Yep Spikes still nutty. But how prey tell do you bring an insane man back to sanity, it might, I think, take a while. I'm doing my best. I think the story needs a bit more action what do you think? I don't know what I'll be able to deliver. I got the idea for this story while watching the movie the War at Home. I love the challenge of getting lots of characters in and using imagery from season seven. Thanks for reading in reviewing I heart all you guys.

Part 9: Questions

Fifteen minuets ago...

Spike had woken up in his hospital bed. His dream had been so vivid. He was soaked with sweat. He looked around the room hoping to see a loving familiar face. Buffy's, his dad's, Tara's anyone's but no one was there. At least at first there was no one there.

Then out of the shadowed darkness that hung at the edges of the room a vision straight out of his dream stepped.

Two men were then standing in front of him, looming painful in on his personal space. The hazy fog the jungle had left settle on his mind making it difficult for him to gage how he should react to the ghostly figures. He tried to stay calm but he was becoming increasingly agitated.

"AAhhh, well we know who you are and what you've done and I think we should have a little talk."

Spike pulled his knees up, his hand fell over his heart, and he tried to ignore the two men but they refused to be ignored. They moved in closer and began...

[[[*]]][[[*]]][[[*]]]

Present (2:30 Am)

Buffy and Rupert were beside themselves. They couldn't figure where Spike would be. They checked the room and up and down the hallway. They went back to his room hoping to find him or at least help.

Buffy was in crisis mode and racking her brain to come up with what to do next.

"Hey Dad, Buffy. A little help here." Angel entered the room supporting a limping Spike. Rupert immediately took Spikes other arm and helped get him back to the bed. Spike sat on the bed but did not appear to want to stay there.

"OH thank goodness, where did you find him Angel?" Buffy was so relieved though her heart was still racing.

"Apparently Spike here felt like taking a walk, I found him just inside the front entrance. I would have had him back sooner but he refused to use a wheelchair. Oh and I think now that we know he's capable of being up and about we should think about getting him some real clothes, the hospital gown isn't really a great fashion statement."

Spike tuned the conversation around him out. He looked absently over in the direction of the window. He was watching when something or some one past by said window. It didn't seem odd to him at first it could be a gardener or a grounds keeper then he noticed it was late...

"Too late to be out."

The Giles's conversation was interrupted by Spike's observation that it was indeed late.

"I think I'll head out, I just wanted to see that things were ok here." Angel excused himself and Rupert followed him out into the hall. Buffy watched Spike, who was now fixated on the window.

"Why did you get out of bed? Did you have a nightmare?" Spike's gaze stayed with the window.

"I'm sorry I wasn't here. When you woke up that is. I just need to..." Spike turned to look at her and Buffy's eyes dropped down in an uneasy manner. It was then that she noticed the pin prick traces of blood staining the front of Spike's hospital gown. She pulled down the neck of the gown to uncover the area over his heart. "What did you do?" She reached her fingers up to touch the many scratch marks that had caused him to bleed.

He did not pull away from her touch this time but he took her by the wrist. "Don't touch." Was all he said in a whispered voice.

He let her wrist go, then he lay back on the bed. His head once more turned to the window, watching. Buffy pulled the blankets of the bed up over him and lightly kissed his check. She's wouldn't ask anymore questions tonight. Tomorrow she thought, tomorrow. She sat back down in her chair by the bed. She was too awake to sleep now so she watched the raise and fall of his breathing.

[[[*]]][[[*]]][[[*]]]

Rupert and his eldest son stood in the hallway outside of William's room. Angel every so often checked up and down the hall to make sure no one was coming.

"You remember Agent Finn, Dad?"

"Yes of course, he was here that first day." Rupert leaned back on the wall.

"Well I have reason to believe that he may have been involved with whatever took place a year and a half ago."

"Oh my, you don't think do you..."

"Yes I do, I'm going to do some looking into it, you should keep you eye's open too. Let me know if you notice anyone suspicious hanging around here." Angel looked at his watch, he was supposed to call Gunn and Fred and let them know how his meeting went. "Ok I'm going back to the hotel; I'll talk to you in the morning."

Rupert knew the lives his children had chosen were rough ones and he knew that what Angel was telling him was that things might get even tougher.

"Alright, I'll see you in the morning." Angel turned to leave. "Oh and Angel, do be careful."

TO be continued...