Nightmares

Dawn came bouncing down the stairs at 7 o'clock. She went into the kitchen to fix herself breakfast.

Dawn was finally happy. Buffy actually wanted to be alive. Giles was staying in Mom/Willow & Tara's old room, and she could finally go on patrol life was good.

A small moan interrupted her thoughts, coming from the living room. She stopped and listened.

"no…ahh..no….stop…so much..blood…"

'okay, someone is in the living room. Was it Xander? Why would Xander moan about blood? What the hell?

Dawn tiptoed out of the kitchen and peeked into the living room.

"Holy shit, it's Spike!" Dawn gasped.

"No…stop…it wasn't me…no…please!"

'He's having a nightmare? When did he get back? Why didn't anyone tell me?'

William started thrashing in his sleep, crying and yelling.

"no…make it go away…I didn't…PLEASE STOP!!!"

'Buffy. Get Buffy. He looks so helpless and what happened to his hair?!"

Dawn bounded up the stairs and raced to Buffy's room, slammed the door open. Buffy sat straight up.

"Dawn what…time is it? Buffy mumbled.

"BUFFY SPIKE'S…"

" In the living room yeah I know, he had now where else to sta…"

"BUFFY! He's crying. I think he is having a nightmare. You gotta do something!"

Buffy remembered all those times she visited Angel and when she would wake up Angel from his nightmares. Angel was so scared and he had been having them for like a 100 years and he still freaked out.

' Poor Spi…William, he's William now. Gotta remember that. William right.' Buffy thought.

Buffy went down the stairs to the crying vampire.

Giles walked out of his room and bumped right into Dawn.

"What in bloody hell is going on? Is there a bloody stampede in here!"?

" Giles, Spike'sbackandheishavinganightmareandIwenttogetBuffy…"

"Spike's Back! BLOODY HELL!"

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William was thrashing on the couch, crying when Buffy came into the room.

"Please…no…NO!!!" William screamed.

Buffy kneeled in front of the couch.

"William! William! Wake up! It's okay"

' Okay that is so not working' Buffy thought.

William starting screaming.

' Oh right Spike's a heavy sleeper. Forgot about that.' Buffy frowned.

She put both of her hands on his shoulders and started shaking to wake him.

" William! William!"

"Wha…(sniffle)…Buffy…I…oh god…so much…blood..(sniffle)"

William looked at Buffy with sad, teary, red, puffy eyes.

"William it's okay…shh…it's okay….ssshhhhh" Buffy cooed.

She wrapped her arms around him, so that his head rested between the valley of her breasts.

" Buffy I'm sorry…so sorry what I almost…did…I…" William sobbed.

"William I forgave you for what happened that night."

"How could you…I'm a monster." William shuddered.

"No your not. Would a monster protect a girl by being tortured by a Hell God? Would a monster risk his life for me and my sister."

"But..I.."

" No. William these things you've done are in the past. The people you've killed can't forgive you, but you can apologize to the people that are alive now. And you can forgive yourself."

"Buffy…I love you."

"I know"

'God, I know' Buffy thought.

William drifted off to sleep in Buffy's arms. And Buffy heard a humming noise.

' He's purring' Buffy thought.

She giggled.