Slayers, Vampires, and Genetically Engineered Oh My!

Disclaimer: Joss Wheadon owns Buffy; Cameron, Eglee, and the Fox guys Dark Angel

Chapter 5

Previously:

Buffy blinked, and that's when she realized that she had spoken that last out loud. Caught, she tried to think of something to say to divert them, but her headache returned in full force and she was in too much pain to think of something appropriate.

"Ugh," was all she could say, hand going to her head even as she swayed and pitched forward.

"Hey!" "Buffy!" "Whoa!"

Four pairs of startled hands reached out to steady the unsteady Slayer as she toppled over. Willow had been closest and had understood somewhat of what was about to happen; having already begun reaching forward the moment Buffy's hand had risen to her head.

She caught the full force of the Slayer's weight, which was considerable, for such a little thing that she was. Willow grunted as she and Buffy went down under the combined weight, taking the brunt of the impact.

Helping hands reached in a few moments later, taking the semi-conscious blond off of the wheezing redhead, and a familiar pair helped her up.

"Thanks, Ms. Calendar," Willow spoke gratefully to the one who made sure she was okay.

It shouldn't have hurt so bad that Xander and Giles were more concerned over Buffy than they were she. But that was okay; Buffy was the one who passed out.

"Is she okay?"

That seemed to be the question on everybody's lips. Giles and Xander helped Buffy to a nearby chair; Giles forcefully nudging Xander back so Buffy had room to breathe.

"Buffy. Buffy, are you all right?" Giles asked again, concern creasing his face, an almost paternal expression. She was his Slayer after all, the best in his private opinion that he'd never admit aloud, she rarely if ever was sick, and this worried him.

"No," she all but whispered, wincing as the light hit her eyes and she shut them tight, resting her forehead on the cool tabletop.

She didn't want to be here. But here was better than the alternative that just wanted to suck her down.

He was shaking, and he wouldn't stop. She could hear him, hear as his body was wracked with intense shakes that shook him so hard bones creaked and his breathing became labored.

"Jack! Jack, please stop! They'll take you away if you won't!"

The little girl who would become Buffy later on begged her older 'sibling' in desperation.

Hadn't they already lost Kane and Marko when they had the shakes like this? Didn't they ever come back, and nobody had known where they went, until Maxie found their barcodes on the plaques of the newest graves in the Bad Place?

"T-try-trying t-t-to s-stop-op," he wheezed out, eyes wide and he winced at the little bit of spotlight coming through the window.

"H-h-hurts. Light…hurts. H-h-head a-ach-aching."

Tears of agony rolled down his boyish face, and he never cried out, only gasped for breath.

"Please, Jack! They're coming, we have to get in line!"

"No…please, no!" Buffy begged, tears streaming down her own face, unaware she was crying.

"Buff…Buffy!"

Blinking and squinting up as she tried to pull herself together, Buffy looked into the faces of those surrounding her. Willow look frightened, Xander worried, Giles and Jenny –Ms. Calendar- appeared alarmed. And she was too muddled to do anything.

"What's wrong?" Willow sounded as frightened as she looked.

"S-seizures," Buffy admitted.

"Seizures?" Giles gaped, looking at her as if seeing her for the very first time.

Wonder what he'll say when he finds out I'm not a hundred percent human, Buffy wondered wearily, then snapped back on track.

"Need to take medicine," she slurred out, reaching for her bag, fumbled trying to open it, gave up and directed Jenny as she moved into help.

"What do you need?" the brunette computer teacher asked, her very voice and manner soothing and going a long way to helping calm Buffy down.

"Tryptophan. Big bottle. Water, or milk, if there's any."

Jenny reached inside the bag, rummaging around quickly until she found the bottle of medicine, and another bottle filled with water.

"How many?" she ordered, and spilled several into her hand, not waiting for an answer.

"That should do it," Buffy reached for them, ignoring the raised brows surprise on Jenny's face, but the techno teacher just let her have them and the water.

"Can she take those without getting into trouble for not having it registered the medication with the office?" Willow asked and was shushed.

"Willow!" Xander hissed.

They all watched anxiously as Buffy downed the pills and about a quarter of the water in one sitting. She was pale, even paler than she had been this morning, so that Willow's remark about being vampire pale was true.

"I think I need to lie down," she fairly whimpered, and was led to Giles' office where he swept some books off a cot in one corner and Buffy gratefully sank onto it.

"Shoulda known better," she murmured.

"Known what better?" Giles questioned, crouching near his Slayer.

"Should have known they'd come back. Was lucky too long, too often. Had to have happened," she muttered drowsily, eyes fluttering as sleep overtook her other needs.

"What? The seizures?"

Whatever Buffy said next was lost to gibberish, her words too soft and too slurred together to be understood. Then she was silent except for the rise and fall of her breathing, but it was an uneasy slumber they could tell.

And then the shaking started again.