Three days later Buffy's cough was steadily worse, Maralee had brought her
extra juice and a box of tissue. Buffy spent her days writing in the tablet Maralee
had brought her, keeping a journal of sorts, she also had a paperback romance
novel thanks to the other girl. She wrote down her thoughts mainly,

Dawn is home by now, I know she's frantic, I wonder if dad will even let her stay
if I wasn't there to meet her. Even if I get out of here, I may have lost my chance
to keep Dawn. I'm sorry Dawnie.... I have a terrible cold, the kind that makes
you want to curl up and sleep. I hope Spike is okay. Maralee keeps telling me that
he is.

Later that day, as James was leading a badly beaten Spike back to his cell he
met Maralee bringing Buffy's supper. She opened the door before James had
Spike back in the cell

Buffy eagerly went to the small door to look out, she was aching for companionship
and Maralee had become her only link to the outside world. She was surprised to
see James andSpike outside, Spike was shirtless and his chest was covered
in open wounds. "Spike! What have they done to you?" She cried out trying to
reach her hand through the bars, trying to touch him.

Spike looked up when he heard her voice, he tried to wrench himself from
James' grasp. Maralee gave James a look, and James let the vampire
make his way to the front of Buffy's cell. "Oh, Spike." Buffy said tenderly as her
fingertips reached through the bars and caressed his bruised face, "I'm sorry."
She didn't know what else to say and the anger that rose inside of her just fueled
her desperation. Hot tears rolled down her cheek, she was sick and weak and
absolutely useless right now.

James and Maralee watched as Spike leaned into Buffy's touch. He closed his
eyes briefly, then opened them and smiled at her, "I'm okay, luv. Looks alot
worse then it really is."

"Why? Why are they doing this?" Buffy asked him still tenderly stroking his
cheek with her fingertips.

"I'm not sure, but you have to do something for me." He tried to smile for her
again.

"Anything." She whispered through fresh tears.

"Be strong, okay? No matter what." He placed his his hand over her fingers
resting on his cheek and gave them a gentle squeeze.

"Okay." She answered soflty more determined then ever to find a way out of here
for both of them.

"That's enough. If he finds you like this we'll all be in trouble." James steered
Spike back into his cell.


Maralee put Buffy's food through the small door, Buffy turned on her full of anger.
"You lied to me!" She shouted between coughs. "You said he was okay...he's
not okay. Someone is hurting him."

"I'm sorry, Buffy. He...Spike asked me not to tell you. I don't think he wanted to
worry you." Maralee tried to explain as Buffy paced angrily.

"Maralee, you have to help me........help us. You know this isn't right." Buffy
pleaded with the girl in front of her.

"I..I can't my uncle.........I just can't." Maralee began crying softly, "I'm sorry."
She turned and ran from the cell.

"Maralee!" Buffy shouted after her, but she was gone. Buffy looked at the plate of
food in front of her drugged or not she had to eat, she had gone without food
for a couple of days and it seemed to have weakned her even more and now she
had this cold. She picked up a biscuit and nibbled on it, her appetite was going
and she had to force herself to eat. Perhaps she could work on Maralee some
more later, she would tell her some more of her story. She finished the juice and
half the biscuit and eggs and lay on the cot.

She closed her eyes and saw Spike's battered body in front of her. Why? Who
would do this, she was sure it was Council related - Giles would be so proud
of her deducing skills. A) The drug used to weaken her, she was sure it was the
same one the council used, B) the captors had Britsih accents - didnt' seem like
much but it was yet another small connection to the Council.

Reaching for another tissue, she sat up and opened the notebook, writing down
her theory. Now if she could only figure out why the Council wanted her - or Spike?

*****
Spike lay his aching body down on the cot and tried to listen for sounds of
Buffy she was quiet tonight aside from the occasional cough he heard nothing.
He hoped she was eating, maybe Maralee could get her something for that
cold, it sounded like it was getting worse.

***
"Tomorrow school starts, I'm not sure I should go." Dawn told Xander as
he fixed her some breakfast.

"You have to go, Dawnie. No one can suspect Buffy is missing." He
handed her a plate loaded with pancakes.

"I guess you're right, that was quick thinking on your part telling my dad that
Buffy had gone to managerial training in Nevada for the Doublemeat. He was
aggravated that she didn't call but I thnk he was happy about her becoming
a manager or at least he thinks she is." Dawn sighed, "We have to find her
Xander."

"Dawn, if we can we will." Xander sighed.

"You're afraid aren't you? Afraid she's ........gone for good this time." Dawn
asked over a bite of pancake.

Xander didn't answer right away, then in a small voice "Of course not."

"It's okay, I know she's alive, I just feel it. We just have to find her." Dawn gave
him a half smile.

Xander gave her a hug, "Yeah, we just have to find her."

*****
Buffy lost count of the days that passed over the next couple of weeks. Her cold
had turned into bronchitus she was sure of it. Maralee had apologized several times
but her uncle wouldn't allow her to bring Buffy any medication. The coughing was
worse now and she was waking up at night sometimes feeling like she was
choking on the phlegm.

She continued to croak out her story to Maralee though when she felt like it.
Today was a good day, she was telling Maralee about Spike
being the first one she told about where she had been when she came back.
She had never gone into full detail about Dawn being the key, she was afraid for
very many people to know that part of the story. She just told her that Spike had
tried to save her sister and she had died saving her, she quciky glossed over
Willows spell to bring her back.

"He was the only one I felt like I could tell. And he never told anyone, he just listened
and tried to comfort me. I think thats where the trouble started. He kept telling me
that he loved me, and I just kept denying that he could." Buffy wrung her hands
together, "I was wrong.....wrong about a lot of things."

"So he just decided one day that he loved you? But how he's a vampire?"
Maralee shook her head.

"I think you can tell he's not your average vampire." Buffy laughed softly, "He said
it was because we were working together, something about raomance in the
workplace, I shot him down quickly over that. But he was persistent and after
everything with Dawn. Well he took care of her and fought with the others while I
was....gone.I couldn't explain it, so I just tried to deny it alot." Buffy shrugged her
shoulders and coughed loudly. "We'll talk more later, okay?"

Maralee smiled, "Okay, get some rest." She walked away from the cell
worried, she wished her uncle would let her give Buffy something for her illness.

Spike smiled to himself as he lay on his cot, ear to the wall, "She said she
was wrong about thngs..........alot of things." He smiled at the wall, he didn't think
he had would ever hear her admit she was wrong, the smile turned to a worried
frown when he heard yet another coughing spell from the next cell.

*****
"I went to see Clem, last night." Dawn told Xander as she sat her book bag down
on the table in the Magic Box.

"Has he heard anything?" Xander asked anxiously.

"He had one bit of information, I'm not sure if it connects to Buffy or not." Dawn
sat down and leaned her elbows on the table, "He says he thinks Spike came
back, he found a bag downstairs in the crypt and it had some clothes and stuff
that looked like Spikes. But that was a few weeks ago and he hasn't seen him."

"That would have been about the time Buffy dissappeared! I'll stake him if he's
done anything to her - he may have her holed up somewhere doing who knows
what!!" Xander pounded his fist on the table.

Dawn jumped at the noise, "Xander..I know what you think you saw, but Buffy
talked to me, I'm not sure she feels the same way you do about that night, and
well........she was there and you weren't."

"I know what I saw, Dawnie. I can't figure out what kind of hold that bleached vampire
has over you ...or your sister." Xander stood up, "I'm going to go ask around, see
if anyones seen Spike."

"Xander, I really don't think Spike has hurt Buffy." Dawn started to argue but
it fell on deaf ears as Xander stomped his way out of the Magic Box.

"I don't think he would intentionally hurt Buffy either." Anya patted Dawn's shoulder.

*****
Travers laughed out loud as he watched Spike pacing the room, limping from the
cuts on his feet. He thought that he had the vampire just about where he wanted him.
He would probably tell him anything now. The Slayer was sick, he was sure it
was turning into pneumonia. His niece Maralee wanted to take her to a doctor,
but he had quickly nixed that idea. It was much easier on him if Buffy Summers
just quietly died a natural death from her illness.

It had been a month, and the vampire looked even paler then before if possible and
he was very thin, Travers had only been feeding him every other day now. As
he chained Spike against the wall he pulled a fireplace poker from a small
fireplace against the backwall.

Spike grimaced at the memory of another time, another firepoker - one that he
plunged into Angel. He remembered smiling at Angels agony. He cried out when
Quentin stuck the first poker in to his chest, he realized that he had tears rolling
down his face and they weren't just for his pain but for the memory of the pain
he had put Angel through. He wondered how Angel had dealt with the pain of
his soul for so long, and suddenly understood why Angel spent so much time
brooding, it would be easy to fall into that trap......but he had to fight, he had to
concentrate on getting Buffy out of here.

"You know William, there is a way to stop all of this." Travers leaned in only inches from
Spike's face. "Let's make a trade, I'll let you go, but Buffy Summers must die."

Spike growled out "Never." He spit directly in Traver's face.

"Okay, we'll play some more then." He smiled at Spike as he picked up another
poker. "So you don't want her dead, maybe we can make another deal, I think
you have some information about........an incident that happend last year. It
involved a key of sorts, Rupert was never clear on all the details, he just said
that Buffy died protecting her sister. Why would a demon be that hellbent on
killing the slayers sister? I think there is a lot more to the story then we were told.
I know the slayer would only die again to protect he sister and Ruper would die
to protect his slayer. I warned him about that father's love he has for her."

"I don't know anything." Spike shouted the words as Quentin thrust the hot poker
into his midsection.


"I think you do."


****
"I can't bear this anymore, James." Maralee leaned against him wrapping her
arms around him. Spike's screams had filled her nightmares for several nights
now.

"I know, he's out of control. I..I don't know what to do, Maralee." James held
her closer dropping a kiss on the top of her head.

"I think maybe my father was right. I don't think it's all black and white, Spike
loves Buffy. And I think she feels the same way." Maralee pulled back from
him, "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know, I'll think of something." James left her to finish Buffy's supper.

*****
Buffy coughed up another bit of bloody phlegm into the kleenex. She was running
a fever now and her chest ached with every cough. Breathing was beginning to
be hard and painful. She was sure she wasn't going to make it, she was
going to die in this cell. She found her paper and pen and decided she would
write a note to Spike, things had to be set right between them.

"Spike,
I need to tell you something. I forgive you for that night......I forgive you because
now I understand how it came to that. I know you didn't come to my house to
hurt me, you wanted to make me understand, make me face feelings I didn't want
to. Now for the really hard part, I did alot of thinking this summer and I sorted
through a lot of denial in my life. I wanted to blame sleeping with you on me - I
wanted to think I was using you because that was so much better then facing
that I might have stronger feelings for you - because we all know how Buffy's
romances always turn out. I was scared and I'm sorry for that. So here is the
big finish........I LOVE YOU. Yes you read that right, I'm sorry you never got to
hear me say it. Be strong.
Love, Buffy

She reread the note and folded it neatly, she would give it Maralee when she
brought her supper, she was sure that Maralee would deliver it. She was so
tired now though, she just wanted to lie down and close her eyes.


Maralee opened the door to the cell and Buffy never stirred. She held her own
breath for a moment as she watched Buffy's chest rise and fall, her breaths
were hard and it pained Maralee to watch the pale girl on the cot. She
left her food and went back to the kitchen, she couldn't do this anymore!

Spike listened to Buffy's labored breathing through the cell wall. She wasn't going
to last much longer. He had to do something and he had to do it now.

Maralee opened his food door and he called to her, "Maralee, please tell your
Uncle I want to deal."

"You want to deal?" Maralee asked slightly confused.

"Yes, he wants some information I have. I want him to get Buffy to a hospital and I'll give him what
he wants. Tell him and hurry. Please!" He sounded desperate even to himself but he had to get Buffy
help.

Maralee hurried to find Quentin. He was in the kitchen, "Uncle Quentin, the vampire wants to talk
to you, something about a deal? He'll give you information if you get Buffy to a hospital."

Quentin Travers grinned at his neice, "I knew she would come in handy."

"You'll do it, you'll let her go to the hospital?" Maralee pleaded with her uncle.

"Let's see what William has to say, then I will make my decision about Buffy's fate."

The older man went downstairs to talk to his captive, he was finally going to get what he wanted.

Maralee stood nervously by the door to the basement, she knew better then to follow her uncle
yet she wanted to know what was going on down there.

James came in the back door with an arm full of groceries startling her. She jumped and turned to face
him. "What's wrong, Maralee?"

"Spike is going to make a deal with Uncle Quentin, he wants Buffy to get to a hospital. I'm not sure
what price Spike will have to pay for that." Maralee hung her head, "We should have never been
involved in this, if she dies, her blood is on our hands as surely as it is on Uncle Quentin's."

"She won't die, I have a feeling Spike will do anything to prevent that." James sighed as he sat the
groceries on the table.

****

"William, my niece gave me your message." Quentin spoke through the small food pass door.

"Yes, you win. I'll talk, but I want Buffy out of here. Take her to a hospital." Spike spoke matter of
factly, "That's the deal."

"I believe I can do that William. I'll tell Maralee to get Buffy ready to leave. We'll talk tomorrow."
Quentin closed the door and walked back upstairs.

"Well?" Maralee asked as her Uncle entered the kitchen.

"I would like for you to go get Buffy ready to leave. Wrap her blanket around her and help James
load her in the van." Quentin walked to the coffee pot and retrieved a mug from the cabinet.

"Thank you, Uncle Quentin." Maralee sighed with relief.

"Maralee," Quentin called after her.

"Yes sir." She answered.

"Tell Buffy that her vampire is dead. His dust is in the cell beside her." Quentin smiled wickedly over
the edge of his mug.

Maralee and James' face's both fell, "Why?" They asked in unison.

"Because he was a vampire, do I need more reason then that?"

***
"I can't believe he's gone. Buffy will be so upset." Maralee felt a lump in her throat.

"Maybe it's better this way, the torture will stop now." James sighed as he took Maralee's hand in
his and gave it a squeeze. He had grown fond of the vampire and had felt for him everytime Quentin
decided to "experiment."

"Buffy, Buffy." Maralee opened the full door to the cell and walked in to the damp room, she kneeled
beside the cot. Buffy was pale and her breathing was now very shallow, she placed her hand on
to the sick girls forehead, she was burning with fever.

Buffy's eyes opened at the touch on her forehead, "Maralee?"

"Yes, its' me and we are going to get you some help." Maralee began to wrap the blanket tightly around
Buffy.

"Help? Spike needs help...Oh...I have something for him.....please give him this." Buffy pulled the
note from under the pillow on the cot and handed it to Maralee.

Maralee took the note and handed it to James. He put it in his jacket pocket and helped Maralee
with Buffy, she was so light he picked her up without any trouble.

"Spike can go to? Gotta help Spike." Buffy floated in and out of conciousness as James loaded her
into the van. Maralee climbed into the back of the van with her. She noticed her uncle talking giving
James instructions as he climbed into the van.

"What did he want?" She asked as she wiped Buffy's sweaty brow with a clean rag from the van.

"He says you have to tell her the vampire is dead and he gave me the address to drop her off at." He
started the van and pulled out of the driveway.

"The hospital right?"

"No, we are to drop her off at her home, it's actually only a couple of blocks away. Maralee he
said to leave her in the yard." James shuddered at the careless way Quentin had phrased his
instructions, "Just drop her in the yard."

"Where is Spike?" Buffy asked in a lucid moment as she realized she was no longer in the cell.

"Buffy, he's gone." Maralee replied sadly.

"Gone, he got out too?" A delirious smile crossed Buffy's face as she tried to fight for conciousness.

"No, Buffy, he's dead. I'm so sorry." Maralee bit her lip to keep her own tears from falling.

"No.....he can't be." Buffy argued before losing her fight and sinking back into darkness.

They pulled up to the house on Revello Drive and James opened the van door, the house was
dark, he picked Buffy up and walked towards the front porch, there was no way he could leave
her lying in the yard. Maralee followed him as he lay his bundle down gently on the front porch,
he watched as Maralee rang the doorbell, they both ran back to the van and left hoping

"We are leaving as soon as we can." James told her , steely determination in his voice.

"Good, I can't stay with that man for a moment longer then I have to, family or not." She replied as she wiped the
tears from her eyes.

******
Travers was a happy man, he was going to get to the bottom of what happened last summer. He was
going to find out the big secret that Rupert Giles was so intent to keep from him. And in the end
he had been the one to undo that rebellious slayer, he had no problem letting Buffy go, he was sure
she was so far gone that she would never survive the night. And this time.....this time it wasn't a magical
death, she wouldn't be coming back.

James and Maralee made their plans to escape as they drove home, if all went well they would be
out of the house in a couple of days.

Her uncle was waiting in the kitchen for them, "Did you get her delivered?"

"Yes sir." James nodded.

"Did you deliver the message?" He directed this towards Maralee.

"Yes, I did, she knows. Now I"m going to bed. Goodnight."

Quentin watched as his neice left the room, "James come with me."

James followed him down to the cell, Quentin unlocked the cell door to show Spike sleeping
fitfully. He woke up and stared at the open door, "Did you get her to the hospital?" Spike asked
sitting up.

"Yes, we got her out of here and to help. I'll be back to finish your part of the deal in the morning."
Quentin nodded to James, "Could you gather up those mugs and double check the locks."

"Yes sir." James watched that Quentin was gone before he fished the note from his coat pocket.
"This is for you, from Buffy." He handed the note to Spike and gathered up the used mugs, locking
the door behind him he left Spike to read his note.

Spike sat on the cot staring at the folded paper as if it might bite him. Finally he gently unfolded it
as if he were unwrapping a special gift. He began to read it slowy savoring the feminine curve of
her handwriting, the way she wrote his name, he smiled as he read the words "I forgive you", the
sweetest words he had ever read, until the next paragraph when he read the "I LOVE YOU" If
he had a heart it would have skipped several beats, he had to smile at the next line she must have
known he would have to reread that line over and over. He folded his treasure and put it under his
pillow. With this kind of armor he could face any thing Travers through at him in the mornig. She loves
me,,,,she loves me. Those were the his last thoughts as he fell asleep.

""""
"The doorbell, Xander." Anya nudged him, they were still staying with Dawn, until the Buffy situation
could be solved. To be honest they were sure Buffy wasn't coming back but they didn't want to tell
Dawn they had given up hope.

"I'll get it." He threw on a pair of sweatpants and groggily went down the steps bumping into Dawn
in the foyer.

"Who would be here at this time of morning?" She asked yawning as Xander cautioulsy opened
the front door. "Dawn!!! Call 911 now."

"What is it?" Dawn tried to get out the door.

"It's Buffy, Dawn. Go call now." Xander knelt beside Buffy on the front porch. He was afraid to move
her. She was very pale and her breathing was irregular, she was trying to cough but didn't seem to
have the energy.

Dawn made the call and joined Xander on the porch. "Is she okay?" Dawn took Buffy's hand in
hers it was hot, she was burning up and making funny noises when she breathed.

Anya heard the siren and came downstairs, "Buffy? Whats wrong with her?"

"I don't know Anya, she's sick, very sick. Lets let the paramedics do their job." He moved
back while the paramedics knelt next to Buffy asking questions that Xander tried to answer.

They put an oxygen mask on her pale face and started an iv before taking her to the hospital.
Xander, Anya and Dawn quickly dressed and followed the ambulance.

****
The ER was surprisingly empty for a Sunnydale hospital. Xander had gone to call Giles and let him
know Buffy had been found, the watcher had been in constant contact since her dissappearance,
but his mother was ill and he couldn't leave her. Anya and Dawn sat in the waiting room on a
small couch, Dawn curled up close to Anya.

"Buffy is very strong, whatever is wrong she'll fight it." Anya tried to be comforting.

"Giles wants me to call back when we know something." Xander told them as he sat down across from
them.

"I need to talk to who ever found Ms. Summers." The doctor walked into the waiting room.

"That would be me, " Xander stood, "What do you need to know?"

The doctor seemed almost angry, "I want to know why that poor girl was left so long in this condition!
She has pneumonia, a severe case, I think she'll be okay if the antibiotics can do thier job. I
want to know how this happened though."

"Well, I was working out of town and her sister," Xander pointed at Dawn was visiting her Dad in LA."

"My girlfriend stayed here and the last time she saw Buffy she said something about taking a vacation
maybe hiking in the woods. She wanted to spend some time alone. We were beginning to worry,
when she showed up last night, I can only guess she got sick and then got to weak to get back home."
The lie rolled off Xander's tongue naturally.

"I guess we'll know more when she regains conciousness. Would you like to see her?" The doctor asked
as he motioned for them to follow him Buffy's room.

Buffy lie on the hospital bed with an IV in her arm, under a plastic oxygen tent. She looked like she
had been through the wringer, her hair lay damp against he forehead and she was very pale.

"We've cleaned her up and she is being rehydrated with the IV and also recieving some strong antibiotics
intraveneoulsy. We have her under the oxygen tent to help her breathing. As I said before I think she will
be okay, but this first twenty-four hours is critical, the fever needs to come down and the antibiotics
have to start killing the infection. We'll know more by tomorrow. You can stay a few minutes in the
room but then I have to ask you to leave. She needs her rest." The doctor nodded his head at them
and left the room.

"She looks so small." Dawn went to stand closer to her sister's side, tears filled her eyes."What
do you think happened?"

"I don't know, Dawn. But she's going to be okay, don't worry." Xander looked at his friend lying so
still under the plastic tent. He was going to find out who or what was responsible for this.

"It's time for you to go now." A nurse popped her head in the door.

"Bye, Buffy. We'll be back." Dawn blew her sister a kiss as Anya and Xander led her out of the room,
"I don't want to leave the hospital." She told them as they found another waiting room.

"We'll stay with you." Anya told her as they found a fold out chair for Dawn to get comfortbable in.

Xander went to call Giles with the Doctor's report.

*****

Buffy's head was filled with strange dreams, Spike was back and he wanted to tell her something
important but they kept getting interuppted and then she was beat Spike up. No, no....Buffy didnn't do
that.....no someone else beat him up this time, they had cut his chest. Spike was telling her "I went to
Africa" And then someone put her in a van, she was sick.....it hurt to breathe. Then something bad,
the girl told her something bad.

Buffy's eyes jerked open and she panicked as she realized she was inside of a plastic tent thingie,
her chest still hurt but the breathing was a little easier, her hand had an iv in it, she looked around
the room - she was in a hospital. She sighed with relief she was safe. Her relief soon turned to
grief as she realized what Maralee had told her before she passed out. Spike was dead. He
was really gone, how ironic she thought she was the one who was going to die when she wrote
him the note confessing her love. Now he was gone, tears rolled down her cheeks as she wondered
if he had received the note, if he had died knowing she loved him.

"Your awake. Good. I'll tell the doctor." The nurse took Buffy's temperature and blood pressure, "Don't be
upset, crying isn't good for you in the shape your in, your safe now."

"How do you feel, Buffy?" The doctor asked as he read her chart, "Your temperature is down some
already that's good news."

The doctor lifted the tent so Buffy could hear him better, "Your friends found you on your porch
unconcious, you have pneumonia, thats why your in the tent, it helps you breath easier and we
are giving you fluids and antibiotics, I'd like to know how you let yourself get this sick. Do you
remember anything?"

Buffy shook her head tears still falling, " I feel a little better, but I'm sorry I don't remember anything. My friends.....can I see
them?"

"Yes, but you need to calm down, stress isn't good for you right now." The doctor patted her
arm and put the tent back down.

"You have fifteen minutes and if she gets upset you must leave. She's been through too much." Doctor
Grant warned them as he let Dawn and the others in.

"Buffy!" Dawn cried out as the doctor lifted the tent again and then left the room. She rushed to
the bedside, "I want to hug you, but I don't want to hurt you." She settled for holding Buffy's hand
tightly in hers.

"I'm sorry I worried you." Buffy tried to smile but her heart wasn't in it.

"Buffy, I don't want to push but can you tell us where you were?" Xander asked from the other side
of the bed.

"Spike ....." She stopped midsentence to cough, but before she could start talking again, Xander cut
her off.

"Spike! I knew he had something to do with this. I'll kill him." Xander balled his fists at his side.

"Spike didn't do this.. he was caught with me.." Buffy's eyes filled with tears again, "And you can't kill him....." Her voice
dropped to an almost whisper as she choked out the words, "Whoever was holding us has
already done that." Buffy's breathing became labored again as she fought her sobs.

"You have to leave now." A nurse told them when she came to check on Buffy, "You can come
back tomorrow when she's calm." The nurse settled Buffy back under the oxygen tent and
checked her pulse.

"Buffy .....I..I'm sorry." Xander told her as the nurse shooed them out of the room.

"You okay, Dawn?" Anya asked as they walked back to the waiting room.

Dawn shook her head as she sat down, "I can't believe he's dead."

Dr. Grant came in and gave Buffy an injection to calm her and help her sleep. She fell asleep
remembering Spike's last words to her,,,,"Be strong." I'm trying Spike, I really am.

TBC