Chapter 2

She helped him up the ladder into the training room, slowly she lifted him into the room and laid him softly on ground.

"I'm going to see if there is any blood in the fridge." Her voice soft as she left him. There was no one around as she went into the dark shop and found the last blood bag that was in the fridge. Dawn insisted that there be at least one fresh bag in the fridge in the event of Spike returning there would be food for him. Buffy and Xander hadn't been too happy but agreed just to keep the child happy. After heating it in the microwave she brought it through to him. She found Spike curled in a ball in the corner whispering a nursery rhyme.

" 'Ring-a ring-a rosies

a pocket full of posies

tissue tissue

we all fall down.' Laura don't go near the river mother said it's dangerous. Laura!" sobs shook his body as she drew closer trying not to think of who Laura was.

"I couldn't stop her; she was too stubborn but so very little, long brown curls. So innocent." He wept as Buffy slowly put the cup to his lips, she watched him change into his game face as he drank the blood the look of need and disgust crossed his face.

"I should have helped her. I should have stopped her. Father beat me so badly after; but I couldn't save her." He wept as he morphed back into his human face. Human guilt, she knew that now, this was the guilt that lived in the man; that lived in William.

"Who was Laura?" she asked softly as Spike turned to face her he put his blind hand on her cheek.

"Laura? I haven't said that name in over a hundred odd years, I never let myself think about her. She was my baby sister, she was the most beautiful young thing, tough too; loved climbing trees. I was eleven and she was ten, we used to do everything together. We were in Norfolk at my grandmothers one summer. We were playing near a river one eveningwhen she decided to go swimming. I told her not to I told her it was dangerous. But she just said she would paddle not go to deep. I only turned my back for a second, just a second and she was gone. No body no nothing." He wept. Buffy didn't know what to say, she tried to imagine what it would be like for him to lose his sister like that.

"William, it wasn't your fault you were so young, you couldn't have saved her." She whispered as she looked down on him, her eyes swimming with tears.

"I see her now too, among the victims. I hear her voice calling me asking me why I didn't see her being taken by the water. Her voice is loudest then all of them. The one true human guilt." He said in a haunted whisper as if he didn't want the voices to hear.

"Buffy please make them go away." He begged taking her hands in his. She couldn't help but notice that his hands were shaking.

"I will help you." She whispered as he cried again.

"I want to be back to normal, I want to be me again." He whisper.

"Buffy! Spike!" a shocked voice said from the door. Spike turned to face the wall hiding his face. Willow stood at the door a look of utter shock on her face.

"What is he doing here?" Willow said as Buffy slowly moved towards her not taking her hand from his shoulder until she had moved to far away. At the loss of her touch he curled further into a ball.

"He needs help." Buffy whispered to her.

"He needs to be staked." Willow said in a harsh whisper. Buffy slowly brought Willow to Spike. The slayer knelt beside him and touched his arms softly.

"William, let Willow see you maybe she can help." Her voice soft and gentle.

"William?" Willow whispered softly. Slowly Spike turned around and looked at the witch. Willow gasped in horror as she saw him blinded and crying blood tears.