His Slayer

Disclaimer: Joss Whedon owns Btvs.

A/N: Well hey. How's it goin'? I'm glad you guys have been reviewing and seem to genuinely like this story. Anyway I wanted to ask if anyone saw Tru Calling, Eliza's new show. Was it good? Enjoy. Skyz.

~*~

Chapter Nineteen:

Faith slid a thoughtful look over at Angel. She wasn't sure the big brood machine was in his right mind. The way he'd gone off, ranting and raving about Spike, she wasn't sure she could take what he said to heart.

She got that he was jealous. Wanted to be the only vamp in B's bed but still… If what he said was true and B was in love with Spike she wouldn't appreciate Faith killing him. With a little help from Angel. So she wasn't sure what she was going to do at the moment.

Angel had almost dragged her from the hospital to go find Spike. He was sure Spike had taken Buffy away, even left town to keep him from her. While she could believe Spike might be a danger she couldn't quite believe that B had lost her freakin' mind, and let Spike take her from town, not when her mom had just died. That just didn't make any sense.

"What?" Angel finally asked without looking at her. He kept his intense gaze focused on the street, and stretching his senses to find any trace of Buffy.

"Listen I know you're all hell bent on making this out to be B as the damsel in distress but… I don't see her complain'. In fact I don't see her period. I think we should go back to the-"Faith began with a slight shrug, her voice level and cool.

"Did I ask for your opinion?" Angel snarled as he whirled to face her. He glared down at her, his anger getting the better of him. With a consorted effort he swallowed his anger and ran a hand over his face.  He tried to rein in the whirlwind of emotions raging inside of him. He couldn't lose control. He wouldn't allow that to happen, not when he had to find Buffy.

Taking a deep breath he shook his head.

Faith glared right back at him and bit her tongue to keep from snapping back. It wouldn't do to tick brood boy off anymore. She didn't know what he was feeling and was glad for it. It seemed where he and Buffy were concerned pain came with the name of the game. Whether they were in love or not, they always seemed to be on the brink of disaster.

She knew for sure she wouldn't have been able to live her life like that.

"Listen Angel. We're both on edge right now. I get that you wanna find B, but did you ever stop to think, that maybe she doesn't want to be found? That she just wants to be alone for awhile?" Faith asked curiously.

Angel shook his head again.

He had thought of that and just the thought of it sickened him.

"Alone with Spike you mean?" he asked then. He didn't bother letting Faith answer. "I thought of that but I can't… I need to find her so I can show her that I will be there for her. No matter what. It makes me sick that she thinks Spike loves her."

He left it at that as he stalked off. He didn't want to think about that. About them being together right now, what they might be doing. Grief and sex usually went hand in hand, he thought bitterly. He barely stopped himself from vamping out at the image he had of Spike and Buffy. All tangled limbs and whispered moans of pleasure.

"No good," he muttered to himself as he clenched his hands into fists. He couldn't get the image out of his head. He had no idea what Buffy was feeling at the moment. Unlike her he hadn't had a great relationship with his parents, hence their deaths by his hands.

Though it had been a long time ago he would never forget it. The feeling of power he'd had, the sick rush of pleasure that had filled him as he and Darla had sex amongst his family's death bodies. Looking back he wished he had some kind of control, anything to make him take a step back and see how wrong it was.

Grimacing a little he shoved back thoughts of the past and focused on finding Buffy. He inhaled deeply and stiffened when he caught the scent of smoke.

Pausing he tried to figure out which way it had come. He jerked his head up and peered into the night. He had a feeling in the pit of his stomach…

"What's up Fido?" Faith asked with a slight smirk. She glanced around looking to see if there was something out there of interest to Angel.

When she saw nothing but houses and cars she frowned.

"Come on," Angel said abruptly going with his gut, he broke into a run.

Faith stared at his fast retreating back for a moment before she forced herself into motion running off after him. Whatever had caught his attention she was sure it had to be important. She caught up with him easily enough and kept pace with him as he raced through the streets, headed for Revello Drive.

Up a head as they rounded the corner onto Revello she heard the sirens and they reached the street at last. She'd smelt the smoke as they'd run…but it hadn't occurred to her that it could have been Buffy's house.

With a quick curse she skidded to a halt a few houses down from what was left of Buffy's house. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Shaking her head she tried to catch her breath enough to say something, ask something. But all she could do was take deep breaths of the putrid air and hope Buffy hadn't been in there.

Angel whisked past Faith headed straight for Buffy's house. His senses were overwhelmed with what he saw, the flames that had yet to be put out, the arid taste of smoke on his tongue. The feelings that were thrumming through him as he brought his hands up and into his hair.

"Buffy," he whispered it as he swallowed hard. This was Buffy's house and it was literally burning to the ground, and he didn't know where she was! She could be in there. He shook his head. No she wasn't in there, he told himself. She probably went to the hospital to meet him there and say goodbye to Joyce.

Right, a little voice in his head drawled, she went to the hospital because she was thinking rationally in the state she was in. She would of course head off to the hospital and bring Spike along with her. Right.

"She's not-" Angel began but then realized how ridiculous his thoughts were. He knew Buffy and she hated hospitals and he knew Spike. They would have headed some place Buffy felt comfortable at.

Here. They would have headed here.

He moved without thought as he charged his way past the barricade, past the police barrier, past the fire trucks and fire men. He wasn't thinking when he raced towards the house.

"Buffy!" He screamed. She was in there, he just knew it. Somehow she'd been trapped in there and Maggie had set fire to the house, and even now Buffy could be burning to death. "Buffy!"

Faith's head jerked up at the sound of Angel screaming and with a start she saw his blurred movement as he raced for the burning structure. Sighing she prepared to stop him. She wasn't sure if she should. Maybe Buffy was in the house and was even now dead, she thought. But wouldn't I have felt it? She wondered. They were connected in a way most people couldn't understand and she just had the vague sense that if B had died she would have felt it all the way to her bones.

So with budding anger and trepidation leading the way she raced after Angel, and managed with a flying leap, to tackle him to the ground within inches of the burning house.

She felt the intense heat, suffocating as it seemed to surround them. She tried to breathe normally but it was too hard and with panting breath she managed to wrap her arms around a still screaming Angel and drag him away.

"Stop it Angel," Faith yelled as she tossed him from her when they were a good bit away. "Don't you think I would know if Buffy were dead?" she asked as she bent over, her hands pressed to her knees as she fought to catch her breath.

Angel lay sprawled on the ground, his face flaking where his face had been slightly burned from the heat of the flames. He let his eyes focus on the house.

"She could be in there," he told Faith as he ignored her words. He made to get back up and make his way into the house again. Faith moved in the blink of an eye and planted her foot on his throat.

"One wrong move and I crush your throat," she rasped out.

"Oh no! No what happened here?" Willow's voice broke the stare off Faith and Angel were intent on. Faith lifted her gaze and frowned when she spotted Willow and Xander.

"What are you doing here? Xander you should be in bed! Look guys-"

"Was Buffy in there?" Xander asked his voice hushed. "Did Maggie do this?"

Faith reluctantly lifted her foot and moved towards Xander.

"Listen we don't know what happened. I would know if Buffy were dead," she reassured them even as she doubted the words she spoke.

Angel slowly got to his feet.

Willow edged closer to him.

"How did Buffy react when she found out about Joyce? She does know right?" she asked carefully, biting her bottom lip in worry.

Angel stared at the dancing flames as they ate at what was left of Buffy's life.

"She broke, Willow," he said his voice flat and hollow. "She broke."

"What hell was that you were trying to pull? You could have gotten yourself killed, or worse one of my men killed," a loud and booming voice stated from Angel's right and he turned slowly.

"He thought his girlfriend was in there. Do you…know if anyone was in there?" Faith demanded.

The large fire chief stared at her through narrowed eyes and abruptly he blew out a breath.

"This house belongs to Joyce Summers right?" he asked. "You all acted as if you knew the person who lived here. Well tonight we've had a series of incidents. In fact and I'm sorry to have to tell you this, it seems that Joyce Summers was murdered earlier tonight," he paused to gauge their reactions. When they didn't look surprised he gave a short shrug and continued, "As it is there was also an explosion at the college and lastly the woman, Joyce, her daughter was brought into the hospital in the midst of a seizure. So to answer your question everyone who's supposed to live here is accounted for."

"She's in the hospital?" Xander asked confused.

"This isn't good. We've got to go find her. Come on Xander you have to get back to the hospital too. Angel did you hear what he just told us?" Willow asked softly as she reached out and touched his leather clad arm.

Angel nodded woodenly.

Faith wrapped an arm around Xander's waist as he began to sway.

"Thanks for the info let's go boys and girls," Faith said and moved away with Xander at her side.

Willow hesitated a moment her eyes were drawn to the fire, then to Angel, and finally she turned and hurried after Faith and Xander.

Angel stood for a long moment his gaze unfocused and his body still. His thoughts were bleak and too dark for words. He lowered his eyes and with an abrupt movement he turned and stalked off.

Someone had to pay for this.

Someone had to die for this.

That someone had a name.

It just happened to be Spike.

~*~

Love amongst the roses. Love amongst the…bloody and torn remains of a human body…

Oz couldn't even force himself to move as he emptied his stomach of its contents. Of what he had the disturbing knowledge of knowing, were bits and pieces of a human being.

He was limp and languid as he struggled to rise, to at least lift his head high enough so that when he felt the need to vomit he didn't do it on himself again. But it was no use he felt completely wasted, like he had been hollowed out from the inside.

His head dirty with mud and leaves, and his face smeared with blood, dropped back onto the ground. He lifted a dirty hand to wipe at his mouth before he could stop himself.

"What did I do?" he wondered aloud as he stared at his hands, caked in dried blood and trembling with emotions he fought desperately to suppress.

Frowning as the images came, disjointed and confusing, sweeping through his mind like a hurricane, leaving only destruction in its wake.

Swallowing past the bile he managed with an effort to get to his knees and push himself up with the help of a nearby tree. Unsteady and weaving with dizziness he leaned against the tree and took slow even breaths.

With his emotions banked and a sudden cold detachment in his green eyes, he let them trail over his surroundings. Through the thicket of trees that surrounded him, to the slivers of moon beams that leapt out through the canopy of trees in various spots. His nose caught the scents of animals, of men, of himself.

He fought the urge to sniff, to inhale the intoxicating scent of human remains any more than he had to. Grimly he let his eyes lower to the littered pine needled ground. To the trail of flesh and blood, and abruptly his mouth watered.

This time not in response to his need to heave, but in hunger and anticipation.

 Disgusted with himself Oz closed his eyes and tried to remind himself that he was a man, not some wild dog on the loose. He couldn't quite let himself contemplate what this meant for him, what it meant for him and Willow. If he thought about that, then he would have to inevitably think about the person he'd consumed last night. And there was no way he could think about that.

Not now.

He stumbled as he pushed himself from the tree he'd been leaning against. When he felt steady enough he turned his back on the carnage and began the slow process of finding his way home.

He was terrified as he realized he didn't know where that was anymore.

~*~

"I…I just can't believe this," Giles muttered. He had listened to Rowan tell him why Wesley had been involved with his Slayer. About the baby that belonged to Spike and Drusilla.

All of it became a mush of confusing facts in his head as he struggled to understand everything. Nothing was making sense and he wasn't sure it ever would. At least not anymore.

It seemed his Slayer had dug herself into a hole he was not sure she could get herself out of.

Or if he had the strength to help her through this. Because he knew he could not possibly handle another vampire boyfriend.

Rowan sent him a narrow eyed look from beneath her lashes.

"Well believe it old man! I told you there were things you knew nothing about. So you see how this isn't all about Buffy and her beau any longer. It has a bigger purpose. Think of what Maggie could do with all the children she can create with a Slayer and one of her vampire consorts. It would be astronomical."

Giles ran a hand over his face as he removed his glasses. He studied the pale green hospital floor and tried to process these new and highly disturbing facts. He wondered why Buffy hadn't thought to mention this to him or Angel. It was something that he had a right to know about.

To him it was just one more thing to add to the growing list of reasons to be very upset and disappointed in Buffy. Her actions of late had left quite a bit to be desired. He shook his head; he had hoped he would be a better influence on her over time. After all they'd gone through with Angelus and her lying about Angel's return earlier this year… He hadn't expected another secret to creep up and drive a wedge between them once again.

How wrong he had been.

"Now don't go pouty on me Watcher. I think it's about time you realized your Slayer needs all the help she can get. She needs you to help protect not only her but Spike and Tate as well. I think a-"

Giles lifted tired eyes to Rowan's.

"I don't particularly care what you think. I've only just met you and as far as I can tell I was better off having never laid eyes on you. Now if you'll excuse me I have to make a few phone calls."

Giles rose stiffly from his hard and uncomfortable chair.

"You're making a mistake," Rowan's voice followed him. "Mark my words. If you use this as a means to an end and serve the ties that bind you to the Slayer, you will regret it. She's in need of aid, any and everything she can get. I only hope you're man enough to stand beside her."

Giles gritted his teeth and slowly turned to face the wild haired woman. His eyes usually mild and often more than not bemused now held the coldness of lessons learned far too late. When he spoke his voice held the harsh clip of a man pushed to the very edge.

"I was once man enough to love a woman, with my entire being, to feel such a depth of emotions it nearly overwhelmed me. I was foolish enough to believe Buffy could handle things herself - for that I have to my utter disgust and despair to live with my loved one's blood on my hands- I was wrong about Buffy. I won't make that mistake again. She's broken whatever pieces we'd managed to salvage."

With that said he turned on his heel and strode off.

Though his words had been cold and unfeeling, he felt them, echoing and resonating inside his brain as he strode off. He ached with the possibility of cutting all ties with Buffy. But there was only so much a man could take. Having the love of his life ripped from him, by none other than his Slayer's vampire boyfriend wasn't something he could simply let go of.

Oh, he had tried for Buffy's sake. But it was still there, the lingering hatred, the thirst for vengeance.

Slowly but surely eating away at his soul.

Swallowing hard he made his way towards the emergency room and the exit for a little breathing room. He needed space to get his head figured out. There were too many things crowding around to make much sense of things.

Head bent low to dispel any attempt of strangers trying to speak to him he hurried along. The faster he was out of here the better.

As far away from Rowan even better.

The automatic doors to the entrance opened as he stepped in front of them, and he'd taken no more than a step when he had to jump aside as paramedics rolling a stretcher came swiftly through the doors.

"This is the seizure victim we called in!" One of them announced.

Giles wouldn't have bothered to pay them any heed had he not from the corner of his eye, spotted the dirty and disheveled Spike running along side the stretcher.

Fear gripped Rupert by the throat and he gritted his teeth together, and willed himself to calm down as he turned fully and forced himself to move. Slowly at first, as if his legs weren't quite in tune with his mind, then faster as fear came back with a vengeance, and he began to run.

"Where-" he began as he grabbed the first person he could. He couldn't speak as fear became terror as he heard Spike's distinct voice yelling. He shoved the orderly away from him and followed the fear filled tones of Buffy's once mortal enemy.

Praying he hadn't lost out on the chance to say just one kind word to his Slayer.

~*~

He'd heard words similar to the ones being said before, and knew things were not going well. Spike tried to keep from snatching Buffy from the grasps of the doctors and running off with her. He knew she would be better off with him than here.

Besides she hated hospitals. She wouldn't want to stay here anyway.

He forced down his panic and focused on the words.

Her blood pressure was dropping, her heart was slowing. He was shoved aside as people came rushing into the cramped space. One of them brought a cart of some kind and lifted paddles.

He tensed when he heard Buffy's heart slow even more and abruptly stop.

"Buffy," he screamed and rushed to her side, shoving people out of the way. He reached out and gripped her shoulders. "Buffy!!! Buffy you can't die! Buffy-"

"Sir you need to move out of the way," one of the nurses said as she began to shove him aside once more. He resisted murmuring to Buffy. Knowing she could hear him, she had to hear him!

"Move," a doctor ordered and with the combined effort of a few more people they managed to pry him away from Buffy and proceeded to place the paddles over her chest.

A chest he dimly realized was bare except for her bra.

He watched as they shocked her and felt helpless. There wasn't a thing he could do, even though everything in him was screaming for him to grab Buffy. Grab her and run. He could turn her and she would be his for all eternity.

He frowned fiercely and abruptly as that thought entered his mind. He shook it away and clenched his hands into fists as they shocked Buffy again. His body jerked as he began to hear the thin thump of her heart as it started once more.

"Buffy… That's it Buffy you have got to come back to me," he told her urgently. He barely heard what was said by the doctors as they moved to and fro, he kept his gaze locked on Buffy's pale face, and when some one tapped him on the shoulder, he whirled his face a mask of grief and rage.

The doctor stood his ground although Spike could smell the sweet scent of fear.

"Can you tell us what happened?" he asked.

Buffy was being led away from the trauma room and Spike turned to follow.

"I don't know what happened. One minute she was fine, then the next she was on the ground convulsing," Spike managed to get out as he hurried after Buffy.

Some one asked him another question and he couldn't pull his attention away from Buffy long enough to answer. They boarded the elevator and Spike barely managed to slip onto it. As the doors began to close he lifted his gaze abruptly and met the furious blue of Giles's as he raced down the hall towards the elevator.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Giles screamed just as the doors slid shut.

Spike reached out and snatched Buffy's limp hand in his and squeezed it. He could feel the thin beat of her heart through her skin and allowed himself to release a bit of the tension inside of him.

He couldn't lose Buffy; he didn't know what he would do if that were to ever happen. A shudder passed through him as he closed his eyes again, trying to dispel the sight of Buffy's cold and lifeless body from his minds eye. He didn't know what was wrong with her but he would find out.

And he would fix it.

~*~

"I must have a phone," Wesley muttered irritably as he squinted at the nurse who was taking his blood pressure. Where were his bloody glasses at?

"Well you won't be getting one anytime soon, sir. In fact that's the last thing you need."

"Please you don't understand. I need to get in touch with my…family. They will be worried and I have to reassure them that I'm fine. In fact I think I should do that in person. I have to speak to them in person," Wesley swung his legs over the side of his bed and winced when pain swamped him.

"See?" the nurse asked dryly as she gently pushed him back down. "You are in no shape to go anywhere. Give me the number and I'll call your family. Is that better?"

Reluctantly Wes gave a grudging yes. He gave her the number and Joyce's name. Saw her briefly hesitate, her pen pressing into the pad in her hand.

"What is it?" Wes asked tentatively.

The nurse sent him a quick look and seemed to ponder whether or not to say anything. As she came to a decision she gave a huge sigh and spoke.

"We had a woman brought in…her name was Joyce Summers and she was DOA."

Wesley frowned.

"What?" he asked confused his head pounding frantically. He raised a hand and rubbed at his forehead absently.

"Dead on arrival. I'm sorry but it seems she was murdered," the nurse murmured quickly. She finished checking his pulse and blood pressure before she gave him her condolences and left.

In shock Wes slumped back against his pillows and closed his eyes.

It seemed Maggie had managed to win even after all they'd done to stop her. He ached with the knowledge that she'd taken Tate from him, and that he had let down Spike and most of all Buffy. They had trusted him to keep the baby safe and he'd failed.

He was nothing but a failure, he mused sadly.

He could make this right; the sudden thought had him blinking his eyes open and staring off into space. He had the inkling of an idea but he wasn't sure…

Narrowing his eyes he thought for a moment and soon he swung his legs back over the side of his bed and despite his aching head he rose to his feet. Muttering about his paper gown and its open backside he made his way to the door just as it opened.

He gave an unmanly yelp as his eyes focused on the old woman who stood there. With wild white hair, a wrinkled and weathered face, with twinkling blue eyes peeking out at him. She was dressed in a baggy dress and had on only one boot.

Which was odd, he thought dimly until his eyes settled on her other foot and saw the reason why.

"You have a frog leg," he muttered inanely.

Rowan grinned.

"Indeed I do. You'd be Wesley then?"

He nodded then winced as his head swam.

"Excuse me but who are you?" he asked leaning against the wall as dizziness returned.

"Oh forgive me. I'm Rowan and we have mutual friends in common. Namely Spike and Buffy. I was the one that brought you here. But it doesn't seem that we were in time though does it?"

"I think…" he hesitated not knowing if he should trust this woman who had a frog leg. But thinking of his plan he knew he needed all the help he could get. "I think I could use your help. You see I have a plan….of sorts."

Cocking a brow Rowan looked at him curiously.

"Well then lad, I'm all ears."

~*~

Buffy was moved into a room and put under observation. The doctors had mentioned that the amount of time her heart had stopped wasn't long enough to cause too much damage. But they warned that if another should occur the risks were much higher that due to lack of oxygen she could become brain damaged.

Spike took in all this without a word. And when they asked what his relationship was with Buffy, his answer was succinct and to the point.

"She's mine," was all he said.

That was for the moment it seemed enough for them, and soon he was bombarded with a pile of paper work, and at last an empty room. He tossed the paper work and edged closer to the bed.

"Buffy…" he whispered. He leaned down and cupped her cheek in his palm. He left it there a moment before he grabbed the nearest chair and dragged it to the bed. He took a seat and took her hand in his. "Wake up. I need you to wake up. We can fix this together-"

"Really?"

Spike didn't react to Giles's cold voice from the doorway. He had expected the Watcher and wasn't surprised that he was here now, his voice so cold and remote.

Spike figured Giles would blame this on him and half of him believed he should be blamed. Whatever had happened to Buffy wasn't something natural, he was certain of that.

"'We can fix this together.'" Giles let his mocking voice rise slightly as he stepped fully into the room and crossed his arms over his chest. He stared at Spike as he continued to ignore him. Anger and a certain bitterness twisted Giles's mouth and he resisted the urge to growl like an animal.

"You explain this to me. What did you do to her, you bloody evil fiend?" Giles gritted out as he moved forward.

Spike's fingers tightened around Buffy's as he leaned forward and brushed his lips across her brow. He wasn't concerned about Giles. He wanted Buffy to get better and he couldn't be bothered with the old man's quick assumption that this was his fault.

Flushing slightly at being blatantly ignored Giles felt the pulse at the base of his neck begin to pound heavily beating against his skin. He was past anger, he thought coolly. Past resentment. Had been shoved into something he'd long ago left behind. He stared at Spike, in his filthy clothes, his head covered in patches of hair, his features drawn tight and now almost gaunt.

Giles figured the vampire hadn't eaten…or maybe he had. On Buffy and now she'd been brought here because of him almost draining her dry. Maybe… God forbid, he had even tried to turn her!

Giles struck without conscious thought. He reacted to the pounding pressure of rage beating against the base of his skull. He lashed out his hands fisted together to form a club.

Spike rose in one fluid motion turning and blocked Giles's swing with his forearm and with his other hand he shoved him. Giles stumbled but kept his balance as he lifted his foot and kicked out.

Spike took the kick in the knee and grunted in pain as it buckled beneath him. Giles took advantage and brought down his clubbed hands onto Spike's back, causing him to fall to his knees.

"I don't wanna hurt you…" Spike ground out against the pain and anger running through him.

"Bloody bastard! Stand up and take it like a man," Giles yelled as he kicked Spike again, this time in the gut. "You think I'll let you get away with this? With making a fool out of-"

Giles cut himself off as he heard the distinct sounds of an oncoming flat line as Buffy's pulse began to short out again. Her body began to seize and Spike surged to his feet.

"Buffy," both men cried out and reached for her.

Spike made a grab for her and locked her arms together as he half laid down on top of her. He snarled when her head connected with his chin and he saw stars.

"Get her mouth open and put something in it," he ordered Giles as he struggled to keep her pinned down.

The door to the room burst open and people swarmed inside. Spike reluctantly let go of Buffy as she was injected with a drug to still her movements. He was brushed to the side and abruptly found himself waiting outside Buffy's closed door with her Watcher.

He ran a hand over his mouth and considered taking his frustration out on the man beside him, before he pondered what Buffy would do if she found out. He moved away from the temptation of beating Giles senseless. He began to pace and barely felt the pain of his dislocated kneecap.

What the bloody hell was wrong with her? He wondered. He couldn't understand how fast it had happened. One minute she'd been happy in his arms and the next she had been unconscious and seizing.

"You did this to her," Giles hissed out.

Spike shook his head.

"No. I didn't do a bloody thing to her old man. I let you get your licks in, but don't expect any quarter from me here on. I'll pound the bloody pulp outta you and enjoy every minute of it. You'd best be glad the only thing that keeps that from happening is Buffy," he growled as he faced Giles head on.

It was just his luck he thought then, as he heard the heavy clomp of running footsteps.  Felt the presence of Angel far before he turned the corner and came into view.

Buffy's door swung open and Spike turned his back on both Angel and Giles.

"What's wrong with her?" Spike demanded grabbing the doctor by his white coat's lapels. "Why does this keep happening? What's wrong with her?"

The doctor blanched.

"Get your hands off of me," the doctor stammered out.

Spike breathed deeply and with a quick shove moved away from the doctor a step. He needed to get control of his emotions. He couldn't freak out, not when she needed him.

"Sorry," Spike mumbled.

"Now…it appears Ms. Summers has undergone several seizures throughout the night. The cause is unknown. But it seems she's fallen into a coma. As of now we will need to-"

"Coma? What the hell is going on here?" Angel yelled as he stepped forward. He didn't care that he was interrupting the doctor. He had run all the way here and had followed the scent up here, only to find Buffy was now in a coma. He wanted answers.

"We will keep her under observation and monitor her brain activity as well as any signs of a cause. She seems to be a healthy young woman with no cause for such a drastic change in health."

The doctor said little else and soon managed to slip away.

Faith hovered on the edge of the little group having caught the tail end of the doctor's words. She glanced at Willow and Xander who were slowly walking up as well.

"What's happened to Buffy?" she demanded.

"He's what happened," Giles said and pointed at Spike with a shaking hand.

Spike ignored them all and began to move back into Buffy's room.

Angel grabbed him by his arm and dragged him towards him.

"Let go of me," Spike said as he locked his feet to the floor and stilled Angel's movements. He jerked from his grasp and growled.

A deep and disturbingly feral sound, seemingly vibrating around them.

"Faith come on," Angel snapped out.

Faith hesitated a moment.

"What? Right now? Look I don't think this is the right time to do that Angel. I mean c'mon! Buffy's in that room right there! I for one want to know what's wrong with her! I can't think about offing Patches here."

"You'll have to wait on killin' me Angelus. I mean to find out what's wrong with Buffy. And nothing is gonna stop me. Least of all you. Or you," Spike spat glaring at Angel and Giles in turn.

Angel moved quick as lightning getting in front of Buffy's closed door.

"You're not getting in there Spike," Angel told him grimly.

Spike balanced on the balls of his feet and lightly curled his hands taking on a defensive stance. He allowed his anger and frustration to come out as he slipped on his game face.

He flashed his fangs as Angel answered his silent challenge.

"You can't keep her from me," Spike intoned.

Angel's true face came forth as well and he took a step forward.

"I can and I will," he gritted out menacingly as he came in swinging.