"Upside Down"

Author: A. Price
Email: andramichelle@yahoo.com

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Sunnydale Hospital

"How is she?" asked Giles as he approached the group huddled outside the ER door.

"Thankfully, the stake didn't go to deep. Her shoulder has a puncture wound in it. They want to keep her overnight. She lost some blood and I think they want to make sure it doesn't get infected." The words rushed out of Joyce Summer's mouth, she sat down exhausted with a mixture of worry and relief.

"Thank goodness. Can we see her?" He asked the concern heavy in his voice.

"In a minute, they are moving her to a room soon. Xander is in with her now, he found her in the cemetary. She was lucky he went to help patrol tonight." Joyce explained.

Willow had been very quiet, it always scared her to see Buffy hurt, to have to accept that Buffy could be killed any night. The nurse wheeled Buffy to her room. Everyone came to check on her, she soon shooed them all out, assuring them she was okay. They said there goodbyes and left her hesitantly.

< Thank goodness, they're gone. I know they mean well, but I have to make a phone call. Spike is probably going nuts. > Buffy picked up the phone, < please be there > The phone rang four times. No answer.

Spike came to the door of the mansion in time to hear the last ring. He was really worried now, Buffy was nowhere to be found. He had got desperate enough to go to her house, he was going to ask her Mom about her. But her Mom wasn't home either.

Buffy picked up the phone again < Come on, Spike, be there! > This time he picked up on the first ring. "Hello," came that familiar voice. Buffy instantly felt relief at the sound.

"Hello" she answered back.

"Where are you?" He shouted into the phone, not even covering the fear in his voice.

"If you'll calm down, I'll tell you." She answered him gently.

"Okay, I'm bloody calm now. Where are you?"

"I'm in the hospital," she replied holding her breath waiting for his response.

"The hospital, are you okay? Who hurt you? Never mind, I'm on my way..." He hung the phone up without so much as a goodbye and headed for the hospital.

"Spike" Buffy said into the dead phone. She had to smile to herself,< he must be on his way now. > She settled under the covers as the sedative the nurse had given her began to take effect.

Halfway home, Willow realized she needed to go back to the hospital. She didn't want Buffy to be alone. She turned around and went back towards the hospital.

Spike made it to the hospital in record time. He found Buffy's room and crept quietly in, finding her asleep in the bed. She looked small and frail, her shoulder was bandaged and an iv was in her arm. He bent over and gently kissed her forehead.

Willow made it back to the hospital, she stopped outside Buffy's door when she noticed that there was a man beside Buffy's bed. He looked very familiar, she looked closer and had to swallow a gasp. It was Spike, fear gripped Willow. < He's come to kill her > She started in the door when she noticed that Spike's actions weren't those of someone who had come to kill Buffy. He was stroking her hair softly, and murmuring something to her. He then sat down by the bed and took her hand in his. Willow realized that he meant no harm to Buffy. She came into the room quietly, Spike looked at her in surprise. He smiled at her, then spoke "I guess our secret is out."

Willow looked at him thoughtfully "What secret, Spike?"

"I am no longer the Slayer's mortal enemy. I love her." he said simply.

The sincerity in his voice shocked Willow. She didn't know why, but the tone of his voice and the way he was still tenderly holding Buffy's hand made her believe him. "Does she love you?"

"I think so."

"That definitley explains why she's gotten over that depression. I just thought she was over Angel finally. Well, I guess she is, huh?" Willow looked at him with a smile.

"She's going to be okay, right?" Spike asked Willow never removing his eyes from Buffy.

"Yeah, she's going to be fine. She just has to be more careful, a vamp turned a stake on her, she still managed to kill him, Xander found her and brought her to the hospital." Willow explained.

"I guess I owe Xander. I told her she should let me patrol with her, but she said that someone would find out about us and it would cause more problems." He said softly, still staring at the sleeping Slayer. He looked up at Willow, "Is that true, is this going to cause more problems for her? I really don't want that."

Willow thought a moment, she hated secrets they usually caused heartache for everyone involved. But, Buffy had been happier lately, and if Spike was the reason, then so be it. "They won't hear about you from me, Spike. I like seeing Buffy happy, but I must warn you, if you hurt her in anyway, you will have to answer to not only me, but everyone else."

"I understand," he told her "I don't intend on ever hurting her."

"Good, I'm going now. I didn't want her to be alone, and now I know she isn't." Willow said as she left the room.

Buffy stirred slightly and opened her eyes, she smiled as she saw the blond sitting by her bed. "Hey, you came."

"I told you I was coming. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, just a little sore. You should see the other guy!" She giggled softly.

"I heard he was dust." Spike answered returning the smile.

Buffy looked at him curiously, "You heard?..."

"From Willow, she came back and found me here."

Buffy looked anxious for a moment, "Is she okay?"

"I didn't eat her, luv. She said our little secret was safe with her. Something about you being happy."

"I knew you didn't eat her, silly. I just wondered how she took it, but she's Willow, she is a true friend." Buffy sat up in the bed.

"You should probably lay back down,you need to rest." He told as she pushed her gently back on to the pillow.

"I'm really okay. Much better, now that you're here."

"Do you know how scared I was, when you were so late? I didn't know what was wrong, I even went by your house, I was going to talk to your Mom. You are not going to patrol alone, I forbid it."

"You what?" Buffy said glaring at him.

Spike noticed the look, "I would rather you have someone with you when you patrol, please?" < Geez, I sound like Angel now. >

"If possible I usually take someone with me, but it's not always possible." She explained sitting up in the bed again she winced slightly at the pain in her shoulder.

"I want to go with you."

"Spike, it's not possible, sooner or later somebody would find us together, it won't do your big strong vampire reputation a lot of good to be seen protecting the slayer, and I don't want to explain you to Giles or Xander, right now." She said softly with a heavy sigh.

"Well, what if I said I don't care who knows about us. I would rather know you are okay, then worry about someone finding out about us. Buffy, I was terrified when you didn't show up, and of course none of your well meaning friends even knew to contact me about you being hurt. It's not fair to either of us."

"Okay, you want to protect me, I understand that. But Giles and Xander want to do the same thing, and they are not ready to understand that I've fallen for yet another vampire." Buffy said a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"Don't cry, please. We'll keep this secret a little while longer, until you think they can handle it. But I need to remind you that we can't wait forever. I want to walk into the library with my arm around you and let them all know how I feel...how we feel. You do feel the same way don't you?" He asked hesitantly.

"Of course, I feel the same way." She reached and put her good arm around his neck. "I never meant to make you feel like I didn't." She whispered into his ear holding him tightly against her.

"I know, I know this is hard for you. I just got scared tonight. It's all going to work out." He pulled back from her, helping her lie back in the bed. He bent over and gently kissed her lips, she returned the kiss with equal gentleness. "You need to rest now" He told her as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Buffy was soon sleeping soundly. Spike sat and watched her sleeping, he loved to watch her sleep. She made little breathy noises and he could watch the rise and fall of her chest for hours and listen to the steady beat of her heart endlessly. As he watched her he realized just how far he was gone on her. Buffy thought their relationship was a secret, but Spike realized that the most well kept secret was just how much he loved and wanted and needed her, if anyone ever found that out, he would truly be the most vulnerable vampire on earth. As he watched her smile slightly in his sleep, he took her hand in his again, and decided he didn't care how vulnerable loving her , made him. All he cared about was her.

 

The End