Chapter 20
Buffy stood in that bedroom feeling helpless. On the one hand, she knew that fledglings could rise anywhere from a few hours to a few days from when they were turned, and as the Slayer, it was her duty to put that being to rest. On the other, Spike was her friend, and he was obviously hurting deeply, as she’d never seen him like this before. She guessed this is how Dawn might have seen him, after her death.
Buffy took a couple steps forward, slowly. “Spike, you know what we have to do…”
“What?” he murmured, not looking up. His face was buried in Charlotte’s hair as he cradled her like a child.
“She wouldn’t want this…we have to…to…”
“No,” he flatly replied.
“Spike…he turned her. You know what she’ll become…a killer…”
“I said no. You’re not touching her,” he replied with finality.
Buffy swallowed awkwardly, dropping her eyes to her feet. “Alright…you were her friend. You should be the one to…”
Spike cut her off with a bitter, mirthless laugh that grated her ears. “You don’t understand. I promised to keep her safe. This is all my fault…”
Buffy tentatively placed her hand on his shoulder in support. “You didn’t do this to her, Spike, that vampire did. How could we have known something would happen tonight? This isn’t your fault.”
“No, I promised to protect her! I made an oath…” Stupid, selfish ponce…ignoring my instincts just because I was near Buffy…and now… Another sob escaped his throat. His best friend was dead because he was too busy thinking with his dick…ignoring the signs because he wanted to be happy. As if any happiness was worth this…
Buffy’s eyes widened in recognition as it clicked to her what he was saying. “She said you didn’t…you bit her?” she asked, feeling somehow betrayed.
Spike finally looked up and glared at her. “No, I didn’t bite her! She was already bleeding, and frightened, and it was just…instinctual. She made an impact, and I made a promise. But we’ve seen how good I am at keeping those…” He trailed off bitterly.
“She should be put to rest. Before…”
“Get out,” he ordered quietly.
“What?” Buffy gasped, stricken.
“Get. Out.”
“Spike, that’s not going to be Charlotte! Any time now, a demon’s going to set shop in her body, and do you really want to see her as a vampire?!”
“GET OUT!!!” he roared in full game face.
Buffy stumbled back, her feet not getting her out of the room fast enough. It was too much…
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Angel and Connor pulled up to the mansion to find Buffy sitting on the steps with her knees pulled up to her chest and her face buried in her legs. They smelled her tears as they got out of the car.
“Buffy? Are you alright?” Angel asked, kneeling beside her.
She lifted her head and wiped the tears off her cheeks. “Physically, yeah. Spike’s inside.”
“Buffy, what happened? Why are you out here crying?” he asked, concerned. “Did she not…”
“Yeah. Spike’s…well, I’d say he’s devastated. I’ve never seen him like that, Angel.”
The vampire nodded and stood. He walked into the house, leaving Buffy with an awkward teenager.
Angel followed his nose through the house until he came to the right hallway. He’d just turned to walk to the bedroom, when Spike came out carrying the girl, his face like a stone mask.
“Spike? What are you…?”
“Out of my way, Angel.” He said it so flatly, without any emotion, surprising Angel into complying without protest.
The older vampire followed in Spike’s quick footsteps as the blond ignored everything else and placed the girl in the Viper.
“What are you doing, Spike?” he finally asked gently.
“I’m taking her to the hospital,” Spike replied, as if it was obvious. He started the sports car and sped off.
“He must be in shock,” Buffy stated.
“We should follow him. He’s going to need support when they confirm the truth,” Angel agreed.
Connor surprised them both. “Guys, she’s not dead.”
“What?!”
----------
Back in Nicholae’s master bedroom…
With Buffy gone, Spike crumpled again, his head dropping to Charlotte’s breast as he wept silently. It was quiet…
Thump.
Thump.
His ears must be playing tricks on him. He had to be imagining he heard her heart beat because he wanted it so badly.
Thump.
Thump.
Spike pressed his ear to her chest, a spark of hope fluttering in his heart. Did he really…?
Yes! It was slow, and weak, but her heart was pumping. She was alive.
The hospital…he had to get her to a hospital. She needed blood.
----------
Angel pointed the car towards the nearest hospital and glanced at his son. “What do you mean, she’s alive?”
“I’m telling you, I heard a heartbeat. It was weak, but it was there. Maybe your ears are failing in your old age,” Connor replied with a shrug..
“I hear exceptionally well, but the girl looks like a corpse.”
“Do you think she’ll make it?” Buffy asked Angel.
He shook his head. “I don’t know. She lost a lot of blood. What I can’t figure out is why the bastard would feed her his blood when she was clearly still alive?”
“What was this all about, anyway? I’m completely clueless.”
Angel sighed. “You remember why I was cursed…” he started.
“Duh!”
“Well, it seems the curse wasn’t retribution enough, at least not to this guy. He was one of my, uh, victims…at the Gypsy camp…the brother of the girl…”
“So, he sets up this elaborate scheme, kidnapping me and Charlotte, just so you can dust him?” Connor interjected. “Not very high on the revenge meter.”
“That’s what I was thinking…but right before I staked him, he said ‘our message will live on’. It’ll be true for Charlotte, at least, whether she lives or dies,” Angel added.
“Did you get a name?” Buffy wondered.
“Nope. I have a feeling we’re missing a lot of the pieces to this puzzle.”
-----------
They found Spike hovering outside an ER trauma room, watching the doctors work on Charlotte.
“How are you?” his grandsire asked.
“I’ll tell you once I know if she’ll be alright.”
Angel nodded and herded the other two towards the waiting room, Buffy protesting.
“Someone should be with him!”
“Not right now. It wouldn’t help. He’d just see it as a distraction,” he explained. “Connor, would you take my car and pick up Nina? She’s at Buffy’s studio. Take her wherever she wants to go.”
“Yeah, sure.” He took the keys and left.
“Dawn would be there with Spike, which means I should be,” Buffy argued stubbornly.
Angel shook his head. “It’s different with you, Buffy. You can make it hard for a guy to concentrate. He’s dealing with enough right now. Just let him be.”
“Is this some kind of vampire thing?”
“No, it’s a Spike thing. You can either be patient, or you can leave.”
“Fine,” she huffed, slumping in her chair.
----------
The ER doctors managed to stabilize Charlotte, though they had to jumpstart her heart twice before she’d taken in a significant volume of blood. Spike followed as they wheeled her to a private room, transferred her to a bed, and hooked up the monitors. A nurse handed him a bag with her belongings in it, which he took numbly, his eyes never leaving Charlotte. He sat next to her bed, now, holding her hand and watching her chest rise and fall with slow breaths.
“Hey,” Buffy said, coming in, followed by Angel. “How is she?”
“Holding on. Don’t know much more than that, yet.”
“Do you need anything?” she asked hopefully, wanting to help.
Spike shook his head. He wasn’t really paying attention to them, anyway. Buffy glanced at Angel, who shrugged. He gestured towards the door, and she nodded.
“Spike, we’re going to stick around a while, in the hall…”
“Okay,” he murmured absently.
She nodded, and they left. Spike breathed a sigh of relief when he was alone again. Company was the last thing he wanted right now. He’d failed, again. Thought the soul would help him choose better, but it didn’t help…he still failed. Wouldn’t blame Charlotte if she never forgave him for letting her down…if she ever woke up, that is. Didn’t know if he’d ever forgive himself.
He sat, watching, all night, until sunrise was approaching and Angel came to take him home.
“You’ll be no good to her if you’re dust just because some stupid nurse decided to let in the sunshine,” Angel reasoned.
It was the only idea that got him to move. The hospital had his phone number, so Spike tried to sleep. As soon as it was dark enough, he drove to Charlotte’s apartment to get her a change of clothes for when she woke up, and headed for the hospital.
----------
“What the bloody hell?!”
Charlotte was strapped down to the bed, and there were scratches all along her arms and upper chest. A nurse came bustling in at his outburst.
“She had to be sedated, sir. She woke up screaming and clawing at her own skin. We had to restrain her to prevent her from hurting herself further.”
Spike crossed the distance to the bed and brushed his hand over her hair. “Pet? It’s Spike…you’re safe now. You’re in the hospital.”
Her eyes fluttered open. “Spiiiiiiike?” she slurred. “Get it out…I don’t want it!” Charlotte writhed against her restraints.
“Shhh, be still, luv, you’re going to hurt yourself.” He stroked her cheek soothingly while pressing her down by her shoulder with the other hand.
She whimpered. “It’s too bright…too loud…”
Spike turned off the light, leaving just the glow of the monitors. “Better?”
“Mmm…” She looked up at him with heavy-lidded eyes. “Sleepy…don’t leave?”
“’Course not. I’ll be here all night. You gave us quite a scare, luv.”
“’S not over,” Charlotte murmured faintly, before dropping off to sleep.
Spike turned on the TV and muted the sound, his left hand holding her right. She gripped his fingers even in sleep.
---------
He’d been there a couple hours, when the group dropped in to see how Charlotte was. She was still asleep. Nina carried a vase of daffodils. She set it on the bedside table.
“Thanks, pet.”
“Has she woken up?” Nina asked.
“Briefly.” He sighed. “She was upset, so they had to sedate her. I tried reaching her mum, but the woman who was house sitting said she’s on a two week cruise.”
Angel handed Spike a brown paper bag. “I brought dinner.”
“Thank you.”
“Uh, Buffy’s outside. I told her she was being silly, but she thinks you might not want to see her,” Nina added.
Spike shook his head, a slight smile playing across his lips. “Send the silly bint in. She’s probably in the way out there.”
Nina giggled and went to the door to wave Buffy inside. The Slayer entered meekly, like she was expecting to be scolded by the principal at school.
“Hey,” she said, with a wave.
“Hi, pet. How was class today?”
“Same as always. Everybody’s doing good. I was wondering if I should tell Dawn what’s going on. She and Charlotte have gotten close, but I don’t want to ruin her trip…what do you think?” Buffy replied.
“She’ll be more upset if you try to hide it from her. Bit doesn’t like being left out of the loop. Gloss over the details, if you like, but you should tell her something.”
“Sspike?” Charlotte muttered. Her eyes opened slowly as she turned her head to look at him.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” he teased. “You have visitors.”
She blinked and looked at the others, hissing suddenly at Buffy where she stood by the door. “Slayer!” she growled, uttering invectives in an otherworldly language. Charlotte’s blue eyes glowed green and she struggled against the restraints, before slamming her head back against the pillow and moaning, “Get out of my head, get out of my head!”
Buffy had backed into the corner, shocked. The others were frozen in surprise. Charlotte managed to pull her hand through the padded restraint and started trying to undo the other. Spike finally sprung into action and held her down on the bed as she shrieked and screamed like an enraged animal.
“Will one of you go get a bloody nurse?!” he yelled, struggling to contain the thrashing woman without hurting her. Buffy fled the room.
As suddenly as the fit had started, it stopped, leaving Charlotte exhausted and panting.
“Spike, help me!” she pleaded. “It’s angry and hungry…I can’t control it…” she sobbed.
A nurse came rushing in with a hypodermic needle of something and added it to the IV. Charlotte slipped back into sleep. The restraints were re-tightened, a belt was added across her waist, and her feet were tied down. Spike ran his hands through his hair, his expression grave.
Angel spoke the answer. “He turned her into a living vampire. I didn’t know it was possible,” he stated in disbelief.
“Is it?” Nina asked. “She doesn’t seem like a vampire to me.”
“I’ve heard that language before,” he confirmed. “She really didn’t like Buffy.”
“Bloody wonderful…how do we un-possess her? Call for a soddin’ priest?” Spike asked, agitated. “You just had to eat a fucking Gypsy!” he growled at Angel, looking for someone to blame.
“You were there, too!” Angel yelled back. “Look, I know you want someone to be mad at, and I’m willing to take it on, but that won’t help Charlotte. We need to research the problem. Someone somewhere has to have tried this before.”
“I’m sorry…I…” Spike shook his head, dropping the sentence.
Angel accepted the apology. His girlfriend slipped out to go find Buffy.
“We’ll fix it, Will. I promise.”
----------
Nina found Buffy cursing at the elevators for being too slow.
“Hey…things got kinda crazy back there, huh?” she stated as an opener.
The Slayer sighed and slumped against the wall. “Yeah, that’s an understatement. Whatever she said…my Slayer side didn’t like it. I had to leave before I…did something. Normally, I’d say point me at something to kill, but I can’t slay Spike’s best friend, can I?” she asked rhetorically.
“Nope. Not unless she tries to end the world. Angel seems to think she’s some kind of living vampire. It feels like we’ve stepped into a movie,” Nina replied. “L.A. keeps getting weirder and weirder.”
Buffy snorted. “Try living in Sunnydale. Well, I guess I better call Willow. We’re going to need to research.”
“Are you okay…personally?” Nina asked.
“I’m feeling…I don’t know how I feel. I should go make that call. Time differences, and everything,” Buffy replied awkwardly.
“Well, I’m willing to listen. Just wanted to put that out there.”
“Thanks. Angel’s pretty lucky.” The elevator opened, so Buffy stepped in, waving goodbye.
Nina stopped at the coffee machine, then went back to the room.
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Spike stayed through the night, determined to make Charlotte feel safe. She awakened some time after 2:00.
“Hey…what time is it?” she asked hoarsely.
“Late. How are you feeling?” he asked softly.
“Like I was run over. Can you help me out of this crap? I need to use the bathroom,” she requested.
“Straight there, then back in bed,” Spike insisted, starting on the restraints.
“Yes, sir. I’m too weak to go dancing off, anyway.” She rubbed her wrists once they were released, as he worked on her feet. Spike picked her up. “I can walk five feet, you goon!”
“I’m not taking any chances,” he replied, carrying her into the bathroom.
“You smell good. Do you always smell this good?” Charlotte murmured into his neck. His scent comforted her, for some reason.
“I don’t really pay attention, pet. Down you go.” Spike carefully set her on her feet and stepped out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.
Charlotte was grateful they hadn’t put her in one of those backless gowns. She avoided the mirror, thinking she probably looked like something the cat dragged in, and sat down to do her business.
“So, what’s going on?” she called. Better to talk than have what she was doing be blatantly obvious.
“What’s the last thing you remember?”
“Am I losing my mind? You can tell me.”
Spike chuckled. “No, pet. Just have a pesky hitchhiker, is all. We’ll fix it soon.”
“What kind of hitchhiker? What day is it?”
“Tuesday-.”
“Oh, God, I’m going to lose my job…” she moaned.
“I took care of it. They know you’re here. You remember being bitten?” Spike began.
“It hurt, and then I don’t remember anymore.” Charlotte washed her hands and stepped out of the bathroom. Spike scooped her up and onto the bed again. He fussed with the blanket, tucking her in. “Stop stalling.”
He smiled sheepishly. “Right…um, he didn’t just bite you, he gave you some of his blood, only it wasn’t done right to turn you…”
“And?” she prompted, when Spike hesitated.
“We think you picked up the demon…but since you’re alive, it’s fighting against you instead of just taking over an empty house, so to speak. Angel’s researching how to remove it right now.” Spike squeezed her hand. “You’ll be back-to-bloody-normal in no time.”
“What if it can’t be taken out? Will we be fighting for dominance of my body until it drives me insane? Would I still age? I don’t want to hurt anyone, Spike.”
He hastened to reassure her. “You won’t. I promise. Charlotte, don’t get yourself all worked up before we have all the answers…it’ll just drive you bonkers.”
“When will they let me go home? I hate the smell of hospitals. I want my own bed and my own pajamas,” she sulked.
“Well, I can meet one of those requests right now. I picked up some clothes from your apartment yesterday.” Spike stood and retrieved a set of flannel pajamas from the closet. “These were the warmest I saw.”
She snatched them out of his hands. “You are awesome…they’re perfect. Um, can you…?” She gestured for him to turn around.
“Oh…yeah.” Spike turned his back to her.
Charlotte pulled the gown over her head and quickly buttoned the top, then shimmied into the pants under the blanket. She’d prefer to have underwear, but she wasn’t going to ask a male friend for those. “Okay, I’m decent. Thank you, Spike. I’m going to owe you a massive favor when this is over.”
He adamantly shook his head. “I promised to look after you, luv. It’s me who owes you for not protecting you better. You nearly died. Would have, if I hadn’t heard your heartbeat. They had to shock you twice once I brought you here. I failed you.”
Charlotte tipped his chin up so he would look at her. “Hey, you saved me. That’s all that counts, Spike. Nicholae planned this whole mess very well, playing us from the beginning. He even used spells so he could meet me in sunlight so I wouldn’t be suspicious…compelled me to pull away from you. There weren’t enough pieces to put together.” Her hand still caressed his cheek. He leaned into her touch. “There’s nothing to forgive.” The air was thick with emotional tension, before she dropped her hand to her lap. “So, can you teach me how to work with the demon?”
“I don’t follow, pet,” Spike replied.
“How to coexist. You have a lot of control over yours, and from what you’ve told me about living in Sunnydale, you did before your soul, too. Whether it gets removed soon or not, I want to have enough control that I don’t go berserk on somebody.” Her gaze dropped to her fingers, picking at the blanket. “I feel them, you know…” Charlotte admitted.
“Who, luv?”
“Family?” Her brow furrowed in confusion. “I can’t describe it…it’s just this…feeling…that I’m connected…I’m not making any sense…”
“You are. It’s what a vampire feels when they’ve been sired. You know when someone close to your bloodline dies, or enters a room. Welcome to the Aurelius clan, Charlotte,” Spike replied, not without a touch of sarcasm for his family.
“Nicholae was related to you?” she gasped.
He nodded. “Peaches sired ‘im, back before the original broody version. Which technically makes you my cousin, vampire-wise.”
“Geeze, this is like a frickin’ soap opera!”
“Luv, you have no idea…”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks to jamies_lady, Pin, kw, and Sandy for the reviews. I know a bunch of you are out there reading, so voice an opinion! I don't bite. :)