DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss, I'm just borrowing them. Couple of OC's in there that are mine.

I-E-H

She was here. She wasn't too late. He could feel her close by, but the pain from his destroyed body was overwhelming him. He felt the surface he was on move and the pain of connecting with the floor. All he could do was lie there, feeling like a prisoner in his own body. He so desperately wanted to hold on, see her again, make sure she was okay but the pain was too much. All he could do was give in to the darkness and hope that the next time he opened his eyes, it was to see her golden visage.

I-E-H

Buffy was tired. Tired of fighting, tired of the war, tired of struggling. This was the end. Riley was going down and the army with him. The banging on the door had not ceased, and she could hear Angel shouting for her. It would be much easier if he could kick the door down and give her a hand but it was unlikely that was going to happen.

Riley was circling her, and she was trying to keep him away from Spike. The gurney had upturned during their last clash, and Spike was now on the floor, safeguarded from any immediate attack from the monster she was facing. She still worried, still felt the stench of blood tickling at her senses. If he could just hold on until she dismembered this bastard...

Her opponent lunged for her again, and she ducked, twisting out of his grasp and luring him further away from her downed mate. She swung the machete, taking a lump out of his back and he snarled, reaching for the wound and grimacing at the sight of black blood on his remaining hand. Even though he only had one, it didn't seem to be making much of a difference to his fighting technique. He was using his size against her and it was looking like a different outcome every second.

Buffy looked around, then ran for a steel worktop, jumping onto it and using it as a springboard to launch herself, contorting her body in the air to land a decent strike at the back of Riley's neck. He roared in anger and span, grabbing her round the midsection. She lost her weapon again and frantically reached for it as she found herself in his vice-like grip, his hand clamped onto his severed wrist. He laughed maniacally and squeezed tight, the rewarding sound of her ribs breaking music to his ears. She screamed, tears biting at her vision as he held tighter.

At least five of her ribs were broken, and he was aiming for more.

'You and me together again Buffy. Just think. We'll create carnage.' He whispered, in what his mind probably passed for a romantic proposal. Buffy cringed, wincing more at her broken bones grating together. She shook her head and looked down, feeling another rib crack under the pressure.

'Not gonna happen.' She snarled, clawing at his flesh and using all her remaining strength to elbow him hard in the side of the head. He loosened his grip and she took the opportunity to free herself, squirming from his arms and falling to the ground. He shook off the daze caused by her blow and lumbered towards her. She threw herself forwards, grabbing her weapon and turning swiftly, slashing through his right leg and taking it off halfway down the calf. He screamed and fell sideways, clutching the stump of his lower leg, black blood pumping through his fingers.

'Bet that hurt.' Buffy grunted, pulling herself to her feet and clutching her injured abdomen. 'There's a reason I obsessively sharpened this baby. Giles always taught me proper weapons maintenance.'

'My parents always taught me not to attack a cornered dog.' Riley spat, gritting his teeth.

'And I bet they're so proud of their corn fed boy now.' She replied, standing over him. She held the machete above her head, preparing to strike him again, but he kicked out with his left leg and brought her tumbling down on top of him.

'Oh baby. You always were a spitfire on top.' He leered, and she struggled as he held her down, before rolling his weight on top of her. 'But the man should always be in charge.' He bent his head forward and licked up her jawline. She punched him, hard, and tried to escape but he was just too heavy.

'Get the fuck off me.' She snarled, biting his cheek hard and gagging at the taste. He reared back and slapped her hard, but the action freed the hand holding her weapon and before he could bring his disgusting face so close to her, she shoved the sharp blade through his midsection, twisting it in place before pulling it out. He spluttered, spat foul smelling black goo over her and rolled off, clutching the gaping hole in his side.

Buffy clambered to her feet, her body weary and exhausted, her mind reeling and angry.

'This is your end Riley. You were never going to win this fight.' The Slayer stood over him again, knowing this time, he wouldn't be recovering. Sparks were coming out of the metal box in his chest, the same one all the hybrids sported. 'You know why?' She leant close. 'Because I'm just too damn good.' He looked up at her with malice in his eyes.

The door finally flew open and Angel raced in, looking worse for wear. Buffy glanced at him and frowned. 'You took your time.'

Angel shrugged. 'Tough door. Need a hand?'

'Get Spike out of here.' Buffy motioned towards the upturned gurney. Angel looked around the side of it and went a funny shade of green as he took in the sight of the younger vampire. 'Now, Angel. No time for being a girl about it.'

'You really are starting to sound like him.' The dark vampire muttered, pulling the gurney away and carefully removing Spike from the floor. There was no response from the injured vamp and Angel's forehead creased in concern.

'I'll be right behind you.' Buffy said, her eyes drifting over the prone and damaged form of her mate. 'I've just gotta take care of the clean up.' She looked back to Riley, who was trying to rise again. Angel nodded, glanced at Riley and then left, taking her mate with him. She turned back to her former boyfriend and hoisted the machete up again.

'You can't kill every hybrid.' He ground out, trying to inch away from her.

'Watch me. You've lost. The hybrids are nothing but minions. Adam is dead and you're about to follow in his footsteps.'

'You really think you can rebuild this world?' Riley asked.

Buffy shrugged. 'Not for me to do. I've done my job.' She looked at her weapon and smiled. 'I meant what I said. You really will look better in pieces.' Her smile stretched as she advanced.

Moments later she caught up to Angel, Riley's head held in one hand and a steely look on her face. The vampire looked at the head and then at her, a worried look on his face.

'Did you enjoy that a bit too much?'

'I had every right too.' She replied and he left it at that.

I-E-H

When they reached the exit of the Pentagon, the sky was lightening. The hybrids outside had all been massacred, and clean up teams were going in to clear out the building. Giles came jogging towards them with a medical team, and Buffy felt all the strength leave her as she watched them load Spike onto a stretcher. She collapsed to the floor, her breath coming in ragged sobs as she launched Riley's dismembered head away from her. Giles put his arm around her and along with Angel, they helped her up and followed after the medical team with their precious cargo.

Hours passed in a daze. Buffy was aware of people asking her for a report, and Giles telling them to leave it for the time being. She knew people had come to check on her. The medical teams had stapled and sewed Spike back together, but he was still bloodied and bruised, emaciated from where he had been drained. They'd given him a transfusion but it hadn't worked. Angel had given him some of his blood, claiming the familial link could do some good but it hadn't. She'd been seconds from cracking open a vein before Giles had stopped her, telling her to do some healing herself, that she needed all her blood at the moment to fix the damage the fight had done her.

Her mom came by soon after she had been left alone with him, and she sobbed into her arms for what seemed like forever. They sat there all day, watching over the unbreathing, unmoving vampire. Buffy talked to him, told him about the fight he'd missed, reassured him that she was there and never leaving. Joyce scolded him for worrying her so.

Nothing worked.

Even when Giles had finally said she was able to give him blood, it hadn't done anything. Nothing in 36 hours. She hadn't slept, hadn't eaten - how could she without knowing he was going to be okay.

Angel came back again, insisting she get some sleep and eat something. She put up a fight, and he relented that she could stay with him but she had to sleep. So she curled up beside Spike on the bed, grasping his hand, whispering to him until exhaustion came, hoping her dreams would reveal a way to save him.

Nothing.

I-E-H

It had been four days.

He hadn't woken up for her blood. Nor for Angel's, nor for the transfusions they had given him. She'd heard the general asking why they were wasting resources on a vampire, to which he had been severely reprimanded by Giles and Joyce, reminded that without Spike, there would have been no victory over the enemy.

Buffy had wanted to scream at them. But she didn't have the energy. She sat by his side and held his hand, ignoring all interaction with anyone else. She was terrified that if she let go, he would turn to dust and she'd be alone.

She didn't want to be alone again.

Tiree and Ryan came by. Said they were leaving for parts unknown. Buffy had nodded and wished them well, but then she'd returned to her vigil. Ryan had left and Tiree had stayed for a few moment, sitting opposite the slayer, watching the small blonde woman across the inert body of her lover.

'He will wake up. From what I saw, nothing could keep him from you for long.' Tiree spoke quietly, not wanting to make Buffy jump. She looked fragile and worn out. 'And he's going to be pissed you've made yourself sick like this.' Buffy looked up at that and a small smile caught the corner of her mouth.

'He probably will be. But I can't...I just can't leave him. I don't want him to wake when I'm not here. He has to know that I didn't leave.'

'He'll know. Buffy he knows how much you love him. Otherwise, what you two shared couldn't have been real. It wouldn't have worked.' Tiree looked over to the door, knowing Ryan was waiting outside for her. 'The world went to shit. You've done your job, and you've done it well. Just trust that in this horrible situation, you've got something good and no one can keep that from you.' She bent over and kissed Spike on the forehead. 'Wake up soon big guy, your girl needs a kick up the arse.'

I-E-H

If she'd owned a watch, she have been counting the minutes.

As it was, she had no idea of how long it had been since Tiree had left. She didn't know if it was night or day.

She wasn't sure if she cared anymore.

Would he ever wake up? Would he recover? Would he still be the same Spike?

Not that it mattered to her. She was here to stay. Her mother had brought her food and drink, and a change of clothes. She'd fussed over changing her dressings on her wounds. And Buffy had let her, all the while refusing to let go of Spike's hand for more than a few seconds at a time. Joyce had eventually given up, and the tray of food lay untouched on the chair next to her.

A knock at the door didn't disturb her, and she didn't look up when the door opened, nor when the soft footsteps came towards her. The hand on her shoulder didn't give her cause to look up, but the gentle voice that reached her ears made hope spring inside her again, and she looked up to see a face she'd missed.

'You know, he's not going to be happy when he wakes up.'

'Tara!' Buffy breathed, gripping her friend's hand almost to the point of pain, before remembering her strength and dropping it with a swift apology.

'Has he made any progress?' She asked, moving the tray of food and placing it on the table behind them. She took the seat and started checking Spike's wounds, seeing that they were healing without any need for her help. 'I tried to get here sooner, but I missed the convoy and had to make my own way.'

'I'm glad you missed the fight. I wouldn't want you in the middle of that. It was...horrible. Terrifying.' Buffy's gaze returned to the face of her mate. 'He hasn't moved. I thought by now...I don't even know how long it's been anymore.'

'It's been about six days, sweetheart.' Tara finished her inspection of his injuries. 'He's healing well. Something is keeping him inside his head.'

'Can we fix that?' Buffy asked. The medics had tried to speak to her before but she'd not registered it, the doctors wouldn't know much about vampire healing.

'I honestly don't know, Buffy. But we can certainly try.' The witch whispered reassuringly, placing her hand over the one Buffy clasped.

'We can certainly try.'

I-E-H

A/N: I'm not done yet! Few more to go peoples, but I'm hoping this chapter keeps you going until the next!