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Author's Chapter Notes:
One vote for Dawn not being killed off. She'll be around later. Officially, only Whedon controls Buffy and Spike's life-span. Unofficially, no way I am going to kill them. I'm still missing Anya and Tara.
And just like that, the present crisis evaded her concentration. Halting too suddenly not to sway forward at the base of the stairs, Buffy said not a word.
"Summers? I can't hear breathing. You there?"
"Yeah, sans breathing apparently."
"Only us fanged foes can get away with that luv. I couldn't wait. Not one for patience you know, don't want you to think… don't want too much time to pass since you found out about me. Courtesy and all."
"Courtesy?"
"Buffy! Xander! Ambulance! Please!" Willow shrieked just a few feet away.
"Oh God, forgive me. Spike I have to go to the hospital. Do you want me to call you back?"
"Wait. Tell me what's going on."
"Xander. "Gotta call an ambulance, like now."
Spike could hear unsteadiness in her voice. He knew she was flashing back to another time of helplessness, that day her mom was taken from her.
"I have a car."
"Can't wait."
"I'm out front pet."
"Huh? Here?"
"You're gonna have to come to me. Sun out and all."
With a grace reflecting her love for her friend, the slayer raised Xander with ease, despite the seizures now jerking his frame. Her phone lay dropped and abandoned, forgotten with her possession of the young man. Again, she swallowed the stairs with admirable strides. This she could do. Panic, engaged, pleaded with her to move. Feelings yielded to the need for motion. Willow followed her with the same effort but less speed. She retrieved the cell from the floor without stopping. Already outside, Buffy was settling Xander's head upon her lap in the back seat. Spike started the car.
"Me!" was all Willow forced out.
Now running across the street, hurried breath hindered her speech. The word choked in her throat but was heard by the vampire nonetheless. When the front passenger door swung open in silent obedience to a whispered spell, Spike started rolling slowly.
"Come on Red, quick-like. You have shotgun, gotta navigate. Don't have my bearings on me."
"Uh, lets see… right on Maple street first. Soonish."
He responded with a dramatic spin of the wheel, albeit with a slight screech of the tires.
"Little earlier luv. Not usually shy with imminent death but the boy's color is approaching mine. He can't afford the scenic route. We almost didn't make that one."
Occasional glances in the rearview mirror afforded him a view of Buffy and Xander."
"I'll try," Willow replied.
"Right again, uh, four lights down… I think. Sorry, we haven't lived here long and I can't see. Maybe an ambulance would have been better. My memory isn't so good under pressure."
"No, I can get you there faster. Peel the duct tape back to make a peep hole."
"Oh! Good plan! I can peel under pressure!" she said.
Probably can make all the lights green too if I concentrate! One good plan for me!"
"Wait!" Buffy exclaimed from the back. "ALL lights green? or just those in the direction we are going?"
"Right. Bad plan," Willow frowned.
"That would be kinda a scary trial and error experiment. Spike, you see the building way over there with the big blue cross on the side? Tall one."
"I see it. Hell. Let me guess, I need to go towards the sodden cross."
"Not denying the irony, but easy to see, yeah?" she replied. "St. Vincent is the only one I know."
Buffy listened to their exchange but was focused with intensity on her hand upon Xander's chest, irrationally convincing herself that his breath and strong heartbeat were somehow dependent on her watching and feeling for both. Not looking away felt like her job. She needed to be doing something.
The seizures had been brief. It occurred to her that the fit may not have been the first. She didn't know if he had just now worsened or suffered the new symptoms throughout the night.
They jerked to a stop.
"Be in the parking structure. Go on now."
Both women exited with urgency, Buffy distraught that with all the movement and noise, Xander had still been unresponsive.
"Well. At least I proved useful," Spike said to himself as he directed the car forward again.






Chapter End Notes:
Nope, got nothing. It's almost three in the morning. Intellect is ebbing.



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