"Will, there must be something you can do. Isn't there some kind of
spell that could keep Spike awake until we figure out what's wrong
with him?" Buffy asked hopefully.
"I don't know Buffy. I mean, I guess I could speed his system up with a high dose of caffeine, but he'd just go into a vamp hyper mode and might not be able to control his vampire instincts," Willow said, a little frightened that Buffy seemed to be considering the idea. "Was there something you didn't get about the whole 'Grrr, me vampire, you food' scenario?" Will added, making sure Buffy dropped the idea before she became Spike's dessert.
"No, I just. There's nothing else?" Buffy seemed nervous, and slightly irritated at Will's comment.
"Not that I can think of."
"Well, we can't just leave him like this!" Buffy yelled, but looked at Willow and sighed in apology after seeing Will's hurt expression. "It's just, if you could've seen how scared he was. I've. I've never seen Spike afraid. We've been through how many apocalypses together, but not once have I seen him scared of looking death in the eye. I don't know, maybe it's his soul, but Will, whatever is haunting him, it must be bad. It must be really bad."
"Don't worry Buffy. We'll figure this out," Willow replied. She hated to see her friend in pain, but she could never understand Buffy and Spike's relationship, whether it was love or hate, or something in between. But Willow knew one thing for sure; whatever their relationship was, the bond was dangerously strong. Buffy had had to face the possibility of just about every one of her friends and family dying, usually on a daily basis, but Spike was never an expendable option. Willow knew, somewhere deep in her gut, where she held the remains of her dark magicks, the memory of killing a human. and Tara, that if it came down to Spike dying or Hell on earth, Buffy wouldn't be able to kill him. That thought sent shivers up her back and Willow wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible. "Where's Spike now?"
"Back at the house with the SIT's. I better get him out of there before he kills them all out of annoyance," Buffy said with a little laugh, slightly hoping Spike would do just that. She hated to think it, but the SIT's were really just a bother, a very huge pain in her ass.
"Hey, why don't you go check on him, and I'll call the research team and meet at the school so we can start cracking the books. I'll tell Wood we need a room or something, he can probably help too."
"Yea, okay sure. Thanks a bunch Will," Buffy said, slightly dazed, but smiling. And with that she head back home. Home to Spike.
***
"Here, William, try some of these strawberries, I brought them just for you," the girl whispered sensually in Spike's ear, holding a chocolate covered strawberry to his mouth.
It was Laney. Well, it looked like Laney from Spike's perspective, yet they were floating in an unknown realm, darkness as a background, and the usual glow Laney had was different. In fact, Spike realized that he wasn't referring to himself as William, like she had. He had all of his memories including the ones after 'William's' death and his rebirth as Spike. Who was this girl? And where the bleeding hell were they?
"Shh, your thoughts are loud William. But don't you see? You're only dreaming. This is a dream."
"Who are you.and why are you haunting me?" Spike asked, staring in bewilderment at the girl.
"William, don't ask such questions. You know who I am. I am Laney, your love. You know that much. If you hush you will know more soon. Don't you see? You have blocked me from your memories. Well, I wish not to remain dead to you, in theory at least. You will remember me, and what you did to me, soon enough."
"What I did to you? Now let's get this straight. You are the one haunting me."
"Ahh, that may be William," Laney said tenderly, and as she did, she morphed into the dead corpse that had been haunting Spike. She was blue in color, her lips of violet, but her hair still long, wavy, and auburn. Even in death she was vibrant, yet there was pain in her eyes. "But things are not always as they appear."
Spike cried out at the sight of her transformation. There was pain and rage in her voice. He felt it. The agony was as if knives were piercing his skin, and it was as much hers as it was his.
"Do you feel it William?" Laney asked him, knowing his answer.
"Why are you doing this to me!? Just sod off and leave me be!" Spike yelled, the pain searing him in ways he never knew possible. He couldn't see the blades that kept diving into his skin, but he could sure as hell feel them.
"If only I could, William. But you need to know the truth. You need to know who you really are," she smiled with knowledge, "No worries, my love. In time you will know. And so will she."
With that, the talking corpse of Laney faded into the darkness, and vanished. The pain left Spike's body and he felt himself falling through atmosphere.
***
Spike opened his eyes. He was covered in sweat and still shaking from the dream. He looked about himself in fear, then held his knees to his chest and began rocking himself back and forth. His eyes were shut, and his speech barely coherent. In fact, the only word that could be made out was the one he repeated endlessly: Buffy.
"I don't know Buffy. I mean, I guess I could speed his system up with a high dose of caffeine, but he'd just go into a vamp hyper mode and might not be able to control his vampire instincts," Willow said, a little frightened that Buffy seemed to be considering the idea. "Was there something you didn't get about the whole 'Grrr, me vampire, you food' scenario?" Will added, making sure Buffy dropped the idea before she became Spike's dessert.
"No, I just. There's nothing else?" Buffy seemed nervous, and slightly irritated at Will's comment.
"Not that I can think of."
"Well, we can't just leave him like this!" Buffy yelled, but looked at Willow and sighed in apology after seeing Will's hurt expression. "It's just, if you could've seen how scared he was. I've. I've never seen Spike afraid. We've been through how many apocalypses together, but not once have I seen him scared of looking death in the eye. I don't know, maybe it's his soul, but Will, whatever is haunting him, it must be bad. It must be really bad."
"Don't worry Buffy. We'll figure this out," Willow replied. She hated to see her friend in pain, but she could never understand Buffy and Spike's relationship, whether it was love or hate, or something in between. But Willow knew one thing for sure; whatever their relationship was, the bond was dangerously strong. Buffy had had to face the possibility of just about every one of her friends and family dying, usually on a daily basis, but Spike was never an expendable option. Willow knew, somewhere deep in her gut, where she held the remains of her dark magicks, the memory of killing a human. and Tara, that if it came down to Spike dying or Hell on earth, Buffy wouldn't be able to kill him. That thought sent shivers up her back and Willow wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible. "Where's Spike now?"
"Back at the house with the SIT's. I better get him out of there before he kills them all out of annoyance," Buffy said with a little laugh, slightly hoping Spike would do just that. She hated to think it, but the SIT's were really just a bother, a very huge pain in her ass.
"Hey, why don't you go check on him, and I'll call the research team and meet at the school so we can start cracking the books. I'll tell Wood we need a room or something, he can probably help too."
"Yea, okay sure. Thanks a bunch Will," Buffy said, slightly dazed, but smiling. And with that she head back home. Home to Spike.
***
"Here, William, try some of these strawberries, I brought them just for you," the girl whispered sensually in Spike's ear, holding a chocolate covered strawberry to his mouth.
It was Laney. Well, it looked like Laney from Spike's perspective, yet they were floating in an unknown realm, darkness as a background, and the usual glow Laney had was different. In fact, Spike realized that he wasn't referring to himself as William, like she had. He had all of his memories including the ones after 'William's' death and his rebirth as Spike. Who was this girl? And where the bleeding hell were they?
"Shh, your thoughts are loud William. But don't you see? You're only dreaming. This is a dream."
"Who are you.and why are you haunting me?" Spike asked, staring in bewilderment at the girl.
"William, don't ask such questions. You know who I am. I am Laney, your love. You know that much. If you hush you will know more soon. Don't you see? You have blocked me from your memories. Well, I wish not to remain dead to you, in theory at least. You will remember me, and what you did to me, soon enough."
"What I did to you? Now let's get this straight. You are the one haunting me."
"Ahh, that may be William," Laney said tenderly, and as she did, she morphed into the dead corpse that had been haunting Spike. She was blue in color, her lips of violet, but her hair still long, wavy, and auburn. Even in death she was vibrant, yet there was pain in her eyes. "But things are not always as they appear."
Spike cried out at the sight of her transformation. There was pain and rage in her voice. He felt it. The agony was as if knives were piercing his skin, and it was as much hers as it was his.
"Do you feel it William?" Laney asked him, knowing his answer.
"Why are you doing this to me!? Just sod off and leave me be!" Spike yelled, the pain searing him in ways he never knew possible. He couldn't see the blades that kept diving into his skin, but he could sure as hell feel them.
"If only I could, William. But you need to know the truth. You need to know who you really are," she smiled with knowledge, "No worries, my love. In time you will know. And so will she."
With that, the talking corpse of Laney faded into the darkness, and vanished. The pain left Spike's body and he felt himself falling through atmosphere.
***
Spike opened his eyes. He was covered in sweat and still shaking from the dream. He looked about himself in fear, then held his knees to his chest and began rocking himself back and forth. His eyes were shut, and his speech barely coherent. In fact, the only word that could be made out was the one he repeated endlessly: Buffy.