A/N: As promised, Spike will appear in this chapter. --bows--
Chapter 4
Spike was pacing the upper level of his crypt, as he has he had been doing every night for the past sixteen days. It had been sixteen days since that night.
Sixteen days. Sixteen soddin' days! Where the hell is she? Did I do something? Now that's a stupid question you nit. Of course I did. Don't I always? Is she okay? Should I go find her? She hasn't patrolled as much lately. Maybe I should go find her. Soddin' hell!
This conversation would go around and around in his head before he would storm out of his crypt and head straight for Willy's to get himself good and drunk.
Spike grabbed his duster, shoved it on and made for the door. He froze mid-step.
No. It couldn't be. Could it?
He sniffed the air. It was her. But then a coppery odor assailed his senses. The smell of blood, but with a hint of something else. He knew that smell anywhere; it was Slayer blood. It was her blood.
"Buffy!" He uttered before racing to the door. He flung it open and found Buffy staring at her hands, which were covered in blood. Her blood. Before she collapsed in his arms.
"Bloody hell!" Spike clutched the now unconscious girl in his arms. He scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the hole that led to the lower part of the crypt.
He swiftly jumped through the hole and with the utmost care, deposited the slayer on his bed. After he made sure she was as comfortable as he could make her, he ran up the ladder to get some water and cloths.
When he returned with said items, he set them on the stand by the bed and removed his duster. He saw that the blood pooling through the peasant top on her stomach.
Please don't stake me for this Buffy.
He ripped the shirt down the middle; carefully avoiding whatever wound was on her stomach. Once the shirt was out of the way, he took a cloth from the bed stand and slowly began to mop up the blood, searching for the wound.
What he saw brought his demon out. Not out of hunger, but out of anger towards whatever did this. From just under her right breast to her left hipbone, was a laceration horribly deep. He could already see her body trying desperately to repair itself, but it wasn't enough. The roar that ripped from his throat was so full of pain and anguish, unlike any sound he had ever made. He almost collapsed on the floor in a useless heap, when he saw her move.
"Buffy?" He gasped. "Buffy, luv, look at me, please."
"Spike?" She breathed. "Help…" Her eyes fluttered open.
"Buffy what did this?" He tried to control the anger in voice to no avail.
"Big… demon…Oh god Spike! Not again! Please, not again!" She whimpered as her body started to shake with unshed tears.
"You are not going to die. You hear me Summers'? I'm going to take care of you." Spike said without a doubt in his mind that it was true. But his demon was screaming otherwise. He heard her heart flutter as it started to beat erratically.
The instant her heart changed its beat, he got to work. He cleaned the gash as best he could with the cloths, before he began to lave the wound with his tongue. Not for the sake of blood, but because of the natural healing properties of the saliva in humans and vampires alike. The cut was to wide to stitch together, so he settled for turning her onto her side and having her curl into a semi-fetal position. He grabbed one of his numerous black t-shirts and ripped one long strip from it to use as a bandage. He gently lifted her up to slide it around her waist and tied it off before setting her back down.
With the aid of both Slayer and Vampire healing powers the blood had slowed dramatically, but the cut was still slow to close itself. He would have to wait, that he didn't like. He was never one for waiting around.
"Come on Slayer. You can do this. Fight, okay?" He whispered brushing a piece of hair from her forehead. When he sensed her body start to relax, he knew she was fading into unconsciousness. "Slayer! Buffy, look at me pet! Open yours eyes now."
She was still trembling, though not as hard, with tears tracks drying on her face. When she started to open her eyes, Spike decided that the last thing she needed to see was his demon. He shook it off just in time to see her hazel eyes shining with tears.
"That's it luv, keep lookin' at me. Don't close your eyes okay?" He murmured. He kneeled in front of her continuing to whisper things to keep her awake, not once breaking eye contact with her.
Just over a half an hour later, both still staring intently at one another and Spike still talking softly to her, Buffy gingerly reached out and cupped her hand on his cheek.
"Spike." She interrupted his continuous reassurances just by breathing his name. He didn't speak.
"Thank you." Again, so quiet it was barely heard. Just barely, but it was enough.
With that, Spike stood and climbed into the bed so that she was facing him. He took her hand in his and simply held it between them. Neither of them spoke for what seemed like hours, in reality on minutes had gone by before he spoke.
"Tell me what happened Buffy."
She knew that he wasn't only asking about tonight, but he was asking about everything. As she looked into the lipid blue pools that were his eyes, she decided that she would tell him. Tell him everything.
A/N: I'm so evil. Cliffhangers are so much fun, well not if you are the one hanging of course. But I'm so loving this! --dances-- Anyway, I kept my promise… This had our precious Spike! So be happy! And please!!!!! Review!!
