Too Much Pain
By: Unipeg
Nightmares and pain

Disclaimer in first chapter!
Author's Note
: I am so very sorry I haven't updated. Life got busy. Plus, I almost lost all inspiration for this story. I seem to have found it again and will be updating much more.
Story Note: This chapter contain graphic violence, be warned. This symbol "" means dreaming.

Buffy stirred and moaned in her sleep. She awoke looking startled from a dream. Darting her eyes until she set her sight on bleached hair and two ocean blue eyes etched with concern.
"Spike?...Hey." Buffy said slowly as she looked at him with relief.
"Yeah, it's me. Hey, are you alright?" Spike said as he took her hand.
"Bad dream is all. It was about...the demon." Buffy said slowly. She seemed to not want to remember that dream. Or nightmare.
"Oh, I see. I would like to know what he did to you. Even if it's scary and bad. It's ok to be scared. And you can tell me about it. You're not a coward if you do." Spike said to her softly as he saw the look on her face. Spike kissed her on the forehead, but she nudged and they kissed on the lips.
"Yeah, I know. Did the others come by and have they found anything on the demon?" Buffy said as the kiss ended.
"Haven't heard since they came by here earlier, you were asleep. I was going to give Willow a call. She must have found something by now. While I'm doing that I could get you something to eat." Spike said hearing her stomach growl. She nodded yes and he left to do so.


"There is so much, yet so little on this demon. I mean he's popular with his rep, but not much about his power, real name, or weakness. Spike seems most desperate about finding info on this demon. I think he wants to kill the demon because of what it did to Buffy." Willow said as she clicked her mouse on her laptop.
"You'll find it, and if not, we can beat him finding out all we can. Buffy can do it with all of us with her. As long as Spike keep his cool. Which I think he will." Kennedy said in her assured tone.
"You don't know Spike very well. He would do it himself. You always seem to know what you're doing. Thanks, for your support." Willow said turning from her computer looking at Kennedy.
"Yeah, that's me, the brat that gets her way. Like now for instance. Heehee!" Kennedy said as she swooped down to kiss her girlfriend. Willow returned the kiss and shut down her computer.
"I can look for more on him a little later. I mean I think I deserve a break since I've been looking for three hours." Willow said as she and Kennedy went to their bedroom.


Spike held a plate full of food and a bottle of apple juice. He walked from the cafeteria to her room. When he entered he noticed the empty bed. Buffy was gone. He stumbled and ran to look around. Many thoughts jumped to his head as he looked the room over. It looked like all the hook-ups she had were torn off. It seemed she had taken her clothes, though. He just hoped she had walked out and nothing had taken her. Spike ran to the telephone and put some change in. He dialed Giles number.
"Hello?" Asked a british voice. It was Giles.
"Giles, Buffy is missing. I went to get her some food and she wasn't in her bed when I got back. And she seems to have taken her clothes." Spike said in a frantic voice.
"Well, calm down. Have you tried calling her house? She may have just gone home. You know how she hates hospitals." Giles said trying to calm Spike.
"Oh, yeah. I guess I am just panicked because of what happened to Buffy. Don't want that demon finding her. I will go check. Bye." Spike said with a little relief in his tone, but still obviously worried.
"Wait. Has Buffy talked about what happened to her with the demon?" Giles asked worried.
"No. She hasn't said anything. Buffy seems so...I don't know...scared. That sounds ridiculous, but she is still human even if she is the Slayer." Spike said slowly with a slight laugh.
"Well, I suspected as such from her. Just give her time and be there for her if she needs you. I know you can do that for her." Giles said comfortingly. Even though he didn't like Spike much, he still cared for Buffy and wanted the best for his slayer.
"That I will. Off to find her then. Bye." Spike said as he heard the reply and hung up. He then went to his car and drove towards Buffy's house.


He had looked around town at all the places she'd be. Eventually just decided to trust her thinking what Giles had told him. Buffy does hate hospitals and would get out, even if it meant sneaking. He was now passed out on the couch. She went over to him and shook him awake. Buffy entered her house three hours after Spike found out she was gone.
"Hey,...I'm home." Buffy said with a slight look of guilt on her face.
"Buffy?...You're safe." Spike said with a look of relief. He got up and hugged her tightly.
"Yeah, sorry I disappeared on you." She said returning his hug careful to not let her injuries interfere.
"I left your lunch in the refrigerator for you. Are you feeling better?" Spike said to her with a light smile and then concerned.
"Thanks, you're my ang...hero. I'm doing ok." Buffy said to him and left to get her food.
Spike followed Buffy into the kitchen and watched her get her food and she started to eat it. They sat in silence for a while until Spike sighed loudly.
"What?" Buffy said, knowing he had something to say, after she took a sip of her apple juice.
"What happened to you in that cave?" Spike asked her looking for a reaction. He was deeply concerned. Buffy was being too quiet and acting differently since last night.
"What hap...pened... I don't feel...like talking about it." Buffy said with a look of fear in her eyes. She didn't feel hungry anymore and out the food away.
"Alright, but you have to tell me or someone soon. I know it's hard, but you have to work through it. I know you, Buffy, and I have seen how you can make yourself suffer from the secrets you keep. I'm here for you." Spike said to her in a reassuring tone looking straight at her eyes. Buffy looked at his.
"I will, I promise. I just need some time to figure it out. I don't feel like going over it right now. Can we just go to bed?" Buffy said as she looked him in the eyes and then took his hand. Spike returned the motion of holding her hand and they walked to their bedroom.

Buffy felt the pain go through to her bones as the demon stabbed through her hip bone. She was in so much pain it over whelmed her. The demon breathed deeply lightly smiling at his work. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as he kept torturing her sadistically. She felt weak and scared as he laughed lightly at her. The demon then dug his finger into her open wound and she screamed out. Screaming in excruciating pain.
"Buffy! Wake-up. You're dreaming. Wake-up!" Spike said loudly trying to get her to wake up.
Buffy continued screaming and struggling as Spike shook her. She seemed to be stuck in this terrible nightmare. Suddenly her screaming turned to soft painful moans. Tear started spilling from her eyelids. Spike picked her up into a sitting position still shaking her and calling out her name. She finally opened her eyes. Wide with fear and pain as she looked into his.
"Buffy, calm down. I'm here, it was just a dream. You're ok now. Stay calm." Spike said as he held her close to him.
"No, I'm...not. I'm..sca..re.." Buffy said so softly Spike could barely hear her. She kept crying into his shoulder.
"Do you feel like talking about it? Sometimes that helps." Spike said as he held her close.
He heard a soft reply of 'no' mumbled in her sobs. He just kept holding her until she calmed down. Buffy eventually went back to sleep in his arms and he did too. For the rest of the night she didn't have another nightmare. Spike lied awake getting more worried about her condition.

The next day Spike woke up alone in bed. He heard music coming from below and knew he wasn't completely alone. Spike also smelled something like food and it made his stomach growl. He got dressed and headed downstairs. There he could see his Buffy making breakfast. Pancakes, bacon, three differently prepared eggs, and toast. Buffy smiled at him as he entered the room.
"Morning, sweetheart with food. Smells wonderful." Spike said giving her a kiss.
"I hope you'll like it. Get your dibs on it, because Dawn is coming over to eat too." Buffy said as she kissed him back and then went back to finishing the pancakes and bacon.
"Oh, I thought we were gonna be alone this morning. I know you're injured, but we can fool around to your liking." Spike said with a sweet lust in his eyes as he put his hands around her waist, turning her to him.
"Uhh...Not...I don't." Buffy said softly and she turned quickly away from him to the cabinet with plates. She looked like she was being distant from him. It has been a long time since she gave him that feeling. Spike also could notice a tinge of fear in her eyes.
"What's wrong, pet? Don't tell me "Nothing", because I know it's somethin'." Spike said with sincerity.
"I'm just not in the mood. I really don't feel too good today. I'm sorry, if I seem cold." Buffy said as she layed the plates on the counter and then looked at him. She went over to Spike and hugged him. Suddenly the kitchen door opened.
"Hey, did I walk in on something I shouldn't." Dawn said with a mischevious smile and then sat down at the counter.
"No, just hugging. It's none of your business anyways. Here put some food in your mouth." Buffy said smiling lightly at Dawn handing her a plate with scrambled eggs, funny shaped pancakes, and some bacon. Buffy then gave Dawn a soft hug.
"Ok, I'll eat. How are you doing with the injuries and all? And don't treat me like a kid. I'm almost eighteen. Oh, hey, Spike." Dawn said with a serious tone and then gave a friendly wave to Spike. He smiled at her.
"I'm ok and healing. Sorry, I am in a mood. How's work?" Buffy said as she sat down to eat too.
"Oh, it's ok. I do miss not having to work, though. Spike, what have you been doing?" Dawn said to Buffy and turned looking at Spike.
"Oh, not much bit. Mostly playing nurse to Buffy here. I told the boss I had a family emergency." Spike said as he sat next to Buffy and nudged her.
"Yeah, and how are you liking that?" Dawn said raising an eyebrow.
"Dawn, shut up. You can't know about our personal stuff." Buffy said as she got up to get a glass of juice. Spike smirked at Dawn.
Buffy suddenly screamed in pain and fell to the floor. Holding her upper abdomen, lower ribs. She looked to be in terrible pain as she screamed again. Spike rushed to her side and tried holding her. She squirmed a little and then calmed down to light moans. Spike took this as an opportunity to lift her hand and shirt to see her stomach. First he saw blood. Then he noticed it was one of her wounds from the demon. The stitching was broken and the wound looked fresh again..
"Buffy, what happened?" Spike asked her with a look of pure concern in his ocean blue eyes. He felt scared for her. Spike didn't like this feeling.
"I don't know. It just felt like I was being stabbed again." Buffy said softly with a grimace and she had tears in her eyes.
"Oh, my god. Buffy, what do you mean stabbed again?" Dawn said looking worried and freaked.
"Again, like when it happened the first time. When, I was tortured." Buffy said admitting something she hadn't talked about since it happened. Spike noticed.
"Let's get you to a hospital." Spike said as he picked up Buffy gently. He took her to his car and Dawn went along too.
--------------------------------------------
What do you think now? Please review. I shall be getting another chapter sooner than the last one. Especially with it being summer.