“Oh My God!” He heard Willow behind him. He figured that she must have come running when Buffy yelled his name.

Buffy kneeled down in front of him. The stake missed his heart. He was going to be okay. The only thing was, he didn’t feel good. In fact, if he remembered correctly, he felt very ill, like he had the flu, or worse.

Buffy looked up and saw Kennedy holding a crossbow. It was Kennedy in flesh, but Buffy saw her eyes before she passed out. Kennedy’s eyes were white.

“Willow, I thought you said you were going to tie her up?” Buffy was in a panic now.

“I know. I did. I just untied her a minute ago. She was awake. She acted like she was awake. He eyes were open and everything.” Willow said, sounding just as panicked.

Buffy carefully pulled the stake out of Spike’s back. As she did so, Spike yelled in pain. She carefully laid him down on the floor.

“Buffy,” Spike whispered, sounding very weak. “Buffy, I don’t feel right.”

Buffy could barely hear Spike, but she understood what he had said. She touched his forehead, and for some reason, Spike felt hot. Spike had a fever. Her first reaction was to jump up and call Giles. This was serious. She needed to get him help right now.

Spike must have felt her wanting to jump up because he grabbed her wrist.

“Buffy,” Spike whispered, “Don’t leave me. Buffy, don’t ever leave me.” Darkness over took Spike then and he passed out.

“Spike!” Buffy yelled. “Willow, call Giles now!”

As Willow ran for the phone Xander, Anya and Dawn all came running into the hall looking at the scene in front of them. Kennedy lying unconscience on the floor by the front door, Spike bleeding from the chest lying on the floor in front of the kitchen, and Buffy over Spike touching his forehead.

“What happened?” Xander asked.

(^..^)

After explaining to Xander, Anya and Dawn what had happened, Buffy asked Xander to help her get Spike upstairs. Buffy told Dawn to get the first aid kits and take them upstairs. When Willow returned after talking to Giles, she told Buffy that he was on his way back. Willow and Anya took Kennedy up to Willow’s bed, and Xander and Buffy took Spike up to Buffy’s bed.

“Should we tie him up?” Xander asked.

“No,” Buffy said, not taking her eyes off of Spike, “He can’t do anything.”

“Buffy,” Dawn ran into her room. “Here’s the first aid kit.”

Buffy turned and took the first aid kit from Dawn. “Thank you, Dawn. Take the other one to Willow’s room. Kennedy may need something.”

“Okay,” was Dawn’s only reply before leaving Xander, Buffy and Spike in Buffy’s room.

With Xander’s help, Buffy took Spike’s shirt off to clean and bandage his wound. Buffy put her hand on Spike’s right shoulder and paused, remembering the dream from the night before. She remembered how good it made her feel, even though it shouldn’t have. She remembered the touch of his skin that made her blood run hot, when it shouldn’t have. She remembered the feeling of love… “Love?” She thought. But her thoughts were interrupted.

“Buffy? Are you alright?” It was Xander. He was looking at her like she just said something incredibly stupid.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” Buffy said and continued to dress Spike’s wounds.

“What do you think made her snap?” Xander asked Buffy, covering Spike’s half-naked body with the blankets on Buffy’s bed.

“I don’t think it was her.” Buffy said, sitting on the bed looking at Spike.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I think something took over Kennedy’s body, and that thing it trying to kill Spike.”

Xander picked up what was left of the first aid kit on the bed, and placed it on the nightstand. “What makes you think that something had taken over Kennedy’s body?”

“I saw her eyes.” Buffy looked up at Xander. “Those were not Kennedy’s eyes. Her eyes were white.”

Just then, Buffy and Xander heard a familiar voice come from down stairs. “Buffy?”

Buffy and Xander went down stairs. It was Giles. He was back.

“Giles, your back.” Buffy said, “I didn’t think you would get here so soon.”

“Yes, well, I was on my way here when Willow called me. I got in this morning. How are they?”

“Spike’s okay, I think. He’s got two nice holes in his torso, but other then that, still living. And I’m not sure about Kennedy…”

“Kennedy’s out cold and locked to my bed. No cuts or anything.” Willow said walking down the stairs with Dawn right behind her. “How was your flight? Any new potentials?”

“My flight was pleasant. No new potentials. Not yet. There was one, but I got there too late. Her and her watcher were already dead.”

There was a moment of silence between the five friends.

“I guess we should get to work.” Dawn said, “I’ll get the books.”

(^..^)

Dawn, Willow, Buffy, Giles and Xander all sat around the dinning room table researching. They had been researching all day and half the evening. Willow was spending most of her time on the computer seeing if there was anything on the internet about the “stake” that Kennedy shot Spike with. The stake actually looked more like an arrow then anything else. Around three o’clock in the afternoon someone called and ordered a pizza. It was now eight o’clock. Everyone was tired, but still willing to help.

Buffy sighed and closed her book. “I’m going up to check on Spike.” She said and walked up the stairs.

“She seems to be taking this a bit hard,” Giles said, braking the silence that Buffy left them all in.

“There’s a reason for that,” Xander said more to himself then the rest of the group in a singsong voice.

“What do you mean?” Giles asked Xander.

“Oh no.” Willow said looking at her computer.

“What do you mean, what do I mean? Have you seen the way they look at each other lately? I, of all people hate to say this, but I think Buffy’s falling for him.” Xander said ignoring Willow.

“Buffy? Falling for Spike? I would think not.” Giles scoffed.

“I said, oh no.” Willow said a little louder this time.

“What is it, Willow?” Dawn asked looking up from her book.

“The arrow thingy that Kennedy shot at Spike, it’s not just any arrow… and this is not good.”

(^..^)

Buffy made her way to her room where Spike was. As quietly as she could, she opened the door, walked in, closed the door and sat on the bed beside him. She didn’t want to wake him up from his sleep. Buffy was deeply worried though. Spike had been asleep all day. For a Vampire, that wasn’t that unusual. But for Spike, it was. Spike spent at least part of the day awake with them since he had moved into Buffy’s basement. Even Kennedy had woken up a few times during the day, only to fall back asleep between a half-hour to an hour after waking up, but Spike had not woken up at all.

Buffy placed her hand on Spike’s cheek, and he stirred a bit. Spike slowly opened his eyes.

“Buffy?” he rasped.

“Yeah, Spike, I’m right here.” She whispered to sooth him.

“Buffy,” Spike said a little louder, “I don’t feel right.”

Suddenly, Buffy heard feet running down the hall and Willow burst through the door.

“Buffy!” Willow yelled, then stopped when she saw the scene infront of her then calmed herself down. “Buffy, I need to talk to you. Privately.”

“Okay,” Buffy told Willow giving her a very confused look, then turned back to Spike. “I’ll be right back, okay?” Spike just nodded his head.

When Willow and Buffy were out in the hallway and Buffy had closed her bedroom door, Willow started, “Buffy, we have a problem.”

“What problem?” Buffy asked crossing her arms over her chest.

“The arrow that Kennedy shot Spike with, it’s just not an ordinary arrow. It’s called the “vamtressa con-dum arrow”. It’s kind of like a curse, or a spell, I’m not sure which.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, normally, if it’s a spell, there’s a counter spell. There’s not counter spell for this. I can’t help him with magic.” Willow said looking helpless.

“Willow, what’s going to happen to Spike.”

“Well, the curse is going to make him very sick.”

“Like what happened to Angel?”

“No. See, like Angel there is a was to brake it, but it’s not with drinking the blood of a slayer and he’s going to get much, much worse then Angel ever got.”

“What is it that Spike needs?”

“Spike needs a true kiss from his first true love. If he doesn’t get that…” Willow’s voice faded.

“If he doesn’t get that, what? Willow, what’s going to happen to him?” Buffy was on the verge of panic now.

“If he doesn’t get the kiss,” Willow paused, looked at the floor gathering the strength to tell Buffy. “If he doesn’t get it in the next two days Buffy, Spike’s going to die.”

Buffy felt her heart stop. She couldn’t let Spike die. She needs him.

“Die?” Buffy asked, the emotion rising in her voice. “Spike can’t die, I won’t let him.”

“Buffy, I…” Willow tried, but Buffy cut her off and went back into the room.

“What the matter, pet?” Spike asked sounding weaker then he did when he first woke up.

Buffy just smiled at him and walked over to the bed and took his hand. “You’re going to be okay.” Was all that she could say.