begged.
"Dawn, your not old enough to watch that!"
"Oh come on Buffy I've seen 'Silence of the Lambs' for crying out loud"
"You have? When?"
"Well....I......................" Dawn was just about to answer when there was a loud knocking at the door.
"I'll get it" Willow said preparing to stand.
"No Will it's all right, you stay. Put in the video." Buffy said getting up and turning to Dawn "I'm not done with you young lady!" Dawn just rolled her eyes again.
As Buffy opened the front door she got the shock of her life.
"Good evening ma'am" A stern southern looking soldier said "May I come in?" He took of his hat. Buffy saw enough movies and crime shows to know what that meant.
She cleared her throat "Why?" She asked
"Please ma'am" Buffy moved aside to let him enter.
"My name is sergeant Paul Lockely, I work with.....that is to say I used to work with......." He stuttered "I'm work in the government organisation you know as the Initiative..........."
"So? why are you here?" Buffy asked "Where's Riley?"
"Agent Finn...." Buffy nodded ".......is dead".
TBC.......................................................
A/N: Hope you liked this chapter. See I told you it will get more interesting! Don't worry I'm gonna continue soon! PLEASE REVIEW. Thanks.