Chapter Nineteen: A New Plan



Spike woke up in his hospital room. He looked around. He made it back. He got up and went to the door. He went right through it. "Oh," he looked down. "Still don't have my body." He went back into his room. There he was, laying there. "Fine then," he sat. "I'll wait. Again."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Angel rubbed his hands together, impatiently. Wesley, Fred, Giles, Willow, Buffy, Dawn and him, were all in the library researching diligently. He had just finished one dead-ended book and didn't want to read another. He decided there might be another way, plus he didn't want Buffy to be mad at him. Again.

"Anything?" He asked to no one in particular. Giles took off his glasses and cleaned them. Willow shook her head but smiled hopefully, Fred also shook her head.

"We haven't found anything, Angel," Wesley said.

"What about Lilah's people, er, our people? We could have more help," Fred suggested.

"I'd rather not have Lilah involved in any of this," Wesley expressed.

"Wes is right. I don't trust Lilah," Angel agreed. "Just keep working."

"Uh, Angel," Giles approached Angel, his voice low. "I'm afraid if we can't find anything, we're going to have to let Spike die."

Angel heaved. "Buffy's going to be pissed," he muttered.

"Buffy will get over it," Giles said curtly, surprising Angel with his lack of compassion for his slayer. "If Spike lives as he is now, a former vampire turned human, the consequences will be catastrophic. Everything that we have faced and defeated, will come back. History will repeat itself. We can not let our emotions cloud our judgment."

Angel nodded, "I understand."

"You're not really going to let Spike die, are you?" Dawn spoke up. All eyes went to her.

"Dawn, what have I told you about eavesdropping?" Giles snapped.

Willow patted Dawn's hand. "Sweetie, I know it's hard, but it might be the only way to stop this new Big Bad."

"Spike's barely holding on, Dawn," Fred smiled tried to comfort her. "He won't feel it."

Dawn shook her head, her long, light brown hair falling around her shoulders. "But we can save him." She said. "Look," she showed the group the pieces of paper that she stole from Lilah's office. " 'The champion can not live on as a human, for it is unnatural. But rather be able to live on as a vampire'." She said reading from the excerpt.

"You can read ancient Sumerian? Wesley asked.

"Dawn's become quite good at reading languages, actually" Giles said taking off his glasses and taking out his handkerchief. "Too good." He murmured.

"Yes," Wesley read what Dawn had just read. "If this is correct, then, Spike can live."

"Yeah, but that means he'll have to be re-vampified," Willow said sheepishly as she drew blank stares from the group. "Or.... Re-sired," she said finding the right word. "He'll lose his soul."

"No, he'll retain it because he gave his life in sacrifice," Wesley said reading on from the papers.

"See?" Dawn said all smiles. "We just have to sire him."

"No," Angel spoke up. " 'We' don't sire him." He sighed darkly. "I do."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Faith sat alone in her room. She seemed to be doing a lot of that these days. After coming back from the infirmary, she found Robin packing what little things he had. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"My cousin called me. She needs me to help her out in New York," He replied.

"So, you're leaving?"

"Surprise." He said trying to make a feeble joke as he put his toothbrush in the small duffel bag.

"Okay," she sat on the bed and flipped through a magazine she grabbed from the night stand.

He stared at her, "Okay? That's it? No yelling? Pleading with me not to go?"

She turned the page, "That's it. I'm too tired to yell and I was never one to beg."

Robin laughed, shaking his head. "I really don't get you."

"Funny, you acted like you had me all sorted out," she replied.

"Faith," he sat on the bed and took the magazine from her. "If you don't want me to go. Just say so. I won't go."

She looked at him. "No. I don't need you."

"I'll come back as soon as possible."

"Don't make me any promises. I don't believe in them. If you come back, you come back. We'll see what happens from there."

He sighed and shook his head. "Fine." He kissed her on the forehead. "i'll be back."

" 'Kay."

Now, she was sitting all alone. Buffy and the gang had gone off to look for something. Nobody bothered to ask Faith if she wanted to go. Of course, who should happen along but Xander.

"Hey, Faith. Whatcha doing?" He asked sticking his head in the door.

"Playing hopscotch Harris. What does it look like?" She growled.

"Touchy," he said inviting himself in. "Where's Robin?"

"He left."

"Where?"

"To New York."

"New York?"

"Yep."

Xander was quiet. "Did he know about the baby?"

"Yep."

"And he still left?"

"Yep."

Xander sighed, "Wow. I would've though he was more level headed than that."

Faith shrugged, "Guess not."

"Do you need anything?"

"No."

"If you do..."

"I got it, Xander." She interrupted.

"Okay. I'll see you later."

'No, you won't,' she thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


"I don't think that a good idea, Angel," Fred said.

"Fred's right," Giles stood up. "It's much too dangerous."

"You have to, Angel. He's going to die," Dawn said.

"Then he dies," Giles said flatly. "If he lives, we're doomed."

"No, only if he lives as a human. Buffy?" Dawn turned to her sister.

Buffy who had been silent since Dawn stumbled upon her revelation, now looked up at the three of them. "Do it."

"Buffy," Giles said taking off his glasses. "Spike..."

"Don't," she said putting up her hand. "You have no opinion about Spike."

Angel looked at Buffy, "You don't know what you're asking me to do."

"I'm asking you to save the day."

"You're asking me to save your lover."

"That too. You owe me Angel. Do it."

He sighed. "Fine."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Spike walked around his hospital room. He didn't want to wander too far from his body. Didn't know if he could get lost or something, and he rather liked his body. He wondered how long it would be till he woke up. He couldn't wait to see Buffy again, to touch her, to kiss her, to run his fingers through her hair. He sighed, he needed a cigarette. The door flew open, and Buffy, Angel, Dawn, Willow, Wesley and Gunn all walked into the room.

"What's with the poofter brigade?" He muttered to himself. He watched as Angel vamped out and bent his head down, sinking his teeth into Spike's neck.

"Hey!" Spike got up. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" He looked back at Buffy. Her arms were crossed as she watched Angel. He walked over to Buffy, "Why are you just standing there?" He yelled into Buffy's ear, and of course she didn't hear. "Angel's over there getting his snack on and you're all letting him!"

Suddenly, Spike was pulled into his body. The flat line monitor went off and Spike's eyes fluttered open. "What..." he mumbled.

"Here," Angel bit into his own wrist and pressed it to Spike's mouth. "Drink."

Spike let the blood flood his mouth, he started to suck at Angel's wrist. "Enough," Angel said. Spike sucked harder. "Enough!" He ripped his arm away from Spike and stumbled back.

"Catch him!" Willow yelled. Gunn and Wesley caught Angel before he fell. They held him up. Angel was drained. "It took a lot out of him."

Spike laughed. Then he levitated off his gurney. "Hold him down!" Willow told Buffy. And Buffy pushed Spike down and held him as he struggled.

"What's happening?" Dawn asked.

"His soul's being ripped away from him," Wesley said.

Spike growled and fought against Buffy's grip, but she was stronger. "Let go, slayer!" He roared. Then he began to seize. Shaking violently, his eyes rolled in the back of his head. And then stopped.

"What happened?" Buffy asked.

"He's dead. He'll rise, in a day or so," Wesley replied.

She ran her hand over his cheek. She turned to Willow. "Angel?"

"He's okay," Willow assured her. "Spike must've taken a lot out of him."

"He practically drained me," Angel said.

"Angel..." Buffy started to go to him.

He put up his hand, "Don't. We're even." And he left.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Buffy spent the entire night watching Spike. He didn't move of course, but she wanted to be when he rose. A soft knock at the door made Buffy get up and open it. It was Dawn.

"Is he awake yet?" She asked anxiously.

Buffy closed the door to a crack. "Not yet Dawn."

"When?"

She checked her watch, "I don't know. A couple hours maybe. You should get some sleep."

"Uh uh. I'm way too wired to sleep. Andrew and me met Lorne. Have you met him? He's really cool and green. Any ways, Lorne gave us a cappuchino. Those are really good. And now I can't sleep." Dawn was talking fast.

Buffy groaned. "Remind me to find him and thank him."

"Okay."

"Go sit down," Buffy told her little sister.

"Okay. Buffy?"

"Yeah?"

Dawn hopped from one foot to the other. "Do you think Spike will be okay?"

"I don't know."

Spike woke up. That was the strangest dream. What had he eaten before he fell asleep? His eyes stung from the bright, fluorescent lighting in the room he was in. Where was he? All he remembered was Buffy. Buffy looking up at him pleading him not to go. Spike pulled the ivy needle out of his arm and ripped off all the electrodes stuck to his body. He swung his legs around knocking over a tray next to him. The noise awakened a sleeping Buffy in a chair. He blinked a couple of times, trying to focus. Someone was in the room. "Buffy?" He took a step and faltered. Buffy rushed to his side and caught Spike before he dove into the tile. She steadied him. And he smiled that wonderful half-smile at her, "You got me."

"Yeah, I got you." Buffy said to him.

(Yay! I finally spat that chapter out. I basically have the rest written out. It's now just a matter of going over it and filling in detail and nitpicking. Thank for all the reviews.)