Eclipse of
the Heart By Heather
Martin Rated- R
(sexual situations) Spoilers- Set
during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Goes AU
after that Summary- B/S
T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the
abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future. Chapter One- Paradox Buffy leapt at
Spike and they both flew back toward the staircase. He grabbed her, pinning her
against the stairs. He let out a chuckle. Buffy hated the sound. She punched
him, and he reciprocated the move. His fist hit her face hard. It should have
burned, but it didn’t. Spike lifted
her up so that he could look in her face. His expression was full of amusement.
Smirking, the
vampire said, “I wasn’t planning on hurting you . . . Much.” “You haven’t
even come close to hurting me!” she threw back. Please, hurt me, Buffy silently begged. She was desperate to feel. Feel
anything. Since returning to earth, all she’d been was numb. Pain, joy, sadness
. . . they had all vanished. She was a void of nothing. “Afraid to give me the chance?” Spike retorted. Disgusted,
Buffy broke his hold. She tossed him against the feeble wall. The impact of his
body made an indent. The wall split, cracking. The slayer gripped Spike,
slamming him against it. “You afraid
I’m gonna-?” Spike started to say. The sentence
was interrupted by Buffy smashing her mouth against his. He returned the kiss
with passion. Buffy took her hand and slammed it into the crumbling wall,
creating another hole. The pair
stumbled away from the wall, still in a lip-lock. The bleach-blonde slammed his
slayer into another section of the wall. The cracks widened, spreading up above
them. Buffy shoved
Spike away, toward another wall. She came at him again, resuming the kissing.
His hands lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She reached
down between them, groping for her target. She found it. Her fingers unbuttoned
his jeans and then took hold of the zipper. She yanked him free. Buffy rose,
and then impaled herself. He filled her, joining their bodies together. And for
the first time in what seemed like forever . . . Buffy could feel. They both
stared at each other in shock. Buffy was amazed. This dead thing had the ability
to make her feel alive. How ironic. She began to
move up and down. Her rhythm was slow, savoring every plunge. She let out a
tiny grunt of pleasure. Their faces
moved in to kiss. Spike turned them around, pushing Buffy back against the
wall. She reached up and grabbed the wall to steady herself.
The chandelier
fell from the ceiling. It crashed to the floor. The abandoned house
disintegrated around the vampire and slayer as they united. The floorboards
broke apart. Spike and
Buffy continued on, not caring about the atmosphere around them. Buffy mewed
and gasped from the intensity of their mating. Spike nuzzled his head against
her breast. Buffy leaned
forward, embracing Spike. They tumbled backwards, the floor giving away beneath
them. They landed with a thud, a cloud of debris floating around them. Buffy
quickened her pace. Things became blurry and all she was aware of was the
friction. A cold hand
brushed her cheek. Then it came up and ran through her hair. “Oh God,
Buffy, I love you so much,” Spike murmured. She should
have slapped him. She should have scrambled off him. This wasn’t supposed to be
about affection. This was about harsh emotion. Yet, she was too far gone to
care. The waves hit
her and she cried out. Vaguely, in the background, she could hear Spike shout
out as well. When she calmed, however, he was still making noise. She gazed
down at him, noting how his eyes rolled back in his head. The sound he made
wasn’t from pleasure, but rather from agony. “Spike?” Buffy asked, not in concern, but in confusion. What was
going on? The slayer
lifted herself off him. She crawled away quickly. She
watched in horror as he convulsed. Finally, the shakes slowed to tiny twitches,
and then ceased altogether. Spike lay there, panting. The bleached-blonde
turned his head to meet her eyes. They stared at each other in alarm. Spike rose up,
getting to his knees. He gasped for air, filling his lungs fully with the
substance. He took his hand and placed it over his heart. Then his blue eyes
shot to Buffy again. The orbs were full of fright and puzzlement. “What did you
do to me?” Spike demanded. Buffy got to
her feet. She fixed her leather skirt, smoothing it down. “What I did!?”
she exclaimed. Spike took
another gulp of air. “I’m breathing, slayer,” he informed. She gaped, a
loss for words. “Now I’m going
to ask again, ‘What did you do to me?’ ” Anger could be
seen on her face. “Why do you automatically think I did this to you?” He laughed
manically. “I was all right before all this. Now my lungs are working and my
heart seems to want to beat.” He said all this accusingly. “Hello, this
little thing we did was a mutual act. If screwing each other made you alive,
then we’re both to blame,” Buffy defended. “I can’t be
alive,” Spike mumbled. Buffy rolled
her eyes. “Because dead people breath and have a
pulse,” she replied with sarcasm. Spike stood
up. He zipped up his pants and fastened his belt. He took a foot and kicked
some of the rubble with fury. “Arrrrr! Bloody
hell!” Spike screamed. He shifted to Buffy. “I don’t want to be a weak
human. Change me back!” “Let me just
wave my wand and reverse it,” Buffy spat. “If what we
did did this, then maybe . . . If we again . . . It
could right . . .” Buffy’s green
eyes widened. “No! This is the end of this freak show. Never again will I touch
you, Spike.” Giving her an
unconvinced look, Spike said, “Right.” Buffy shook
her head. She spun around, prepared to leave. “And what,
you’re just going to leave me here!?” She stopped,
looking back. “I left Dawn alone.” Then she continued walking away. Spike rushed
over. He locked his arms around her shoulders, keeping her in place. She could
feel hot air hit the side of her face. “You aren’t
leaving. I won’t let you,” the former-vampire said. She shoved him
off her. She was surprised at how easy it was. Maybe he really was a full-blown
human now. She faced him.
“You aren’t my problem.” Spike’s
expression changed. It showed pleading-ness. “Please,
Buffy,” Spike begged. “Help me.” Buffy
softened. “What do you want me to do?” “Get the scoobies together. Find out what happened. I need to know
if this is permanent or not.” Silence fell
over them. Finally, Buffy answered. “Fine. We’ll do research. On one condition.” “What’s that, luv?” She looked him
directly in the eyes. “You are not going to mention a word of what went on
here. I swear to God if you do, I will kill you vamp or not.” “What if what
happened here is related to my humanness?” “Don’t say a
word to my friends! That is the deal, take it or leave it.” Hesitantly he
nodded. “Okay, come
on,” Buffy commanded. “We need to get moving. Unless you want
to test your skin’s reaction to ultraviolet rays.” Spike clenched
his jaw, but followed the slayer willingly. ____________________________________________________ Chapter Two- Human Tendencies The ex-vampire
walked behind Buffy, lost in his thoughts. The pounding in his chest exploded
in his ears. Breathing burned his chest. His eyesight wasn’t as keen in the
darkened night. As much as he hoped against it, there was no doubt about it- he
was human. If he was
human, then who was he? He couldn’t be the demon. That meant he had a soul. Was
he William with Spike’s memories? He didn’t feel like William. He didn’t have
the urge to write poetry. He glanced at Buffy and had to contradict that
thought. Okay, maybe Buffy did arise the poet in him,
but he had no inclination to use any words such as effulgent. How could this
happen? He enjoyed being a member of the undead. He could drink to excess,
smoke without the risk of cancer, and run a mile without breaking a sweat.
There were also no rules for vampires. They took what they wanted- who they
wanted, and didn’t have pesky morals to stand in their way. Being immortal was
fun. Now he was bound by law. He had to watch his health again. Not to mention,
how he was homeless. A crypt was no place for a mortal. Damn her, Spike silently cursed. Buffy may think she had nothing
to do with this, but what else could have caused his sudden metamorphosis?
Their shagging was the only solution. He had said that she came back wrong.
Maybe she had. Her new state could have brought the change. They
approached The Summers’ residence came into view. Soon they were walking up
the steps to the front door. The slayer and bleach-blonde entered the house to
find it dark. The only illumination came from the glowing television screen in
the living room. Some sitcom was on and a laugh track sounded from the
speakers. Buffy and
Spike stepped into the room, spying Dawn and Tara asleep on the couch. A pale
colored afghan was draped over them. The slayer
reached over and shook “Hi,” “Thanks,”
Buffy replied with gratitude. Spike leaned
against the wall. He thrust his hands into the pockets of his duster. He longed
for a cigarette. Being human was going to kill him. He had to laugh at the
thought. Of course it was going to kill him. That is what humans did. They grew
old and died. The women
turned their heads toward him. “Inside joke?” Buffy asked. He continued
to laugh. He got out, “I want a fag. Can’t have one, though,
unless I want lung cancer. And that is so bloody hilarious because I’m
going to die anyways.” “You are not
going to die,” Buffy affirmed. Still
laughing, he said, “Unavoidable, pet. One of these days I’m gonna
kick it.” Buffy gestured
to Spike. “Spike here has turned into a human. He’s not handling it well.” Buffy gulped.
“We-uh, we don’t know. We were . . . fighting and all of a sudden he began to
breath.” “Fighting? A demon?” “N-No . . .” “We were
fighting each other,” Spike said. He had finally stopped his psychotic
laughing. It had been replaced by a pensive expression. “Yeah,” Buffy
answered too quickly. “You’re going
to have to do research,” “We are.
Tomorrow morning.” Spike stepped
away from the wall. “Hey now! I thought we were goin to look into this now.” Buffy crossed
her arms. “No, Spike. Non-nocturnal beings sleep during these hours.” “You don’t
care, do you, slayer? You don’t care that my entire existence just did a u-turn.” Buffy sighed.
After a few seconds she said, “No, Spike, actually I don’t. One
vampire off my hands. Yay. I don’t really care how.” His mouth
opened, hurt seen in his eyes. He shook his head, closing his mouth. “Fine, slayer. I don’t need to take this from you. Forget
about our little deal, I’m leaving.” With that, Spike headed out the door. The cool air
hit him. He realized then how alive his neurons were. He could easily detect
the temperature change. It was unnerving. He couldn’t decide if feeling
coldness was a good thing or bad. There was only
one place for him to go. He headed toward the cemetery. For some reason the
thought of having to return to the crypt made him feel rejected. Oh, who was he
kidding? He knew why. Buffy didn’t care. She really didn’t give a crumb what
happened to him. Spike stopped,
letting this all sink in. And then he knew deep down what she had been telling
him all along. She would never love him back. Even now, as a human, she would
only see him as a monster. Wetness began
to accumulate in his eyes. He furiously brushed it away. Damnit,
he probably did have a soul. He was acting all poofter-like.
“Spike!” Spike spun
around toward the voice. Buffy stood in the driveway. “What do you
want?” Spike asked, exasperated. “Come back
inside,” she instructed. “There’s a cot in the basement.” A flutter rose
up in his chest. Maybe she did care. A little. No, Glinda probably put her up to it. Sweet Tara, she cared
about everyone. Against his
better judgment, Spike came back toward the house. He reentered the house,
Buffy behind him. The white
witch left. Buffy pointed
to the couch where her sister slumbered. “I would give you the couch, but it is
occupied.” “That’s all
right. Wouldn’t want to wake the girl,” Spike commented. The slayer led
him to the basement. She gathered some blankets and a pillow for him. “It’s pretty
dark down there,” Buffy said. “I’m used to
it.” “Yeah,” she softly
said. “G-night, slayer.” “Goodnight,
Spike.” Spike crept
down the wooden steps into the basement. He noted how cold it was. It was true
that he was used to the dark, but it had never seemed this white before. It
closed in around him, swallowing him up. He lay himself down on the cot,
wrapping the blanket tightly around his form. At that moment he felt very much
alone. _______________________________________________ Chapter Three- Shell Shock Luckily Spike
had a dreamless night. He had been afraid that his soul would torment him with
past evil deeds. He awoke, forgetting what had happened last night, his mind a
thick fog. Then it all came back to him as he drew in a deep breath. He sat on
the cot for awhile, reflecting on what he was now. The concept wasn’t getting
any easier. Then again, it had only been a few hours. The ex-vampire
dragged himself off the portable bed. He slowly made his way up the stairs and
into the kitchen. The aroma of something appealing wavered in the air. He
scanned for the source, seeing Dawn flipping pancakes in a skillet. A strange
sound came from his stomach. It had been so long since that had happened, and
he wasn’t sure what it was for a moment. It hit him all of a sudden that it was
his stomach growling. “Got enough
batter for two?” Spike asked. Dawn shrieked,
jumping in surprise. She spun around to see Spike. “Oh my God,
you scared me!” Dawn burst out. Spike smiled.
Even as a human he still had sneaking ability. “Sorry, bit,”
he apologized. He really wasn’t that sorry. He was glad that he could still
frighten someone. Dawn turned
back to the food she was cooking. “Why are you here, Spike? Did you spend the
night?” “Yeah, I slept
on the cot downstairs,” he informed. “So, uh, do
you have enough for two?” Spike asked again. The teen
scooped the pancakes on a white porcelain plate. They were darker brown than
they should have been, but they weren’t burnt. “Sure,” Dawn
said. “I’m not as good as She put the
plate on the island. Spike gathered a stack of them for himself. He spread
butter on them and drowned them in maple syrup. He dug in, amazed at how potent
the taste was. As a vampire he had liked food, but it had never been this
enjoyable before. He couldn’t wait to get a hold some spicy buffalo wings from
the Bronze. Spike could
sense someone watching him. He raised his head to spot Dawn eyeing him with
curiosity. “Is it really
that good?” she questioned. “Not bad,”
Spike commented. She giggled.
“I’ve never seen you gobble food up like this before. I remember our popcorn
and movie nights. You never ate this way.” Spike
swallowed the last piece of the breakfast. “I’m just famished, that’s all.” “Shouldn’t you
be going to the butcher’s shop then?” The bleach
blonde wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. Then he hopped down from the stool
he had been sitting on. “Big sis
didn’t tell you?” “Tell me
what?” Dawn demanded. “I’m human
now.” At that, Dawn
exploded into laughter. She bent over, consumed by giggles. “What?” Spike
asked, clearly not finding the humor. She pointed at
him. “That one was good.” Spike blinked.
Did she not believe him? “You should
try that one on Xander.” “This isn’t a
joke, nibblet.” Dawn wiped the
tears from her face. Her laughter came to a halt. She examined him for a long
time. She noticed the slight rise of his chest as he took in air. “Oh my gosh!” she shrieked. “You really are alive.” She came over
and touched his hand. “You’re warm. Wow! This is amazing!” The man
snatched his hand back. “This isn’t amazing. This is a nightmare.” Dawn rolled
her eyes. “No, Spike, this is a miracle. Think about it, you can go out and see
the sun. Get a real place and a job.” “I don’t want
a house and job! I want to go on forever living in a dank, dark tomb, drinking
blood, and doing what I bloody well please.” Just then the
door opened. In came “Hey,” The girl she
was with stood beside her. She wore a tight white shirt and a short skirt. She
gave a tiny smile. “ “Out.” She gestured to the girl. “With Amy.” “Amy?” “Amy, the
rat,” Willow clarified. Dawn widened
her eyes. “The witch?” Amy raised her
hand. “That’s me.” “Wow.” “So you used
to be a rat?” Spike questioned. The females
turned to him, seeming to notice him for the first time. “Yeah, I was a
rat. “I used to be
a vampire. Think she could change me back?” Amy shrugged.
“I bet she could. She's a freaking amazing witch now. I couldn't even keep up
with her last night. I mean, I can do some transmography,
but she is messing with dimensions and everything, it was awesome! This
blowhard dude, first she made his mouth disappear? Thank god.” Spike looked
at The redhead
glanced from Spike to Dawn. “What is he talking about?” “Spike’s a
human now. Isn’t it cool?” Dawn said. “It is not
’cool’!” Spike snapped. “Like I said before, ’It is a bloody nightmare’.” “T-To change
you back I’d sort of need to know the cause,” “Well, let’s
get Buffy and you lot can do the research bit then.” “No need
getting me,” Buffy told them as she entered the room. With a slight limp, she
walks over to a stool to sit down. “Buffy, are
you okay?” Dawn asked with concern. “I’m fine,”
the slayer assured her sister. “You’re not,”
Dawn replied. “You’re all sore and limpy.” “I-I’m not . .
. sore . . . I just . . . “ She looked up and met
Spike’s gaze. “Patrol. Had a fight.” If Spike was
his usual self he probably would have made some comment to remind her of what
really happened, yet not openly revealing it to the others. Instead he remained
silent. The slayer glanced
over at “Yeah. Amy and I . . . We went out and lost track of time,” the red-head
answered. “Oh.” Amy got up
from her seat. “I should go. Dad is expecting me.” “Okay, I’ll
call you later,” “Yeah, good.” Amy opened the door and left. Dawn stepped
closer to Buffy. “We were talking about Spike’s condition.” “Uh huh. He’s human now,” Buffy said. “We were also
talking about lookin into it,” Spike hinted. “Yeah. I promised Spike we’d check it out,” Buffy informed. “Can I help?”
Dawn asked with excitement. A sigh escaped
Buffy. “Sure.” What was the harm? And with another helper this matter could get
wrapped up quicker. Dawn gave
Buffy a hug. “Thank-you!” “I don’t know, guys. I’m really tired,” “Get some
rest, Will. You can join us later,” Buffy said. “All right. I’ll meet you at the magic shop in full research mode,” Buffy got to
her feet. “Let’s get this over with.” A frown
appeared on Spike’s face. Did she have to make remarks like that? She kept on
wanting to remind him how much of a nuisance he was. Buffy went
over to the door. She opened it, going out. Dawn began to follow, but stopped
when she realized Spike wasn’t coming. “Spike?” “Give a fella a second,” he said. Spike mustered
his strength, bracing himself. He cautiously moved toward the door. The sun hit
him in the face. He squinted his eyes, lifted a hand to serve as a shield. His
skin soaked in the heat, tingling. He blinked, focusing his fragile eyes. When he could
see, he comprehended that both Summers girls were
staring at him. Dawn looked thrilled, while Buffy’s expression was unreadable. “You are
definitely going to the beach with me, mister,” Dawn stated. Spike studied
his pale arm. He compared it with Buffy and Dawn’s skin tone. They had rich
tans. He found himself looking straight at Buffy. Examining her skin led to
thoughts of touching it. Buffy looked
at Spike. He could see lust there. It ended quickly, though. She looked away,
forcing it away. Buffy began to
walk toward the road. “Let’s go.” Spike forced
himself to move. _____________________________________________________ Chapter Four- Identity Spike wasn’t
much of the reading type. William had been all bookish, while the demon got his
stories off the telly. He never took part in the
research parties (not that he had been invited anyway). That day, though, he
was eagerly scanning every page. When he came to the end, he snatched another book
to search. Beside him,
Dawn flung a heavy gray volume to the table. “I’m done with that one.” “Anything?” Buffy asked. “Nothing. Zip. Nada,” her sister expressed. Anya looked up from her text. “We’ve been at this for hours. We’re
never going to find anything,” she complained. “It’s only
been three hours,” the slayer said. “Yes, and
that’s three hours of my time,” the ex-demon commented. “If Giles were here
maybe he could find something. But he’s gone now and took all the valuable
books.” “Maybe Anya’s right,” Xander spoke up. “Pessimists anyone?” Buffy asked. “All I’m
saying is this is Spike here. Why are we helping him anyway?” Buffy squirmed
in her seat. “I promised him.” “And I ask . .
.so?” That was
enough. It was all Spike could take. They were talking
as if he wasn’t even in the room. He stood up, gathered a couple books and
headed out the door. If they didn’t want to help him fine.
He’d help himself. He paused
outside the door for a moment. He could still hear muffled voices from in the
store. They probably didn’t even notice he was gone. The door
opened. He turned, not knowing who to expect, but was extremely astonished to
see Anya exit the shop. She faced Spike, eyeing the
books he held. “You’re
bringing those back,” she told him. “No worries, luv. Bring them straight back after I’ve had a looksie,” Spike replied. She nodded. “We need to
talk.” “And why’s
that?” he asked. “Because that
is what humans do. They talk when they have something valuable to pass on.” “Right.” The ex-demon went
over to the curb and sat down. She looked back, annoyed, seeing that he wasn’t
moving. “Well, come
over here,” she ordered. Spike sighed.
He set the books down on the side-walk, and then walked over to her side. He
reluctantly sat down. She smiled over
at him. “Being human isn’t so bad. You’ll like it once you get used to it.” Spike didn’t
think he liked where this little talk was going. He’d rather not be lectured
about the joys of mortal life. He went through twenty-nine years of it before
and it brought him nothing but a bad reputation as a mama’s nancyboy,
and rejection. He realized Anya was still going on. “You’ll find
yourself a nice woman who will give you many orgasms. And then a job that will
put lots of green money in your pocket.” Spike stood
up. He went over to get the books. Anya got to her feet as well. “Soon you won’t care about changing back
into a vampire. So, it is all right if we don’t spend all day looking through
archaic tomes.” “Gee, thanks, Anya. You’ve helped me tons,” Spike said with sarcasm. Anya didn’t catch the mockery in his voice. A bright smile spread
across her face. “I’m glad I could aid you in this dark time.” He rolled his
eyes as she bounced back into the Magic Box, probably onto the lap of monkey
boy. Just then Buffy and Dawn came out. “Let’s go,”
the slayer said. “What?” Spike
questioned in disbelief. “My house. Now.” “Are you
offering me a place to stay?” Buffy and her
sister began to walk, expecting him to follow. He remained in place. “Why?” Spike
asked. “You don’t owe me anything.” Slowing down,
without stopping, she said softly, “Because I haven’t forgotten.” Confusion ran
over him. “Forgot what?” “What you did
for me and Dawn.” Buffy
continued walking and this time Spike followed behind. ********************** Buffy awoke,
sweaty and horny. She had just dreamt about the night in the abandoned house.
She lay on her back, still, trying to calm herself. She closed her eyes in
attempt to return to sleep. It wasn’t working. She tossed and turned. The
sheets tangled around her legs. The thought of
Spike down in the basement was not helping. He was in the same building.
Obtainable if she really wanted him. Which she did. Oh
God, how she did. She kicked off
the sheets. Then she wriggled out of her blue pajama bottoms and top. She wore
lacy white panties underneath, with no bra. The material was soaked through.
Buffy discarded them as well. Completely bare now, she ran her fingers over her
slick body. She imagined the hands were icy and masculine. Her right hand
pinched her nipples, while her left trailed down to her pussy. She rubbed
herself vigorously, bringing herself to release. She came whimpering, but
instead of sating her longing, it only seemed to intensify it. Getting out of
bed, she searched for her robe. She quickly threw it on. She crept out into the
hall. The house was silent, everyone deep in slumber. She went downstairs and
into the kitchen. The door to the basement called to her, beckoning her forth. Buffy reached
for the doorknob. She hesitated. You can always turn back, she told herself.
This is wrong. Bad. She turned the
knob. The stairs creaked as she journeyed downward. “Spike? Are you asleep?” she whispered. “Slayer?” She could sense him sit up, searching for her in the
dark. “I . . .” This all
seemed stupid now. She wasn’t even that aroused anymore. Suddenly the basement
burst into illumination. Spike stood next to the light switch. She stared,
transfixed by his naked chest. Okay, arousal heightening again. Buffy let her
robe fall to the floor. She threw herself at him. She crushed her lips to his,
pushing him toward the cot. They fell on the mattress. She straddled him,
kissing him with fervor. He gently
pressed her away. His clear, blue eyes met hers in inquiry. “Are you sure about
this?” “No talk.” She
took his hands and cupped them over her breasts. “Touch me.” He didn’t need
to be told twice. He prodded the erect nipples, making her moan. His fingers
were switched to his mouth. He sucked and bit at them with blunt teeth. She was hot.
Spike’s hands were also hot. They weren’t supposed to be hot. Why were they
hot? Her thoughts
ended, however, when she was slammed down on the cot. Spike hovered over her.
He kissed her passionately. As he did, she felt flesh hit her throbbing core.
Her green eyes widened in surprise and she gasped. Spike put her
feeble attempts upstairs to shame. His thumb ran up and down her slit. She was
shaking as he vibrated against her clit. The orgasm hit her, ripping a scream
from her throat. The bleach
blonde looked at Buffy, smirking in conceit. He knew he was talented. Buffy tore the
dark jeans from his lower half. Then she flipped them so that she was on top.
His rock hard cock entered her heat, filling her walls to excess. She rose up
and fell back down over and over. His hips were eager to join the rhythm. Their
breathing quickened as the pace grew more desperate. Make me feel,
Buffy begged. Make me real. Give me a reason to go on even if it is just to
fuck you one more time. Finally, the
explosion hit, spreading over them at the same time. His seed spilled into her
with heat. Heat? Buffy grabbed
his shoulders. Her nails dug into his skin. The expression on her face was
frightening. Hollow and empty. Spike stroked
her cheek. “Buffy?” “Drink me,”
she pleaded. “What!?” “Please drink
me.” I want to know
I still have life. I want to see if blood still flows through my veins or if
they are worthless tubes. He ran his
fingers through her hair. “I can’t, pet. Remember?” Dawning came
over her. Everything came crashing back. And she realized who she was with.
This wasn’t a souless demon. This wasn’t the Spike
who was a thing. Buffy jumped
off him. She wrapped the robe around her as fast as she could. Then she fled
the room. ___________________________________________ Chapter Five- New Arrivals 2 Months
Later Spike stored
the money in the register. He smiled at the woman in front of him. She smiled
back. He passed the paper bag over to her. “Thank you for
shopping at the Magic Box. Please come again,” he said. The woman
winked at him. “Oh, I will.” She walked to
the door, glancing back and waving before she exited. Spike shook his head. Just then Anya came out from the back room. She carried a large box.
She noticed her blonde colleague behind the counter. “Spike, why
are you over her? You are supposed to be by the door. Many girls are drawn to
your handsomely chiseled cheek-bones and washtub abs,” she told him. He shrugged,
moving away from the register. “Fine. If you don’t
want me to do actual work I won’t. Next time a customer comes in when you
aren’t around I’ll just stand around and look nice.” The ex-demon
set the box down on the table. Her eyes brightened. “There was a customer?” “Yeah,” he
replied. “A bint with this
dreadfully awful perm.” Eagerly, Anya asked, “What did she buy? How much did it cost?” “She got one
of the incense kits. The thing with the holder, lighter, and
assortment of incense sticks.” Anya rushed over to the register. She opened it to examine the green
bills. “We are fifteen dollars richer.” Having a job
at the magic shop sucked. It was the only option, though, considering he had no
credentials or experience. Anya offered him a job.
She wanted him around to flirt with the female customers, thinking it
heightened business. Frankly he couldn’t give a care either way. If that meant
he didn’t have to do anything of real importance that was fine with him. “Next time you
are going to gather the replacement merchandise,” Anya
informed. “I don’t think you take as much pride and satisfaction as I do when
dealing with consumers.” “Don’t worry,
pet, wasn’t meaning to invade your territory. The register’s all yours.” She grinned.
“Thank you. Now go set up the candle display. After that, go stand next to the
door.” The man
reluctantly took the box Anya had retrieved from the
back room. He went over to a shelf and began to put wax colored candles down on
it. When he was through he went over to stand near the entrance like a good lil former vampire. Hours went by.
Spike kept an eye on the wall clock, ready for “Time for me
to push off,” he announced. “It’s eight
already?” Anya whined. “I was hoping to sell at least
one statue today.” “Sorry to
disappoint, luv.” “Well,
good-bye, Spike. I can close on my own. See you tomorrow for another bright day
of satisfactory labor.” More like a
waste of my time, he thought. He rolled his eyes. He slipped into his leather
coat and left. It was chilly outside. The duster was no longer only for show,
but also helped dispel the cold. He took the
long way home. Not because it went past The white
house numbered 1630 was dark except for the living room window. Spike stood
next to the tree in their yard. He’d been there so often the oak seemed like an
old friend. He squinted his eyes at the window, but
couldn’t see a damn thing because of the drapes. With a sigh, he pressed on. He hadn’t seen
Buffy since moving into his new apartment. He invited her and the nibblet over to check the flat out, but they never showed.
He was sure that Dawn would love a visit. So it must be the older sister who
kept rejecting the idea. She probably was glad to be rid of him. After the
night in the basement she basically avoided him. The most she said to him while
he had stayed there was one sentence at a time. The majority had been about going
on patrol. Spike moved,
clinging to the shadows out of habit. Even though he was human now, he still
felt the same. It was possible that he cared a little more about things, but
other than that he was the same person. He didn’t feel the need to change the
way he acted. That fact had brought up his confusion about Angelus. How his
grandsire could be totally different with the soul was something he couldn’t
figure out. Made him wonder if the vampire was hiding who he
really was. And then he had to ask himself if the demon was hiding his
good nature or the soul was hiding his evil tendencies. If he were to answer
truthfully he would have to go with the latter. Angelus didn’t have anything
but coldness in his heart when he toiled with people’s lives for fun. Suddenly Spike
detected the scene of a fight. A teenage girl was battling a vampire. They were
in the yard of a blue house. The vampire was dressed almost entirely in white
leather. His hair was long, running to his shoulders. He pinned the girl down
to the grass. Instinct took
over. Spike rushed to the aid of the girl, drawing out a sharp stake from his
pocket. He came to a halt as he witness the girl buck beneath the vampire. She
raised a leg and kneed the blood-sucker in the groin. The vampire jumped off
her, hissing in pain. Spike smirked.
Demon or not, a male had one part in common no matter what. “You are going
to pay for that,” the vampire spat. A grin
appeared on the girl’s face. “Aw, did I hurt you?” She kicked the vampire as he
lunged at her. “Well, good. Let me do some more
damage.” Where did this
girl learn to fight? Spike wondered. He was very impressed. Most people in this
town just screamed in fright. But this one had spirit. She had a chance even
without his help. The girl
revealed a stake from out of nowhere. She kicked the vampire again, preparing
to strike. The weapon never made its target, however, because the vamp managed
to knock it out of her hand. The wood flung through the air, landing out of
reach. The girl did a
somersault, trying to retrieve the fallen stake. The vampire tackled her before
she could reach it. He snatched her by the shoulders, holding her before him.
His golden eyes gleamed at her, his teeth eager to pierce through her skin. Spike knew it
was time to intervene. He had given the girl a chance to defeat him on her own,
but the odds of that were no longer looking good. He entered the scene,
separating prey from predator. With the element of surprise on his side, Spike
dusted the vampire in a heartbeat. The dust burst around them, settling to the
ground. Spike turned
to the girl. She was dusting herself off. “Not bad,”
Spike complimented. “Where’d you learn to fight like that?” “My parents,”
she replied, not bothering to look at him. “And what do
they do? Teach martial arts?” “Something like that.” “Maybe we
should be getting you back to them. It is much too late for you to be wondering
around alone at your age.” She lifted her
gaze. Her blue eyes met his with annoyance. “My age? I
am quite capable. I was about to get the upper hand again before you came to
the rescue.” “What are you
fourteen?” “Fifteen.” He nodded. “Figures. I know someone your age. She acts the same way. Doesn’t want to be treated like a child. It isn’t that you
are too young to take care of yourself. This town isn’t safe for anyone. Even if you can fight you aren‘t safe. All it takes is one
good day.” “You just
never stop lecturing me,” the girl muttered. Spike furrowed
his brow. The girl
raised her head. Spike saw that she was smiling. “I didn’t expect to find you
so soon.” “What?” he
asked in confusion. The girl
reached out her hand to be shook. “Alexis. You don’t know me yet, but I know
you.” “What in the
bloody hell are you talking about? You know me?” “Yeah. Your name is Spike and you used to be a vampire.” “How do you
know that?” he demanded. Alexis shook
her head. “Not right now. We have to get to Buffy.” “Buffy? You
know the slayer?” “Yeah, she’s
the one that sent me here. Well, her and Giles. Now come on. We have to prepare
her before he attacks.” Alexis grabbed
his hand and pulled him toward the street. “Buffy’s in trouble?” Spike inquired. “Maybe,”
Alexis responded. That was all
Spike needed to shut his hole and follow the girl in silence. ************************ The demon
burst into Judas’s lair. He was a gray creature with wrinkled skin. He surveyed
the place. Judas dropped the dead girl to the floor. She was a blond. Stupid and easy to catch. He wiped the red off his mouth. “Who the hell
are you? Don’t you know it is impolite to burst into someone else’s home?”
Judas asked. The demon’s
eyes flashed red. He eyed the dead girl. Pointing, he inquired, “You gonna use the rest of that?” Judas shook
his head. He motioned to the body. “Be my guest.” The demon
knelt, snapping off a leg. He brought the limb to his mouth and bit down. There
was a loud crunching noise as he met bone. He continued eating until only the
head remained. A burp escaped his mouth. Then he straightened, meeting Judas’s
gaze. “Now that I’ve
fed, we can chat.” Judas stared
down at the girl’s head. He must have been mighty hungry. It hadn’t taken the
beast long to consume it all either. “Sure. You can
start by telling me why you’re here,” the vampire demanded. “I’m here
because you summoned me. You brought me out of a hell dimension to do your
bidding. I am at your service.” Judas blinked.
He hadn’t called upon any damn demon. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The demon
growled. He reached out and grabbed Judas’s shoulders. His nails ripped through
the white t-shirt to dig into the skin beneath. “Watch it!”
Judas yelped. “You told me
to come here.” “When did I
say that?” Letting go,
the demon said, ”Fifteen years from now.” Judas laughed.
“I think you are a little confused.” “No you are!
You sent me here to help you do away with the slayer.” Judas raised
an eyebrow. “Slayer, huh? Not a bad idea.” “She turns you
human. I’m here so you can prevent that.” “What?” Did he
say human? “It is the
slayer’s fault that all the vampires turn human and the demons are sent to
hell. You hated it, missed the killing, and still wanted eternal life. So you
summoned me to prevent it. So here I am.” Judas thought
for a moment. So this demon claimed to be from the future? Not likely,
but killing the slayer was appealing. If what the demon told him was actually
true, it would solve the problem in the future. And if not, he still got the
glory. Doing away with a slayer was a big deal. He’d be legendary. Fledglings
would grovel at his feet. “All right,”
Judas declared. “We can get to business with killing the slayer.” The demon
grunted in agreement. “Hey, what
should I call you?” “I don’t have
a name,” the demon replied. Judas studied
the creature in front of him. “Well, you’re a Gestalt demon. I’ll just call you Gestalt.” The demon didn’t
respond. “Okay then, Ges, this is the beginning of a lovely partnership.” _________________________________________________ Chapter Six- Enigma Buffy stepped
into the living room. She turned her head over toward Dawn. Her sister was
sitting on the couch with a bag of Doritos, chomping away. The television was
on some station with cartoons. "Hey, Buffy!" Dawn greeted. Buffy went
over to settle beside her. "Do you have your homework done?" she
asked. There was a
moment of silence. Dawn crunched into another corn chip. "Dawn?"
Buffy repeated. Dawn sighed.
"It's only a little bit," she confessed. The older of
the two grabbed the remote. She pressed the red power button. The TV screen
went white. "Then . . . it will only take you a 'little' bit of time to
get it finished." A groan came
from Dawn. She got up and headed to the stairs. "You become more like a
mom everyday," Dawn commented. Then she was out of sight. Buffy stood
there, a little shocked. Mixed emotions clouded her brain. She was glad that
she gave Dawn discipline so the teen wouldn't run wild. And, besides, that
meant not having her sister get taken away. But her a parent?
It scared her somewhat. And, not to mention feel regretful. She didn't want to
take her mother's place. She was very confused and didn't know whether to be
proud or upset with herself. That was when
the doorbell rang. Buffy took a second to clear her head before answering it. The door was
flung open to reveal none other than Spike. Annoyance came over her. She had
known he would show up sooner or later, despite her act of avoiding him. Sudden panic
hit her. She tried, desperately, to push the memory from downstairs away. It
wouldn’t seem to disappear, though. She become
angered, and not at him, which made her even more angry. It had been her that
initiated the act. She had lost control, letting her urges take over, not him.
But it was done now, and had been a big mistake. She looked at him and a rush
of guilt flowed over her. She knew it had meant much more to him. He loved her.
And she could honestly believe that now. He had a soul. She wanted to
apologize. To tell him he wasn‘t a thing, and she hadn‘t meant to use him.
Instead what came out was,” Spike.” Then she noticed the girl next to him.
"Who's this?" The two
females met gazes. An eerie feeling passed through her. There was something
about this girl, familiar somehow. She was positive that they had never met
before, however. The girl was almost as tall as she was, with dark brown hair
that fell to her shoulders. Her eyes were piercing orbs of crystalline blue. "Buffy!"
Spike took a step forward, concern etched on his face. “Are you all right? You
didn’t come across any nasties tonight did you?” “Huh? No. I
haven’t gone out on patrol yet,” the slayer answered. "I think
you should call the scoobs. This girl is spoutin some rot about how you sent her here from the
future." Buffy's eyes
widened. "The future? As in
time travel? Like that Back to the Future
movie?" Spike laughed.
"You‘d have to ask her." The mysterious
girl watched them, smiling the whole time. "Actually it was a spell,“ she clarified. “A car would have been much cooler. I have
my permit.” “A spell?” Buffy asked. “Yeah. Call a meeting and I‘ll tell you everything. What I need to say
should be for everyone." Buffy nodded.
"Let me call Xander and Anya.
************************* The three of
them headed toward the Magic Box. Buffy was deep in thought as she led the way.
Her pace was quick, oblivious to the others as she moved. Spike, however,
sparked up a conversation. "So, you
know me?" The girl kept
walking, not even glancing his way. "Yeah." "So I can
count on not biting the big one for awhile. What year are you from?" “2016,” Alexis
answered. “Okay, at
least I know now I won’t die for another fifteen years at least.” Alexis shook
her head. She glanced over. “You are scared of death, aren’t you?” “Well, yeah.
When you’ve been undead for over a hundred years, and then suddenly develop an
expiration date, it does that to you.” “You are very
healthy. I doubt you’re gonna die anytime soon.” “Right then.” He paused. “So, how do you know me and the
slayer exactly?” Alexis averted
her eyes. “I’m not allowed to say much.” “Just tell me
one thing, pet. Is she happy?” He motioned his head in Buffy’s direction. He
stopped, gazing intently at Alexis, waiting for her response. “Yes. She’s
very happy.” Spike shut his
eyes, letting that sink in. She was happy. That was all he needed to know. That
was all that mattered. ************************ They finally
had arrived at their destination. Xander and Anya were waiting for them. A sinking feeling came over
Buffy. The gang had been reduced tremendously. Heads lifted
as the group entered. "So,
Buff, what's the sudden get together about?" Xander
wanted to know. He was sitting next to Anya at the
round table as usual. She appeared to be miffed about something. “Yeah, I want
to know why Xander and I had to be interrupted from
our fun,” Anya commented. Xander glared at his fiancé. “Ahn, remember
that conversation we had?” “But, I didn’t
say it outright,” she defended. A long
exasperated sigh escaped Xander. He had given up. Anya would never learn when to stay quiet. He would just
have to get used to it if he planned on spending the rest of his life with her.
Buffy seemed
to suddenly become reintroduced to the real world. She gestured to Alexis.
“This is Alexis. She claims to be from the future.” “Jiminy
Christmas,” burst out Xander. “Do they have the
floating cars yet?” The teen
smiled, shaking her head. “Darn,”
muttered Xander. “Xander, we don’t even know if she is telling the truth,”
Buffy pointed out. Everyone
locked eyes with Alexis. They seemed to be accusing her of some crime. She
fidgeted, nervously. The atmosphere choked her. “I can prove
it,” she defended. “How, ducks?” Spike asked. He went over to the counter and
hopped up. “I know
stuff,” she said. “Remember? I knew you used to be a vampire.” “She knew you
used to be a member of the undead?” Xander questioned.
“Yeah,” Alexis
declared. She looked over at Xander. “And I know that
Anya used to be a vengeance demon. Dawn was a
mystical key. Giles is in “Oh my God,”
murmured Buffy. She sat down in a chair across from Anya
and Xander. She hadn’t really believed Alexis until
now. The girl knew everything. Well, everything important that is. Just then “What’s
wrong?” Buffy asked. The red-head
sighed. “If Amy comes around tell her to go away. She isn‘t my friend anymore,”
she told them. “Oh!”
exclaimed Alexis. “Amy used to be a rat!” “Hey!” The slayer
pulled out the chair next to her. “Sit down ______________________________________________ Chapter Seven- Lies? “Yes,” Alexis
confirmed. “And I thought
we came across it all. Evil vamps. Big snake nasties.
A hell-God.” The red-head shook her head. “Ever come
across a Gestalt demon?” “A what?” “Buggering
hell,” muttered Spike. The slayer
looked over at the ex-vamp in inquiry. “Never came
across one, mind you. But I have heard of them. Nasty blokes.
Ugly. Rip apart anything they can get their hands on.
Massive jaws and teeth that break through bone.” “Aren’t they
only a legend?” Anya asked. “No one has ever really
seen one.” “Oh, I think
people’s seen em, they just haven’t lived to tell the tale.” “Well, I’ll be
the first then,” declared Buffy. She looked over at Alexis. “Tell me about this
Gestalt thing. Where is it? Do you know how to kill it? Is that why you are
here?” “I have no
idea where it is. All I can say is it is here in Sunnydale.
It came from the future where I’m from. As for killing it . . . Decapitation
often works. And yes, this is why I am here,” Alexis answered all three
questions. Xander leaned forward in his seat. “He’s from the future too? How many
people took this little trip through time?” “Just me and the demon. At different times,” the girl said. “What does
this demon want?” Buffy questioned. Deep down she knew
the answer. What did every evil demon dream of? Alexis met
Buffy’s gaze with saddened blue eyes. “To kill you.” Silence fell
over the store. The vacancy of Buffy was still too fresh. Memories of the
summer without her ate away at their hearts. They didn’t want to have to go
through another one. “Figures,”
Buffy said. “What do I do to piss him off exactly?” Alexis
fidgeted with her fingers. “It isn’t something you do, although you help.” “What do I
help with? Must be more than Shake ‘n Bake.” The teenager
scanned the people in the room. “This is all because of me.” There were tears
beginning to glisten in her eyes. “I have this
big destiny. Sort of like a slayer does. I rid the
world of vampires and demons. The vampires turn human and the demons are all
sent to hell. The world is cleansed.” “Sounds like a
big yay to me,” Xander
remarked. “What goes wrong?” “Judas. He was-is a vampire. He will become human. But the thing
is he doesn’t like it one bit.” Spike huffed. The blond
slayer turned toward Spike. “Care to comment?” He shook his
head. “No, carry on. Just that I can relate is all.” “He tried to
kill me,” Alexis went on. “Apparently he didn’t succeed. He came up with a
better plan than revenge instead. He summoned the Gestalt demon from hell, and
sent it here to prevent the cleansing from taking place.” “By killing me?” Buffy asked. “Yes.” Alexis
paused. “You discover a prophecy about the cleansing. It mentions me. You find
me to perform it.” “So that’s how
you know us? We find you?” “Y-yeah. I’m the prophecy girl. We sorta
. . . become friends.” “All right. I think I get it,” Buffy said. “If he kills me we never
find you and the cleansing never happens. Then this Judas can remain fangy and dangerous.” “That’s about
it.” “Why didn’t this guy come here himself?” Xander
wanted to know. “What is it with villains and not wanting to get their hands
dirty?” “It wasn’t by
choice this time. Judas can’t come back to the past. It is too risky. If a
person touches themselves they . . . I don’t know.
Giles wasn’t very explicit about that. They die somehow. Atoms can’t exist two places at once. That’s why I was sent. I know I’m
only fifteen, but I can fight. And I’m not around to accidentally touch
myself.” “Wow,” Xander voiced. “This is making my head spin.” “Tell me about
it,” Reaching in
her pocket, Alexis drew something out. It was a folded piece of white-lined
paper. She opened it up, handing it over to “This is the
spell to transport you back to the future?” Alexis nodded.
“Yeah. When this mess is all sorted out that’s all ya have to do.” “I . . . I
can’t,” Confusion
spread over Alexis’s face. “Wh-Why?” At that moment
“What
happened?” Buffy demanded. “Amy took me
to see this warlock named Rack.” Spike hopped
down from the counter. His expression was stern. “What!?” Ashamed, the
red-head shifted her gaze to the floor. “Who is this
Rack?” Buffy commanded to know. It was Spike
who answered. “Rack is dangerous. He’s into the dark stuff. white
magic.” “I left!” No one knew
quite what to say. They were relieved that “Don’t you see
now? I can’t do this spell. I don’t trust myself. Not yet. Not with something
this big.” “What about “T-Tara?” “Could she do
it?” “Maybe. She is so much better than I am.” Seeing her
friend in distress, Buffy stood up. “Let’s go home. It’s late. We’ll continue
this tomorrow.” She glanced at ************************ Alexis had two
choices. She could either sleep on the couch or the cot downstairs. She chose
the couch. It wasn’t pitch white in the living room.
She couldn’t stand the dark. It was something she was born with. Not exactly a
phobia. No, it didn’t frighten her. It filled her with loathing. She had always
hated the dark. Her mother had told her stories about when she was a baby. Ever
since birth she would only fall asleep with a light on. It didn’t have to be
much light, but there had to be some. As a small child she grew up with a
Sesame Street Count nightlight. It was her father who gave her the pink lava
lamp as a replacement. She was very grateful for it. She no longer had to go
through the embarrassing explanation when she had a sleepover. There wasn’t a
nightlight that night. Alexis was all right, though. Moonlight streamed in
through the window. It was enough illumination so that she could vaguely make
out the furniture and television. She wasn’t as needy as she used to be. A
little light-Light at all was enough. It kept her from feeling as if she was
being suffocated. That she had to battle the shadows before they engulfed her. She rolled
over in the fold-out bed, bringing the covers up to her chin. She was having
trouble sleeping. Not because of the light issue. Because she
felt bad. She kept
telling herself she hadn’t been lying. She simply
wasn’t telling the whole truth. It was necessary. There would be grave
consequences if they knew everything. Giles had been very clear on that. He
told her not to tell the scoobies their future. It
might change it. Still, Alexis
wished she could spill it all. She despised lying. No! I’m not lying, she
reminded herself. I’m only bending the truth a tad. That’s all. Like Dad when
he dented the car. He hadn’t told Mom about that telephone pole for her own
good. Alexis shut
her eyes. Right then she wanted to be back in the future. She wanted to be with
her family again. Not with these strangers. They weren’t strangers, but they
seemed like it. They didn’t know her. Stupid girl!
Alexis screamed at herself. You are acting like a baby. You aren’t four years
old. You are strong. What would Mom do in this situation? She’d get the job
done. She wouldn’t be silently whining about going home. You have a duty. An important duty. Everyone is counting on you. If you don’t
do this you’ll die. Buffy will die. Alexis
dispelled the thoughts from her mind. She made herself drift off to sleep. She
needed her strength if she was going to kick this Gestalt demon’s ass. _____________________________________________ Chapter Eight- Getting to Know You Dawn found it
odd that she was up before Buffy. It was She traveled
into the kitchen. The linoleum was cold on her bare feet. The refrigerator
revealed a few slices of left-over pepperoni pizza. She took two and placed
them on a paper plate. Then she heated them in the microwave. “What ya cooking?” Dawn shrieked,
spinning around. A girl about her age, wearing what looked like her white shirt
and blue-jeans, stood there. “Who are you?”
Dawn asked. The girl
smiled. “Alexis. I’m the reason for the Scooby meeting yesterday.” The microwave
dinged. Dawn went over and took out her food. She set her plate down on the
island. Then she turned back to Alexis. “So, you are
staying here?” Dawn questioned. “Until I go
back home,” Alexis told her. “Home?” “To the future.” “R-right,”
Dawn said dubiously. A sigh came
from Alexis. She was getting tired of explaining the time travel issue. She
took a deep breath and began to talk. Afterward, Dawn just stared at her. Eventually,
Dawn came out of her stupor. “The future. Major cool. Do I ever get my driver’s license? A boyfriend?” “I’m not
allowed to tell you,” Alexis informed. “Oh come on,
just a teensy bit of info,” Dawn urged. Alexis smiled.
“You don’t turn out bad.” “So I get over
my loser phase?” “Definitely,”
Alexis assured her. ************************ Buffy didn’t
want to get up. She never wanted to move again. Finally, when As she made
her way downstairs, the sound of giggles and murmured voices filtered through
the air. A really awful smell accompanied it. Buffy stepped
into the kitchen. Alexis and Dawn sat at the island. They both were chatting,
steaming mugs of coffee set before them. “Hi, guys,”
Buffy greeted. “Hey, Buffy,” her
sister said. “Alexis told me what is going on.” “About the time travel? Good because I really didn’t want to have
to.” Buffy took a hand and covered her nose. “What is that smell?” “Huh?” “Something is
making me nauseous.” Dawn held up
her mug. “It must be the coffee. You always liked the aroma of coffee before.” “Not today,”
the slayer remarked. “I think I better go lay down again.” Buffy went
back to her room. She shut and locked the door. The bed was so inviting. She
settled back down with a moan. The churning in her stomach dulled slightly as
she stilled, and she no longer felt like she would heave at any second. There was a
knock on her door. “Buffy, are you all right?” It was Dawn. “Yeah, my
stomach hurts. Must be something I ate.” “Oh.” “Hey, Dawnie?” “Yeah.” “There is
supposed to be another meeting at the magic shop this morning. Can you go down
and tell everyone it is cancelled?” “Sure thing. You rest and let that slayer immunity kick in.” “Yeah,” Buffy
replied. Her ears
picked up two sets of feet begin to retreat. “How long has
your sister been sick?” she heard Alexis ask. “It must have
hit her this morning. This is the first time I’ve seen her get sick in forever.
It’s been about four years since,” Dawn informed. It wasn’t
true. It hadn’t hit her just this morning. Buffy had been feeling queasy for
the past two weeks. She had been extremely careful about concealing it, though.
She hadn’t told anyone. She knew if they found out they would demand she go to
the doctor. And going to the doctor never turned out well. The pain was
almost gone now. Buffy’s eyes drooped. For some reason she couldn’t get enough
sleep lately. ************************* Dawn and
Alexis walked to The Magic Box, getting to know each other on the way. Dawn
found out that Alexis was a really nice girl. The topics of music and movies
were a little hard, considering the time difference, but they found other
things in common. They both loved peanut butter, boys, make-up, dancing, and
the mall. They also both hated school and curfews. They arrived
at the shop, still talking as they entered. “I don’t know
what I was thinking trying on Buffy’s uniform anyway. Like I would actually try
out? I mean, I should know better. Buffy was such a ditz when she was on the
squad. I don’t want to be like that,” Dawn told her new friend. “Why are you
here?” Anya demanded. She was dusting a shelf with
crystal balls. “You can’t have the meeting now. I haven’t even sold one thing
yet. We cannot do the meeting until someone makes a purchase.” Dawn rolled
her eyes. “Relax, Anya, Buffy called the meeting off.
She’s not feeling well.” “The slayer’s
sick?” The girls
looked over to see Spike. He was lounging in a chair, his feet propped up on
the table. “She has a
stomach bug,” Dawn informed. “Oh, well,
tell her I hope she is right as rain in no time.” Dawn smiled.
“Sure, I’ll pass it on.” The
bleach-haired male took his feet down. He stood up. “Right then, if there isn’t
any meeting I guess I’m off.” “But you’ll be
back,” Anya ordered. “At one.
When you‘re scheduled to work.” “Yeah, yeah. No problem. Be here on the dot.” With that, he
headed out the door. Alexis and Dawn followed. “Spike!” Dawn called. He stopped,
spinning around toward her. “Yeah?” “Can Alexis
and I come see your apartment?” Dawn asked. “Yeah, can
we?” Alexis added. “I never even knew you lived in an apartment for awhile.” “I don’t live
there anymore?” Spike inquired. “Um . . . No,
you live in a house” “So, can we?”
Dawn prodded. “Sure, bit,
come on.” He led them to
a door marked 52B. He put a key in the door, unlocking it. “Now, it’s
nothing posh. But it’s not bad,” Spike remarked. He swung the
door open. The teens stepped inside, taking a good look around. It was kind of
small, but not cramped. He didn’t have that many things that needed very much
space anyway. He had the bare necessities in the kitchen. The living room held
a standard quality color television and stereo. There was a blue couch, with a
wooden coffee table in front of it. Alexis spotted
a stack of CDs. She went over to check them out. Sex Pistols, The Best of “Hey, The
Rolling Stones!” She snatched it up. “Can I listen?” Spike came
over and took the CD. He turned on the stereo, placing the disc into the
player. Music filled the room, booming out of the speakers. “Come on,
Dawn, let’s dance,” Alexis begged. Dawn joined
Alexis, swaying to ‘Paint It white’. They giggled, clasping hands and swinging
them back and forth. “Come on,
Spike, dance with us,” Dawn pleaded. Spike shook
his head. “Come on,”
Dawn reiterated. “Bloody hell,”
Spike muttered. What is it with Summers women? Couldn’t ever deny them anything. ___________________________________________ Chapter Nine- Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Down “Can you
manage the store while I run to get a sandwich?” Anya
asked. “Gee, luv, and risk missing out on a customer?” Spike retorted. “I trust you,
Spike. I love dealing with the money myself, but I’m really hungry.” “Sure thing, pet. Go get yourself lunch.” Anya gave him a genuine smile. “Thank-you.” The ex-demon
seemed to be a in a good mood that day. A glow emanated from her. She had been
very considerate, not giving demands, but rather asking Spike to do things. He
found it odd, but refreshing. It put him in good spirits as well. Just then the
bell over the door sounded. Spike tilted his head to see a tall woman with long
brown hair enter. She wore really short jean-shorts that showed off her long
legs. It was accompanied by a tight white shirt. He watched her examine the
merchandise. After a few moments, she brought her purchase up to the register. The woman put
down some polished stones. There were ten total. “Are these
healing rocks or something?” Spike asked, ringing them up. She laughed.
“That’s what they say. I just collect them cause they
look pretty.” Spike smirked, amused. “ The woman
fumbled in her purse for her wallet. She took it out and counted her money. “Oh
my gosh!” she exclaimed. “What? Is
there a problem?” “I’m five
cents short. Damn.” “Hey, don’t
worry about it,” Spike assured her. “I’ll let you have em
anyway.” “You sure?” “Yeah.” “Thanks.” Spike took a
paper bag and put the stones inside it. Then he tore off the receipt and placed
that inside too. The woman
began to leave. Suddenly she stopped, turning back around. “My name’s
Mindy,” she informed. A little
hesitant, Spike said, “Nice name, ducks. I’m Spike.” Mindy smiled.
“Do you like coffee?” “I’m more of a
tea person, but coffee’s all right.” “Want some.
Say tomorrow evening?” Spike froze.
He felt his heart rate speed up. A date? This woman
wanted a date? “I . . . I
can’t,” Spike eventually said. “Oh.” Her
voice expressed her disappointment. She came over, revealing a scrap piece of
paper. She scribbled something on it and gave it to him. “If you change your
mind . . .” Then she was
gone. Spike let out a heavy sigh. He had the urge to hit his head against the
counter, but put his face in his hands instead. A gorgeous woman comes in and
wants to go out and he rejects her. What a git he
was! Buffy. It always came down to Buffy. When would he ever accept the fact
that there was no hope in that aspect, and that he needed to move on? *************************** Buffy shoved a
couple stakes into her pockets. She closed the weapon chest, standing up. “Dawn, I’m
going out on patrol!” she yelled. Her sister
rushed into the room. “Are you sure? Do you feel all right?” “For the last
time, Dawn, I’m fine. It was food poisoning or something, but now I’m better.” “I heard you
throw up this morning.” “That was this
morning. I’m better. Promise.” Dawn nodded.
“If you start to feel bad come home immediately.” “Sure thing,
Mom,” Buffy joked. Dawn smiled.
It quickly disappeared. “What if you come across the Gestalt demon?” “One thing
I’ve learned as the slayer,” Buffy said, “If something is too strong to defeat
on the spot, run.” “Okay, but be
careful.” “Have fun with
Alexis,” Buffy told Dawn. “I will. We
rented Dare Devil.” “Don’t stay up
too late.” Dawn laughed.
“Now who’s the mom?” “Okay. Bye,” “Bye,” Dawn
said. The walk to
the cemetery was uneventful. She arrived, scanning the graves for anything to
slay. She roamed, finding nothing. “Here vampy, vampy, vampy,”
she called out softly. She sat down
on a tombstone. The place seemed dead. Ha ha. Buffy
took out a stake and twirled it. “Buffy?” Buffy got to
her feet, spinning around. She raised the sharpened wood in her hand. “That would
work, pet, but it wouldn’t be done so cleanly anymore.” The slayer
lowered the stake. “Spike, what are you doing here?”
she demanded. “Takin a walk,” he replied. “In the graveyard? Sorry to tell you this, but it isn’t so safe
for you to do that. I know you probably have issues about your macho-ness now,
but you are human. And vampires tend to eat them.” He raised an
eyebrow. “Worried?” She let out a
humorless laugh. “Worried? No. It wouldn‘t matter to me if
you walked this planet or not. But it is my duty to protect humans. And
as much as I dislike it you have become part of that pool.” Spike was
stung by her words. It didn’t matter to her if he died or not. Why would it? “I can do what
I bloody well please, slayer! Captain cardboard went out on his lonesome and
didn’t get eaten. I figure I can do the same. Besides, I have many more years
of experience fighting than he does. So what if I don’t have super strength? I
have the skill. I have better odds at surviving than your rebound boyfriend.” He showed her
the metal sword he carried. “I’m prepared.” “Whatever,”
Buffy spat. She started to walk away. “I feel at home
here. I know it is stupid, but part of me still thinks I belong,” Spike told
her. Buffy slowed,
but didn’t stop. “Some demons
took over my crypt.” Buffy glanced
back. “Spike?” “What?” “Shut up.” He gaped at
her, hurt evident on his face. “Go home. You
don’t belong here,” she went on. “That’s
right,” he agreed. “I don’t belong anywhere.” There was a
span of silence. Their eyes met and a connection ran through them. Neither of
them quite fit in anywhere. Buffy had her friends, but she would always be different
than them. Spike was a man who had seen too much darkness, thrust into the land
of light. Suddenly,
Buffy was knocked to the side. She hit the ground, pain spreading through her
body from the impact. She sat up, disoriented. Her eyes focused, seeing a
green-skinned demon. It had horns shooting out of its head, and a long tail. She scrambled
up. She threw a series of kicks and punches at the demon. He managed to toss
her into a tombstone. She landed in a heap, moaning. Buffy heard
Spike battling the demon. She managed to prop herself up to witness it. Spike
danced around the creature, his duster flowing around him. He swung the blade
he carried, cutting off the head. Then he wiped the weapon clean on the grass. Spike came
over. He offered her a hand. Stubborn as she was, she refused it, getting up
herself. She wobbled slightly. Hands grabbed her before she could fall. She
quickly shoved them away. “I‘m fine!”
she shouted. Buffy took a
few steps toward the dead demon. The head lay next to the massive body, his
white eyes wide and unseeing. Neon green blood flowed out of the neck. The
stench hit her nostrils, making her gag. Buffy doubled
over, spilling the contents of her supper. Cheese lasagna.
That stuff was expensive too. “You’re not
fine, Buffy,” Spike commented, coming up by her side. “Let me help you home.” “No!” “Please, luv, you’re sick. Why’d you come patrolling? You should be
in bed.” “What I do is
not your business. Just like you taking a walk isn’t mine. Let me go my way and
you go yours.” Buffy stalked
away, fighting the nausea her stomach still wanted to dish out. “Buffy?” She ignored
him. _________________________________________________ Chapter Ten- Harsh Realities Buffy was able
to make it home without puking. As soon as she entered, however, she couldn’t
keep it in any longer. She ran upstairs to the bathroom, not having time to
shut the door. She flung up the toilet seat, throwing up her stomach’s last
contents. She collapsed
to the cold linoleum. Her stomach still hurt, but there was nothing left for it
to refuse. “How long has
this been happening?” Buffy’s head
snapped to the side. Alexis stood in the doorway. She had her arms crossed,
looking like she had authority. “I don’t
know,” Buffy confessed. “It seems like forever, but probably two weeks.” “I know what
is wrong, Buffy,” Alexis informed. Fear crept
into Buffy’s green eyes. “Am I dying?” “God, no!” “What then? It
sure feels like I am.” “Come on,
Buffy,” Alexis said, harshly. “I know what is wrong and deep down so do you!” The slayer
shook her head. “In the
future, you have a daughter.” Tears spilled
down Buffy’s cheeks. She kept shaking her head, not wanting to believe it. A smile came
to Alexis’s face. “She turns out great. Or at least that’s what her parents
say. You love her, Buffy. And so does Spike.” “No,” moaned Buffy. Alexis came
into the bathroom. She knelt down before the blonde. “I can’t be a
mother,” Buffy choked out. “I’m a slayer. Slayers don’t have children. They
can‘t. What kind of environment can they provide?” “There aren’t
any demons or vampires in the future. I cleanse the world, remember?” Alexis
reminded. “I’m not the
slayer in the future?” “You’re the
slayer. You just don’t have to slay anything.” A sob escaped
Buffy. “I don’t want this right now.” Alexis looked
stricken. “And Spike? Oh
God . . .” Alexis
softened. “Sometimes good things are disguised as bad things. What you think
you don’t want now may turn out to be exactly what your heart craves in the
end.” Buffy met her
gaze, water blinding her vision. Alexis reached out and hugged her. She barely
knew Alexis, but right then she seemed like someone she could lean on. She held
onto the girl, crying until there were no more tears. ************************** It was
morning. Another day in 2001. I can make it
through, Alexis assured herself. She was rather proud of herself. She hadn’t
slipped up once. Nobody suspected that she wasn’t telling the truth. The more
she evaded the truth, the easier it became. She actually
felt like what she said. Just a girl that knows the slayer
and her Scoobies. ************************** She bought a
home pregnancy kit. She believed Alexis, but she had to be sure. The procedure
was easy. She stuck the stick up inside her, and then sat on the toilet to wait
for the results. No big deal, right? Yeah . . . no big deal. When it was
time, Buffy couldn’t look at it right away. Finally, she mustered enough nerve.
She picked up the stick. A pink plus
sign stared back at her. The stick fell
from her fingers. Her eyes landed on the wall. Numbness spread through her. She
couldn’t feel anything. Anything at all. ************************** Buffy came to a halt before “Jesus, slayer!” Spike exclaimed, rushing over. “This isn’t
the bloody crypt! I‘m liable for any damage.” He went
over to examine the door, relieved to find it still on its hinges. He shut it
before facing the emotionless slayer. “How could you
do this to me?” she questioned. Confused, he
asked, “Do what?” She slammed
him into the wall. His head smacked against it and he winced. “How could
you?” she asked again. “Okay, Buffy,
you’re scaring me.” The expression
on her face was chilling. Cold and vacant. She stared at
him with empty eyes. She was so close, her hands pinning him in place. All of a
sudden she became aware of something poking her. She rubbed against him,
discovering in full what it was. “Buffy . . .”
Spike tried to push her away. This wasn’t right. He knew it. She wasn’t
herself. It was the basement all over again. Buffy held him
firmly, preventing him from moving. She smashed her mouth down on his. She
devoured him, her tongue leaving no place untouched. She hauled him
into the bedroom. She threw him down on the white bedspread, jumping onto his
middle. “This isn’t
right. Buffy, we should . . .” She silenced
him with her mouth. She moved against him, his bulge bringing her delight. “Make me
feel,” she begged. “Please, make me feel so I can escape. Make me forget.” It wasn’t long
before they had shed all their clothing. Spike pleased her not once, but twice.
And they were about to embark on their third trip. Spike slipped
down her slick surface. His tongue found her tummy, licking her bellybutton.
Then it darted back inside his mouth, his lips placing tender kisses all over
her abdomen. “Yum,” he said
with a smile. Buffy
forcefully lifted his head away by the hair. “No! Don’t ever touch me there
again!” She rolled
them over, taking dominance. She thrust him inside her. “I want you
one place and one place only. Do you understand?” He couldn’t
speak. He was overcome by pleasure and pain all at the same time. She lowered
over him over and over again. She rocked like crazy, demanding release. They
both came, screaming. When they were
through, Buffy turned away, her back facing him. He reached out to wrap an arm
around her, but she swatted it away. “Buffy?” She didn’t
answer. “You have to
stop this!” he commanded. “If you don’t want all of me please stop. I wish I
could push you away myself, but I can’t find the will.” He snorted. “I love
you. You know that. And I could never deny you. But, Buffy . . .” She remained
silent. Giving up,
Spike rolled over, going to sleep. Sunlight
streamed through the window. Spike winced. It took him a while for him to be
able to open his eyes. Memories of last night flooded through his brain. His
eyes fell on the unoccupied pillow beside him. He sighed. This was the
end. He couldn’t allow this to continue. Spike reached
for his discarded white jeans. He reached into the pocket, drawing out a small
piece of paper. He grabbed the phone, dialing the numbers it had written on it.
“’Ello, is this Mandy?” ___________________________________________ Chapter Eleven- Seeking Help It felt weird
for Buffy to be back amongst the Sunnydale dorm
rooms. It was only a year ago that she had actually lived in one. Instead, it
felt like an eternity ago. She wasn’t that unsure Freshman
straight out of college anymore. She had been through a lot. She was old. Not
physically, but mentally. She took a
hand and rapped on the door before her. There wasn’t an immediate response.
Thoughts that the owner must not be home washed over her. She needed this
person to be there. The door
opened. “Buffy. I
wasn’t expecting you,” she greeted. “I’m sorry I
didn’t call,” Buffy apologized. “No, no,
that’s all right. Come in.” They went over
to the bed and sat down. “It is nice to
see you,” “Yeah. Dawn misses you. We both wish you’d come by more often.” “M-Maybe we
should get together and do something.” “That’d be
great.” There was a
span of silence. Buffy reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a piece of
paper. She gave it to “Do you think
you could do this spell? I mean, it isn’t dangerous is it?” “This is a
time travel incantation,” Buffy
proceeded to tell her about Alexis. She filled her in about why she was there
and how she knew them all from the future. “I didn’t know
time travel was a real thing,” the witch mutter, still in shock. “Neither did I,” replied Buffy. “But Alexis knows things. Things she
could only know if she knew us personally.” “You can try,
though, right?” “I can try.
There is no harm in that.” “Thanks. And
I’m sure Alexis is grateful too.” They sat there
not know what to say for a moment. Buffy built up
enough courage to go on. The spell wasn’t the main reason she was there. Sure
that was important, but it wasn’t what was occupying Buffy’s mind. “This isn’t
the only reason I came here,” said Buffy. “I need to talk to you.” “What is it,
Buffy? Has “No,” interrupted Buffy. “It isn’t Will. She’s been doing good with the cut-down on magic thing. You’d be proud of
her. No, this is something else.” “Good. That’s
. . . good. So, what do you want to talk about then?” This was where
the hard part came in. How should Buffy start? ‘Oh, I’ve been knocked up by
Spike. What should I do?’ That wouldn’t work. “It’s about .
. . It’s about Spike,” Buffy managed to get out. Perplexity
came over The slayer
shook her head. “No, not about that. It’s about . . .”
She swallowed. “About Spike and . . . me.” “You? I’m confused.” “He could hurt
me, Tara. Before he became human.” “No, it still
worked. It just didn’t react to me. I want you to check out that spell that
brought me back. I need to know if . . . I’d ask “I don’t know.
I feel different. There are things I’ve done . . . I think I came back wrong.” Firmly, “Can you
please check anyways? Just to make sure?” *********************** Buffy went
through the whole day without throwing up. That is, until evening rolled
around. She just never could keep supper down. She flushed
the toilet, washed her face, and brushed her teeth. Afterward, she stared at
herself in the mirror. She didn’t recognize who she was anymore. Was she the
person that dove off the tower to save the world out of love? Or was she the
cold, unfeeling, creature that used men who cared about her? “How are you?” Buffy turned
around to see Alexis. She had forgotten that the girl was there. “I’m . . .
still pregnant,” Buffy answered, hollowly. Alexis leaned
against the doorframe. “And you what, thought it would go away after a good
night’s rest? Like it was some kind of illness or something?” “It sure feels
like an illness!” Buffy threw back. “Morning
sickness is only temporary.” “I went to the
doctor today.” “Good. How’d
that go?” “It was bad. I
hate doctors. And I have to go again next month,” Buffy told her. Alexis
chuckled. “I know. When you . . .” She stopped herself. “What?” Buffy
asked. “N-Nothing. Nothing important. I just know.
That you hate doctors.” Buffy frowned.
“He told me
I’m two months and a half along.” She shut her eyes. “God.
It must have happened the first time Spike and I . . .” Buffy’s eyes
shot open. She studied Alexis. “That was when Spike became human.” Standing up
straight, Alexis opened her mouth, but didn’t say anything. “You are all
knowledge girl. Why did Spike become human?” Buffy demanded. “I-I don’t
know,” Alexis stammered. Buffy took a
step forward. “You must know.” She touched her stomach with both hands. “Does
it have something to do with the baby?” “I don’t
know!” insisted Alexis. The slayer
grabbed her arm roughly. “Tell me! I need to know! Is this baby special? Did
Spike change because of it?” Alexis
snatched her arm back. “I don’t know!” she yelled. Buffy looked
shaken. She stood there, breathing in deeply. “I don’t
know.” This time the teen spoke gently. “You never figured it out.” “So Spike
turned human for no reason?” Buffy questioned, doubtfully. “I . . . “ “And this baby
isn’t special? It just happened because I decided to fuck my brains out with my
enemy?” Tears stung
Alexis’s eyes. She looked away. “I don’t know.” Then she left. ********************** Alexis ran
outside. She ended up in the backyard. She sat down on the grass and sobbed. She had been
so close to spilling it all. She had wanted to tell Buffy the truth so bad. And
afterwards, she wanted Buffy to hug her and be the Buffy she knew. This Buffy
was someone she had never seen before. How could this
Buffy treat her baby like a virus? Buffy’s daughter was a miracle. It shouldn’t
be a mistake Buffy wanted to throw away. No, she knew Buffy loved her daughter.
She knew it. She’d seen it years from now. Alexis told
herself this as she cried. *********************** Alexis stepped
into the Magic Box. It was busy which usually didn’t happen unless there was a
sale. She walked
over to the register. Anya got done ringing up a
customer. “Where is
Spike?” Alexis asked. “Oh, I gave
him the day off. He had a date or something. The day I really
need him too. Look at all these people.” Anya
swept her arm around the store. “Isn’t it fabulous!? I love the life of
commerce.” “A-A date?” Anya nodded. “Yeah. Some
Mandy. Mindy. Something like
that.” Another
customer came up to the counter. They put down a Tarot deck. “These tarot
cards are selling like hot cakes. I’m so glad I ordered them,” Anya said, beaming. Alexis turned.
She headed out the door. She went over to the curb and sat down. What was wrong
with this time? Giles had told her not to interrupt the order of things. Well,
things didn’t seem to be in any order at all. The way things were going, she
didn’t see how they could result in the future she belonged to. ____________________________________________ Chapter Twelve- Seeking Comfort Buffy opened
the door. She looked tired and worn out. “Buffy. Hi.” “Hey.” Buffy
let her friend in. “Everybody’s gone. Just you and me.” The two women
went into the living room. Buffy sat on the coffee table, facing Tara, who was
on the couch. “I checked
everything. There’s . . . There’s nothing wrong with you.” “There has to
be,” Buffy insisted. “Well, I said
that there was nothing wrong with you, but ... you are different. Shifting you
out of ... f-from where you were ... funneling your essence back into your body
... it altered you on a basic molecular level. Probably just
enough to confuse the sensors or whatever in Spike's chip. But it's all
just surface-y physical stuff. It wouldn't have any more effect than ... a bad sunburn.” Buffy was
quiet for a moment, contemplating this. “I’m not
wrong?” Buffy finally asked. “No. You’re
the same Buffy. Just with a cellular tan,” “If that’s
true. . . Then why?” “Why what, Buffy?” The slayer
shook her head. “You overlooked something. Will you check again?” Worried, “There has to
be! This just can't be me, it isn't me.” Tears swam in Buffy’s eyes. “Why do I
feel like this? How could I do those things with Spike?” The slayer
lifted her head. Her gaze met A frown marred
“He's
everything I hate,” Buffy choked out. “He’s a murderous, unclean thing.” The tears in
Buffy’s eyes flowed more freely. Her shoulder shook. “Buffy, have
you comprehended this? Deep down?” “I-I went t-to
him even after . . .” Choked up by sobs, Buffy could hardly get her words out.
“I treated him like a monster.” “But you won’t
again,” Sliding off
the table, Buffy fell to her knees on the floor. She put her head in Muffled, Buffy
said, “Nothing’s all right. I don’t think anything will be all right again.” “You made a
mistake, Buffy. You can learn from it. Not do it again,” “Things still
won’t be all right. The damage is done.” Buffy raised her head. “I’ll still be
pregnant.” “Don’t tell
anyone. Please,” Buffy begged. Recovering, “The way they
would look at me . . . I just couldn’t . . .” “I won’t tell
anyone. I wouldn’t do that. But you are going to have to tell them eventually.
Have you told Spike?” Buffy shook
her head. “Do you love
him?” Startled,
Buffy backed away slightly. “It’s okay if
you do. He’s human now. And even before he’s done some good.” “I-can’t,”
Buffy choked. Buffy had
another crying attack. “Can you tell me now that I’m not wrong? How can you?
This morning I contemplated destroying my baby! I thought about abortion, “I don’t know
who I am anymore,” Buffy confessed. “I never would have thought that before
Glory. I never would have let this happen in the first place.” The slayer
reached out and hugged ************************ Mindy (not
Mandy) smiled at Spike. “I had a good time.” “Yeah. The movie was fun,” he told her. They stood
outside her house. “Well . . .” “I better get
going.” He began to turn away. She grabbed
him, bringing him toward her again. She smashed her lips down on his, kissing
him with passion. She plunged her tongue into his mouth with fury. When they
separated, Spike was stunned. “Call me,
okay,” Mindy said. She grinned, heading inside. ************************** There were
four rings before her call was answered. Across the ocean, a voice said,
“Hello?” “Giles?” “Buffy? So good to hear from you. How are things?” Buffy twirled
the phone cord with her finger. “They’ve been better.” “What is it?
Is there something you have to face?” “Y-yes. There is a big bad after me. But that isn’t why I
called.” “What is
troubling you, Buffy? Is there something I can do?” “Yes. Come
back to Sunnydale.” There was a
sigh. “Buffy . . .?” “No, Giles . .
. I need you.” “What is going
on?” “I . . . I
just need you. I can’t tell you over the phone.” “Is it really
that dire?” She stifled a
sob. “Yes, Giles, it really is.” “Very well then. I’ll be on the next plane out.” “Th-Thank you, Giles.” ____________________________________________ Chapter Thirteen- Confessions The house was
entirely silent. Dawn was at school. Sitting on the
couch, Buffy let her hand roam to her middle. It was amazing when you actually
comprehended it all. There was something inside her. Something
alive and growing. So small that it wasn’t noticeable yet. But it was
there all the same. The notion was petrifying and wondrous all at the same
time. She suddenly
felt as if a veil of sunlight had materialized from the shadows. It bathed her
in warmth, melting away some of the coldness. A few tears of relief streamed
down her face. And she understood something for the first time. She loved this
baby. No matter how it came to be. She loved it despite who its father was. She
must not be completely consumed by death if she could still love. The doorbell
rang, making her jump. She got up and went to answer it. She opened the door,
peering out. It took a moment for her to process the sight in front of her.
When she did, she wrapped her arms around the older man. Giles hugged
the girl back. “Buffy,” he murmured. After a long embrace, she let him inside. They settled
on the sofa. There was a silence. Finally, Buffy said,” I missed you.” A smile came
to his lips. “And I have you. Leaving was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to
do.” Buffy’s gaze
fell to the floor. “I hope you don’t think my calling you back is weak of me,”
she whispered. He laid a
comforting hand on her shoulder. “Not at all. Whatever
it is, it must be important.” Buffy turned
her head to face him. Her face showed great pain. “You’re going to be so disappointed
in me. I really let you down.” “Buffy, what‘s
happened here?” he asked. She took a
deep breath. “ The slayer
looked away, embarrassed. She heard something she never would have anticipated.
Giles was laughing. She slowly looked back over. He was covering his mouth,
trying to stop. “Terribly
sorry,” he apologized. His laughter didn’t cease, however. Buffy stared
at him. Her eyes began to sting. She fought to quell the need to break down.
She couldn’t understand why her ex-watcher was acting this way. Didn’t he care? Seeing Buffy’s
distress, Giles instantly stopped his outburst. Shame came over his expression.
“Things must be difficult for you. I’m sorry I laughed. It’s just your speech
sounded so unreal.” “I really
screwed up,” she whispered. “Sleeping with
Spike is a mistake. But you are an adult and are entitled to make some. I can‘t
pass judgment. And he‘s human you say?,” he commented. “I’m
pregnant,” she managed to get out. She couldn’t meet his eyes. Of all the
things Giles had been prepared for this was not it. Shock hit him with great
intensity. He swallowed, wondering what to do. He had never been in a situation
like this. He saw a young woman needing someone to take care of her. That
should be the father’s job. Where the hell was he? “B-By Spike? Where is he?” Giles demanded. Shimmering
green eyes met his. “I haven’t told him yet,” she confessed. “ His gaze was
severe. “How could you be so irresponsible!?” Buffy wished
he’d go back to the laughing. That was better than this. “There are
means of protection,” Giles said. “I know. But
he was a vampire, Giles. He changed while we . . . we
were . . .” Giles reached
for his glasses. He removed them to begin his ritual of cleaning. He wiped the
lenses on his shirt. “This is a
rather peculiar situation,” he said, while replacing his eyewear. “I’m afraid
they didn’t cover this in watcher training. Pregnancy in slayers is quite a
rare occurrence.” “But it has
happened before?” Buffy questioned. “Y-yes, I
believe so. I’ll have to check my journals.” “Could you
research Spike’s humanity as well?” “Of course. It happened while you were . . .?” He let out a cough,
not being able to continue. “Yes. Alexis,
the time travel visitor, told me that his change had nothing to do with my
pregnancy. But I think she might be lying.” Giles nodded.
“If there is anything to find, I will,” he assured her. Buffy reached
out and hugged him. “Thank-you.” She sniffled. “Can
you ever forgive me?” Her sergeant
father held her back. “Oh, Buffy. I never should have
left you.” She continued
to cry, savoring the contact. Maybe things wouldn’t be all right, but maybe
they could be better. ************************** “Mmmm,” Mindy moaned, while kissing Spike. Spike could
barely take it. Mindy had her tongue shoved down his throat, almost choking
him. He felt hands
lift up his shirt. Sharp nails scraped his stomach. He shoved them away,
stepping back. “Mindy,” Spike
said, “I can’t.” “Why? Is there
something wrong with me?” his date inquired, worriedly. “No. I just .
. . I love someone else. I thought I was ready to move on, but I’m not.” He
sighed. “I’m sorry.” She nodded.
“So am I,” she told him. So, that was
the end of Mindy and Spike. Not that there really had been a Mindy and Spike to
begin with. Spike walked
home, lost in his thoughts. This human thing sucked. You couldn’t just exist.
No, you had choices to make. And each one had a consequence. It was a gamble
rather it turned out good or bad. He came home
to find his door ajar. Alarm came over him. He had left his apartment locked.
Thinking it must be a burglar (even though he couldn’t understand why someone
would want to steal from his meager possessions), he prepared himself to fight.
As he had told Buffy before, he may not have the strength, but he certainly
still had skill. Spike burst
inside, scanning the place. His eyes fell on Buffy. She was on the couch, as if
it was perfectly normal for her to be there. “What are you
doing here? Did you kick my door in again!?” he shouted. She stood up,
crossing her arms. “Where the hell have you been?” “None of your bloody business, slayer. Now, how’d you get
in?” “I-I kicked
the door in. Sorry, but I really needed to get in. Now, tell me, where have you
been? I’ve been waiting for almost two hours.” “I had a
date,” he threw out. Satisfaction filled him from the words. “A date? With who?” “Mindy. We
went out for dinner. You know, that new Italian
place?” Buffy plopped
back down on the couch. “Mindy, huh? Well, you can’t
see her anymore.” Anger spread
over him. How dare she tell him what to do! “And why the hell not!?” Spike demanded. “Because I’m
pregnant!” she yelled back. _________________________________________________ Chapter Fourteen- Impact Spike froze,
her words not registering in his head. “Repeat that, I don’t think I got it.” “I’m
pregnant,” Buffy repeated. Thinking he needed a little push, she added, “By
you.” “Th-That’s not possible,” he stammered. “Oh, it is.
Those swimmers are . . . well, they’re swimming,” she assured him. Realization
sunk in. His blue eyes widened. Not being able to stand any longer, he
collapsed on the other side of the couch. It couldn’t
be. He wasn’t able to . . . The full impact of being human hit him like a bomb.
His sudden change wasn’t just lack of freedom and obligations. He had a working
body now, complete with functioning organs. ‘All’ organs.
The implication of this hadn’t entered his brain when they had coupled. He
imagined it hadn’t for Buffy either. “When?” Spike got out. “When what?”
Buffy asked. “When did I find out? A couple days ago.
When did we do this? A little over two months ago.” “That was when
. . .” “That’s right.
The abandoned building. When you
became all humanized.” They sat in
silence, both unable to speak. Their thoughts swam, too much for them to sort
out. It was Buffy who composed herself first. “I’ve thought
about this and I’ve come to a decision,” the slayer informed. He shifted his
gaze to land on hers. His expression was scared, uncertain as to what she would
say. She went on,
unaware of his fears. “I’m willing to let you into my life. I’ve been without a
father and I know how awful it is. I don’t want our daughter to go through
that.” “D-Daughter?” Spike choked. Buffy almost
smiled, but not quite. “Yeah. Alexis told me that we
are gonna have a little girl.” Spike fought
to control himself. His eyes wanted to spill tears of gratitude. “So, I want
you around.” Buffy took a deep breath. “But I can’t guarantee that things will
ever change between us. I can’t tell you that I’ll ever love you. You
understand that, right?” Nodding, his
heart squeezed. He had accepted this, but to hear her say it out loud was
agonizing. To have her permission to take part in her life was more than he
ever hoped for, though. Buffy got to
her feet. “Feel free to come by anytime. You’re welcome.” She headed to the
door, but abruptly turned back. “Don’t tell anyone! They’re my friends and I’ll
break the news.”’ Spike didn’t
reply. He watched as she left, leaving him in conflict whether he wanted to
smile like an idiot or cry like a heartbroken fool. ************************ Buffy entered
the magic shop. Anya was at the counter, setting a
pricing gun. A box of merchandize was beside her. She let out a frustrated
sound. “Uh, something
wrong?” Buffy questioned. Anya looked up, startled. “Oh, Buffy, you’re here.” It wasn’t like
Anya not to notice someone entering the store. She
was usually alert, awaiting her next customer. “They sent me
the wrong number of candle holders!” the ex-demon complained. “I wanted seven
and they sent me only five.” Buffy
shrugged. “That’s the way it goes in the world of retail. Mistakes happen.” The other
woman put down the pricing gun. She turned her attention to Buffy. “Mistakes
don’t always happen just in retail.” The intense
look Anya was giving Buffy made her want to shiver.
It was as if she knew what mistake Buffy had made. But she couldn’t. There was
no way. Buffy cleared
her throat. “Uh, Anya, have you seen Giles? Is he
around?” Anya’s eerie stare turned into Anya’s normal
lively smile. “Oh yeah, Giles is back! Good thing too. I needed help lifting
this heavy box. I would have asked Spike, but he had to have more time off
frolicking with that new girlfriend of his.” The term
girlfriend filled Buffy with anger. It shouldn’t. Just because they were having
a baby together didn’t mean he couldn’t have a real relationship with someone
else. Still, for some reason she felt she couldn’t allow it. Maybe it was
selfish, but she didn’t want their daughter growing up knowing her daddy was
with another woman. “Anya, Giles. Where is he?” “Oh, right.
He’s in the back. He took a few books with him, saying he didn’t want to scare
customers away with demonic research. I don’t see why, he was never worried
about that before.” Buffy went
into the training room. She found her ex-watcher on the sofa in the corner. A
stack of books was near him on the floor. He didn’t lift his head as she came
in, involved in the text he was reading. She stepped in
front of him. “What did you find?” He jumped. “Oh, Buffy, hello.” He reached over and grabbed a notebook.
“I managed to find a few references of pregnant slayers.” “All right. Give me what you got,” Buffy said. “Well, there
were three. Two were able to make it through childbirth.” “What happened
to the third?” She had to know. Giles shook
his head. “Are you certain you want to know?” “Yes,” she
told him, firmly. “She had a
miscarriage, Buffy. She was out fighting and a vampire kicked her in the
stomach. Her watcher documented it as a mixture of great loss and relief.” The horrifying
image that played in Buffy mind made her want to vomit. Her hand cupped her
stomach protectively. “The others?” Buffy asked. Giles scanned
his notes. “Their pregnancies were normal. There was nothing mystical or
unnatural about them. The girls made it to term and had completely healthy
children.” Buffy sat down
beside her mentor. Her hand remained on her stomach, green eyes misting. “She’s going
to be okay?” the slayer whispered. Giles smiled.
“Your baby’s going to be fine as long as you let us patrol for you.” Six and a half
months without fighting. She didn’t know if she could do it. Patrolling was how
she let off steam. A groan
escaped Buffy. “This isn’t going to be easy.” Giles’ smile
widened. “You’ll make it through, I assure you.” “I told him
today.” “Spike? How did that go?” “I’m not
sure,” Buffy confessed. “He was in shock.” “A natural response for anyone. Especially
an ex-vampire.” “Speaking of
ex-vampires, did you come across anything about his change?” Buffy inquired. “Sorry, no. I
found a few spells on bringing back the dead, but nothing about returning the
undead to life. I will keep looking.” “Thank you.” Giles reached
out and squeezed her hand. “I want you to know that I’m always here for you. And your child.” Her lip
quivered. “I want to
help you in any way I can.” She threw
herself at him, embracing him in a hard hug. “I love you, Giles. You know that,
right?” “Y-Yes, Buffy. I love you too. But if you could release me
just a tad . . .” he choked, hardly able to breath. She loosened
her hold. “Oh, sorry, Giles.” “No, quite all
right.” “You’re going
to be the best grandpa ever,” Buffy declared. “Gr. . . Did
you say grandpa?” Buffy simply
grinned. ______________________________________________________ Chapter Fifteen- Truths The slayer was
impossible to find. She hadn’t been out patrolling in a long time, and no one
knew where she lived. Judas was at a loss. He had to find the bitch. It had
become an obsession. Every waking hour was focused on killing the slayer. He
had imagined thousands of glorifying ways to do her in. He even had a fantasy
where Ges ate her up, except for the head, which he
mounted on the wall. After a few
weeks of turning up nothing, he made his decision. He needed help. Someone who could find the whereabouts of Buffy Summers. He asked
around at Willie’s Bar, the supreme place to gather
information. That was how he heard of the witch Celeste. She was known for her
white magic, the darkest there was. Rumor had it she had died and gone to hell
once. The devil allowed her to return with the gift of powers, granted she used
the arts to spread havoc on earth. She would aid
him in discovering where the slayer was. And then he could hack her up into
little pieces. Or throw her in a pit of fire. Or stab her a hundred times. Or .
. . There were just so many ways. ************************* “Cheese lasagna. With garlic bread,” Buffy informed, opening
the oven to check on the food. “Few more minutes.” A smile formed
on the red-head’s mouth. “I think you’re getting a grip on the cooking deal.” “Well, it’s
frozen. I just stick it in the oven.” “True,” The slayer
went over to the cupboard and got down some plates. “I can set the
table,” “Thanks, Will.” Buffy handed
over the stack of china. “Buffy, why
are there five plates? There are only four people in the house.” Then a thought
struck her. “Is Hating to
disappoint her, Buffy didn’t want to tell her the truth. “Sorry, no.
Spike’s coming,” Buffy said. “Spike?” “Yeah.” “I know,”
Buffy confessed. “But he’s human now. I feel like I should be nice to him. I
mean, he has a soul now.” The witch
nodded. “He does. I think Spike could use a little friendship because of it. I
sense sadness coming off him, even if he hides it well. He’s getting better,
though. He isn’t all ‘Woe is me, please change me back’ anymore.” “It’s weird,”
stated Buffy. “Hearing Spike and friendship in the same
sentence.” “Definitely,”
replied “Is the world gonna end now?” “Naw, not till Xander uses the ‘f’
word in regards to Spike.” “We’re
probably safe. Besides, if this is a sign of an apocalypse, I‘ll just stop it.
That‘s what we slayers do.” ************************* Spike stood
outside the Summers’ house. He glanced down at his
clothes and frowned. Why the hell did he decide to wear this again? He had on a
blue shirt and jeans. He fidgeted, longing for his usual duster and white
ensemble. Sod the ’boy next door’ routine. He was early,
he could always run back to the apartment and change. Just then the
door swung open. Buffy stood there. She looked him up-and-down, studying him.
She smiled. “Did Rainbow Bright visit you?” “What are you goin on about?” Laughing she
said, “Never mind. I like it. Matches your eyes.” Shocked, Spike
stared at her. Maybe wearing something different was a good idea after all. She cracked
the door wider, allowing him passage. “So, slayer,
how’d ya know I was here? I didn’t get a chance to
knock. Were you watchin for me?” She replied
quickly,” What? No! I-I just went by the window and noticed you were on the
porch.” A smirk came
to his lips. “Right, luv.” It wasn’t long
before the food was done. Buffy took it out of the oven and dished it out on
their plates. They gathered in the dining room to eat. Spike sat beside Alexis,
and Buffy sat beside her sister. “This is good,
Buffy,” “Thanks,”
Buffy responded. The only male
in the room eyed Buffy’s plate in dismay. She had the smallest pieces of
lasagna and garlic bread. She really should eat more, he thought. Especially if she is eating for two now. “It’s good to
see you, Spike,” Dawn said with a happy grin. “You too, Lil’ Bit.” Their small
talk continued. Alexis remained generally quiet, seemingly lost in her own
contemplations. Suddenly Buffy
stood up. “Buffy, is
something wrong?” Without saying
a word, Buffy put her hand over her mouth, fleeing the room. She ran up the stairs
and into the bathroom. Spike stood up, knowing exactly what was going on. He
went after his slayer. He found her
bent over the toilet, retching up all that she had consumed. He realized then
that this must be why she had so little on her plate. A moan escaped
Buffy. Spike moved, pulling her hair out of the way. “You all
right, pet?” “Do I look all
right!?” she inquired, testily. Spike heard “Buffy!” Dawn
gasped. “Are you okay?” Buffy flushed
the toilet. She went over to wash her face. “Fine. I’m
fine,” she assured. “No you’re
not!” Dawn exclaimed. “I’ve heard you throw up a lot lately.” Buffy looked
over, her eyes wide in panic. “You thought I
didn’t know? Well, I do.” “How long have
you been sick?” The slayer
didn’t answer. “You need to
go to the doctor,” “ Softly, Buffy
said, “You aren’t going to lose me. I’m not dying.” “How do you
know that?” Dawn questioned. “Please, go to the doctor.” “I’ve gone,”
confessed Buffy. “What did he
say? What is wrong?” The slayer
shared a look with Spike. “I’m pregnant.” ************************** Alexis stood
at the bottom of the stairs. She listened to the conversation going on
upstairs, intently. “You’re
pregnant? As in having a baby?” “Look the term
up in the dictionary. I’m sure you’ll find the definition to mean that, yes,”
Buffy said. “How?” “Will, I’m
pretty sure you went through sex education.” “I mean . . .
Buffy, who have you been with?” Alexis held
her breath. This was the turning point. “Spike.” “Spike?” “Did you hit
your head today, Will? Cuz your brain and hearing
isn’t quite so good.” “I’m trying to
grasp this and it’s hard. I don’t understand how this could happen. Are you and
Spike together? As in all couply?” “No.” It was
Spike who spoke. He had basically been quiet until then. “We aren’t together in
that way.” His voice was toneless. “It was a
mistake,” Buffy told her friend. “I never meant for this to happen. I’m not
ready to be a mother. I don’t even know if I’ll ever be ready.” Alexis had
heard enough. She rushed to the door and ran out. On her way, she bumped into
someone. When she looked up, she came face-to-face with Giles. Giles stared
at her long and hard. She gulped. “I know who
you are,” Giles stated. __________________________________________________ Chapter Sixteen- Secrets Out Alexis opened
her mouth, unable to speak. Her expression was full of alarm. “Buffy and
Spike don’t know, I take it?” Giles said. The girl shook
her head. “No, nobody was supposed to. Not even you. You were the one that went
on about the danger of it all too. How ironic, huh?” “Yes, quite. I
do believe I was right. Knowing who you are could drastically change history.
The bit of information would make Buffy and Spike do
things differently.” “How’d you
find out?” Alexis questioned. He adjusted
his glasses. “I was researching the cause of Spike’s transformation. I came
across a very interesting prophecy.” “Oh, that.” “Yes, that.” “It’s not as
spectacular as it sounds.” “Oh, really? Cleansing the world of vampires and demons isn’t as
important as it sounds? Sorry if I don’t accept that.” “I don’t do
much. I just stand around and look pretty while power streams out of me. Kinda like the key. But I don’t have to bleed. Which is good. The Glory story always gave me the wiggins.” The ex-watcher
couldn’t help but smile. He could see the same spirit Buffy possessed inside
her. “We have to
keep this a secret,” Alexis informed. “I agree . . .
Alexis Summers.” “Alexis Anne
Shayne,” she corrected. “Dear lord, that is Spike’s last name?” “Yep.” “And Buffy
marries him?” He couldn’t
hold back any longer, and reached for his glasses to clean. Serious,
Alexis nodded. “Somehow, although, I’m not seeing any sparks just yet.” *************************** Upstairs, “It will be
okay,” assured Dawn. “You’re going to be a good mother. I know it. And you
won’t have to deal alone. I fully take on the responsibility of aunt-ness.” The slayer
held Dawn back hard. “I’m scared,” she whispered. The roles
seemed to be reversed then. Dawn had taken over being the older sibling. She
reached up and tucked a lock of hair behind Buffy’s ear. “Don’t not want this baby. Please, Buffy. This should be the most
amazing, exciting thing that ever happened to you. Come on, Buffy, it’s a
baby,” Dawn told her. Buffy jerked
away. “I do want this baby. That’s the hard part. I want it so bad. But I am so
afraid I’ll screw up. How can I not?” Her gaze landed on Spike for a few
seconds before jolting away again. “I’ve already made so many mistakes
concerning my own life. I don’t want to make more for someone else’s.” That made A small,
wobbly, smile came to Buffy’s lips. “Th-Thanks.
But I doubt Xander is going to rush at signing up for
the cavalry.” “Not right
away,” agreed The three
girls pulled in for a group hug. *************************** Spike watched
the girls hug. He had been there through the entire discussion and they hardly
noticed he was there. He was an outsider and that would never change. No matter
how much he changed himself. “I’ll go see
how Xander’s doing. If he’s in a good mood I’ll give
you a call,” he heard The bleached-blonde
slipped past them, exiting the bathroom. He began his descent down the stairs. “Spike!?” He turned
around to see Buffy. She stood at the top of the stairs, giving him a
questioning look. “Where are you
going?” “I’m gonna push off. Don’t rightly think I should be around when
you break the news to the whelp,” he replied. Her green eyes
enlarged. “You’re leaving? This concerns you. You helped make this mess. I
think you should be around to help clean it up.” The words
stung. He hated the way she referred to their creation as a mistake. How could
she say she wanted it, but yet act like it was an abomination? “Sticking
around is only going to make it worse, Buffy,” he explained. “Harris hates me
enough as it is.” A sigh escaped
Buffy. She nodded. “You’re right. All right, go.” “I’ll be back.
I’m not abandoning you.” She gave him a
long, intense stare. “I know.” ************************* Buffy sat down
on the couch. She felt as if a giant weight had lifted off her shoulders. Four down, one to go. “Buffy?” She looked up
to see Dawn standing a few feet away. “Yeah, Dawnie?” “Why did you
sleep with Spike?” Dawn asked. A very good question. Buffy would love to know the answer to that
one herself. “I-I dunno,” Buffy confessed. “It’s been so hard since I’ve been
back. I . . .” It seemed like
an excuse. There had to be a better reason than that. “Do you love
him?” Buffy’s eyes
widened. “No. Why would you think that?” “Just . . . I
wanted you to know that it is all right if you do. And if not, okay. But if you
do later, that’s all right too.” Buffy didn’t
answer. Having said what she had wanted, Dawn left the room. ************************* “Come on over
to the Magic Box. I know it’s Sunday, but Anya wants to get some work done when there aren’t any
customers. Xander’s here and in a good mood. I think Anya and he had some fun in the cellar before I came over.” “ “Sorry,” her
friend apologized. It wasn’t long
before Buffy and Dawn made it to the store. Buffy took a moment to brace herself before going to the door. It was locked, but At the sight
of Buffy and Dawn, Xander straightened. “Hey, glad
you could join the party.” Buffy forced a
smile. Anya held up a CD. “Look, the shipment of music came in.” “Huh? I
thought this was a magic shop, not Sam Goody,” remarked Buffy. “It’s New
Age,” the ex-demon said as if it explained it all. “I heard this will bring me
lots of money.” “It won’t
bring me money?” “Not that. About New Age music. Real witches don’t necessarily listen
to that. Although, Enya’s not too
bad.” “I have Enya!” Anya dug in the box. She
brought out the CD in triumph. “I also have Yanni,
Tangerine Dream, and Enigma.” Buffy
fidgeted. She wanted the prattle to continue so she didn’t have to actually do
what she came there to do, but she also wanted to get it over with. “Guys!” Dawn got everybody’s attention. “What, Dawn-miester?” Xander asked. “Uh . . .” Gathering her
slayer strength, Buffy announced, “I have something important to say.” All attention
fell on her. For some odd reason she wished Spike was there. She didn’t know
why. It’s not like his presence would have helped any. He had been right. Him being there just would have complicated things even
more. Well, why
bother building things up? Better to just get to the point. “I’m
pregnant.” Anya dropped the CD she was holding. It fell to the floor with a
thump. She didn’t even bother to acknowledge that her fingers no longer
clutched the item. All the life seemed to have left her. The others saw Anya’s reaction, but were more concerned about Buffy’s
confession. “Is this a
joke?” Xander choked out. “No, Xander, it’s not,” Buffy answered. Stunned, Xander blinked. “How could you let this happen?” She looked
away. “With who? Last time I checked you were single.” “I am.” “What? So what
is this? Artificial insemination?” Buffy shook
her head. “Well, doubt
you’re the next Virgin Mary. So tell me, Buff, what happened?” Xander spat. “Sp-Spike,”
she got out. “Excuse me?” “Spike. It was Spike.” All of a
sudden Xander burst out laughing. He pointed a
finger. “Good one, guys. You had me going there for a sec.” Dawn took a
step forward. “This isn’t a joke, Xand. Buffy’s going
to have a baby and Spike’s the father.” He surveyed
the others, realizing by their faces that it wasn’t a joke. His laughter faded
to be replaced with anger. “It’s true
then? And you all knew?” “You knew when
you came in here all smiles and laughs,” he said to The words were
rich with venom. She shivered from the malice they held. She raised her head to
see the coldness in his brown eyes that were usually soft and caring. “You don’t
love him, do you?” “No,” Buffy
answered. “I don’t
understand. Why did you do it?” Worry crept into his expression. “Did he force
you?” She was quick
to reply. “No! God, no!” “Then why? All
those times I told Spike to get lost. That he never had a chance with a girl
like you.” “You don’t
know how hard it’s been just being here. After I was brought back . . . It’s
been so hard. I needed something. I . . . I made a mistake thinking Spike could
give it to me.” Xander laughed. It was different than before. This time it was bitter. “You thought
Spike would give you something? Well he certainly did, didn’t he!? It wasn‘t
what you were looking for, though, was it?” “It just
happened, okay.” “Oh, like,
‘Say, you’re evil, get on me’?” Her green eyes
flashed with warning. “He’s human now, Xander.” “That doesn’t
change who he is. He’s still Spike,” Xander threw
back. “Even without
a soul and beating heart he wasn’t what you are condemning him of. He fought by
your side all summer. He looked after Dawn.” “But I never
forgot what he really was. And I don’t see him out donating to charity now. He
seems like the same evil bleached wonder to me.” Buffy clenched
her hands. She fought the urge to deck one of her best friends in the jaw. “Let’s stop.
All I wanted was to tell you. You can feel anyway you want about it, but I have
the right to do what I choose. My personal life isn’t any of your business,”
she told him. “It used to
be.” No one spoke
for a moment. “This is finished,”
Buffy announced. “Yeah, it is,”
Xander agreed. He turned around. “Let’s go, Any. . .” Anya was gone. The wrapped CD she had dropped still lay on the floor. “She left,” Xander nodded. “I know you don’t believe it, but Anya
really is smart. I think I’ll follow her lead.” With that, Xander stormed out of the store. ______________________________________________________ Chapter Seventeen- Decisions Xander walked into his apartment to find it dark. This was unusual. Anya was known to wait up for him before going to bed. He
groped his way through the place, heading into the bedroom. The window let in a
subtle amount of moonlight, just enough for him to make out his fiancé’s form
curled up under the covers. “Ahn?” He sat down on
the mattress beside her. He took a gentle hand and touched her back. Turning over, Anya faced him. He couldn’t see her expression in the
shadows. “Are you all
right?” he asked. “Tired,” she
murmured. Letting out a
sigh of relief, he said, “So, you’re not mad then.” “Not at you.”
She rose up to a sitting position. “How dare Buffy announce that she is having
a baby.” “I take it you
aren’t on the ‘I love Spike bandwagon’ either?” “That’s not
it. Spike is a very good asset to my business. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Buffy can’t have a little person now,” Anya
complained. Confusion
spread over Xander. He ran his fingers through his
hair. “Not sure I’m following you, Ahn. Why are you
upset with Buffy if it isn‘t about her boyfriend?” All of a
sudden Anya turned on the lamp. Xander
blinked, his eyes adjusting to it. The blonde
woman grabbed his arm. “Let’s get married soon. Not a couple months from now.
Like, in a couple weeks.” Her voice was pleading. “Why the change in topic? I thought we were talking about Buffy
here,” Xander stated. She let go of
his arm. “I don’t care about Buffy. I want to talk about us and our ceremony of
eternal love.” This wasn’t
how Xander wanted to discuss their wedding. He had
been meaning to bring up the subject, but not when she was in a state of
distress. Xander got to his feet. “About that . . .” His gaze met hers. “Anya, I love you with all my heart. You know that, right?” A bright smile
came to her lips. “I love you too.” “But . . .” He
took in a deep breath. “I think we should wait.” There, he had said it. She gaped at
him. “I’m not ready
yet. I should have told you this sooner, but . . .” Anya jumped out of bed. “Yes, you should have told me this sooner, Xander Harris!” In a frenzy, she
began to take off her nightgown and put on regular clothes. “Anya, what are you doing?” he asked with concern. “First Buffy
has to announce she’s pregnant and now. . .” She looked over at him with pain
in her eyes. “I can’t believe you are breaking up with me!” “Breaking up?”
He shook his head. “I’m not breaking up with you.” “But you don’t
want to get married.” “I do. Just not right away.” She buttoned
her jeans, now fully dressed. Then she walked briskly out of the room. Xander followed. He snatched her arm. “Where are you
going?” he demanded. “I don’t
know!” she threw back. Anya thrust her arm back. She reached for the doorknob. “Please don’t
go, Ahn. I love you,” he begged. She hesitated. “I’d rather
marry you this second than have you walk out of my life forever,” Xander declared. Anya spun around. Her eyes glimmered with wetness. “Really?” “If that is
what it takes.” She stepped up
to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She buried her face in his shoulder,
soaking his gray shirt with salty tears. He stroked her hair with tenderness. “I never want
to be without you,” Xander said. “I’d be content if
it was just the two of us forever.” Anya lifted her head. “What about three?” “What?” ****************************** Giles had his
watcher diary open, a white pen in his hand. “All right, so
you are from fifteen years in the future?” he questioned. “Yes,” Alexis
answered. - They were at
the Magic Box. Anya hadn’t come in that morning,
which greatly worried him. She was always there an hour before opening. Luckily
he had a key to the place. “And the
Gestalt demon is also from your time?” Again, she
confirmed his question. He jotted the information down. “Buffy and I
sent you here to prevent the demon from killing the Buffy here? Which, in result
would cause yourself to perish and never be able to
cleanse the future?” “Pretty much, yeah.” He looked up. “Now, about Spike’s condition. He . . .” Just then the
bell over the door tinkled. Giles slammed his diary closed. They shifted their
attention to see who entered. Buffy came in. She was
wearing white pants and a white v-neck top. Her hair was up in a cute twist. “Hey, guys,”
Buffy greeted. She glanced around. “Where’s Anya?” “She never
showed up,” Alexis announced. The slayer
frowned. “I hope it doesn’t have anything to do with last night. She seemed
pretty upset.” “Really, about what?” Giles inquired. Buffy
shrugged. “I’m not sure. My confession was what set her off.” Alexis
squirmed in her seat. “Interesting,”
muttered Giles. “I just hope
she’s all right. Maybe we should call.” “A splendid idea, Buffy. I’ll do just that.” He got up to fetch the
phone. “Wait, uh,
Giles, about the research. Anything new?” “Sorry, no,”
he lied. “But I will keep looking.” He went over
to the phone and grabbed it. He punched in the numbers to Xander
and Anya’s apartment. After several rings he hung up.
Giles turned
back. “I’m afraid no one is home.” ******************************* Buffy dug her
hand into the bowl that teetered on her lap. She put the buttery popcorn into
her mouth. She was rather enjoying herself. An old classic romance movie was on
AMC. It was pretty good. And what was even better was that she was lacking the
nausea that had accompanied the past month. The movie
ended with the man and woman kissing after agreeing to get married. How sweet,
she thought. There was a
knock at the door. Buffy got up and went to answer it. As she swung open the
door, she saw Spike standing on the other side. He gave her a smile. “Hullo, luv.” “Hi, Spike.
Come in,” she greeted. She went over
and picked up the remote. She pressed the off button and the television went
white. Buffy plopped
back down on the couch. She munched on some more popcorn. “How was the
conversation with Harris?” Spike asked. She frowned.
“Not good, but I knew that it wouldn’t be.” He nodded. Nervous, Spike
took something out of his duster. “I uh. . . have
something for you.” The slayer sat
up straighter. “Ooo, prezzies,”
she squealed. “And it isn’t even Christmas or my Birthday.” Her good mood
caught him off guard. It wasn’t often she treated him like someone she wanted
around. Spike handed
her something square. She took it, realizing that it was a book. Her excitement
faded. She wasn’t much for reading. Then she took in the cover. It had a mother
holding a baby on the front. Spike combed a
hand through his hair. He seemed embarrassed. “I thought it might help. It
tells what to expect and all.” A genuine
smile came to her face. “Thank-you, Spike. I hadn’t even thought about getting
a pregnancy book.” He pointed to
the book. “That one pretty much has everything in it.” She lifted an
eyebrow. “You read it?” “Well, yeah.” She giggled. “Hey, I am
literate, ya know. And I wanted to know what is going
on with the itzy bitzy,” he
defended. She quenched
her laughter. “I’m not making fun of you. I think it’s cute.” A smirk made it’s way to his lips. “Cute, huh?
You think I’m cute?” “Hey!” she
protested. “I said what you did was cute, not that you were cute.” “Same thing, pet. You are what you do.” “Whatever.” Buffy stifled
a yawn. This didn’t go unnoticed by Spike. “Right then, I
think I better go. Let me know what ya think of the
book,” Spike said. Buffy reached
for his hand. “Wait!” He turned back
to face her. “What is it, slayer?” There was a softness in her eyes that he had never seen in them
before. “Will you stay
with me?” she questioned. “I told you
that I’d never deny you. If you really . . .” She shook her
head, interrupting him. “Not like that, Spike. Stay with me tonight. H-Hold me.” His eyes
widened in surprise. A while later
the two were lying comfortably in Buffy’s bed. She was propped against Spike,
his arm around her. She drifted off to sleep, feeling warm and content. *********************** Buffy awoke
during the night to feel something rubbing against her belly. Her pajama shirt
was lifted, and something was touching her on her bare skin. Her groggy mind came to awareness that it was a hand. Spike’s hand to be exact. He was by the side of the bed, on
his knees. “Hullo, itty
bitty, it’s daddy,” he whispered tenderly. Buffy felt her
heart swell. Oh God. He had been right. He was cute. “Your mum says
you’re going to be a little girl. I can just imagine how beautiful you are
going to be. You’re going to look just like your mum, you are.” The way he was
talking so sweetly. . . He really loves us, Buffy thought. “I wish I
could give you a right perfect family,” Spike went on. “One
where both parents loved each other. I don’t think that’ll ever happen,
though. But that doesn’t mean your mum and I don’t love you. We’re going to
take good care of you. I’m never going to leave either of you. I’m not like
that bloody poof or captain cardboard.” Buffy felt
Spike press his lips to her stomach. “I love you,” he muttered. He stood up.
She kept her eyes shut, feigning slumber. He bent down and kissed her forehead
as well. “And I love you.” A moment
later, Spike got back in bed. She risked a glance over at him a short time
later. He was asleep, or close to it. Buffy’s eyes
burned with tears. They streamed down her face. She reached out and stroked
Spike’s hollow cheek. Poor Spike. Right then,
for the first time, Buffy wished with all her heart that she could love Spike
back. Not only for the sake of her baby and Spike, but also
for herself. _________________________________________________ Chapter Eighteen- Love and Hate Buffy opened
her eyes. The sun shown through the window, bathing her in
radiance. She was enveloped in something as warm as the rays. She moaned
in contentment, rolling over. Her gaze fell
on Spike. She soaked in the sight of him, noticing how childlike he looked
while asleep. His hair was free of gel, falling in gentle curls around his
face. The arm around her twitched, the first sign of
his arousal. Everything came rushing back. She remembered their sleeping
arrangements last night; and also his private conversation to their unborn
child that she had invaded upon. Spike shifted,
his crystal blue orbs coming to life. They focused on her. At that moment she
could see the love the pair held. It had always been there, she was sure, but
she had never truly acknowledged it until then. Probably
because she hadn’t wanted to. “Do you want
me to go?” Spike asked. It was strange
how fast something could change. Yesterday morning Buffy would have cast him
aside without a second thought. “No,” Buffy
replied. “I want you to stay.” Shock and then
confusion passed over him. He rose up on his elbows, taking her in. “What is this?
There is only so much a bloke can take. Are you serious? I don’t think I can
stand it if you deny this ever happened and kick me aside.” She shook her
head. “I’m through hurting you, Spike. It’s not good for either of us. Or . . . Or our daughter.” “Is that what
this is then? An attempt to make things right for the baby?
A front so she won’t suspect mummy hates daddy. I won’t live a lie, Buffy.” Sadness fell
over her. She’d done real damage to him. Would she be able to fix it? Or was it
too late? “I don’t hate
you, Spike. I haven’t for a long time,” she told him. “What is it
you feel then? Do you feel anything at all for me?” She could tell
from his voice that not feeling anything would be far worse than hate. “I care about
you,” she truthfully said. The expression
on his face turned to hope. “And . . .”
She took a deep breath. “I’d like to change that.” “Change it?”
His tone was cold, thinking her words meant something else. “Yes,” she
said gently. “I’d like to make it more.” “What exactly
are you saying, ducks?” Pleading,
Buffy asked, “Will you help me love you, Spike?” That left him
speechless. He stared at her in disbelief. Smiling, she
took his hand. “I think it would be best for all three of us. Don’t you agree?” His mouth
slowly turned into a grin. “Buffy?” he choked. “I . . .” “So, it’s
settled,” she declared. “Buffy mission finding love is now in session.” That was how
Spike became Buffy’s boyfriend. No one fought it. Although,
the most likely candidate to do so was missing. Two days went by and
neither Xander no Anya had
been seen. Everyone was worried. Even Spike was a little concerned. Mostly
because they were important to Buffy, and Buffy was important to him. On the third
day, Xander and Anya came into the Magic Box,
holding hands. “You are in
big trouble, mister!” “Sorry, Will,”
Xander apologized. “I should have told you all that
we were leaving.” “Yeah, you so
should have. We were tempted to go to desperate measures. Like
slapping your picture on milk cartons.” At that moment
Buffy and Spike came out of the training room. Spike looked exhausted and sore,
while Buffy was glowing and full of energy. The slayer held a bottle of water
in her hands. She stopped in her tracks, uncertain, when she noticed Xander and Anya. Xander glanced Buffy’s way. “It was on the spur of the moment. I . . .” Excitement
came over Anya. “We have major news. Even more so than Buffy’s announcement.” She held up her
hand. A golden band accompanied her diamond engagement ring. “Look, we got
married!” Buffy’s mouth hung open in aghast. “What about the dream wedding you
had planned?” “We decided it
wasn’t needed. All it was doing was tearing us apart rather than bringing us
together. We eloped.” “We might have
another one later,” Xander assured his friend. The red-head
nodded. “You promise?” “When we’re ready. Right now I don‘t think I could handle it. I
have enough to deal with.” “On that case
. . .” Buffy stood
there, longing to embrace her friend as well, but held back. “Can I tell
the rest?” Anya eagerly asked. “Not yet, Ahn. In a
bit. I have to do something first,” Xander
told her. His eyes landed on Buffy. “Buffy, can
I-uh, can I talk to you for a moment?” He glanced at Spike. “Alone.” Nodding, Buffy
moved toward the back of the store. The newly wedded man followed behind her.
They stopped near the couch in the training room. The two friends looked at
each other awkwardly like strangers. Buffy broke
the silence. “So, you went and got yourself a wife?” “Yeah.” He gave her a small smile. “I feel as if a huge weight
has lifted off my shoulders. I realize now that it wasn’t marrying Anya that was the problem. It was the whole wedding thing.
All I wanted was to declare my love for Anya, not a
big mess.” “Well, I’m
happy for you.” “Thanks.” There was
another pause between them. “About Spike,”
they both began at the same moment. They grinned. Buffy gestured
to Xander. “You go first.” He sighed.
“Buffy, you were right. What you do with your life is your business. I
shouldn’t try to interfere even if I don’t approve.” “I’m sorry you
were the last one to know,” Buffy told him. “I wanted to tell you. You and Will
were the ones I wanted to tell first, but I was afraid. I was afraid I might
lose you guys.” “I don’t wanna lose you either. I don’t know what I’d do without you
or “Let’s not
find out.” They moved
toward each other then, hugging tightly. Xander
pulled back slightly. “So, a baby,
huh?” he asked. “Yeah. Can you deal with that?” she inquired. “I don’t have
to be nice to Spike do I?” Buffy laughed.
“I’m not asking for miracles.” “Good, cause
you aren’t likely to get any.” “You might
want to know something, Xander.” She took a deep breath.
“Spike is going to be hanging around a lot. We’re sort of together.” Xander looked far from happy, but he tried to be accepting. “Are you in
love with him?” “No, I’m not.
But I wish I was.” “How can you
say that, Buffy?” “You’re
supposed to be understanding Xander. Where’d he go?” Sighing, he
said, “All right. Living dead boy is going to be around, gotcha.” “And I might
fall in love with him someday.” She met his eyes. “Does the thought of that
disgust you?” “Yes,” he told
her, not being able to lie. “But if it ever happens I won’t stand in your way.
I’ll grit my teeth and bear.” She smiled.
“Thanks.” “Friends?” Her smile
brightened. “Friends,” she confirmed. “As my
friend,” he began, “I’d like you to be the first to know something.” Curious, she
asked, “What, Xand?” “Anya’s going to have a baby.” Her green eyes
got large. “Oh my gosh!” “Yeah.” “That is so
great, Xander. You’re going to be a daddy.” “Yeah.” “Are you
excited?” He nodded. “And petrified.” “I think that
comes with the package.” Sudden understanding
came over Buffy. “That’s why Anya was upset the other
day.” “Yeah,” Xander agreed. “You know, Ahn,
she likes the spotlight.” Buffy and Xander went back out into the main part of the store. Anya rushed over to meet them. “Can I tell
now!?” Anya questioned. “Go ahead, Ahn,” Xander said, giving the
okay. With a squeal,
Anya proclaimed, “Xander
and I are going to be parents.” __________________________________________ Chapter Nineteen- The Absence of Love (AKA
Passion) Time passed.
And with each passing day Buffy tried to love Spike. She paid attention to
everything he did or said. Something grew inside her. Compassion?
She felt for him in a way she never had before. But in that special place in
her heart, where her memories of Angel resided, it lay dormant no matter how
she longed to awaken it. Spike
practically lived at the Summers’ house. He even
stored some clothes there for the many nights he shared with Buffy. They had
sex often. It was no longer fucking in Buffy‘s mind, but was still far from
making love. Each time, she opened herself up, attempting to turn her fire into
something else. As her high came, she’d look him right in the eyes. She’d soak
the blue pools in, attempting to steal some of that love they held. But it
never worked. All she sensed when her orgasm washed over her was pleasure and
satisfaction. Buffy entered
her fourth month of pregnancy. She wore loose clothing, but if someone were to
lift her top they would have been able to detect a very small bump. The day she
had noticed, she had to share it with Spike. She lay in
bed, waiting for him. When he did come in, she instantly threw off the covers
to expose herself. She was completely nude. “Come here,”
Buffy ordered. Of course
Spike thought she was wanting sex. He still enjoyed
their intimacy, but wasn’t as eager as he used to be. Their bonding brought him
sorrow afterward. He knew Buffy was trying, but he also knew that she wasn’t
succeeding. Spike came
forward. When he stepped up to the bed, she pulled him down next to her. She
took his hand and placed it over her middle. “Feel that?”
she questioned. How could he
not? There was a slight curve to her usually flat belly. “That’s our
baby,” she told him. “It’s growing.” It continued
to grow. Spike would monitor Buffy’s stomach every day, delighting at how it
seemed bigger than the last time. It was a miracle for both of them. Spike wondered
if being human wasn’t so bad after all. ************************** Buffy sat at
the table, drinking herbal tea and looking over the paper. She was relieved to
see that there were no ‘mysterious’ deaths that morning. If there had been it
would have worsened her slayer withdrawal. She felt so useless and frustrated.
The others assured her that there weren’t any signs of the Gestalt demon as of
yet, and that their attempts at slaying were paying off. Just then
Alexis entered the room. She halted, seemingly startled by Buffy’s presence.
She had been acting that way a lot lately. She tended to keep to herself most
of the time, as if she were avoiding the rest of them. “Do you want
breakfast?” Buffy asked, putting down the newspaper. “I can make you eggs.” “N-no thanks. I was just gonna
have some fruit loops,” Alexis informed. The slayer
shrugged. “If that’s what you want.” The teen got
out the milk and started to dump cereal into a bowl. She drowned the fruit
loops, and then dived a spoon into it. She prepared to
exit the room. “Hey, Alexis,
why don’t you sit with me?” Buffy asked. She gestured to the stool beside her. Alexis
hesitated. After a moment she gave in and went over to the empty seat. She
hopped up. She began to eat in silence. Buffy bit her
lip. She was worried about Alexis. The girl had been full of energy when she
had first arrived. Now she seemed depressed. “So . . . “ Buffy started. “Do you miss your time?” Alexis put
down her spoon. She didn’t say anything. “I’m sorry,”
Buffy apologized. She touched Alexis’s arm gently. Alexis’s head
jerked toward Buffy. The slayer froze. The girl’s eyes were blue, but something
in them eerily matched her own. They held pain and age far beyond anyone that
young should possess. “We’ll find
this Gestalt and eliminate it. You’ll be home in no time.” Alexis got
down from the stool. She took her empty bowl to the sink. She ran water over
it. “You said we
are friends in the future. Am I different then? Is it hard to be around me
because of that?” Buffy was
desperate. Talk, talk, she silently begged. She got her wish. “In the future
we’re happy,” Alexis stated. Hope passed
over Buffy. “We’re happy?” “At least,
that’s what it seems like.” It sounded like she wasn’t sure if appearances
could be deceiving or not. “I know you’re
not supposed to say much. But please, can you tell me one thing?” Alexis turned
to face her. “Do I ever
love Spike?” Without any
indication of feeling, Alexis said, “I don’t know anymore.” ************************* Spike arrived
back to Buffy’s house late that night. He was sweaty and achy from patrol.
There had been more nasties to kill than normal. He
held a broadsword that was covered in green goo.
Before going inside, he rinsed it off with the hose. The house was
dark and quiet. He groped his way upstairs. When he opened Buffy’s door, faint
light could be seen. Buffy was sitting in bed, waiting for him. The lamp was
on, providing enough illumination for Buffy to read the baby book he had given
her. She raised her head as he entered and put the book down. “Hey,” the
blonde slayer greeted. “Hey, luv,” he replied. She got out of
bed. He took in the pink nightgown she wore. She came up and kissed him on the
lips. Her tongue delved between them, searching. When they
parted, he noticed the hungry gleam in her eyes. “Buffy, I need
a shower. I . . .” She silenced
him with another kiss. It wasn’t long
before their clothes were shed. They tumbled onto the bed, exploring each
other. Spike realized how attentive she was to his caress. Tonight was about
her. He entered her
warmth, gasping at the tightness of her folds. Their movements were slow,
savoring each thrust. Her hips gyrated, getting him to hit the right spot. Her green eyes
kept in contact with his gaze. He watched intently, hoping beyond hope that he
would see it. The spark he had been waiting for what seemed like eternity. All
he saw was her heightening pleasure. He came.
Seconds later she followed. They lay together. On a fundamental level Spike was
sated. But deeper, he was left bereft from something he never had. The slayer
fell into a peaceful sleep. He could hear her even breathing. He kept vigil of
the shadows that fell across the room. A conversation
of the past entered his mind. The words hit him hard. “Sometimes
I envy you so much it chokes me. And sometimes I think I got the better deal. To be that close to her and not have her. To
be all alone even when you're holding her. Feeling
her, feeling her beneath you. Surrounding you.
The scent ... No, you got the better deal. “ They had been
spoken to Riley. He had never felt a bit of sympathy toward the git. He didn’t now. But he had to admit he understood what
the man had gone through. Spike had
turned into a duplicate of Riley Finn. Buffy’s normal boyfriend. The one she
kept around for convenience. The one she tried to love, but couldn’t. “The girl
needs some monster in her man.” He glanced
over at his slumbering slayer. He ran a hand over her golden locks. He wished
he could change into something she could love. Buffy couldn’t love him as a
demon, and she couldn’t love him as the man he was now. What else was there to
be? _______________________________________________ Chapter Twenty- Fade Out The full moon
had finally arrived. The night when werewolves prowled and witches performed
their prime spells. Celeste had made Judas wait until then. She said the magic
she needed couldn’t be reached just any time. He swore that if she failed he
would snap her neck. He had wasted valuable time because of her. She knelt by a
fire. The flames danced, illuminating her exotic features. She had raven hair
that cascaded down to her waist. Her eyes were green that glowed like a cat. Impatiently,
Judas said, “What do you see?” The witch
ignored him. She chanted something under her breath. Her hands floated through
the air. “Where is the
slayer!?” Judas demanded. “That is of no
consequence,” Celeste told him. “What do you
mean!? Isn‘t that why we‘re doing this whole damn spell!”
He took a
menacing step toward the woman. “You will not
have to go to the slayer. She will come to you.” “And how will
I arrange that?” He gritted his teeth. “There is one
amongst her that does not belong and does at the same time. If we hurt her, it
will hurt the slayer.” What was it
with him being surrounded by crazy people? First the Gestalt
and now her. Someone who does not belong and does at the same time? “Okay, how do
I find this one who does not belong and does at the same time?” Judas
questioned. Celeste
turned. An unnatural gleam shown in her gaze. “Come
with me.” She began to
walk. Judas followed, uncertain about this whole thing. ************************* Alexis needed
to get away. She couldn’t take one moment more in the same house as Buffy and
Spike. The sight of them together made her sick. They were trying too hard.
Going through the motions as a couple, yet not fooling anyone. Their eyes told
the truth. Without anyone
noticing, she left. It wasn’t hard. No one seemed to pay attention to her
lately anyway. Everyone was caught up in other things. No one cared about time
travel girl. Probably because the Gestalt demon hadn’t made a
move. That was the only reason they kept her around. She was useful with
the info. She crept
through the night, a stake in her grasp. She scanned the landscape, prepared to
attack anything that moved. She had been patrolling before, although never
alone. She was confident that she would be all right. It was then
that a woman came out of the darkness. Something about her screamed trouble.
Maybe it was her eyes. No normal human could have eyes like that. She raised
her stake. The woman
laughed. “Silly, child. I am not a vampire.” The woman
raised her hand. A force made the stake shoot out of Alexis’s grip. “I am
something else entirely.” With horror,
Alexis stared at her fallen weapon. She moved to grab it again, but somebody
from behind grabbed her. She struggled, but the hands that held her were strong
and rough. Cold breath
could be felt on the side of her face. “I am the vampire, little girl,” she
heard in her ear. The voice made
her freeze. She knew who this was. Judas. The vamp behind this whole thing. He was the reason the
Gestalt came here in the first place. The Gestalt wasn’t the real threat. It
was Judas. She was in
deep shit. ************************* Dawn came into
the living room. She crossed her arms, rolling her eyes at Buffy. Her sister
was on the couch watching a soap opera. The scene wasn’t uncommon. That was all
she seemed to do anymore- sit on the couch and stare at the screen. Oh, and
eat. She ate a lot now. The throwing up had stopped to be replaced with a great
urge to consume everything. Buffy glanced
over at her sibling. “This is so sad,” she commented. “This guy is in love with
this girl, but he thinks that she is married. But she’s not. She’s only
pretending to be so that her old boyfriend will leave her alone. Oh, and she
might be pregnant by this other guy who got her drunk.” Dawn raised an
eyebrow. “Have you seen
Alexis?” Dawn asked. “No, why? Is she missing?” Buffy replied. “I can’t find
her anywhere.” “Maybe she’s
at Giles’.” Buffy furrowed her brow. “I don’t get it. They’ve been hanging out
a lot together.” “I’ll call.” Dawn went to
call Giles. She picked up the phone, dialed, and waited for an answer. There
was none even after six rings. He must not be home, Dawn reasoned. All of a
sudden there was a sound of pain from Buffy. Dawn rushed out of the kitchen.
She found Buffy at the top of the stairs. The slayer was holding the banister
tightly, her other hand clutching her stomach. “Buffy, are
you all right?” Dawn questioned, worried. Just then
Spike came into view. “What is going on?” he demanded. “I’m fine,
guys,” Buffy stated, straightening up. She took a deep breath. “I was just
heading back down from the bathroom. I felt a pain in my middle, but it’s gone
now. I’m fine.” A frown was on
Spike’s face. “Stay right where you are. I’m coming to get you.” “I’m not an
invalid! I can get down the stairs,” Buffy spat. Buffy began to
make her way down the steps. She was fine until she made it halfway. She let
out a cry, losing her balance. Spike rushed past Dawn, catching the slayer
before she tumbled. He scooped his girlfriend up, heading up to the bedroom. Spike laid
Buffy down on the bed. He sat down beside her on the mattress. He smoothed back
her hair, gazing into her pained face. “What is it, luv?” “It hurts,”
she gasped. He swallowed.
Fear rose up in his chest. “Is it the baby?” Buffy shut her
eyes. “I-I think so,” she confessed. “It feels . . . It feels like there is
this giant fire in my abdomen.” Spike
instantly jumped off the bed. “We’re going to the hospital!” She grabbed
his arm. “No! Get “All right. But if she says this isn’t magical you are going straight
to Sunnydale General.” She nodded. Spike hurried
out of the room. He caught a hiss from Buffy as he stepped out into the hall. ************************* Alexis let out
a piercing scream. Electricity streamed into her, filling her with agony.
Finally it stopped. She slumped over, drained. “Do you know
what I just did to you, child?” Celeste, who Alexis had learned was a witch,
asked. “Um, hit me
with some power that fucking hurts?” Alexis answered. Celeste
grinned coldly. “I stole some of your life away.” “Oh.” Well that
explained why Alexis felt so tired. Was that their master plan? Hit her with
some mojo that sapped her until her heart just didn’t
have the strength to beat anymore? That’d do it all right. She’d never be born.
She’d never fulfill the prophecy. Which meant Judas would remain a vampire. “So, you’re
going to kill me then?” The grin on
Celeste’s face widened. “Eventually. After your precious mother gets here to watch.” Alexis
struggled against the chains that were wrapped around her wrists, connecting
her to the wall. It was no use. She was so weak from the power, and even if she
wasn’t the bonds were too strong. She slumped, giving
up, and letting out a sob. “Mommy,” she
whispered. ************************** Spike walked
into Buffy’s room with Tara and Giles. The slayer lay on the bed, very pale.
She didn’t seem to be in any pain at the moment, but looked small and
frightened. The witch stepped
over to Buffy’s side. She took Buffy’s hand. “We’re here. Spike called me. He
also asked Giles to come as well.” Buffy gave a
small smile at the ex-vampire. “Thanks,” she murmured. “Okay,
sweetie, let me have a look,” Buffy allowed
the other woman to push the covers aside. Then Suddenly Buffy sat up a
little. “What is it!?” “Something is
draining your baby’s strength,” Buffy
protectively hugged her belly. “How?” “They must be
doing it from afar. Buffy hasn’t come in contact with any bads
lately,” Spike reasoned. “I-It’s
strange,” “Dear lord,”
Giles muttered. Everybody
turned toward the watcher. He returned their stare with one of gloom. “I may know
what is causing this.” “What!?” Spike demanded. He clenched his hands into fists. Giles bowed
his head. “I may regret this later, but under the circumstances at the moment I
feel that I must disregard my digression.” “What do you
mean?” Buffy inquired. “I’ve been
keeping information from you all,” he confessed. “Like what!?”
Buffy’s voice rose to one of approaching anger. Giles lifted
his head. He met Buffy’s eyes. “Your daughter is in danger because someone has
her this very moment. Someone is able to drain her with physical contact as we
speak.” “That’s
impossible,” Spike commented. “How can someone have physical contact when she’s
still in her mum’s womb?” He snickered. “Unless she can be in
two places at once.” “That is
exactly what I’m saying. Your daughter is in two places at once. One lies in
Buffy’s stomach, and another is somewhere out there in the hands of our enemy.” “Have you gone
completely off your rocker!” Irritated,
Giles said, “No, I am not mad.” He sighed. He glanced around at the other three
occupants. “Alexis.” He said the name as if it explained everything. “What about
Alexis?” Buffy questioned. “Alexis is
your daughter, Buffy. Your daughter from the future.” ______________________________________________________ Chapter 21-Future Events Part I (2016) Alexis opened
the door and entered her house. She gestured for Sirena
to follow. The other girl obeyed. She was the same age as Alexis, with short
brown hair and emerald eyes. She acted shy around everyone except her best
friend and family. “Come on,
we’ll find my mom and ask about you spending the night,” Alexis stated. Sirena nodded. She followed Alexis. They searched the house, finding it
empty. Puzzlement
fell over Alexis. “Mom should be home. She doesn’t work today.” “Do you think
she went shopping?” Sirena offered. Alexis
shrugged. “Maybe. She might have gone out to buy Aunt
Dawn a birthday present.” That was when
the door was heard opening. Both girls hurried to see who it was. Buffy and
Giles entered the living room. Alexis froze at the expressions on their faces.
She moved a hand in front of Sirena, blocking her
from leaving the kitchen also. “Something is
wrong,” Alexis whispered. “Mom and Grandpa Giles look worried.” The two adults
sat down on the couch. Buffy sighed. “I can’t believe this is happening. I
thought I’d never have to deal with this sort of thing again. “Yes, so did
I,” Giles replied. Next to the
kneeling Alexis, Sirena whispered,
”We shouldn’t be spying.” Alexis hissed
at her friend to stay quiet. “So is that
our only option? Why can’t Alexis turned
toward Sirena. The girl was intent on eavesdropping
too now. It was the mention of her mothers, no doubt. Sirena
had been adopted by both “It’s not that
simple, Buffy,” Giles informed. “Spells from this time won’t reach into the
past.” “How convenient.” Alexis
stiffened. Past? This was too weird. “So, I’m
sorry, but the only way to stop this is to send someone back.” “And it has to
be Alexis?” Buffy said it flatly. “Sending one
of us is out of the question. The same atoms can’t exist in the same time.”
Giles looked over at his substitute daughter. He understood how she felt. He
had experienced it every time he sent her off to another apocalypse. But it
simply had to be done when the world was at risk. Giles touched
Buffy’s arm. “She’s the only one capable of doing this. She has the strength
and the passion. She can stop this.” A nod of
comprehension came from the former slayer. Darkness suddenly crossed her face.
“But at what cost?” ___________________________________________ Chapter Twenty- Two- A Cry in the Dark “Hey, guys,” Giles glanced
over. “ “What’s up?” Buffy suddenly
came out of her daze. “Giles dropped a bombshell on us, that’s what.” Her voice
was harsh. “Alexis seems to be my daughter.” Blinking, Buffy crossed
her arms. She turned to her mentor. “We were just getting to that.” She raised
an eyebrow, expectantly. Giles cleared
his throat. “I found out a couple weeks ago. I found a prophecy. I deduced her
origin by the passages. She will someday save us all from demons. She was
telling the truth about that part. It told of how she would be born of a slayer
and vampire given breath. I assume the words refer to Spike’s transformation.” “Weeks! You knew for weeks!? And you had no intention of telling
me!” “Calm down,
will you.” Giles took off his glasses. He sighed. “Alexis made me see that the
information could drastically change the future. Which is
most likely unavoidable now.” “Who’s to say
that that is a bad thing? We might all end up as millionaires now.” She let out
a humorless laugh. “Yes, but we
don’t know for sure.” “There’s
something you could enlighten me on, watcher,” Spike spoke up. “How can Alexis
be in two places at once? Didn’t you mention something about how there couldn’t
be doubles?” “Uh, normally
that would be true. The risk of atoms colliding is too great. Alexis is able to
exist in two forms because one is currently secluded in Buffy’s womb. There is
no danger of Alexis touching herself. Buffy’s stomach serves as a barrier to .
. .” A moan escaped
Buffy, interrupting Giles’s explanation. Spike went into action. He knelt by
her side, looking her over. He brushed hair out of her face, searching her
face. “Are you in
pain again, pet?” Spike asked. She nodded,
not able to form words. “Sh-She is feeling the pain that Alexis is. The future
Alexis’s essence is the same as the one in this time. Someone is sapping it
dry. Buffy can feel the baby’s peril,” The red-head
fixed her gaze on her ex-girlfriend. “Is there a way to stop it?” The slayer
cupped her middle. Her eyes glistened. She shook her head. “No. I won’t
be able to feel her. And if I can’t . . .” Buffy took a shaky breath. “At least
with the pain I know she is still alive.” Spike took
Buffy’s hand and squeezed it. He couldn’t stand the thought of Buffy being in
so much agony. He couldn’t stand the thought of their daughter . . . Alexis
suffering either. He couldn’t
believe it. He had been around Alexis for awhile now and hadn’t even had a
suspicion. True, he had noticed something between them. They had some sort of
bond. But he hadn’t realized . . . She was so strong and beautiful. Like her
mother. Her eyes. His chest swelled as he imagined her
gaze. Those blue orbs matched his own. Pride spread through him as the miracle
of it all crashed down on him. He was a father. Buffy and he had given life to an
amazing creature. Pressure
crushed Spike’s hand. He realized that it was Buffy. She was clenching him as
another blow hit her. This time it wasn’t only a moan that came out of her, but
a full out bellow. “I can’t stand
this,” Spike growled. He snapped his head to the side. He pointed at “I-I can’t,” Spike nodded. “Right then. Glinda, you’ve been
elected.” “I can try,” Fire flared in
his eyes. “You won’t ‘try’, you will ‘do’!” Spike looked
away, ashamed. “Sorry, ducks. Didn’t mean ta . . .” “N-no, it’s
okay. I understand.” “Do what you
can. Please.” “I will.” Buffy collapsed
against the pillows. The tremors of pain had ceased, leaving her exhausted. She
was sweaty and her eyes fluttered, wanting to close. “Spike,” Buffy
whispered. He stroked the
side of her face. “What is it? Is there anything I can do?” “Help her.
Please, Spike,” she pleaded. “We’ll find
her and bring her home to us.” Buffy held
both his hands in her grasp. “I can feel her so strongly. I think she’s ready
to give up. I’m . . .” Buffy let out a sob. “I’m afraid she’s dying.” “No,” Spike
said firmly. “She’s going to be all right. The good witch’ll
do a location spell. Then we can storm in there and kick the git’s ass that stole our lil’
girl from us.” A small smile
formed on Buffy’s mouth. “I believe you.” She kissed his palm and then let him
go. Her eyes closed. He kissed her
forehead. “Sleep, slayer. Everything will be right as rain when you wake up. Spike’ll fix everythin.” ************************ A while later
Buffy awoke to feel Spike stroking her cheek. She forced her eyes open,
focusing on his concerned features. “We found out
where she is,” he told her. His words made
her more alert. She sat up and then swung her legs over the side of the bed. “What are you
doing?” Buffy got to
her feet. Her legs were wobbly, but she managed to support her weight. “I’m going to
find my daughter, that’s what,” she declared in a determined voice. The
bleached-blonde grabbed her shoulders. He stared her hard in the face. “What if
another attack hits? I can’t let you come, much too risky.” She shook her
head. She thrust his hands off her. “I am going!” “Think
rationally, slayer!” She took a
deep breath. “Fine. Get “Buffy . . .”
Spike sighed. “I can’t stay
here just lying around. I’m the slayer, damnit. You
have to understand.” Her hand touched her rounded belly. “She’s my little girl,
Spike. Please.” She pleaded with her eyes. How was it
that he could never deny her anything? “Bloody hell.
Okay. I’ll get the witch in here so that she can do her hocus pocus on you.” Dawn offered
to stay with Buffy, Spike,
Giles, and ************************ Alexis could
hardly keep her eyes open. She had already passed out a couple times and fought
doing so again. She watched the vampire and witch interact before her. There
had also been a demon that had made a brief appearance. He was gross looking
with gray skin. She deduced that it must be the Gestalt. “Why have you
stopped?” Judas angrily asked. “Because,”
Celeste replied,” Anymore could kill her.” “That is our
goal, or have you forgotten?” “Yes, but we
need her alive to drawl the slayer to us.” Judas growled,
frustrated. He was losing patience. This woman seemed to forget who was in
charge. Just then the
door to his lair was thrown open. His head snapped to the side, taking in the
commanding form of the slayer. She wore fitting white attire, crossbow in hand.
Beside her stood a bleach-blonde man. He held a sword,
a menacing look on his face. Two others were behind them, but Judas paid little
attention to them. Buffy pointed
her weapon at Judas. She glanced around at his lair. It resembled a castle
dungeon. “You could use a decorator,” she remarked. She smiled over at her
companion. “Makes your crypt look like a palace.” Spike smirked.
It quickly dissipated when he noticed the girl hanging by her wrists. She
raised her head, her eyes meeting his with hope. He took a step toward Judas,
his sword raised. He was halted by Celeste, however. She made the blade slip
out of his grasp, and cause him to freeze in place. “Spike!” Buffy called. “I can’t move.
The bint has me in her control,” Spike said. A crooked,
unnerving grin formed on Celeste’s mouth. “Watch your daughter die,” she told
Buffy. The witch
aimed at Alexis. Things happened very fast then. Spike found that he could move
again. She must not be able to concentrate on two things at once, he thought.
He bolted forward, putting himself in the line of her attack instead. The
electricity hit him. The bolts seeped into his skin, sucking at his essence. “Spike!” Buffy shrieked. The distraction
allowed Judas to make his move. He rammed at Buffy. He tackled her to the
ground. She kicked at him, getting him off of her. Normally she would have been
able to jump back to her feet, but do to her pregnancy that wasn’t an option.
She struggled to get up, which was a slow process. Judas recovered quicker. He
grabbed hold of her, tossing her into the wall. She hit it hard, letting out a
grunt. Giles went
into rescue mode. He came at Judas with a battle axe. The middle-aged man
wasn’t a bad fighter. He was trained well in mortal combat. But this was a
vampire of high ranking. Not a master yet, but definitely not your average
fledgling. He cut the vampire across the chest, wounding him. He almost
decapitated the vamp as well, but Judas blocked. The blade hit Judas’s arm
instead. Meanwhile, “Are you all
right?” Alexis nodded.
“The key. Do you know where it is?” “N-No. It’s .
. . magically bound.” Damnit, The teen fell,
not able to support herself. She looked off at the
scene around her. “Oh my God,” she whispered. “I know,” Alexis shook
her head. “No, it isn’t.” Tears sprung to her eyes. “You have to help them,”
she insisted. “No,” Alexis
begged. “They’re too strong. Use your magic. Please.” The red-head
evaluated her surroundings. Buffy was in a heap across the room. Spike was
being consumed by Celeste. And Giles . . . At that moment she witnessed the
watcher’s arm get twisted. Giles screamed out as bone snapped. Things weren’t
going very well. In fact, they were certainly losing. The room spun.
She distantly heard Alexis plead with her again. Wind from
nowhere swirled around “Hectate, hear my cry!” _________________________________________________ Chapter Twenty- Three- Come Back to Me She turned
toward Celeste. She unleashed her wrath upon the other witch. The blast threw
Celeste away from Spike. She kept hitting the woman even after she was
obviously dead. “ “ If Buffy couldn’t
care for her best friend. She moved past “Spike,” Buffy
whispered, barely audible. There was no
response. She placed his hand to the pulse point on the side of his neck. She
couldn’t sense anything under her fingers. She searched around, sure she wasn’t
pressing in the right place. But she still couldn’t find any indication of
blood flowing. “No.” She
shook her head. She took her palm and moved it to his chest. She couldn’t feel
anything there either. “No!” Enraged and desperate, she shook the ex-vampire. “You can’t do
this to me, Spike! You bastard!” Behind her,
Alexis huddled in a corner. Fright was written all over her face. “Daddy,” she
muttered. Buffy raised
her head. Water shimmered in her gaze. “Does anyone know CPR?” She looked
around for her watcher. He should know. When she found him her heart squeezed.
He was unconscious. “Please,”
Alexis begged. “Do something.” She was beseeching with The red-head
took a ragged breath. “I- can’t.” Her voice was hoarse. Alexis got to
her feet. She staggered and would have teetered to the ground, but Buffy acted
with slayer speed. She caught her daughter, holding her to her as if she were a
lifeline. The teen surrendered to her mother’s embrace. “Make her do
something,” Alexis demanded in a muffled tone. Buffy closed
her eyes, overcome with conflicting emotions. When she opened them again she
was surprised to see “Stop me if I
let it take me over,” Buffy nodded. Suddenly “D-Did it
work?” Buffy and
Alexis checked on the man most important in their life. Relief spread over them
to discover that his chest rose and fell. His skin was warm and deeper in
color. Buffy rocked
Alexis. “Everything’s going to be okay,” she assured her. Alexis let her
eyes droop, letting sleep take her over. No one noticed
that a certain vampire was no longer around. He had escaped right after ************************* Alexis slept
all the way home. She needed to replenish the strength Celeste had stolen from
her. They put her on the couch when they got there. Giles had
woken up shortly after Spike was
taken immediately to Buffy’s room. She hid away with him, locking the door. “ “What did you
do?” “I used
magic,” she confessed. “I’ve been trying not to because I knew you would never
take me back if I did. But it was the only way. If I didn’t then the witch
would have killed us all. And Spike . . . I saw pain on Alexis and Buffy. I had
to save him.” “I don’t see
how this is a bad thing, “How can you
say that?” “You did good. Magic was needed. It wasn’t some game you were playing
to have fun. Don’t you see the difference? I don‘t disapprove of you using
magic. I disapprove of the way you use it.” “You didn’t
see me,” A sob escaped “Y-yes, you
could have. The problem is that you don’t control the magic, you let it control
you. This witch you killed let the magic whiteen her heart. But it doesn’t have
to be that way. Instead it can cleanse you, making you a better person.” Their eyes
met. An understanding passed through them then. “Help me,” “Help me know
the right way.” ************************** Buffy couldn’t
take her eyes off Spike. He looked . . . empty. Was he even there inside? Or
was he only a shell? “I. . . I thought
I lost you,” she said. She hoped he
could hear her. Even if he was somewhere else she hoped that maybe it would
bring him back. Didn’t she read somewhere that talking to someone in a coma
could make them wake up? Is that what had happened to Spike? Did he become
comatose? Buffy reached
for his hand. She interlocked their fingers. They fit perfectly. Like two
puzzle pieces. Why hadn’t she ever realized that before? “I’ve never
been so scared. And that’s saying something. I’ve been through a lot being the
slayer.” She held back
the tears that threatened to fall. “When I
thought . . . It was as if something was being taken away. As
if half of me was missing.” The dam broke.
“Why’d you do
it?” A wobbly smile came to her face. “Stupid question.
I know you had to do it. I know you had to save our little girl. But . . .” Buffy gasped.
A slight fluttering sensation could be sensed in her belly. At first she
panicked, not knowing what it was. And then it hit her. “Oh my god.” Her wobbly smile turned into a bright grin. She took
Spike’s hand and placed it on her abdomen. “That’s her. Our
daughter. Alexis. She’s kicking. She’s saying hello to us.” Until that
moment Buffy hadn’t really taken in the fact that this was all real. She was
going to be a mother. There was something growing inside her. Something Spike
and she created. “Come back,
Spike. Please come back. Alexis and I need you.” She waited for
a response. Anything. She studied his face. There was
nothing. He remained slack. “You win,
Spike. This game we’ve been playing. This dancing contest.
Well, you’ve won.” It took her a
moment to be able to continue. “You get the
grand prize, Spike. You get my heart. All you gotta
do is wake up and take it. Please.” Her voice broke. “I love you.” ______________________________________________ Chapter Twenty-Four- Future Events Part II (2016) It was
Alexis’s prompt to come out of hiding. “You’re sending me?” Surprise
overcame Buffy. Her head sprung over toward Alexis. She examined the direction
her daughter had emerged from. She frowned as she saw Sirena
step shyly out of the kitchen as well. “How much did
you hear?” Buffy asked. “Everything,”
Alexis confessed. A sigh escaped
Buffy. She sat back. “It’s for the best that you did, I suppose.” Just then
someone entered the house. He was bleach-blonde and wearing a very worn duster. “They want me to work Saturday. Bloody
hell,” he muttered. He stopped when he took them all in. The expressions of
worry on his wife and Giles were alarming. “What is wrong?” Buffy went
over to meet him. She met his gaze. “Spike,” she whispered. He reached out
and hugged her. She buried her face in his chest. He stroked her silky hair.
“What’s the matter, luv?” Spike shifted
his eyes to Giles. “What’s Rupert here for?” The only reply
the former watcher gave was, “Hello, Spike.” Not quite a tone of friendship,
but of acceptance. “I’ve been
elected to visit the past,” Anne informed her father. She sounded giddy. Spike blinked.
“Huh, what?” Buffy stirred.
She drew away from the comfort of Spike’s warmth. And then it hit her, how
important this was. If Alexis didn’t go back, she wouldn‘t have this. Judas
would probably kill her and Alexis would never be born. The world would be
never be cleansed. Vampires would walk among the land until eternity. Buffy wiped
her eyes. She was ready to handle this. She led her husband to the couch. “It‘s
time.” Those words
seemed to answer everything. Alexis and Sirena were
the only ones clueless, needing the whole scenario explained. Somehow Spike
already knew exactly what was going on, which his daughter thought was strange.
“You have to
warn your parents in the past. If you don‘t Judas will likely kill your mother.
Which will prevent you from being born,” Giles concluded. “Vampires will never
become human again. Demons won’t be sent back to hell.” “No problem,”
Alexis commented. “I’ll just go kick some demon a. . .
butt.” She was so
excited. She’d listened to all the stories about her mother saving the world.
She wanted to do the same. Life for her was so boring, too mundane. She longed
for adventure, being the heroine. She’d make her parents proud. “This is
serious, Alexi. It isn’t fun and games!” Buffy
scolded. “Your mum’s
right,” Spike backed up. “She actually died from the mojo
that happened back then.” A sudden
determination swept through her. “Well, I’m gonna
keep it that way. ‘Back then.’ If someone doesn’t stop this thing, darkness
will continue into now,” Alexis said. Buffy hugged
her daughter. She was so proud of her, but so scared at the thought of losing
her. “You have it
in you, what makes the slayer. The flame that keeps ya goin. That’s what made
your mum so successful. We’re just afraid of what you’ll do to achieve it,”
Spike told Alexis. “Don’t go
ballistic. I’m not gonna jump into any big balls of light,”
Alexis assured them. “Good. Cuz I’d bloody well would go to heaven and drag you back
here,” Spike said. Alexis smiled.
She knew he would too. Giles turned
to Sirena. The girl had stood, silently, in the
corner listening. “Sirena, please go tell Sirena blinked. “Okay,” she said, lowly. Then she headed to the door. The former
slayer, now wife and mother, watched her family with tenderness. Finally, after
a long suffering hell on Earth, she had reached contentment. An ache rose
inside her chest. She didn’t know what she would do if it were taken away. *********************** The whole gang
arrived. “We were just
about to play this new video game,” Will had
complained to his father. That was until he learned why he had been brought
home. Then he became very quiet. “This is very
important, Alexis,” Giles told her. “Don’t tell our past selves why you are
there. It could drastically change the order of things. We aren‘t supposed to
know of things until it is time.” “Um . . .
Okay,” Alexis Everyone said
their goodbyes to Alexis. Buffy kissed
and hugged her daughter. “Be careful,” she said. Alexis nodded,
hugging her mother back. “I know you’ll
do great, sunshine,” Spike remarked, using his nickname for her. “Don’t do
anything stupid,” Anya warned. “And if your parents
don’t act exactly like they do now don’t be too alarmed. They eventually will
shape up and have many wonderful orgasms without guilt.” Her husband
shook his head. He was used to her outbursts by now. Nick and
Alexis stared at each other, not quite sure what to say. Alexis had a huge
crush on Nick, but she wasn’t sure if the boy felt that way about her. She knew
he liked her as a friend, though he had given no indication that he wanted to
progress further. Surprising
everyone, Nick quickly kissed Alexis on the cheek. “I’ll see you
when you get back,” he said. Alexis
blinked. Her heart beat furiously. Now if that wasn’t hopeful. . . William stared
at the floor, uncomfortably. Then he stepped forward. He embraced his sister. “I’m scared, Alexi” he confessed. “Don’t worry,
Will,” Alexis told him.” I’ll be back in no time and boss you around like I
always do.” They smiled at
each other. Before stepping
through, Alexis shifted to her parents. “Oh, when I get back can Sirena spend the night?” With
shimmering eyes, Buffy replied, “Of course. Just come back safely.” And then
Alexis was gone. *********************** Buffy leaned
against Spike. The portal had closed, leaving the living room in silence. “Tell me
she’ll be all right,” she asked her husband. “She’ll be all
right. You remember, right? She does a good job.” “Yes, but what
if she somehow changes the past? Ugh, this time travel stuff is so confusing.” _______________________________________________________ Chapter Twenty-Five- Tipsy Buffy had
drifted off against her will. She jarred back awake when a pounding hit her
ears. As she was brought out of her groggy state, she
realized that it was someone knocking on the door. “Who is it?”
the slayer called. Out in the
hall, the visitor timidly replied. “It-It’s me.” She instantly
stood up. She went to the door and flung it open to come face-to-face with
Alexis. The girl still looked worn-out, but she was fully alert. “Would you
like to come in?” Buffy questioned. She widened the entrance invitingly. Alexis
cautiously stepped into the dim bedroom. Her eyes landed on her future father’s
form. “Is he. . .
Will he be all right?” Buffy took a
deep breath. “I hope so.” The teen
hugged herself. She seemed cold and lost. “I’m sorry I
lied.” The words were soft. “I didn’t want to.” There was an
awkward silence. Buffy wondered
what Alexis must be thinking right then. All the terrible things she had said about
her pregnancy had to have hit the girl hard. Buffy felt absolutely guilty about
that. “I’m sorry
too.” “For what?” Alexis asked, confused. Buffy pulled
Alexis into her arms. “For saying things I didn’t mean. I love you, Alexi. I’m so glad you were brought to us.” Involuntary
tears sprung to Alexis’s eyes. She held her mother back hard. “I love you too .
. . Mom.” *********************** Downstairs, “Xander Harris, where have you been?” she demanded. The man entered
the house, offering a smile. “Hey, Will. Sorry I wasn’t around yesterday. I was
sorta a busy bee.” “So were we.
Everyone had to rescue Alexis and face the big bad.” Xander removed his jacket. He hung it up by the door. “Wish I could
have been there. Sounds like fun.” There was no sarcasm in his voice. “And
that’s saying a lot.” His face
darkened. “Oh, well, I was at Sunnydale Memorial with
Anya for awhile watching my offspring on a screen.
That wasn’t the bad part. The bad part came after.” The two
friends went into the living room. They both sat down on the couch, facing each
other. “I can’t
imagine what could be worse than facing a vampire and super-witch,” “This was far
worse, let me assure you. I would have rather spent a whole day locked in a
closet with Spike than have to do what I did yesterday.” He sighed. “My parents.” Instantly “So, I take it
that didn’t go well.” “It was
strange. I expected yelling and a big lecture. Instead I was greeted by two
strangers. Sure, my mother was disappointed that I eloped, but she respected my
decision. They even congratulated us on our future and children. I found out
they are going to marital counseling. Dad is also a member of AA.” “That’s just
it. There wasn’t any. It was unnerving. Like my whole world had been shifted
upside down.” “And you would
have rather been in a battle? Or spent a day with Spike?” She laughed at how
absurd it sounded. Xander nodded. “At least I know what to expect in both cases.” “Xan,” “Huh? What?”
He groaned. “Well, ya know Alexis?” “Of course. How could I forget future-girl?” “Well, you
missed out on a lot yesterday. Let me fill you in.” *********************** White. That was the only thing Spike saw. It surrounded him in all
directions, closing him in. It bathed him, physically warming him, and yet
leaving him mentally cold. He knew what this meant and he didn’t want it. Not
now. Please, not now. Not when Buffy needed him. Not when Alexis was growing
inside her. Not when evil was after them both. “Hello,
William,” a voice said. It was sweet and airy. It sounded feminine, but he
wasn’t quite sure. Hell, maybe it was both. Spike spun
around. He didn’t see anyone. “Where are
you? Whose talking?” he demanded. “I am all
around you. I am the leader of this realm.” He suddenly
felt faint. “Oh no. Bloody hell no! Don’t tell me I’m
speaking with God.” There was
laughter. “What is so
bloody hilarious!?” “You think
this is heaven, mortal?” the voice asked. “I don’t know
what to think. I must be dead. If I wasn’t I’d be back home
with my slayer.” “Oh, but you
are.” Spike’s face
scrunched into a confused expression. “Don’t speak in riddles. I know that
isn’t true. I can’t be in two places at once.” He paused. “Although,
my daughter seems to have managed it.” “This is an
in-between world. Your mind and soul are here, while your body remains on
earth. This place is neither heaven nor hell. Neither good
nor bad. It simply serves as a sanctuary for those in wait.” “Wait for
what?” “Wait to see
if they will return or move on.” “Oh, so I’m
not dead then?” “Not yet.” “Hey! So, you
mean I might be soon?” “I didn’t say
that either.” A frustrated
growl emerged from Spike’s throat. “Stop! Just tell me if I am going to die or not!” Spike shouted. Somehow Spike
knew the owner of the voice was smirking. “You may
return, William. But you can’t the same way you left.” “What does
that mean?” He breathed in deeply. “Your essence
was fractured by the dark witch. It was not molded properly when you changed
and was easy to break apart. We must repair it.” “Oh, great. How long will that take?” “Not long,”
the entity replied. Spike nodded. “Right then. Do it and send me on my merry way.” “Are you not curious
as to what mending your essence entails?” “Not much as
long as it gets me back to my slayer.” “Very well. I think I’ll tell you anyway.” Spike shook
his head. Figures. The voice
continued, explaining the process. “We must bind your demon to the soul of
William.” “Demon? I thought I lost that.” “No. The
change made you human but did not destroy the demon. It simply let William into
the driver’s seat. We have to get the demon behind the wheel as well to make
you stable.” “Makes perfect
sense now,” Spike remarked with sarcasm. “Just do the bloody thing already.” “As you wish.” _________________________________________________________ Chapter Twenty-Six- The Sun Spike’s eyes
shot open. He abruptly bolted upright, sucking in air. Buffy, who had her head lying
on his chest, also jerked upright. The man looked around, taking in the closed
blinds in a panic. Then his gaze met hers. His blue eyes
were filled with fright. He shivered. The slayer
wrapped her arms around him, holding him to her. “Spike,” she whispered. “I
thought you might never wake up.” “It’s so
cold,” he said, shakily. “So cold.” Buffy smoothed
down his hair. She shushed him. He violently
shook his head. He pushed her away with unnatural force. It took her by
surprise. She fell off the bed, but got to her feet without landing on the
floor. “Stay away!”
Spike hissed. “You shouldn’t have to touch me.” “Spike, what
is wrong with you?” The lost look
in his eyes had been replaced by wildness. “I’m a
monster.” Buffy blinked.
“I don’t understand.” “I’m a vampire
again,” he told her. “They made me a vampire again.” Neither of
them moved for what seemed like an eternity. Buffy stared at him hard. Finally
she moved, going over to the window. She took the blind rod and let in
streaming light from outside. She turned back to him, seeing that he had turned
his head away. “What is
this?” she demanded. “You aren’t a vampire, Spike. I can sense vampires and you
certainly aren‘t one.” He wouldn’t
look at her. She sighed. She went to sit back down beside him. She took his
hand and brought it to his chest. “Your heart is
beating.” Manic laughter
spilled out of him. “Stop it!” She
wanted to slap him, but restrained herself. His laughter
quickly turned to tears. He crushed her to him. “I thought. .
.” “But why?” she
questioned. “I’m so cold,”
he said. She touched
his forehead. A small smile played at her lips. “You have a fever. Probably the
aftereffects of the power drain. You feel cold, but you are really burning up.”
She began to get up. “I’m going to bring you some medicine.” Spike grabbed
her wrist. “Wait!” Buffy stopped.
“Things are
different. Why are they different? If I’m not a . . .” She frowned.
“What is different?” “I can hear,
Buffy. I can hear your heart. I can also hear Alexis’s heart. It’s thumping so
fast. Babies do that right?” She nodded. “Yeah. Babies do that.” “When I pushed
you off the bed . . .” He swallowed. “I’m strong, luv.
Didn’t you feel it?” “I felt it.” *********************** Buffy ran
downstairs to get the Ibuprofen. She was met by a myriad of questions by the
group. “He’s awake,”
she announced. Dawn pointed
to the bottle of medicine her sister held. “Is that for him?” “Yeah. He’s got a slight temperature.” “But he’s
okay?” Nodding, the
slayer said, “Yeah. He’ll be fine.” She couldn’t
explain why he had super hearing or strength, but he seemed all right. Alexis got up
from her seat. “Can I see him?” Buffy opened
the bottle of Ibuprofen. She tipped it so that two tablets spilled out. She
dropped them into Alexis’s palm. “Get some
water and take it up to him.” Alexis eagerly
complied. She got a glass down and filled it with tap water. Then she hurried
up to the second floor. ************************* Alexis briefly
paused before entering the room. It was illuminated by brilliant light that
streamed in from outside. She couldn’t quite recall a day as bright as this
one. Her father sat
propped up by a pillow, his gaze intently focused on the window. She hesitated,
unsure of herself. “Sp-Spike,
Buffy asked me to give you these,” she stammered. He slowly
turned his head. He took in the offered medication and water. He seemed to
ponder a moment before accepting them. “How are you
feeling?” Shrugging,
Spike replied, “Not sure. Don’t know if what’s happened to me is a good thing,
or bad thing.” She answered
quickly without thinking. “It’s good.” He cocked his
head to the side, an eyebrow raised. “That so? Do
tell.” “Well, uh . .
. I know what they did to you. Mom and Dad told me about it.” “Enlighten me
then, pet, cuz I’m kinda
fuzzy here.” “You were
unbalanced. Celeste shattered your essence, but even before that you were
unstable. The powers, or whoever, made it so that your demon and human self
have equal dominion. So now you are kinda like a
slayer. Ya know, extra
strength and healing. Pretty cool, huh?” Her voice didn’t sound like it was
pretty cool. “It isn’t like
bein a slayer at all,” he said. “I can feel it in me.
The demon.” He scrunched up his face in confusion.
“But it isn’t like before. It isn’t screaming inside me to let it out. It isn’t
begging for a good kill.” Alexis forced
a smile. “That is because you are balanced. Hello, have you been listening?” Spike couldn’t
help but crack a smile. He let out a laugh. This caused Alexis’s smile to turn
into a genuine one. “I guess it is
a good thing,” the ex-vamp remarked. “Duh.” “I’m just not
used to this oneness is all. My body is at peace, but
my mind still needs some work.” There was a
span of silence. Alexis was the one to break it. “I’m glad
you’re okay. Do you need anything else? Food? Hot chocolate? I think we have some little marshmallows.” “That’d be
splendid.” She nodded.
“Be right back, Spike.” She was about
to leave, but he halted her with a shout. “Wait!” Alexis spun
back around. “Huh? What?” “Come here,”
he ordered. The girl felt
like she was eight again and was being scolded. She stepped over to the side of
the bed. “Don’t call me
that,” he told her. She blinked,
perplexed. What had she called him? Oh. Alexis fell
into his arms. At first she
had to force herself to call her parents by their first names. She was proud of
herself for not slipping up. She had been doing it for so long now that it
seemed natural. Reverting back to their rightful titles was difficult. “I won’t
again, Dad.” she promised. He pulled back
to look at her. The light swam around her and he was overwhelmed by her beauty.
Her mother and her were as radiant as the sun itself. “I know,
Sunshine.” “Sunshine?” Her eyes widened in shock. “Yeah. You and your mum are my rays of sunshine.” Alexis stood
up. “What is it?”
Spike questioned, slightly worried. “Nothing. I just figured something out.” *************************** Giles was
overwhelmed the second he walked in the door. He was surrounded by young
people, all concerned for his welfare. Then he had to be filled in on Spike’s
condition. After that was somewhat straightened out, Alexis came storming in.
She grabbed his good arm and pulled him aside. “Grandpa
Giles, I figured something out,” the teen announced. “Grandpa . .
.? Dear lord,” he muttered. Giles wished
he could clean his glasses, but it was much too difficult of feat with one
hand. Alexis rambled
on. “Spike and Buffy were supposed to find out about me. You, in the future,
knew this because you remember it happening. But you also remember me telling
you to keep it a secret at first. So, in order to keep the timeline the same
you told me to not tell anyone about the future. It’s like a big circle. A
future event causes a past event.” She contemplated this. “Or a past event
causes a future event. Anyway. . . Am I making any
sense?” “Strangely,
yes. Buffy and Spike weren’t supposed to find out until it was time. I told you
to keep things secret because that is what would keep the discovery from
happening sooner; which might have caused a shift in history. Remarkable. How did you find this out?” “Dad calls me
Sunshine in the future. He never told me how or when he came up with the name.
I just found out.” “Are you
saying that Spike called you Sunshine today?” Giles asked. “Yep. Upstairs. He thought up the name back
here in 2001.” “This is quite
fascinating.” “Yes, and
quite confusing.” ________________________________________________________ Chapter Twenty-Seven- Something Red Buffy took a
long, refreshing shower. The hot water seemed to wash away all the anxiety she
had been harboring for the past two days. Now that everything had settled down
she could let herself relax. She took the soap and lathered her body. It was so
soothing that she let out a moan. She leaned
against the wall and let the spray hit her full force. Her hands roamed to her
middle, lingering there. “It’s all
right, Alexi. Everything is all right now,” she
whispered. She almost
expected her daughter to answer with a kick, but nothing happened. She was a
little disappointed. The subtle fluttering yesterday had been the first sign of
movement baby Alexis had given to the outside world. When the water
began to grow cold, Buffy reluctantly got out. She wrapped a white towel around
her. It barely fit anymore. She frowned. It was about time to go shopping. She
needed maternity clothes and larger towels. She crept out
of the bathroom and down the hall to her room. She opened the door and stepped
inside. The only light came from the small bedside lamp. Spike lay under the
covers, his eyes closed. He stirred, sensing her presence. “Nice shower?”
he inquired. A smile formed
on her lips. “Yep. Very
revitalizing. I feel . . . energized. I could stay awake all night and
do . . . things.” Her smile turned into a smirk. He sat up at
that. She slowly
moved toward the bed. Her gaze scanned over his form. “Are you naked under
there?” He offered her
a smirk identical to her own. “Might be. Why don’t you
come find out?” She went to
him, hovering. Her hand slipped under the sheets. It groped, finding its
target. She gave it a squeeze. “Baby wants to
play, does she? You’re a very bad girl, ya know
slayer.” “When I want to be.” Spike grabbed
her. He swung her on the bed, making her squeal. He tugged the towel away. Exposed, her green eyes sparkling up at him. Warm hands
slid over her still wet skin. “Luscious.” He kissed her bulging belly. “Don’t tease,”
Buffy said. “I’m fat and you know it.” “Nonsense. I love you like this,” he replied. “Like a beached whale?” “Like the
beautiful mother of my child you are. The bringer of life.” There was
nothing she could think of to say to that. He saw her as some sort of
life-giving goddess. Spike took
hold of her hips and spread them apart. He must have liked what he saw, for a
look of triumph spread over his face. He bent down, his tongue delving into
her. She let out a gasp, clutching the sheets. “Oh God,” she
breathed. She squirmed
in perfect torture. Finally she lost control. “Enjoy that,
baby?” Spike asked. Buffy couldn’t
possibly tell him how much. So she simply nodded instead. Spike shifted
his attention to her breasts. They were fuller now and very delectable. Buffy could
have lost all thought. She was tempted to let him ravage her, falling into
oblivion. But this wasn’t supposed to be about her. She had decided that that
night was for him. This was the night they would make love. When Buffy
halted his ministrations, Spike was confused. She stared up at him with a look
he had never seen before. He furrowed his brow, trying to figure it out. Buffy reached
up and stroked the side of his cheek. The slayer
took charge. She traded positions with him, dominating the top. She explored
his body, paying attention to every inch. She had always thought of him as
remarkably good-looking. Yet she had never taken him all in. He wasn’t just
good-looking- He was a god. Buffy kissed
his chest. She breathed him in. He smelled good. Not from cologne. No, Spike
had his own scent. A scent all his own. Meanwhile,
Spike lay there, not daring to move. He couldn’t understand what was going on.
Buffy had never acted this way before. She usually let him do most of the work.
She had always hurried the business along too. Well, not so much the last
couple months. Not since she had decided to try and love him. Still, this was
different. She was extra attentive. Spike studied
his slayer with curiosity. After
absorbing the entire plane of him, Buffy lifted. Her golden locks spilled over
her shoulder. Spike couldn’t help but comb his fingers through. She fit
between his legs, preparing herself. She slipped
inside. She took her time, putting them in delicious agony. He filled her
passage, going in deeper and deeper, until they were completely joined. Buffy gyrated.
In . . . out. In . . . out. Over and over. They rocked
together in unison. Their breathing quickened. The world fell away, everything
becoming a haze. There was only them. In . . . out.
In . . . out. In out. In out.
IN OUT. IN OUT. Their bodies
merged together faster. Slamming together. It hurt.
They ached with pleasure. Moans, cries, and groans escaped their throats. Buffy could
feel herself come to the edge. She was about to plummet. Her mind didn’t want
to work. But as she came crashing down she was able to mutter a coherent
sentence. “I love you.” It was perfect
timing. It made Spike lose control as well. Clinging
together, sweaty and sated, Spike met her eyes. He couldn’t believe it. That look. He knew now what that look meant. Love. It was love. For him. “Let’s stay
like this forever,” Spike said. “I wouldn’t
mind, but can I say ewww. I just took a shower and am
in definite need of another one.” “Just a
wishful thought is all.” She smiled. “So, did you
mean it?” “You don’t
believe me? I love you, Spike. I really do.” He cupped her
face. “I believe you, luv. Wanted
to hear you say it again.” “I love you. I
love you. I love you,” she muttered repeatedly. Spike silenced
her with his mouth. Eventually he pulled away. “So, you need
a shower again.” He waggled an eyebrow at her. “Need some company this time round?” “That might be
arranged,” she answered. A yawn hit
her. “Or. . . Maybe in the morning.” “Sleep, pet. The baby’s asleep. Don’t want to wake her with the
jostling. Besides, ya need your rest too.” Buffy snuggled
against him. “Mmmm, I love you.” “Never get
tired of hearing it,” Spike told her. “Good. Then I
won’t stop saying it.” The room was
quiet for a few moments. Buffy was beginning to drift off when Spike spoke. “Marry me.” Buffy’s eyes
shot open. “What!?” He lifted
himself on an elbow. “Marry me,” he
reiterated. “You can’t be
serious.” “Why not?” He was
completely serious. She could read it from his voice and his expression. He
really wanted to marry her. “I . . .”
Buffy began. She couldn’t finish because she didn’t know what she had been about
to say. “Why shouldn’t
we? I’ve been wanting to be your husband since the
first moment I learned you were pregnant. Maybe it’s the Victorian William in
me. Hell, even before that I would have tied the knot if I thought I had a
chance. I’m human now, or at least mostly. You said that you loved me back.
Everything that stood in our way is gone. So, Buffy Summers, I ask again. . .
Marry me?” “Oh my God!” Buffy bolted
up into a sitting position. “Oh my God,”
she said again, this time softer. Spike nodded
his head. “It’s okay. Take your time answering. No rush.” The abrupt
movement must have awoken the baby. Buffy felt a foot hit her inner wall. “Oh my God,”
Buffy burst out again, but this time for a totally different reason. She grabbed
Spike’s hand and brought it to her stomach. Baby Alexis continued to kick,
rippling her skin. Spike froze,
gaping at Buffy’s hand holding his in place over where their child dwelled. At
first he couldn’t comprehend it all. And then the miracle of life hit Spike
hard. Tears built up in his blue eyes. Spike, aka
William the Bloody, cried from awe. Buffy watched
the whole display with an expanded heart. Spike looked like a child. He seemed
innocent and anew. A feeling rose
up inside Buffy. It was one she couldn’t detect. It fore passed that of love.
It went even deeper than that. This was her
family. Spike, the baby, and her. They were all
connected. One. “Yes,” Buffy
whispered. Spike blinked,
coming out of his daze. “What’s that?” “Yes,” Buffy
said louder. She felt tears sting her own eyes. “Yes, I’ll marry you.” ____________________________________________________ Chapter Twenty-Eight- Tender Loving A few days
went by. Alexis couldn’t believe the change she witnessed. Her parents had gone
through a complete turnaround. They laughed together and couldn’t stop
touching. It was actually pretty cute. They were in love and the whole world
could see. Alexis leaned
against the island, watching Buffy and Spike. They were currently squabbling
over dinner. She smiled at the scene. She was used to it back home. “You heat the
sauce last,” Spike said. “The spaghetti and garlic bread take longer.” “Oh, and you
know so much about cooking? You’ve been a vampire for over a century,” Buffy
threw back. “I used to
help out in the kitchen when I was a boy.” Buffy’s lips
twitched and then became a full grin. “What?” She shrugged. “Just thinking of little Spike helping with supper. I bet
you were adorable.” “My mum
thought so,” he replied. He reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her
ear. “I’ve seen pics of you, luv.
You were a cutie.” “Pictures? When? Where?” “Dawn showed
me.” “Oh.” Spike ran a
finger along the side of her neck. She tilted her head, savoring the sensitive
sensation. “Nothin’s changed. You are still a cutie,” he whispered. “Belly and all?” His hand
roamed to her middle and then to her hip. “Every inch.” The heat grew
in the room. Spike captured his slayer’s mouth. They hungrily explored each
other with their tongues. Alexis cleared
her throat. The two
instantly split apart. They sheepishly looked over at their future daughter.
They had totally forgotten that Alexis was standing there. “You might
want to stir the spaghetti,” Alexis advised. “Right,” Spike
said. “Yeah,” Buffy
confirmed. She grabbed the wooden spoon and stuck it into the pan. Dinner was
pretty much uneventful. They had invited Xander and Anya over. Which meant that they had to
deal with the ex-demon’s quirky remarks. She had gone off about how sex
was different when you were pregnant. She said that it was more intense. Her
husband had tried with little success to shift the conversation away from such
things. Spike offered
to clear the table. He pecked Buffy on the cheek and told her to go relax. She
went into the living room and plopped down on the couch. Her hand rested on her
abdomen, which had become a habit as of late. Alexis crept
into the room just as Buffy grabbed for the remote control. “What ya gonna watch?” Buffy
shrugged. “Dunno yet. Maybe there’s a movie on.” The slayer
flipped through the channels until she saw something she liked. It was a
romance, displaying a man and woman in a lip-lock. “That’s so
beautiful,” Buffy whispered. Her eyes were
glistening and Alexis almost thought she might shed a tear. She’d never seen
her mother like this. She wasn’t the type to get emotional over some sappy love
scene. Must be the hormones, she thought. They watched
the movie to the end. It was your basic unbelievable happily ever scenario, but
Buffy ate it up like chocolate. “Oh wow!”
Buffy exclaimed all of a sudden. “What is it?”
Alexis asked. “She’s
kicking. Hard,” Buffy told her. She made a face of discomfort. “In the ribs.” Alexis stared
at the spot where Buffy’s hand lay in alarm. Buffy rolled her eyes and took
Alexis’s own hand. She placed it over her stomach. “Oh my God!” Alexis burst out. The vibrations
under her palm were powerful. She could understand Buffy’s irritation. “This is
giving me the wiggins,” Alexis stated, removing her
hand. Buffy didn’t
get it at first. “I guess it is kinda weird. Having a
living thing inside . . . Oh.” Then she got it. A laugh came
from Buffy. “Our lives are really screwed up, huh?” “Tell me about
it. I’m here, but I’m also there.” “Yep, wiggy,” Buffy agreed. “Totally.” They both
smiled. “But it is kinda cool too.” Alexis moved to replace her hand on her
mother’s belly. “Dad always said I was a natural at kicking. Must be cause I practiced my moves even before birth.” ************************ Buffy took a
deep breath. She stared at the door before her, a little scared to knock. She
had decided that day to go see Xander. He deserved to
know about Spike and her future together first. She owed him that. It was only
right since he was the last to know about her pregnancy. He had accepted that
with reluctance. How would he react to her being linked to Spike for the rest
of her life? Images of Xander roaring with fury filtered into her mind. She took a
step back, not quite sure she was ready for this. Before she could bolt,
however, the door flew open. “Buff?” Xander stood before her. He greeted her with a huge grin. “Were you
going out?” Buffy asked. “Just to get the mail. I can get it later. Come in.” He cracked the
door wider for her to enter. Buffy took in
the place. It was normally clean, but never this clean. Everything was
perfectly in place. “Squeaky
clean,” Buffy commented. Xander chuckled. “Oh yeah, An’s
on this cleaning spree.” “I know the
feeling. I don’t know how she managed to get things this tidy, though. Every
time I straighten something somebody messes it right back up. It’s an ever
ending battle. One I can‘t win.” Xander went to grab a beer out of the fridge. “I’d offer you one, but .
. .” He gestured to her bulging middle. “Thanks, but
even if I wasn’t like this I’d decline. Alcohol and Buffy equal badness.” The two
friends settled on the couch. Xander twisted the cap
of his bottle before taking a long swallow. “So, what
brought you by?” Xander asked. “Any
reason or just to hang?” Buffy wanted
to tell him right then, but she chickened out. “Just wanted to see you. How is my Xander?” “I’ve been
good. Anya and I are moving.” Her eyes
enlarged. “Moving? Where? Better not be “Don’t worry,”
he assured her. “No “When did you
decide this?” “Three days
ago. We can’t raise a child in this place. Anya
insists on a yard and I agree. A kid has gotta have
room to play.” He smiled. “And a dog. We want a dog.” “I’m so happy
for you. Things sound like they are going well.” “They are,” Xander replied. He leaned toward her. “So, are things going
well with you too? How are you and dead boy working out?” Buffy shifted.
Now, she thought. I have to tell him now. “Good.” Coward, Buffy
silently scolded herself. Continue. But she didn’t. “Oh, so you
aren’t on the verge of kicking him out then? Bummer. I
was hoping.” His tone was teasing. “Sorry to
disappoint. He’s been on good behavior. Except he keeps
leaving the toilet seat lid up. Ugh, that is so annoying!” “Give me an
estimate, Buffy. What is the probability of you breaking up?” “Zero,” she
answered truthfully. She breathed in deeply. “I love him.” Silence. She forced
herself on. “And we’re getting married.” Xander choked on his beer. He had a massive coughing fit. It took him
over a minute to calm himself. “Married? As in husband and wife? As in Mrs. William the Bloody?” “Yes, husband and wife. And it’s Mrs. Shayne.” Xander shook his head. “You’re serious about this?” “Yeah. I am. I really am. I wanted you to be the first one to know.” There was a
pause. “Congratulations,”
Xander finally said. Buffy blinked,
not sure she heard him right. “Huh?” “Congratulations,”
he repeated. “That’s it?”
That couldn’t be it. How could he be so calm? “I knew it was
coming, Buffy. I mean, come on, Alexis talked about her parents. Which are you guys. I kinda knew you’d probably
get hitched. I like to be denial guy, though.” “So you’re
okay with this?” “I don’t like
it,” he admitted. “But I won’t stop you. I’ll stand by you, even if I hate it.” “Thanks.” She
gave him a hug. “Aw, I love you.” “I love you too,
Buff.” They parted. “Normally I
don’t commend divorce, but I’m all for it in this case. If he
does one thing to hurt you. . . “ Buffy nudged
him playfully. At that moment
Anya walked in. She carried two plastic bags, which
she set down on the kitchen table. “There was
this huge sale,” she announced. “Lots of bargains. I
got tons of things for my money.” She said this with more pride than was
normal. Anya noticed Buffy. “Oh hello, Buffy. You
should check it out. It’s at that shop by the bookstore. They don’t have any
baby things, but I got some pretty stuff for our new home. Did Xander tell you about our new home?” “Yeah, he
did.” “I’m so
excited. It’s two stories and . . . “ Anya
snatched the Heineken cap off the coffee table. “Xander
Harris, I told you not to leave trash lying around.” “I was gonna throw it away,” Xander told
her. “I just hadn’t gotten around to it.” “Do it first
thing,” Anya instructed. “Otherwise you might forget.
We have to learn good habits to teach our son.” “It’s a boy?”
Buffy inquired. This was new news for her. “Oh, yeah. It’s a strapping young man.” “What?” Anya complained. “It isn’t a man, it’s a baby. And he
certainly isn’t ‘strapping’ yet.” “He will be,” Xander assured his wife. Anya sat down in the recliner, putting her feet up. She let out a
contented sigh. “Buffy, why
are you here?” she frankly questioned. “Oh, I came
over to visit.” “And tell us
that she’s getting married,” Xander added. “Married? How
sweet. To who?” Anya said. Buffy rolled
her eyes. “Spike, duh.” “Well, you
can’t always assume. I hope your wedding is beautiful and doesn’t get messed
up.” “Errr. . .
Thanks.” “Keep it
small. Or elope,” advised the ex-demon. “Thanks, Anya. I’ll think about my options.” ********************* The next day
Buffy and Buffy sat down
at the table, a plate of Eggo waffles in front of
her. Dawn sat across from her. “Any idea as
to where she is?” Buffy asked. A bright smile
formed on her sister’s face. “I think she mentioned going out with “And she never
came home?” “Nope. Isn’t it cool? Them being back together?” Buffy nodded.
“I’m glad.” “And you and
Spike. I’m seeing some warm fuzzies that weren’t
there a few days ago,” Dawn said. A dreamy
expression came over the slayer. “Definite fuzzies. Of the all over kind.”
“Awww. All this love in the
air makes me want to have some of my own.” “Not yet. You
are too young for a serious relationship.” “What!? You were dating Angel at my age. Heck, you slept with
Angel at my age.” “And it ended
badly. ‘Badly’. As in I almost died badly. Sex is
evil.” “Oh yeah?” Dawn said dubiously. “So what were you and Spike doing
last night? Having a contest to see who could moan the loudest?” Crimson spread
across Buffy’s face. “It is when you don’t know the person.” “You didn’t
know Angel?” “Well, I
didn’t know he had a tendency to convert into a psychopathic killer.” “Gotcha. I can still date, right?” “But no
falling in love,” Buffy ordered. Dawn saluted
her. “Aye aye, captain.” Just then “Hey guys.” “ “As if we have
to ask,” Dawn said. “You were at Both girls
spoke simultaneously. “Yes!” “All right. All right. Yes. I was at “That’s great,
Will,” Buffy told her best friend. “I know.” “So, are you still wanting to go out?” ************************ They went to a
store called Babies Unlimited. It had a lot of cute stuff for infants to
three-year old toddlers. There was also a section for expectant mothers. That
was where Buffy headed first, set on getting some new maternity clothes. “Oh, Buffy,
you have to get this!” Buffy looked
over to see an excited red-head. Her friend was holding up a frilly pink dress.
Buffy looked
doubtful. “That isn’t a newborn’s dress.” “Um, no. It’s for twelve months. But it is so cute. You have to
get it! NO, I have to buy it for you!” Buffy
reluctantly gave in. If Holding out a
hand, Buffy said in a commanding voice, “Stop right there!” “I know you
are really getting into this. I can see how much you are enjoying yourself. But
stop.” “Why?” “I appreciate
the offer, Wills, but you can’t empty your wallet for my kid. You are going
overboard. You are more into this than I am. And I’m the mother,” Buffy pointed
out. Buffy bit her
lip. She didn’t understand what was up. “What is it?” Surprise
filled Buffy. “You want a baby?” “Yeah,” Buffy put an
arm around “Oh, Will.”
She felt so much empathy right then. Poor “There are
options. What about artificial insemination?” Buffy suggested. “I don’t know,” Buffy had to
agree. “Adoption?” Buffy smiled. “I’m still
envious, though,” Buffy shook
her head. “The lamb. But ‘that’ is it.” ___________________________________________________________ Chapter Twenty-Nine- Fatal Premonitions Susan Dobson
had a bad feeling all morning. She was sure something bad was going to happen.
She wouldn’t leave her seven-month-old daughter’s side for even a second. She
begged her husband, Rick, to stay home that day from work. He told her she was
being silly and went anyway. Rick called
during his break to check on his family. His wife told him that nothing had
happened, but that her dire inkling wouldn’t go away. He reassured her that
everything was fine and that he would be home in a few hours. The remaining
time at Lake City Bank went smoothly for Rick. He opened a couple new accounts
and signed up someone for a debit card. He headed home in good spirits,
confident that everything would be fine when he returned to his wife and child.
He whistled a
tune as he walked up the driveway. He opened the door and stepped inside the
house. He stopped dead in his tracks. There on the
usually pristine white carpet, was red. Not the red from Kool
Aid. This was a trail of blood. It led into the kitchen. Rick’s heart
seemed to jump from his chest. He rushed into the kitchen. What he found
made his eyes widen in horror. Susan was crumpled on the tile, unmoving. The
phone was off the hook, fallen to the floor next to her. Rick went to
her side and turned her over. The side of her neck was torn open. Blood
trickled from the wound. She must have crawled her
bleeding body from the living room. He took a hand and checked for a pulse. To
his relief he found one. It was faint, but it was there. Thank God. He grabbed a
rag and placed it to the injury. He pressed at it with pressure, praying that
it would stop the flow. He reached for the phone to call an ambulance. A hand clamped
around his arm. It startled him and he dropped the receiver. Rick looked
over toward Susan. Her eyes were wide open. “Susie!” he
exclaimed. “Q-Quiet,” she
begged him softly. He stroked her
cheek. His brown eyes threatened to spill over with tears. “God, Suse, I was so worried. You’re going to be fine. Just let
me call for help.” He moved to grab the phone again, but his wife stopped him. Susan shook
her head. “No, you can’t!” “Why?” “They’ve got
her,” she rasped. “Who? Who has who?” “Our
daughter,” Susan informed. “They’re downstairs. They think I’m dead. They can’t
know you are here. Go, leave. Go get help.” “That’s what
I’m trying to do. The ambulance and the police. . . “ “Can’t know. This is . . . They’re . . . Monsters.” Incredulous,
Rick said, “Monsters?” “He bit me. He
had fangs. And the other one. . . Nothing I’ve ever
seen. Monsters.” Rick smiled
down on her. “You’re hurt. People hallucinate when. . .” “No!” Coughs
took her over. “Susan?” Rick
was scared again. He needed to get help. Fast. Susan’s grip
tightened. “There isn’t much time. You must stop them. They said something
about tomorrow night. They want to do something called The Ritual of Bound
Destruction. And the slayer. Find her. She is
important. The one whose face changed. . . “ She
winced in pain. “H-he mentioned her. She’s special. She is the only one who can hel . . .” “Susan!?” Susan gasped
for air. Her body began to convulse. “Susie!” His
voice was desperate. “Find. . .” Susan went
still. Everything was still. The only sound that hit Rick’s ears was the dial
tone of the fallen phone. He clutched his dead wife to his chest and closed his
eyes in agony. All of a
sudden there was a jarring cry from below. Rick shot straight up. A baby. The bastards Susan had told him about were in the
basement with his daughter. Rick made his
way to the basement door. His fingers curled over the knob, about to turn. He
froze. Monsters. Susan’s words echoed in his mind.
They’re monsters. Find her. She is the only one who can help. Rick fled the
house in search of the slayer. ************************** Buffy was
behind glass. The clear wall separated her from a basement. She watched the
scene before her with hopeless desperation. A demon was
hovering over a baby. The child was lying on a table, naked and cold. A vampire
was nearby, chanting ancient words. The baby
wasn’t hers. It had piercing emerald eyes that stared right at her. They were
pleading with her for aid. Not her baby, but important just the same. She
wanted to help. She needed to help. Buffy pounded
on the glass. She had slayer strength but she still couldn’t break it. Tears
streamed down her cheeks. I’m sorry, she thought. I’m so sorry. The baby cried
in pain as the vampire’s chanting intensified. From faraway Buffy could hear
another infant cry out. Then it turned into a scream of a much older
individual. Female and familiar. “Alexis!?” Buffy called. ************************ Buffy shot up
in bed. She was sweaty and her heart raced a mile and minute. Strong arms
encircled her shoulders. “Bad dream,
ducks?” Those English
accented words were rich and soothing. They almost comforted her. Almost. “Yeah, bad
dream.” She took in a deep breath. “That’s all.” She hoped so. _________________________________________________ Chapter Thirty- Searching Rick had no
idea where to start. He had a title, not a name. What was he supposed to do? Go
around with a megaphone, paging the town for the slayer? It was ridiculous. But
what choice did he have? So he asked
around. He went around and asked practically everyone he saw. And everyone
thought he was crazy. He began to wonder if they were right. He came across
a bar called Willy’s. He hesitated, not sure about going in. The place gave off
an ominous aura. Just then a
person came out. Or at least he thought it was a person. They were greatly
disfigured. Their skin was wrinkled and drooped. The sight made him cringe. It
looked like the flesh might fall right off. It held a box.
A tiny white head peeked out, its green eyes glowing in the night. A kitten,
Rick realized. “Hey there,” the creature greeted. Person, Rick
corrected. It wasn’t right to think of him as a creature. He was probably just
a guy with a bad disorder. “H-Hi,” Rick
stammered in reply. “You lookin to go inside? You
weren‘t here for poker night, were you? The game‘s over for tonight.” Rick shook his
head. “No, I didn’t come to play. I’m searching for someone actually.” “Oh yeah? Who? I might know them.” “The slayer. You know her?” A grin
displayed on the weird-looking man. “I’ve never met her,” he said. “But my good
buddy has.” Hope filled
Rick. “Where is she?” The man
shrugged. “I don’t know. My buddy, Spike, would know. He talks about her all
the time. Has the hots for
her. I don’t understand what he sees in her. Her skin is too tight for my
taste. Too bad he didn‘t come tonight for kitten poker. He‘s missed the last
three games.” Rick sighed.
This wasn’t getting him anywhere. “So, you have
no idea where she is?” “Sorry, no.” “Thanks for
your time,” Rick remarked. He turned to go. “Wish I could
have helped you find Buffy. Spike talked about her nonstop, but he never
mentioned where she lived. Good luck, though.” Buffy? Rick stopped. He spun back around and smiled. “Her name is
Buffy?” “Oh, yeah.” “That helps.” “It does?” The
man seemed pleased. “Good. I like to help and am sorry when I can’t.” Rick left,
feeling more optimistic. He had a name. He was one step closer to finding the
slayer. *************************************
Buffy was
quiet. She spent her time in deep thought, hardly talking to anyone. “Buffy, are
you all right?” Buffy raised
her head. “Huh?” “Is something
up?” “No,” Buffy
answered too quickly. “Liar.” The slayer
sighed in defeat. “All right. I had a dream. It kinda is lingering me with bad vibes.” “Oh I hope
not.” Buffy shivered at the thought. “Want to tell
me what it was about?” “Not really. Maybe later.” The red-head
nodded in understanding. “Let’s talk
about something else, k?” Buffy said. “All right. What do you want to talk about?” “How about Tara and you? Any new sparkage
there?” A goofy grin
formed on Buffy’s eyes
widened. “Really? How come you never told me until
now?” “Because it isn’t final yet. We’re ’thinking’ about it.” “Well, I’m
happy things are working out. I’ll be sad to see you go, but . . . Ya know, togetherness is always good.” “Definitely. And I’d only be across town. Plus, more room. Babies need
room,” Willow pointed out. Buffy giggled.
She placed a hand on her bulging belly. “How I know it. I sometimes wonder if
I’ll be able to get through the front door.” “Oh, Buffy,
quit!” “Or so some
people tell me.” “Spike, huh?
Well, he’s right. You are all glowy and vibrant.” Buffy had to
smile at that. The expression only proved ******************************** Rick was lucky
that Buffy was an unusual name. He went to the library and searched databases.
He found Buffy in the Sunnydale directory. Buffy Summers, age 21. Her current residence was at He abandoned
the computer and ran out the door. ********************************* That night
Buffy chose to relax. She lay on the bed, declaring herself a vegetable. “You’re very
edible,” Spike agreed. “But I would classify you more of a dessert.” Buffy smiled. “Sundae?” “With syrup
and whipped crème. Very delectable.” “Mmm, I like the sound of that.” “Turn over,
pet,” Spike ordered. She complied,
rolling over to face him. He held up a bottle of lotion. “Cocoa butter
time,” Spike said. “Oh, yeah. Can’t have me getting stretch marks.” His warm
fingers lifted her shirt. His fingers slipped behind her back and unhooked her
bra. Naked and exposed, she gazed up at him with innocent eyes. “You take such
good care of me,” she murmured. Spike squirted
the ointment onto her skin. He lathered it, running his hands up and down her
stomach. “Always,
Buffy,” he told her. “I’ll always take care of my girls.” “Mmmm, that feels good.” Spike had
shifted his attention to massaging other parts of her. Her
back, neck, and then her breasts. Buffy moaned in pleasure. “I want you,
Spike,” Buffy declared. “Do you want me?” “I always want
you.” He bent down
to taste her mouth. He devoured her with his tongue. When he pulled
back, he smirked. “Yep, a dessert from heaven.” There was a
knock on the door. “Whoever it is, is dead,” Buffy shouted in annoyance. “Buffy, come downstairs quick!” Dawn said frantically. Spike sat up.
“What is it, platelet?” “There’s a
strange man downstairs. He demands to see the slayer,” Dawn informed. “I’m coming.
Give me a minute,” Buffy said. She got up and
started to get dressed. So much for relaxing. _______________________________________________ Chapter Thirty- One- Ready, Set, Go Buffy
descended the steps with Spike right behind her. They made it to the foot of
the stairs where they saw a man. He stood by the door, looking worn and
desperate. It seemed as if he might topple over at any second. He took one
staggering move toward them. “Are you the slayer?” he choked. “That’d be me.
She who likes pointy pieces of wood,” Buffy said. The man took a
good look at his supposed heroin. His eyes grew wide as he spotted her enlarged
middle. “Y-You’re . . .” “Really fat?”
she commented, cupping a hand over where her daughter lay. “Pregnant.”
The stranger shook his head. “This can’t be right. You are supposed to help
me.” “If worse
comes to worse I can use my weight against me.” She smiled. “I wouldn’t
underestimate her, mate,” Spike advised. “Would you
like to sit down?” Buffy asked. She led the man into the living room. She was
afraid he might collapse. They settled
down, Buffy and Spike on the couch. The man drooped in the recliner. “Let’s start
with introductions. Hi, I’m Buffy. And you are. . .?” “Rick.” “So, how’d you
know to come to me? I don’t have slayer written on my forehead. At least I hope
I don’t. I haven’t brought myself to look in the mirror lately.” Spike frowned
at her with disapproval. “Stop it with the ugly pregnant jokes, pet.” Buffy laughed.
“Sorry, couldn’t resist. I’ll stop.” “M-My wife is
dead,” Rick stammered. “Somebody . . . Something raided our home. They hurt
Susie and took my daughter into the basement. Just before Susie.
. . died. . .” He took a deep breath. “She said that she heard them talking.
They said something about a ritual. The Ritual of Bound
Destruction. She also told me to find you. That you
were the only one who could stop them. Slayer and
ex-vampire exchanged looks. They knew this was serious. Any ceremony performed
by a demon meant total badness. Spike knew first-hand. He had brought Drusilla
back to full strength. Buffy knew because she had averted quite a few. “I’m calling
Giles,” Buffy declared. “This requires scholarly knowledge.” “I agree, luv.” The watcher
answered his phone right away. He told Buffy that he would meet them at The
Magic Box. She agreed and hung up, telling everyone what the plan was. ************************ Buffy, Spike,
Dawn, Alexis, Each person
had a book. They furiously scanned every page, searching for a reference to the
ritual. Buffy nodded.
“That’s fine, Will.” She lowered her book as well. “In fact maybe we all should
take a break.” “No!” Rick
protested. “Keep looking. We have to save my baby girl.” “And we will,”
Buffy assured the man. “But we can’t do that if we can’t even think straight.” “ The gang
stared at Giles. He cleared his throat, the excited expression leaving his
face. “Did you
really just say that?” Buffy questioned. Giles took off
his glasses to clean. “Yes, I’m afraid I did.” He replaced his glasses and
gestured to the text he held. “I found it. We should have looked here in the
first place. It is the Compilation of Fallen Rituals after all.” Buffy rolled
her eyes. “Of course.” She stepped closer. “What we
got? Is it the end of the world and we’re all going to die, yada
yada yada?” “The world
can’t end!” Dawn piped up. “Brian’s going to ask me to Semi-Formal. At least .
. . I’m hoping he will. But he never will if the world is gonna
end.” “The world is
not going to end. I’ll stop it,” Buffy vowed. She met Giles’s eyes. “What do I
have to do to stop it?” “Nothing,”
Giles simply said. “Huh?” “Nothing,” he
repeated. “It isn’t an apocalyptic ritual.” “Oh.” “Good!” Alexis
exclaimed. “That’s good, right?” “Of course,”
Giles answered. “But this ritual isn’t to be taken lightly.” “What are we
dealing with?” Buffy asked. Giles studied
the page he had open. “The Ritual of Bound Destruction is a ceremony performed
on someone in order to kill another. The person is bound spiritually to another
a distance away. Then the person is sacrificed. There’s chanting involved and a
few other technicalities. The result is two dead people.” Buffy crossed
her arms. “So they’re doing this because they can’t get to the person they
really want to kill?” “It seems that
way.” Fury raged in
Rick’s eyes. He even shook with anger. “They want to kill my daughter!” “And wrong,”
Dawn added. “I wanna kick their asses until they fall
apart limb-by-limb.” That was all
Buffy could take. She stormed into the training room, going straight to the
weapons. It was her nature to rush into things without planning. The situation
also hit too close to home. She was going to be a parent herself. She was not
going to let a baby die. The others
followed her. “Buffy,” Giles
said. “I haven’t finished reading everything about the ritual. You must stop
this rashness and . . . “ “Suit up,”
Buffy ordered. “Read on the way.” She grabbed a
hefty sword. She swung the blade confidently through the air. She noticed Spike
about to say something beside her. “One word
about how I can’t fight in my condition and there will be hell to pay.” Spike shook
his head. “Nothing of the sort. Just be careful, luv. Promise me you’ll be careful.” She gave him a
quick smile. “Always.” The tender
moment ended as soon as it began. She spun around. She stood tall and
determined. “Let’s go!” ____________________________________________________ Chapter Thirty- Two- Kindred Rick led them
to his house. It was about a mile away, farther from town. “This is it,”
he confirmed. They entered
the house. It was just as Rick had left it. He tried to keep his eyes from the
blood that stained the floor, but it was hard. He sunk to his knees, freaking
out. “Buffy,” Buffy barely
glanced at Rick. “Leave him. We don’t have time to deal with this.” Chanting hit
their ears. They followed the sound. Dawn and Alexis gasped when they passed
the body of Susan Dobson. The girls dealt with the horror quickly and moved on.
The chanting
was coming from the basement. Buffy led the way down the steps. The display
that lay before them made them stop. Judas stood by a table, with a flaying
baby on the top. A demon, that Buffy deduced must be the legendary Gestalt
demon, lurked to the side. “Slayer,”
Judas greeted. “We weren’t expecting you.” “Shucks. And I
thought my invitation got lost in the mail. I really didn’t get invited?” Buffy
punned. She was about
to storm into battle, but was bounced off by an invisible barrier. She would
have fallen, but Spike rushed forward. He caught her arms, steadying her. “A force
field,” muttered Giles. “I can get it
down,” “We don’t have
time!” Buffy sighed. “Okay, do what you can, The Gestalt
wasn’t in the force field. The wall only enclosed Judas and the baby. It came
at them, going for Giles first. He rammed into the man, making him drop his
book. Buffy sprung
into action. She sent a kick hurtling into the demon’s chest. He staggered
back. Getting into the fight, she went for another kick. This one didn’t go so
well. She began to lose her balance. Spike grabbed
her. “Luv, your center of gravity is a bit messed
up.” “Punches it is
then.” Meanwhile,
Giles had recovered his fallen book. He had lost his place and flipped through
it in frustration. The chanting grew
louder. Buffy doubled over, gasping for breath. “What is it?”
Spike demanded. “I . . .”
Buffy winced. “Is it the
baby?” “Uhhh,” Buffy moaned. “My stomach hurts.” “God, Buffy .
. .” The Gestalt
saw an opening. He went for it. He knocked Buffy aside. Spike growled,
releasing his anger at the demon. He moved violently, releasing an explosion of
punches and kicks. “It’s the
ritual!” Alexis shouted. She leaned against the wall for support. “I know who
Judas wants to kill with the ritual.” Dawn’s eyes widened.
“You!?” Alexis nodded.
“Me.” ***************************** Giles finally
found the passage. His eyes scanned the page in a hurry. “Dear lord,”
he whispered. His head
snapped up. “The ritual can’t be stopped once it’s started.” “What!?” Dawn shrieked. “Not without a
willing death.” “Willing d-death?” “I’m afraid
so.” “We can’t . .
. Buffy can’t die again. Spike can’t die. Willow . . . Me?” Giles slammed
the book shut. “You will do no such thing!” “I’m willing,”
Dawn said. “I’m sixteen. I know that’s young. But a baby hasn’t even had the
chance to live yet. I . . . I’m willing, Giles.” “And so am I.” They both
shifted their attention to the stairs. Rick stood there. His eyes were red and
swollen. He had an aura of strength about him, despite his ragged appearance. “It’s my
daughter there. I’m willing to save her by any means possible. That includes
death.” Just then ******************************** They didn’t
notice Alexis slipping from the basement. She pulled herself up the stairs with
difficulty. She made it to the kitchen. She clung to the island for a moment.
Then she opened a drawer. Not there. She
managed to search the whole kitchen. Eventually she found what she was looking
for. She grabbed it and staggered back toward the basement. ******************************* Spike fought
hard. He wasn’t losing. He also wasn’t winning. The demon was strong. They were
equal matches. The demon didn’t seem to be getting tired. Spike, on the other
hand, was. He gritted his teeth, ignoring the fire in his muscles, and kept
going. “I’ve got it
down!” Good going,
Red, Spike thought. “Get the
baby!” came another shout. Alexis, Spike
realized. Spike sent all
his power shooting at the demon. The demon went down. Before the creature could
get up again, Spike went for the table. He swooped up the baby. “Fools!” Judas said with a crazy laugh. “You can’t stop the
ritual. You can take that child away from here, but it will make no difference.
It has started and will continue.” Spike thrust
the baby into Dawn’s arms. Then he went to Buffy and picked her up. “Let’s get out
of here,” Spike suggested. The Gestalt
had recovered. He snarled at them, prepared to strike. He never got the chance.
A match from nowhere hit him. Everyone
turned their heads to see Alexis. She held a matchbox, lighting match after
match. She threw them everywhere. “Back up,” she
advised her friends and family. Ges let out a holler of pain. His whole arm was aflame. He thrashed
about, not knowing what to do. “Never learned
how to stop, drop, and roll, huh?” Alexis said. She tossed another match.
“Good!” Alexis grinned
and her legs gave out. Giles helped her up, an arm around her. “Like I said
before,” Spike said. “Let’s get the buggering hell out of here!” The group was
in agreement. They rushed out of the house. On their way, Rick grabbed a
butcher knife. ****************************** They watched
the house burn. Spike settled
Buffy down on the sidewalk. He knelt down beside her. She wasn’t in good
condition. Neither was Alexis. The girl had passed out completely. “Pet, how ya doin?” Buffy’s eyes
glistened. “Spike?” She blindly reached for his hand. Spike took her
hand and held on tight. “Watcher, how does this ritual end? I take it the demise of
the practitioner doesn’t do the trick?” Giles ran a
hand through his hair. “There must be a willing sacrifice. That is the only
way.” “You have
one!” Rick raised
the knife he possessed. He inched it toward his throat. He hesitated. “I-I
can’t do it.” He scanned the people around him. “Someone, do it for me?
Please.” No one said a
word. Spike rose. He stepped up to the man and took the knife. He understood.
If Rick hadn’t volunteered he would have willingly slit his throat instead. Heads turned
away as Spike did the deed. The air was filled with the crackling of fire and
the gurgling of a dying father. ***************************** A while later,
the gang was gathered in the Summers’ living room.
There were solemn faces all around. The baby began
to cry. “She needs to
be fed,” Buffy said. The slayer and
her daughter were back to being perfectly healthy again. Rick’s sacrifice had
saved them both, along with his little girl. A bottle was
rummaged up. It was one of the items Buffy had bought for when baby Alexis was
born. “Can I do it?”
Alexis offered. Giles handed
her the bottle of milk. She took it, cradling the baby gently. The baby sucked
hungrily at the liquid. “It’s over,”
Dawn announced. Buffy nodded.
“Yeah . . . It’s over.” But not without loss. They all
looked toward the baby. The baby who had lost her parents and
had no one to turn to except them now. Alexis gazed
down at the baby. She felt some kind of strange connection with the child.
Maybe it was because of the ritual that had bound them together. Then their
eyes met. Alexis gasped in awe. The baby had emerald eyes. Beautiful green orbs
that held more understanding than they should. “Sirena,” Alexis choked out. _________________________________________________ Chapter Thirty- Three- Hellos and Goodbyes It was the
end. Judas and the Gestalt were supposedly dead, burnt up in the fire. The
threat against Alexis was over. It was time for her to go back where she
belonged. The entire
gang gathered at the magic shop to say their goodbyes. “We’re ready,”
That was the Scoobies’ cue to clear out. They left the main part of the
store, leaving Buffy, Spike, and their daughter alone. There was
silence. No one knew what to say. Alexis took charge and threw herself at her
parents. They held her back, afraid to let go. “I love you
guys,” Alexis declared. She pulled
back to see her mother crying. Spike didn’t look far gone either. “Aw, don’t be
like this,” she said. “You know I’m not really leaving.” “I know,”
Buffy said. “But it still feels that way.” Alexis gave them
a small smile. “I’m so glad
you came to us. Who knows how things would have turned out without you.” Buffy reached for Spike’s hand. Their fingers entwined
together. “You’re the reason things turned out the way they did.” “We owe you a
lot, Sunshine. Your our salvation,” Spike said. “I wouldn’t go
that far. I didn’t do a whole lot actually. You both are the champions,” Alexis
remarked. “I guess I better get going.” Buffy’s eyes
shed more water. “Oh, baby, I’m going to miss you.” Alexis rolled
her eyes. “I know I shouldn’t be saying this to my mom but . . . You are an
idiot. I’m right there.” She pointed a finger to Buffy’s stomach. With that,
Buffy began to laugh through her tears. Spike joined her. “I guess I am
pretty stupid, huh?” “I’m not even
going to answer that question.” Alexis walked toward the training room. Without
glancing back she added, “See ya around in about
three and a half months.” ***************************** “Are you sure
about this?” The witch
gazed down at the bassinet. Sirena stared up at her
with her stunning green eyes and smiled. “She needs
someone. A-And I’ve seen you with her. I know you want to keep her.” “I do,” “I would have
chosen to wait. But this baby needs us now not later.” “So it’s okay
then.” ********************************** “I miss her,”
Buffy whispered. She sat up in bed, running fingers through her hair. She let
out a frustrated sound. “God, I really am stupid! She was right. Stupid Buffy.” “You aren’t
the only one, luv,” Spike informed. Buffy laid a
spread hand over her belly. “I know she’s here, but it doesn’t feel the same.”
Her eyes stared across the room. Spike touched
Buffy’s hand. The sensation made her turn her attention back to him. “She’s with
us. We just have to wait is all.” “Waiting
sucks.” “That it
does.” _____________________________________________________ Chapter Thirty- Four- Hey, I’m Having a Baby Here! About three
and a half months later Buffy awoke,
feeling uncomfortable. She rolled over in bed and winced. Her stomach hurt. She
tried to go back to sleep but couldn’t. The slayer
craned her neck to get a glimpse of the blonde lying next her. Spike was deep
in slumber, oblivious to Buffy’s predicament. She got out of
bed with some difficulty and crept out of the dark bedroom. She made her way
down the hall to the bathroom. She flipped on the light switch, her eyes focusing.
She stood there for a moment, leaning against the door. Ugh, she wished the
ache in her belly would go away. Buffy went to
the toilet and sat down. She peed, finding that as she did so the pain eased. There was a
rap on the door. “Buffy? Pet? You okay?” “Yeah, fine. I
needed to use the bathroom,” Buffy called. She flushed
the toilet. Then she washed her hands and headed back to bed. Spike was waiting
for her. She settled down, molding her body close to his. His strong arms held
her to him. “Go back to
sleep, luv,” he instructed. The slayer
complied. It wasn’t long, however, when she woke up again. She felt the urge to
use the bathroom again. Which was ridiculous. The
clock said that it had only been an hour ago that she went. But when nature
called, nature called. Buffy
disentangled herself from Spike. She was almost out of the room when he spoke. “Again?” “Yeah,” Buffy
told him. “Again.” She used the
toilet again, this time emptying her bowels. As she was washing her hands a
strong wave of pain swam over her. She clutched the counter until it passed. I’m going into
labor, Buffy realized. Oh my God. She was scared and excited both at the same
time. “Mom, I wish
you were here,” she whispered. There was no
reason to worry Spike. She had read quite a few books and they all said that
labor lasted hours. She stuck her
head into the bedroom. Spike had gone back to sleep. Good. She didn’t feel like
resting at the moment. She went downstairs. There was
nothing good on TV. She settled for a talk show. She made fun of the guests as
she watched, trying to get her mind off the inevinable.
About an hour
later she shut off the television. The pains were regular now. She stood up and
began to pace the room. Every now and then she’d stop, hunching over. She tried
to control her breathing like she had learned in lamaze class. It was more difficult to achieve than
she anticipated. She experimented, going through a few contractions without it.
She found that the breathing exercises were helping, and went back to trying
them. Suddenly she
heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She froze, a deer caught in headlights.
She knew this wasn’t going to be good. “What in the
hell are you doing!?” Spike demanded. Buffy opened
her mouth. Her mind had seemed to leave her right then. “Uh . . .” It was then
that her body chose to unleash another contraction. She let out a little moan.
They were getting stronger. Spike rushed
forward. He grabbed her arms. His voice was softer when he spoke. “Buffy, how
could you not tell me?” She took in a
deep breath. “Remember that book you gave me? The one we both read? It says
that there is no need to panic. I don’t need to leave for the hospital until
the contractions are ten to fifteen minutes apart.” “How far apart
are they now?” “I . . .” “You don’t
know!?” Spike asked incredulously. “I kinda lost track. These last few I haven’t looked at the
clock,” she admitted. Spike led her
to the couch. He set her down next to him. He rubbed her back, which felt
really good. “Well, let’s
start now.” After a few
contractions it was confirmed that they were estimately
fifteen minutes apart. Spike jumped
up and grabbed their coats. “Come on!” “Spike, don’t
panic. There is plenty of time.” He shook his
head. “No there isn’t. You’re in active labor.” “Fine, Fine. Let’s go.” She got to her feet. “Dawn. We have to call
Dawn. And Xander or Giles, or
somebody. We don’t have a car.” Dawn had spent
the night at a girlfriend’s house. Some new girl at school.
Jasmine? Joceline? She found the piece of paper with her name and number. Jackline.
Spike grabbed
the phone and dialed for Dawn. “Nibblet?” He listened
for a moment. “That’s great,
pet. I’m glad you got to see that movie. Look, bit, I think you might have to
cut your slumber party short. That is, if you want to see your neice born that is.” There was a
squeal heard from the reciever. “So, I suggest
you meet us . . .” A confused
expression came over Spike. “Dawn? Dawn? Are you there?” Buffy frowned.
“What is it? Did she hang up? She wouldn’t have hung up.” Spike shook
his head. “No.” He stared at the phone. “The phone went dead.” “The phone
went dead!” “Yeah.” “How are we
going to call someone to pick us up?” Spike turned
around. “We can’t.” Spike took her
arm and pulled her toward the front door. “We’ll walk it.” They were
almost outside when she requested for him to stop. “Wait, Spike.” When he
didn’t she raised her voice. “Wait!” “What? What is
it?” She held onto
him, breathing hard. “Oh.” Buffy wimpered. Spike ran a
hand over her hair. “ S’ Okay, luv.” When the
contraction ended, Spike surprised her by swooping her up in his arms. He
carried her out into the night. They made it a
ways before they realized how dark it was. “There should
be streetlights,” Buffy remarked. “You’re
right.” They went on.
A little while later they came across a fallen powerline.
“The phone
‘and’ electricity are out? That really sucks,” Buffy said. “The hospital
has a generator.” They went on,
entering the downtown. Out of nowhere jumped four vampires. “Oh great,”
Buffy said. “Did you bring a stake? I didn’t bring a stake.” “Kinda slipped my mind,” Spike replied. “Me too what with the impending birth and all.” Spike put her
down. She was relieved to find that her legs were steady. Spike stepped forwad to fight. Buffy watched, annoyed that she couldn’t
help. He dusted two by twisting their heads. She smiled,
glad he still had his vampiric strength. One of the
vampires came at her. There wasn’t much choice. She couldn’t just stand there. Buffy punched
him in the nose. Then she hit the side of his face. She stepped on his foot,
making him howl. She swiped her leg across, making him lose his balance. “I maybe
having a baby here, but I’m still the slayer,” she told the vamp. She held him
down with her foot. Spike dusted
the other vamp and came over. He looked down at the fallen vampire. “Good job.” “Thanks.” He bent down
and took hold of the vampire’s head. He turned it. There was a crunch and then
poof, he was gone. Buffy let out
a relieved sigh. A few forms
ran toward them. Slayer and ex-vampire went into fighting stances. They relaxed
when they saw who it was. Anya and Xander came near. “We just came
from your house,” Xander informed. “You weren’t
there.” “We tried to
contact you, but the phone’s out,” Buffy said. “Power’s out
all over town.” “Vampires did
it,” Anya explained. “They’re after you. Big surprise. We made one talk before we killed it. Said
that tonight was the night. What did they mean by that?” “Uhhhh.” Buffy held her belly. “Oh no,” Xander said. “Oh yes,”
Buffy said. “I’m having this baby tonight.” “We have to
get her to the hospital,” Spike insisted. “That’ll be
the first place they look for me. I can’t go there,” Buffy said. “Right. Right.” Spike was at a loss. “The magic shop!” Anya exclaimed.
“You can go to the shop. There are lots of protection charms to help.” “ “I’ll do it,” Xander offered. Spike picked
Buffy up. “Come on, it’s time for you to have our daughter.” ______________________________________________________ Chapter Thirty- Five- Hey, I’m Having a Baby Here! Part II Spike carried
Buffy into The Magic Box. “You can put
her down there,” Anya said. She pointed to a spot on
the floor. “I need to
cover her with something,” Spike answered. “Do you have a blanket?” “I don’t . .
.” “Argh, fine!” He put Buffy
down and shed his leather duster. He helped Buffy remove the gray sweatpants
she wore before draping it over her lower half. He knew that the coat meant
death. He had taken it off his second slayer. But it seemed all right. Alexis’s
purpose was to bring things to life. She spread light wherever there was
darkness. Maybe she could transform the old thing into something new. A piece of material that brought good memories along with the bad.
“Do you mind, luv?” Spike asked Buffy. She glanced up
at him with incomprehension. “Huh? What?” “My coat?” She shook her
head. “No. Not really caring about anything except getting through this.” They lit a few
candles. The light was dim and cast shadows over the room. Buffy was glad. She
didn’t think she would have liked the bright lights of the hospital. It wasn’t long
before Xander entered. Giles, “Yeah, I guess
so.” “You ready?” “I don’t
know,” Buffy confessed. Buffy suddenly
squeezed “Um, Buffy. .
.” Buffy released
her hand. “Oh, sorry.” It was then
that all hell broke lose. Vampires flooded the store. “Oh God!” Buffy cried. “They can’t do this! This can’t be
happening.” A vampire in
game face made its way toward Buffy. “Slayer,” it said. “Hey, I’m
having a baby here! Leave me alone!” She swung her leg when he came up,
knocking him aside. A stream of
power poured out of her outstretched palms. The vampires shied away. “Hurry, get stakes. I can‘t keep this up for long,” she
shouted. Spike, Xander, and Giles gathered weapons. Anya ran over to a corner of the store. She took something off a shelf
and then returned. In her clutch was a necklace. A crystal pendant dangled from
it. She gave it to “Put it on
her,” Anya ordered. “It’ll protect them.” Time passed.
How long nobody could be sure. The guys were busy staking vampires. It seemed
like a new one showed up every time they dusted one. Buffy continued to go
through labor. If a vampire came too close Buffy closed
her eyes. She was really tired and she hadn‘t even started to push yet. “I
can’t do this,” she complained. “Oh, stop it,”
Anya snapped. “Anya, don’t be mean. She’s in a lot of pain,” “The book I’ve
read said that child birth isn’t a big deal. And she’s the slayer. This should
be a breeze.” Buffy’s eyes shot
open. She glared at the other woman. “Shut up! You really don’t know what you
are talking about. When you go through it, you’ll know.” Another
contraction ripped through her body. She moaned, clutching Spike’s duster. “Spike, this
is your last and only kid! Got it!?” Spike was
currently busy with fighting and didn’t acknowledge her announcement. A few moments
went by. The contractions were really strong, hardly giving Buffy a chance to
recover. She didn’t know how much more of this she could take. Buffy’s eyes
widened. She all of a sudden noticed what was next to her. “Fertility
statues!” she shouted at the store owner, incredulous. “You put me near
fertility statues!” “I know you
don’t feel that way now, but after this is all over you are gonna
want another kid.” “No, I’m not!
This is it!” Her eyes got dark and scary. “Get me away from these statues!” The slayer’s
breathing changed. There was a hesitation before exhaling. “I wanna push,” Buffy stated. Bring her
knees up to her body, Buffy placed her hands behind
them. She nodded at the blond witch. She pushed, giving a small grunt. Spike came
into view. “How is she doing?” It was
realized then that the vampires were gone. A layer of dust covered the floor. “She’s doing
fine,” Buffy reached
for her boyfriend. “Spike, don’t leave me again.” He took her
hand. With his other one he smoothed down her sweaty hair. “I’m going to stay
right by your side, pet.” He had spoken
too soon. The shop’s
door opened and a figure stepped in. It was a vampire. Buffy could feel a warning
tingle run down her spine. His face was disfigured, charred and red. She
studied the vamp intently, knowing there was something about him. And then the
alarms went off. She gasped. “Judas!” I have to
stop, her mind cried. I can’t have my daughter now. Not when he’s here. She
clutched her stomach. Stay inside, she begged. You can’t come out yet. It was
useless and she knew it. Another urge to push overcame her that she couldn’t
fight. Spike rose.
Buffy wouldn’t let go of his hand. “No! You can’t
leave me again! No! You promised to stay.” “I have to.
You know that. I can’t let him hurt you or Alexi
again.” He looked down at her and met her eyes. She released his hand, knowing
he was right. “You are going
to pay, slayer!” Judas said. “You and your little spawn. Look what you’ve done
to my face?” The burns were
awful, covering his entire face and arms. Buffy knew that the fire must have
gotten to him good. Vampires healed fast too. She hated to think of what the
damage had looked like when it had been fresh. Spike stepped
forward. He smirked. “You’ll have to get through me first.” The sounds of
combat mingled with Buffy’s cries. Buffy’s eyes
kept fluttering closed. “How can she
fall asleep at a time like this?” Xander asked. “I
mean, shouldn’t she be wide awake? She’s having a baby.” “She’s
conserving energy for the last part of the birth,” Anya
replied. “Oh. Got it.” Spike rushed
over. He grabbed a stone statues of an Egyptian god.
He ran at Judas, lifting the statue high. He smacked the idol hard at the
vampire. The object hit Judas’s wounded face making him holler with agony. “Watch the
merchandise!” Anya yelled. “You break it, you buy it,
mister.” “I have to
stop,” Buffy whispered wearily. “Stop? Buff, I don’t think that’s possible,” Xander
commented. “Buffy, dear,
are you scared? You’re doing just fine,” Giles added encouragingly. “It’s
almost over.” “I know.
That’s why I have to stop,” Buffy informed. “Um, not
really making sense here,” Willow said. “I have to
wait for Spike.” She looked at them, pleadingly. “Help me to not push.” “It’s not
really a choice, Buffy,” Giles said. Tears formed
in her eyes. “I don’t want to have this baby without Spike.” He was only
across the room, but it seemed as if he were miles away. Buffy
struggled not to push. “Don’t fight
it,” The
soon-to-be-mother shook her head. It was
inventible. Buffy couldn’t stop her baby’s decent. She reluctantly continued to
push. “I think I saw
the head!” “No!” Buffy
screamed. “Spike, get your ass over here!” “Just a moment, luv. Let me dust this nasty
and I’ll be right over,” Spike answered from across the shop. “No! You
can’t.” “What!? Not comprehending here.” “You can’t
dust him,” Buffy protested. “He’s a baddie,
Buff,” “I know. But
it suddenly occurred to me that. . .” She paused to push. “Uhhhh. . .” She panted. “If
he isn’t around in the future then Alexis would never have a reason to come
back here. And . . . Uhhh. . .” “Don’t talk, Buffy.
Concentrate on pushing. ” “And there’s
no guarantee I’d have gotten with Spike,” Buffy managed to get out. “Right then,”
Spike said. He kicked the vampire in the side. “What we going to do with the
bugger?” “I can send
him away!” “The head’s
completely out!” “Spike, get
over here now!!” Buffy shouted at the top of her lungs. Giles and Xander went over to Judas, making sure he stayed
unconscious on the floor. Spike sprinted to Buffy. He took a peek
at his daughter. “She’s beautiful.” “Come on, one
more push,” Buffy clutched
Spike. “One more push,” she breathed. “You can do
it, Buffy,” Spike told her. She did. The
tiny body slid out of her, making its way into the world. Buffy noticed
their expressions. She pushed herself up. “What is it? What is wrong?” The slayer saw
that her daughter wasn’t moving. She was still as death. “NO! God, no!” “Give her to
me!” Spike demanded. “Spike. . . “ Just then
there was a draw of breath. Then there was another. The baby opened its eyes to
reveal clear blue orbs. Buffy
collapsed against Spike in relief. Tears streamed down both their faces. “Thank God,” Buffy had one
last contraction, doing away with the placenta. Then everything was over. “The cord,” “Right,” Spike
said, doubtful. He knew he had read how to do this, but all knowledge left him.
He made a
tentative, small slice. He eyed his baby and slayer, noting neither winced. He
sliced it in two, thankful when it was done. The baby was
given to Buffy after being cleaned up. The child lay on her mother’s chest,
while Buffy sank back, exhausted. Spike huddled
close. His girls. His precious
girls. Love enveloped
the family. They had never known warmth like this. “I’m so proud
of you,” Giles said to Buffy. She simply
grinned at him. Someone burst
into the store. Heads turned to see Dawn. “Where were
you guys!? I searched everywhere. The hospital. The house. Giles’s house. Anya rolled her eyes. “What does it look like? Buffy had her baby.” “Come here, Dawnie,” Buffy requested. “See your niece.” Dawn came
over. She knelt, looking down at the perfect little girl. “She’s so cute. I
can’t believe I missed it.” “There wasn’t
much to it. Just some moans, groans, and pushing,” Buffy said. She smiled, her face aglow. Laughter spilled
out of Dawn. “Yeah right.” “Better get
you two to the hospital, luv,” Spike told Buffy. “In a minute,”
Buffy said. Silence spread
over the store. Light spilled in from outside. Spike glanced from the rays
outside to the sun held in his daughter’s eyes. He knew he was finally
forgiven. The sunshine bathed him and he let it soak into his skin. And it felt
right. _________________________________________________ Epilogue Buffy and
Spike snuggled on the couch. Their eyes were locked on the display three little
kids were making on the floor. Blocks were scattered everywhere and the
beginnings of a tower was in progress. All of a
sudden the building went crash. Five-year-old Alexis stood up. “Daddy, Nicki made it fall!” Spike leaned
forward. “Sunshine, I don’t think he meant to.” “I’m
Godzilla,” Nick declared. Sirena started to cry. “Oh dear,”
Buffy muttered. There was a
knock at the door. Buffy got up to answer it. Xander
and Anya stood outside. She quickly let them in. “How was
Nick?” Xander asked. Buffy smiled.
“He was fine. Although, he just knocked down a tower Alexi
and Sirena were building. He
says he’s Godzilla.” A laugh
escaped Xander. “Yeah, that’s his new favorite
monster now.” Anya went over to get her son. She took hold of his hand. The little
boy looked up at his mother. “I didn’t mean
to make them cry,” he told her. “I know,
honey. Ask before you do it again, all right?” Nick LeVelle (Anya insisted that Xander’s middle name was beautiful) Harris was born a few
weeks after Alexis. Anya was in labor longer than
Buffy, by about three hours. She screamed throughout the whole thing, declaring
she would kill her husband when it was all over. Afterward, she apologized to
Buffy and told her that she very brave. The Harris
family thanked Buffy and Spike for babysitting. Then they left with their son,
who was begging for ice-cream. It wasn’t long
before Spike and
Buffy settled back on the couch. The parents watched as their daughter made a
castle. “You don’t
mind watching the other kids, do you?” Buffy asked. “Nah, they
aren’t much trouble,” Spike replied. She shifted in
his arms, gazing up at him. “So, you don’t mind being surrounded by children?” “Well. . .” He
leaned down and captured her lips. “I do like occasional breaks. Convenient because your friends have agreed to reciprocate the
offer to babysit. And there is always Dawn.” “So. . . You
wouldn’t mind another one then?” Spike’s eyes
bugged out. “What?” “Alexis kind
of forgot to tell us something.” Her voice was soft. “She has a baby brother or
sister.” There was a
span of silence. Buffy looked at Spike. He wasn’t moving. “Spike?” She shook him. “Spike!?” He snapped out
of it. “Sorry, luv. M’ fine,
really.” “Geez, scare me half to death.” “So, you’re .
. .?” She gave him a
tiny smile. “Yeah. Are you okay with it?” He grinned. “I
always wanted seven before I was turned.” “Seven?” his
wife squeaked. “We are ‘so’ not having seven.” “Five?” “Let’s start
with two.” “Fine with me, pet. Two to begin with.” _______________________________________________ Okay, this
wasn’t exactly the way I wanted it, but it’ll do. So, that’s it, folks. It is
done. The End. Now I can start on my
post-chosen/post-Destiny fic. Yay!
It is going to be called Harmony. |