Not Beneath Me - 16 (Visits)

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 on the Index page of this story.

'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)

Chapter Summary: Dawn was brought into the protective familial claim with a bite. Joyce and Giles witnessed the event, and they felt a little bit of a closer bond between the five of them since they were touching the others involved in the claiming. After a vision warning from Cordelia, Angel headed to Sunnydale to find out what was going on. Everyone is mad at Xander right now. Buffy, Joyce, and Xander are all in the hospital right now.

(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.

Angel fidgeted behind the wheel of Wesley's car. Morning was quickly approaching. He arrived at the Sunnydale city limits with only a couple hours to spare. He needed to find out what was going on. Cordelia and Wesley had a few more things to tie up before they would head down later in the day.

Cordelia's vision had been vague as usual. She only caught glimpses of Spike, Buffy and Dru fighting. She wasn't clear who was fighting who, but if Spike and Dru were involved the situation wasn't good in his mind. "If he harms one hair on Buffy's head, I'll stake him."

Angel still felt guilty for not staking Spike the last time he saw him. He was never quite clear as to why Spike was tied to a chair in Giles' apartment over a year ago. Several weeks before that Spike had tortured him over the Gem of Amara. He should have staked Spike last Thanksgiving when he saw him at Giles' place.

Angel stopped in front of Buffy's house. 'Strange that the house is all dark. Mrs. Summers should be getting ready for work.' He knew that Joyce Summers was an early riser. She always spent time with her morning coffee and paper before heading in to the gallery. He stepped out of the car, strode up to the porch, and knocked. After knocking again several times he climbed up the tree to Buffy's bedroom. He opened the window. He was surprised to find Buffy's bedroom empty too.

Angel grew more concerned over the mixture of scents as they merged around him. He noticed Buffy and Spike's scents the strongest. At almost the same level was the scent of sex in the air. Although that scent confused him, the traces of Buffy's blood scent brought Angel's demon to the foreground.

Vamped out, Angel scoured the room for any sign of a struggle. The only evidence of a tousle was on Buffy's bed. Spike and Buffy's scents were the strongest there too. He growled in irritation and possessiveness.

Angel growled even louder while he traipsed through the house. Joyce's scent was so light that he knew she hadn't been home in days. His golden eyes flared at the chaos in the dining room. Furniture lay in disarray amongst pieces of broken wood and glass. The scent of Buffy's blood assaulted his senses. "What the hell is going on here?"

Angel hustled back into Wesley's car. He sped towards Giles' place in the hopes that the Watcher knew what was going on. When he was met again with an empty house he was completely frustrated and worried. What took out Buffy? Was it Spike? 'His scent was everywhere; even her bedroom.' His brain refused to reconcile all the reasons Spike might have been in Buffy's bedroom.

The approaching dawn forced Angel to wait out the day at the mansion. He was no closer to the answers behind Cordy's vision and the strange familial sensations than when he left Los Angeles.

Angel spent most of the day packing back and forth in the mansion's living room. He had too much running through his mind to sleep. Several times he tried to reach out to Dru and Spike through familial and Sire bonds. He was either met with a wall that blocked him or various emotions that confused him.

Angel detected new presences through the familial bond. With a sigh, Angel vowed to dust the new presences under the assumption that all of them were new Childer Spike or Dru made. Now that he was closer to the sources, Angel was able to differentiate between which of his Childer the new bonds belonged to. He was surprised to find out that two of the bonds seemed to be tied to Spike.

'He was never interested in making a Childe before. Why would he make two now?' That question floated through Angel's mind throughout the afternoon and evening. He waited impatiently for the sun to go down while sending out his "feelers" through the bonds to attempt to locate where they were coming from.

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

Dawn shot up in bed next to Buffy at the hospital. Her eyes were wide. "What is that? It's getting really annoying." She shivered at the echoed remnants of the icy grip on her thoughts.

Giles, Dawn and Spike stayed all night at the hospital and all day. Joyce stayed down with Buffy for a few hours off and on all day and night. Willow, Tara, and Anya made the rounds between Buffy, Joyce and Xander. No one went into Xander's room, but they did check with the nurse's station from time to time.

Currently Spike and Dawn were in Buffy's room. Giles was up in Joyce's room. Willow, Tara and Anya had left to get some sleep and a bite to eat before they meant to return later in the evening.

Spike, Buffy and Dawn were all curled tightly together on Buffy's bed. Although there was nowhere near enough room for them all on the bed, the three seemed to need the comfort of the other's closeness. So they squished themselves together to catch little cat naps here and there.

Spike lifted his head up off of Buffy's shoulder. "What's wrong, Nibblet?" He had a good idea what was bothering the teenager. He felt Angel's many attempts to locate him all day long. He was thankful for dealing with Dru's ways for all those years. He'd learned to be able to put up blocks to keep other's out of his head. He still knew when they were searching. They just weren't able to get anything from his thoughts.

"That is just so creepy." Dawn visibly shook. "I can feel this dark hand reaching out to me. It is almost like it's trying to pull me back to it or at least my mind."

Buffy sighed. Her eyes were closed, but she was far from asleep. She never had the connection with Angel that she did with Spike, but somehow she knew the tendrils searching for her were coming from Angel. "I swear I am going to slap him when I see him."

Spike tilted his head in curious wonder. "You know he's here?"

"Who?" Dawn questioned.

Buffy opened her eyes. "Yes, I can tell it's him. Very freaky to feel him in my head though."

"Who?" Dawn asked again, a bit more eagerly.

"I should have known that the bonds would bring him here." Spike frowned. "I had hoped that he'd be far enough away to just ignore the sensations." He shook his head back and forth. "Since Dru made at least one Childe while she's been here, probably didn't help."

"Will someone tell me who the hell you are talking about?" Dawn slapped the arm rail of the hospital bed to emphasize her frustration over the whole situation.

"Dawn!" Buffy scolded.

"Watch the mouth there, Bit." Spike waggled a disapproving finger at the young girl that he loved as much as his own sister. "Don't want you upsetting your delicate sensibilities." He teased.

Dawn crossed her arms in front of her. She scowled at both of them. "I want to know who's rummaging around in my head. It's wigging me out big time."

"That would be the big brooding poofter," Spike answered first.

"Angel?" Dawn questioned for clarification. "He can do that?"

"Apparently he can." Buffy frowned. She glanced over at Spike for his agreement.

"He is the elder of our vampiric line. He is also in direct line of Sirehood." Spike started to explain some of the intricacies of blood relations. "He is able to call to or search out those of his lineage, but I didn't expect that it would work on you two. You're human, not vampire."

Buffy nodded in understanding. "The blood exchange must have been enough to link us in that way too." She pondered the possibilities. "It makes sense since he would have to feel our presence in his family that would keep us protected."

"I didn't think about that." Spike's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, Buffy. Perhaps I can find him later to get him to stop. If he finds the answers he's seeking, he might leave."

"No!" Buffy sat up abruptly in bed. "You aren't going after him alone. He'll stake you for sure."

Spike huffed in disgust. "Have you no faith in my abilities?"

Buffy settled her hand on Spike's arms. "I know you can handle yourself, but I don't want the two of you two fight if it can be avoided." She tried to soothe his wounded ego. "Besides we could use his help with Dru, if he's willing to give it. He is her Sire."

"And when Mister Broodypants finds out about us?" Spike evened his gaze on Buffy. "Do you think he's just going to say good for you and walk away?"

Buffy sighed. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there, Spike. Nothing Angel can say to me will change my mind about you and I." She reassured her newest boyfriend and lover. "I went into this knowing exactly the kind of vampire you were and are. He was the one who hid his past from me."

Dawn reached over Buffy to hug Spike. "Mom always liked you more than Angel, and we know that he isn't a favorite on Giles' list either. He'd have to go through a lot of people to get you away from us." Her voice bounced with a slight hint of worry, but the majority of her voice echoed her inner confidence and protectiveness.

Spike ruffled Dawn's hair. "Just great," he teased, "I need a big bad teenager to protect me." He winked.

"Anything for you Spike." Dawn answered good-naturedly.

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

Drusilla trailed a clawed finger down Riley's arm. The sunset was not too far off. She had plans for her new Childe tonight. The pixies told her that tonight was the night for revenge. All of the player's were in place. She only needed to wait for the sunset to begin. She set a hypodermic needle next to a vial on top of a stone monument.

Riley barely stirred from his sleep. Being a fledgling, his body refused to wake up until the sun was completely gone from the sky. His dreams were covered with thoughts of ripping Spike and Buffy apart and bathing in their blood with his Sire. A sadistic grin curled his lips in his sleep.

"Good boy." Drusilla cooed as if she saw Riley's dreams. "She won't laugh at you any longer. You'll be laughing at her." She clapped her hands in delight.

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

Giles and Joyce sat eating from their separate dinner trays. "I think we've been here quite long enough when they bring me a dinner tray with yours."

Joyce laughed. "Thankfully Dr. Kriegel is letting me go home tomorrow. I don't know how much longer I could stand hospital food."

"Joyce you aren't going to be able to spend a lot of time on your feet to start with. You heard what the doctor said." Giles spoke with great concern in his voice. "Unless Buffy's cooking skills have improved since Thanksgiving last year, you are going to be doing a lot of eating out or ordering in."

Joyce smiled. "Buffy is a good Slayer, but she is definitely no Suzy Homemaker. She's more comfortable with a stake or a sword than she is with a vacuum or a spatula." She gazed away from Giles thoughtfully. "How do you think they are doing down there? Dawn hasn't been up in a while."

"I don't know, Joyce. I do not fear for their safety here in the hospital with Spike at their side. He will protect them with his unlife. Their emotional well being is another matter."

"I know he would do anything for either of them, Rupert." Joyce responded in a confident and fervent tone. "He is much more of a man than you all have ever given him credit for being."

Giles set his fork down. "I am realizing that more and more every day, Joyce." He picked up his cup of tea to take a sip from it. "He is turning out to be a remarkable young man. Well, old man if you look at his actual years on this earth."

"That he is." Joyce smiled. Ever since Spike's return after being jilted from Drusilla in Brazil the first time, Joyce had grown closer to the old Victorian born vampire. After a while the more cultured and refined aspects of his personality shown through. "I'm glad that you are finally being able to see some of the man I've known for the last couple years." She sat down her can of clear pop. "He is a very smart man. I think you two could learn or share a lot between you."

"I told him before that he had a chance to use his chipped state as a means to begin a redemption for himself by helping us." Giles remembered the conversation he had with Spike after Ethan turned Giles into a Fyarl demon. "He practically laughed in my face during the whole conversation."

"He always tries to maintain his bad boy image in from of most of you. I've learned to look past that entire gruff exterior to see the man he is inside. Did you see how guilty he looked about Buffy's injury?"

Giles nodded. "Yes, I did notice he seemed a bit more reclusive and withdrawn over the whole incident."

"I don't blame Spike at all for it. I just want to slap that darn Xander Harris boy. I don't know what he was thinking." Joyce shook her head back and forth. "He's been around Buffy for 5 years, and he doesn't realize Buffy will do anything to protect those she cares for?"

"I believe Xander refuses to acknowledge that Buffy could truly care for Spike." Giles sat back in his chair. "That is part of the problem."

Joyce nodded her head in agreement. "What is going to happen now? Spike promised Buffy he wouldn't kill, but I know he wants to kill Xander for sure?"

"Strange as it is to say this, I think Spike will stick to his promise. If he breaks it, he would lose Buffy." Giles thought the matter over carefully. "When Angel lost his soul, he was already wreaking havoc on us from the moment it was gone. Spike has already showed more restraint when he didn't kill Xander especially since he had a good reason to kill him."

"Thought I told you never to compare me to the brooding poofter." Spike drawled from the entryway of Joyce's hospital room.

"My apologies, Spike. I was merely using an example." Giles looked thoughtfully at the vampire. He knew Spike was teasing with him. How things had changed in the last week.

"S'all right. I knew what you meant." Spike pushed off the door frame and walked fully into the room. "Dawn is downstairs with Buffy."

"How is she?" Joyce queried.

"They're both doing all right." Spike turned to Giles. "Angel is in town. He's been sending out feelers through our blood link. The Bit and Buffy are a bit concerned because they've felt him searching too."

"He can do that?" Giles was amazed at what he didn't know about vampires even after all of his years training to be a Watcher and being a Watcher.

"Yes, but I don't think he's pinpointed anything yet. Promised Buffy I wouldn't go out looking for him, but I am going to go patrol and look for Dru."

"Should you be going out by yourself, Spike?" Joyce was concerned about Spike. He'd taken care of her family so well already. She didn't want to lose her hot chocolate buddy and friend.

"It is safer for me to find her alone. She'd only use anyone that came with me as a hostage." Spike tried to reassure Joyce. "Rupert, the docs say that Buffy can probably go home tonight. Do you think you could take her home later? I'd say take her when she's ready, but you know she's already ready. She hates hospitals."

Giles nodded. "I can drive her home later." He patted Joyce's hand before locking his fingers with hers. "She'll be safe."

"Good. I should be at the house by the time you get there." Spike dug around in the pockets of his duster. "Most of the nightly creepy crawlies haven't been lurking about with this Glory chick around."

"That is a small reprieve."

"Ya, except that when something is bad enough to send the other demons into hiding ..." Spike let the sentence trail off for both of them to think about themselves.

Giles sighed. "Hopefully we can find a way to stop her soon."

"Once I get this mess with Dru sussed out, I'll go back on the hunt for the skanky bitch." Spike promised. "No one touches my girls."

Joyce smiled proudly at Spike. She reached up to hug him.

Spike huffed in mock disgust. He wasn't fooling anyone in the room though. They knew he cared for Joyce, and his little huff and puff was all show. "I'm out of here. See you later, Watcher. Get some rest, Joyce." With that Spike disappeared in a blur of black and white.

"We must find out how Xander knew about the chip's malfunction. If it was even a malfunction to begin with." Giles returned to their previous conversation before Spike's interruption.

"You think the chip was deactivated or removed on purpose?" Joyce questioned.

"That makes the most sense to me right now." Giles shook his head back and forth. He didn't want to believe that Xander could be a part of such a conspiracy, but all of the current evidence was pointing in that direction. "He would have to be working with someone though to have it deactivated or removed."

"Spike has been with us or Buffy for the last week on a fairly constant basis." Joyce added in her thoughts to Giles' mental notations. "I don't see how he could have had the chip removed by any surgical means without us all knowing Spike was missing."

"We were never able to fully investigate the Initiative's purpose for having chipped vampires in the first place. The electronic hardware in his brain would cost a fortune. It would be counter productive to chip vampires as a whole." Giles explained some things about the Initiative that had been on his mind ever since the fall of Adam. "Much easier to kill them instead. There must have been some way they wished to control the vampire's they chipped."

Joyce listened intently to every word. "Like an on and off switch?"

Giles pondered all that he knew of the Initiative. "That would be my guess. If they could send a pulse to the chip somehow, then I am sure they could deactivate it as well."

Joyce shivered. "That group was more of a monster than the beings they tried to kill and torture. They were the inhumane ones. Spike told me about some of the harmless demons that the soldiers ran the experiments on. It makes me sick."

"I quite agree. In the beginning I thought they could be useful in our cause." Giles chastised himself for not voicing his doubts and concerns to Buffy more strongly. "The more I learned about the organization, the more I felt their means were detrimental to handling demons."

"I'm glad they're gone."

"With this latest development, I'm afraid they might not really be gone. It would seem they are just out of our line of vision."

"I'd wager my money on Riley being involved." Joyce spoke adamantly and sure of her conclusions. "I know he wouldn't have been happy to have Buffy break up with him. If he knew about Spike them I'm sure he would have tried to kill Spike." She ran through several different scenarios in her head. "Xander is naïve enough to play into any plan Riley would have to kill Spike. Their own little demon bad fan club."

"I am inclined to agree with you, Joyce." Giles concurred. "The hard part will be proving our suspicions. I spoke with Anya, Tara, and Willow earlier. Xander is not being forthcoming in any capacity about his knowledge of Spike's chip. Anya feels that it is the result of something Riley and Xander planned based on what occurred a couple of days ago."

"This has got to stop, Rupert." Joyce looked worried. "Buffy has enough things out trying to kill her. She doesn't need to be worrying about those who are supposed to be on her side. We also have to make sure that this Initiative can't reactivate Spike's chip again. It seems that Spike needs to be able to defend Buffy against human attacks as well as demon ones."

"We'll do what we can, Joyce. We'll do what we can." Giles squeezed Joyce's hand in comfort.

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

Spike patrolled the usual and unusual places throughout Sunnydale. He wanted to be as thorough as possible in his search for Dru. A couple times he felt he was close to her location, but the feelings disappeared rapidly. Only once had he needed to back track and side step to avoid Angel.

Spike rounded a line of tombstones in the Restfield cemetery. He was on his second run through the various cemeteries of Sunnydale. Some force drew him towards a particular crypt deep within the property.

Spike felt a strong pull of family the closer he got to the crypt. "Dru?" He called out a few feet from the crypt.

A light girlish giggle echoed from the crypt's entryway.

"Come out, Dru." Spikes voice was soft but stern. "I know you've been a bad girl lately. Come out and talk to me."

"Why would she have anything to say to you?" A deep voice from behind Spike carried over the grounds to the crypt. "You're beneath her."

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

Buffy slipped her arms into the soiled top she was wearing the day before. Although a large bloodstained hole ruined the shirt, it was still wearable enough to get her home. She looked up when Giles entered the room.

Dawn stomped over to Giles in a huff. "Please take her home. She's driving me crazy!"

Giles half chuckled. "The doctor informed your mother and I that I may take Buffy home." He turned to Buffy. "Joyce would like you to rest, Buffy. Spike is out patrolling, and she hopes you will take this one night off."

Buffy sighed. "I've been stuck in this hospital all day with nothing to do. Now, you are telling me that I can't even go kick something's ass to help me feel better?"

Giles sighed. He knew better than anyone how stubborn Buffy could be. "Spike can take care of it, Buffy. Maybe you can do a second patrol in the wee hours of the morning if you are still feeling up to it."

Buffy crossed her arms in front of herself. She tapped her left foot in agitation. "Fine, but if anything gets in my way before then, I'm so kicking its butt."

Giles hid the mirth of laughter behind a hand covering his mouth. "Yes, Buffy. I'm sure you will." He hugged Dawn briefly. "Dawn, your mother is waiting for you upstairs. I'll be back later to pick you up too."

"Thanks, Giles. With all of this Angel wiggage, I need some motherly comfort." Dawn made a yuck face. "I don't know how vampires stand having someone else being able to get into their head. I know I don't like it one bit."

"They learn to be able to block things." Giles led both females out of the hospital room.

"Spike said he would teach us some meditation type techniques to help keep our minds clear." Dawn spoke up and pushed the elevator button.

"That sounds like a fine idea. Meditation is good for many purposes." Giles was glad that Spike was trying to take care of every aspect of the familial claim and link.

Buffy and Dawn hugged when the elevator dinged to announce its arrival. "I'll see ya soon sis," Dawn quipped.

Buffy ruffled Dawn's hair a little bit. "I love you, Dawn. Thank you for being so cool about this."

Dawn shrugged. "We're blood remember." She winked. "No matter what, we are sisters in every way that counts." She added with a maturity in her voice beyond her earthly years.

Buffy smiled. "You have the Summers' spunk. That's for sure." Giles and Buffy waved goodbye to Dawn and headed for the parking garage.

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

"Captain Cardboard?" Spike turned around to fully face Riley. "Fancy meeting you here. What are you doing here?"

"Oh just hanging around." Riley stretched out his arms behind himself. "I'm more surprised to see you."

"Why is that?" Spike asked. He moved a few feet away from the crypt. He wanted to keep an eye on the entrance.

"I figured you'd be a pile of dust on Buffy's floor by now." Riley's tone was even and smooth. It held only a hint of agitation and no remorse.

"It seems you miscalculated then White Bread." Spike circled Riley. Something was off about him. A familiar connection tugged on his psyche towards Riley. He hated the soldier. So why did he feel a kinship with him.

The answer came slinking out of the crypt in the form of the dark Vampiress Drusilla. She wrapped her arm around Riley's waist then nibbled on his neck. Riley pulled Dru tighter to his body and kissed her deeply.

"Dru, what have you done?" Spike groaned in frustration. He surmised that Riley would be a problem for his relationship with Buffy but not this kind of a problem.

"The golden doll took my glowing little boy from me. So, I took her tin soldier."

"She doesn't love him, Dru. She isn't going to care that you turned him." Spike knew that was a lie. Buffy would care, and there was no way he was going to leave Riley's dusting for Buffy to do. He'd heard the cliff notes version of how she sent Angelus to Hell. He wasn't going to leave this burden up to her. He'd spare her that.

"You took my fun away, Spike." Dru mock sniffled. "You removed the golden doll from the toy box. Only you can play with her, and that's not fair."

Spike raised his scarred eyebrow in question. One hundred years with her, and a lot of patience, allowed him to see beyond the crazed yammerings to their true meanings. "None of our family can harm her now, Dru. She's family ... protected."

"I found others who can help me." Drusilla pointed to a group of 5 vampires that emerged from the crypt. "Not our blood, not our line. I will have my revenge." She prodded Riley in the side. "Have fun my sweet. Kill Spike."

"With pleasure," Riley sneered. "I've waited a long time for this."

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

(To Be Continued)

Chapter Summary: Giles is taking Buffy home while Dawn remained at the hospital with Joyce. Spike is out patrolling where he ran into Drusilla and Riley. Angel is still out there somewhere searching for Spike and Dru. Dru found some vampires who were not Sired of the Aurelius line. Will they be able to kill Buffy? Will Riley get his revenge on Spike by beating him in combat? Will Angel get it right, or will he stake the wrong vampire?

Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story at The Spuffy Realm, Buffy/Spike Central, The Bloodshedverse, and my web site (Hearts Of Twilight, part of the Misfits family). These reviews help to shape the story and encourage the writer to keep writing. Please keep reviewing. I love hearing your thoughts and ideas.

(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.

"You've got to be kidding, Dru." Spike stared at Riley without fear. "He's just a fledgling. You ARE crazy if you think a fledgling can beat a Master Vampire who's bested two Slayers."

Drusilla clapped and cooed. "He will, my Spike, because I know something you don't."

"And what's that?" Spike's eyes never left Riley. He was still unconvinced about a fledgling being able to kill him.

"You can't kill me." Riley broke into the conversation with his words and a punch that missed Spike's face.

Spike rolled his eyes. "In case you didn't notice, you aren't all that human now." He thought about that. "Even if you were, the chip isn't working anymore." He turned around with a flying kick to Riley's gut. He was satisfied to hear the air rush from Riley's lungs and no pain in his head accompanying the hit. "Though I'm sure you already knew about that."

Riley bounced off the ground and back to his feet. "Xander paid you a visit, did he?" He laughed with glee. He threw a left then a right hook, the latter of which connected with Spike's jaw.

Spike rubbed his jaw with one hand and shoved his elbow into Riley's shoulder. "I knew the whole situation stunk of you and the Whelp in cahoots." He growled and raced at Riley with anger.

Drusilla watched the two fighting. It delighted her to see all the anger and insults flying as well as their fists. She motioned for the other vampires to stay near the crypt for now. They had another purpose to tend to; one that would be here shortly.

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Buffy and Giles drove from the hospital to her house with the windows rolled down. The night was unseasonably warm. Even if that hadn't been the case, Buffy wanted to inhale the open air deeply after breathing in the sterile air of the hospital for the last 36 hours.

They had agreed to take the long way home. It allowed them to drive by several of the main cemeteries Spike usually patrolled. As they neared the Restfield cemetery, Buffy sat up straighter in her seat.

"Do you hear that?" Buffy leaned out the window to hear better. "Giles stop the car. I feel ..." He voice trailed off into the night with her sentence unfinished.

Giles stopped the car and shut off the engine. He hadn't heard anything before, and he still didn't now. He watched Buffy carefully. She was clearly listening to something in the distance. He wondered if her familial link increased her Slayer abilities. He hadn't had the time to ask her because she jumped out of the car and ran across the grounds. "Oh dear Lord," Giles exclaimed. He grabbed his keys from the ignition. He knew he couldn't match her pace, but he followed in the general direction of Buffy's exit.

Buffy followed the sounds of fighting across the graveyard. The moon was partially covered by the cloudy night. The clouds crowded in even tighter to force the moon to hide behind it. The wind kicked up with bits of twigs and leaves twirling around the tombstones. 'I don't like this one bit.'

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Dru listened to the pitter-patter of raindrops on the tombstones. Everything was happening just as she'd foreseen. She waved her hand at the small group of vampires. She needed them to hide in the crypt now and prepare her last surprise.

Buffy staked a newly risen vampire on the way to her destination. She remembered this from her nightmare, and she wanted to eliminate any possible threat.

Buffy skidded to a halt several feet away from Spike and Riley. "Oh no." She uttered softly.

"Oh yes, naughty Slayer." Drusilla popped up behind Buffy with two other minions. They tossed magically enhanced ropes around Buffy's waist and arms.

Buffy struggled against Dru and the other vampires. When she'd kick one away another would take its place. "I thought the link kept you from hurting me?"

"I'm only holding you back." Drusilla giggled maniacally. "I'm not the one who's going to kill you."

Buffy shrieked when one of the minions came at her with a long knife.

Spike felt when Buffy was near, but he tried to keep his focus on Riley. He was strangely strong for a fledgling. He wondered what Dru had been feeding him.

"Finding it a bit harder than you thought it would be, Spike?" Riley taunted Spike.

"Don't worry, mate. I'll get the job done."

Riley punched while he laughed harder. "So you think. I don't think you can kill one of your own."

"I've been killing demons for almost as long as your blasted Initiative has had me chipped." Spike snarled. He ducked underneath one of Riley's punches. "I can't choose my family, but I can certainly cut off some of the dead branches. I'll have no problem killing you, wanker." He forced the palm of his hand up against Riley's jaw, snapping it.

Riley stumbled back against a tombstone. He worked his jaw back and forth to put it in place again. "You'll pay for that."

"Bring it on, farm boy," Spike retorted. His attention was drawn away from Riley when Buffy shrieked behind him. He searched the landscape to locate her. "Dru, no!" He panicked at the sight of Buffy tied to a tree with Dru holding an axe at her throat. He momentarily forgot that the familial claim prevented Dru from issuing the killing blow.

Those moments were all that was needed for Riley to pull a capped hypodermic from his pocket, remove the cap, plunge the needle into Spike's arm, and unload the contents of the syringe into Spike's system. "Now we'll see who is the Big Bad." Riley punched Spike inbetween his shoulder blades.

Dru leaned down close to Buffy's ear. "Watch and learn, pet. This is why you leave my men alone, naughty Slayer."

Buffy watched in horror as Spike writhed in Riley's embrace. The needle still stuck out of Spike's arm, and he seemed to grow weaker by the moment. She shook her head back and forth rapidly muttering, "Not again. Please not again."

"See what happens when you try to take what is mine?" Dru cupped Buffy's chin tightly. She forced Buffy's gaze to remain on Spike while Riley punched and kicked the downed vampire.

"What do you care, Drusilla? You left Spike." Buffy spat out and cried. "You knew he'd come back here when you left him."

"I really don't want Spike anymore, but you do." Drusilla grinned. "The fairies say if I kill Spike then maybe you'll feel the pain we felt when you took Daddy away from us."

"All of this because Angel can't love you with his soul?" Buffy laughed harshly. "You really are insane. It's not my fault that Angel can't stand the sight of you when he's all soulful."

"NO!" Drusilla shrieked. "Daddy loves me. You're the one who's tainted him against me."

Giles, having finally caught up, waited for the right moment to strike. Everyone was occupied when he removed two stakes from his jacket and plunged them into two separate vampires near Drusilla. Their dust exploded into Drusilla's face.

Drusilla batted away at the dust cloud. She backhanded Giles on the back swing. "Bad Watcher." She pounced on Giles and knocked him to the ground.

Angel ran in from the side. He pulled Dru off of Giles. "Get Buffy." He yelled to Giles while he attempted to restrain Dru.

"Daddy!" Dru twisted in Angel's arms. "We have to put out the sunshine, my Angel."

"No can do, Dru." Angel held tight.

Giles crawled over to the tree Buffy was tied to. He stood up. "At least I wasn't knocked out this time." He worked at the various knots of the ropes.

"Giles, behind you!" Buffy called out.

Two of the remaining vampires lunged for Giles. He ducked in the nick of time and rolled away from them. Angel knocked Drusilla out and dusted the other two vampires. "Someone had better tell me what is going on, and they'd better do it quickly."

Riley, who was not in game face spoke first, "Spike's chip isn't working anymore. He and Dru tried to kill Buffy." He held Spike's arms behind his back in a lock. "Toss me your stake."

"No!!" Buffy screamed. She worked at the last of the ropes to get free with Giles' help. "Spike is protecting me." She raced towards Spike, but a now conscious Dru tripped her up.

Dru threw a stake to Riley. She forced Buffy to the ground. They both watched while Riley raised his stake and plunged it down towards Spike's unbeating heart. The wind kicked up the cloud of dust into Dru and Buffy's faces.

Buffy raised tear stained cheeks to look up at the place she expected to see her lover vacated. Instead a very weakened Spike collapsed to the ground still holding a stake in his hand that he'd used to dust Riley with.

"SPIKE!" Buffy kicked Dru in the head. "Let me go!" She crawled along the ground to get to Spike's side. She cradled Spike's head in her lap, much to the shock and amazement of Angel.

Drusilla's shrill squeal reverberated through the graveyard. She charged at Buffy and Spike with her axe held high. She might not be able to kill Buffy, but she would kill Spike instead.

Buffy grabbed Spike's stake. She lobbed it at Dru without a second thought. The swoosh of Drusilla's body turning to ash was the final sound in the now silent night.

Spike sobbed in Buffy's arms. His Sire was dead, but the pain he felt wasn't for her death as much as it was for the fact that he couldn't protect the woman he loved from his Sire.

Buffy ran her fingers through Spike's hair. She tried to soothe him. "I'm sorry, Spike. I had no choice. I'm so sorry." She repeated her words over and over again. She hoped Spike would be able to forgive her one day.

Spike reached up a shaking hand to cup Buffy's face. "Don't be sorry, luv. It had to be done." His arm dropped back to the ground. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you from her."

Buffy cried along with her lover. "You did save me, Spike. Dru was trying to kill you, not me." She leaned over, caressed his cheek, and placed a soft kiss to Spike's lips. "She wanted me to suffer because Angel didn't still love her with his soul."

Giles and Angel stayed back from the couple to allow them a few moments alone. Angel wanted to interrupt, but one look at Giles' stern face told him that he'd better not butt in. This whole day had been one bizarre fiasco after another. If he didn't get some answers soon, Angel feared he would implode.

"Would someone like to tell me why Buffy is cradling Spike like he's her lover?" Angel finally broke the silence. "And maybe why his scent is all over her house, as well as Buffy's blood?"

Spike buried his face into Buffy's lap. He had no strength left within him to fight, argue or explain anything. Whatever Riley had filled him with was zapping all of his vampiric stamina and healing abilities.

Buffy looked up at Angel and then Giles. "We need to get him back to my house, Giles." She turned her attention to Angel. "Please, Angel. Help me. I promise I will explain when we get to my house." Her eyes pleaded with Angel to accept her promise as enough for now.

Angel sighed. He bent over, placed one arm under Spike's legs, and the other arm behind Spike's shoulders. "Lead the way, Buffy. I swear I'm in an episode of the Twilight Zone already. What is another few minutes of suspense?" He ground out sarcastically.

Angel followed Buffy and Giles who led the way back through the cemetery to Giles' car. They all piled in the front and back seat. Buffy insisted on sitting in the back seat with Spike. The whole ride to her house she whispered soft words of love and encouragement in the weak vampire's ears. She knew that Angel would probably be as bad to deal with as Xander was, but all she cared about right now was taking care of Spike. Angel wasn't going to be allowed to get in her way of that.

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

(To Be Continued)

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