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Xander may have only had one eye left, but he still had two good ears, and he knew what grief sounded like. The edge that was in Buffy's voice had been in his own, a year ago. Xander knew that Buffy needed a break from looking after Spike, on a nearly twenty-four-hour basis, for nearly three months. Xander also knew that if it came down to a fight between Drusilla and Buffy, right now, Drusilla would claim her second Slayer. And, Xander knew, that if that happened, and Spike found out that Xander could have done something to keep it from happening, Spike would have him for dinner. And what's more, Xander would welcome it.

Instead of going directly to the burial chamber, he'd slipped up into the sanctuary and out the back of the church. All of the people he needed to talk to were back at "Scooby Central," the tiny hotel room three blocks from the church. Xander had a plan, and he needed everyone's help.
**********************

Buffy put the candle in the small holder and watched the flame waver and the line of smoke weave up to the ceiling. She knelt and placed the flame a safe distance from Spike's skin, but still close enough that his face and body were cast in a shimmering shadow, and examined him with a critical eye.

There were things that she expected to see. The black splotches on his body were getting smaller, so his body was healing itself. But, Buffy knew that healing, without the aid of human blood, was not only a slow, but also a painful, process. She could see the pain in his eyes, even before Spike had diverted the energy he had used to communicate to healing his injuries. The pain had transformed his eyes from clear, bright, azure to a ring of dark, feverish royal blue, all but obscured by the dark pupils in the center, as they tried in vain to draw in more light so that he could see her. Yet he still kept silent about the extent of the pain he was in, preferring instead to try and put her at ease with a devilish smirk and bedroom humor. But, Buffy knew the truth.

Ten days ago, Spike had stopped communicating with her at all, and his eyes had clouded over, to a smoky bluish- grey. Buffy hadn't seen that color in his eyes since the behavior modification chip the Initiative had implanted in his skull had started to degrade. She knew he'd been in screaming pain then. But now, he wasn't screaming, and that scared her even more.

Buffy leaned down to place a kiss to his temple. That soft mercy was rewarded with a tiny intake of breath, an energy Buffy knew he couldn't afford to expend, but did anyway, because it was something Spike had always done. Spike used his lungs, even when he didn't need to, purely out of habit. When they were together, Spike would let his breathing fall into rhythm with hers. Spike wasn't even aware he was doing it, but it was another thing about him that she'd been missing for too long. Another thing that she wasn't going be without again. At least, not before she fought tooth and nail, to keep it.

"Yeah, that's right, Buffy's here," she said, tenderly, "You just concentrate on getting better. Don't you worry about Drusilla. You let me do that, all right? Whatever she wants, she can have it. It doesn't matter," Buffy carefully laced her fingers in his, "I just need you back, Spike."
*****************

"Okay gang," Xander said, "Buffy needs a break. She hasn't left Spike's side in almost ninety days. She won't say it, but I know she's tired. Buffy needs to get some sleep."

Willow agreed, "Xander, what do you want us to do?"

"Well, I'm no vampire, but I am a guy, and I know I wouldn't want everyone I cared about," he looked at Dawn, "Especially girls that I thought of as a little sister, and who I kept safe the summer her sister was gone, seeing me without a stitch of clothing on," Xander saw Dawn's cheeks redden, "for three months!"

"But," Dawn said, "wouldn't putting clothes on him hurt him? I mean, he is burned."

Xander nodded, "The gowns they have in hospitals barely touch the skin, and he wouldn't need to be moved much for us to put it on him. I admit, it's not his usual taste, but it does cover all of Spike's naughty parts, none of which Dawnie should be seeing anyway."

"And the wounds must be in need of debridement by now," Giles said.

"What is that?" Dawn asked.

Illyria answered, "It is the process of removing burned tissue, so that the body can begin to grow new, undamaged, tissue in its place."

Dawn winced, "That sounds painful."

"It is. Extremely so," Giles said.

Willow's eyes brightened, "I think I can help there," she said, " I can enclose him in a healing field. If we need to move him, or do anything to him, while the shield is in place, it shouldn't hurt at all. It's kind of like a magical morphine drip."

The others only stared at her in stunned silence. They knew what Willow was capable of if she let the magic take control of her.

Willow put her hands up in a gesture of surrender, "Strictly healing magic. No dark eyes, I promise," she looked at Giles, "If you don't believe me," Giles, you can monitor me."

Giles smiled, "The very fact that you are willing to be monitored proves that I may not need to do so. But, I will be nearby, should you need assistance, Willow."

"So, that's the plan," Xander asked, waiting for each to nod, "We all have our assignments. Let's spit up, and meet back at the crypt in an hour?"
*****************

Buffy lay in the crypt talking, as much for her own sanity, as to keep him company, "Dawn said that when I was gone that summer, you went a long time without feeding," Buffy gave a wry smile, "I thought you looked a little skinny that night. You looked like you were going to drop, right at the base of the stairs. Dawn told me you'd started seeing things by the time Willow did that spell. It's no wonder that you looked like you'd seen a ghost," her tone became serious, "I wonder, are you seeing things now?"

Just then, she heard Xander's voice at the archway, "Buffy, the gang's all here. We'll take care of Spike for a while. You go get some sleep."

Buffy got up from the floor, and met her friends; some with medical supplies in hand, " Xander, I can't leave Spike right now."

Suddenly, a voice came from the floor, "Slayer, let the flunkies have a go, yeah? You rest. Don't worry, I'll be here."

Buffy's head snapped to the sound, "Spike! Are you sure?"

"Yes. Sweet dreams, Slayer."
*********************

Willow finished the incantation, "Okay guys, we should be able to move him now."

Xander stepped up, with the hospital gown and slippers, smirking down at a sleeping vampire, "My," he said admiring the pink glow of energy that quivered around him, "but the 'Big Bad' looks so pretty in pink. Come on, big man, it may not be fashionable, but if I have to look at you in your altogether, one more day, I'm going to hurl," Xander said as he carefully threaded Spike's arms through the garment, and tied the back closed.

Dawn stepped up next, "Spike, it's Dawn. I'm going to give you a nice alcohol rub, okay, maybe help cool your skin down faster so that you feel a little more like, well, a vampire," she poured the contents of the bottle into a small dish, dipped a cloth into the alcohol, and began to gently swipe his face and arms, "This won't hurt, I promise," Dawn's voice hitched as her fingers worked the cloth over his skin, " I love you, Spike."
******************

As Buffy fell asleep, on the bed in the Hyperian Hotel, she found herself in Sunnydale again. Her house and yard looked exactly like she remembered it. There was even the oak tree in the front yard. She squinted against the glare of the sunlight. No, it wasn't possible, she thought. But, it was. There was someone standing under the tree. There, standing in bright, blaring daylight, was Spike. Just as perfect as she knew he was, not a burn mark on him.

"Spike, is that you?" she asked, stepping off of her porch.

He sauntered closer to her, "What do you think, Slayer?" he said, holding his arms wide, waiting to catch her.

Buffy ran into his embrace and Spike lifted her up and spun her around until she was laughing from the dizziness. The sounds of Buffy's laughter only made Spike spin her faster, forcing her to cry out, "Stop it Spike, I think I'm going to be sick!"

Spike slowed down his momentum, and placed Buffy gently on her feet, "We can't have that," he said placing a chaste kiss on her forehead, "can we?"

Buffy stared, wonderstruck, "How, I thought you were back at the church?"

Spike nodded, "I am. I'm getting all the tender loving care I need, right now. I thought maybe you could use some, so here I am."
******************

Angel looked at Dawn, "You mean that Spike hasn't let his demon show, for three months?"

"Yep. No gold eyed baddie, just blue eyed 'Big Bad.'"

Angel shook his head in disbelief, "William's amazing."

"I know," Dawn said, with pride in her voice, "Willow's going to let the field down now, so you can feed him. You said it would help with the pain, until Drusilla got here?"

"It should. But, afterwards, he might be a little weepy."

"Well," Dawn said, "If you can't cry in front of your friends, who can you cry in front of? I cried in front of him. He can cry in front of me."
**************************

Buffy awoke to Dawn pounding on her door, "Buffy, wake up! Angel's here, and he's going to give Spike some of his blood. I think you should be there, in case Spike needs you."

Buffy was up and dressed in a flash. Slayer speed is still gangbusters, she thought, "Okay Dawnie. I'm right behind you. Don't let Angel near him until I get there."

"You got it," Dawn said, running back to the church.





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