A/N : Thanx so much to the latest reviewers; pltnmdancer, Moonjava, ness345, demonica mills, Brunettepet, Mony19, Moluvsnumber17, and mm. Sorry this chapter is a little bit short, and later than I planned too - I haven't been feeling too well the last couple of days. Hope the story does not disappoint. Oh, extra note for mm, Illyria now dyes the blue streaks into her hair, her eyes are still bright blue, but she has normal human skin and wears normal clothes too.
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 5

Location : Rome, Italy
Time : 24th October 2005, 21:14

"If she has gone in that direction surely it is in our interest as well as hers to follow" Illyria insisted, craning her neck to see where Buffy had gone as she followed Spike in the opposite direction.

"No, I can't, not now" he said with a shake of his head as he strode across the cemetery.

Illyria caught his arm and spun him round to face her.

"This terrifies you" she realised, "This situation, meeting Buffy Summers once again, you are ridiculously afraid" she stated, somewhat stunned by her realisation. Spike was never bothered by anything. Come what may he was strong and resilient, he let the troubles of the world wash over him like rain. She respected that behaviour and often found herself thanking the Powers for putting them back on Earth together. She found his company most satisfactory, but she was a little worried about his sudden change of personality.

"M'not afraid of anything" Spike was quick to tell her, "Silly bint, you should know better"

"You only resort to this name calling with me when you are losing an argument" she observed, "You know that I am right and yet you deny it"

"Oh yeah, cos you tell the bloody truth all the time!" the ex-vampire shot back, volume rising and arms gesturing emphatically, "All that bleedin' rot on the plane about not being scared, you were soddin' petrified and you know it!"

"This matter is no concern of yours" she yelled angrily, "But your running from the Slayer concerns me, it is interfering with our mission"

"Stuff the bleedin' mission!" he said getting in her face, "Stuff bloody Rome, and stuff you too for good measure!" he said nastily before turning to leave.

At that very moment Illyria sunk to her knees, intense pain radiating from her head and down through her body. Her fingers went to her temples and she groaned in distress, making Spike turn back, his anger dispersing when he saw the agony she appeared to be in.

"Illyria?" he said, kneeling down in front of her and trying to prevent her from damaging herself as she writhed in pain, "Lyri, pet, can you hear me?" he asked her urgently but it seemed she either did not want to or was unable to give a response. Desperately, Spike held her by the shoulders, shaking her slightly and saying her name over and over. Eventually she seemed to see him clearly.

"Spike?" she said hoarsely, her eyes flickering open and closed as she looked up at him at last. She briefly saw him nod his answer, before she fell unconscious into his arms.

"Hey Buff" Dawn smiled from her position on the couch, Andrew's arm around her shoulders as they pretended to be watching TV. Up until a few moments ago they were far more interested in each other than anything else but as soon as they heard the Slayer's key in the front door they made every attempt to look innocent.

"You have fun slaying?" Andrew asked the blonde as she closed the door behind her and removed her jacket.

"Yeah, sure, great fun" she nodded absently, not really looking at them, "I'm just gonna check on the kids..." her voice trailed away as she disappeared down the hall to the bedroom and Dawn frowned. It looked as if her sister had been crying but she couldn't understand why that would be.

"I'll be right back" she told Andrew as she got to her feet and followed Buffy to Ellie and Chloe's room. She found her sitting between the two cribs, in tears.

"Buffy, what's wrong?" she asked from the door, moving to her sister's side when Buffy only cried harder in response to the question. Dawn hugged her tight and waited til the tears subsided.

"I don't know what's the matter with me" Buffy sniffed a few moments later, "You must think I'm so crazy"

"I don't know about crazy" Dawn shook her head, "but you're acting a little strange" she pointed out, "The sudden slayage, the random tearyness...it's since Davy proposed isn't it?" she realised, "You changed your mind, didn't you?"

"No, no I haven't Dawnie, I swear" Buffy told her adamantly, "I love Davy, I do" she said just as firmly, before glancing at her sleeping daughters, one and then the other.

"It's Spike, isn't it?" Dawn realised with a sigh, "You miss him"

Buffy nodded sadly as silent tears ran down her cheeks once again.

"It all could've been so perfect" she said, voice shaking, "I finally realised just how much I loved him, and...we could have had a decent relationship at last and a family..." she trailed off as emotion overtook her. Dawn felt terribly for her and pulled her back into a hug in an attempt to comfort her.

"I know it's tough" she said gently, "I mean, I miss him too but life could still be good Buffy" she told her, and her sister sniffed loudly, trying to regain some composure.

"Dawn, I thought he was there" she admitted, "When I was patrolling I felt him...What if Spike's not dead?" she said with new hope. She continued her theory even when Dawn sadly shook her head.

"I mean, he came back before. I came back three times now, and Angel came back from Hell that time, and..."

"Buffy" Dawn looked pained as she silenced her sisters ramblings, "He's gone" she said firmly, "It's not what you want to hear, I know that, but it's for real. He's really gone this time. If he wasn't he'd be here, he wouldn't stay away, not after the last time"

"I know" the Slayer admitted with a sad nod, as she attempted to wipe away her tears, "but I wish I didn't Dawnie, and the only person that could ever make me feel better about all this...is the one person I won't ever see again" she bawled like a baby as Dawn held her and rocked her gently.

Andrew watched silently from the door, having heard some of the sisters' conversation. He sometimes hated himself for having kept his silence about Spike being back before. Now it really was too late.

Spike was glad to find a route of quiet roads and back alleys that he could carry the unconscious Illyria back to the hotel by. When the girl at the front desk gave him a strange look he just hefted the girl higher in his arms and declared 'some of these women, they think they're so tough, but they just can't hold their drink'

The former-vampire was glad to reach the safety of the elevator, where no-one could see them anymore. He had hoped that Illyria would've woken up before now but she was still out cold, though thankfully still breathing evenly. Manoeuvring into the room and depositing her on the bed was a little tricky and even when he'd managed it he had no idea what to do next. Thankfully, whilst he was stood there by the bed, contemplating calling an ambulance or possibly just throwing cold water in the girls' face, she began to move of her own accord.

"No, no, no" she repeated as she writhed about, eyes tight shut and seemingly unaware of the world.

"Illyria, luv, wake up" Spike urged her as he sat down beside her and tried to still her wild movements. She screamed as she fought against him, something quite uncharacteristic of the former God.

"Snap out of it, pet" Spike shook her harder, seriously concerned about her condition and just hoping if he could get her eyes open and some lucidity about her it'd be easier for them to work out what the bloody hell was happening.

"My babies" Ilyria's arm shot out, reaching desperately for something or someone who wasn't there, "Oh God, my children" she screamed and cried real tears as Spike fought to calm her.

"I'm sorry luv" he yelled above her noise, "You left me no choice" he told her, raising his hand and striking her across the face. In that moment she was still, her eyes snapped open and she looked up at Spike with some alarm.

"Illyria?" he checked, unsure as yet whether it was best to let go of her or keep his grip.

"I...I had a vision" she said shakily, eyes darting around the room as she tried to take in her surroundings. Spike let go of her arms and let out a sigh of relief as he realised despite her previous distress his companion was back in the real word now.

"Must've been some cinematic extravaganza, pet" he said, "You were out cold for twenty minutes, and making a right bloody row just before you came to"

Illyria observed him with troubled eyes, head tilted in that thoughtful manner of hers. She righted herself and shook her head slowly.

"The vision was recent" she told Spike, "Just a moment ago. I do not know what caused the pain and darkness that came upon me in the graveyard" she admitted and the ex-vampire was a little concerned by that. Still, first of all they must concentrate on the latest vision Illyria had received. Must have been one hell of an intense experience to have her screaming and wailing as she had.

"This vision, luv, the one you got before you woke up..." Spike began gently as the girl on the bed blinked strangely as if trying to reset her vision.

"It was so strange" she told him slowly, "I was there, and I was not myself..." she realised, putting a hand to her head that still ached somewhat from the whole experience.

"I'll get you some painkillers" her friend said as he rose from the bed and headed for the door, "then you can tell me who you were in this vision, and what you saw"

"I do not wish to remember" she told his back, screwing her eyes tight shut and pressing her fingers to her temples, "I wish to see no more, feel these things no more..." her volume increased as she tried to push the vision from her mind, finding it almost impossible.

Spike turned in the doorway and looked over at her, not at all pleased about how she was made to suffer by this so-called gift the Powers had given her.

"You were a mother" he said from the door, "and your kids were in trouble...in the vision" he guessed and proven right when Illyria lifted her face to look at him and slowly nodded so as not to disturb her aching head too much.

Without a word Spike turned way, fetched the aspirin he'd promised her and a glass of water. The girl pushed her blue streaked hair from her face, downed the pills and lay back a little on the bed, eyes closed and willing the pain away.

"Tell me what you can about these kids" Spike said gently, "I'll go and see what I can do and you stay here, get some rest"

"We fight as a team" she told him sternly, eyes open in a second and glaring at him, "This you know. It was our agreement with the Powers"

"Stuff the bleedin' Powers" Spike told her firmly, "You are going to stay here until you're noggin stops banging like a drum, you got that?" he told her like a father scolding a child.

"There are times when I thank the Powers for making me spend my new given life with you" Illyria told him with a sly smile, "But at other times I remember that you are a very irritating being"

"S'all part of my appeal, luv" Spike smirked as he got to his feet, "Now, these kids, tell me about them. What do they look like, what are their names?"

"There were two. They were female, with hair the colour of honey, and they were very small" she recounted, "Something or someone was taking them from me...her...their mother" she amended, getting a little confused.

"Any hint on a name or address?" Spike pressed, knowing that whilst Italians were known for having dark hair and eyes, there could still be no end of blonde kids running around town, when tourists and the such like were thrown into the mix.

"I...I don't know" Illyria concentrated and replayed the still shots of her vision as she sometimes needed too. Along with the intense pain in her head came the awful feelings she had felt too, as she herself played the part of a woman having her babies snatched from her grasp. Uncharacteristically, tears came to her eyes and she tried to get rid of them as they made tracks down her cheeks.

"S'alright, pet" Spike felt bad for her, and rubbed her arm affectionately. Having to experience such feelings and that were not her own must be affecting her badly. Even after all these months as a human and those before as a God trapped in a human shell, there were so many of her own emotions that Illyria didn't understand. Whilst Spike did his best to help her, he wasn't exactly qualified and didn't really have the best handle on love and loss himself, though he'd experienced both too strongly, too many times.

"I'll go and take a look around the area, maybe ask the locals a few questions" he told his friend, "You get some rest, I'll be back before you know it"

"Very well" Illyria nodded once, closing her eyes again and letting sleep claim her. She never did what he told her, Spike knew that, but given the state she was in, he was fairly certain that this time she just might.

To Be Continued...