Subject: [BA_Gutter] Dream Once More 21 Date: Wed, 24 Dec 2003 04:22:03 -0000 From: "Tracy" Dream Once More 21 Author T, Claybourne Disclaimer, Fox ME, Joss and the others they do not endorse this but it's only for entertainment so please no suing guys. Spoiler of Angel up to Destiny Buffy comes to LA, but it may be too late: Spike is with someone else, and Angel is not the same as she remembers. NC-17 eventually but mostly less Feed Back: Very needed , very welcome!! ___________________________________________________ Part 21 To Spike, everything seemed to move in slow motion. The arrow heading for him, Emma in front of him, Emma twisting away and then falling to the ground. Buffy throwing a devastating punch to Angel's head. The vampire, finally knocked out, sliding to the floor. Spike smelled Emma's blood. The deep stain was forming on her back. The head of the arrow pointed out at him just to the left of her right shoulder blade. Then suddenly it was all moving so fast. "Oh god, Spike! Emma!" exclaimed Buffy, running to the front to call 911. Spike held his slayer, pushing her hair from her face. "It's ok, love, you'll be ok." Emma was in obvious pain; tears came from her eyes. "They are on the way," Buffy informed them as she knelt next to them. Wes recovered. Surveying the scene, he saw Angel out cold and Spike sitting cross-legged, Emma's head in his lap. There was a lot of blood. "Buffy?" The blonde slayer jumped and went to him. "It's Em, she stepped in front of an arrow Angel meant to dust Spike with." They heard sirens and Wes and Buffy directed the paramedics to the training room. After administering preliminary first-aid to her, the paramedics loaded her in the ambulance. Spike and Buffy rode with Emma in the ambulance. Wes stayed behind to sort out everything with the young slayers and the unconscious Angel. * * * * "They got here fast," blurted Buffy. "And they did get the bleeding to stop." At the mention of blood, Spike looked at his hands, now covered with Emma's drying blood. "It's always blood, in't it? Has to be, always blood." "Spike, when we get you to the hospital you have to wash that off," grimaced Buffy. Emma looked up, her watery eyes focused on Spike. She tried to reach for him but it hurt to move . Spike saw and grasped her hand. Buffy touched his shoulder. "Think positive. Emma will make it, she is strong." Spike felt numb. He hoped this was all a nightmare and any second Emma would wake him. * * * * Wesley made some quick calls and got someone from his department to come sit with the girls. Heading to secure Angel, Wes saw that he had already regained consciousness and had taken both of the dead slayers. * * * * Angel woke and smelled fresh blood. Looking at the floor, he saw a pool of it. All he could do was laugh. Quickly, he gathered both of the young slayers' bodies and placed each one in his 1950's convertible Cadillac. He was happy with his choice of car, because with the big trunk, there was plenty of room for the two little slayers. The vampire drove and stopped at a warehouse just north of Melrose. ** Oh please, Liam, take me with you. I want to travel as well. ** Opening the large door, he drove in. Drusilla greeted him, standing in front of the car. "Daddy, you're home! Did you bring me anything, a present maybe?" He motioned to the trunk. Drusilla and he took the slayers down the stairs, to a large room where the air of a warm family setting had been created. "Look, girls, daddy has brought us some goodies." "Not anything left in those two, Drusilla, they are to be added to the family." She pouted. "They are to be my dollies!" "No, you idiot, new additions to the family." Dru started to cry. "Shut up or I will do it for you! Drusilla, dear, I am not in the mood." * * * * Buffy and Spike sat waiting for some word on Emma. After further urging, Spike finally washed the blood from his hands. Buffy had tried to comfort him by taking his hand. * * * * Emma was conscious as they wheeled her into the E.R. The nurse asked her name and with a gurgling noise she responded. It was a blur, doctors, nurses, tubes, her legs moving, her arms, then she felt them cut each side of the arrow off. Things started to get dark and she was tired so she closed her eyes. The orderlies took the stable patient to the O.R. * * * * An E.R. doctor came out to talk with them. "Are you Emma Taylor's family?" "Yes," replied Spike. "She has been taken to emergency surgery. You should prepare yourselves; it's rather grim. Emma lost a lot of blood and the arrow may have nicked her heart; she has a collapsed lung and there may be spinal cord injury." Neither one of them said a thing to the doctor. Buffy got Spike to sit down. Wes walked up then and was stopped by a police officer who wanted to ask questions. * * * * The patient pulled through the removal of the arrow and the doctor closed the wound, happy with her accomplishment. The spinal cord hadn't been injured and neither, by miracles, had the heart. An incision was the only thing necessary, because once it was done the remaining bit of arrow could be carefully slid out. The young girl below her should live. Dr. Sullivan had just finished putting the last suture in when the equipment gave warning. "Her pressure is dropping, doctor, I've lost a pulse," announced a male nurse. "Paddles," the doctor directed. * * * * Spike felt something in his chest pull. He stood and although he didn't need air he gasped. He knew as if by instinct that something was terribly wrong. Looking for a sign of the doctor, he saw Emma walking toward him. She wore her jeans and the tank top from earlier. Spike blinked; she kept coming towards him. Emma came and stood before him. "Spike, you are at fault for this, you know." Emma motioned to the blood and the hole in her shirt. "You could never do anything right." Spike slowly sank back into the chair. "What's wrong, vampire, see a ghost?" Emma asked, giggling. "No, no, she can't, not yet, I didn't- Why, how are you here?" he cried and put his face in his hands. "Please, Emma, wake me from this nightmare." Buffy heard him and looked up. There stood Emma in the bloody shirt she came in with. "Thought it was over, didn't you?" Emma asked with a sly grin. Then she shrank and disappeared like a TV set being turned off. . * * * * The doctor applied the paddles twice. The third time she shouted at her patient. "Emma, come on, where did you go? Time to come back!" * * * * "Oh, god, Spike, it was..." "The First," he replied dully. "I saw no bringers, aren't they supposed to come first?" asked Buffy "It never played by the rules," a distant-sounding Spike answered. Wes returned, and Buffy told him about the First Evil's appearance. Spike stood. "It said it was my fault but it wasn't, not this time. We know whose it was and he will pay." Buffy tried to stop him. "Spike, you should wait for news." "Buffy, what did... IT...look like to you?" "Oh, god," Buffy started and then whispered, "Emma, that means..." "I know what it means. Angel will die." "Now wait a moment, Spike." Wes stood, confronting the grieving vampire. "We are all feeling this loss but something is wrong with Angel and we may be able to help him. Besides, he escaped before I could secure him; you will have trouble finding him." "Vampire here, Wes. I can track him, and when I find him nothing will help him but a stake through his heart. As far as you should be concerned, your boss is dead." Just then a nurse approached them. "Ah. Are you Emma's..." Spike shifted, and threw his shoulders back in some sort of defiance. "He is," Wes replied for the vampire. "Well, sir, we have her cleaned up and if you'd like to see her you can." Spike debated with himself. A lifeless Emma, did he really want or need that? Yes, he wanted to say goodbye and thank you. "Yes," he finally answered. The nurse led him up the elevator. As they exited to the main floor Spike changed his mind. Remembering her alive would be better. He told the nurse he just remembered he had to inform some people of Emma's condition and stormed out the front doors of the hospital. * * * * "Buffy?" asked Wesley tentatively. The girl had not said a word since Spike had left. Spike had been gone much too long. He saw a tear roll down her cheek. "Oh Wes, will I ever get to have a life where I don't lose people I care about?" He pulled her close, then stood. "I'll take you home now, then I need to warn Angel." "No, I can't go home. Besides, as always, I have to go on. The First is involved and something has to be done with Angel. I don't know if they are related. Shouldn't be; we weakened it with the closing of the Hellmouth. Let's go to the hotel, check on the girls, and then we can call Angel and Giles. I just need to hear his Gilesy voice," said Buffy as they stood in the waiting room. "That is understandable; besides, he may be able to research on his end." * * * * Angel was pacing in his office. He had lost hours. Security said he had left at sunset. It was after midnight and he didn't know where he had gone. He needed Wes or Gunn or Lorne. Yeah, Lorne could read him. He dialed his number. Lorne answered groggily but told Angel he'd be right there. Gunn came strolling in his office then. "Hey, boss, back from the unknown and that's what it left me: un- knowing what it was all about. Big cat said it would all be revealed when I needed it. Boss, you ok?" "No, Gunn, he's not," Spike said from behind him. TBC