Title: Tainted Blood

Author: Corri

Email: Corrielle@yahoo.com

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Up to "Normal Again"

Summary:  Set directly following the events of "Normal Again."  Spike is sick, and when the gang finally figures out that only Buffy can save him, she has to decide how valuable Spike is to her. 

Disclaimer:  I do not own any of these characters.  They belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and UPN.

Feedback: Please!  

Author's note: This is my first actually FINISHED Buffy Fanfic. It's more of a Buffy/Spike

friendship piece than an actual romance

Chapter 3

The trap door swung open with a bang, and Buffy clattered noisily down the ladder.

"I hope you're ready, Spike!" she called to him.  "I don't want to have to wait like last night!"  She didn't bother to climb down the last few rungs, but sprung back and landed steadily on the floor.  For the first time, she took in the scene.  Tara was curled up in Spike's chair, one leg dangling off the overstuffed arm, and Spike was lying prone in his bed, shirt half-undone and looking rather worn out. 

"Am I... interrupting something?" Buffy asked.  Her voice was sarcastic, but for just a second Spike thought he saw a hint of jealousy.  Tara, realizing for the first time what must have been going through the Slayer's head, blushed.

"Why don't you come join us, Slayer?  Three's not a crowd," Spike rasped.  Tara turned another shade of red and Buffy rolled her eyes. 

"No!  I was just keeping Spike company until you got here!" Tara explained.  She walked over to where Buffy was standing and whispered to her.  "I don't know what it is, but I think there's something wrong with him..."

"And you're just figuring this out now? I don't think any of us know what's wrong with Spike," Buffy said, then took a second look at the vampire.  His skin looked even more unhealthy than usual, and his hands, which rested on top of the blanket, were shaking. 

"He's sick, Buffy," Tara clarified.  "It's like he has a really bad fever.  Hot skin, body aches and chills, weakness, he's got it all." Buffy frowned and walked over to Spike.  In a business-like manner, she laid the back of her hand on his forehead.  He stared at her, confused.  His mother had done the exact same thing countless times when he was a little boy, and for a moment he couldn't tell whether it was Buffy or his long dead parent who stood at the side of the bed. 

"Well, that's not good," Buffy said softly. 

"You've been around vampires more than I have.  Has anything like this ever happened before?" Tara asked.  Buffy nodded and took a deep breath before answering.

"Just once.  With Angel.  I don't know how much Willow told you about our graduation, but there was some pretty crazy stuff going on.  The Mayor wanted to distract me, so he had Angel shot with a poisoned arrow.  It was some kind of vampire poison, and it made him all feverish." 

"Well, then I guess it's just a matter of finding out what kind of poison we're dealing with," Tara said, and looked at her watch.  "I think Willow's probably out of her class by now, maybe she'll remember something and give us a place to start looking.  I could go see if she's home, if you want, and we could meet you back here." 

"Sounds good to me.  I think I'm okay to patrol alone tonight."  Buffy turned sharply and started back up the ladder.

"Be careful," Spike said, coming back to reality long enough to realize that she was leaving.

"I didn't get this far by being careless," she said calmly, and then was gone. 

Tara gathered up her books and knelt by Spike's bed.

"I'm going to go get Willow, ok?  I won't be gone very long," she promised, and smoothed his uncombed hair.  The affectionate gesture affected Spike in his weakened state more than it usually would have.  Just knowing that someone cared enough to speak comforting words to him made a lump rise in his throat.  He managed to keep the tears from coming until after Tara left the crypt.

.......................................

            To say that Willow was surprised when she opened the door and found Tara standing on the front porch would be an understatement.  Still, she recovered quickly and asked her inside.

            "So, what's up?" Willow asked, and mentally kicked herself for not coming up with something better to say.

            "Buffy asked me to come and find you," Tara said.  "Spike's sick, and she thinks it might be some kind of vampire poison.  She said you had experience with this kind of thing..."

            "Yeah, with Angel.  I remember."  Willow walked over to the bookcase and pulled out a couple of large volumes.  "I kept some books... ah... non-magical, research-only books.  We could start looking in these." She indicated the books she had taken down.  "I think I have some of Giles' notes he left me, too..." Willow shook one of the books and a sheaf of papers fell out.  "There they are.  At least, I think that's it."   She started flipping through the notes, but Tara touched her hand and she stopped.

            "Buffy wants to meet us back at Spike's crypt.  We can take all of this stuff with us and do our research there," Tara told her.

            "But it's all dim and dingy over there," Willow protested. 

            "He's got a couple of lamps.  We'll be fine.  Besides, I don't want to leave him alone for too long." 

            "You do remember that this is Spike we're talking about, right?" Willow asked. 

            "Just wait until you see him, Will.  He's just so... sick and sad looking.  I wouldn't want to be left alone if I felt as bad as he does," Tara said.  Willow smiled.  Tara always had been the compassionate one. 

            "Let's go keep him company, then," she said. 

            "Keep who company?" Dawn asked, coming down the stairs.  "Oh, hi Tara!" She beamed at her older friend who she hadn't seen in at least a week. 

            "Spike's not feeling good, so we're going to try and find out what's wrong," Tara explained. 

            "Can I come?" Dawn asked. 

            "I don't think Buffy would like that," Willow said. 

            "But she'd like leaving me alone?" Dawn folded her arms across her chest, knowing neither of them would have an answer.

            "I don't think Buffy would like that either," Tara said. 

            "And since Xander's out of town looking for Anya, you can't leave me with him," Dawn reminded them in her most helpful voice.

            "If you're coming, you're helping us carry books," Willow grumbled.  Dawn complied and picked up the entire stack.  Tara giggled and Willow rolled her eyes at Dawn's youthful enthusiasm.