A Stranger's Help: Part Six
by Kitty Angel-lover
Buffy awoke hours later at 1:00 AM. She slid out from Angel’s arms, careful not to wake him.
She ran to the bathroom. * God, what’s Spike done to me now? * She took deep, terrified breaths as she stared in horror at her reflection; she looked like she had just stepped out of an old black and white TV show. Her skin had no color whatsoever.
She tried her best to calm down; she was feeling extremely light-headed and dizzy. With a flash of realization her hand flew up to her forehead. She winced and jerked it back. There was nothing wrong with her-except for the fact that her temperature was probably somewhere around 107 degrees!
She sat down on the closed toilet lid and rested her head in her hands, she felt like she was going to faint. She remembered Angel, asleep in the other room. Buffy sighed, knowing that she had to go in there and make him worry about her even more. That was the reason Spike was doing this; to make Angel and me suffer. Buffy slowly got to her feet and walked down the hall back to her room.
She threw her shoulders back but had to lean against the wall for support. Before she knew what was happening, crazed thoughts sprang into her head and her mind screamed to say them. * So this is delirium. * Buffy suppressed it as best she could. Her head throbbed.
She made her way into the room the instant Angel woke up. “Buffy? What is it?” Buffy swallowed, her throat dry. “I have a fever, Angel.” God! She hadn’t realized her voice sounded THAT bad! Angel shot up and grabbed her into his arms before her boiling reaction system could kick in. She blinked, surprised to see him standing in front of her instead of on the bed where he was a moment ago. “Oh…”
He lifted her up and carried her downstairs to the kitchen where he sat her down at a stool by the table. Unable to keep her head up, she leaned down against the heavenly cool tabletop.
Spike and Drusilla rejoiced.
Angel lifted her face and gasped at it’s pale pallor. “Dammit!” He yelped. Buffy’s bleary eyes could do nothing but stare back at him blankly. “I’ll kill him!” He screamed.
“Sssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…” Buffy’s head pounded. “Oh, God, I’m sorry. What can I do?” Buffy shrugged. “I don’t know what I can do.” Angel ran over to the cabinet and grabbed some aspirin. Taking a glass of water he handed 4 pills to her. Buffy took them and carefully swallowed them with the assistance of water. Her eyes were glassy.
“Angel…I don’t know how long I can hold off the delirium.” Angel kissed her. “Hang in there, love.” She swayed, even though she was already sitting down. He swept her up into his arms again and carried her back up the stairs.
Angel laid her down onto the bed. He kissed her hot forehead and whispered, “I’ll be right back.” He ran back downstairs and called Giles. He grabbed a thermometer on his way back upstairs. By that time Buffy was already asleep, murmuring insane things under her breath. He stuck the thermometer under her tongue after turning the light on. Once again, he winced at her ashen face.
Angel started to panic after about a minute of silence. He checked the thermometer; it read 107.4. He paced around the room frantically, not sure what to do. He heard the Giles-mobile rattle up the driveway. Car doors slammed and someone entered downstairs. Giles, Xander and Willow burst into the room.
Xander was the first to speak; “God! Dead Boy! What the hell did you do to her?!” Angel ignored him, as he sometimes had to. Giles and Willow ran over to the bed and looked down at Buffy’s unconscious form. Angel’s voice cracked as he said, “Her temperature’s 107.4.” Giles looked up, mortified.
Willow looked on the verge of tears. Xander seemed to be frozen to the spot.
Spike grinned. “Dru, love, I do believe we are making the Slayer’s snotty little friends pay as well.” Drusilla jumped with glee. “Oooooh! Daddy and the annoying Slayer are paying now!” “Yes they certainly are, pet.” The boss looked awfully proud of himself.
Buffy stirred. Angel was at her side in an instant. “Buffy? Buffy, speak to me.” Buffy’s eyes opened. “Angel? Oooooh!” She moaned as delirium took it’s toll on her. She laughed a hollow, empty, insane laugh that wouldn’t stop. Buffy’s head was screaming, ‘No! Stop!’ But her overheated mind paid no heed.
Angel sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled her onto his lap. “Sssshh. It’s all right Buffy.” Buffy’s uncontrollable laugh melted into tears as he held her and rocked her. Buffy finally started to calm down, she took deep breaths and tried to keep her delirium down.
Buffy closed her eyes and let her head sink down. “I feel so strange…” Her voice sounded muffled, far away. Angel kissed her softly. “Hang in there, Buffy, for me.” Buffy blinked then nodded as she struggled to stay conscious. She felt like she was boiling up.
Giles nodded to the two best friends that were in shock at seeing the Slayer so weak. “Maybe you two should go. Willow nodded her agreement but Xander tied to object. “But-“
“Xander.” Willow said. Xander took one last look at the Slayer before nodding and leaving with Willow.
Buffy clung onto Angel for support. No one noticed as Zersha stepped in. She materialized out of thin air. “Keep her cool, get an ice pack for her forehead.” Giles moved to obey, then his head snapped up in surprise at seeing her there. “GO!” Zersha commanded. Giles nodded and went downstairs to get the ice pack.
Zersha moved to sit next to Angel who was still rocking Buffy even though unconsciousness had long since claimed her. “You know she’s going to be all right.” Zersha spoke softly. Angel shook his head, fighting tears. “No, I don’t know. I never know.” The witch soothingly placed her hand on his arm as an attempt to comfort the mourning vampire.
Giles burst into the room, carrying with him an ice pack. Angel reluctantly set Buffy down onto the bed. He took the ice pack from Giles and pressed it against her steaming forehead. Buffy started to murmur insane things again; things that made no sense no matter how they were put. Angel was fine with that; as long as she was speaking that meant that she was still alive.
Zersha assured both men that she would be fine and she told Giles it would be best if he left and started tracking Spike’s whereabouts. Before he left she reminded him not to ask Willow or Xander for help because they were still bugged. The librarian nodded and wordlessly left.
Zersha sat next to the mourning vampire a few minutes longer before she announced, “I’m going to leave now. I have to. I want you to know that I won’t let her die. I wouldn’t let any of my sisters die.” Angel remembered what she had said about being a former Slayer and in that way, Buffy was her sister. He still said nothing. Zersha continued. “I’m going to help Mr. Giles look for Spike, I’ll be back in the morning.”
She waved her hand towards the window and the window was suddenly gone. All there was where the window had once been was a wall. Zersha looked back at the vampire. Angel swallowed. “Thank you.”
Angel blinked and the witch was gone. A solitary tear slipped down his cheek as he waited for Buffy to wake up.
Giles paced through the library. He kept taking off his glasses to wipe them on his handkerchief and running his fingers through his hair. He didn’t know what he’d do if anything happened to Buffy. * Moron! * He thought. * Something already has happened to her! * He drew in several deep breaths to calm himself. * This isn’t helping Buffy. Helping Buffy is my job. What should I do now? *
“You should ask me for help is what you should do.” Giles spun around and was instantly face to face with the witch. He gasped. “Oh, please don’t do that!” He begged as he struggled to regain his composure. Zersha raised an eyebrow at him and chuckled.
“All right then.” Zersha had a certain dignity about her that Giles admired. “I guess there isn’t much for you to do at the moment. Since Buffy’s laid up I’m gonna have to be the one to beat up Willie the Snitch. Be back in a few.”
Then, just like that, she was gone. Giles shook his head and sat down to wait for her.
Spike paced the factory. “Isn’t there anything useful we can get from listening to these damn bugs? These people are really very boring. They don’t even talk about the Slayer-It kinda makes you wonder…” Drusilla cut in. “Calm down, Pet. Daddy’s suffering and the Slayer will die soon enough. The important thing is they’re both suffering.” Spike relented. “I guess you’re right, Ducks.” Drusilla let an insane smile creep across her face. “Will you dance?” Spike smiled. “Of course, love.”
Angel gripped Buffy’s hand in his as he waited impatiently for her to wake up. Impatience wasn’t his style; that was starting to worry him. Buffy’s eyes fluttered and she moaned softly. Angel jerked to attention. “Buffy? Are you all right?” Buffy swallowed, her throat dry. She managed a small nod as he gave her a glass of water.
He kept an ice pack pressed firmly against her forehead. He had turned the lights off; he couldn’t bear to see her in this state.
Buffy’s eyes came up to meet his. “Angel? What exactly just happened?” Angel smiled, just slightly. “You don’t remember?” Buffy shook her head. Angel stroked her cheek. “Spike gave you a fever is all, we need to try to keep it down.”
Buffy nodded, understanding. She licked her lips and leaned back against the pillows. Her skin felt tight all over, like a bodysuit that was a few sizes too small. She reached up and stretched gingerly as though her skin would tear apart at the slightest movement.
Angel leaned over her and brushed her golden hair away from her face lovingly. Her eyelids drooped. “Angel, I’m so tired. I am soooooooo hot! Oooohh! Definite ick factor!” Angel gave another half-hearted smile. At least she was still acting like Buffy.
She gazed into his eyes and prayed for this horrible burning sensation in her body to stop. “Angel?” She breathed. Angel was instantly alert. “Yes, love?” Buffy swallowed. “Have you heard anything about where Spike is?” Angel shook his head sadly. “No, love.”
Buffy closed her eyes. “Mmmm. I like that.” Angel looked up. “Hmmm?” Buffy smiled. “ ‘Love’; you called me ‘love’. I like it.” Angel smiled, happy to please her. “I love you.”
Buffy gazed back up at him. “I love you too.” She then sighed and leaned back against the pillows. Angel got up and walked toward the door. “Where are you going?!” She panicked. Angel was by her side in an instant. “Sh. Calm down, you’ll get your fever soaring again if you don’t. I’m just going to get another ice pack; you heated this one up pretty well.” He explained.
Buffy relaxed and closed her eyes while he left to go down to the kitchen. She heard him walking through the house and smiled as she recognized his footsteps that always seemed to stand apart even in the biggest crowds. It somehow felt right to hear them in her house, where it was just the two of them. The two of them. Buffy’s thoughts flared to her mother. * Where is she? Is she all right? *
Zersha seemed to appear out of no where. “Calm down, like Angel said. Your mom’s fine. I forgot to explain; I disconnected your mom’s cell phone number and rerouted all other calls so she couldn’t be reached. I figured it wouldn’t be best for her to be at home with you while you’re all trying to figure out this whole Spike deal.”
Buffy sighed with relief. “What did you find out?” She asked curiously. Zersha sighed. “I had to beat up Willie the Snitch a couple of times but I managed to find out where Spike is.” Buffy nearly yelped with glee. “Yay! Now I can go whack the shit out of him!”
“Huh?” Angel walked in the door with a fresh ice pack in tow. He leaned over and pressed it against Buffy’s hot forehead. “Zersha found out where Spike is!” Angel did brighten at that but he shook his head. “You aren’t going anywhere with that damn fever; you have me worried enough.”
Zersha looked perplexed. “I’m starting to get a little worried too, Spike might decide to just up and kill her, figuring that’s what’d hurt Angel most.” Angel’s head snapped up to have his eyes meet hers in an icy stare. “What?” The witch grimaced. “I don’t think he will but there’s still a chance.”
“I’m going to kill him. I’m going to kill him. I’m going to kill him. I’m going to kill him. I’m going to kill him…” Angel kept muttering. Buffy placed her weak hand on his arm. “Calm down, I’ll let you kill him, but I MUST be there to watch.”
Angel started to protest but Zersha cut him off. “Hey, she’ll be all right. I can cast a spell that will temporarily lower her temperature and you want to keep an eye on her anyhow.” Angel still hesitated.
“Please…” Buffy begged and gave him her puppy-dog eyes look that never seemed to work on Giles. On Angel, however, it was deadly. He sighed and gave in. “But you have to be very, very careful. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”
Buffy smiled. “I’ll be careful.” She promised. Zersha smiled.
“Okay-now to lower your temp. I need a glass of sugar-water.” Angel blinked. “Sugar-water?” Zersha nodded. Angel shrugged. “I’ll get it.” The witch stopped him. “Don’t bother.” She already held a glass in her hand. She reached into her pouch that was hanging from the belt-loop on her drawstring pants. She pulled out a tiny capsule and squeezed it into the glass. The sugar-water inside instantly turned a black color. She held the glass out to Buffy.
Buffy looked up at Angel, who shrugged again. Buffy took one last look at the concoction before taking a deep breath. “Here’s to my health.” The Slayer downed the glass in three swallows. She gasped with the shock of the bitter taste. Angel’s eyes went wide as she twisted her face in a grimace. The vampire grabbed the witch and threw her against the wall. “What did you do to her?” He screamed.
Buffy gasped again. “Relax, Angel, it’s just the taste.” Angel relaxed. “Oh.” He looked at the witch that he had pinned against the wall that was looking back at him with a calm certainty. “Oooooh!” Angel put her down on the floor.
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Feel any better now? You should save some violence for Spike, ya know.”
“Sorry.” Angel told her truthfully.
Zersha smiled slightly. They both watched as color seeped into Buffy’s face; it was once again a healthy peach tone. Buffy smiled and sighed as she felt the difference in her own temperature. The witch nodded. “Good, time to go kick Spike’s ass before he pulls some other fool-hearty stunt.” Angel looked to her worriedly.
“Do you think we’ll have much trouble?” He asked.
The witch shrugged. “Insomnia bites.” Her reply didn’t make sense at first. Seeing the puzzled looks on their faces the witch elaborated. “I see the future mainly in my dreams. I never get much sleep. I think it’s time to get a sleeping pill.”
Angel and Buffy nodded. Buffy stretched. “Well, I’m gonna get dressed. (HINT HINT) Shoo!” Angel chuckled as both the witch and the vampire left the Slayer to change.
She decided on some of her main slayage wear; a black tank top, (tank tops are kinda her trademark) stretchy black leggings that were excellent for high kicks, and a pair of slim heels that would smash a few faces in on direct contact. She smiled as she looked in the mirror; all black. She slipped on the cross charm necklace that Angel had given her and also his leather jacket.
She stepped out of her room and went down the stairs where the two demons were feasting on chocolate; they didn’t see her. Buffy laughed out loud when she saw Angel’s face covered in chocolate. If he could blush he would’ve been as red as a tomato.
She grabbed a washcloth and gently wiped his face. When she was done doing that she kissed him tenderly and he responded instantly, thrilling at her soft touch.
“A-HEM!” The witch cut into their passionate kiss and Buffy and Angel broke away. “Come on, we need to get going. I think we have the definite advantage here, Spike’ll be so surprised to see me he’ll probably faint.”
Buffy looked up. “You’ve met Spike?”
Zersha nodded, grimacing. “It’s a long story and we don’t have time for that right now. We need to leave now.”
Spike paced the floor. “Why the hell do we even bother with these stupid bugs when they never even pick up anything useful? What kind of ‘friends’ are these people anyway? They’re never even around the Slayer! That’s it.” He turned to the boss. “It’s time to finish this. Kill the Slayer.” The boss nodded solemnly as he turned a knob. He didn’t want to hurt or kill anybody, but this was his job; if he didn’t do this he would be killed. He sat back and thought about the murder he was committing at this very moment. On the outside he looked like nothing was wrong, but on the inside he was crying.
Buffy gasped and fell to the ground. Angel instantly swooped her up into his arms and looked with great fear at the witch who swallowed and then spoke; “Spike’s not waiting any longer, he wants her dead now. We’re not too late though, the potion I gave her will keep her alive for the moment, but if we don’t act soon, she will die in a matter of minutes.”
Angel’s face drained of anything but fear and disbelief. “No…”
Zersha looked down. “I’m sorry.”
Angel looked somewhere in between incredulous and outraged. “You’re sorry?! Sorry! I can’t believe it! What happened to, ‘I’m not going to let anything happen to one of my sisters’? You CANNOT give up!”
Zersha slowly looked up then nodded. “Let’s go.” Angel picked Buffy up and followed the witch down toward the bad part of town.
“What do you mean she isn’t dead yet!” Spike was on the verge of tearing apart the man that called himself the boss. “Crank up the dial!”
The boss’s words were careful; he realized his life was in danger. “Sir, if I turn up the dial any more it would overload the system and completely ruin all these years of work.”
“If the dial’s already that high why isn’t she dead yet?!” Spike exploded, his voice growing louder with every word. The boss winced. “I don’t know.”
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