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A/N: Ooh, so sorry you've had to wait like forever for an update.

I wrote this before I read certain spoils for the upcoming epi's so yes once again I have to say *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR UPCOMING EPISODES* Please read and let me know what you think. I'll absolutely adore you.

Disclaimer: None of the BTVS characters belong to me but to the creator Joss Whedon and his Mutant Enemy partners. Curses!

~~**~~^~~**~~

Buffy sent Xander upstairs to check on Spike, not really positive that he could make it down the flight of stairs on his own when he was finished with his shower. Xander found him emerging from the master bathroom wearing only a pair of dark sweats that Xander had brought over. His face clearly showed the pain he was feeling as he held his arm across his ribcage. Spike noticed him standing in the doorway.

"I bet Buffy sent you to check on me. Am I right?" Even his voice conveyed his excruciating pain.

"Sort of. She thought you might need some help getting down the stairs. I can tell you're not fully healed. Why put yourself through all of this? The pain must be unbearable."

"Yeah, but I hate lying around and waiting. Besides I'll live. And I should heal quickly. Just getting through the healing part of it."

He bent over to pick up the t-shirt he had dropped on the floor earlier, wincing as he did so and cursing under his breath. Xander could have sworn he heard bones grating which made him convulse and feel a bit queasy.

"Don't do that. I could have gotten it for you. Where's the bandage to wrap your ribs up in?"

"You gonna doctor me up? Scary, you being so helpful and everything."

"Don't get too used to it. I already told you---."

"Yeah, I know what you said. The truce. It's in the bathroom."

"Besides Buffy is better at the doctoring part. Actually Giles is having had to do it so many times but he's gone at the moment; out retrieving another potential slayer I believe. I just know how to board things up. Feel like I've been wearing my toolbelt 24 hours a day now."

"At least you're of some use. I'm just an addition to the household census. By the way, how many people are actually staying under this roof now?"

"Besides Buffy and Dawn, there's the four of us, the Scoobs, and Giles of course. He brought along three potential slayers with him, Molly, Kennedy and---Annabelle. She's already been killed by the Tor,---Torg,---that super ugly vampire.---"

"Wait a minute! Buffy, Dawn, Giles *and* Four Scoobies," Spike interrupted, ticking names off of his fingers under his breath. "Are you actually counting me as one of the Scoobies?"

"Why are you so surprised? You were always around anyway, and I guess you did help every now and then."

"Hmm, imagine that." Spike groaned again as he gingerly sat down on the edge of the bed to put his shoes on.

"Hey, I can easily revoke the membership, so don't get too bigheaded. What am I saying. It's too late for that anyway." Xander smirked at him as Spike glanced up and chuckled.

"Anyway," Xander continued on. "we now have had four more join the troop. Don't ask me to name them; they're popping up so fast it's hard to keep track of who's who."

"Bloody wonderful, a house full of Slayers. Just enough to make a vampire really uncomfortable."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Most of them probably wouldn't know what to do if they ever crossed paths with one, hence the name "slayers in training"."

"Really?" Spike seemed surprised.

"Yeah, Buffy says they really need to get working on that training part and soon. Hey, that's what you could do. Be Buffy's punching bag. You were always good at that." Xander grinned evilly.

"Ah, Harris, you're a riot sometimes. Sorry if I don't laugh at all your stupid jokes." Spike glared at him. He stood slowly from the bed.

"'Bout ready to head down, gimpy?"

Spike chortled deeply as he walked towards Xander. He looked at him solemnly and said without any emotion in his voice, "Another good one, Harris. My sides are splitting as we speak."

Xander smiled and snickered at him as Spike hobbled out of the bedroom in front of him. He had stopped at the top of the stairs and stared at all the steps that lay before him, just waiting there for him to conquer. Xander came up next to him and did the same.

"Well, are we going to do this, or just wait to see if they might turn into an escalator? Because I'm pretty sure they're not. Nope I'm positive they're not."

Xander reached to pull Spike's arm over his shoulder but Spike twisted it away. "I can *do* this myself. I'm no sissy, I can take the pain. Besides, there's only, what, five or six steps?"

"Um, I'd say closer to ten." Xander started counting with his finger waving in the air as Spike turned and watched him. Xander smiled and shook his head up and down.

'What? I was right! Don't look at me like that." Xander scoffed but still looked proud.

"Are you boys going to stand up there and squabble all night? Because really we don't want to hear it right now." Willow was standing at the bottom with her arms crossed trying to look stern.

Spike swatted Xander in the stomach lightly with the back of his hand. "See that, you got us into trouble," he mumbled while smiling sweetly at the witch.

"Me? You're the one standing here debating on whether to be all manly and walk down the steps by yourself or not." Xander muttered back.

Spike growled and grabbed onto the banister with a death grip. The first step down was a doozy as he winced and swayed back and forth from the tremendous shock of pain that zipped through him. Xander followed beside him, but never tried to help. He would wait for the stupid vampire to ask first.

Spike inhaled deeply before trying the next step and slid his hand down a bit on the banister before his attempt. But the second he stepped down, the pain was indescribable. He let out a cry of pain, his knees buckling under him and he began to black out. He felt an arm wrap around him and lift him up and two hands spread wide across his chest to hold him up. Lifting his head, he found himself staring into Red's green eyes.

"Let us help, Mr. Stubborn pants," she told him softly.

"Allright, allright. I give in. I admit," he noticed the crowd gathering throughout the foyer. He rolled his eyes and looked away from all the prying eyes.

"I need help," he mumbled regretfully.

"Good boy," Willow smiled coyly while lightly patting him on the chest. She slowly backed a way down the steps to allow him the room to descend along with the Xander crutch but close enough to catch him if he started to fall forward again.

Spike gritted his teeth preparing for the next step which wasn't as bad. Buffy had made her way into the foyer as well and smiled up at him. He tried to return it but was sure it looked more like a grimace instead of a smile. He was grateful she shooed the girls back into the living room. He wasn't really in the mood to perform for an audience even though they were all of the female persuasion. Things like that didn't matter to him anymore.

By the time he finished his last thought, he was on the landing. He let out a lungful of air he had been unconsciously holding while Xander removed his arm from around him and Spike pushed him away while grumbling possibly a word of gratitude under his breath.

Buffy made her way back over to him still standing at the bottom of the stairs. He was a little afraid to move just yet since his legs felt a little like rubber at the moment. And that would be a picture worth a thousand words. Spike sprawled out face first on the floor in front of everyone.

"You doing ok?" She asked him sincerely.

"Oh, fine. Really fine once the feeling in my legs go back to normal," he shrugged.

"You probably need those ribs wrapped up, huh?"

He shook his head yes. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all. The doctor is in. Do you think you can make it into my office?" she teased.

He leaned towards her a bit. "Lead me to it---but not too fast. Still working at getting my land legs under me."

Buffy had him sit on one of the stools next to the center island so she could reach easier to wrap the bandage around what was left of Spike's broken ribs. She tried to be as gentle as she could but every once in a while he would suck in a bit of air if she over did it with her slayer strength.

"Sorry for being so rough. It needed to be wrapped tightly so they will mend quicker. Be happy you don't need to breathe at least."

"True. I never did understand how the women of my century could wear those awful corsets. I sort of know what it feels like right about now."

That made Buffy chuckle. He smiled slightly and cocked his head. She noticed him staring at her.

"What?"

"Just good to hear you laugh, especially after all you've been through," he answered her honestly.

"Well, I think I've chosen to look at things at a different angle, in a different light so to say. Life is too short and even though all of this should be taken seriously, sometimes you just have to give in and laugh at things, otherwise I think I would go positively stark raving mad."

"Hmph, been in those shoes recently and I do *not* want to ever go back. Buffy,---I want to help you with this, anything I can do when I'm---well, able to do it, I guess."

"I was hoping you would say that. I'm going to need to train these girls, sort of a speed course in slayer training. You and I both have been in a lot of battles and I think we could do it, get them ready to fight against this pain in my ass."

Spike smirked at her name for The First. "Sure, whatever it takes. I should be healed enough to start by tomorrow."

"Now don't rush into anything. You need to heal or you won't be any use to me at all."

"I'll be ok, Buffy. Really. If I'm not, I'll be sure to let you know. Now about you getting some sleep. You look like you need to catch a few z's. I'll hold the fort down while you get some rest."

"Really, I'm fine. I don't---."

"Buffy, now who's being the pain in the ass. You promised you would sleep. Please, Buffy. If not for yourself then for everybody's safety. We need you alert and at your full potential.

"Ok, ok, ok, goodnight already. But wake me if anything happens."

"Will be sure to. G'night."

TBC





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