Title: Humanitis
Author: Saber ShadowKitten

(notes in part one)

Buffy grabbed the paper off the night stand with the doctor's phone number on it, then silently left the bedroom. Going downstairs, she found Oz and Willow in the kitchen doing the dishes. "We have about twenty minutes, guys," she told them as she sat at the table. She saw the letter magnets on the refrigerator and smiled.

Willow noticed what her best friend was looking at and smiled as well. "Someone has it real bad for you, Buffy."

"Weird, huh?" Buffy replied. "I wonder how long he's felt this way."

"Since August of last year," Oz answered offhandedly. Buffy arched her brow at him and he shrugged. "We're friends."

"What about you?" Willow asked her pointedly. "Have you decided to explore the ooshy side of Spike?"

"Ooshy side?" Buffy repeated with a grin. "I barely even know him."

"That didn't stop him from falling in love with you," Willow said, drying another dish.

"But I love Angel."

"But you can't have Angel," Willow stated. "Not in the all important having way. Plus, you said it yourself, you don't get that tingly feeling with him anymore. Maybe your love for him changed."

Buffy sighed. "You sound just like him," she said. "We had this whole I still love you, but it's ok to move on to someone else talk. However, I don't think he had Spike in mind."

"Well, we're graduating soon," Willow said. "Then you'll be down here for the summer with your dad. Which means..."

"Which means I can get to know Spike, yada, yada, yada," Buffy finished. She shook her head and stood. "I'm going to hit the ladies, then we should probably get going." The couple nodded and she went around the stairs to the powder room beneath them.

Closing the door behind her, she leaned back against it and closed her eyes. "Come on, Buffy. Second time's the charm, right?" she asked herself as she pulled a foil wrapped item from the inner pocket of her coat. A few minutes later, the Slayer swore for the second time since she woke up that morning as stared at the little blue line. She wasn't sure before, but she there was no mistake now.

Buffy was pregnant.

"That's it, we're almost there," Buffy said as she led Spike into the doctor's office. The weak and pale former vampire leaned heavily on her as they walked, Willow assisting by getting the doors as Oz went to park the van.

After settling Spike into a chair, the two girls went to the nurses station to check in and fill out any paperwork. The medical questionnaire was a hoot to them, seeing as how he had only been human for six weeks. They basically put none to every question and named him Spike Williams. No insurance information was necessary since they were paying with the cash Buffy had found in his wallet.

The nurse called Spike's name, and Buffy half-carried him to a room, stripping off his duster and helping him up on the examining table. Groaning, he put his arm over his eyes as he laid back on the white paper, the other over his stomach after the nurse took his temperature and blood pressure. Buffy sat in the provided chair, coat across her lap and flipped through a very old magazine.

"Hello, Buffy," Dr. Clark greeted as he came into the room with a chart. "It's been awhile since I last saw you."

"Hi, Dr. Clark," Buffy returned the greeting. "What can I say, I've been healthy as a horse."

Dr. Clark smiled at her, then looked down at the chart. "It looks like your friend Spike is rather sick."

"That he most definitely is," she replied, standing and walking to Spike's side. "Spike, the doctor is here," she said quietly, touching his arm.

"Tell him to kill me," Spike said weakly, causing the two in the room to chuckle.

"You don't have to sit up, Spike," Dr. Clark said as he put the stethoscope in his ears. Buffy moved back to her chair as the examination began. After several minutes, the doctor started making notes in the chart. "He's going to need some blood work done and I'm going to prescribe Penicillin for now."

"Is that the pink stuff?" Buffy asked.

"That's the pink stuff," Dr. Clark replied with a smile. "One tablespoon three times a day until empty or otherwise notified." He ripped off the prescription from the pad, handing it to her with the lab sheets. "Take him around the corner to the lab for these tests. Your friend should feel better once the medicine takes effect. Until then, plenty of bed rest and liquids. And see if he can eat something, like crackers, toast, Jell-o or even soup."

"Thanks," Buffy said. The doctor nodded and left. Standing, the Slayer went over to Spike again. "Spike, time to move again."

"No," Spike replied.

Buffy chuckled. "Yes. You have to get some blood tests done, then we can get you home and to bed again."

"I like B positive," he muttered as he slowly sat up. With Buffy's help, they made there way to the lab. Luckily, there was no waiting and she was able to sit him right in the drawing table. He frowned at the technician who pushed up his sleeve and tied a rubber hose around his arm. "What are you doing?"

"Spike, he's going to draw blood," Buffy explained from next to him.

Spike watched wide eyed as the technician wiped his inner elbow with alcohol, then hold up a needle. When he stuck it in the peroxide blond's vein, Spike flinched. "Ouch! That bloody hurts, you wanker."

"Sorry, sir," the technician said, changing the test tube on the end of the needle. "Doctor's orders."

Spike turned to Buffy, who shook her head in affirmation. "I hate being human," he hissed at her, his stomach becoming queasy.

"I know," she said, putting her hand on his other arm. "You're almost done. Then we'll go home."

"Before or after I heave?"

Spike managed not to heave and was now tucked back into bed, glass of ginger ale with a straw next to him on the night stand. The couple went out to get his prescription and a few other things while Buffy made him some toast and jelly. "Here," she said, sitting on the edge of the bed with a paper plate. She tucked a napkin in the collar of his shirt, then spread it over his chest. "See if you can get this down."

"Thanks," Spike replied, picking up a piece of toast and biting into it. The grape jelly on the bread tasted delicious and went down easily. He chewed slowly while looking at her thoughtfully. "Why are you being so good to me?"

Buffy gave him a small smile and a shrug. "You asked for help, I'm helping," she replied.

"What ever happened to that whole ‘we're two mortal enemies' thing?"

"It's hard to be mortal enemies when one half of the two mortal enemies is in love with the other half," she said, giving him a pointed look.

Spike started to blush, bringing color to his excessively pale cheeks. "Yeah, right. Who told you that?"

"Your refrigerator," Buffy replied with a grin. He looked down at the toast on the plate in his lap. "You also talk in your sleep."

"Bugger," he whispered.

"Bubble bath?" she teased.

Spike looked everywhere but at her, his embarrassment overriding his feeling of sickness. He had never wanted her to find out, even made Oz promise not to say anything to Willow. She loved Angel, not him, and he didn't want to have her knowing because that would make it worse having her choose his sire over him. "Um, you weren't suppose to know about that."

"The bubble bath?"

"No, the-the...bloody hell," he said, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. His stomach churned at the action. He swallowed heavily, feeling nauseous. He bit his lower lip, trying to force the feeling away. It didn't work.

His hand flew up to his mouth and he gave her a wide-eyed look, his face becoming deathly white. Shoving the covers and plate off his lap, he shot to his feet as Buffy moved out of the way, sprinting to the bathroom. She was right behind him as he lost what little he had in his stomach, holding his forehead and rubbing his back as she did earlier that day.

Breathing heavily over the toilet water, Spike felt the tears start again. Being sick was worse than feeling the bloodlust after nights of not feeding when he was still a vampire. For a moment, he cursed Drusilla for doing this to him, then grief washed over him about her death and what she had done for him, and he started to cry for real.

"Hey, it's ok," Buffy said, still rubbing his back. "Oz and Willow will be back with the medicine soon."

His sobs only grew, making him dry heave. He sucked in huge gulps of air, hiccuping and making a slight squeaking sound through his closed throat. He then felt himself being pulled against Buffy, who was kneeling at his side. She wrapped one arm around his shoulders, the other held his head to her chest as she murmured comforting words.

Spike didn't know how long they stayed like that before the tears ran out, leaving him feeling like he had no energy in his entire body. Willow and Oz must have returned because Buffy was talking to someone above his head.

"Thanks," Buffy said. "If you could call Giles, that would be great." Willow nodded before leaving the bathroom. She looked down at the top of Spike's blond head. "Are you ok?" she asked quietly.

Spike pulled away from her, wiping his face with the back of his sleeve. "This is bloody embarrassing."

"Don't be," Buffy told him. "Humans get sick, it's a fact of life."

"You don't," he muttered.

"Do, too," she replied. "Only thing is, I get to kill things while I'm sick. You only have to get better." She stood and picked up the washcloth she used earlier, wetting it with cool water. Putting the toilet lid down, she helped him onto it then began gently wiping his face with the cloth. "Feel good?"

Spike nodded. She finished up, then gave him his toothbrush, helping him stand by the sink. When he finished, she gave him a modicum of privacy as he went to the bathroom, then assisted him back to bed. She picked up the pink bottle of medicine on the night stand, measuring out a tablespoon in the cup provided and handing it to him. "The pink stuff tastes good," she commented as he quaffed it.

Standing, she pulled the covers up to his chin, then leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. "Get some sleep," Buffy said softly, her eyes tender. "If you need me, just ring the bell on the night stand. I'll be up in a little while to check on you."

She picked up the Penicillin and small cup, then switched off the lamp, leaving the only illumination coming from the lamp she put in the bathroom earlier. She was almost out the door when he spoke. "Slayer?"

"Yeah?" Buffy said, pausing in the doorway and looking back at him.

"Thank you."

"Get better, Spike. It's no fun to tease you when you're sick," she replied. She gave him a small smile, then left the room.