Spike stumbled into the basement of his home through his access to the sewer system. He dropped the sword to the ground and tried to shrug out of his coat before he gave up. He limped toward the stairs and heard Buffy's voice raised in anger.

"Shut up, Xander. I don't want to hear it."

Spike leaned against the wall and looked up the stairs. He closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall. He rubbed his fingers on the folded paper he held tightly in one hand.

"You have got to see that this is crazy. Didn't you learn anything recently? Vampires bad, Buffy. How many more of us have to die before you quit jumping into bed with them?" Xander's outrage flowed out in his words. "Is the sex worth it, Buffy?"

"You are being a jerk, Xander Harris. He's keeping you safe, giving you a roof over your head, and all you can do is bitch and moan. I'm tired of it. The rest of the gang is over with Giles. Go there and let me do this."

"This is ridiculous. You are cooking for a vampire. He doesn't need the food." Xander accentuated each statement by thumping his hand on the kitchen island.

"He doesn't need it, but he likes it. He's out there doing my job, so I can recuperate a few extra days. I want to do something for him. He hasn't been feeding much and I'm hoping this helps." Buffy opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bag of blood.

"Sleeping with him isn't enough?" Xander snarled.

"Get out of my house, Xander." Buffy's voice rang through the house as she yelled.

"This isn't your house, Buffy. You can't kick me out."

Spike managed the final steps in a rush and pushed his way into the kitchen. He pulled himself up and forced his body to walk as normally as possible.

"I say it is her house, and she can do whatever she bloody well pleases." Spike glared at the three Xanders, trying to bring just one into focus.

"Oh my goodness!" Buffy vaulted over the kitchen island and caught Spike as he began to collapse.

"Get the blood, Xander." Buffy ripped Spike's jacket off and pulled the shredded clothing back from his gaping wound.

"Get it yourself, Buffy. I'm not helping him." Xander turned away from the pair crouched on the floor and walked toward the basement door. He cast one last glance back and watched as Buffy folded the jacket into a pillow and tucked it gently under Spike's head. He shuddered and escaped into the basement.

Spike looked up at her haloed by the kitchen light and he smiled. "I've survived worse. Hell, you've done me better than this."

Buffy stroked his face and felt the tears fall down her face as she removed his sweater by ripping it away from the wound. The debris and dirt filling the wound were hampering his healing. Buffy wiped the tears from her face and touched his cheek gently.

"I have to clean the wound and it's going to hurt." He turned his face against her palm and nuzzled in to her for a moment. Buffy stroked his hair with her other hand.

"Do it, pet. I'll be fine." Buffy bent down and kissed his temple before she pulled her hands away from him.

She grabbed the kitchen shears, a bowl of water, a roll of paper towels, the warmed bag of blood, and two cold ones before she knelt beside him. She hesitated for a moment before she cut away the rest of his clothing.

"Silly, you've seen me naked. Hell, you've cleaned and sealed my wounds with your tongue and I get all weird about cutting off your clothes to treat a wound you got doing my job." Buffy babbled and Spike smiled up at her as she carefully cut away his clothing. "You won't be going out alone again. We go together or not at all. Do you hear me?"

Spike nodded his head. He watched as she surveyed the wound and wrinkled up her nose. She plunged some of the paper towels into the water and started to wash the wound. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth to keep from yelling.

Buffy worked quickly pulling out the large chunks of debris and clothing that had adhered to the wound. His body jerked as she pulled a chunk of the blade free from the bone, and she sobbed.

"I'm so sorry, Spike, so, so sorry." She poured water into the wound and washed out the smaller bits of dirt. Spike's body bowed off the floor for a moment and then collapsed.

Buffy examined the gash. She smiled and grabbed the still warm blood bag and ripped open a corner.

"Now, we just need to get some blood in you." Buffy nudged him, but he didn't respond. She dribbled a couple of drops of blood into his mouth hoping to trigger a response. "Come on, you need to wake up and eat."

She pulled his head into her lap and stroked his face, tracing his pronounced cheekbones. "I made you Indian food. You have to wake up to eat it though. It's so spicy. I noticed you like exotic and fiery foods. I still don't know why you even bother."

Giles burst into the kitchen through the basement door, panting. He fought back his urge to rip her away from the vampire, and took several deep breaths before he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Xander said Spike was in a bad way. It would be wiser not to cuddle an injured vampire against you, Buffy." Giles dropped his hand from his face and looked at the sodden paper towels and the nearly naked vampire lying insensate on the floor.

"I had to cut away most of his clothing to get at the wound. It's bad. The little cuts are shallow, but this one would have killed me." Buffy nodded her head toward his side. "He won't wake up and eat. I could, maybe, drip some of my blood in his mouth. See if that wakes him up."

Giles watched her fingers thread through Spikes hair and the noticed her tears. He grabbed a small glass from the butler's pantry and walked back to Buffy.

"He said your tears helped heal him somehow. Let's try those before you go and open a vein." Giles glared at his slayer.

She pressed the glass to her cheek and managed to trap a few tears in it. "How am I supposed to get enough to do any good?"

"I doubt you need many. He said it was a single tear. Just try what you've collected there." Giles watched as she shook the cup, releasing two tiny drops over the vampire's open mouth.

Spike's mouth closed and he rolled his head against Buffy's legs. He felt warmth pulse through him, and he opened his eyes and looked straight up at her concerned face.