Written as a Long Stand Alone (Was written so it can be read with out reading the first story).

Sequel to Dream Once More (Archived at the Sand lot)

Author: T. Claybourne  (t.claybourne@yahoo.com)

AU And Crossover

Rating: Rated R most chapters for violence and Language, some are NC-17 for sexual content

A/N I'd like to thank my Beta Reader Hawera And muses Michelle Branch, Robbie Williams and Evanescence

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Afterglow Chapter 26 Shared Pains

Mia awoke to find that her hand and wrist were on fire. She dragged her head and shoulders out of the wall, pulled her arm in under her vinyl coat and beat out the flames as she dragged herself down the street and into the shade of their building. Every time she put weight on her foot it gave out and the pain was unbelievable. The whole front of her body was wet with blood, and she could feel the blood still flowing from her neck wounds. She was aware of dozens of broken bones but she ignored the pain as the sun was moving closer and the shadows were lessening.

Her skin prickled with the approaching daylight. Instinct propelled her out of the sun but the thought driving her was 'I have to get back, back to Xander'. She got to the door and felt for her key in the front pocket of her jeans, then screamed as the burned skin ripped off her hand showing the bone of her thumb and forefinger. Using her other hand, she pressed the buzzer. No response. She was getting weak and finding it hard to stand. Falling to her knees she continued to press on the bell.

"Hello?" came Xander's sleepy voice.

Mia was in a fog with pain and loss of blood. It hurt to take a breath but she did. "Xander?"

He buzzed open the door. Mia pushed herself up and through it. She stumbled out of the approaching sun and down the two stairs into the small octagon foyer. The cool marble felt good for the few seconds before she blacked out.

Xander had buzzed Mia in, unlocked the apartment door and gone back to bed. He knew she would come join him soon. An hour later he woke again and then sat up, startled, realizing that he was still alone. He looked in the other rooms but Mia wasn't there.

Putting on pants and a t-shirt, he went downstairs and that's when he saw the blood. It covered the entire floor of the foyer as far as the door to the garden. Mia lay face down in it, her head resting on one arm.

Xander rushed to her, barefoot. "Mia?"

She didn't respond. He could see the bones of her hand and that chunks from her neck were actually missing. Her neck wounds were no longer bleeding, but he panicked, thinking that it might be because there was no blood left in her. He turned her over: she looked translucent, like rice paper. As he picked her up she groaned, and relief flooded over him: if she was groaning she was still with them. He took her upstairs, leaving bloody footprints as he went. He laid her on the couch and examined her: she was covered in blood and he panicked when he thought of all the blood on the floor downstairs.

Xander cut the sleeves and shoulders off her coat to remove it, and pushed a few tendrils of loose hair back off her face.

"Mia, can you hear me?"

He saw a single tear fall from her eye, but there was no other response.

"I don't know what to do. Mia, what do I do for a vampire? This looks all wrong." Xander was terrified. Mia lay there, looking papery, and he remembered the two occasions when Angel almost died without becoming dust. Perhaps there were more ways to kill a vampire than the sun, a stake and a Slayer. "It looks bad, real bad. It looks like you could die, Mia. Please don't die."

He could see that the bleeding from her neck had stopped but there were still signs of bleeding from her left foot. On closer examination of her foot his stomach lurched: the steel toe of her boot was almost flat against the sole.

That's when Xander picked up his phone.

~ ~ ~

"What?"

"Spike, I need to talk to you. It's an emergency and I just don't know what to do. I mean, as Sunnydale alumni we all know how to kill your kind, but not...Angel almost died from poison once and then there was that ritual you and Drusilla did on him. Does that mean there are other ways for vamps to die without you being dust? Because I don't know what to do, there is so much blood, oh god I don't remember seeing so much blood even growing up in Sunnydale, how much can a vamp ..."

"Harris slow down. Not a word you are saying is making any bleeding sense."

"It's Mia. I found her in a pool - and when I say pool, I mean you could practically wade in it - of her own blood. She looks all papery. Her hand is burned so bad I can see bones. I don't know what to do."

Spike couldn't seem to draw breath to speak.

"Spike, are you there?"

The vampire breathed.

"I'm here. Harris, listen to me, those times with Angel were mystical, and this is obviously physical. Mia is a vampire and if she isn't dust then she can heal. She needs blood. You need to make sure all her wounds are closed or bandaged, and then get all the blood you have on hand into her; then go get more, a lot more, more than you could think possible. If a vampire doesn't feed or suffers too much blood loss, brain damage can take place. I'll get there as soon as I can."

"Blood, lots, right." He hung up.

Spike concentrated on what he had to get done. He packed a few things, called the airport, and using a few codes he still knew he arranged for a Wolfram and Hart jet to be fuelled and ready. Then his phone rang again.

"She won't drink it. It keeps coming back up."

"Is it old?"

"Only a day old, I think."

"Her body needs human blood. I'll be there in a little while, and I can force feed her. We'll have to hope she'll take mine to start with instead."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Xander was pacing the floor when Klaus pounded on the door and rushed in. "Xander, Sabine has yet to...Oh my, it's Mia. This isn't good. Sabine hasn't returned and they were together. I'm going to look for her."

Xander picked up Mia's unburned hand and kissed it.

"Don't worry, Mia. Spike's on the way and he knows what to do. Wait a minute! Spike said you need human blood. I can do that."

He used the same knife with which he'd cut her coat off, and made a cut in his wrist; then he held it under her nose. Her only response was a small wrinkling, but just before he pulled away she morphed into her demon face and lowered her mouth to his wrist. Xander could feel his blood being pulled out. It felt different from giving blood: there was pressure, and he could hear his heartbeat in his head. Then Mia let go and laid back, her human face back in place. Xander stood and marveled at the fact he felt fine and that there was no wooziness, but he went and drank a glass of orange juice anyway. He might have to do this again.

Xander tried again with the pig's blood, and this time she took it. It was strange: Mia was out, unresponsive, unless the blood was there by her mouth. He unlaced her boot, but there was no way to get it off with its steel toe almost flat. He was afraid that he might have to hurt her and use a claw hammer to wedge it open. He had no concept of how much time passed. He shook his head as he thought how strange it was that he was impatient for Spike, of all people, to get there.

~ ~ ~ ~

Spike had to run, covered by his coat, to the building from the taxi. Luckily for him, the security door had not been fully closed. The moment he stepped into the foyer he smelled it: Mia's blood. Then, he saw it. He froze and just stared at it, swallowing as panic rose up in him. He knew now why Harris had sounded the way he had. Spike ran upstairs, following the smell of her blood, and knocked on the door. Xander opened it, his face lined with worry, a glass filled with pig's blood in his hand.

"Come in."

"She's drinking it now?"

"Yeah, I fed her some of mine and then..."

"You what?"

Xander kneeled down and gave her a few sips from the glass. "She won't take much but at least she's drinking some."

Spike grabbed his arm and looked at the cut, still very red and angry.

"You fed her your blood, how daft are you? She could have drained you and then how would she have felt..... and now she's had a taste of human blood."

"She didn't drain me! And if it helps her get better now, we can deal with the other part later."

Spike threw his coat on a nearby chair and squatted next to her. He examined the bites, which had closed enough to stop bleeding, but they were still deep, red and slick with ooze. He carefully picked up the forearm of her burned hand and hissed.

"Will it heal?"

"Sure, but it'll hurt like a bleeding son of a bitch until it does."

"OH! I forgot, you have to look at her foot. It's bad, and I can't get her boot off."

Spike picked it up by the heel and looked.

"OK, Xander, you need to go get supplies. I would, but it was difficult enough just getting here in the sun."

"I don't want to leave her."

"That's bloody admirable, but she needs bandages, and blood and you're the only one up for the job."

"Her foot: what will we do?"

"We get her cleaned up and bandaged before we do anything. Then I'll get the sodding boot off her and we will put the foot back together as well as we can. Go. The longer you wait, the more her bones will start to knit badly."

Spike sent the boy out with a list. He bent over Mia. "How'd this happen, love?"

Slowly and methodically Spike checked her for broken bones. He straightened her collarbone, and several ribs. He could tell that her hip, arm, wrist and leg bones were broken as well. He made sure they would set straight. He cut off her pants and shirt. Her bra and underwear were stained in red.

"Hey, what do you think your doing?" asked Xander from the front door, bags in hand.

Spike shook his head. "Attempting to improve the situation. If you are going to take offence at my actions, Mia will suffer for it. Besides, let's face it, I've seen it all before. It's not like I'm using this as a chance to ogle her."

Spike watched Xander's reaction, noting that the boy couldn't take his eyes off her. "You haven't seen it though, have you?"

"That's none of your business."

"Let's get her cleaned up then."

Together they cleaned the blood from her body. She had been wearing her hair up in some type of twist and it was relatively clean. Mia groaned as they sat her up to wash her back.

Xander brought out a set of her underwear and one of his short sleeve button-up shirts.

"I thought my shirt would be easiest to get her in to."

"Right then," Spike threaded her injured hand through as Xander held the sleeve open. Once she was dressed again Spike had Xander prepare the cloth bandages for her foot.

"We'll need a piece of something hard and flat. "

Xander looked around the apartment. He saw the small, thin hardback tourist guide he'd picked up when he'd first arrived in Amsterdam, and grabbed it. Spike took a look at the boot again. He got his fingers in between the sole and the leather and ripped. The sole came off exposing the mangled smashed toes. Mia yelled out and sat up. Xander went to her.

"It's OK, Mia, we have to. Ssh, honey."

Spike could see that she was unaware of anything but the pain, but Xander's gentle words seemed to sooth her. Spike used the knife to cut the upper part of the boot away. Mia whimpered.

"You're hurting her."

"Tell me something I don't bloody know!" snapped Spike. "It'll get worse as I straighten these out."

First, he gently washed her foot so he could see everything better. Three of her toes appeared flat and the others were extremely twisted or deformed. The foot itself was also flat-looking. Spike closed his eyes for a moment. Then he set his jaw and pulled her big toe straight. Mia screamed and passed out completely.

Spike worked fast, straightening the toes as best he could. He made small rolls of the bandage to put between each toe to keep them straight and separate from the others. On her three smashed flat toes, he folded duct tape and used it to shape the skin surrounding the bones to help the smashed toes to heal right. He wasn't sure it would work, but he had to try. He then used Xander's book at the bottom of her foot as a splint and wrapped the bandage to hold it in place.

Xander was pushing her hair off her face.

"Take the hair down Xander, so she can sleep more comfortably."

Xander did as he was told, removing the hairpins and fingering the curls to her shoulders.

Spike picked her up, cradling her like a child. "Her room?"

Xander showed him to the room they had been sharing and the two men together got her settled.

"What could do this to her?" asked Xander

"That's the ten thousand dollar question inn' it. She knows her stuff, had to be... you two haven't had words have you?"

"What? No, we we're, we are fine. You are suggesting she let this happen? Sabine the other Slayer is missing. Mia would never let something happen to someone else."

"You're right, it's just..."Spike looked at Xander, concern shadowing the vampire's eyes.

"I know... its Mia," supplied Xander.

For some odd reason Spike felt for Xander. Of course, he'd never tell him. He figured Harris would be there by the bed for a while, so he moved the comfy chair in, next to the bed. It was all he could really do for him.

Spike had persuaded the boy to change his clothes, since the ones he had on when Spike had first arrived there were covered with blood. They continued to feed Mia as frequently as she would accept food.

Spike went and cleaned her blood up from the foyer and stairs. He hadn't realized how difficult that would be for him, not the task with the mop and bucket but the emotions involved. Then he called Giles to let him know what had happened.

~ ~

The Watcher, Klaus, stopped by and reported that there was no sign of his Slayer.

"It looks as though Mia fought whatever it was that attacked Sabine," said Spike

"Yes, even though she herself is a vampire, she might have actually fought for my Slayer."

Spike grabbed the guy by his neck and slammed him against the wall, his feet dangling off the ground.

"Mia fought; you don't end up looking the way she did without a fight."

Xander came to the bedroom doorway. "What the hell?"

"Klaus here suggested Mia didn't fight for his Slayer because she herself is a vampire."

Xander sighed, "Spike, put him down. He's just worried and upset about Sabine. Klaus ...Mia is in bad shape, you saw her, she got that way somehow. I know her and I know it involved protecting your Slayer. Spike, maybe you could help him look for Sabine."

"How's that, Harris?" Spike let Klaus go.

"I don't know. Smell her clothing, and track her scent?"

"Bollocks. Do I look like a sodding blood hound?"

"Forget it; I don't have time for this." Xander turned and went into the bedroom. In fact, Spike did help to track the girl. He had to do something. He didn't let the Watcher go with him, but he tried to find her. Her scent and Mia's blood led to a place about a block away. One of those huge concrete balls they put up to block traffic had been moved and shattered, a concrete bench was broken in half, and part of the brick wall protecting the canal was smashed completely through. It was here that he found Mia's locket. He put it in his pocket and followed the Slayer's scent to stairs leading to the canal: then it just disappeared.

Spike went back to the apartment, stopping at a store on the way to pick up a bottle of scotch. He checked in on Mia. Huge dark bruises were forming along her jaw line, her forehead and an eye. There were probably many more under the covers. She hadn't woken up except to drink blood since he'd worked on her foot.

Spike drank the scotch straight from the bottle,then he lay down on the couch and fell asleep.

He awoke to the sound of the apartment buzzer, and went to push the button.

"Yeah?"

"Spike. it's us," said Willow

He buzzed them in and opened the door as he poured himself a drink, into a glass this time.

Giles, Buffy and Willow came in, laden down with bags.

Xander came to the bedroom door, "What's all the big noise?"

"Bloody cavalry is here."

"If Xander is anything to go by, the situation's bad," said Buffy. She rushed to give him a hug.

"How is she?" asked Giles

"She's still sleeping, but it's not good. Spike can tell you." Xander turned and went back to the bedroom.

Willow stepped into the room, following Xander. She could see Mia's pale face covered almost entirely with bruises, but where there were none her face seemed to be completely translucent. "Xander, we are going to do everything we can to help."

"Thanks Will, but most of it she has to do herself and..." His voice cracked. "Her foot, her toes were completely flat... no bone left inside. And the blood, there was so much, I'll never forget that. She actually passed out from the pain. She's going to hurt while she heals Will. I don't want her to hurt."

"We brought drugs, really strong ones that will work even with a vampire's constitution and the coven sent herbs to help. We'll make it as easy on her as possible. Do you need anything?"

"Something to drink, a pop maybe."

"You got it."

Spike filled the newcomers in on the extent of Mia's injuries. Willow suggested adding some herbs to her blood to help with the pain and healing, but Spike quashed the idea, explaining how hard it was to get her to take even plain blood.

Klaus came down, suitcases in hand, and told Giles he was going home. He knew his Slayer was gone. The others then went upstairs to the apartment to unpack their things.

Spike told them where the fight had taken place and Buffy and Giles went to investigate.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"How are you doing. Spike?" asked Willow.

"Fine, Red."

"Oh please, I've seen that look on your face before."

He looked her in the eye. "We can't lose her, not again. If she doesn't improve, I hope Giles has the Dulac cross."

"What?"

"The ritual, the one I used on Drusilla in Sunnydale."

"The one that nearly killed Angel? I don't know if he does, but won't you need Drusilla for that?"

"Yes, and if you could get in touch with your coven's seer, scan the net... we will start right now and find her."

"Okay."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~~

Night came and Giles sent Spike and Buffy to patrol. They didn't speak much.

Buffy finally decided to break the silence. "She will heal right. I mean, that's what she herself said: 'beat us up and we'll be back the next night'."

"When I first saw her... I've never seen a vampire so badly hurt. Not even Drusilla looked as bad after she was attacked by that mob in Prague. I'd never seen a vamp's skin look like paper. I couldn't tell Harris how bad it was. I was so .... I just had to concentrate on what to do. But to answer your question, I don't know. That's the worst bleeding thing, the not-knowing. She could come out this as she was, or not ever improve, or she could have suffered brain damage and..."

"Will we have to...you know?"

"End her? If it comes to that then I'll do it. I owe her that much."

"No," said Buffy. "If it happens you'll let me do it for you."

~ ~ ~

The night went by and Mia still slept. Xander only left her side to use the bathroom.

The next morning there was a delivery of blood.

"It's a special mixture. It contains all the human hemoglobin, antibodies and proteins, but the essence that would invoke increased blood lust has been removed. It's mixed in a base of pig's blood," said Giles, as they unpacked it and put it in the refrigerator.

~ ~ ~

Willow took a glass into Xander. "Special stuff to help healing. Mia'd be upset to see us using a glass, huh?"

Xander smiled. It been the first one she'd seen from him. "She'd hate it."

"Well then, Mia, we are feeding you blood from a glass and everyone, I mean everyone can see it. Wake up and make us stop!"

"Thanks, Will."

"You need anything?"

"Coffee, please."

"Cup 'o Joe coming right up."

Xander leaned over and stroked Mia's face. "Come on, baby, wake up. You know how I like you around for my morning coffee: besides I need some sunshine."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

That afternoon Willow got a lead on Dru. She had been spotted in Pittsburg a month ago. She told Spike.

"That's good; we can start from there. I have to know something more definite because... I don't want to leave her... ah... I don't want to go and come back empty-handed. You were in there today, how is he?"

"He?"

"Harris. He's been in there nearly forty eight hours."

"Since when do you... never mind, He looks horrible but...?"

"He may listen to you and he needs some real sleep in a bed. The rest of us are getting the required eight, while he sits in there. Maybe you have a few magical herbs that will make the suggestion sound more reasonable?"

"I don't use magic that way."

Spike held up his hands. "Whoa, little witch, I said herbs, as in the kind to relax and help you sleep, not actual magic."

"Oh, I guess I could. Maybe we could get him to shower too."

Willow made Xander some tea with her herbs and sweetened it with honey. She went in the room and handed it to him.

"Xander, it's been forty eight hours. You still have her blood on you, you should go get a shower and take a nap in a bed."

"I want to be here if she wakes up."

"Pretty sure your stinkiness isn't going to impress her, especially with her smeller being even better than ours. Besides we could wake you the second it happens, the other beds are only like ten feet away."

Xander moved his head around stretching his neck. "You'll wait with her?"

"Yes."

~ ~ ~~ ~ ~

Xander was sound asleep in the extra bedroom. Willow, Giles and Buffy went out to get something to eat. Spike sat in the chair next to Mia.

He checked her bruises and they were already changing color. The wounds in her neck had filled in some of the way. He brushed a stray couple of hairs behind her ear.

"We are going to get whatever did this to you. It had to be something unbelievable because no ordinary vamp could have beaten you like this, love."

He leaned on the bed with his elbows and held her good hand.

~ ~ ~

Mia had tracked her prey and could smell its fear. She turned the corner. It stood with its back to her. Its scent was wonderful. She could hear its heart beating hard, and its breath labored from the effects of its flight. She ran her tongue across her fangs. She could almost taste it and her mouth began to water. She grabbed it from behind and stretched the neck taut. Sinking her fangs in, its blood rushed into her mouth and down her throat, tasting like merlot, but with a spicy tang. She listened to its heart slow and stop. The glee of the kill filled her. She let the body loose and it fell face up. It was Xander.

And then she was drifting in a sea of pain. Someone was holding her hand.

"I am an idiot, you know, always speaking before my brain actually kicks in. Just don't give up this time, love. I don't care what I said; I need you in my life. Besides you don't actually expect me to teach those bloody wankers. The Slayers, the girls I can abide, but the wankers – that's asking too much of a man."

Mia groaned as she took her first breath. "Spike, please shut up, my head hurts."

He laughed with relief. "Mia?"

"Where's Xander?"

She started to get up.

"Love, you are pretty damaged, best you stay in bed. "

She sat up and moaned deeply. She held up her hand and saw just the tips of her fingers showing bone, a soft slick pink flesh was forming on the lower half.

"Where is Xander?" she asked again, her panic rising.

"He's sleeping; the boy was up for nearly forty eight hours next to your bedside."

"You're not just telling me that?"

"What?"

Mia swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. "Fuck, shit!" she grunted as she tried to stand.

"Bugger it, woman, what are you doing?"

"I need to see Xander."

"I'll just go and wake him."

"No, if he really is sleeping I don't want to wake him up."

Spike went to lift her.

"What are you doing?"

"I'll carry you."

"No fucking way. I'll walk."

Mia hobbled two steps. Her eyes got shiny with tears of pain. "Could you help though?"

Spike grabbed her around the waist and supported most her weight as she made it to second bedroom.

Spike felt her relax against him once she saw Harris. A tear fell from her eyes and she trembled.

"OK. I don't want you to, but could you carry me back."

He lifted her into his arms and took her to the bed. "Giles, Buffy and Willow are here, they came when...they are out to eat right now."

"How long?"

"Near two days."

She gave a small smile. "No, how long have the others been out?"

"They just left about fifteen or twenty minutes ago."

"Good, you're going to have to play doctor. No smirk please. I have a rib here, it must have been under my bra. It's knitting together wrong, and it stabs me every time I breathe."

"You're too sodding weak; you can't afford to lose any more blood."

"If you work fast I won't. Please, Spike, I don't want to have to stop talking, but it really hurts."

"It's not stopping you from talking right now."

Mia lay back and closed her eyes. Pain swept over her in waves. Everywhere hurt and she didn't have the energy to argue. She contemplated going back to sleep, but she wanted to talk to Xander. Right now, though, the very thought of talking made her groan.

When she opened her eyes Spike stood over her a small knife and bandages in his hands.

"Bugger it, let's do this."

Mia struggled to hold her breast up for him. She was so weak by then that she couldn't.

"Pet, just let me."

She felt the knife cut and then there was a snap. Immediately, with the next breath she took, it became painless. He bandaged her and buttoned her shirt back.

"Thank you," she breathed, and turned on her good side to face him.

"Do you need something for the pain?"

"I want to wait until I've talked with Xander."

Spike pushed her hair over her shoulders. "He'll be angry that I didn't wake him."

"He'll get over it."

"What did this to you, love?"

"Spike, don't call me...They were like the biggest linebackers on steroids. They stood like six foot six. The tops of their heads were kind of flat but they appeared human at first. They bit me, but then spat it out. No matter how hard I tried, they over-powered me. The strength, shit! I tried to stop them but they took Sabine. They threw me into a wall, and I passed out. I woke up with my hand on fire.

Spike motioned to her to sit up so that she could drink some blood. Mia shook her head

"You have to pet, you lost near all your own and this is the only way you'll heal."

She gave in, but he could see she was exhausted and in a lot of pain. She was holding on by a thread until she could speak to Harris.

"I'm going to wake the boy now, so you'll go back to sleep."