Chapter 2

*****

Buffy opened the front door, and it seemed to take her a while to register that someone was standing in front of her.   Spike waved his hand in front of her face, and said,  "Slayer?"

Buffy blinked, and then seemed to focus on him.  "Spike?"

"Yeah, it's me.  You told me to come over as soon as it got dark, remember?"

"Yeah... yeah, I did.  Sorry, come in."  Buffy stepped away from the door and headed towards the kitchen.  "You look a whole lot better.  Did you drink all the blood I brought over?  I'll just heat you up some more."  Spike was about to protest that he was fine,  but Buffy looked as though she needed something to do, so he followed her and sat at the kitchen table.

"Where are your minions?" Spike asked, noticing how silent the house was.  He'd expected the whole gang to be there in full research mode - well, almost the whole gang.

"Spike, I've told you before, don't call them that.  Anyway, Anya wanted to go back to the hospital, and the doctor needed to talk to Giles again - did you know he's listed as Xander's next of kin?  Anyway, Giles had to sign some more insurance forms or something, and Willow and Tara have gone home to get a change of clothes, and they took Dawn with them because they're going straight to the hospital after they've been home, and...  Oh God, I'm babbling, aren't I - in full Willow-mode."

Buffy handed Spike the mug of blood, and then sank down into the chair next to him.  She looked like she hadn't slept in days.  "Did you get any rest, Slayer?"  he asked gently.

"A little - but every time I closed my eyes I saw Xander lying in the graveyard with his chest ripped open, fighting for breath, and I..."  she shuddered, and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes against the tears welling there.  "I went to the hospital after I saw you, just to see how he was doing, you know?  It's not good news.  He's slipped into a coma, Spike.  They've got him on all these machines - monitoring his condition,  'cos you know, he may need to go back on life support if..."  She sighed, and a tear slipped down her cheek.

Spike found a box of tissues and passed it to Buffy.  He'd always had more than his share of human emotions, and he was disgusted to find he was feeling protective of the tiny blonde.   'Bloody hell, a crying Slayer - I should be selling tickets and making ppopcorn, not offering her bloody tissues.  I *am* turning into the poof!' he thought.  But the need to reassure her was overwhelming. 

"He's a fighter, Slayer, we both know that.  He's not gonna just give up.  And we've got a Slayer, two witches, an ex-demon, a Watcher and a vampire all fighting for him.  We'll win, you'll see."  Buffy looked up at Spike with a shocked look on her face.  Spike seemed to be voluntarily offering help.  Her eyes narrowed.

"I still don't trust you, Spike.  I don't know why you helped Xander yesterday, and I don't know why you're offering to help now, and... at the moment I just don't care.  If this is part of some evil 'get in with the gang and kill us all' plan, then I'll stake you so fast you won't even see it coming.  But right now we need all the help we can get, so... thank you."

"I've helped you before, Slayer." Spike held up his hand to stop Buffy, who was just about to interrupt. "Yeah, I know I had my reasons.  You've got your problems and I've got mine, so let's just say that we could all use some friends right now, yeah?"

*****

Spike had insisted that Buffy lie down and try to rest.  He'd start some research and wait for the others to get back, he said.  It was a measure of how tired she was that Buffy never thought twice about going to sleep and leaving the vampire in her house.  She had shown Spike the cupboard where she had put his JD, asked him please not to smoke in the house, and then left him to it. 

Spike wandered into the living room, and almost tripped over the piles of books that seemed to cover every available flat surface, including the floor.   He figured that Willow and Tara would be tackling the books in English, leaving the ancient and demon language tomes to Giles, 'and me, 'cos we're the only ones who can read them,'  he thought.  The more obscure texts had been stacked together, so Spike picked one up and started reading.

*****

Spike was enjoying a JD and a smoke on the back step when he heard voices in the house.  He stubbed out his cigarette and wandered back into the kitchen.  Giles and Dawn were there, unpacking containers of Chinese food.  Giles spotted Spike first and looked around him uncertainly, as though trying to locate Buffy, or possibly a stake.  Dawn gave him a frankly appraising look, and grinned shyly when Spike smiled at her and winked.

"Spike - what are you doing here.  And where's Buffy?"

"Relax, Watcher, Slayer's having a bit of a kip, and she asked me to come over and tell you what I know about this demon.  Maybe help with a bit of research, you know? And she's paying me,"  he added defensively - he didn't need anyone else thinking he was going soft.

"Buffy went to sleep, leaving you here?" asked Giles, the shock clearly evident on his face.

"Yeah, Watcher, I was as surprised as you.  The Slayer sleeping while the Big Bad roams her house.  Just goes to show how shagged she was, doesn't it?  How'd it go at the hospital, anyway?"  Spike reached into the cupboard and brought out the bottle of whisky.  "Want one?"

"Er, yes I will, actually - thank you."  He turned to Dawn.  "Go and tell Buffy that dinner is here, please, Dawn."  Dawn huffed and flounced out of the kitchen as Spike got out some glasses and poured a couple of hefty drinks.  He handed one to Giles, who drained it in one swallow.  Spike raised his eyebrow but made no comment, simply refilling the glass and topping up his own.  "The hospital - well, Xander's condition is unchanged for the moment.  As Buffy's probably told you, tests indicate he's slipped into a coma, but are inconclusive as to why.  So we can do nothing but wait, and see what more we can find out about the effects of Gora'tha venom on humans."

"Yeah, I tripped over the books when I came in.  Surprised you know what sort of demon it is, though.  I wasn't sure you would - they're pretty rare.  So, find anything useful yet?"

"Not so far.  I don't suppose you know anything?"  Giles didn't look very hopeful, and with good reason.  Spike shook his head.  "I only knew the stuff paralysed humans and some demons.  Doesn't seem to have any effect on vampires, though.  I think the poison needs a heartbeat to spread and do the damage."

"Yes, I  had gathered that.  The Gora'tha are only mentioned, in passing, in one book.  We were lucky to find that reference, and it only mentions paralysis, nothing else.  However, that could simply be because all of its previous victims have died almost immediately." 

"Good point,"  said Spike.  Then he cocked his head to one side.  "Sounds like the Slayer's up and about, so you better get that food sorted out."  As Spike finished speaking Buffy and Dawn walked into the kitchen.

"That smells great, Giles - I didn't realise how hungry I was until I smelled food."  Buffy sat down, grabbed one of the containers from pile on the table and started shoveling food into her mouth.  "How's Xander?" she asked after a few mouthfuls.

"The same,"  Giles answered shortly.  "Anya wanted to go back to their apartment, so Willow and Tara packed a few things and are staying with her.  We felt it best that she not be alone at the moment."

"Good idea,"  Buffy said, in between mouthfuls of Chinese food.  She looked at Spike. "Did you have any luck?"  Spike shook his head.  

"You were only asleep for a couple of hours.  Didn't get much reading done in that time, but no, not yet.  Early days yet, though.  With me and the Watcher getting stuck into those books, we'll find something in no time, you'll see."

After everyone had eaten, and Spike had firmly refused any more blood, "let's save some for tomorrow, eh Slayer?", they all hit the books again.  Giles showed surprise at Spike's ability to read some of the more obscure texts, but expressed his gratitude for the help.

Buffy and Dawn had long since gone to bed, and Giles had fallen asleep on the couch, when Spike decided to head back to his crypt.  Sunrise wasn't far off, and he felt the need for some fresh air, and possibly a bit of violence.  He left a note, saying he would be back again at sunset, and headed home.

*****

Sunlight.  He was standing in the sunlight again.

"Hello, Will - you're back.  Where did you go?  I was talking to you, and then you weren't there."  Spike looked up in surprise.  He was back in Xander's apartment.

"Hi, Xander.  I had to go, you know - things to do."  Spike was thinking furiously.  Left the Slayer's, check.  Dusted some fledges, check.  Got home, check.  Got into bed, check.  So - must be dreaming again.  But his dreams weren't usually like this.  He usually relived old times, hunting and feeding with Angelus and... OK, let's not go there, as the Slayer would say.  But usually he knew that he was doing nothing more than replaying memories.   This was new - and it felt so... real.

"Well, I'm glad you're back.  Hey, you want something to eat?  There's pizza in the fridge.  And beer, of course.  And then we can watch Passions - that's your favourite show, right? ; See what Timmy and Tabitha's up to?"  Spike felt like he was going under for the third time, but grabbed onto a small raft of sanity that floated by;  'only a dream', and decided - what the hell, go with the flow.

"Yeah, sure.  Why not?"  He slipped his duster off and sat on the couch, grabbed the remote and changed the channel while Xander went out to the kitchen.  Passions started, and it was one of Spike's favourite episodes, 'of course - dream here'.  A couple of minutes later, Xander returned with the promised pizza and beer.  They watched the show together while they ate, chatting amiably about the characters and what was going to happen next. 

When the show finished, Xander took the dishes back to the kitchen, and Spike decided to poke around.  He opened the door at the end of the corridor, and then stood frozen in shock.  The bathroom mirror - he could see himself in the bathroom mirror.  Slicked-back blond hair, blue eyes, scar above the eyebrow.  He stepped closer and touched the mirror image carefully, as though it were someone else's face.  'Fuck - is that me?'  He touched his face, and the reflection did the same. 'Bloody hell, I've got a good imagination,' he thought. 'I wonder what I look like when I change?'  No go - try as he might, he couldn't change into game face.  'I wonder why not?  It's my dream, I should be able to change if I want to.'  Still nothing.

"Will, where are you?"

"In the bathroom.  Hey, Xander, you got a full-length mirror in this place?"  Spike was enjoying having a reflection, even if it was only in his head, and wanted to take advantage of it.

"Yeah, in the bedroom,"  Xander said, walking up behind the puzzled vampire.  "Why?  You wanna see how good you look in those clothes?" He grinned at Spike's reflection and headed to the bedroom.  Spike followed, ignoring the strange fluttering he felt in his stomach at Xander's words.

He walked into the bedroom and stood in front of the mirror.  He was not only seeing himself for the first time in - forever, it felt like, but he was standing in the sunlight, looking at himself.  'This is a bloody good dream!' he thought.  Tight white t-shirt, tight jeans...  He needed his duster.  He'd left it in the... No, there it was, on the bed.  He picked it up and put it on.  Of course, this was a dream, so his coat would be where he wanted it to be.  Except...  Something was niggling at Spike.  This felt - wrong.  He heard laughter; Xander was sitting on the bed, watching him.

"Anyone would think you've never seen yourself in a mirror before.  That or you've turned into a teenage girl."

"Shut it, Harris," Spike growled.  He could see Xander's reflection staring at him almost... hungrily?  "Anyway, you seem to be enjoying the view.  But then again, I am definitely worth looking at..."  Spike's voice trailed off as he began looking at himself in the mirror again.  Xander chuckled.  "Oh yeah, you're definitely a tasty hunk of man meat, Will."  Seeing Spike's shocked expression, Xander continued, "Oh, come on, Will.  Don't act like you don't know how I feel about you.  You know I've wanted you for like - forever!  When are you going to stop teasing me?"

Xander rose from the bed and walked up to Spike, who was still facing the mirror.  He stood behind him, wrapping his arms around him, and they stood watching each other in the mirror.  Xander was smiling, though Spike simply looked shell-shocked.  "See - we look perfect together."  Xander dipped his head down, and Spike felt warm lips on his neck, and then... he felt a jolt.  Spike opened his eyes to find himself on the floor of his crypt - he had fallen out of bed.

"What the fuck was that?!"
 

*****

End of chapter 2

Chapter  3