Dawn looked over at Buffy from her perch on the coffee table. Her sister
was asleep, a definite change from the past 46 hours, where she had been
firmly, unwaveringly by Spike's side, barely blinking. The Spike's side
thing hadn't changed much, she mused. Buffy was sitting on the floor,
her head tiled to the side on the couch cushion that held Spike's feet.
If it wasn't scary, it'd be sweet. As for the vampire himself, his fever
had risen to 109, and it was nearing the time to take his temperature
again. He shook, with icepacks piled on his body, sweat still pouring
off his body. Dawn picked up the thermometer, crouched over his body.
She shook him slightly. "Open your mouth..." She slipped it between his
lips, and under his tongue.
Spike moaned, shivering madly. He nearly spit the thermometer back out. This was the fifth time he'd tried to get rid of it.
She smoothed a hand over his sticky curls. "Shhh.... it's ok..." with her other hand, she held the thermometer in place.
Spike's eyes opened momentarily, glancing around, not really focusing on anything, then he reclosed them and relaxed again. As much as someone shivering all over can relax.
She muttered praise to him for laying still. She prayed the entire time that it would be lower.... Just one degree lower. One degree less from a dusty vampire death... "I'm glad you're a vampire," she whispered. "If you were a person... You'd be dead already."
The thermometer beeped.
She slipped it out, closed her eyes in vast hope, then looked at the digital numbers. Her heart sank, and she stifled the urge to cry. 111.4
Spike moaned and tossed, not really asleep, but not awake either. His eyes were too hot to be comfortable either opened, or closed, so he continually blinked, trying to cool them instinctively. He vamped for an instant, but felt worse, so changed back. He'd been trying that about every hour, as if his demon was checking on him.
Buffy stirred as one foot hit her lightly in the head. "Hmmmm...?" She jerked awake, reality flooding in. "Dawnie, why'd you let me sleep? Is he- How is he?"
Dawn's stiff upper lip emerged, and she took pity on Buffy's plight. Finally gets her shit together and Spike gets ready to kick off. He wouldn't leave her. Not if Dawn had a say. "It rose two degrees. Go get more icepacks. Load some bags up with ice from the freezer, too."
Buffy nodded, and headed off to the kitchen.
Spike tossed again, moaning and muttering in his restless sleep. "Annabelle?", he said quietly. "You here?"
Dawn looked confused. "Spi-"
"Annabelle, back to bed. Mum'll skin us if you're up..", he whispered, taking Dawn's hand gently in his own hand, hot as a bag of popcorn. "You're sick, too. Shouldn't be out of bed..."
She let him hold her hand, kept her silence, just one hand stroking his hair. She wondered if she was doing the right thing and said, "I wanna sit with you."
He coughed for a moment. "No. Back. Now... You're worse than me.. And Dad won't be happy if you're up, either. We gotta get better, or we won't get to go to the play next week..."
She nodded. "Ok, S-William."
"Good girl, Annie. I love you..."
"I... I love you, too..."
Spike shivered again, but was quieter and stiller than he'd been for some time. And he actually seemed to be asleep.
Dawn slipped her hand from his, almost running to the kitchen. "Buffy- Buffy, Spike, he-"
Buffy stopped loading ice bags and took Dawn by the shoulders. "What?" her voice was urgent, scared. "What?"
"He... called me Annabelle. Who- who is she?"
Buffy's eyes clouded in pain, but she let go of Dawn to keep loading the bags, and handed four to Dawn to carry into the living room behind her. "Annabelle was his sister, Dawnie. He loved her a lot. She- she died when she was nine." She spaced their icebags out over his body. "Pneumonia. They both had it."
Dawn made an empathetic face, and slipped her hand back in Spike's, watching him sleep, while Buffy held her hand and did the same.
Spike opened one eye, looked around, and actually focused on the sisters. "B-Buffy? Bit? W- where am I?"
Buffy almost leapt off the table to frame his face with her hands. "You're... at home, Spike. The- our house."
He was still shivering violently, but managed to nuzzle her hands slightly. "Don't feel good. Hot... and cold at the same time..." He was actually breathing, but it was coming in ragged, panting gasps.
Buffy tried to calm him. "You're sick.. the... the vampire flu, whatever. Your fever is spiking, but... but it'll be ok."
It was hard to tell if his shaking was from the shivering, or from fear. "Scared. Help..."
"We're trying to cool you down. It'll be ok." The words were as much for her as they were for him.
Dawn sat, wide-eyed, not sure of what to do.
Spike sniffed, then went into a violent coughing fit, a little blood came up. He put his hand to his mouth, and looked at it. "Eugh."
Buffy gave her sister a look. Mouthed, 'Call Giles.' Dawn scampered off, leaving the two. "You're very, very sick." She picked up a cup of juice she had had sitting there for hours, in the vain hope he would wake up. "I want you to drink this."
He looked at it, trying to focus. "Why's everythin' fuzzy? What is it?"
She sat on the couch, one hand supporting his head, the other tilting the cup at his lips. "It's fuzzy, cuz you don't feel good. And this is juice. It has vitamins, and... it's... wet. You need liquids."
He leaned forward, sipping at the cup. Then looked at her. "Straw? Maybe?"
She set the cup down, striding quickly to the kitchen to grab a straw. "Stupid," she muttered to herself. "Should have thought of it." She dropped it in the cup, and they tried again.
Spike managed to drain the cup quickly with the aid of a straw. After all, vampires are good at sucking liquids through small holes. He leaned back. "Sorry..."
She smoothed his curls, calming herself. "Don't be sorry... for... whatever."
"Time. I'm taking up all your time. Could be doing something else... Where'd Bit go?"
"I'd rather be here, if that's ok." She curbed the sarcasm. He was sick, allowances had to be made. "She's... on the phone. Why?"
He shook his head. "Weird dream... S'all."
She let his hallucination pass. "Ok."
He craned his neck, trying to look around, then he refocused on Buffy. "You're okay? Ya passed out..."
She nodded. "I'm fine... um... kind of... exhibited your symptoms..."
Shaky chuckle. "Sound like Rupert..."
She grinned, attempted at humor again, "Yeah, well, for this scare, I hope you feel my cramps."
He shook his head. "Got nothin' there to cramp, luv." He coughed, but no blood this time. "My stomach hurts." Seemed to think a moment. "Actually, everythin' hurts..."
She sighed sadly. "I know. I'm sorry."
Gave her a lopsided grin. "You didn't shove dust up my nose, luv."
She pondered. "I DID tell you to wait for backup, huh?"
"Not till after..."
She didn't know what to do. She wanted him to stay up, to talk to her, reassure her he was fine. But he needed rest, too. To BE better. She leaned forward, kissed his forehead.
Tried to purr, came out shaky. "...love you...", he said quietly, fighting sleep.
Her eyes watered. "I'm not saying that until you get up, or start to get better." She smiled into his sleepy eyes. "So you can't die."
Slow smile. "Always with the incentive..." He yawned. His shivering had toned down a notch while they'd been talking. He raised a hand, ran it through her hair. "I'll be okay, luv. I promise. I keep my promises, you know..."
She bit back her tears, but one beat her. "I know. You really scared me."
"I scared me, too..."
She found his hand in her hair, gripped it, left it in her lap. "Go to sleep."
Nodded slowly. "...good... idea.." His eyes closed and his breathing slowed, but didn't stop.
There was a quiet knock at the door.
She let go of his hand slowly, walked to the door. She opened it to morning's first rays bouncing through the door and Giles.
"Good morning, Buffy. I came as soon as Dawn called." He stepped inside. "How's he doing now?"
She made sure her voice was normal. Strong. "Sleeping. We spoke. I got him to drink some juice."
Giles nodded. "Good. I must say, I don't think I've ever been this worried about a vampire, before." He shook his head. "Spike just... he's..." He trailed off, not being able to find the right words.
Buffy's bottom lip shook, always a first sign of distress. "Spike," she finished his sentence.
Giles nodded, pulling Buffy into a tight hug. "He'll be alright, Buffy. He will. We'll all make sure of that. Xander, Anya, and Willow are down at the shop, researching the vampire flu. Unfortunately, there's a lot on killing vampires, and not a lot on helping them. But I'm sure that we'll find something. Everyone's on this, Buffy. They all care."
She nodded her head in his chest. "I know." She looked up in his eyes. "He claimed me."
Giles' eyes got wide, and he licked his lips. "I see..."
She figured it was time clarify. "After I claimed him."
Giles was confused. He released Buffy and walked into the dining room, where they could sit down, and still see Spike on the couch. "You... claimed him? How..?"
She sat in the chair beside him. "We... tried something... Because I could feel him vamp out. So he spoke to me in vampiric, and I understood it."
Giles was interested. "You understood vampiric? I didn't think that was possible. It's a relatively easy language to read, but you usually need a demon to process it. All it is, is a bunch of purrs, chirps, and growls. It made sense? What did he say?" The Watcher was going into research mode.
"Um... just.... things. Anything I asked him to. Slayer, Buffy, hate, love..." She skipped over... things.
Giles nodded. "And what happened then?"
Her eyes dropped to her lap. Lowered her voice. "I... I bit him."
"On purpose?"
She felt suddenly, deeply shamed. "Yes."
Giles placed a hand on her shoulder. "Buffy, remember what I said? That I couldn't be disappointed in you? I meant it. Please tell me, I want to know? What about the ritual? You knew the words?"
She looked up at him, eyes still shy. "I could smell my blood in his body... and I... I said... Me in you, you in me, always, forever. But I said 'you in me' in vampiric, I think. Spike said I did."
Giles was surprised. "I didn't think normal human vocal cords were capable of that. This is incredible. And then? He bit you?"
She shook her head. "I... bit-drank from him. We went to sleep, and in the morning... he claimed me."
"When was all this?" He wagged a playful finger in her face. "Now I get all the high necked T-shirts and scarves you've been wearing. You have a new scar, don't you?"
She gave a small smile, nodded. "A couple, maybe one week ago. Giles..?"
"Yes?"
She looked him in the eye, praying he'd understand the significance of her statement. "He... asked if he could claim me. If it was what I wanted."
Giles nodded. "And you said yes. Because you love him."
"Yeah."
Giles chuckled. "Actually, I already knew that you'd told him. He wouldn't shut up about it yesterday."
She sighed. Then smiled. "Really?"
He smiled back. "Yes. At first, he was working quietly, but he kept humming something. I think it was Beauty and the Beast. I asked him to stop, because it was distracting, but he said that he was excited about something, and couldn't help it. So I left it at that. But he said, 'You want to know why I'm excited?'. I knew he wouldn't leave me alone until he told me, so I said yes. And then he practically screamed, 'She's bloody in LOVE with ME!'. Liked to have given me a heart attack."
She gave an embarrassed chuckle.
Giles laughed. "Then he did a little dance, I nearly died laughing. And he kept repeating it, over and over, driving me nuts. So, finally, I pounced him. That was the first time."
She sighed. "Do... do you want to know what sealed it, Giles?"
He nodded, leaning his elbows on the table.
She said softly, "He *asked* to claim me. No one... no one ever asked. And he was ready, expecting, no. And he was ok with it."
Giles smiled. "He's a very surprising person, isn't he?"
Buffy nodded. "If I'd have said no, he would have nodded, gave me a hug and said he loved me. I wasn't- wasn't going to tell you. Because, people claiming vampires isn't normal, and I was afraid you'd think I was- "
"Weird?"
"Bad."
Giles took her hand gently. "Add that to the list of things that I will never think you are, Buffy. You're not bad. The circumstances have never happened before, that doesn't mean it's not normal. It's not often that a vampire falls in love with a human and doesn't sire the human. Personally, I think you're very lucky to have Spike. He's... special. In an annoying, want to stake him half the time way."
She smiled in thanks. "He is... He was making jokes tonight."
Giles laughed. "He's got a... what? 111 degree fever, and he's making jokes? Which bring's me to what I want to do the other half of the time, give him a big bloody hug! Don't tell him, though."
She gave an earnest head shake. "Never." Then laughed. "He'll get better. He has to."
"He will. And what's so funny?"
"I told him I wouldn't tell him I love him till he got better. And you with the hugging."
Giles shook his head. "I know. I absolutely hated him last year, and suddenly he's like my son. I have to admit, yesterday was the most fun I've ever had stocking that musty old back room. And thanks for the tip, by the way."
She pouted. "I paid in *spades* for that one."
"Oh?"
She rolled her eyes. "Don't ask."
"I really want to know."
She backpedaled. "Mmmm... aaahhhh... nothing much. Tiny tickles."
Giles chuckled. "We are going to kill him, eventually, you know."
She sighed. "As long as it's us, and not a stupid flu."
"He's not going to die, Buffy. We are not losing another member of this group. If I have to personally call in every favor to the Council, and everyone I've ever known, we'll get him better. You have my word."
She nodded her head. "If they're difficult, I can go kick their asses."
Giles chuckled. "I don't think that will be necessary. You don't want to leave Spike, anyway."
She agreed. "I guess not. I probably shouldn't have had Dawn wake you... He was pretty shaky for a minute... but, he's ok now, and you can go, if you want to, get some more sleep."
Giles thought. "Would you mind if I stayed upstairs? Willow offered me her room, and if you need me, I'll be in the house."
"That'd be great."
He nodded, then stood and stretched, heading for the stairs. "When he's feeling better, I think I will hug him. See what he thinks of that..." He headed upstairs, chuckling to himself.
She gave a small laugh, then went back to the living room to sit cross- legged on the coffee table, a blanket around her.
========================================================================== ===========
Buffy must have dozed off, because seemingly only seconds later, though she knew by the sun peeking around the drapes that was a fallacy, she woke to a mumbling.
"...Gotta believe me, Dru...", Spike muttered, eyes closing and opening reflexively. "..Didn't mean to.. Don't say that!"
She sat up, the name making her sleepiness evaporate.
"Come on, Pet... I didn't... You know I... I do! I love you....", he continued muttering, the shaking from earlier returning with a vengeance. "Sorry... Don't... hurt her... Stop.. Sorry.." Gradually, the muttering ceased, and Spike was back asleep.
Buffy stared at him. Disbelief made her brow lower. Anger firmed her lips. Bastard. She walked up the stairs to Willow's room, knocked.
"Come in?", came Giles' sleepy voice.
She opened the door. "I'm going in to work today. I've been off for too long. Gotta pay the electric." She gave a smile. "Might wanna watch Spike. Or not. You can keep sleeping. I just wanted to let you know."
Giles yawned. "Oh, thank you. I'll keep an eye on him. I can sleep in the recliner." He sat up. "When are you leaving?"
"As soon as I shower and get ready. Dawn left for school already."
Giles nodded. "Alright. Anything I should know about Spike? Has his fever gone up, down? Any new developments?"
Her eyes flashed, but she said stiffly, "No. Nothing new." She closed the door, making her way to the shower.
========================================================================== ==========
Buffy walked in the door, giving it a good slam. She had been reprimanded twice for her attitude towards customers today, but damn if they didn't remind her of Spike just a little. She tromped up the stairs, ready to battle the smell.
"...and it turns out to be a rhinoceros!", Spike says from the living room. "Right next to me. Gave me a heart attack." This was followed by a chuckle from Giles.
She froze on the stairs, her hackles rising. The jerk even had the nerve to heal??
"How close was it?", Giles asked.
"Bleedin' near standing on me. That's the last time I sleep on the ground in Africa, let me tell you."
"I would imagine."
She continued on up the stairs, only coming downstairs when her hair, a slight amount of makeup was done, and a coat of lip gloss was applied, wearing THE sexiest jamma's she owned. Soft pink silk pants, and a cream lace sleeping tank that came with it. Walked downstairs, every foot on the stair eliciting a curse in her mind.
Giles was sitting next to Spike, who was half asleep again, placing a cool cloth on his forehead. He noticed Buffy. "Ah, Buffy. Guess who's awake?"
Spike's eyes popped open. "Buffy. Hey, luv."
She gave a small smile. "Spike. Hey, Giles." She turned, walked into the kitchen and yanked open the freezer, pulling out a pint of Ben & Jerry's Double chocolate vanilla icecream. She grabbed a spoon from the strainer and made her way back to the living room.
Spike smiled at her. "It's nice to see you, luv." He eyed the ice cream. Giles gently whacked his shoulder.
"No. Your fever is dropping, but we don't want you to get too cold too fast. No ice cream until it's back in at least the low nineties." He looked at Buffy. "I don't care how much he begs. Nothing but juice, water, and maybe a little blood now, since the nausea has passed."
Spike stuck his lower lip out.
She nodded. "Well, sleeping beauty, back from the land of Nod?" The gentle humor that should have been in her voice was absent, and she took a very large bite of icecream.
Spike cocked his head. Was she mad at him? He decided that she was just tired. "Why don't you go on to bed, luv? You must have had a long day."
"Speaking of long days," Giles said. "I need to be getting back to the Magic Box, and see if anyone has come up with anything new. I'll see the two of you tomorrow." He got up and headed for the door, waving to them.
"Bye, Rupert!", Spike called after him.
Buffy followed him to the door to hug him.
Giles returned the hug. "If either of you need me, you know my cell phone number. I love you, Buffy."
"Love you, too, Giles. Thanks for baby-sitting."
Giles chuckled. "It was nothing. Spike's a very good patient."
She made a non-committal noise and moved to let him close the door. He left, giving Buffy one final wave from his car.
Spike sat up slightly. "How was your day, luv?"
She arched a brow at him. "Revealing. I'll get you some juice."
"Oh? Revealing how? Somethin' interesting at the old DoubleMeat?"
She walked out to the kitchen, trying to get a hold on her anger. She shoved it into passive non-caring, and took the glass and straw back to him. "Just... the whole day. Hardly knew what to do with myself."
He sipped the juice. "Did you miss me?"
"Oh yeah." A list of things she missed doing to him today because he was sick and she was at work ran through her head. Oh yeah. She missed him all right.
He grinned, sipping more juice, totally oblivious to her thoughts. "I missed you. Giles is okay, but you make a better nurse."
"Was Dru a good nurse?" she asked curiously.
He thought a moment. "Well, it depended on the day. Most of the time, she just ignored me. So, no." He chuckled. "Actually, she was a better nurse to her dolls than to me. Tells you where you rank in the scheme of things. I'm below inanimate objects that are already broken."
She gave a small smile. "Hm. You're right, I think I better get some sleep. If you need anything, get Dawn."
He smiled. "Okay. Good night, luv."
Again, the small frigid smile. She picked up her icecream and headed upstairs.
"Hey!", he called after her. "I'm getting better. You said you'd say it when you were sure I wouldn't die."
She smiled, turned, and said honestly, "I'm not sure you won't."
His eyes got big for a moment. "Uh, come again?"
"Good night, Spike." She walked back up the stairs and to her room, closed the door firmly..
Spike lay on the couch, trying to figure out what had just happened. 'She's pissed at me about something,' he thought. 'Maybe cause I didn't tell her that I was feeling bad the last few days. Oh well, when she's ready, she'll tell me.'
Spike moaned, shivering madly. He nearly spit the thermometer back out. This was the fifth time he'd tried to get rid of it.
She smoothed a hand over his sticky curls. "Shhh.... it's ok..." with her other hand, she held the thermometer in place.
Spike's eyes opened momentarily, glancing around, not really focusing on anything, then he reclosed them and relaxed again. As much as someone shivering all over can relax.
She muttered praise to him for laying still. She prayed the entire time that it would be lower.... Just one degree lower. One degree less from a dusty vampire death... "I'm glad you're a vampire," she whispered. "If you were a person... You'd be dead already."
The thermometer beeped.
She slipped it out, closed her eyes in vast hope, then looked at the digital numbers. Her heart sank, and she stifled the urge to cry. 111.4
Spike moaned and tossed, not really asleep, but not awake either. His eyes were too hot to be comfortable either opened, or closed, so he continually blinked, trying to cool them instinctively. He vamped for an instant, but felt worse, so changed back. He'd been trying that about every hour, as if his demon was checking on him.
Buffy stirred as one foot hit her lightly in the head. "Hmmmm...?" She jerked awake, reality flooding in. "Dawnie, why'd you let me sleep? Is he- How is he?"
Dawn's stiff upper lip emerged, and she took pity on Buffy's plight. Finally gets her shit together and Spike gets ready to kick off. He wouldn't leave her. Not if Dawn had a say. "It rose two degrees. Go get more icepacks. Load some bags up with ice from the freezer, too."
Buffy nodded, and headed off to the kitchen.
Spike tossed again, moaning and muttering in his restless sleep. "Annabelle?", he said quietly. "You here?"
Dawn looked confused. "Spi-"
"Annabelle, back to bed. Mum'll skin us if you're up..", he whispered, taking Dawn's hand gently in his own hand, hot as a bag of popcorn. "You're sick, too. Shouldn't be out of bed..."
She let him hold her hand, kept her silence, just one hand stroking his hair. She wondered if she was doing the right thing and said, "I wanna sit with you."
He coughed for a moment. "No. Back. Now... You're worse than me.. And Dad won't be happy if you're up, either. We gotta get better, or we won't get to go to the play next week..."
She nodded. "Ok, S-William."
"Good girl, Annie. I love you..."
"I... I love you, too..."
Spike shivered again, but was quieter and stiller than he'd been for some time. And he actually seemed to be asleep.
Dawn slipped her hand from his, almost running to the kitchen. "Buffy- Buffy, Spike, he-"
Buffy stopped loading ice bags and took Dawn by the shoulders. "What?" her voice was urgent, scared. "What?"
"He... called me Annabelle. Who- who is she?"
Buffy's eyes clouded in pain, but she let go of Dawn to keep loading the bags, and handed four to Dawn to carry into the living room behind her. "Annabelle was his sister, Dawnie. He loved her a lot. She- she died when she was nine." She spaced their icebags out over his body. "Pneumonia. They both had it."
Dawn made an empathetic face, and slipped her hand back in Spike's, watching him sleep, while Buffy held her hand and did the same.
Spike opened one eye, looked around, and actually focused on the sisters. "B-Buffy? Bit? W- where am I?"
Buffy almost leapt off the table to frame his face with her hands. "You're... at home, Spike. The- our house."
He was still shivering violently, but managed to nuzzle her hands slightly. "Don't feel good. Hot... and cold at the same time..." He was actually breathing, but it was coming in ragged, panting gasps.
Buffy tried to calm him. "You're sick.. the... the vampire flu, whatever. Your fever is spiking, but... but it'll be ok."
It was hard to tell if his shaking was from the shivering, or from fear. "Scared. Help..."
"We're trying to cool you down. It'll be ok." The words were as much for her as they were for him.
Dawn sat, wide-eyed, not sure of what to do.
Spike sniffed, then went into a violent coughing fit, a little blood came up. He put his hand to his mouth, and looked at it. "Eugh."
Buffy gave her sister a look. Mouthed, 'Call Giles.' Dawn scampered off, leaving the two. "You're very, very sick." She picked up a cup of juice she had had sitting there for hours, in the vain hope he would wake up. "I want you to drink this."
He looked at it, trying to focus. "Why's everythin' fuzzy? What is it?"
She sat on the couch, one hand supporting his head, the other tilting the cup at his lips. "It's fuzzy, cuz you don't feel good. And this is juice. It has vitamins, and... it's... wet. You need liquids."
He leaned forward, sipping at the cup. Then looked at her. "Straw? Maybe?"
She set the cup down, striding quickly to the kitchen to grab a straw. "Stupid," she muttered to herself. "Should have thought of it." She dropped it in the cup, and they tried again.
Spike managed to drain the cup quickly with the aid of a straw. After all, vampires are good at sucking liquids through small holes. He leaned back. "Sorry..."
She smoothed his curls, calming herself. "Don't be sorry... for... whatever."
"Time. I'm taking up all your time. Could be doing something else... Where'd Bit go?"
"I'd rather be here, if that's ok." She curbed the sarcasm. He was sick, allowances had to be made. "She's... on the phone. Why?"
He shook his head. "Weird dream... S'all."
She let his hallucination pass. "Ok."
He craned his neck, trying to look around, then he refocused on Buffy. "You're okay? Ya passed out..."
She nodded. "I'm fine... um... kind of... exhibited your symptoms..."
Shaky chuckle. "Sound like Rupert..."
She grinned, attempted at humor again, "Yeah, well, for this scare, I hope you feel my cramps."
He shook his head. "Got nothin' there to cramp, luv." He coughed, but no blood this time. "My stomach hurts." Seemed to think a moment. "Actually, everythin' hurts..."
She sighed sadly. "I know. I'm sorry."
Gave her a lopsided grin. "You didn't shove dust up my nose, luv."
She pondered. "I DID tell you to wait for backup, huh?"
"Not till after..."
She didn't know what to do. She wanted him to stay up, to talk to her, reassure her he was fine. But he needed rest, too. To BE better. She leaned forward, kissed his forehead.
Tried to purr, came out shaky. "...love you...", he said quietly, fighting sleep.
Her eyes watered. "I'm not saying that until you get up, or start to get better." She smiled into his sleepy eyes. "So you can't die."
Slow smile. "Always with the incentive..." He yawned. His shivering had toned down a notch while they'd been talking. He raised a hand, ran it through her hair. "I'll be okay, luv. I promise. I keep my promises, you know..."
She bit back her tears, but one beat her. "I know. You really scared me."
"I scared me, too..."
She found his hand in her hair, gripped it, left it in her lap. "Go to sleep."
Nodded slowly. "...good... idea.." His eyes closed and his breathing slowed, but didn't stop.
There was a quiet knock at the door.
She let go of his hand slowly, walked to the door. She opened it to morning's first rays bouncing through the door and Giles.
"Good morning, Buffy. I came as soon as Dawn called." He stepped inside. "How's he doing now?"
She made sure her voice was normal. Strong. "Sleeping. We spoke. I got him to drink some juice."
Giles nodded. "Good. I must say, I don't think I've ever been this worried about a vampire, before." He shook his head. "Spike just... he's..." He trailed off, not being able to find the right words.
Buffy's bottom lip shook, always a first sign of distress. "Spike," she finished his sentence.
Giles nodded, pulling Buffy into a tight hug. "He'll be alright, Buffy. He will. We'll all make sure of that. Xander, Anya, and Willow are down at the shop, researching the vampire flu. Unfortunately, there's a lot on killing vampires, and not a lot on helping them. But I'm sure that we'll find something. Everyone's on this, Buffy. They all care."
She nodded her head in his chest. "I know." She looked up in his eyes. "He claimed me."
Giles' eyes got wide, and he licked his lips. "I see..."
She figured it was time clarify. "After I claimed him."
Giles was confused. He released Buffy and walked into the dining room, where they could sit down, and still see Spike on the couch. "You... claimed him? How..?"
She sat in the chair beside him. "We... tried something... Because I could feel him vamp out. So he spoke to me in vampiric, and I understood it."
Giles was interested. "You understood vampiric? I didn't think that was possible. It's a relatively easy language to read, but you usually need a demon to process it. All it is, is a bunch of purrs, chirps, and growls. It made sense? What did he say?" The Watcher was going into research mode.
"Um... just.... things. Anything I asked him to. Slayer, Buffy, hate, love..." She skipped over... things.
Giles nodded. "And what happened then?"
Her eyes dropped to her lap. Lowered her voice. "I... I bit him."
"On purpose?"
She felt suddenly, deeply shamed. "Yes."
Giles placed a hand on her shoulder. "Buffy, remember what I said? That I couldn't be disappointed in you? I meant it. Please tell me, I want to know? What about the ritual? You knew the words?"
She looked up at him, eyes still shy. "I could smell my blood in his body... and I... I said... Me in you, you in me, always, forever. But I said 'you in me' in vampiric, I think. Spike said I did."
Giles was surprised. "I didn't think normal human vocal cords were capable of that. This is incredible. And then? He bit you?"
She shook her head. "I... bit-drank from him. We went to sleep, and in the morning... he claimed me."
"When was all this?" He wagged a playful finger in her face. "Now I get all the high necked T-shirts and scarves you've been wearing. You have a new scar, don't you?"
She gave a small smile, nodded. "A couple, maybe one week ago. Giles..?"
"Yes?"
She looked him in the eye, praying he'd understand the significance of her statement. "He... asked if he could claim me. If it was what I wanted."
Giles nodded. "And you said yes. Because you love him."
"Yeah."
Giles chuckled. "Actually, I already knew that you'd told him. He wouldn't shut up about it yesterday."
She sighed. Then smiled. "Really?"
He smiled back. "Yes. At first, he was working quietly, but he kept humming something. I think it was Beauty and the Beast. I asked him to stop, because it was distracting, but he said that he was excited about something, and couldn't help it. So I left it at that. But he said, 'You want to know why I'm excited?'. I knew he wouldn't leave me alone until he told me, so I said yes. And then he practically screamed, 'She's bloody in LOVE with ME!'. Liked to have given me a heart attack."
She gave an embarrassed chuckle.
Giles laughed. "Then he did a little dance, I nearly died laughing. And he kept repeating it, over and over, driving me nuts. So, finally, I pounced him. That was the first time."
She sighed. "Do... do you want to know what sealed it, Giles?"
He nodded, leaning his elbows on the table.
She said softly, "He *asked* to claim me. No one... no one ever asked. And he was ready, expecting, no. And he was ok with it."
Giles smiled. "He's a very surprising person, isn't he?"
Buffy nodded. "If I'd have said no, he would have nodded, gave me a hug and said he loved me. I wasn't- wasn't going to tell you. Because, people claiming vampires isn't normal, and I was afraid you'd think I was- "
"Weird?"
"Bad."
Giles took her hand gently. "Add that to the list of things that I will never think you are, Buffy. You're not bad. The circumstances have never happened before, that doesn't mean it's not normal. It's not often that a vampire falls in love with a human and doesn't sire the human. Personally, I think you're very lucky to have Spike. He's... special. In an annoying, want to stake him half the time way."
She smiled in thanks. "He is... He was making jokes tonight."
Giles laughed. "He's got a... what? 111 degree fever, and he's making jokes? Which bring's me to what I want to do the other half of the time, give him a big bloody hug! Don't tell him, though."
She gave an earnest head shake. "Never." Then laughed. "He'll get better. He has to."
"He will. And what's so funny?"
"I told him I wouldn't tell him I love him till he got better. And you with the hugging."
Giles shook his head. "I know. I absolutely hated him last year, and suddenly he's like my son. I have to admit, yesterday was the most fun I've ever had stocking that musty old back room. And thanks for the tip, by the way."
She pouted. "I paid in *spades* for that one."
"Oh?"
She rolled her eyes. "Don't ask."
"I really want to know."
She backpedaled. "Mmmm... aaahhhh... nothing much. Tiny tickles."
Giles chuckled. "We are going to kill him, eventually, you know."
She sighed. "As long as it's us, and not a stupid flu."
"He's not going to die, Buffy. We are not losing another member of this group. If I have to personally call in every favor to the Council, and everyone I've ever known, we'll get him better. You have my word."
She nodded her head. "If they're difficult, I can go kick their asses."
Giles chuckled. "I don't think that will be necessary. You don't want to leave Spike, anyway."
She agreed. "I guess not. I probably shouldn't have had Dawn wake you... He was pretty shaky for a minute... but, he's ok now, and you can go, if you want to, get some more sleep."
Giles thought. "Would you mind if I stayed upstairs? Willow offered me her room, and if you need me, I'll be in the house."
"That'd be great."
He nodded, then stood and stretched, heading for the stairs. "When he's feeling better, I think I will hug him. See what he thinks of that..." He headed upstairs, chuckling to himself.
She gave a small laugh, then went back to the living room to sit cross- legged on the coffee table, a blanket around her.
========================================================================== ===========
Buffy must have dozed off, because seemingly only seconds later, though she knew by the sun peeking around the drapes that was a fallacy, she woke to a mumbling.
"...Gotta believe me, Dru...", Spike muttered, eyes closing and opening reflexively. "..Didn't mean to.. Don't say that!"
She sat up, the name making her sleepiness evaporate.
"Come on, Pet... I didn't... You know I... I do! I love you....", he continued muttering, the shaking from earlier returning with a vengeance. "Sorry... Don't... hurt her... Stop.. Sorry.." Gradually, the muttering ceased, and Spike was back asleep.
Buffy stared at him. Disbelief made her brow lower. Anger firmed her lips. Bastard. She walked up the stairs to Willow's room, knocked.
"Come in?", came Giles' sleepy voice.
She opened the door. "I'm going in to work today. I've been off for too long. Gotta pay the electric." She gave a smile. "Might wanna watch Spike. Or not. You can keep sleeping. I just wanted to let you know."
Giles yawned. "Oh, thank you. I'll keep an eye on him. I can sleep in the recliner." He sat up. "When are you leaving?"
"As soon as I shower and get ready. Dawn left for school already."
Giles nodded. "Alright. Anything I should know about Spike? Has his fever gone up, down? Any new developments?"
Her eyes flashed, but she said stiffly, "No. Nothing new." She closed the door, making her way to the shower.
========================================================================== ==========
Buffy walked in the door, giving it a good slam. She had been reprimanded twice for her attitude towards customers today, but damn if they didn't remind her of Spike just a little. She tromped up the stairs, ready to battle the smell.
"...and it turns out to be a rhinoceros!", Spike says from the living room. "Right next to me. Gave me a heart attack." This was followed by a chuckle from Giles.
She froze on the stairs, her hackles rising. The jerk even had the nerve to heal??
"How close was it?", Giles asked.
"Bleedin' near standing on me. That's the last time I sleep on the ground in Africa, let me tell you."
"I would imagine."
She continued on up the stairs, only coming downstairs when her hair, a slight amount of makeup was done, and a coat of lip gloss was applied, wearing THE sexiest jamma's she owned. Soft pink silk pants, and a cream lace sleeping tank that came with it. Walked downstairs, every foot on the stair eliciting a curse in her mind.
Giles was sitting next to Spike, who was half asleep again, placing a cool cloth on his forehead. He noticed Buffy. "Ah, Buffy. Guess who's awake?"
Spike's eyes popped open. "Buffy. Hey, luv."
She gave a small smile. "Spike. Hey, Giles." She turned, walked into the kitchen and yanked open the freezer, pulling out a pint of Ben & Jerry's Double chocolate vanilla icecream. She grabbed a spoon from the strainer and made her way back to the living room.
Spike smiled at her. "It's nice to see you, luv." He eyed the ice cream. Giles gently whacked his shoulder.
"No. Your fever is dropping, but we don't want you to get too cold too fast. No ice cream until it's back in at least the low nineties." He looked at Buffy. "I don't care how much he begs. Nothing but juice, water, and maybe a little blood now, since the nausea has passed."
Spike stuck his lower lip out.
She nodded. "Well, sleeping beauty, back from the land of Nod?" The gentle humor that should have been in her voice was absent, and she took a very large bite of icecream.
Spike cocked his head. Was she mad at him? He decided that she was just tired. "Why don't you go on to bed, luv? You must have had a long day."
"Speaking of long days," Giles said. "I need to be getting back to the Magic Box, and see if anyone has come up with anything new. I'll see the two of you tomorrow." He got up and headed for the door, waving to them.
"Bye, Rupert!", Spike called after him.
Buffy followed him to the door to hug him.
Giles returned the hug. "If either of you need me, you know my cell phone number. I love you, Buffy."
"Love you, too, Giles. Thanks for baby-sitting."
Giles chuckled. "It was nothing. Spike's a very good patient."
She made a non-committal noise and moved to let him close the door. He left, giving Buffy one final wave from his car.
Spike sat up slightly. "How was your day, luv?"
She arched a brow at him. "Revealing. I'll get you some juice."
"Oh? Revealing how? Somethin' interesting at the old DoubleMeat?"
She walked out to the kitchen, trying to get a hold on her anger. She shoved it into passive non-caring, and took the glass and straw back to him. "Just... the whole day. Hardly knew what to do with myself."
He sipped the juice. "Did you miss me?"
"Oh yeah." A list of things she missed doing to him today because he was sick and she was at work ran through her head. Oh yeah. She missed him all right.
He grinned, sipping more juice, totally oblivious to her thoughts. "I missed you. Giles is okay, but you make a better nurse."
"Was Dru a good nurse?" she asked curiously.
He thought a moment. "Well, it depended on the day. Most of the time, she just ignored me. So, no." He chuckled. "Actually, she was a better nurse to her dolls than to me. Tells you where you rank in the scheme of things. I'm below inanimate objects that are already broken."
She gave a small smile. "Hm. You're right, I think I better get some sleep. If you need anything, get Dawn."
He smiled. "Okay. Good night, luv."
Again, the small frigid smile. She picked up her icecream and headed upstairs.
"Hey!", he called after her. "I'm getting better. You said you'd say it when you were sure I wouldn't die."
She smiled, turned, and said honestly, "I'm not sure you won't."
His eyes got big for a moment. "Uh, come again?"
"Good night, Spike." She walked back up the stairs and to her room, closed the door firmly..
Spike lay on the couch, trying to figure out what had just happened. 'She's pissed at me about something,' he thought. 'Maybe cause I didn't tell her that I was feeling bad the last few days. Oh well, when she's ready, she'll tell me.'