Not Beneath Me - Chapter 16 (Visits)
By Tasha

Chapter Summary: Buffy is out of surgery. Spike and Dawn are with her. Joyce has ruled her house and family a "No Xander" zone. Anya is being called to let her know about Xander's condition. Sunset is quickly approaching. Will Dru's new Childe awaken? How is Dru going to get to Buffy now that the familial claim is in place? Does the claim protect all of Buffy's family or just Buffy? Hmmm ... what about her friends? Will Spike be able to protect the woman he loves?

**WARNING: There is some more familial bonding in this chapter. It involves a minor and Spike. Although there are residual sensations during the bite, there will NOT be sex involved. No touching will be involved in a sexual type way. Just warning you though so no one freaks out.**

Author's Note: Thank you to Jeni from Darkly Dreaming/Misfits (www.thetwojanes.com) for bringing up a valid point about Dawn. It's yet another reason why I love feedback/reviews. You all help to make this story a better one with your ideas and encouraging remarks. So, a big thank you to everyone who reviews. It really does help to keep me going.

(Disclaimer and Distribution notes are listed in the Prologue of this story. Thank you ahead of time for reading and accepting or abiding by them.)

'Single' quote marks surround thoughts in this story. "Regular" quotes are around spoken words.

---

"How are you feeling, Buffy?" Dawn asked. Shortly after first hugging her sister, she broke down into tears. Both Buffy and Spike spent the last 15 minutes trying to calm and console her. She felt like such a baby, but she couldn't help it. Now that she calmed down some, she tried to start a conversation.

"I've had better days." Buffy joked. "Having my lung punctured by a stake wasn't on my "To Do" list today." She made light of the situation as best she could.

Spike flinched. He wanted to pummel Xander for a growing list of reasons. A new building anger at Xander was because he tainted the day's memory. Instead of Buffy being able to remember the bonding, lovemaking, and declarations ... all that would be remembered would be a miserable hospital stay because she defended him and Xander accidentally staked her instead.

Buffy squeezed Spike's hand. "It's not your fault, Spike." She tried to reassure him.

"Yes, it is. Bloody idiot wouldn't have had that stake if he wasn't trying to kill me." No matter how much Buffy tried to soothing him, Spike still felt the pain of guilt. "Even with this chip not working, I couldn't stop him from hurting you." His conscience was slightly eased by her declaration of love ealier, but he hated seeing her in this pain.

Anya inhaled sharply from her position in the doorway. "It's true then? The chip doesn't work?" She asked.

Buffy, Spike and Dawn turned their heads towards Anya's voice. "So, it seems." Buffy was the one to answer her.

"Giles said that the chip didn't seem to be working when he called me about Xander." Anya in her usual bluntness went straight to the point. "Are you going to kill us all now?"

Spike laughed. Anya was a strange woman, but her forthrightness didn't offend him. He actually found it refreshing. The ex-demon didn't hide behind pretense and "not wanting to hurt other's feelings". She said whatever was on her mind. "No, I won't be killing any Scoobies." He grunted. "Well except your boyfriend, if I can get away with it."

Anya shrieked. "Xander?!" She looked at Buffy to see if Buffy was going to slap Spike for saying that. She was surprised to see Buffy half smile at Spike, but Buffy shook her head back and forth. "Why do you want to kill, Xander? He doesn't like you, but he could never hurt you. He's not strong enough."

Dawn's eyes narrowed. She stalked over to Anya. She poked her finger into Anya's chest. "Tell that to the hole that was in Buffy's lung because Xander tried to stake Spike, but she got in the way."

Anya's eyes widened in shock and fear. She was in shock that Xander would push things far enough to stake Spike. The fear was for Xander's life. Whether anyone else wanted to realize it or not, she'd seen how Spike felt for Buffy a long time ago. She knew Spike would defend Buffy with his own life, and now Xander had harmed the woman Spike loved. Vampires were known for exacting their own vengeance. "Please don't kill, Xander. Something must have possessed him. He'd never try to hurt, Buffy."

Spike noted the pleading tone of Anya's otherwise steady voice. "The only thing that possessed him was his hatred for vampires and demons."

"But he loves me." Anya retorted.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Proof of what a hypocrite Xander is."

Buffy watched Dawn and Spike tag team Anya because of Xander's actions. She rubbed her thumb over the back of Spike's hand. "Dawn." She motioned for Dawn to return to the bed.

Spike calmed down a little bit. It wasn't doing Buffy any good to get all worked up. Dawn walked back over to Buffy. She curled up on the bed next to her sister.

"I'm sorry, Anya, but you won't find any Xander support in this room." Buffy hugged her sister tightly. "I do like you Anya. It's nothing against you personally, but Xander has always tried to tell me who I could date or not date. He has tunnel vision when it comes to demons." She explained. "Where you are concerned, you are perfect and pure no matter your previous demon status." She looked up at Spike. "Anyone else, he sees as evil and unredeemable no matter what they've done to prove otherwise."

Anya's eyes traveled back and forth between Buffy and Spike. "You two are actually dating now?"

Spike nodded. "Yes. You have a problem with that?" He was on the defensive, and it was hard not to be.

"I think it is about time." Anya stated matter-of-factly. "You two needed to have sex for a long time now." She looked at Buffy seriously. "I hope he gives you many orgasms."

Buffy blushed, Dawn shrieked and Spike laughed. "I'll make sure she is well taken care of in the orgasm department." He laughed harder.

"Spike!" Dawn reached over Buffy and punched him in the chest. "Good grief. TMI, Spike. More than I needed to know."

Buffy stifled a giggle behind her hand. "We're all set, Anya. Thanks. No orgasm problems." It felt good to laugh after all of the tensions of the day. She held one hand over her injured lung. It ached a little from laughing, but it was worth it.

"Good." Anya nodded emphatically. "Do you know what happened to the chip?"

Spike shook his head back and forth. "No clue. Better ask your boyfriend. He seemed to know that it wasn't working before I did."

Anya's confusion escalated. "He knew?" She questioned.

"He came into Buffy's house with stakes blazing before there was any way he could find out that it didn't work." Buffy answered. "It was bizarre."

Anya thought back on the last couple days. Xander had been quite tense. He refused to have sex with her this morning before work too. That, in itself, was highly unusual for Xander. She remembered Riley coming over the night the group found that demon from outer space, but he and Riley had left shortly after Riley got there. Xander didn't return until late that night.

Spike watched the thoughts change Anya's facial expressions. Something was adding up, and he would pay good money to know what she was thinking.

"I'd better go check on Xander." Anya stood up straight. She held the handle of the door in one hand. "Is there anything I should tell Xander?"

Even though she didn't know what her mother told Willow, Giles and Tara upstairs, Buffy echoed her sentiments clearly. "Tell him to stay away from me and my family, especially Spike. Xander and I are going to have a serious talk once I'm better, and if I don't like what he has to say it might be the last chat we ever have."

Spike blinked in surprise. There was nothing playful or teasing in Buffy's voice. She sounded deadly serious. Was she choosing him over Xander? A part of him rejoiced inside while another part felt sad for Buffy's loss of a friend. He placed a hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Maybe he'll change his mind, luv."

Anya nodded to Buffy. "I'll tell him." She opened the door. "For what it is worth, I'm sorry he did this Buffy. I'll try to get through to him." She'd felt on the outside of the little Scooby group more than she felt in it, but now it seemed she might have a choice of being in or out. Should she do the right thing or stick by Xander and the wrong thing?

"I hope you are able to, Anya." Buffy said in all seriousness. "This is his last chance. I don't need another enemy, but that is better than someone disguised as a friend trying to destroy me from within my own circle."

Anya sighed. Her shoulders slumped lower and she exited the room. Whether or not Xander approved of Spike and Buffy together, Anya thought it was a good match.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Willow fluffed the pillows behind Joyce Summers' back. Joyce fidgeted back and forth. Giles placed a hand on Joyce's shoulder in an attempt to calm her.

"The nurse told me the doctor was making his rounds." Tara stepped back into Joyce's room after a visit to the nurse's station. "They've paged him to your room, Mrs. Summers."

"Thank you, Tara." Joyce forced herself to sit still. "I know Spike and Dawn are down there, but I need to see with my own eyes that she's all right." She weakly smiled at Giles.

"I'm sure he'll find some way for you to visit Buffy." Giles assured Joyce. He squeezed Joyce's shoulder in support. He loved Buffy like he would his own daughter. He was antsy to see her too.

Willow and Tara exchanged curious looks before they slipped out of the room quietly. They both thought the couple would enjoy a little time alone to talk.

"I think Mr. Giles and Mrs. Summers are smitten." Tara said with a blush.

"I think they are too, Tara." Willow giggled in a little girlish manner. "It's so sweet to see Giles like that again."

"I've never seen Mr. Giles on a date." Tara spoke her thoughts out loud. "Has he dated?"

"Not recently. At least not that I know of." Willow remembered Olivia from a year or two ago, but they never seemed serious. "He seemed in love with Miss Calendar a few years back. They started dating, but things fell apart."

"Why?" Tara sat down in a chair near Joyce's room. There was so much history between all the Scoobies. She tried to learn everything she could. You never knew when it would come in handy for the future.

"First it was because she lied to us about who she was when she befriended our group." Willow sat down next to Tara. They were far enough away to give Giles and Joyce privacy, but they were close enough to hear if they were called. "Later, after they reconciled, Angelus killed her." She explained what Angelus did and how Giles found Jenny.

"That's horrible." Tara shivered. Over the time she'd been dating Willow she heard various stories about Angel and Angelus. Most of them she heard from Xander. After recent events, she wasn't so sure just how many of them were true. Apparently Angelus was a nasty killer though.

"That's another reason for Xander's prejudice." Willow sighed. "Of course the fact that he's had a crush on Buffy since the first day he met her doesn't help." She shook her head back and forth. "Riley seemed to be the only one that Xander liked, but I think that was because he couldn't use the evil bad argument with Riley after he left the Initiative."

"Xander has always been pretty adamant about Spike and Angel." Tara held Willow's hand. "This must be very hard for you. I know how you feel about Xander."

"It is pretty hard, Tara." Willow patted the hand covering hers with her other hand. "He's been my friend for forever, and you know the crush I had on him for all those years."

Tara nodded and listened. She knew that Willow needed to talk this one out.

"But he can't keep doing this to Buffy." Willow sighed. "If Giles and Spike are right about Xander knowing the chip wasn't working, I can't even think of a way to defend him. The Spike is bad argument won't fly especially if Buffy is on Spike's side. Besides what he would have done would be bad and wrong too. Two wrongs don't make a right."

"They really are in love, Willow." Tara tried to reassure Willow that Spike and Buffy being together was right. "I've seen it in the possibilities from their auras for a long time. Spike isn't all evil. I even think he has some part of his soul."

"Like Angel?" Willow questioned.

"No, not like Angel." Tara thought for a minute about how to explain her theory. "It probably isn't his soul, per say, but there is something inside him that is fighting what a vampire is only supposed to be. It's gotten stronger over the last year, more pronounced."

"Maybe we can explain that to Xander." Willow squeezed Tara's hand. "You've always been so attuned with auras. I just don't see them like you do, but I trust your judgment. You figured out that Buffy wasn't Buffy when Faith was in her body."

Tara blushed at the praise. "You are able to do so much more than I can though."

"That just shows what a perfect match we are, sweetie." Willow leaned over to kiss Tara's lips softly. "We complete each other."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Dr. Kriegel walked into Joyce's room. He held her medical chart in his hands. "Hello, Joyce."

Giles stood up from where he was previously sitting next to Joyce on the bed. "Hello, Doctor."

Dr. Kriegel motioned for Giles to sit back down. "This won't be a long visit, Mr. Giles. Stay comfortable. She needs the support." He had a healthy respect for the British man. He knew how many hours Giles spent with Joyce, and he was glad to know that the lovely woman had such a good support system.

"Did the nurse's tell you about my daughter?" Joyce questioned.

"Yes, they did." Dr. Kriegel made a few notes in the chart after checking Joyce's monitors. "I was quite shocked that such a break in would occur in broad daylight."

Giles and Joyce shared a look of understanding. The story around the hospital must be the one Spike told the police officer. Though they knew the truth, it was good that no one else was suspicious.

"Yes, it was." Giles reached for his glasses only to remember that he'd already broken them earlier. He buried one hand in his pocket while the other wrapped around Joyce's hand. "We'd really like to see how Buffy is doing."

"I need to see my baby, Doctor." Joyce pleaded softly with Dr. Kriegel.

"Don't fret, Joyce." Dr. Kriegel patted Joyce's shoulder on the other side of her bed. "I've already called transport to get you a wheelchair." He closed the medical chart. "Later today we'll start you with your walking exercises, but I don't want to take a chance of you fainting on the way to see your daughter. So, for now I will agree for you to see her if you take the ride in a wheelchair."

"Oh thank you, Doctor." Joyce leaned over and hugged Dr. Kriegel hard. "I didn't think I could sit here much longer without seeing her."

"I would be the same way, Joyce." Dr. Kriegel looked up at Giles. "With her progress, I wouldn't be too surprised if she wasn't released back to her own home in a couple days. She is healing very nicely."

Giles questioned the doctor's decision. He was concerned about rushing Joyce's recovery. "Is that wise? Aren't there a lot of chances for complications?"

"Yes, complications may arise, but I think her recovery would be better at home." Dr. Kriegel was used to concern from loved ones about the status of his patients. He'd been a doctor for a lot of years, and unlike some others, he didn't take offense when someone questioned him. Instead he took it as a chance to explain things further. "She'll heal much faster around her family and in her own surroundings. Hospitals are too sterile and mundane to promote the kind of recovery she needs."

Joyce nodded. "There are enough of us to be sure that someone can be with me at all times too."

"That will be a big help, Joyce." Dr. Kriegel looked down at Joyce. "You have a very loving family. I know you will be in good hands."

The door of the hospital room opened. A young brunette intern pushed a wheelchair into the room. "Your chariot awaits, Mrs. Summers."

Joyce, Giles and Dr. Kriegel turned to the young man at the door. The intern looked at the doctor with a smile. "I heard that Buffy Summers was in emergency, and I took it upon myself to relieve the regular transport tech of the wheelchair. I've met Miss Summers a few times. I thought I'd see how she was doing."

Dr. Kriegel nodded. He and Giles helped Joyce into the wheelchair. "This is Ben. I know he'll take good care of you." He looked up at Ben. "Minimal walking. I'd prefer her to be sitting for as much of the visit as possible. Only an hour for now."

"Yes, Doctor." Ben agreed. He unwrapped a warm blanket to cover Joyce's lap and feet. "We'll have you downstairs to see Buffy in no time." He leaned over to whisper into Joyce's ear. "Maybe we can have a race to the elevator." He winked at her.

Joyce laughed. She patted her lap then smiled at Dr. Kriegel. "I think I'm in good hands, Doctor."

Dr. Kriegel held open the door for Giles to walk out followed by Ben and the wheelchair.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Do you think Xander will listen to her, Buffy?" Dawn asked. According to her memories she had a crush on Xander for most of her adolescent life. The monks were pretty thorough. She even had year's worth of diary entries to prove it.

"I hope so, Dawnie." Buffy closed her eyes and rested her head against the pillow she was propped up with. "We've been through a lot over the years. I don't want to lose him."

Spike's heart constricted. He leaned over to press a kiss to Buffy's forehead. "If anyone can make him understand it's the demon bird. She's a right bit forthright."

"If that is your nice way of saying blunt, then yes she is." Buffy chuckled. Her smiled turned more to a frown. She clutched Dawn tighter to her, and she opened her eyes. "There was something else I started thinking about while I was waiting for you two to get here. Something other than the various ways to strangle Xander."

Dawn looked up into Buffy's eyes. She sat up some. She knew that look. It was her serious "you're not going to like what I have to say" look. "What about, Buffy?"

"The family claim," Buffy turned her head to look at Spike. "It only protects me, doesn't it?

"It only protects those who have shared the blood." Spike nodded. He quirked a brow at Buffy. 'What is she thinking about?'

"That was what I was afraid of." Buffy sighed. "With me out of commission for a day or two, I started thinking about Dawn and Glory." She caressed her hand down Dawn's head to her back. "I started to realize that Dawn is in danger from more than Glory."

"What do you mean, pet?"

"Dru can't hurt me now, but what is to stop her from kidnapping Dawn to get to me?" Buffy questioned. Her memories told her that Dru and Angelus did that before, but she wasn't sure if it really happened or not.

Spike's eyes widened in surprise. Surely she wasn't suggesting what he thought she was. "I can protect Nibblet from Dru, Buffy."

"I know you will try to Spike, but how many places can you be in at once?" Buffy questioned Spike. She needed him to see the reason of what she was going to ask him to do. "You can't be at the hospital, out patrolling, and watching out for Dawn at the house all at the same time."

"Hey!" Dawn sat up offended. "I don't need a babysitter."

"No, but you do need a protector from a crazy Vampiress hell bent on revenge." Buffy was exasperated. She couldn't do this if both Dawn and Spike fought her on it. "You'd do anything you could to help us protect you, right?" She tried a different tactic.

"Of course I would." Dawn responded.

"Then do this for me." Buffy looked back up at Spike. "I want you to do the bond on Dawn too."

"No! No way, Buffy." Spike responded very adamantly. "I will not bite the Bit."

"Why not? The bond will protect her just as much as it will me, or was that just a bunch of hogwash to get your fangs into me?" Buffy knew that wasn't the reason, but she had to goad him into seeing past his insecurities.

"You know it wasn't, Buffy. You were letting me bite you before the bond." Spike stopped after that admission to look at Dawn. He was afraid to see fear in her eyes, and he was thankful that Dawn appeared unfazed by the declaration.

"Dawn, will you let Spike do this?" Buffy turned to her sister.

Dawn locked gazes with Spike. "I trust you, Spike." She fidgeted a little on the bed. "You can do it." It wasn't that she was fearful, but she was nervous. She remembered how it felt for Spike to lick her wound clean and heal it. What would it feel like to have him drink from her?

"Buffy you don't realize what you're asking."

"I've already done the ritual, Spike. How could I not know what I'm talking about?"

Spike sighed in exasperation. "You were bit by three vampires before I ever bit you. You knew a little of what to expect." He ran his fingers through his hair. "You're also the Slayer, but that doesn't mean you didn't still feel the draw that being bit can cause."

"Big with the Huh?" Buffy questioned.

"Being bit by a vampire isn't all about the feeding and pain. You know how it can feel when done in other ways." Spike tilted his head to the side and raised a scarred brow to emphasize his point.

"Oh ... OH!" Buffy blushed.

"If I bite Dawn, there's a good chance it would cause a euphoric feeling similar to what you've felt." Spike tried to explain. "A lot of times humans who survive the experience get addicted to that feeling. They seek it out in other places." He sighed. "Eventually it ends up either getting them killed or turned. I don't want that to happen to the Bit."

"I don't see why I'd go seeking out any other vampires to bite me, Spike." Dawn frowned. "Especially since you've warned me about it." She reasoned. "If I feel that way, I can just come to you for your help. If you'll let me that is?"

"I'd rather you come to me yes, but I don't want you to have to come to me either." Spike reached over the bed to cup Dawn's cheek. "You don't need to deal with that on top of everything else."

Dawn looked from Spike to Buffy. She could see the concern in her sister's face. She inhaled deeply. "I'd rather you bite me than that wacky Drusilla bite me."

Spike sighed resignedly. His hand dropped to his side. Buffy picked up Spike's hand with both of hers. "I know you want to protect her in every way, but you have to know your limitations Spike." She raised one hand to cup his cheek. "This is the only way."

"What about Mom?" Dawn asked.

"With her being in the hospital, I doubt Dru will come in to get her." Spike's eyes never left Buffy's gaze. "It would be harder to make a stand here, and it would be even harder for her to move Joyce to another location."

Dawn nodded. She was satisfied that her mother would be safe. "Where should we do this?"

"I haven't said I'll do it yet, Nibblet." Spike countered.

"You haven't refused again to do it in the last ten minutes either." Dawn teased.

Buffy stifled a giggle. At the stern look Spike threw her, she laughed out loud. "Oh come on. Like you didn't know that she was feisty."

Spike shook his head back and forth. "You bleeding Summers women are going to be the death of me. You know that right?"

Dawn and Buffy both leaned over the bed to hug Spike. "You know you love us for it though, bleach boy." Dawn teased. She ruffled his hair with her hands.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I think we're going to stop by Xander's room to see him before we head to Buffy's." Willow turned to Joyce and Giles when they exited the elevator. "I want to see if Anya made it and see if I can find out what is going on."

"Be careful, Willow. We don't know exactly what state of mind he is in right now." Giles cautioned. He didn't want to see Willow's feelings hurt. Xander was acting extreme, even for him.

"I will, Giles." Tara and Willow walked towards Xander's room while Joyce, Giles and Ben headed to Buffy's.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After arguing for several minutes with the emergency staff, Anya was finally shown to Xander's room. His eyes were closed, and several IV bags were connected together and dripped down a tube into Xander's arm. "Oh Xander." Anya muttered softly. She sat down next to his bed.

Xander's eyes opened slowly. They set his broken ribs, stitched the worst of the cuts, and his jaw was repaired with a metal pin. It wasn't damaged enough that he couldn't talk, but it hurt a lot to move his jaw. Thankfully they had him on quite a few painkillers. He was never good at tolerating pain.

Anya slipped her hand into Xander's. "You really messed up this time, didn't you?" She said with a shake of her head. Her voice was soft with concern. She was worried for him and about him. "Was it worth it, Xander?"

Xander looked at his girlfriend curiously. He was thankful she was there, but what was she talking about? Who called her? What was she told? "Was what worth it, Ahn?"

"Whatever it was you and Riley planned." Anya cut to the chase. She never minced words, and she figured her best bet to get an honest answer from Xander was to surprise him with her hypothesis. She hoped she was wrong.

Xander cringed. He pulled his hand away from Anya. "I don't know what you're talking about, Anya." He was mad. Shouldn't she be here to comfort and console him? What could she possibly know about him and Riley?

"Come on, Xander. I'm not stupid." All of her hopes that she was wrong went out the window with his vehement denial. She knew Xander well enough to see when he was trying to avoid something. "You and Riley have some big pow wow the other night, and now you are in the hospital because you tried to stake Spike?"

"That has nothing to do with ..." Xander stopped mid-sentence. 'Oh hell. What does it matter now anyways?' He sighed. "I wasn't supposed to have to do anything. Buffy should have staked Spike herself."

"How can you expect Buffy to kill the man she loves? Really Xander." Anya's voice dripped with disappointment. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that it needed to be done. She did it to Angel when I told her she had our support to kick his ass. Why not Spike too?" Every word hurt his jaw to speak, but Xander pressed on. "The only way I could release her from whatever spell Spike put on her was to get her to kill him."

"Are you really that much of an idiot, Xander?" Anya rolled her eyes. "What nonsense did Riley tell you anyways?"

Xander blinked in astonishment. Anya never talked to him like that. Sure she was blunt, but she was always on his side. "You're really not helping, Ahn."

"Neither are you, Xander Harris." Anya crossed her arms in front of her. "There is no spell. Don't you think Willow and Tara would have seen it if there was?"

"There has to be a spell or a thrall like Dracula." Xander argued. "She can't be in love with him."

"She was in love with Spike long before she ever started dating Riley." Anya rolled her eyes at her boyfriend. 'Sometimes men are just so stupid.'

"That's ridiculous. She's just confused."

"You are the one who's confused, Xander Harris." Anya tried to reason with him. "Buffy wants you to stay away from her and her family. If you go near Spike, she is going to defend him with her life again."

"Then I'll just have to find some other way to kill Spike when she isn't around." Xander closed his eyes in pain and frustration. "I won't let him ruin her life by stringing her along with one of his stupid plans. He'll try to kill her. I know it."

"Buffy said you two would have a chat when she's better, but you had better listen to her Xander. She's serious." Anya was getting madder by the moment. How could he be so blind? "If you ignore her, she'll cut you out of everything. She will choose Spike over you."

"No! I won't allow it!" Xander spat out loudly. He moaned at the pain that shot through his body when he tried to move.

"You won't allow it?" A voice from the doorway brought the two occupants attention away from each other.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy looked around the room. "We need something for the handfasting." She tapped her cheek in contemplation. "I know ... I wore one of my scarves as a belt today." She pointed towards the closet. "Hopefully it is in there."

Dawn slid off the bed to look for Buffy's clothes. She pulled the long silk scarf from the belt loops. She brought it back over to the bed. "This?" She held it up for everyone to see.

Spike tilted his head to the side and smiled at Buffy. He recognized the scarf. It was the same one they used to tie his and Buffy's wrists together in the earlier ritual.

Buffy blushed. "So, I'm sentimental." She said softly. "I wanted to have it on me."

Spike beamed in delight. The realization that the ritual meant more to Buffy than just protection warmed him.

Dawn watched the exchange between her sister and the man she looked at like a brother. "Do I dare even ask?"

Spike shook his head. "No, you don't." He snatched the scarf from Dawn and handed it to Buffy. "You know what to do pet." He pulled a pocketknife from his coat pocket. "Get comfortable, Bit."

Dawn sat back down next to Buffy. She sat on the side closest to Spike, which was the farthest from the door. She rested her head on Buffy's shoulder. She moved her hair away from her neck.

"No, Bit." Spike put Dawn's hair back in place. He carefully picked up her hand and cradled the wrist in his hand. "It is more intense and intimate from the neck."

Buffy raised a curious brow to Spike. She smirked. 'Little devil. He couldn't resist my neck, could he?'

Spike avoided looking at Buffy. He knew she realized why he chose her neck instead. He handed the pocketknife to Buffy. "You know what to do, pet. I'm going to focus on the first bite."

Buffy nodded. "I'll take care of the wrist binding."

Spike looked up at Dawn. "Are you sure about this?"

Dawn nodded slowly. "Yes, Spike. Go ahead."

Spike hovered his head just above Dawn's wrist. "Do you remember what Buffy said earlier?"

"Yes. It was "Your family is mine. By your will protection divine", right?"

"You've got it, Nibblet." Spike inhaled a deep breath. He didn't need the breath to live, but the action helped to soothe his nerves. He vamped out and licked the pulsing vein with his rough tongue to bring it closer to the surface. He wrapped his lips around Dawn's wrist and bit into it deeply.

Dawn jolted from the flash of pain through her body. Buffy rubbed Dawn's back soothingly. "It gets better really soon." She soothed Dawn with her words.

Spike shook his head a little to tear a bit deeper. He swallowed the blood that flowed from Dawn's wrist into his mouth.

Joyce gasped, Ben gaped, and Giles stiffened. Buffy heard the three walk in right before Spike and Dawn noticed them. "It's all right, Mom. He's doing what I asked him to do."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Willow and Tara glared at Xander. Willow couldn't believe her ears when they walked up to Xander's room. "What makes you think you have a right to allow or not allow anything, Xander?"

Tara gripped Willow's arm. Her fears were coming true.

Xander groaned. He did not need any more people ganging up on him right now. "Look, if you aren't here to support me you might as well leave." He snapped. "I've had enough of the poor Spike club."

Anya jumped up. "Xander Harris, that was rude." She backed away from him. "Even for you."

Willow's eye color darkened. Her hands clutched into fists and started to rise from her sides. Tara felt the power surging through Willow. She squeezed Willow's arms harder and turned Willow to look at her. When Willow's eyes met Tara's, the color lightened again.

"We'll lea ... leave." Tara wanted to turn from the room in a run. She was scared for Willow. No good would come from the darkness and anger that she felt in Willow's power for those few moments.

"You'd better start praying, Xander." Willow added before leaving. "If I find out you did plan this, you are going to need every Snoopy dance you will ever do for the rest of your life to try to calm me down."

Xander gulped. He never saw this side of Willow directed at him. She was his little yellow crayon buddy. For a couple moments he even feared that she would kill him herself.

Tara and Willow left the room. Before the door could shut behind them, Anya had her hand on the door. "I hope you're happy, Xander." She frowned. "You've managed to push away just about everyone that cares about you." She shook her head back and forth. "If you think Riley is going to be able to protect you, you're mistaken. He'll be in the grave right next to you." She opened the door and stepped into the hall.

Xander slumped deeper into his bed. Why was he the only one that saw the problem with Buffy and Spike being together?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ben stared at the blonde man with his lips wrapped around Dawn's wrist. He stuttered. "What is he doing?"

When Ben spoke, Spike's eyes shot open and stared at the man. A deep growl rumbled in his chest and throat. He let go of Dawn's wrist for a moment. Something about the man felt wrong to him. He felt an innate need to protect everyone in the room from Ben.

Giles noticed Spike's reaction to Ben. He filed it away as something to ask Spike about later. He gave Ben a little push towards the door. "Weird family thing." He tried to explain the display away. "Buffy's boyfriend is kind of touchy."

Ben stared at the vampire. He knew what vampires were, and he remembered seeing hair like that around Buffy when the Quellor demon hit the earth the other night. He exited the room, but he stuck around outside the door. There was more to this than met the eye.

Back inside the room, Joyce finally found her voice. "What is going on?"

Spike looked up at Buffy before he leaned down to lick Dawn's wounds. "Don't Spike." Dawn stopped Spike from sealing the wounds. "We need to finish."

Spike nodded his agreement and Buffy sent Giles a pleading look. "Spike is bringing Dawn into the family, Giles. We can't take a chance on Dru kidnapping her to get to us."

Giles had already assumed that was what was taking place. He pushed Joyce's wheelchair closer to the bed. "It's the ritual Dawn and I told you about earlier, Joyce."

Joyce panted. Her heart raced. "I know you explained it to me, but to see it ..." Her words trailed off. She placed her hand on the arm above where Spike was biting her daughter. She squeezed Dawn's arm, showing her support. "Go on, please Spike."

Giles stood alongside Joyce now with one hand on Joyce's shoulder and the other on Dawn's.

Buffy readied the scarf that she'd used as a belt for her pants earlier in the day. Everyone watched the ritual take place. Spike and Dawn both repeated the necessary words. Buffy was the one to actually make small slits in both Spike's and Dawn's wrists before tying the scarf around their hands and wrists to bind them.

The twinkling light pulse that trickled down over Spike and Buffy during their own ritual now covered Joyce, Giles, Spike, Buffy and Dawn. All five were touching each other in some way. The light seemed to flow from one person to the next after filtering down over Spike and Dawn. Though only the three who actually shared blood were protected from the Aurelius line, the magic of the bond brought the five of them a little bit closer together, more connected.

With the ritual complete, the room fell silent. Everyone remained in their own thoughts contemplating what just occurred.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In the darkness of a bedroom at the Hyperion in Los Angeles, a long figure sat up straight in bed. "What the hell?!?" He muttered. He threw the blankets off of him as he turned to get out of bed.

"That is the second time today." He spoke softly to himself. He opened a tiny fridge in his room, pulled out a bag of pig's blood, and pierced it with his teeth. There was no time to heat it up because the lust for blood was heavy upon him.

Angel was unable to tell exactly what was going on, but something was changing in his family. He was too far away to be able to tell which one of his Childer were doing what, but whatever was happening it was getting stronger. He felt the pull of it.

Wesley busted into Angel's room without bothering to knock. "Angel!" He called out.

"What Wes?" Angel grumbled. He hadn't woke up in the best of circumstances, and he didn't like his privacy interrupted.

"Cordelia had a vision." Wes tried to explain. "She thinks Buffy is in trouble."

"I'm sure Buffy can handle herself." Angel snorted. The last time he listened to one of his seers about Buffy's safety, Buffy had been peeved at his interference. He wasn't stepping into something again. "Have her call Buffy to warn her."

"You don't understand, Angel. It's more serious than that."

"Why?"

"It has to do with Drusilla and Spike."

"What?!?" Angel threw the empty blood bag into the trash. 'So that is what is going on? Spike and Dru are up to mischief again together.' He growled. "Pack up. Looks like we're heading to Sunnydale."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Shortly after sunset a solitary figure stretched out in a yawn from atop a table. He growled at the presence of another vampire near him. His eyes flashed yellow when he opened them to notice the same dark-haired woman watching him that he'd seen the other night. "What's going on?"

Dru giggled manically. "You, my precious, are going to help me get my revenge." She caressed a sharp claw down his face, neatly slicing his skin. She leaned down and licked the trail of blood up his face.

The scent of blood enraged the newly risen vampire. It tickled his senses, and a surge of power flowed through him along with the hunger. He hadn't felt this good since his days in the Initiative under their super drugs. He laughed hard.

"I see my boy is finally realizing his power." Dru started to pull back from Riley. "It's time for my boy to learn so much more."

Riley grabbed the back of Dru's head by her hair. He forced her head forward into a kiss. His fangs cut through his Sire's lips with the force and fury of the kiss. He drank greedily of her precious blood. "Gladly, Sire."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

(To Be Continued)