The house was alight with candles, a dim glow around the place as the whole of Sunnydale had been plunged into darkness. For the past two days, the place of the hellmouth had been riddled with mini earthquakes and now there was also a blackout. Kat was fed up and bored. Giles had been researching to see if this was something normal, which they all thought it wasn't. Or if it was some kind of omen and what it meant. Spike was scribbling away in one of his many notebooks and Kat heaved a deep sigh as her tower of tarot cards wobbled before collapsing in on itself. There wasn't much to do without power. Usually, she and Spike would be snuggled up watching TV or something. They weren't tired enough to sleep, the energy in the air making them restless. And they'd already had a few rounds of sex, so that was a no go too. They'd been at the magic shop earlier but Giles had sent them all home and said he'd keep researching. She'd rather be nose deep in a book that made no sense to her right now and that was saying something.
A firm knock sounded at the door and Kat jumped up, happy for something other than repeatedly making a tower of cards, only to watch them fall, to do. She swung open the door to see Buffy. A very stressed looking Buffy.
"What is it?" Kat asked tensely. For all she knew, Giles had discovered a looming apocalypse and Kat really couldn't be bothered dealing with one right now.
"It's Dawn," Buffy replied with a frown.
"What?" Kat asked, panic lacing her tone. Spike suddenly appeared at her side after hearing Buffy.
"We got into a fight about school again, but she took off. I'm guessing you haven't seen her?" Buffy asked worriedly.
"No, she's not been by," Kat murmured with a frown.
"Not safe out there for her with the way things are," Spike pointed out gravely.
"I'm gonna let the others know. If she's not with them then we need to find her soon. It's getting pretty dicey out there. I think the demons are feeding off whatever is happening around here," Buffy mused.
"We'll head out and look. Just call Kat on her cell if you find her," Spike muttered as he moved to grab his coat. Buffy gave them both a grateful smile.
"Will do. Be safe," her last words were aimed at Kat as she gave her arm a squeeze before she hurried off down the path.
Kat and Spike got ready to go out. Boots and coats on and of course, a few stakes tucked away just in case. Before long, they were traipsing around Sunnydale in search of the young teen. They'd been to some of Dawn's known friends' houses but turned up empty handed each time. With each passing minute, Kat was getting more and more anxious.
"I'm sure the Bit's fine. Probably just hidin' out somewhere," Spike murmured, wrapping a reassuring arm around Kat's shoulders as they walked.
"Or she's laying dead somewhere," Kat huffed flatly. Spike gave her a look and she sighed, her body sagging a little.
"I'm just… worried," she admitted with a frown.
"I know, pet. But we'll find her," he replied, kissing the side of her head sweetly. She smiled to herself as they made it to a row of shops. Most were closed apart from a few places that still had open signs. An all nighter diner and a 24/7 milkshake shop that Kat had been grateful for more than a few times. She was surprised to see anywhere open with the blackout but hopefully Dawn would be there.
"I'll check the Shake Shack, you check the diner?" She suggested. He nodded, his arm moving away from her as they went their separate ways.
A bell chimed above the door as she walked inside but it was eerily empty, despite the sign outside saying they were open.
"Hello?" She called out, peering over the counter and trying to see through the door to the back room. There was no answer though.
"Great …" she muttered, shaking her head. It didn't seem like Dawn was here but she'd really hoped she'd walk in and spy her cousin slurping on a shake or just huddled with people hiding out the blackout. Was life ever that simple? Her thoughts were broken as the ground started to shake again. But instead of only light tremors that lasted a few seconds as it had been doing, the shaking steadily got worse and Kat fell over. Dust and debris started to rain down on her and she covered her head with her arms, trying to stand so she could run to the door and get out of there. She couldn't get to her feet though as the shaking got worse and worse and worse. A sense of dread took over her stomach as all the tables and chairs fell over, the building groaning with the intensity of the earthquake.
Spike walked into the diner, a few patrons turning to look at him. The people here looked miserable and a few candles were lit so it wasn't completely dark. He walked right over to the counter where an older woman was wiping down the counter top.
"Powers out, we're not taking customers," she muttered. Spike rolled his eyes a bit as he leveled a look at her.
"Yeah... Kinda figured. I'm lookin' for someone. Young girl, dark hair-" he started dryly, being interrupted when another earthquake started. It didn't take him long to realize this one was far worse than the rest. People started screaming as they hid under the tables and he was almost knocked off balance. Kat. He scrambled on wobbly feet to the door, leaning on the wall outside for support so he didn't fall over as he tried to get to the Shake Shack. People were screaming and trying to run away but failing. It was chaotic.
"Kat!" He called out, growling at his body's inability to walk right. She was still inside and if his heart was beating it would have stopped as he saw the building starting to move in a way it wasn't supposed to. She finally appeared in the doorway, on her knees as her body got thrown about. The ground started shaking violently, and before he could get there, the building his soulmate was in collapsed in on itself and the sound he made wasn't anything he'd ever heard before. The shaking stopped and all he could do was stand there looking at the rubble for a moment in complete shock. But then he snapped out of it.
"Kat!" He bellowed, running right to the ruins of the building. He wasted no time in chucking the pieces of rubble, trying to move enough to find her. He repeated her name over and over like it would assist in his search as he frantically moved the ruins of the building. One block of cement revealed her foot and it only made him move faster until she was uncovered. His heart was suddenly seized by a pain he'd never known before as he looked down at her.
"Oh god, no," he lamented, not even realizing he was crying as he reached out to her. She was broken. Unmoving and still like one of Dru's porcelain dolls. He quickly closed his eyes, trying to ignore the collective panic of everyone else after the large earthquake. He finally heard it. Thump… thump… thump. It was slow and faint, far too slow and faint for him to be comfortable with, but it was still bloody beating. He knew it was pointless calling for an ambulance. Everyone was in a tizzy with all that was going on. He couldn't wait and hope for help to arrive. He didn't have time. He scooped up her fragile body, not even getting a peep from her despite the broken bones he knew she had.
"Oi, you! Take me to the hospital!" Spike demanded roughly to a guy about to get in his car. The man looked at him and Kat in his arms before he squinted.
"I've got places I need to be-" the man started, stopping abruptly when Spike's face changed into vamp face.
"Take us to the bloody hospital or I'll rip your soddin' throat out," he growled menacingly. He didn't have time for this crap. It wasn't like he had the chip in his brain anymore to stop him from following through on his threat. Sure, he had his soul and he wanted to be a better man for Kat, but it wouldn't mean a damn thing if the girl was dead, now would it? The man nodded in wide eyes as he unlocked the car with a shaky hand. Spike got in the back with Kat still in his arms, being careful not to jar her broken body too much. The man drove quickly, breaking the speed limit after Spike threatened him some more. Somewhere along the way, the power seemed to come back on. The street lights now working.
"It's alright, luv. I'm gonna get you help. You just hold on for me, okay? You've gotta hold on, pet," he pleaded quietly, his face now back to normal. Her heartbeat was getting slower and fainter and he felt like he was ready to throw up. He hated looking at her in this state yet couldn't seem to take his eyes away. Why couldn't he have gotten to her in time? He was supposed to look after her and now she was hurt. Dangling on the ledge of death. He couldn't live if she didn't. Wasn't even a bloody option.
When the guy screeched to a halt outside the emergency room, Spike didn't even thank him as he rushed out of the car with Kat and hurried inside.
"We need help!" He yelled, watching as a few nurses scurried around and two of them grabbed a bed and wheeled it over. Spike carefully laid her on it before she was being wheeled away. When he made his way to go after her, another nurse stopped him.
"I'm sorry but you can't go back there. The best thing to do is wait out here and we'll let you know if anything happens. It might be best to call family and anyone else that needs to know," she smiled sympathetically before she moved away. Family. Right. He'd need to tell the Slayer and the others. He moved to sit down as he grabbed his cell out of his pocket. His hands were shaking and he knew he was in shock. He stared at his phone for a long moment as the pain consumed him until it turned him inside out. Before he knew it, he was sobbing. He couldn't lose her. Not now. Not after everything. It would be fitting. To gift him with such a precious soulmate only to rip it away like this. It would be karma, wouldn't it? His penance for all he'd done. She was going to die and her only crime was loving him. He poisoned everything he touched.
He let himself cry until there was nothing left inside of him but emptiness. Only then did he dial the Slayer's number.
"Hey," Buffy greeted down the phone. It made his insides twist up knowing what he needed to tell her. She continued before he could even get a word out.
"We just found Dawn. She was hiding out in the basement of the magick shop," she murmured. In the chaos he'd been going through, he'd completely forgot about the Bit. He was glad they'd found her safe but he couldn't find it in him to be happy.
"Buffy… I… uh…" he cleared his throat as it suddenly constricted and he squeezed his eyes shut as he felt them prick with tears again.
"What's wrong?" She asked warily, picking up on his broken tone.
"Kat… She got caught in the last earthquake. Building came right down on her. We're at the hospital, " he explained shakily. Complete silence followed and he half thought she'd hung up.
"How… how bad is it?" She whispered. He didn't think he'd ever heard her sound so young and vulnerable.
"It's uh… it's really bad," he admitted tearfully. He could hear her rapid breathing down the other end.
"I'll ask Dawn to stay at a friend's and we'll come right there," she muttered.
"Alright. See you soon," he hung up quickly as he choked back another sob.
When Buffy and the gang, including Giles, turned up, Spike was surprised to get a hug from the witches. Even got a squeeze on the arm from Buffy. The air was somber and tense as they waited what felt like a lifetime for news. It reminded him of when she got shot, but this was different. It was worse. He'd seen how broken she was. Heard how weak her heart was.
"Are you the family of Katherine Summers?" A doctor asked as he came over and sat in the chairs in front of them.
"We are? How is she?" Buffy asked quickly. Spike was rendered mute by his shock and pain and he heard the doctor's heartbeat skip a little, dread twisting him up.
"I won't lie to you, it's not good. She flatlined on the table while we tried to stop the internal bleeding. We managed to stabilize her but her injuries are pretty severe. We've had to intubate her… There's a very real possibility she won't make it out of this, I need you all to be aware of that," the doctor stated grimly. Spike hung his head, clutching roughly at his hair with his hands as the pain swallowed him whole. He was only mildly aware of a hand rubbing his back and he knew it was one of the witches but couldn't care which one. He felt glad for the lack of needing to breathe or he'd be in a heap on the floor. He couldn't focus on the rest of the stuff the doctor was saying but then Buffy asked if they could see her. The doctor said something about saying their goodbyes just in case and Spike had to refrain from murdering him.
He could hear the death march in his head as they made their way to her room. Last time she was here, he was at the front of everyone, rushing to her side. He couldn't this time. It was far too painful knowing this could actually be it for her. She'd already bloody flatlined once. They all rushed into the room as he hung back, hearing their gasps and mutterings as they saw her. A stab of nerves hit him, making his feet unable to move and walk into the room for a moment.
"Oh god, Kat," he heard Buffy weep. He finally walked in and something cracked inside of him as his eyes settled on his girl. She was a mess of bruises and swelling, a tube shoved down her throat. It hurt to look at her yet all he could do was stare. Buffy was at her side, clutching her hand but Spike didn't go to the other. Could do little else but stand there and gape at her as he drowned in his impending grief.
He tuned them all out as they tearfully spoke to her sleeping form. Words that weren't quite goodbyes but felt like them anyway. The machine was beeping away but he was listening to her actual heartbeat. It was steadier than before but it still wasn't great. But he tried to cling to the sound of it to comfort himself that she was still here with him. For however long. He wasn't sure how long he stood there motionless for but then he was being tugged out of the room by a glassy eyed Buffy.
"I need you to do me a favor," she murmured painfully as they got into the hallway. Spike scoffed at her as he gave her a look. The cheek of this bint, asking him for a favor when his soulmate was laid up dying in the room right next to them. His face must have said it all as she carried on talking.
"If Kat dies, you need to turn her," she begged desperately. Spike blinked at her, sure he'd misheard her. His brain couldn't quite compute that the Slayer was asking this of him.
"Buffy… you're not in your right mind. If I turn her, she comes back without a soul. She won't be the same Kat you know," he replied slowly. He knew the girl was struggling with the idea of another loss. It wasn't like he wasn't struggling either. It was strange. The old selfish Spike would have turned her in a heartbeat. Hell, he'd planned to back when he'd met her. It wasn't like he'd love her any less less without a soul. He might not like some of the stuff she'd get up to, now he had his soul, but it was better than the alternative. But he couldn't do that to her. Dru's words floated through his mind then and it made him tense. It wasn't happening. He wouldn't do this to her.
"I… I know that! But I can get Will and Tara to do a spell so she keeps her soul!" She was clutching at straws and he knew she knew it too.
"You're actin' crazy. It hurts but I won't turn Kat against her will like this. She wouldn't want that," he muttered. He knew Kat wouldn't want that. He'd spent so long wanting to turn her, from the moment he first laid eyes on her. He'd told himself, and her, that he'd do it to get at Buffy. To hurt her. But he knew deep down he'd always been infatuated by her. Fascinated by her. He'd wanted her all to himself. Forever. But then he started caring about her and it changed things. Because he couldn't do something like that and have her hate him forever. He just couldn't. He had toyed with the idea of turning her maybe one day, if she asked him to. If she chose that life then he'd gladly oblige. He wanted her to live forever with him, soul or not. He didn't like thinking of the future too much because he knew she had a life expectancy. He just hadn't expected the reaper to come knocking so soon.
"You really won't turn her?" Buffy asked incredulously.
"No. I won't," he replied firmly. She laughed but it was unpleasant. He knew she was hurting but so was he.
"Wow. And here I thought you actually loved her, but obviously you don't. She's gonna die and what will be left of you? Nothing. She's the only good thing about you and when she's gone, it's gonna eat you up from the inside out knowing you could have stopped it," she bit out scathingly before she slipped back into the room. Spike stood in the hallway for a moment as her words burrowed into his mind. He had to remind himself that Kat wouldn't want to be turned, not like this. But Buffy's words got to him. She was right. Kat was the only good thing about him and once she was gone, what would be left of him? Nothing, just like Buffy said.