Chapter 35

"I'm very worried about my son. He hasn't been sleeping well and he's hardly eating. He doesn't even care to talk to me." Giles said and Joyce gave his hand a comforting squeeze. They decided to talk at her house because they didn't want Spike to overhear them.

"Things will get better, Rupert. We have to believe that. My baby will wake up and William will go back to being the same person he always was. He just loves her very much. This is hard for all of us." Joyce explained and Giles nodded in understanding.

"I just wish there was more I could do. I have never seen him like this before. I don't know what he would have done to that man if I wasn't there." Giles placed his head in his hands and Joyce rubbed his shoulders, both of them thinking about their children.

"So, what's going on down there?" Harmony asked Dawn once she came back upstairs from eavesdropping on the adults.

"Just Giles being concerned for Spike. I'm kinda concerned for him, too. He's not doing so well. We all miss Buffy and hope that she gets better, but he's taking it harder than anyone else. We should go talk to him." Dawn said and Harmony didn't like that plan.

"I doubt he'll listen to us. He won't even talk to anyone right now. He would probably just bite our heads off if we went over there. I don't wanna deal with a pissed off Spike." Dawn sighed and sat down on her sister's bed.

"He's not really pissed off; I think he's just sad. He needs a friend right now." Harmony agreed and they both remained silent after that. Dawn's eyes lit up when she finally got an idea. "I know just the person that can help him." Harmony was curious as Dawn went to the phone and dialed a familiar number. Dawn really hoped she would be able to help Spike.

Spike was just lying in bed and staring up at the ceiling, when someone then barged into his room. He didn't even bother to look and see who it was. "You're being really pathetic. I want you to get out of bed." Spike sighed when he recognized Faith and still didn't care to move. She had enough and grabbed his arm, pulling him off of the bed. He pulled his arm out of her grasp and glared at her.

"What do you want?" He grumbled and Faith rolled her eyes.

"I want you to stop acting like this. Dawn called me because she was worried about you. You're not looking so hot right now. You need to get out of this room and get some fresh air. Eating something would do you some good also." Spike turned away from her.

"Sod off," he mumbled and Faith grew even angrier. She grabbed his arm harder and turned him back around.

"You're better than this, Spike. Sitting in your room and feeling sorry for yourself is not gonna make things better; it's not going to help Buffy." Spike gave her a hard stare, but didn't say anything. "She needs you right now. She needs you to be strong. How would you feel when she wakes up and sees you like this? Knowing that you've been cutting yourself off from everyone and not even eating? That would only upset her and I know you don't want that. She is going to pull through, but she can't do it alone. She needs you now more than ever, Spike." Faith finished and Spike's expression softened, tears forming in his eyes.

"I don't know what to do." He said in a soft tone and Faith was pleased that she got through to him.

"I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you what might help. You should go for a walk or something, clear your head. You just need to get out of this house. And if you don't, I will personally kick your ass. You're driving everyone crazy." Spike graced her with a small smile and she was relieved to see it. He then gave her a hug and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you." He whispered and she held him tighter.

"I love you, too." They then pulled out of the hug and she gave him a pat on the back. "Now, get out of here." He nodded as he headed downstairs and out of the house. He decided to go back to the hospital and see how Buffy was doing. He has been avoiding it for a few days now because he was afraid of what he would find out, but he couldn't go any longer without seeing her.

Spike finally made it to the hospital a few minutes later and headed right for her room. He took a deep breath before he walked inside and noticed that nothing seemed to change. She looked the same as the last time he saw her. He sat by her bed and realized that she had a little more color in her cheeks. He took that as a good sign and grabbed her hand in his. "Hey, baby. Sorry I haven't been by lately, things have been crazy. I'm here now and I promise I won't leave your side again." Spike talked to her about everything that has been going on with him and the others, not leaving anything out. He didn't care if she would be disappointed in him when she woke up; she had a right to know how he spent the last week.

"Is that her?" He stopped at the sound of a voice coming from the doorway and smiled when he saw the same boy that he met before.

"Yeah, this is my girl. It's Matthew, right?" He nodded and walked further into the room.

"She's really pretty." He said and Spike agreed.

"Bloody gorgeous is more like it. How've you been, kid?" Matthew shrugged and sat down in another chair that was in the room.

"I feel fine, some days are better than others. How is she doing?" Spike sighed and turned his gaze back on Buffy.

"She looks a little better, but she still hasn't woken up. I don't know what else to do." He said in a defeated tone, finally realizing that he couldn't do anything for Buffy.

"You're doing all you can. Just being here and talking to her is enough. She can hear everything you're saying." Matthew told him and Spike raised his eyebrows.

"How do you know that?" He wondered and Matthew shrugged again.

"I know about coma victims. I had an accident when I was younger and was put in one for about a month. They need something to keep them on this plane, so they don't drift off completely into their mind. She can hear you and knowing that you're here will help her to wake up. She won't drift away if you keep talking to her and try to keep her here. She'll do whatever she can to come back to you." Spike nodded and realized that this kid was pretty smart. It was just sad because it seemed like he hasn't had the best life.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Matthew nodded also and then stood up.

"I should get back now. I wasn't even supposed to leave my room, but I hate being cooped up in one place for too long." He said and Spike could definitely understand that. "Take care of yourself, Spike. I know she'll be okay, it's not her time yet." Matthew was about to walk away, when Spike spoke again.

"What about you?" He said and Matthew looked back at him.

"I think my time is about to run out. There's not much else they can do for me, but I'm not afraid to die. I would miss my parents and everything, but I know I'll be going to a better place. As long as I keep thinking about that, it's not so scary." Spike gave a sad smile and really felt for him. He was very brave for someone so young. Matthew then walked out of the room and Spike was left with his thoughts as he looked at Buffy. He was now more determined than ever that she would wake up.

"I know you can hear me, love. I want you to know that I'll always be here for you. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here when you decide that it's time to come back. I love you so much, Buffy. It's important that you always believe that." He didn't know what else to say and just raised her hand to his lips, giving it a soft kiss. He then looked to see if he got any reaction from her. He sighed when nothing changed and was about to let her hand go, when he suddenly felt her fingers squeeze him. Spike was so surprised by that and then looked at her face again. He was even more surprised to see a pair of beautiful, green eyes staring back at him.