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Chapter Forty Two –

Riley arrived at the ER just in time to see Spike pick up the metal trash can next to the door and throw it 30 feet, sending out a primal scream with it. He spotted Giles standing calmly nearby, as if this was something that happened every day. He slowed his pace, and edged around Spike as he continued to pound or throw anything that wasn’t apparently bolted down or fighting back.

“Is she…?” The word died in his throat before he could get it out.

“They’re working on her now.”
That was a relief. That meant there was a chance she’d be ok. Giles had called and given him the gist of what had happened, so when he’d seen a really weird looking Spike throwing things, he’d assumed the worst. Speaking off weird looking…

“What’s up with Spike’s hair?”

Just as Giles was about to answer him, a perky red head bounced out the doors and straight up to Giles.

“Here you go, one coffee, sans yummy goodness. I also brought Spike some coffee, for when he finally runs out of steam. Oh, hey, Riley! Want some?” She held up a styrofoam cup, “I can get more. Looks like Spike may be at it a little longer.”

“Do I know you?” He thought that maybe he did, but wasn’t too sure.

“I’m in the dual credit class with Dr. Walsh. So, coffee? Yes or no?” She help up the cup in her hand once again.

“No. But, thanks.”

“Hey, Riley,” A young girl with dark hair came walking up behind him, holding a small child with equally dark, but wavy, hair.

“Uh, do I know you?” He asked.

“Nope. But I’ve read aaaalllllllll about you. I can see why he thinks you look like Angel. I think you’re actually a little taller, though. Here, hold Michael for a sec? Thanks!” The girl said, shoving 20 pounds of squirming, frowning, toddler into his hands, then shifted a large bag around to her front and started digging through it.

“Let’s see… Spike’s nasty cigarettes he thinks is hidden,” She handed the half crushed pack to Giles, who set it on the picnic table that was chained to a column next to him. “Thermos of Earl Gray,” She handed that to Giles as well. “Lunch box full of sandwiches, including an avocado, lettuce, and tomato for you, Willow. Oh, and I didn’t know what Tara wanted, so I packed the same,” She held out the lunch box to the red head.

“Perfect. Thanks Dawn!” Willow took the lunch box eagerly.

“Did you pack anything with meat?” A dark haired guy surfaced from the same direction the girl had come from.

“Xander, I told you three times already that I packed you a roast beef. Oh!” The girl turned towards Giles again, and held up the bag. “And obviously I brought Spike’s go bag like you asked.”

“You people realize this isn’t normal, right?” Riley asked, looking around at everyone.

“Depends on your point of view.” The guy, Xander, answered. “When you’re Buffy adjacent, we call this Tuesday. You’ll get used to it.”

Riley looked over to Giles, who had the grace to swallow the smile that he’d been wearing.

“Alright, now. Willow, why don’t you go see if they have an update. Take Xander and Dawn with you. And Michael, if you will?” Xander promptly grabbed the boy from him, and set off inside with the others.

“Michael? As in, Buffy’s son, Michael?” He asked. He didn’t really think the boy looked like Buffy much at all.

“You’re aware Buffy has a son?” Giles asked, looking surprised.

“I’ve learned a lot of things in the last 3 months. He doesn’t look much like her.”

“No. He quite favors his father,” Giles offered.

“So, who are all these people?” Riley felt a little sheepish for asking. “And why are they here? And why is everyone so…is ‘chipper’ the right word?”

Giles let out a great sigh, and looked to Riley like he was about 10 years older just then.

“These people are Buffy’s chosen family. Willow and Xander have been her closest friends since she was a child. My second wife, Jenny, I, and our son’s, moved next door to Buffy’s father when she was twelve, and her sister, Dawn, was seven. They moved in with us just over two years later. Each one of them has just as much right to be here as you or I.”

Riley nodded. And noticed that Spike was now sitting against the wall, inhaling a cigarette as fast as it would burn.

“And they’re, chipper, as you call it, because they’ve seen time and again just how strong Buffy is. They’ve all been here before and though they’ve no idea the nature or circumstances this time, they have no reason to believe it to be different than any other time.

"And if it is?" He couldn't help asking.

"Then they’ll need each other to get through it,” Giles answered.

Giles held up a finger, indicating to Riley to give him a moment. He walked over to Spike, held out the cup in his hand. Spike appeared to glance at it a moment, and then took it and slugged it back like a shot of whiskey, crushed the cup, and threw it to the side. Giles appeared to say something to Spike, but Spike just shook his head and kept smoking.

“Giles?” A girl came bounding out the door. This one he knew. He’d seen her with Buffy a few times. Tara, that was her name. “Oh, hi Riley! Have you seen Giles?” He pointed at Giles and Spike, still talking.

“Giles! The doctor…” Was all she had to say before both Giles and Spike were suddenly right there and pushing through the door. Riley followed after, and melded into the crowd that was following. The doctor pulled Giles aside and was talking to him quietly, and briefly, before heading back behind closed doors.

“They’re taking her to surgery now. We probably won’t know more for a couple of hours.”
The crowd dispersed. Giles waited until it was just the three of them to continue.

“He said they’re giving her blood and fluids as fast as they can, but they’ve been unable to slow the bleeding. They’re hoping an emergency D & C will sufficiently slow it down, but they may have to take more… drastic… measures.”

Riley turned to gauge Spike reaction to the news, and found he was now sitting in the hallway, with his back against the wall, staring off into space. No.. he wasn’t staring into space, he was staring at his hands. And for the first time, he could see that they were covered in blood, as was most of him.

"Geez, that's a lot of blood." The words came out of him mouth before he could stop them.

“Know how many times I’ve washed her blood off my hands?” Spike asked.

“Isn’t once too many?”

“Too right, there. Feel a bit like Lady M. Just keeps coming back. ‘Cept this is real. Least her’s was all in her head. Guess killin’ people will do that to you.” Spike mused.

“Maybe you should go clean up?”

“She needs it. Took it from her. Can’t just wash it away. Watch it circle down the drain? Watch it aaalllll just slip away…”

“Giles?” Riley backed away from Spike, and looked at the older man with no small amount of concern. “I know I compared them to a Shakespearean tragedy; but, this is going a little far don’t you think?” Between the hair, the obvious tracks of dried tears, the blood and the creepy babble, he was more than a little concerned about Spike’s state of mind. Not to mention someone might come along and mistake him for a victim, or a perpetrator.

“Riley, a moment, please?” Giles headed back down the hallway to the door.

“What about Spike? I’m not sure we should…”

“Willow?” Giles called out, interrupting him, still walking toward the exit.

“I’m on it, Giles!” Willow’s voice answered.

He followed the man out the door, and stood next to him. When nothing seemed to be forthcoming, he decided he’d start.

“Giles, Spike…”

“Has been incredibly traumatized today. When he kicked in that door, he found her…” He didn’t seem to be able to finish his thought. “Buffy's body, lying in a pool of her own blood. And, he believes that he caused the death of the only girl he has ever truly loved.”

“But on the phone you said…”

“We were too late. Even the paramedics indicated she was...gone. William refused to release her. He wouldn’t even let them put her on the gurney. Put her there himself. And when he did…” The pause seemed to stretch forever.

“I don’t how or why, but by some miracle Buffy is alive.”

“But, that’s a good thing, right? Shouldn’t he be, I don’t know…I mean, not celebrating, of course, but… maybe… cautiously optimistic?”

“Riley, you have to understand...Buffy died. Alone and helpless, bleeding to death, miscarrying his child. Whether she lives another hour, or another eighty years, he will never forgive himself.”

He really hadn't thought of it that way. But he could see his point. And knowing what he did about these two...

"And I'm afraid that at this point, I really haven't any idea how to help either one of them," Giles confided.

But, didn't the universe owe these two something by this point? If they ever got through this intact, it would be a love story even Bronte or Tolstoy couldn't come up with, or Victor Hugo. One poorly told, less understood, and with more plot twists than anyone could possibly believe...and probably one that no one would ever know.

But first, they had to get through this. Come on universe.... give them one more chance....





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