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 5
"Honey, I'm home," Buffy said as she let herself into the crypt. Tara and Willow had their heads bent to the books, trying to read by the light of a couple of tacky lamps Spike had salvaged. Buffy thought she recognized one of them as coming from her basement, and had to smile. Then she caught sight of Dawn, dutifully patting Spike's forehead with a damp cloth.
"Since when is it ok for my sister to play nursemaid to the undead?" Buffy asked. Dawn just rolled her eyes.
"She wanted to feel useful," Willow explained.
"And he's felt a lot better since I started!" Dawn chimed in.
"He told you that?" Buffy asked incredulously.
"Well... no, but I can just... tell," Dawn answered.
"He has been a lot less restless," Tara said. Buffy just shook her head and walked over to the table.
"So, what have you two found?" she asked. Willow scribbled one last word into the notebook she had brought with her and looked up.
"There are several poisons that fit the description – fever, weakness, delirium – we've dealt with the most common one before – the Killer of the Dead. That's what poisoned Angel."
An uncomfortable silence settled over the room. All of them knew what it had taken in order to restore Angel to health.
"Is that what this is?" Buffy finally asked.
"We also found references to a poison called Heaven's Talon, but there hasn't been a reported case of its use for at least two centuries, and there's also something called the Plague of Althor, and... well, you get the picture," Willow said. "I was thinking I could take a sample of Spike's blood and then go over to the university's science lab and compare it with the information Giles left about the poison Angel had."
"Sounds like a good idea," Buffy replied, then frowned. "None of you happened to ask Spike how he got sick, did you? I mean, with Angel, we knew the cause. Faith and that arrow..."
"We checked Spike for wounds," Willow told her.
"Even though he wasn't too happy with us for poking and prodding at him," Tara added, "But we didn't find anything."
Buffy put her hand on Spike's shoulder and shook him awake. His skin was burning hot to the touch.
"Buffy! Don't wake him!" Dawn hissed.
"We need information," Buffy said. Seeing that Spike's eyes were open and he was looking at her in a halfway-lucid manner, she leaned in close. "Now listen, Spike, we're trying to find out how you got sick. I know Willow and Tara already checked, but has anything hurt you lately? Stabbed you, punctured you, you know...."
"I already told Red and the witch no," he said feebly.
"It would have had to have been before last night, because you weren't feeling good even then. Do you remember back that far?" she asked.
"I told you, nothing happened. I was fine, and then, just... weak..." his voice trailed off. Buffy sighed. This was getting them nowhere.
"If he's not hurt, the poison could have been introduced into this body some other way," Tara suggested.
"Maybe it was something he ate," Dawn said. As she had been displaced by her sister from Spike's side, she was curiously examining the odds and ends Spike had piled on the bookshelf. "I mean, this guy I know at school ate the Thursday special a couple of weeks ago, and he got food poisoning so bad he had to go to the emergency room in the middle of fourth period."
"Someone could have slipped him poisoned blood, I suppose," Willow said.
"And he ate just before we went out last night!" Buffy said, just remembering that piece of information.
"Spike, did you notice anything different about the blood you had last night? Did it taste funny? Did you get it from a different supplier?" Tara asked.
"No... Tasted fine... same supplier as usual," Spike told them. "Bags are still in the trash..."
"Oh EW," Buffy said.
"It's not that gross, Buffy," Willow said, and went over to the trash can and rummaged around in the alcohol bottles until she found two empty blood bags, both of which still had traces of blood sticking to them. "I can test these too. Then we'll know for sure how he got sick. Just one more thing I need to do before I go..."
Willow took a syringe out of the bag she had brought with her and stuck it in Spike's arm. He flinched, but didn't cry out. She drew out some blood, and then forced it back into a small bottle.
"I wonder why," Buffy murmured to herself.
"Huh? What did you say?" Willow asked, looking up from her supplies.
"I mean, I know Spike wasn't exactly a favorite with the demon population, but this looks like it took a lot of planning. Who would go through this much trouble just to kill him?" Buffy wondered.
"The Order of the Red Thorn," Dawn said, out of nowhere.
"The what?" Buffy, Willow, and Tara all said at the same time.
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I say that out loud? I wasn't really listening... That's just what it says on this card I found." Dawn handed the small piece of paper to Willow. It was snowy white, with blood red lettering. Above the words, a stylized thorn, also in red ink, was surrounded by a large letter 'O'.
"I've seen this before," Willow told them. "When we were researching demon assassins... the Order of Taraka and all that." She grabbed a book from the stack she had brought with her and flipped through it. "Here. It says that the Order of the Red Thorn specializes in killing demons, vampires, and other supernatural creatures. They don't do humans because they think it's too easy."
"And they leave calling cards?" Tara asked, taking the card from Willow to examine it.
"It's a pride thing, just to let us know they were here. Turn it over, and you'll probably find the assassin's name," Willow said.
"It says 'Aurianne,'" Tara told her.
"So I go after these Red Thorn guys?" Buffy said.
"They're probably long gone by now, and even if they weren't, you'd never see them. They're known for their ability to hide and be unnoticed," Tara said, reading over Willow's shoulder.
"Besides," Willow added, "they were just hired thugs, pretty much. We probably won't ever know who paid them."
"Fine," Buffy said. "You two go over to the university lab, but take Dawn home first! I'll stay here with Spike."
"Go home? Why can't I stay with you?" Dawn asked. Buffy put on her best 'I'm older and know better' face.
"Because if these Red Thorn assassins come back, I don't want you anywhere near here. Besides, if Spike gets delirious and gets violent, I'm the only one who could keep him under control," she told her younger sister. Dawn sulked. "HOME," Buffy said. Reluctantly, Dawn followed Willow and Tara to the door.
