Betad by Carol and dawnofme


Banner by dawnofme


Disclaimer: the characters do not belong to me - they are used purely for fun and not fiancial gain






Chapter Thirty-Nine


De-bugging the System


Spike slowly roused from his long sleep. The first thing he became aware of was that the nagging pain he’d felt ever since he’d broken his leg was gone. He tentatively moved his leg. It was still sore but he knew the Slayer’s blood had worked its magic and had sped up the healing beyond its normal rate. God, he loved being a vampire!

He sat up and unbuckled the straps holding the splint on his leg. Although his leg wouldn’t properly bear his weight yet, he could get away without using the splint. Spike looked over to the couch- it was empty. He listened hard and could hear four people breathing upstairs. All were asleep.

Spike swung his legs to the floor and gingerly stood up. He tried taking a step. It hurt but felt stable enough and so he made his way to the kitchen, limping badly.


His stomach growled loudly and he opened the refrigerator, taking out two bags of blood. He put them in the microwave to heat. At the ‘ping’ he took them out and quickly drained them both.


He glanced over at the basement door. He reckoned he could manage the steps if he took it slowly. He opened the door and, clinging to the handrail, made his way down.


Giles was laid on the cot facing the wall. Buffy was sprawled on the floor. Both were fast asleep. Spike stood looking at Buffy for a moment. Her face was smudged with dirt and her hair was all mussed up, but just looking at her made Spike’s unbeating heart sing.


He limped over to her, eyeing the length of her chains to make sure he was out of reach. There was a stool against the wall and he eased himself onto it. He didn’t wake her, just sat staring at her, drinking her in with his eyes like he’d drunk her blood the previous day – savouring it.


Spike wasn’t sure how long he sat there looking at the love of his whole existence. As a human he’d never experienced reciprocated love. Although he had loved Drusilla, what he felt for her paled into insignificance in the light of what he felt for Buffy. He ached with the need to keep her from harm.


Buffy moaned softly and shifted in her sleep. A few minutes later she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Spike’s face; a look of such adoration on his face that she almost melted.


“Spike,” she whispered, holding out her hand towards him.


“Buffy.”


When he didn’t move to hold her hand she sat up and frowned at him. “No hug?” she pouted, knowing he couldn’t resist it.


“Oh, Buffy,” groaned Spike, “Don’t do that.”


She grinned at him. “So, why no touchie-feelie? You don’t want a piece of this?”


“Cut it out, Slayer. I’m in no shape to get out of your clutches if that damned Bug starts doing its number on you.”


“But I feel fine, Spike. Maggie must have been dead for twenty-four hours by now. I’m sure I’ve been chained here for at least that long,” grumbled Buffy. “And I wasn’t even near enough to pound on my roomie,” she added, glaring at the still sleeping Giles.


“Easy, Buffy. It’s not the bloke’s fault any more than this was yours.” Spike indicated his leg.


“But I wasn’t aiming at you,” said Buffy. “Not my fault you put yourself in the way.”


“Yeah, but you still wanted to kill me, didn’t you?” When Buffy stayed silent he continued, “Look love, you know what we have to do. We’ll get the bleeding thing out of you and then you’ll be free, okay?”


“After another twenty-four hours,” said Buffy, going a little pale at the memory of how much pain Spike had gone through when his was expelled.


Spike knew what she was thinking. “It’s okay, pet. I’ll make sure Willow keeps you asleep long enough, I promise.”


A rattle of chains from the opposite corner made them both look over to Giles. He’d woken up and was staring in their direction.


“Morning, Rupert,” said Spike. He couldn’t believe the state the guy was in. He looked half the size he actually was, the way he was all huddled up.


Buffy made a threatening noise and glared at him. Giles shrank even smaller and looked away.


Spike turned to Buffy. “Did you just growl?” he asked, astonished.


“Um…it always works for you,” she muttered, colouring up under his gaze.


“That’s because I’m a sodding vampire!” He couldn’t believe how pig-headed Buffy was being about Giles. “Look, pet, I’m going to see if the others are awake then get Red to start on these spells, okay?”


Buffy nodded at him, wincing for him as he got up and limped up the stairs.


“And don’t bloody growl at him again.”


Ooooooo


Spike waited in the kitchen long enough to down the last two bags of blood. He had to eat much more when healing. He wondered if Xander would go and get him some fresh supplies. He hobbled to the foot of the main stairs.


“Couldn’t have lived in a house on one level, oh no,” he grumbled as he started to climb them, being very careful not to miss his step. If he fell, the leg would surely break again.


On the landing, he paused and sniffed a couple of times to ascertain who was sleeping where. Dawn and Willow were sharing Willow’s room – Matt was in Dawn’s bed and Xander, Buffy’s. Spike grinned as he thought that it was the only time the boy would be in her bed. Xander hid his crush on Buffy more successfully these days, as he knew nothing would ever come of it. But Spike could sense the other man’s desires where a human couldn’t – Xander would always care deeply for Buffy. Spike couldn’t help but feel smug knowing that he was the one who held the Slayer’s heart. He tapped gently on the girls’ door.


“Red? Are you awake?”



He heard movement inside and then the door was opened and there stood Willow, wearing red pyjamas with little white sheep all over them. She looked at him expectantly. He noticed the ugly red marks had gone from her face. She sighed and waved her hands in front of him. The penny dropped – the weird things on her hands had gone.


“Oh, Red, you did it! That’s great!” he said just before she enveloped him in a bear hug.


He staggered back a step, gritting his teeth as he put too much pressure on his leg.


“Steady, pet, still healing, yeah.”


“Oh, I’m sorry,” she cried, letting go of him and taking a step back. “But look- no splint- no crutch.”


“Yeah, advantage of vampiric healing,” he said with a bit of a smirk. “So how did you get them off?”


Willow looked at her hands and feet and wriggled them as if she still couldn’t quite believe she was free.


“Was easy,” she grinned. “Advantage of being a witch,” she said, mirroring his words.


“Great not being ordinary, huh?” He paused for a moment, as both reflected on their extraordinary abilities before continuing. “So, can we start getting those bleeding Bugs out of Buffy and Giles now?”


“Yes, I’ll get on it right away. I’ll just get dressed and then I’ll be down.”


Spike nodded then turned and slowly made his way downstairs.


Ooooooo


About thirty minutes later, Willow came downstairs followed soon afterwards by Xander. They found Spike sitting in his armchair, resting his leg on the footstool.


“Hey, Spike,” said Xander. “Willow tells me that your leg’s feeling a lot better.”


“Yeah, it’s getting there, mate,” replied Spike. “Sleep well, did you?”


Xander missed the innuendo Spike was aiming at him about sleeping in Buffy’s bed.


“Like a log, I was done in.”


“Um, I’m all out of blood. Any chance you could get me some more?” Spike couldn’t quite believe he’d just asked Xander for a favour, but things had changed between them since Spike had returned from The Initiative.


“I’ll go and get some from the hospital once the spells are underway.”


“I’ve been thinking about that. Buffy’s not happy about Giles being near her…”


“Can’t say I blame her,” interrupted Xander.


“Yeah, well I think it’s best to separate them. Giles will be all right tied up in here, I reckon. Buffy had better stay in the basement with the whole Slayer strength thing going on. Bring him up before Willow begins the spells as she’s going to make them sleep through it. Better that they do, ‘cause trust me – the pain is bloody terrible.”


“I’ll go and get him now.”


Xander left the room. As Spike watched him go, Willow caught his eye.


“I heard what you said. I’m so sorry that you didn’t sleep long enough when I expelled your Bug. I’m sorry that you hurt.”


“’S okay pet, not your fault. I got through it, didn’t I? Just promise me Buffy will sleep longer.”


Willow nodded, “I will.”


Xander reappeared with Giles and he was soon secured to a chair, wrists tied to its arms and ankles to its legs. Giles carefully avoided making any eye contact at all. He looked like a broken man.


“Are you going to start on him?” asked Spike.


Willow grimaced but agreed. She cast the spell to make Giles sleep. Spike watched as she mixed the foul smelling potion, recited the incantation and painted the paste onto his neck.


“I had it all over my arm. How come he’s just getting it on his neck?”


“They implanted it into your arm and it has to exit at the same place it was inserted. You told me that Maggie put it straight into Buffy’s neck so I guess that she’ll have done the same to him. There are no marks on his arm like there was on you.”


“I think you’re right,” Spike agreed.

They left Giles sleeping and as Willow and Spike made their way down to Buffy, Xander headed out to get Spike’s supplies.


“Hey, Buffy,” said Willow. “Are you ready to get de-bugged?”


Buffy and Spike stared at her.


“Just make sure she stays asleep long enough, okay?” Spike said gruffly, hating the thought of what Buffy was going to have to go through. “Ready, pet?” he added softly, looking at Buffy.


She nodded. “Let’s get this over and done with,” she said firmly.


Willow whispered the spell and Buffy slumped to the floor. Spike was immediately at her side, lowering himself carefully to sit beside her. He stroked her hair gently from where it lay across her neck before Willow began the ritual.


As Willow spoke she looked at Spike. He was never any good at hiding his emotions and he certainly couldn’t conceal them now. Tears were brimming in his eyes as he sat there, unable to keep from touching Buffy, murmuring comforting words as he did.


A bloodcurdling scream rent the air. Willow never flinched but Spike nearly jumped out of his skin.


“What the hell was that?” he gasped, staggering to his feet. “The protection spell – has it failed? Oh Christ, Niblet’s up there!”


“The spell’s okay, Spike, don’t sweat it,” said Willow coldly without looking up.


Another scream. This time Spike realised what he was hearing.


“Giles,” he cried, staring at Willow in horror. “He’s woken up! Your spell didn’t take. Oh my God – Buffy!”


“She’ll be fine, Spike,” said Willow, her voice flat.


“What? How do you know? Oh God, you did it on purpose. Red, what have you done?”


She still refused to look at him. “Nothing more than he deserved.”



Spike for once was lost for words. On one hand he sympathised with why she’d done it, but on the other hand it was a dangerous line she’d just crossed. He dragged himself up the steps as quickly as he could. As he passed the foot of the main stair,s he was almost knocked over by Matt as he careened down to see what was happening.


“Are we being attacked?” he asked Spike frantically.


“No, it’s okay, Matt. It’s just the Bug being expelled from Giles,” replied Spike, leaning on the boy gratefully as they went into the lounge.


Giles was shaking and thrashing in the chair and drenched in sweat. His ropes still securely kept him in place but his efforts were threatening to turn the chair on its side.


“Giles!” Dawn screamed as she ran into the room.


Matt caught her in his arms. “Shh, he’ll be okay, he’ll be okay.” He looked over her head and raised his eyebrows at Spike.


“Yeah, he’ll be fine. It’ll hurt like hell but he’ll be all right,” he said, answering Matt’s implied question.


“Buffy? Will she be like this?” asked Dawn in a small voice.


“No, Niblet, she’ll be asleep.”


Dawn stared at him for a moment before she realised. “Oh, Willow,” she sighed.


“Can you take her back upstairs, Matt? She doesn’t need to see this.”


Matt nodded, and keeping his arm around her he led Dawn out of the room.


Giles groaned pitifully, his eyes rolling back in his head, and he bucked violently against his restraints.


“Oh shit, Giles, I’m sorry about this,” said Spike compassionately. “Maggie may be dead but she’s still managing to leave a bit of torture behind, isn’t she? Dammit, Red.”


Spike untied the ropes holding Giles. It took a bit of effort as they had been tightened by Giles’ movements. He reckoned that Giles was in no state to harm anyone and if he stayed tied as he was, he’d end up being hurt. Spike tried to help him to the couch but he just collapsed onto the floor, his whole body wracked with tremors.


Spike sensed a movement behind him and turned to see Willow a few yards away.


“Red, you’ve got to do another sleeping spell,” said Spike. “Look, I know what he did to you was unforgivable but it was Maggie’s doing, not his. You’ve got to understand that. He had no choice-no option. He will have been aware of all he’s done but been powerless to prevent it. He was completely under her control.”


“I can’t,” she whispered.


Spike fixed her with a hard stare then pointed to Giles writhing on the floor.


“This isn’t right, Red. It just isn’t right.”


“I can’t do it.”


“You can, you’ve bloody well got to,” snapped Spike as Giles gave another pitiful moan. “He’ll end up having a bleeding heart attack.”


“No, Spike, I really can’t. It’s not safe to do another spell while the enchantment is in place. That’s why I couldn’t prevent you from waking.”


“Christ,” growled Spike. “Go and stay with Buffy, okay?”


She nodded and fled from the room.


“Well, Rupe, it looks like you and me are in it for the duration,” said Spike as he settled himself into an armchair to watch over the stricken man.

To be continued…