Building Bridges
By PassionFish
Six
weeks had passed and Willow still hadn't confronted Buffy. Not for want of trying. But somehow one demon or another got in the
way. Currently the hacker was at a Wicca
retreat, and once it was over she swore she would make the time.
---
Buffy
let the robe drop and stood, naked, in front of the full body mirror hanging on
the inside of her bedroom door. She
stared at her seemingly unchanged body from the front then turned to the side
with a gasp.
Whilst
the three inches may not have been noticeable to anyone else, to the slayer she
may have well have put on six stone.
Her hands slid over the swollen bump with a sigh.
"He's
made me fat."
"You
look beautiful."
Buffy
jumped and turned, "Jeez, Spike, you scared me!" She returned her critical eyes to the mirror
once more as Spike walked up behind her.
"I'm
going to have to tell them soon, you know, I couldn't fit into my favourite
pants yesterday." She indicated
the leathers on the desk chair.
"Yeah,
well, you look better without." He
replied, rubbing his arousal into her behind.
Buffy
leant back against him, "So you're suggesting that next time I go out au natural?" She asked, provocatively.
"Don't
even think about it." He growled,
turning her around so he could kiss her.
"Mmmm..." Buffy broke away, "Seriously though,
I'm going to have to tell them. You're
meant to go to a doctor after three months, and that’s about a week away."
"So?"
"So,
what if they do an ultrasound thingy and junior has fangs. That’s another thing, what if it wants
blood, that means I'm going to crave blood.
Eeww!" She exclaimed
suddenly as she followed her thought process.
"Have
you had any weird cravings yet?"
Spike asked, manoeuvring her to the bed.
"McDonalds."
"That’s
not so bad."
"No,
but explaining to Willow why I was suddenly cramming fries, the gherkins from
my burger and strawberry milkshake down my throat wasn't easy. I passed it off as Xander rubbing off on
me."
"He
better not be rubbing anything on you."
"Eww,
Spike! He's like my brother."
"Thank
Satan we don't live in Alabama then!"
Buffy laughed and Spike's mouth closed on her open one.
---
"Tonight,
yeah?" Spike asked.
"Yep,
seven-forty." Buffy moved the
phone to her other ear, so she could paint the other hand. "You're still coming right?"
"Of
course."
"I
wanna tell them after." Moments of
silence passed. "Spike?"
"Yeah?"
"You
gonna say something here?"
"What? Yeah, um, so you'll say that you’re
pregnant?"
"You
know what? I don't want to talk about
this over the phone."
The
vampire silently sighed.
"Okay
come here then. I can't exactly come to
you can I? The whole sun-allergy thing
I've got going."
--
Buffy
opened the hotel door with the key Spike had given her a few weeks earlier,
shedding her jacket on to the chair close by.
Spike was lying on the bed, flicking through the channels absently.
She
crawled up the bed to kiss him, before settling down next to him.
He
spoke first.
"So
you wanna tell them we're together?"
"Yeah. And the whole pregnancy thing. I was thinking, maybe one first then we
leave some time before the other, but I'm starting to show bad enough to need
to go shopping and much as I love spending your money I wanted to take mom and
Wills."
"So
we'll tell them tonight. With a little
sonogram to go with?"
"Yeah,
that’s okay right?"
"What
ever you want, pet." Spike smiled,
and kissed her again.
---
"Buffy
Summers?" Buffy and Spike stood,
the latter taking the formers hand as they walked to the desk.
"Yeah?"
"Room,
224. Dr. Brunwick."
Buffy
swallowed and tried to smile, "Thanks."
--
"Come
in."
Spike
pushed open the door, giving the reluctant slayer a little push before shutting
the door behind them.
"Buffy
Summers?"
"That’s
me." Buffy smiled a little, her
hand still in Spike's as the sat down on the two chairs in front of the doctors
desk.
The
older woman smiled, "And you must be papa."
"That’s
me." Spike answered, shooting a
smile at Buffy.
"Ah,
an English daddy. Well, Buffy lets go
take a look. If you'll just push your
pants below your waist and tug up your shirt we can begin."
As
the doctor milled about, setting up equipment, Spike lifted the slayer onto the
table, helping her tug the sweatpants down a little. Buffy unbuttoned the bottom few buttons of one of Spike's shirt
that she had commandeered a few days ago and lay back as Spike pushed up the
tight top, in which her stomach looked huge.
The
doctor moved to the other end of the bed and smiled, gently rubbing lubricant
over Buffy's swollen stomach. She then
retrieved a baton like instrument, swirling the paddle over the slayer's womb.
"Okay,
here it comes." Buffy and Spike
both looked up at the computer screen, both gasping at what they saw.
"Bloody
hell." Spike murmured.
"Yes,
everything looks perfectly normal."
The doctor said soothingly.
"Yep, ten little fingers and ten little toes. Okay, and from the looks of it your going to
have a June baby. From the calculations
and the time you think you conceived I would say, 28th."
"Can
we keep a picture?" Buffy asked,
tears in her eyes.
"Of
course, would you like to hear the heartbeat?"
"Can
we?" Buffy asked timidly.
"Sure." Dr. Brunwick leant forward and flicked a
switch. A fast beat filled the air.
"Oh." Buffy said, all chocked up. Spike looked down at her and she smiled at
him, "Wow!".
"Definitely." Spike agreed, leaning down to kiss her.
The
world-wise doctor took that as her queue to make herself scarce.
Spike
finally raised his head, "I love you, Buffy." He murmured against her lips.
"Y-you
do?" She croaked.
"Uh,
huh." He smiled at her, and she
flung her arms around his neck pulling him back to kiss him again.
"Mmm,
I love you too, Spike."
"After
you turned me into a bloody nancy boy, you bloody well better do!" Buffy giggled, kissing him again.
The
door opened and the doctor walked back in, carrying a prescription and a
picture. The couple reluctantly broke
apart and the doctor smiled, leaning forward to wipe the goop off the slayer's
stomach.
"Okay,
I'm giving you a prescription for some supplements you'll need, and if you can
make another appointment for a months time before you leave."
"Thanks." Spike took the prescription, before lifting
the slayer off the table.
"Oh,
and here's your picture." Buffy
took the sonogram and a pamphlet on pregnancy before leaving.
---
Spike
stopped the car outside her house, and Buffy slid over to him kissing him
slowly. His fingers thread in her hair, holding her face to his.
"I
love you." They spoke
simultaneously and Buffy smiled, kissing him gently before taking a deep
breath.
"Okay,
lets do this."
---
Mrs.
Summers hadn't spoken in five minutes.
The two lovers were kinda concerned as Joyce continued to stare silently
at the sonogram in her hand.
"Umm...mom?"
Silence.
"Joyce?"
"Say
something." Buffy finally re-found
her voice in light of Spike's; comforted with the knowledge of a comrade.
"Did
you ask the sex?"
"What?" Buffy asked, confused; evidently not
expecting that to be the first thing to be asked.
"No." Spike answered simultaneously.
"Spike,
I'd like to speak to my daughter alone for a minute." Joyce said quietly, not removing her eyes
from the picture.
Spike
looked down at Buffy, who nodded reassuringly.
He smiled and leant down to kiss her, before retreating to the living
room where he was still able to hear everything being said.
"How
long have you two been together?"
"About
three and half months."
"And
you're about three months along."
Joyce winced with the calculations; this meant her little baby had had
sex only two weeks into a relationship.
If not earlier, considering the father is her mortal enemy.
"Yeah..."
"Buffy,
how many times have I told you about having unprotected sex..."
"Mom..." Buffy flushed as she interrupted.
"This
is what the outcome is. You are going
to have to face the harsh repercussions of your actions." She said sharply. "You could have come to me..."
"I
didn't think it was possible..."
"That’s
what every girl thinks."
"Not
every girl is dating a vampire!"
Buffy shot out, then fell immediately silent.
"Ah..." Suddenly she softened, "Why didn't you
tell me you were dating? Serious
dating?"
"There
hasn't really been much time..."
"Three
months." Joyce put in.
"Two
apocalypses, several scores of vamps and demons, school work. Not much time."
There
was silence again.
"Do
you love him?"
"Yes." That made Buffy smile, unknowingly imitating
Spike's actions in the next room.
"Does
he love you?"
"I
do." Spike said as he walked back
into the kitchen, "Sorry, got bored."
Joyce
laughed, the tension in the room relieved.
Suddenly she looked at her daughter, taking in her sweat pants and over
sized shirt.
"I
take it a mall trip is in order?"
"You
read my mind!" Buffy smiled,
seeing from experience that her mother was okay and stepped into her arms.
***
"Suddenly
Giles' place looks evil." Buffy
said abruptly as they stood in the court way outside the front door. Inside they could hear the Scooby Gang
discussing what the slayer's new boyfriend would be like and what important
thing they had to tell them all. Willow
was being noticeably defensive of Buffy.
"Now
or never." She murmured as she
raised a hand to knock on the door.
"How
does never suit you? I could fit that
in next century."
"Sorry
babe, but I doubt I'll see it."
"You
will." The conversation ended
suddenly as Giles opened the door.
A
few moments of stunning silence passed before he spoke.
"You
know, I would say this scene proves I've a little too much to drink except I
haven't. Yet."
The
rest of the gang were now behind Giles, mouths agape except Willow.
"I
would invite you both in but I feel that would be a trifle stupid. So this is your surprise?" Giles asked, pain and sadness etched into
his voice and suddenly aged features.
"You're a vampire."
"What? No, of course not. I'm not a vampire...I'm p-pregnant."
Thud.
"Now
that went well." Came Spike's
sardonic voice into the silence.
***
Spike
sat silently on the leather chair in Giles' living room, the slayer securely on
his lap as she and her friends talked.
The vampire could feel the waves of anger coming from both the whelp and
the watcher; the latter still holding an ice pack to his head.
The
nature of the 'conversation' had ranged from anger to anger to a bit more anger
and now had finally settled with the girls talking about the baby.
"Mom
wants to take me maternity clothes shopping."
"Well,
obviously she'll have to do it soon. In
a few weeks you're going to be fat and bloated and all yucky." Anya put in dispassionately.
"Thanks." Buffy said dryly, turning to Willow. "Do you want to come with?"
"Hey,
why not ask me too?" Anya said,
but they ignored her.
"Yeah." Then quietly muttered to the slayer. "I wish you'd told me."
"Me
too. I'm sorry, I just didn't know how
to say it."
"Coz
how you said it today was perfect."
Xander said.
Spike
growled and Xander looked kinda alarmed.
Buffy simply threaded her fingers with one of the hands around her
waist, tugging on them lightly. Spike
shut up.
"Sorry,
Xand. Maybe I should have waited even
longer so I could have prepared a speech." She said laconically.
"I
think it all waited quite long enough."
Giles said and Buffy looked up at him.
"I
know, I'm sorry."
Giles
smiled gently at his ward before settling his cold eyes on the vampire, who
simply raised a scarred brow.
"Spike. I'm not happy about
this and I don't in any way condone it.
However, it is done. If Buffy is
happy so are we."
Giles
stood, "If you hurt her, I will kill you."
Spike
sighed, "I'm not going to."
"You
bloody well better not." Giles
cleared his throat, addressing the rest of the room. "Now, if you don't all mind clearing out. It’s late and I'm tired."
Muttered
complaints were met with icy glares as the group attempted to leave without
going near the recent vampire addition.
Giles
finally shut the door several minutes later with a resigned sigh. His slayer impregnated by William the
Bloody. Time to dispatch the future
watchers of this world another episode of the comedy that was their
establishment.
***
Buffy
snuggled down into Spike's arms, content in the hotel bed so long as they were
together. He was asleep and making a
strange noise; a kinda combination of purring and growling. His face was tucked against her neck, his
hands covering her stomach.
She
felt the ridges of his brow rub against her jaw, and his mouth locked over the
nearly healed bite mark on her throat; sucking gently; preserving the claim.
The
slayer sighed and closed her eyes in contentment as she drifted to sleep.
Everything
inside her was at peace. All was good.
***
"How
about this?" Willow held up a
garment.
"No."
Willow put down the garment.
"How
about this?" Anya held up the
garment.
"No." Anya put down the garment.
"How
about this?" Joyce held up a
garment.
"No." Buffy sighed, "I may as well just buy a
tent." Over the last eight weeks
her stomach had ballooned, leaving the slayer feeling like an over-weight beached
whale.
"Come
on, Buff, some of this is actually nice.
How about this?"
Buffy
looked up. "No."
***
"Ugh! I..."
Block punch. "Hate..."
Duck kick. "My..." Punch face.
"Life!" Stake. Poof.
Buffy
looked around at the four neat dust piles that surrounded her, then down at the
stake in her hand, then down at her stomach and burst out crying. She collapsed in the middle, lying flat on
her back as she cried.
"Well,
well, well, what have we here? A lost
little girl with no where to run."
Buffy raised her head and looked at the purple and brown demon thing
standing a meter from her outstretched legs.
"Oh,
fuck off!" Buffy shouted, letting
her head flop back down as her hormones got the better of her and she continued
crying.
"I
don't thin-" The creature gurgled,
its head lolling down to look at the hand that had just punched through its
torso. It shook as the hand was removed
and collapsed to the ground.
"I
told you not to patrol on your own." Spike growled, dropping to his knees
next to the crying slayer. "Buffy,
love, what's wrong? What hurts,
pet?" Spike soothed hurriedly,
checking her for obvious injuries.
Buffy
sniffed, curling her body as best she could into his arms, "Everything’s
wrong! My back hurts and my feet hurt
and we couldn't find anything in the stupid maternity shop because I'm fat and
I'm ugly and I just want you to kill me now." Buffy finished in a little girls voice before bursting into tears
once more.
Spike
sighed silently, rubbing his hand up and down her back as he spoke. This was the third outburst this week. According to everybody and every book her
hormones were going into overload making everything in the world seem ten times
worse.
"You're
not fat and you're not ugly. You're
beautiful, love, absolutely perfect."
"Liar." But she sniffed, evidently calming down.
"I'm
a demon pet, I don't need to lie. Why
don't you come home with me and tomorrow we'll go up to LA and look for some
more clothes there, hmmm?"
Buffy
looked up at him and he smiled gently down at her. She offered him a smile, kissing him softly as he wiped away her
tears.
**
Spike
sighed silently and unlocked the door
of the house he'd recently acquired; close enough to just about everything
should a real emergency come up Buffy could be there.
All
his 'stuff' had been moved in, including a shit-load of stuff he'd recently
bought to make it more habitable for a human, such as a fridge, food etc...
Although
Buffy hadn't officially moved in her stuff kept appearing in drips and
drabs. Her on-campus room had been completely
vacated, and a new girl...Tara...had moved in with the red-haired witch.
She
still spent a few nights at her mother's house, though never alone...a certain
cocky, blonde vampire ensuring her company.
Spike
looked over at the slayer as he walked them to the couch before changing his
mind, quickly altering course. Instead,
scooping a very tired Buffy up in his arms and carrying her upstairs to their
bedroom, to get some must needed rest.
With
a rarely shown tenderness Spike lay the small girl down on the bed before
slowly removing her clothing. Finally,
he gently lifted her, placing her under the covers.
He
turned to leave her to sleep but she stopped him, "Stay here with
me." She murmured in a little girls’ voice.
Pulling
off his clothes the vampire moved to join his mate in the large bed, carefully
drawing her into his arms. He closed
his eyes in pleasure as she sighed in a mixture of relaxation and an odd sort
of relief.
Together
they fell asleep.
***
"Its
so bare." Buffy said looking
around the decorated nursery. Decorated
but no more.
Spike
looked around the nursery then to the watch on his hand - 5 am.
"We
can get some stuff tomorrow, ducks.
Come on now, its late."
Spike took Buffy by the hand and led her from the smaller room to their
own.
Buffy
sighed happily, tucking herself into her lover's embrace and slept, safe once
more.
***
"Come
on, pet."
"No." Buffy folded her arms, and stared straight
ahead, ignoring the vampire outside her door.
Spike
sighed patiently. "Why not?"
"I
don't want to go." She
pouted.
"Come
on, love, I'll buy you a cookie."
Spike tried to wheedle, giving the slayer a puppy-dog look that made her
burst out laughing. Spike smiled,
taking her outstretched hand and pulling her gently from the car.
"Make
it two and throw in a milkshake and we have a deal."
"Done."
---
"Okay,
where to first, pet?" Spike asked
as they left the cafe. Twenty dollars
in debt! Boy, could pregnant slayers
eat!
"That
one I guess." Buffy said, tugging
on his hand in the direction of the store.
Buffy stopped outside the window and looked in on the display. It was a month to Christmas and the dolls in
the window were depicting an expecting mother playing with a young child around
a Christmas tree.
"In
we go." Spike said, this time he
was the one pulling Buffy into the shop.
---
"This
is just plain mean." Buffy said,
holding out a large pair of jeans in front of her.
"What
is, pet?" Spike asked, moving
towards her, carrying the devilishly indecent nightdress he'd found.
"I
have to carry junior for nine months, my hormones are all fucked up and I have
to wear a bunch of tents masquerading as clothing."
"Big
word."
She
scowled at him then noticed the nightdress in his hand. "What’s that?"
He
was about to say a cut up tent but decided against it. "A night thing. Isn't that what you said you wanted last
night."
Buffy
took it and turned around and held it up to the lighted mirror. "I may as well be naked."
"That’s
always a good plan." Spike
murmured, wrapping his arms around her as he kissed her neck.
Buffy
sighed, "That feels good..."
Her eyes opened and closed languidly as she leant back against him. She spotted something and moved forward,
"Ooh! What about this!"
Spike
looked down at the long black dress she held up and smiled, "Perfect. You like it?"
"Yeah. You know what else? If I could get some grey cotton trousers I
could get this too." She held up
the long cream long sleeved top.
Spike
smiled, relieved, as he followed her about the shop, her dark mood obviously
lifted as the slayer was finally content to shop for herself.
---
An
hour later Buffy smiled innocently up at Spike as the cashier presented him
with the bill.
"You
better be happy with this when we get home." He mock-threatened as he picked up the bags and they headed back
to the car.
"I
am." Buffy tugged on Spike's arm, steering
him back into the shopping mall after they'd stowed the bags. "I was thinking we could get some stuff
for junior."
"Like
what? I'm not having my son in dresses
just because they were on sale in Neiman Marcus!"
"No. I meant all the stuff like toys and a cot
and the little baby suits...oooh, like that!" Buffy squealed, holding up a white all-in-one baby suit with a
gold giraffe on the front.
"Okay
but don't get carried away...and don't pout at me, its not going to
work!" At her disbelieving look he
repeated. "Its not!"
---
"Pet?"
"Yeah?"
"What
about this?" Spike asked, not
turning around.
"What
is it?" Buffy asked, not looking
up from the baby books.
"Its
one of those things you hang above the baby, you know so it ca-"
"Buffy!?!"
Spike
and Buffy both turned around instinctively moving closer at the intrusion on
their peace.
"Cordelia! What are you doing here?"
"I
was just gonna ask you! I had a vision
about a demon here, tearing up all the pregnant women." Cordelia looked down at the slayer's
stomach. "Which I guess means
you."
Spike
had dropped the clothes in his hands on to the table, his arms moving possessively
around the slayer as he looked about the store. "What demon?"
"What
is he doing here? And with you? Oh, my God, Buffy! You and..."
"Spike! What the hell are you doing here!" Angel growled.
"What’s
going on...oh, hello Buffy, ah, Spike!"
Wesley arrived on the scene.
"Hey,
guys, whose is the hottie?" Gunn
made his entrance, grinning at the slayer.
"Mine!" Spike growled.
"I
don’t think so!" Angel blurted.
"Okay,
STOP!" Everyone looked at Buffy,
save Spike who was still glancing around for the demon. "What about the demon?"
"Never
mind the demon, Buffy what are you doing here...pregnant?!" Angel stared, mouth agape, down at the
slayers stomach.
"Buffy,
I say...."
"Right,
that is ENOUGH!" Spike growled,
his anger over seeing his sire and his worry over the slayer's safety getting
to him. "Yes, Buffy is here. Yes,
Buffy is pregnant. Now we've
established that can we chat about the fucking demon that’s going to want to
eat her?"
"Why
do you care?" Wesley asked,
frowning.
"Why
the fuck do you think I care?!"
Spike exploded, gesturing towards the Buffy's stomach.
"You
got knocked up by Spike? Aren't you
still a vampire?" Cordy asked
Spike.
"He's
a vampire?"
"Astute,
that one." Spike gestured to Gunn,
who raised his stake, to which the vampire in question raised a scarred
eyebrow.
"Buffy,
how could you...?" Angel asked.
"After
two and half centuries you still don't know?" Buffy snapped. "My
private life is nothing to any of you."
"How
can you say that?"
"Very
easily, Angel. Now, if you want mine
and Spike's help tell us what’s going on or we'll just leave."
"Spike
helps now?" Cordelia asked.
"Well,
he won't let the thing eat me now will he?" Buffy snapped, her good mood completely dissolved with the gang’s
arrival.
"I
guess he's saving you for himself."
Gunn put in, indicating the bite marks on the slayer's neck.
"You
marked what was mine?" Angel
growled, barely held back by both Cordelia and Wesley.
"No,
I marked what is mine.
She belongs to me Angelus." Spike growled back, his face morphing.
Angel
looked from Buffy to Spike back to Buffy.
"You're not going to say anything here?"
"What
would I say Angel, its true."
Buffy's eyes moved to the creature behind the gang. "And, maybe one of you wants to turn
around, move out of the way and let me kill the thing?"
The
gang turned, all falling into fighting stances.
Spike
turned Buffy in his arms, placing her behind him and farthest away from the
demon. "You stay here. Let them deal with it."
"Spike
I have to help." Buffy said,
indicating the demon who'd just thrown Gunn and Wesley back towards
Cordelia.
She
moved to get around him and he growled, "No! You stay, I'll go."
Spike
moved up behind the demon who was punching the hell out of Angel. He just stood for a moment, enjoying the
view.
"Spike!"
"Yeah,
okay, I'm going!" With an over-exaggerated
sigh reached forward and snapped the demons neck. It crumpled to the ground, leaving an unnecessarily gasping Angel
on his knees.
"Okay,
pet, happy now?"
"Yes." Buffy smiled, reaching up to kiss him as he
pulled her to him.
"Good,
lets go." Spike picked up the
stuff they'd already chosen in the other hand and walked out to pay for it all.
---
"Ooh! Buffy its sooo cute!"
"I
know." The slayer agreed, looking
at the all-in-one white jump suit and the matching baby-booties the witch was
holding up. "White's the only
thing Spike'll let me buy, or red or black.
But you don't really get black baby suits."
Willow
smiled, then looked around, "I love your house."
"So
you've said!" Buffy said smiling over at Oz who ruffled the witch's hair
fondly.
"I
know but, wow, I mean who would’ve though there would even BE a house this nice
in Sunnydale?!"
"Or
that Spike was that rich?!" Buffy
added.
"Talking
ill of the dead, pet?" Spike asked
as he walked in the front door, with two shopping bags.
"Always." She leaned up for his kiss then looked
down. "What you get?"
"Chinese. And a coupla films." He responded, pulling out the little
cardboard containers out of the bag.
"But
I wanted it with-"
"Peanut
butter and jelly." Spike finished
for her, handing her the two jars. He
then looked at Willow who had pulled a face.
"The best thing to do, Red, is not watch her while she eats it,
that way you can pretend she's a normal person instead of some kind of human
disposal unit."
Willow
laughed, accepting her food and chopsticks.
"Here,
ya go mate." Spike handed the werewolf his food as he popped the video in
the VCR.
"Thanks." Oz returned as Spike sat back down next to
Buffy.
Buffy
pouted, then leaned back against Spike as the movie started to roll. <<Monty Python and the Flying
Circus.>>
----
"Tell
me what it means." Buffy demanded
in a sleepy voice, her half open eyes focused on the soft light given out by
the lamp on the bedside table.
"Tell
you what, what means?" Spike asked
in an equally tired voice. It was
nearly five in the morning and while both were equip with super stamina this
was pushing it a bit.
"The
whole biting me on the neck thing."
She clarified, turning very ungracefully in his cool embrace to rest her
head on his chest.
"Do
I have to?" Spike whined, fidgeting
a bit; showing his reluctance for the topic.
"Yes." Buffy was unswayed.
"Fine." He growled, moving and settling them both a
little more comfortably.
"I'm
waiting."
"Okay,
bloody hell, woman, give me a minute!"
More
time elapsed.
"Spike!"
"Fine. It's like...Vampires do it to show the rest
of the world that whoever they bit is their property."
"I'm
PROPERTY?!" Buffy screeched,
shooting up as best she could.
"Yes! No, I mean it’s not like that! It’s more of a protection thing. If you reciprocated then we'd be bound for
eternity. I'd be able to feel if you
were in danger or hurt and vice versa. It’s
more a protection thing, love, honest." Spike ended earnestly.
"Oh. So that’s why Angel was so pissed?"
"Yeah,
stupid prick could sense I'd claimed you and since he never had...I mean he
never said the words when he bit you did he?" Buffy shook her head a negative.
"It was pretty much his demon getting pissy at him 'coz he was too
much of a pansy to do it!"
Buffy
giggled, "But nothing to do with the fact that you'd done it, or I'd let
you?"
"Okay,
smart arse, maybe a bit to do with that."
A pause. "You're not mad
are you? I mean you don't mind?"
Buffy
sighed and lay back down, pressing a kiss to his lips and looking into his
eyes, "No, I'm not mad, I'm just happy you finally told me. I was nearly ready to go ask Giles."
"You
mean your watcher never explained what it meant?" Spike sounded shocked, his eyebrows raised.
"Well,
not....exactly...."
"Pet?"
"Okay,
fine. He told me but I wasn't
listening. I was looking at baby
clothes." She explained
reluctantly. Then pouted as he laughed.
Suddenly
she turned serious, "Do you want me to return it?"
"What?"
"The
claim."
There
was silence. "Yes. But I think you should talk to watcher, pet,
read up on it or some bollocks like that.
I want you to accept but I want you to know what it is you're
accepting."
"Okay."
Spike
leant down to give her a peak on the head, "Sleep now." He whispered.
Buffy
yawned, "'Kay..." And within
minutes both were asleep.
---
"Riley...uh,
hi!" Willow stuttered
nervously. After having been informed
by the slayer of the commando's little visit a couple of months ago and then
seeing his obvious freaking over seeing the slayer quite a bit pregnant the
other week had made the red-haired witch review her analysis of his character
some-what.
"Hello. Willow." His voice was stunted, terse.
He forced a smile to his lips, the baring of his teeth only putting the
witch more on edge.
"Well..." She began after several long seconds of silence,
"...I betta be-"
"I
need to talk to you, about Buffy."
He put in sharply.
"Really?" Willow attempted a chipper voice but it came
out squeaky.
"Is
she really pregnant? Who's the
father? Is it that piece of scum? What was his name? Spike?" He said it
all quickly. Slamming each question out
of his mouth, one after the other.
"Look,
Riley, I'm sorry. I know you liked her
but her and Spike are pretty serious.
They're having a baby-"
She
was cut off again, "YOU SAID THERE WAS NOTHING BETWEEN THEM!"
The
commando's arms had shot out and he was shaking the witch as he spat the words
at her. The look in his eyes was one of
ill-repressed violence.
"HEY! Buddy, easy up there!" A guy from Will's English Lit. class grabbed
Riley's arms pulling them away from the pale, shaken witch.
"Get
OFF me!" Riley growled, throwing
off the other guy and storming out of the compound.
The
friendly giant turned to Willow, "Are you alright? Boyfriend get a little rough?"
"No...uh,
no, he liked my friend but she didn't like him that was and she likes this
other guy, okay so he's not the nicest guy in the world but wow, I thought
Riley was-" Willow rambled on and
on until he stopped her.
"Slow
down! Do you need me to take you
somewhere?" He smiled softly at
her, concern darkening his grey eyes.
Willow
spotted Oz around the corner and shook her head, "No, thank you, my
boyfriends just there..." She
pointed.
"That
one? Hey, Oz!" He called the werewolf over.
"Yeah
Phil...Willow you okay?" Oz gently
detached his witch from the larger guy.
"Yeah..." Willow was still shaken so the guy, Phil,
took over the explanations for her.
"That
guy, uh, the one doing those tutor help things. They were talking then he like freaked out, man!" He took a closer look at the still pale
Willow, "You better take her home for a bit of R and R."
"I
will, thanks, man." The wolf
smiled at him, his arm still around Willow.
"Don't
mention it." Phil wondered off
leaving the witch and werewolf alone.
"Willow?"
"We
need to talk to Buffy, now."
---
Riley
followed the vampire and slayer, silent even to their greater perception, as
they wandered blissfully, hand in hand, through the delightful graveyards that
Sunnydale had to offer.
*Who
the fuck does she think she is?
Huh? Fucking slut. I wonder how many others she had on the
go. Bet, that shit-head Parker had her
pegged right. Two-bit whore all dressed
up to make her seem something different.
Something pure. Angelic. Virginal.
Fucking whore.*
He
continued to follow them, jumping when suddenly a vampire jumped out in front
of them. His commando training nearly
kicked in when he saw Spike turn around, pushing Buffy gently back, before
speedily staking the vampire. Spike then
picked up the slayer's hand and they continued on their stroll.
Riley
didn't follow.
He
didn't need to.
Christmas,
Birthday and Easter had all come at once.
Spike,
good ol' friend of Xander's, 'Spike'....was a vampire.
---
"....Vampire
Lore, Vampire Rites and Rituals and Vampire Relationships." Giles read off the titles and dumped the
last of the books on to the coffee table at his house and then picked up his
jacket with a smile. "That’s all
the books that I have on vampire claims.
Not many I know, but they should provided a reasonable account."
"Not
many?" Buffy quietly echoed,
surveying the mountain of books with trepidation.
"...You
could always ask Spike, I-I-I'm sure he would be able to provide you with a
much more accurate account-"
"I'm
sure he would too, Giles, but Spike tend to get all sheepish when it comes to
the whole claiming thingy and oh my god don't tell him I said that!" Buffy ended with wide,
deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression.
Giles
smiled, "Your secrets safe with me...enjoy! I'll be back in a couple of hours." With that he departed to see <<Trois
Colors Bleu>>. which was showing for one height at the local cinema.
Buffy
said her goodbyes then looked back at the mound of literature, "Yeay, books." She said without enthusiasm then picked up
the closest book, flipped it open and began reading.
-_-
"Wow!" Buffy murmured to herself, closing the fifth
book of the night. No, before you die
of shock she hadn't read them all the way through, just the relevant
parts. It was way interesting!
The
claim, if accepted appeared to serve as a protective bond like Spike had
said. They would feel each other's
pain, both physical and emotional. In
time, some had been known to communicate telepathically. A slayer had never been claimed before, but
there was an account, five hundred years ago of a French Master claiming an aristocrat. She was 16 when claimed, 25 when turned.
The
only disturbing thing (oddly enough) was that it had been found in the girls
diary that to complete the claiming she had to return the bite and to do
so grew fangs to claim her lover completely. Buffy's only relief was that the diary
entries continued that she didn't crave blood, simply the ritual of claiming
her lover.
Buffy
knew Spike wanted to turn her. But she
also knew that he wouldn't if she didn't want him to. It wasn't that she didn't want to be with him, she was just
scared of turning into what she had hunted her whole life. Nosferatu.
The undead.
Maybe
if she could be, like, immortal....
Wow,
Buff, back on track! The claim would
literally, like Spike had said, bind them for all eternity. That was what really caught Buffy. In the past she'd always been left. Her father.
Angel. Even Parker - not that
she had cared about him but the principal was there. And here was her mortal enemy offering to her the security she
craved.
None
of the others had.
Okay,
so two of them couldn't have, but Angel could have and he hadn't. Maybe he hadn't loved her enough for
eternity. She wasn’t bitter about it
though. Over the last six-ish months
with Spike she had come to terms with a big part of her relationship with
Angel. He would always be her first
love. But it was a young girls love.
She
was a woman now. And silly though it
sounded coming from the brain of a girl destined to last no more than two years
past her calling, eternity with her bleached blonde vampire sounded just
peachy, perfect in fact.
Perfect.
---
"Claim
me." Buffy writhed in front of her
lover even as she forced the words through her mouth, not wanting to speak
because even breathing appeared to hold off her impending orgasm.
"Wha'?" Spike stared down at her, not ceasing him
movements.
"Claim
me. I
want...to...be...yours....eternally..."
With
a lusty growl Spike's fangs sank in to her neck. "Mine!"
"SPIKE!" Buffy flew into release, her vampire swiftly
followed her.
Slowly
she brought her hand up, petting the back of his hair softly. "Yours. Forever."
She
turned as carefully as she could after he had extracted his fangs. She nuzzled her face into his neck, before
biting down.
Spike's
eyes bugged at the familiar sensation of having fangs in his neck, purring
erupting deep from his chest. Buffy
extracted the fangs, kissing the wound as she felt her canines reduce once
more. "Mine," She whispered.
"What
was that, pet?" Spike asked,
incredulous.
"You
didn't know?" Buffy raised
surprised eyes to his. He shook his
head. "I researched it all like
you said and I read that that’s what happens to humans who want to mate with a
vampire, that’s how they mark them."
"Oh,
and you're not...wigged out by this?"
"No,
I love you and I want to belong to you and you to me."
Spike
smiled, feeling the last piece of contentment slot into place as he and his
pregnant mate fell slowly to sleep.
---
"I
am her saviour. HE doesn't fucking deserve her, he's ruined her. It's my mission to make things right,
forever. He'll die and she will thank
me for ridding the earth of such evil.
His thrall will die with him.
The child will have to go. My
Buffy cannot be tainted by such a thing."
As he spoke, Riley had busted open the door to the medical supplies at
the initiative.
His
mind switched on, searching for only those that enhanced fighting ability and
strength. He stopped in front of the
black cabinet, looking in at the rows of bottles of green-pilled wonders.
"I
must be strong to face the ordeals that God is placing before me." He mutter, shovelling down twenty of the
pills in one go. Grabbing six more
bottles he shoved them in his bag, slamming out of there.
---
"Come
on you bugger, where are you?"
Spike muttered to himself as he searched his car which was parked his
house. Their house.
"Stupid
fucking-ah, there you are!" With a
relieved sigh he plucked up the Billy Idol cassette from where it had been
jammed in between the seat and the door.
Suddenly
he was dragged out of the car, and a meaty fist slammed into his jaw, stunning
him.
"You
were not worthy to touch her."
Commando-boy?
"What
the fu-" The fist slammed into him
again at greater speed, rattling his teeth.
Shit, was the boy a demon or something?
His jaw ached and he tried to speak before he was hit again and them
everything went black.
Riley
looked down at the leather-clad figure in disgust, delivering a sharp kick to
his ribs. He then took out the note he
had painstakingly written and staked it to the front door of the house he knew
the demon had forced her into moving to.
I see now that you didn't have the strength to stop
him yourself. I saw you together and I
know you were surrounded by magicks.
Don't worry, my love, we shall be together soon and I will purge the
demon from your soul after I remove him from this earth.
Yours faithfully,
Riley.
With
a smile at how well things were going, the soldier picked up the vampire and
threw into to the truck before driving off.
---
Buffy
had returned just twenty minutes later, arm-in-arm with Willow after conducting
a much needed chill out session.
"Willow! FIND HIM NOW!" Buffy paced up and down the hallway, pure
rage on her face.
"I'm
trying Buffy. Really I am. It's harder to find a vampire. If we had something the we knew he definitely
had with him and then if we could get a piece of it if would take
seconds." Willow wrung her hands
helplessly.
Oz
sat next to her, ever her pillar of strength.
Xander was pacing much like Buffy, muttering about how wrong he'd been
about Riley. Anya was quiet, until..
"Blood."
"What?" The slayer spun to face her.
"Has
he ever bitten you? I mean bloods the strongest thing there is
that binds two beings. Willow could use
that to track him." Anya suggested
hopefully, turning approval-seeking eyes to Xander who smiled down at her,
nodding.
"Oh
my God, I'm sorry, why didn't I think of that before?" The witch stretched beseeching eyes to the
slayer.
"It
doesn't matter, Will, as long as it works." Buffy ran to the kitchen, grabbing a knife. "Where?"
"Here." Willow indicated a stone which she had been
hanging over a map of Sunnydale for ten minutes.
The
slayer made a quick slashing motion, allowing her blood to drip on to the
stone. As if by magic, the stone sprung
up, gliding across the map to hang over the old High School.
The
second the destination registered the slayer bolted out of the door.
"Wait,
Buffy, let me take you in the car it'll be quicker." Xander ran after Buffy. He gently grabbed her arm pulling her to a
stop. "Besides, peroxide-guy will
never forgive me if I let anything happen to his spawn - he's quite attached to
you two ya know!"
Buffy
looked up at him, knowing that this was his way of finally giving them his
blessing, "Thanks." She said
tearfully then pulled herself together.
She
had a commando to catch.
_---
"You've
desecrated her. She was an Angel, sent
by God to rid this earth of the scum that walk it. She is the light. And you
are the darkness." Riley ranted,
on and on and on as he poked yet another hot poker into the vampire's skin.
Spike
let out another howl, trying to back further into the wall where the commando
had chained him, three hours ago.
"And...w-what
are you, eh, mate? Her fucking
saviour?" Spike spat out a mouthful
of crimson blood at Riley.
Riley
looked down thoughtfully at the think liquid ran down his white robes.
"Yes. Yes, I am her saviour. I am chosen, by God. To lead her from the darkness to keep her in
the light, pure and virginal..."
Riley glared across at the vampire as he let out a chuckle at the last
one. "...WHAT?!"
"Sorry,
mate, pray continue..." His voice
rose to it's natural upper-class tones, before dropping to his usual sardonic
voice, "...you were at virginal.
Is that what hurts, mate, that I had her first? Or is it that she chose me over you? She's a slayer, soldier, chit needs a bit
o'monster in her man. Can't have it all
pure. My slayer needs a bit of the
ro-" Riley slammed Spike's face
into the wall, his strength increased due to the initiative's pills he'd OD'd
on.
"YOU
WILL NOT SPEAK OF HER!" His voice
dropped back to it's insane, rambling tones and he moved back to where the hot
pokers had reheated. "She is
pure. She is the light. She belongs to me. It’s my duty to protect her.
Mama always said that God would show me my path and today he
has..." He picked them up and
dipped them in holy water, watching as the liquid spit at him.
"Great! A fucking insane momma’s boy! If you start talking about the pits of hell,
I'm gonna hurl." Spike rolled his
eyes, once again trying to pull his restraints loose with little success.
But
Riley ignored him, to caught up in himself. "I must save my Buffy from the
pits of hell..."
"Oh
fucking hell!"
"...so
that she will be clean and pure and as it was written so shall it
be." Riley nodded, prodding the
poker into Spike's alabaster skin once again, his screams resounding around the
crypt.
"The
child will have to be destroyed, spawn of Satan that it is."
"Hey! Leave my fucking kid out of this." Spike growled, but it came out gurgled as
more blood rose up. Fuck! His nose was broken, as were several of his
ribs. And his left fucking leg. And commando-wanker had been playing doctor
on him for three and a half hours only taking time-outs to down more green
pills. If the slayer didn't get there
soon, he was gonna be dust.
---
"Aaahh!" Buffy screamed, doubling over in pain. She could feel Spike's pain as if it were
her own.
"Don't
worry, Buff, we're nearly there."
Xander tried to comfort his friend, whilst dragging her along at the
same time.
The
group wove their way through the run-down hallways of their old school, dodging
bits of plaster and fibreglass that hung in their way.
They
were headed to the one place they knew best.
The
library.
---
"You
will burn forever, vampire. Your soul
eternally cast to torture. To all that
Hell's fire has to offer."
"Yeah,
okay, I get I'm in for a good ride!"
Spike rolled his eyes as best he could through the blurring his swollen
left eye caused. "You know
something mate, the real reason why she chose me over you? Nothing to do with that thrall crap. Hell, I don't even HAVE a thrall. But that’s not the point, you want the real
reason? She's strong. And you're weak." Spike could feel her close. All he had to do was keep the wanker talking
for a bit longer before the cavalry arrived.
"No! You don't deserve to talk of her!" Riley shook his head, trying to banish the
vampire's words as other taunts joined in inside his head.
"Get out of my sight, boy! You're sisters' got more guts than you!" His father rejecting him just because he hadn't been
willing to kill the snake like the other boys.
"You're
weak. That’s why your father thought
you were a pansy ass piece of shit and packed you off to soldier school. You're pathetic too. I mean, come on Finn. Time to move on. Be a big boy. Slayer
doesn't want you. I think she made that
bloody clear."
"No...no....no,
I won't listen...."
Spike
grinned through the pain, knowing he'd hit a nerve.
"Stand up, Finn, if you wanna learn to piss with the big boys you
gotta to learn to take it like a man."
His
commander at the training camp shouting at him , as he kicked him whilst he was
down.
Riley's
hands rose to his head in an attempt to stop the taunts, but the pokers were
still in his hands and the burnt the sides of his face.
"Aaahhhh!" He screamed, dropping the pokers then looked
up at the vampire. At seeing the
taunting sneer on his face he rushed him, stake in hand.
"Nooooo! Buffy rushed forward, kicking the commando
away from her vampire, placing herself protectively in front of him.
Xander,
Willow, Anya, Giles and Oz rushed in a little after her, all unable to keep up
with her slayer pace. The girls rushed
to help Buffy, who was tugging at the restraints that held Spike captive.
The
guys quickly moved to restrain the commando who was getting up and moving
towards the group. Giles swung the butt
of a club down on his head, stunning him back, the pills ensuring that he
stayed conscious.
"Oh,
my god, baby, I was so scared. I came
home and you were gone and all there was that bloody note and I was so
scared." Tears were pouring down
the slayer's face as she yanked the second wrist cufflink out as Willow and Anya
removed the two around his ankles by means of a spell.
Spike
fell forward, the slayer catching him, taking him slowly to the ground. He lifted hi s hand to touch her hair,
"Don't worry pet, everything’s fine." He murmured, before he passed out through the blood loss.
"Buffy? Can't you see I'm your only chance for redemption? I will lead you from the darkness."
Riley reached for her, trying in vain to keep her from Spike, whose head was in
her lap.
"You
think you are the light?
Wacko-much?" Buffy hit him
forcing him back down to the ground as he stumbled up. "Look at what you've done to him, to
yourself. God, you're not even
human! Ugh, I could kil-"
"Everybody
freeze, no body move!"
Suddenly,
15 bottle-green clad men stormed into the wreck of a room, each toting some
serious artillery. Buffy immediately
dragged Spike behind her, Willow and Anya also moving with her to cover the
soldiers view of the vamped out but unconscious Spike.
"We'll
take him from here, sir." The same
deep voice that had boomed the original command spoke to Giles who had been
left holding Riley when the other two had moved to their respective other
halves.
"Where
are you taking him?" Willow asked.
"I'm
sorry for the inconvience, he has taken some rather strong tablets and has not
been himself I suggest-"
However,
we were not to know what he suggested as Buffy launched in on the attack. "You're SORRY for the
INCONVIENIECE?!! My friend has been
tortured and that’s all you pricks can say?"
"I'm
sorry ma'am, we can take your friend to a hospital, covering any costs naturally. We don't expect to hear this in the
press. It could have some...nasty repercussions
for yourself and your family." The
previously kind voice had turned rather cruel and sinister.
Unable
to stop herself Buffy stomped forward and slammed her fist into the pretentious
dick's face, sending him flying backwards into two of his friends, "You
ever come near me and my friends again and I will kill you."
The
commando was picked up with some help, eyeing the blonde girl in some
speculation. "EVERYBODY OUT!"
They
dispersed.
Leaving
the Scoobies in silence.
---
A week later...
"Slayer!" Spike whined for like the fiftieth time that
day.
"What
Spike?" Buffy said in her sweetest
tone possible, smiling through gritted teeth.
She had fetched him blood (which fair enough, he needed), she had
fetched him the remote, put on videos, switched off videos, brought him hot
chocolate and marshmallows, fed him Chinese food - okay so that had been naked
and fun and... "No, Buffy, stay focused." She muttered to herself as she continued to furiously wash up the
innumerate cups and glasses that had been littered around the kitchen the day
before when the gang had come round for an impromptu 'wish the vamp well'
party.
"Come
'ere, love..." His voice had
changed. Suddenly....huskier, more
seductive.
She
wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and walked in to the sitting room,
"What?" She whispered, her own voice suddenly hoarse at the heated
look in his eyes.
"Give
us a kiss, pet...." He grinned at
her cheekily and the spell was broken.
She
giggled at him and went willingly, carefully (due to her bulkier size) lying
next to him on the enormous couch they had purchased a few weeks ago. Before the horrible ordeal. The image of him chained up and bloodied
made her tighten her arms around him in relief that he was safe.
"Mmm...." Buffy moaned as his lips travelled over her
neck, dancing over the sensitive skin where his bite mark lay. "I love you-oh!" Buffy jumped a little then laughed again at
the fear she saw in his eyes.
"What,
pet? Is it the baby, is
something-"
"Shhhh,
feel!" She took his hand and
placed it over her five and a half month bulge.
"Bloody
amazing." Spike murmured as he
felt their child move against his hand.
Together,
they lay there. Mortal Enemies. Slayer and Vampire. Mated for all eternity. Basking in their love and the life, which,
against all odds, they had created.
The
End
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