Convulsus 5/?
By: Broodus Foreheadus
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel the Series, nor do I make any money from these stories. I am just borrowing the guys, but I can't promise they will be clean when I give them back. ;)
Warnings: At this point you should know….
A.N. I want to thank those of you who have been reviewing, and I ask that you all keep 'em coming! I love knowing that people are reading my story!
A.N I apologize for how long it's taken getting this up. All I can say is that I go to school and have a full time job and free time is limited. I hope I still have readers out there! I recently lost a family member and I've felt that I haven't been in the right mindset to do this story justice. I assure you that no matter how long it takes, I'll finish this story.
Spike was lost.
At first, it was as if Spike was in a dream world. Like Xander was just asleep and he would wake up and they would live happily ever after. But that dream was quickly shattered. Soon, the days stretched into weeks, and the weeks into months, and Xander never so much as twitched. When Thanksgiving came around, Spike did his best to stay positive around Xanders still form still clinging to the hope that he may be able to hear him speaking. While he was away, however, Spike couldn't help but watch those hopes crash down around him.
Christmas was spent by Xanders bedside. The Scoobies finally deigned to ask Spike for safe passage to visit Xander when they started to realize Xander was in deep trouble. By then, Spike had no more delusions left about 'happily ever after' and just couldn't turn them away. They filled the room on Christmas day and were nearly deafened by each others' silent wishes. It lasted hours, until finally they started to trickle out like sand through fingers leaving an exhausted Spike to sleep, head laid gently on Xanders' hand.
By this point, it was obvious to the Scoobies that Spike was in love with Xander. They couldn't help but see the devotion in his eyes, and the hopelessness. As the months rolled by, they could only watch as Spike wasted away until he was nothing but a shell, a walking corpse, shuffling about the little room fluffing Xanders' pillows or straightening his blankets. They surmised that the only thing keeping him going was that sliver of hope that he could one day hold Xander and have Xander be able to hold him back.
Spike longed to feel those strong arms wrap around him, to him moan his name while they make love. Most of all, Spike wanted to gaze into those chocolate brown eyes and feel the love and safety he just knew lay there.
Love.
Safe.
Those two words, feelings, have been so elusive to him since before he was turned. With Angelus and Darla it was all death and gore and domination. With Drusilla it was about obsession. Thinking back, Spike found that some of his best non-violence related memories were of nights spent tied to that god awful chair watching Star Trek reruns until he wanted to pull his hair out. During that time, they became, well not friends, but they weren't enemies either. Spike was fully aware that Xander wasn't his anything, but he would settle for being not-enemies if the boy would just wake up.
"What the hell do you mean Xander can't stay here?"
It was the most emotion the doctor had seen from Spike in a long time.
"W-w-we-… erm," he spluttered.
"Out with it," Spike ordered, barely choking back a growl.
He cleared his throat. "Well, it seems that no one has been paying for his insurance since he was admitted and they have denied him any further coverage. Without that coverage, we are forced to discharge Mr. Harris. I'm truly sorry."
Spike could barely restrain himself from throttling the doctor with his own limbs, even though he knew the chip wouldn't let him. The rage was suddenly replaced by a wave of despair. How the hell am I going to take care of my boy? Spike had the funds to give Xander a very cushy life for more than a few lifetimes. The problem is that he won't be able to access it for weeks.
He sighed heavily and nearly collapsed into his chair.
"What are we gonna do now Xander?"
At this the doctor spoke up.
"If I may?" At Spikes' nod he continued. "I am aware of your… problems reguarding sunlight and pointy wooden objects and I believe I can offer a suggestion."
Spikes jaw dropped at the doctors' unexpected knowledge of vampires. The doctor must have read his expression correctly because a wry grin broke out across his face.
"Oh come now. I'm a doctor working the graveyard shift at Sunnydale Memorial. I've seen and met enough 'people' to know that there is a whole other world out there full of things most people in this town choose to believe reside in nightmares."
"Well shit," Spike said after a pause, "it makes sense. I guess."
"Of course it does," he said shortly. "Now, I know of a place you can take Mr. Harris. It's a hospital run by demons for demons and their human... companions. Few know about this place so you're lucky you got me as a doctor. I will warn you though, their services are quite expensive."
"Not for me Doc you can bloody well believe that. How does a human like yourself get to know about a place like this?"
"My grandmother is a Lewk demon. I'm only mostly human. Plus, I'm one of the founders of the hospital. I'll leave the address with your discharge papers. I'll call ahead and have a private room set up for you. We can work out the payment after everything is settled. Enjoy your evening."
Spike was speechless. He was barely able to mutter a "Thank you" before the doctor swept from the room.
The doctor made good on his word. And he was fast about it. In less than half an hour, Spike had Xander In the back of the Desoto and the address to the demon hospital in hand. Soon enough, he brought the vehicle to a halt outside, not surprisingly, an old seemingly abandoned factory.
Bloody hell. How many abandoned factories does one town need? Spike thought to himself. As he studied the building, he spotted a small, squirrelly looking man watching him through a small window in a metal door off to the left side of the building. He stepped out of the car and flashed his gameface. The mild cuirosity on the man's face was soon replaced by fear and the man scurried out the door toward him clutching a clipboard to his chest.
"W-would you b-be Master S-spike?"
"I would," Spike finally said after a long moment.
"G-good. Uh. I'll H-have some guys out here to take M-mr. Har-"
Spike growled. "Nobody touches my boy but me and the doc you hear?"
The poor man looked like he was going to pass out. Spike Hadn't had this much fun In a long time.
"Y-y-y-y-yes sir! N-Nobody t-t-touches. This way please!"
With that, the man nearly sprinted through the door. Spike chuckled as he listened to the man began informing the staff of is arrival. Love it when my reputation precedes me.
Soon enough, the orderlies had them in their room with a setup remarkably similar to the human hospital except the windows had been cemented in. Pretty good setup for a place that doesn't exist, Spike thought.
Spike was just settling down for the day, when there was a knock at the door. As he opened the door, Spike was surprised to see the doctor.
"Well now how are we settling in? Good I expect. You already have the entire staff on this floor terrified."
Spike raised an eyebrow. "That wasn't entirely my fault. But I can't complain. At least now I know they'll do their jobs to the fullest when it comes to Xander."
The doctor chuckled. "Isn't that the truth. Now as I said before, the services here are very expensive. I have to treat you as any other when it comes to financial matters. I'm sure you understand."
Instead of being pissed, Spike was rather impressed. It's not everyday that he meets a partial demon who would speak to him without even a tremble in their voice. Nonetheless, this man was helping xander so the least he could do was be courtious.
"I couldn't agree with you more doc. No worries. I made some calls earlier. Money is being wired as we speak. If there's any problems just ask right?"
"Of course Master Spike. Now I'll leave you to rest." With that, the doctor swept from the room closing the door quietly behind him.
Spike moved over to the bedside, placed a kiss on Xander's forehead, and lay his head on his boy's hand.
"Come back to me my love."
The beast crashes ever closer. Only now it's not one, but many. Hundreds. Hundreds of hundreds. Still he runs. He has long since forgotten language, or any meaning of self. He is... just is. Except that thing. The thing inside that keeps him from just letting them devour him. He knows there is something more that awaits him. Something... safe.
A slash across his back rips him from his musings. That one slash snaps something deep within him. Gives him a strength, a rage he never had before. This new rage poured over him, into him, filled him.
Without a thought, he did something he'd never done before. Not in all the centuries he'd been there.
He stopped.
Fueled by that rage, he threw himself into the din. Fighting not for his life, but for that 'something more' he knows is out there. Giving himself to that sweet, dark rage, he fights. He fights.
It's early morning. Spike is sound asleep, head still in it's usual place upon Xander's hand. The hospital is still. It's almost as if the building itself has gone to sleep. A figure waits in the doorway, completely still. Waiting. Watching. Suddenly, It happens. It watches as eyelids flutter and chocolate brown eyes fill not with youthful humanity, but ancient, ageless darkness.
Having witnessed all that he came to see, the figure simply fades away.