When the bus stopped in front of the hotel, everyone climbed out carrying whatever meager belongings they had managed to gather and store on the bus before they went to the school. Buffy and Sydney carrying Spike were the last. Before they reached the front door, Sydney turned to Buffy and gently passed him over to her with the instructions that no one needed to know everything that had happened right now and to advise everyone else accordingly. Buffy nodded, understanding that personal matters should be handled privately for the time being. She walked into the lobby with Sydney only a few steps behind her.
Once in the hotel, Sydney quickly found Angel and after being assured he had gotten all of the supplies they would require she decided that she could finally rest. She knew that everything would be taken care of. She asked Angel if he had left the room she had stayed in for her and he said she had. She then went to Buffy and spoke with her.
Nodding to Spike she said, "He will sleep until he needs to feed again. When that happens, wake me."
"There's no need to bother you. I'm sure Angel has plenty of blood here and I've fed Spike before. I can do it," was Buffy's reply.
Sydney understood that Buffy didn't want to lose any more ground over who cared for Spike than she had already conceded but that wasn't important right now. Sydney told her "No, he won't get well drinking pig's blood. Wake me and I'll feed him."
Buffy certainly didn't want a rerun of the scene on the bus when Spike had first fed from Sydney. She scrambled trying to find some other solution. "Well, we could give him some Slayer's blood. I'll contribute and we have many more girls here. He would have enough blood for a week." Seeing that Sydney was about to object to that as well she quickly amended. "Or, we can just take the blood from you now. That way we can feed him when he wakes up and you won't have to bother."
Before Sydney could object, Polgara was at their side. "Absolutely not." Before Buffy could ask why, Polgara explained. "First the blood will be much more effective fresh. Secondly, do you really want to spend the rest of the night fighting off every vampire in a two mile radius?"
Seeing that Buffy wasn't understanding what she was trying to say, Polgara held Sydney's hand out in front of her took a needle she had been using for the stitches and pricked Sydney's finger. No sooner than the single drop formed on the pad of her finger, there was a terrible commotion from upstairs.
Angel had been trying to find enough habitable rooms to house all the girls that had arrived. While contemplating how many teenagers one hotel room could hold, a sweet smell drifted up from the lobby. When the aroma reached Angel's nose, all conscious thought was gone. He was worse than a fledgling clawing his way out of the grave. He flung the door open and thundered down the hallway. Not bothering to mess with the stairs he leapt down into the lobby and made a rush towards the source.
When Sydney saw Angel rushing towards her, she quickly stuck her pricked finger in her mouth and cleaned the drop of blood off. No sooner than she had removed the temptation, Angel stopped. He was only about five feet away. He gathered his wits about him once more and asked what had happened.
Polgara looked at him and said, "Merely proving a point."
Buffy was starring at him, mouth wide open in shock. She had never seen Angel lose control like that before. Even as Angeleus, he was the master of control. If one drop of Sydney's blood could do that to him, she shuddered to think what would happen if they had a few pints lying around as she had suggested. She was brought back to the situation by Polgara's voice. She was able to catch the end of her speech.
"So, you see I was merely demonstrating to Buffy as to why we can't have Sydney bleeding all the time."
Dawn who had been watching the entire scene thought she might be able to help and spoke up. "I was thinking that since I'm the Key and all and my blood had been known to break down the walls between dimensions, that maybe I could give him some. I've been so mean to him the past year it might go a long way in trying to tell him I'm sorry."
Buffy didn't like the idea of her sister being bled began to speak up, only to be beaten to it by Sydney.
"Dawn, that's a good idea and I'm sure Spike would greatly appreciate the gesture but I'm afraid that it would do more harm than good." Dawn's face fell but Sydney continued. "Remember that the Key is the Will of the Gods. You are holy and pure. Spike is a vampire and defies the God's with his existence. That is why holy water hurts him so. Vampires have been known to die from drinking holy water and you, my dear, are holy water concentrate."
"Oh." Dawn hadn't considered that. She didn't think her blood would reject a vampire. She had always accepted Spike even if it wasn't her choice recently. She thought that would be enough.
During their exchanged nobody noticed the movement from the corpse on the couch. Spike unsuccessfully tried to sit up. When he found he could only manage to prop himself up on his elbows, he called out, "Buffy."
Both she and Sydney were at his side in an instant. Sydney gently laid him back down flat insisting he must rest and Buffy asked how he was feeling.
"I'm weak. I don't remember much. What happened?"
Before Buffy could open her mouth and let out everything that had happened including some details Spike might find distressing and therefore hinder his recovery, Sydney answered for her, "We beat the First, closed the hell mouth and are now in LA. Anything else can wait until you're feeling better. Which brings me to my point...It's time to eat."
Sydney sat down on the couch next to him. She pulled her hair back away from her neck and leaned down so he could reach her. Spike's eyes grew wide at what she was offering and if the still healing wound was any indication it was an offer he had already accepted. It took her a few moments for her to notice his hesitancy. She drew back and looked at him and asked, "What's the matter? It's not like you haven't done it before. Just bite and suck."
Sydney leaned down again but Spike wouldn't move. She said to him, "This is the fastest way for you too heal. If you won't drink on your own, I will force you to." He still remained motionless, neither accepting nor declining her invitation. Realizing that she didn't have a choice because Spike was being stubborn, she took hold on the back of his neck and brought his mouth to her neck. Under her breath she muttered, "I hope we don't have to do this every time." Much like she had done on the bus she commanded him to drink.
Spike lost all control over his body as his true face slipped forth and he sunk his fangs into the warm and willing throat. Once her blood flowed past his lips he was lost. He couldn't have stopped even if he did have control. Once again he waited for the heartbeat to slow and yet it still remained strong. If asked, Spike wouldn't be able to describe what he felt drinking the pungent potent blood but he knew that this is what it felt like to be happy, content. He didn't remember feeling like this for a long time, if he had ever felt like this. He felt loved.
The scene mirrored the one on the bus when Spike had drunk from her before. This time only the scenery had changed. When Sydney felt herself getting light headed she told Spike to stop. She couldn't allow him to take anymore and he really didn't need anymore. Then, she put him back to sleep. She was convinced that all he needed right now was rest and a good diet.
Sydney swayed a little when she stood but covered it quickly, just not before Polgara noticed it. She went over to older woman with tears in her eyes. Polgara quickly gathered her in her arms and heard a soft strained whisper. "Momma, put me to sleep. I need to rest."
Polgara nodded her agreement and lead Sydney upstairs to her room. Sydney laid down on the bed still fully clothed and on top of the covers. She turned to lie on her side away from her mother. Polgara had turned to leave. As she reached for the light switch she heard Sydney plead to her. "Take care of him for me, just as I would."
Polgara switched off the light and replied, "I will. Everything will be taken care of. You just sleep."
When Polgara issued her command, Sydney's eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.
Once in the hotel, Sydney quickly found Angel and after being assured he had gotten all of the supplies they would require she decided that she could finally rest. She knew that everything would be taken care of. She asked Angel if he had left the room she had stayed in for her and he said she had. She then went to Buffy and spoke with her.
Nodding to Spike she said, "He will sleep until he needs to feed again. When that happens, wake me."
"There's no need to bother you. I'm sure Angel has plenty of blood here and I've fed Spike before. I can do it," was Buffy's reply.
Sydney understood that Buffy didn't want to lose any more ground over who cared for Spike than she had already conceded but that wasn't important right now. Sydney told her "No, he won't get well drinking pig's blood. Wake me and I'll feed him."
Buffy certainly didn't want a rerun of the scene on the bus when Spike had first fed from Sydney. She scrambled trying to find some other solution. "Well, we could give him some Slayer's blood. I'll contribute and we have many more girls here. He would have enough blood for a week." Seeing that Sydney was about to object to that as well she quickly amended. "Or, we can just take the blood from you now. That way we can feed him when he wakes up and you won't have to bother."
Before Sydney could object, Polgara was at their side. "Absolutely not." Before Buffy could ask why, Polgara explained. "First the blood will be much more effective fresh. Secondly, do you really want to spend the rest of the night fighting off every vampire in a two mile radius?"
Seeing that Buffy wasn't understanding what she was trying to say, Polgara held Sydney's hand out in front of her took a needle she had been using for the stitches and pricked Sydney's finger. No sooner than the single drop formed on the pad of her finger, there was a terrible commotion from upstairs.
Angel had been trying to find enough habitable rooms to house all the girls that had arrived. While contemplating how many teenagers one hotel room could hold, a sweet smell drifted up from the lobby. When the aroma reached Angel's nose, all conscious thought was gone. He was worse than a fledgling clawing his way out of the grave. He flung the door open and thundered down the hallway. Not bothering to mess with the stairs he leapt down into the lobby and made a rush towards the source.
When Sydney saw Angel rushing towards her, she quickly stuck her pricked finger in her mouth and cleaned the drop of blood off. No sooner than she had removed the temptation, Angel stopped. He was only about five feet away. He gathered his wits about him once more and asked what had happened.
Polgara looked at him and said, "Merely proving a point."
Buffy was starring at him, mouth wide open in shock. She had never seen Angel lose control like that before. Even as Angeleus, he was the master of control. If one drop of Sydney's blood could do that to him, she shuddered to think what would happen if they had a few pints lying around as she had suggested. She was brought back to the situation by Polgara's voice. She was able to catch the end of her speech.
"So, you see I was merely demonstrating to Buffy as to why we can't have Sydney bleeding all the time."
Dawn who had been watching the entire scene thought she might be able to help and spoke up. "I was thinking that since I'm the Key and all and my blood had been known to break down the walls between dimensions, that maybe I could give him some. I've been so mean to him the past year it might go a long way in trying to tell him I'm sorry."
Buffy didn't like the idea of her sister being bled began to speak up, only to be beaten to it by Sydney.
"Dawn, that's a good idea and I'm sure Spike would greatly appreciate the gesture but I'm afraid that it would do more harm than good." Dawn's face fell but Sydney continued. "Remember that the Key is the Will of the Gods. You are holy and pure. Spike is a vampire and defies the God's with his existence. That is why holy water hurts him so. Vampires have been known to die from drinking holy water and you, my dear, are holy water concentrate."
"Oh." Dawn hadn't considered that. She didn't think her blood would reject a vampire. She had always accepted Spike even if it wasn't her choice recently. She thought that would be enough.
During their exchanged nobody noticed the movement from the corpse on the couch. Spike unsuccessfully tried to sit up. When he found he could only manage to prop himself up on his elbows, he called out, "Buffy."
Both she and Sydney were at his side in an instant. Sydney gently laid him back down flat insisting he must rest and Buffy asked how he was feeling.
"I'm weak. I don't remember much. What happened?"
Before Buffy could open her mouth and let out everything that had happened including some details Spike might find distressing and therefore hinder his recovery, Sydney answered for her, "We beat the First, closed the hell mouth and are now in LA. Anything else can wait until you're feeling better. Which brings me to my point...It's time to eat."
Sydney sat down on the couch next to him. She pulled her hair back away from her neck and leaned down so he could reach her. Spike's eyes grew wide at what she was offering and if the still healing wound was any indication it was an offer he had already accepted. It took her a few moments for her to notice his hesitancy. She drew back and looked at him and asked, "What's the matter? It's not like you haven't done it before. Just bite and suck."
Sydney leaned down again but Spike wouldn't move. She said to him, "This is the fastest way for you too heal. If you won't drink on your own, I will force you to." He still remained motionless, neither accepting nor declining her invitation. Realizing that she didn't have a choice because Spike was being stubborn, she took hold on the back of his neck and brought his mouth to her neck. Under her breath she muttered, "I hope we don't have to do this every time." Much like she had done on the bus she commanded him to drink.
Spike lost all control over his body as his true face slipped forth and he sunk his fangs into the warm and willing throat. Once her blood flowed past his lips he was lost. He couldn't have stopped even if he did have control. Once again he waited for the heartbeat to slow and yet it still remained strong. If asked, Spike wouldn't be able to describe what he felt drinking the pungent potent blood but he knew that this is what it felt like to be happy, content. He didn't remember feeling like this for a long time, if he had ever felt like this. He felt loved.
The scene mirrored the one on the bus when Spike had drunk from her before. This time only the scenery had changed. When Sydney felt herself getting light headed she told Spike to stop. She couldn't allow him to take anymore and he really didn't need anymore. Then, she put him back to sleep. She was convinced that all he needed right now was rest and a good diet.
Sydney swayed a little when she stood but covered it quickly, just not before Polgara noticed it. She went over to older woman with tears in her eyes. Polgara quickly gathered her in her arms and heard a soft strained whisper. "Momma, put me to sleep. I need to rest."
Polgara nodded her agreement and lead Sydney upstairs to her room. Sydney laid down on the bed still fully clothed and on top of the covers. She turned to lie on her side away from her mother. Polgara had turned to leave. As she reached for the light switch she heard Sydney plead to her. "Take care of him for me, just as I would."
Polgara switched off the light and replied, "I will. Everything will be taken care of. You just sleep."
When Polgara issued her command, Sydney's eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.