A/N : Thanks so much to all the latest reviewers; spuffy-monica, spuffy4eva, Danni Rand, Ghostwriter, aej1085, KelleyTheSelfToastablePopTart, Rebel Goddess, Daniel Wesley Rydell, Lifes-Slayer, Spuffy2008, goldenshadows, wicked-angel-413, and kargrif. I'm glad people are sticking with this story. It's gonna get way different to the ep from here on out, at least thats the plan. I hope you all continue to read, enjoy, and review.
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 5
Spike stood on the doorstep of 1630 Revello Drive, a cheap box a chocolates in his hand that was all he could afford at the convenience store once he'd bought his cigarettes. He wanted to bring something for Buffy, remembering that it was customary among real people, human beings, to bring gifts for those that had been ill. Of course one usually brought fruit of some kind, but then the average patient wasn't hallucinating mental asylums for kicks.
The vampire raised his fist to knock on the door before changing his mind and heading around the house to the back. If Xander was watching over the Slayer as he was prone to do, Spike knew he stood no chance of being let into the house. The back door would probably be unlocked and he hoped once he was in the house there'd be no talk of throwing him out, especially once the Nibblet had seen him.
It was as he came through the door into the kitchen, looking around for signs of life, he smelt something. Two things he realised, and neither of them good. One the strong scent of abject fear and the other, human blood. Both were coming from the basement and he tossed his gift on the counter top as he bolted to the door and down the stairs to the sounds of Dawn's screams and Xander yelling.
"Bloody hell" Spike cursed as he vaulted the banister rail to save time, landing right by the glarghk guhl kashmanik. He struck the thing across the face, simultaneously kicking it somewhere that ought to have been painful if it's anatomy worked as humans did.
The creature turned from it's human targets to fight only Spike. Xander's bonds had been snapped in the tussle and he quickly worked on freeing Dawn and Willow, before scrambling for the tranquilliser gun, depsite the fact his hand was cut and bleeding. Two shots brought the demon to the floor and Spike wasted no time grabbing the being's head and twisting till it's neck snapped with a sickening crunch.
"What the bleedin' hell happened here!" he asked, breathing heavily from the exertion of the fight, despite the fact he did not really need to at all.
"Buffy" Willow both answered his question and called to her friend with the same word. Dawn stayed back as the red-head and Xander went to the Slayer's side. They shook her gently and called her name but to no avail. She was unconscious, or so it would seem, though her eyes remained open, staring and unseeing.
"She, she was going to let it kill us" Dawn said shakily and Spike moved toward her, "She wanted us dead"
"No, Bit" the vampire told her gently, one eye kept firmly on his precious Slayer, "She's just confused, all that demon juice in her, shaken her up a bit is all. She meant you no real harm, luv"
"Buffy!" Xander persisted in trying to get her attention but Willow shook her head sadly, a tear finding it's way down her cheek.
"It's no good" she cried, glancing over at Dawn who stared in disbelief, "I think... she's gone"
"But she'll be back" Spike said flatly, swallowing hard, "She did this before, upstairs. Zoned right out, like she was sleepin' with her eyes open but, she came back"
"Yeah" Dawn agreed, "She's not really gone" she shook her head, voice cracking with emotion, despite her being angry just a moment ago.
Xander shared a look with Willow and spoke softly.
"Let's get her upstairs, make her comfortable, then you can get to work on some more antidote"
"The demon's dead" the witch said, also shaking her head, "I don't even know if..."
"Ifs and buts later, Will" he told her, with a look that said these things shouldn't be said in front of Dawnie, "We have to try. It's Buffy" he said and it was inspiration enough for all of them.
The Slayer had saved all their lives so many times. Now she really needed their help, and they would give it as best they could.
"Mrs Summers?" William said cautiously as he arrived at the hospital next morning. He hadn't slept too well last night, his head filled with thoughts of Buffy and dreams of how good things could be if she finally escaped her delusion. Not that there was anything to say she'd want to know him better given the chance, he was just ordinary and boring and not exactly popular. Buffy was special, beautiful, and he was certain had been terribly popular before her unfortunate illness took hold. Even when she returned to reality, he doubted she'd take an interest in him, but a man had to dream.
"Oh William" Joyce smiled as she came towards him, "William, it's wonderful" she said, hugging the surprised young man, "Buffy's come back to us" she enthused and the grin that covered his face at that news threatened never to shift. He knew better than most that it'd be all too easy for the poor girl to slip back into her deluded state, but with her parents and himself helping her he was sure they could help her keep her grip on reality.
"May I see her?" he asked Joyce hopefully and she nodded.
"Of course, dear" she told him, "I'm sure she'll be glad to see you. Hank and I left her a few minutes ago, the doctor needed to run a few tests but as soon as he's done you're welcome to sit with her a while.
They headed towards Buffy's room together and arrived just as the doctor exited.
"William, I thought today was your day off" he said with a look.
"I was just, that is to say, I wondered how Buffy was doing" he stammered. The doctor patted his shoulder as he walked by.
"I know you have affection for the girl, Will" he said with a smile, "And I'm sure she'll be happy enough to see you, just don't tire her out too much"
The grin returned to the young man's face as he tapped on the door out of pure politeness before going inside.
"Hello Buffy" he said uncertainly, "I, I heard you're feeling better"
"Hi...William" she said, thinking before she spoke. She had to remember that Spike wasn't real, and that this man that looked similar was in fact called William, the human name of the vampire she'd invented in her head.
"I wondered if perhaps you'd like some company for a while" he ventured, standing at the end of her bed, "but of course I can go if..."
"No" she said quickly, "No, I'd like you to stay" she told him, smiling at the same time he did.
She watched him walk around her bed and take a seat in the chair beside her, and wondered at how similar he was to the vampire she both loved and hated inside what had turned out to be a delusion. Same stature, same cheekbones, same bright blue eyes. The difference was in the hair that was it's natural light brown and curly here, and the fact he wore dark blue jeans and a buttoned shirt, instead of uniform black and a leather coat made a big difference too.
A silence stretched out between them that turned quickly from comfortable to awkward. William shifted in his seat.
"Isn't it ridiculous" he muttered, "I could say anything at all to you before and now... now that you're paying attention to me I don't know where to begin" he smiled nervously, looking down at his fingers that fidgeted by the edge of her bed.
Buffy reached down and put her hand on his, finding it a little startling that his own hands were warm to her touch.
"Tell me the things you used to tell me" she said, as he glanced up and their eyes met, "I'd like to know what I've missed" she told him, "The world is probably very different to how I left it... it's been six years"
Her voice disappeared and she stared past him and out of the window. It was just hitting her, the fact she'd lost so much of her youth to a disease, albeit mental rather than physical. It had taken away her freedom, her independence, her very world. She wasn't sure yet how she was supposed to get over that.
"Buffy!" William said urgently, making her physically jump, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you" he apologised immediately, "I just, when you stopped responding..."
"It's okay" she nodded her understanding, "I think my Mom was scared that when I went to sleep I wouldn't wake up" she admitted sadly, "Kind of bothered me too"
"You're going to be okay, Buffy" William assured her, squeezing her hand, "You're a very strong young woman, and there are people here that believe in you"
"Like you" she realised as she looked at him seriously. Their eyes locked together and for the first time in months William saw perfect clarity in her hazel orbs. She was totally here with him, not half elsewhere in a fake world she'd invented, but really here.
"Yes, Buffy" he said solemnly, "I'm here for you, I believe in you"
She smiled at that as she laid back on the bed and closed her eyes. She wanted to stay awake, keep talking to William, see her parents again, but she was just so tired.
"I should go" she heard the Spike-double say as his hand slipped from hers. With lightening reactions she grabbed his fingers again, her eyes shooting open.
"Do you have to?" she asked, looking terribly innocent and childlike. William's heart just melted.
"Not if you wish me to stay" he admitted, "I just thought you wanted to rest"
"I can rest with you here" Buffy said softly, feeling a little silly needing someone to stay with her until she fell asleep, but the truth was she was still very wary of this world. Apart from her parents, William was the only familiar person she'd seen here. He had all the best parts of Spike with none of the badness, making him almost too good to be true.
"I shall stay if you wish it" he promised, and she smiled as she closed her eyes again.
"Just until I fall asleep" she murmured as the land of dreams took her over.
When William noticed her breathing even out and was certain Buffy was asleep he slipped his hand out from under hers and stood up to leave. He didn't want to go. Truthfully he could stay here forever, watching her sleep until she woke again and smiled bright as the sun, but her parents deserved some time with her, after so many years of waiting for their daughter to return.
As he stood looking at her now he wondered how he'd come to feel so much for the girl. It was almost four years ago that he'd spent part of his training at the institution. He'd seen her first then and if he hadn't had more sense he'd have reckoned he'd fallen in love with her on sight, despite the fact she didn't see him at all. When his training ended and he was forced to leave, he was told if he wanted to come back to claim a full time job he was more than welcome, but he was headed back to England assuming he'd never return.
Six months later, following the unfortunate passing of his mother, William had come back to America, intent on settling down in the foreign land. He loved California and he had made some friends there during his training in Los Angeles. He visited the institution just days after arriving back in LA and had found Buffy still there, still terribly unwell.
Within a few months he'd accepted the offer of a job there and had stayed there ever since, tending to patients, assisting doctors, and slowly falling deeper and deeper in love with Buffy Summers, a girl that it seemed didn't even know he existed. Last Summer he'd hoped they'd got her back, she'd seemed so lucid and aware of everybody, but this time was short lived and her delusion soon pulled her back out of reality.
This time she seemed to really be back in the real world. She had taken to calling him William, which he took to be a good sign, after spending the better part of last Summer convincing her his name wasn't Spike. He could only assume there was a character in her fantasy that wore his face, which both disturbed and thrilled him at the same time. She'd noticed him enough to place him in her hallucination, and yet he was not himself there.
The ramblings within his head did no good and he sighed in defeat, watching as Buffy shifted in her sleep and smiled feintly. He hoped she was having sweet dreams, perhaps of the two of them together. It was wishful thoughts like this that often filled his own head of a night. Beautiful images of them walking and talking and laughing and kissing, if only such dreams would one day come true - he lived in hope.
"Sweet dreams, luv" he whispered, leaning over to place a soft kiss on her forehead, "I'll see you later"
Dawn was crying in her room. She'd barely stopped since Willow had told her Buffy really was under this spell for a semi-permenant amount of time. Spike could hear the Nibblet from here, bawling her eyes out, the smell of salt water evident even at this range. The whelp was outside the kid's door, giving words of comfort as best he could, whilst the little red witch poured over books downstairs, desperate to find a stronger, better cure for Buffy's bizarre ailment.
Spike had been left to watch over the patient, a minor miracle given Xander's usual threats. Still, someone needed to stay with the comatose Slayer and after his little bout of life-saving just an hour ago, the Scoobies couldn't really accuse him of being untrustworthy. Her eyes had fallen closed a few minutes ago and Spike was half afraid his precious girl was about to shuffle off this mortal coil, but her breathing remained and he kept a check on her pulse, holding her hand in his, fingers curled down her wrist. He would live by the rhythm of her heart until she came back to him, despite the fact she'd probably kick him out of her house the moment she came to. He wouldn't care. He just wanted to know she was okay.
"I'm sorry we couldn't stop this sooner, pet" he said softly in the silent room, "I just hope, whatever world your seein', it might be a bit happier than what we've got here" he sighed, "Hope you're having sweet dreams, luv" he whispered, leaning over her and pressing a kiss to her forehead, before settling back into the chair beside her and preparing for a long days vigil.
To Be Continued...