Chapter 15
Spike collapsed onto the ground, next to Dawn. "Dawn," he asked urgently, "are you ok?"
She turned her head and looked at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Did it work?"
Spike nodded, tears falling down his face. "It worked, Niblet. You did it."
She smiled widely, her sweet face enough to light the room. "Good. I'm tired though."
Spike effortlessly picked her up and laid her on the bed. "Stay here and get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake up," he promised.
She nodded and with a content sigh, drifted off.
"Do you know what happened?" Willow asked.
Spike nodded, "Yeah, I remember. She led my soul out of the darkness, away from the ones who would destroy it and her. She was so brave." New tears darkened his eyes, "My brave lil Bit."
Willow, Giles, and Anya all quietly left the room, leaving the vampire perched on the edge of the bed watching the little girl sleep. And she did look like a little girl, so young and so delicate. But they all had first hand knowledge of how strong she could be.
Spike was so intent on the sleeping girl that he didn't hear the door open. Buffy slowly walked into the room and when she saw the dark bruise on Dawn's face a sob escaped her throat.
"Oh, God, I'm so sorry."
Spike quickly stood up and went to her, wrapping his arms around her trembling body. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed, "I didn't mean to hurt her."
Spike stroked her hair, "I know," he whispered soothingly, "I know. She's gonna be ok."
Buffy clutched him tightly. "I missed you," she cried over and over again.
"I missed you too." He kissed her then, with a lifetime's worth of love and hope. The kiss was spiced with their salty tears, now mingling together. Their legs gave out at the same time and they sunk to the floor, still held tightly against each other.
Spike's hand was buried deep into Buffy's hair, and he was afraid that if he let her go she would disappear. She was soft and hot, and he could hear her heartbeat slow from the frantic rate of fear and sorrow.
"Is Dawn ok?"
Spike nodded.
"Did she..was the spell ok?"
"Oh Buffy, you would have been so proud of her." Spike sniffed.
"Does she hate me?"
Spike shook his head, "No, she doesn't."
Looking at her bright green eyes, luminous with her tears, and stormy with concern he felt his undead heart lurch. God he missed her so much. He wiped away her tears with his thumb and when his hand got close to her mouth she caught his finger with her lips.
His finger was soft and tasted like salt from her tears. His face, always an open book, showed relief and love. His eyes were dark with passion. She sucked his finger deeper into her mouth and he gasped. He grew hard when he felt the silky wetness of her hot mouth. He pulled his finger from her lips slowly and replaced it with his tongue.
When he released her lips so she could breath, she put her hand on his face, tracing his cheekbones, his forehead, his nose, his mouth. Her hand slid through his soft curls, he hadn't slicked it back for months. She ran both of her hands down his neck and around his shoulder. He silently let her continue her exploration, reacquainting her hands with his body.
They were both completely lost in each other, the world disappearing around them. All that mattered was her caresses and his eyes and her tears and his lips. Spike wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face against her neck. He inhaled sharply, drowning in her scent. She continued to rub his head and back before locking her hands behind his back.
They stayed like that, holding each other, sharing their warmth until Dawn woke up 30 minutes later. When she saw their tight embrace, she smiled. It was worth getting her hand staked just to see the two of them finally together again.
Buffy looked up past Spike's shoulder and saw that her sister was awake. "Dawn. Oh Dawn." She pulled away from Spike and jumped up onto the bed, grabbing her sister in a big bear hug. Spike watched from the floor, a small smile playing at his lips. His girls were both ok. That's all that mattered.
"Dawn, I didn't mean to hurt you, I don't know what happened."
Dawn stroked her sister's hair, "It's ok. I know it wasn't you."
"I didn't mean to get that angry at you. I love you, Dawnie, I really do."
"I know, Buffy, I know. Hey, I'm gonna go out there and give you two some privacy."
Buffy let her go and watched her walk out. As soon as she was gone, Spike moved onto the bed, drawn to her like a magnet. Spike caught her lips in a passionate kiss. Gone was all the gentleness of before. He plundered into her mouth with his tongue and she did the same with equal fervor.
There were no words between them, just frantic hands ripping away clothes and barriers. There would be time later for loving and sweet caresses, now was only the need to be as close as two people could be. Lips against lips, skin against skin. She was so hot to his touch that she almost burned him. He didn't care. He missed her heat.
"I..want you inside of me," Buffy gasped as Spike kissed and nibbled her jaw line and neck. "Completely inside of me."
Spike growled and positioned himself above her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and thrust against him. He moved into her easily, seeking her heat and comfort. He moved slowly against her.
"You're so sweet, so hot," he whispered against her skin. As he increased his tempo, he also increased the oaths of love and dedication. She responded with equal declarations until she was lost in the feelings of him inside of her body and her heart.
She tilted her head back. "Bite me," she whispered.
Before he sunk his fangs into her neck she could have sworn that she heard him say, "I'm sorry."
As he began sucking the blood from her she peaked and rode her orgasm out. Almost immediately she was hit with another intense wave of pleasure and she moved against him, lost in the ecstasy of the moment. It took her several seconds before she realized that Spike wasn't stopping. A wave of fear hit her and she began to struggle.
He grabbed both of her wrists in one hand and repositioned his body so that all of his weight was completely on her. She was growing too weak from blood loss to push him off. Her eyes glazed and her eyelids fluttered close. Spike listened intently for her heart, and stopped immediately when it slowed to the beat that indicated she was almost drained.
He pulled back from her and looked at her still and pale face. His heart constricted and fresh tears filled his eyes. He quickly stood up and pulled his clothes on then hurried out the door. "Watch her," he barked at the group in the living room then slammed into the bathroom.
Giles and Willow jumped to their feet and hurried into the guest bedroom. Buffy was naked, stretched out on the bed. Giles ignored that and reached for her pulse. "It's steady. I think she'll be ok."
"I'll get her dressed," Willow volunteered, "and stay here in case she wakes up."
***
Spike turned on the sink and the shower then sank to the floor, his back against the wall. His head ached, his stomach ached, his heart ached.
He could still hear her heart pounding in his ears, going from the strong healthy beat to a fast tempo from fear and finally the slow, almost dead thump thump. It was her blood coursing through his veins and instead of invigorating him it made him want to vomit. It didn't matter that he only did it because he had to, he had nearly killed her. She was afraid of him. He had held her life in his hands and she was afraid of him.
Spike covered his face and listened to the beating water. He couldn't leave the house but he didn't want them to hear what he was going through. It was better that they simply imagined his sobs under the pounding water instead of actually hearing him howl in confusion and pain and fear and love and disgust with himself.
Everything that had happened since returning to Sunnydale hit him and the floodgates opened. He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his head on the top of his legs. He began to sob.
***
Giles, Dawn, Xander, Anya, and Travers all looked at each other uncomfortably. Dawn was eating a bowl of ice cream and trying to ignore the harsh sounds coming from the bathroom. Anya was trying to ignore the deadly glares Xander was shooting at the closed bathroom door. Giles was trying to ignore the image of Buffy lying on the bed, pale, almost empty of her life's blood.
Quentin rolled his eyes, "What the hell is going on here?"
"Shut up," Giles snapped. He was distinctly uncomfortable with the situation and unsure of how to handle it. He was also confused about Spike's behavior. He had never seen the blonde vampire show any weakness, much less tears. Hysterical tears.
"He had to do it," Anya said softly to Xander.
"What?"
"You look like you want to dust Spike. And I can understand that. But you know he had to do it."
Xander sighed and looked at Dawn and her bruises. "But how do we know that Spike was telling the truth? Or that whoever told Spike that he needed to drink from her was right?"
"We don't," Anya said, "but it's the only information we have. We had to try something, and Buffy will be fine."
"Should we take her to the hospital?" Xander asked.
"Maybe we should," Giles conceded. "Anya, go see if Willow has got her dressed, then we'll take her out to the car."
Giles knocked on the bathroom door. "Spike?" He yelled over the sound of the running water.
"What?"
"We're taking Buffy to the hospital."
The only answer was a strangled sob.
"Do you want to come along?"
Spike stood up and turned off the shower. "I'll meet you there."
Spike collapsed onto the ground, next to Dawn. "Dawn," he asked urgently, "are you ok?"
She turned her head and looked at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Did it work?"
Spike nodded, tears falling down his face. "It worked, Niblet. You did it."
She smiled widely, her sweet face enough to light the room. "Good. I'm tired though."
Spike effortlessly picked her up and laid her on the bed. "Stay here and get some sleep. I'll be here when you wake up," he promised.
She nodded and with a content sigh, drifted off.
"Do you know what happened?" Willow asked.
Spike nodded, "Yeah, I remember. She led my soul out of the darkness, away from the ones who would destroy it and her. She was so brave." New tears darkened his eyes, "My brave lil Bit."
Willow, Giles, and Anya all quietly left the room, leaving the vampire perched on the edge of the bed watching the little girl sleep. And she did look like a little girl, so young and so delicate. But they all had first hand knowledge of how strong she could be.
Spike was so intent on the sleeping girl that he didn't hear the door open. Buffy slowly walked into the room and when she saw the dark bruise on Dawn's face a sob escaped her throat.
"Oh, God, I'm so sorry."
Spike quickly stood up and went to her, wrapping his arms around her trembling body. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed, "I didn't mean to hurt her."
Spike stroked her hair, "I know," he whispered soothingly, "I know. She's gonna be ok."
Buffy clutched him tightly. "I missed you," she cried over and over again.
"I missed you too." He kissed her then, with a lifetime's worth of love and hope. The kiss was spiced with their salty tears, now mingling together. Their legs gave out at the same time and they sunk to the floor, still held tightly against each other.
Spike's hand was buried deep into Buffy's hair, and he was afraid that if he let her go she would disappear. She was soft and hot, and he could hear her heartbeat slow from the frantic rate of fear and sorrow.
"Is Dawn ok?"
Spike nodded.
"Did she..was the spell ok?"
"Oh Buffy, you would have been so proud of her." Spike sniffed.
"Does she hate me?"
Spike shook his head, "No, she doesn't."
Looking at her bright green eyes, luminous with her tears, and stormy with concern he felt his undead heart lurch. God he missed her so much. He wiped away her tears with his thumb and when his hand got close to her mouth she caught his finger with her lips.
His finger was soft and tasted like salt from her tears. His face, always an open book, showed relief and love. His eyes were dark with passion. She sucked his finger deeper into her mouth and he gasped. He grew hard when he felt the silky wetness of her hot mouth. He pulled his finger from her lips slowly and replaced it with his tongue.
When he released her lips so she could breath, she put her hand on his face, tracing his cheekbones, his forehead, his nose, his mouth. Her hand slid through his soft curls, he hadn't slicked it back for months. She ran both of her hands down his neck and around his shoulder. He silently let her continue her exploration, reacquainting her hands with his body.
They were both completely lost in each other, the world disappearing around them. All that mattered was her caresses and his eyes and her tears and his lips. Spike wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face against her neck. He inhaled sharply, drowning in her scent. She continued to rub his head and back before locking her hands behind his back.
They stayed like that, holding each other, sharing their warmth until Dawn woke up 30 minutes later. When she saw their tight embrace, she smiled. It was worth getting her hand staked just to see the two of them finally together again.
Buffy looked up past Spike's shoulder and saw that her sister was awake. "Dawn. Oh Dawn." She pulled away from Spike and jumped up onto the bed, grabbing her sister in a big bear hug. Spike watched from the floor, a small smile playing at his lips. His girls were both ok. That's all that mattered.
"Dawn, I didn't mean to hurt you, I don't know what happened."
Dawn stroked her sister's hair, "It's ok. I know it wasn't you."
"I didn't mean to get that angry at you. I love you, Dawnie, I really do."
"I know, Buffy, I know. Hey, I'm gonna go out there and give you two some privacy."
Buffy let her go and watched her walk out. As soon as she was gone, Spike moved onto the bed, drawn to her like a magnet. Spike caught her lips in a passionate kiss. Gone was all the gentleness of before. He plundered into her mouth with his tongue and she did the same with equal fervor.
There were no words between them, just frantic hands ripping away clothes and barriers. There would be time later for loving and sweet caresses, now was only the need to be as close as two people could be. Lips against lips, skin against skin. She was so hot to his touch that she almost burned him. He didn't care. He missed her heat.
"I..want you inside of me," Buffy gasped as Spike kissed and nibbled her jaw line and neck. "Completely inside of me."
Spike growled and positioned himself above her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and thrust against him. He moved into her easily, seeking her heat and comfort. He moved slowly against her.
"You're so sweet, so hot," he whispered against her skin. As he increased his tempo, he also increased the oaths of love and dedication. She responded with equal declarations until she was lost in the feelings of him inside of her body and her heart.
She tilted her head back. "Bite me," she whispered.
Before he sunk his fangs into her neck she could have sworn that she heard him say, "I'm sorry."
As he began sucking the blood from her she peaked and rode her orgasm out. Almost immediately she was hit with another intense wave of pleasure and she moved against him, lost in the ecstasy of the moment. It took her several seconds before she realized that Spike wasn't stopping. A wave of fear hit her and she began to struggle.
He grabbed both of her wrists in one hand and repositioned his body so that all of his weight was completely on her. She was growing too weak from blood loss to push him off. Her eyes glazed and her eyelids fluttered close. Spike listened intently for her heart, and stopped immediately when it slowed to the beat that indicated she was almost drained.
He pulled back from her and looked at her still and pale face. His heart constricted and fresh tears filled his eyes. He quickly stood up and pulled his clothes on then hurried out the door. "Watch her," he barked at the group in the living room then slammed into the bathroom.
Giles and Willow jumped to their feet and hurried into the guest bedroom. Buffy was naked, stretched out on the bed. Giles ignored that and reached for her pulse. "It's steady. I think she'll be ok."
"I'll get her dressed," Willow volunteered, "and stay here in case she wakes up."
***
Spike turned on the sink and the shower then sank to the floor, his back against the wall. His head ached, his stomach ached, his heart ached.
He could still hear her heart pounding in his ears, going from the strong healthy beat to a fast tempo from fear and finally the slow, almost dead thump thump. It was her blood coursing through his veins and instead of invigorating him it made him want to vomit. It didn't matter that he only did it because he had to, he had nearly killed her. She was afraid of him. He had held her life in his hands and she was afraid of him.
Spike covered his face and listened to the beating water. He couldn't leave the house but he didn't want them to hear what he was going through. It was better that they simply imagined his sobs under the pounding water instead of actually hearing him howl in confusion and pain and fear and love and disgust with himself.
Everything that had happened since returning to Sunnydale hit him and the floodgates opened. He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his head on the top of his legs. He began to sob.
***
Giles, Dawn, Xander, Anya, and Travers all looked at each other uncomfortably. Dawn was eating a bowl of ice cream and trying to ignore the harsh sounds coming from the bathroom. Anya was trying to ignore the deadly glares Xander was shooting at the closed bathroom door. Giles was trying to ignore the image of Buffy lying on the bed, pale, almost empty of her life's blood.
Quentin rolled his eyes, "What the hell is going on here?"
"Shut up," Giles snapped. He was distinctly uncomfortable with the situation and unsure of how to handle it. He was also confused about Spike's behavior. He had never seen the blonde vampire show any weakness, much less tears. Hysterical tears.
"He had to do it," Anya said softly to Xander.
"What?"
"You look like you want to dust Spike. And I can understand that. But you know he had to do it."
Xander sighed and looked at Dawn and her bruises. "But how do we know that Spike was telling the truth? Or that whoever told Spike that he needed to drink from her was right?"
"We don't," Anya said, "but it's the only information we have. We had to try something, and Buffy will be fine."
"Should we take her to the hospital?" Xander asked.
"Maybe we should," Giles conceded. "Anya, go see if Willow has got her dressed, then we'll take her out to the car."
Giles knocked on the bathroom door. "Spike?" He yelled over the sound of the running water.
"What?"
"We're taking Buffy to the hospital."
The only answer was a strangled sob.
"Do you want to come along?"
Spike stood up and turned off the shower. "I'll meet you there."