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I peeked into the room. When Fred had told me Wolfram and Hart had a hospital wing, I had no idea would have, like, a full service hospital, ambulances, paramedics, the works under their control. It seemed so foreign to me.

Fred was slumped in a chair facing the unconscious vampire in the bed. I stood at the door and watched him sleep. In the stark white hospital gown, lying back against the pillows, hooked up to so many machines, he looked helpless. I had thought Spike was a lot of things over the years, but never that. Not even when in a wheelchair. Not even with the chip in his head. At least then, he could talk other demons into hurting us! He just couldn’t do it himself. It broke my heart to see. A fresh crop of tears sprang to my eyes, and I hurriedly wiped them away. There was no need to cry. I’d done too much of that lately. Enough for a whole lifetime. Besides, his hands, though bandaged, were reattached. Everything would be fine.

I tiptoed in and put my hand on Fred’s shoulder. She startled awake as I kneeled down next to her. “How’s he doin’?” I whispered.

“The surgery came off without a hitch. He hasn’t woken up yet, but he won’t be able to use his hands at all until the drugs wear off,” she informed me.

An aging man with a shock of white hair and a lab coat came bustling in. “Not awake yet I see.” He held out his hand to me. “I’m Dr. Jacobsen. He did well in surgery. He’s already healing. Guess there is an upside to being undead. I’ve only preformed this surgery once before and that was only one hand on a human. It’s not really a surgery so much as a spell and some well placed sewing really. Anyway, it took him a long time to heal, but Spike, on the other hand should be just fine in a few days.”

“I’m Buffy Summers.”

“Are you family?” he asked curiously.

“Not exactly, but I’m the closest thing he has,” I answered. I looked over at Spike again. I had already made my decision. “When he wakes up, can I take him home?” I saw the reservations in the old doctors eyes and quickly added, “When my mother had a brain tumor, I took care of her. I administered meds, kept track of vitals, the whole deal. I just can’t leave him here. Not like this.”

“If he was human, I’d say no. But vampires heal so differently. Tell you what. I’ll come back in an hour. We’ll see if he’s awake and how he’s feeling. We can discuss it again then. Fair?” he asked.

I smiled and nodded. He turned and left the room mumbling something about pushy girlfriends. He didn’t know the half of it. I took a deep breath and was rewarded by a dull throbbing pain. I looked down at myself. I was covered with dry, flaky blood. “Maybe I should have stopped back at the hotel for a change of clothes. I’m surprised I haven’t woke Spike up with the smell of this much blood,” I whined. “Damn, these were expensive pants, too.”

Fred giggled at me. “I’ll call Wesley. We’ll go grab some clothes from Spike’s apartment and bring them back here, in case you can take him with you.”

Spike had an apartment? Not a crypt? That’s new. “Thanks, Fred.” As she left the room, I scooted the chair she had been using up to the side of the hospital bed. I folded my arms on the bed and lay my head down. Wouldn’t hurt to relax while he slept. I was just gonna rest my eyes for a minute…


“Buffy!”

“Huh-What?” I said as I bolted from my chair. Sharp piercing pain raged through my side and I sat back down to quiet it. My green eyes were met with sapphire orbs as I took my seat. “Spike, you’re awake.”

“Bleedin’ hell, Slayer, I’ve been yellin’ at you for ten minutes!” he admonished me. His eyes softened. “You smell like blood.”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “I do.”

“Any of it yours?” he smirked.

I busied myself playing with a lose thread in the blanket on the bed. “Um…all of it, actually,” I whispered. I looked up into his beautiful eyes, brimming with concern for me. I had to tell him, now. Before I completely lost my nerve. “Spike, I need to say something, and I want to get all of it out, before you say anything, ok?”

He looked at me for a moment and then nodded, brow creasing with confusion.

I began. “You know, I practiced this so many times. What I would say if I could see you again. I had the whole thing memorized, every detail, so it was perfect. Every emotion perfectly expressed so there was no doubt what I meant. That said, I don’t remember any of it.” I smiled and looked down at my hands.

“I know you have no reason to trust me. I haven’t given you any cause to. I know that I have treated you appallingly and I hope that some day, you’ll come to forgive me. I’m not asking anything of you. Lord knows, all I deserve is your hatred. But I’ve waited far to long to say this.”

I looked up at him and then back at my hands. I wasn’t sure when I had started crying, but the tears fell in hot rivulets down my face regardless. “When I’m near you, you’re all I can think about. Well, that’s not entirely true. Even when I’m halfway around the world, you’re all I can think about. I love you, William. I’m in love you, and I’m terrified of what that means…” I fell silent. I just couldn’t finish what I wanted to say. I mean….after all that happened between us, how was I to tell him that I had all of eternity to show him that I love him, and if he would just come back to London with me, I would begin to show him. I just couldn’t put it in to words.

“Buffy.” I didn’t look up. I didn’t want him to see me cry. Damn, I was stronger than this. “Buffy, this is where I would usually tip your head so you look at me, but I don’t have the bloody motor skills yet.”

I turned my eyes to his and found them shining with unshed tears. “Say it again,” he whispered.

“I love you.”





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