Title: The Becoming
Part: 2/10 "Complication"

This had gone from worse to horrific in the sort drive from the factory to Giles' flat. Blood was everywhere. Buffy was out, thankfully.

But, if they didn't get her patched up and filled with fresh blood soon, she'd shrivel to dust. He'd seen it done to minions who were disloyal to Angelus before. Spike wouldn't even let himself think that chances were, He, Buffy and Dalton would face that fate... or worse should Angel so choose. He had to focus on Buffy.

He could feel her pain. It was intense. He knew now why Darla was so protective of Angel; as Angel was with Dru. Drusilla was really too mad to be the sire she should have been to him.

He just wanted her to stop hurting and be well again. To be the vivacious little thing she'd been since the day he'd laid eyes on her. Kneeing Angel in the groin to escape had been priceless as well as brave.

Spike didn't wait for Dalton to park the car. He ran out, cradling Buffy to him. He pounded on Giles' door, growling at a woman who stood gaping at him instead of going inside her apartment.

"Yes?" The door opened. The stench of stale alcohol breath hit Spike. Giles didn't seem to realize who was standing in front of him.

"Let us in." Spike demanded, pressing his body against the invisible barrier.

Giles looked up at Spike and the slayer in his arms. "Good god, what have you done?"

"Let us in." Spike repeated. "Something's wrong."

"How dare you violate her like this. She deserves to rest in peace. You horrible..."

"Giles?" Buffy whimpered weakly, eyes opening a slit. "Please, let me and Spike in."

"No. This is a nightmare. Buffy's dead."

"Something went wrong. This shouldn't be happening to her. You have to help."

Realization dawned on Giles. "I cannot believe this." His shook his head, going into his apartment, returning with a stake. "I have to..."

"No. Giles. Please." Buffy pleaded. "Please. You have to help. I don't wanna die."

Giles had blamed himself for what had happened to Buffy. He felt he should have guarded her better against the wraith that was likely to come from Angel and his because of her relationship with Spike. He should have forbade her to be with the vampire in the first place.

He as good as killed her in his mind.

When she said she didn't want to die, he knew he couldn't let her. "Come in." He moved things out of Spike way as they moved to the couch. Spike reluctantly laid Buffy down.

"Why is this happening?"

"Slayers aren't mean to be turned." The after-effects of the alcohol and the situation giving him a headache. "Being a slayer is their nature. What they were born for. It not something they can turn from... even if they wanted to. From what I've read... the last time a slayer was turned, her own being and the new demon within her fought for control. The slayer won... killing the demon... killing the slayer again."

"She'd not gonna make it?" Spike asked. Hope still in his eyes despite what Giles had just said. There had to be a way.

"I don't know. There may be a way to make the... slayer and demon exist together... but, even if there were, we may not have enough time to find it. There are some books at the library that may help. I'll go get them."

"Got one of my minions outside with a car. He can drive you."

Giles looked at Spike warily before leaving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike, Giles and Dalton had spent about two hours searching through various books the Watcher though might be helpful. But there was nothing they could find on saving an already dead slayer from dying again.

"Ooooh!" Dalton jumped up from his seat excitedly. "I've found something!"

Spike rushed to him, snatching the book from his grasp. Spike scanned over the foreign text, smacking Dalton with the book. "What the bloody hell does it say?" He growled. His patience had worn thin long ago.

"Oh. Right. Sorry." Dalton smiled sheepishly before reading to Spike and Giles what the book said.

"It's worth a try." Giles said, going through his small stash of magic supplies. "And, we have all the ingredients we need here." He held a few small baggies in hand.

"Let's get on with it, then." Spike said.

"You'll need to..." Giles handed Spike a knife and bowl.

"Yeah, I know." Spike made a large slit in his arm, letting the blood drip into the bowl.

Giles paled a bit at the blood oozing from Spike's arm. But, he'd seen worse. He grabbed the bowl from Spike when his wound started healing and added the rest of the ingredients to it.

"You'll have to get her to drink it, Master, while he says the incantation." Dalton was helping Giles set up a few candles around Buffy's body.

Spike lifted Buffy into his arms. He held the bowl up to her lips. The liquid spilled down her chin. But, some of it was going into her mouth and down her throat. Spike placed a kiss on top of her head as Giles began reading... small balls of light floated around. The light began swirling around Buffy before rushing into her body.

Her body jerked from Spike's hold. Her eyes opened and she let out a long scream.