Willow Said
by Scorpio
~
When we last left our Intrepid Duo; Willow had just announced that Xander was
*definately* in the family way, even if she couldn't tell what *species* the
child would turn out to be. Then, true to form, Xander fainted while sitting
on Spike's lap. Let's all pause a moment while we picture a pouty-faced Spike
cuddling his unconscious love-pillow. [After all, you *know* Willow grabbed a
big eyeful of that sweetness.] Ahhhh! That's better! Now... on with the
show...
~
Once again, Xander found himself slowly coming to awareness after having
fainted. Laying flat on his back with his eyes still closed, he frowned and
pondered that little fact. He normally wasn't so... well, *girly* was the
only word he could think of even if he *knew* that wasn't very accurate. Some
of the toughest and roughest people (and non-people) he knew were, in
actuality, female. So...while that wasn't the correct word he was looking
for...it *was* the only one that came to mind.
It was then, as he was musing on the state of his masculinity verses his
inner coward, that Xander realized that he was laying on his back. And he was
fairly comfy at that. Frowning deeper, he lightly flipped through his
memories.
Okay...there was Willow. And a cup. Xander *definately* remembered an evil
cup.
Then there was pee and magic and a loud Willow-squeal.
After that...
Xander suddenly felt ill. Panicky and trembly and more than a little freaked
out.
Willow had said he was... preg... preg... Pregnant.
And then... darkness.
Now he was suddenly waking up on what seemed to be the couch.
With a sigh, Xander peeled open his eyes and turned his head. Yep. The couch.
He was in his own living room, on the couch, the TV was turned off and his
blonde "husband" was... Where was the bleached one anyway?
"Sp... Spike?"
A loud bang echoed out of the kitchen and Xander jumped. Feeling just a tad
dizzy, he pulled the blanket off of him and pushed himself into a more or
less seated position. However, before he could actually get off the couch
itself, Spike had popped into the living room and hurried over to him.
"Wha... um, what's going on? And... uh... where's Willow?"
"Shhh... pet. S'all right. Don't you fret."
The blonde vampire sat down on the couch and gently pulled Xander up onto his
lap. Feeling like a bit of a wuss and not *really* wanting to admit that he
*needed* to be comforted at the moment, Xander just stayed quiet and cuddled
against his husband's cool chest.
It didn't take them very long to shift into a comfortable position. Spike's
arms went around him, one long fingered hand rubbed soothing circles on his
lower back with the other one carding gently through his hair. A deep rumble
vibrated the marblesque flesh he leaned against and he couldn't stop himself
from turning his head and burying his face in the crook of Spike's neck and
shoulder.
"I'm pregnant Spike. Willow said that I'm pregnant."
"Shhh... I know luv. I know."
Xander felt his body tremble a bit harder as if hearing his own voice speak
those words suddenly made it more true.
"I'm pregnant Spike. But I'm a *guy*... and guy's aren't *supposed* to be
pregnant."
The rumbling vibrations in Spike's chest grew louder and stronger. Vaguely,
in the back of his mind, Xander was aware that Spike was trying to soothe him
in a manner that was purely vampiric in nature... and even though it should
have sent him running for the hills screaming... it *did* make him feel
better. Not alone.
For some reason, that was what finally hit him the hardest. That even though
it was due to Anya's curse, Spike was still there for him. Would be there for
him. Would stand by and support him and help him no matter *how* this
craziness turned out. And, if Anya had been telling the truth, which
everything so far indicated that she did, Spike would continue to stand by
his side until he died. Forever, she had said. With that thought echoing back
and forth in side his head, Xander began to cry.
Softly, quietly, with only a few slight hitches in his breathing, Xander let
his tears drip down his face and onto the cool skin of Spike's throat.
~~~
Xander wasn't sure how long that he sat there on his husband's lap,
surrounded and supported by his husband's arms, but he had cried himself out
and then slowly returned to calm. Little by little, his breathing had
steadied and his heart rate had slowed. His emotions didn't seem so raw and
exposed. The razor edge of pain, confusion and panic had been dulled down.
Blunted by his tears.
However, as cathartic as his mini-breakdown had been, he now had swollen,
sore and red eyes. His nose felt stuffy and was probably just as red as eyes.
Carefully, and with lots of soft gentle touches and petting to say 'thank
you', Xander extracted himself from Spike. Standing on somewhat wobbly legs,
he turned and walked off to the bathroom. Once inside, he paused a moment to
grimace at his reflection in the mirror, then he turned on the sink's faucet.
Splashing a bit of cool water onto his face made him feel more awake and
clear headed. It was also soothing to his eyes and washed the tear tracks
from his cheeks.
"Pet? Xander luv? You okay in there?"
With a wry grin, Xander turned off the water and reached for the forest green
hand towel that hung from the hoop on the wall.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Just... just washing my face Spike. I'll be right out."
"Oh... all right then. I'll just... go and get you a glass of juice. Willow
said that you should take your vitamins with juice."
"Oh... okay."
Xander finished drying his face and was in the process of hanging the small
towel back up when the actual words the blonde vampire had spoken through the
door finally registered with his brain.
*Vitamins*?!?!
Totally confused now, Xander quickly finished up in the bathroom and hurried
back out. He found his lover in the kitchen fussing around with what appeared
to be one of the bags Willow had brought over earlier. Walking over to the
counter, Xander saw that Spike had indeed poured him a glass of orange juice,
and was now in the process of peeling the saftey-seal off of a half dozen
little white plastic bottles.
"Um...? Spike? Not to sound like an idiot or anything like that, but what in
the hell are you doing... and where did you get..."
Xander reached out and randomly selected a white bottle. He turned it so that
he could read the label.
"...um, *iron supplimental* pills? More importantly... *why* do you have iron
supplements?"
Spike stopped what he was doing and waved a hand in a gesture meant to take
in the entire scene; juice, vitamins, supplements and all.
"This isn't for *me*, is it? No. It's for my little knocked up sex-toy,
innit?"
When Xander didn't even so much as crack a grin, Spike sighed and his
shoulders slumped slightly even as he went back to opening up the bottles.
Neatly, he arranged an assortment of pills, one from each bottle, on the
countertop.
"Look mate. Willow said that you should take these. They'll..., how did she
put it?... help take some of the burden off of your body that pregnancy puts
there. She said that she'd been doing some research about it and this is what
she said for me to have you do."
Xander's jaw dropped open. He wasn't sure how to react to that little bit of
news. He'd been so busy trying *not* to think about his situation that it was
a bit of a shock to him that other's *were*. However, Xander didn't get a
chance to make a comment, since Spike's expression shifted to one of
thoughtful contemplation.
"Our Red is one smart chit. Gotta give her that. I told her about the Hoof
and Mouth disease thing, but Willow said that she was *positive* that you
wouldn't catch that and then she said that she'd pick up some good books for
me on human heath and stuff. She also said that as she did more research
she'd tell us what she finds and if we have any questions or need advice or
anything just to give her a call."
Xander just stood there with a stupid expression on his face, staring at the
blonde demon in shock as he collected up the vitamins in one hand and the
glass of juice in the other and turned to hold them out to Xander.
Not being able to formulate any coherent thoughts that even came close to
resembling real sentences, Xander grabbed the pills and popped them into his
mouth. Taking the juice, he used it to swallow them all down. All the while
though, his mind was racing, thoughts and images swirling in his head.
He was on the verge of admonishing Spike not to bother Willow about vitamins
and health care and whatever other weirdness the vampire came up with in that
undead brain of his when he had *another* idea pop into the cavern he called
a mind. If Spike used *Willow* as his reference guide into all things human,
at least medically wise, then he could always refuse to listen to Spike's
paranoid ravings over Xander becoming a victim of whatever nastiness just
happened to be exploited on this weeks episode of "ER" by demanding that the
vampire ask to the witch about it... who Spike admitted was brilliant...
instead of simply believing some hokey TV show that was aimed at ratings
above reality.
Quickly swallowing down his vitamin laden juice, Xander grinned and nodded
enthusiastically at his blonde husband.
"*Yes*! Yes... um... we should most *definately* ask *Willow* questions...
and um, advice... because... uh, you know... she's *smart* and... uh... like
you said and all. Besides, no TV doctor is... er... *ever* gonna have to deal
with... um... someone like... uh, me. Right?"
Spike graced him with an expression that was equal parts confused and equal
parts certain of Xander's lunacy.
"Eh... sure mate. Whatever you say."
Xander could feel a blush start to heat up his cheeks for a moment and he was
on the verge of stuttering out an addendum to his explanation, which would
have made him seem even *more* unstable, he was sure, when Spike shook his
head as if he were remembering something.
"Oh! Red also said that you've *got* to start eating better. After you passed
out, she came in here to put away the vitamins and while here, she took a
peek in the fridge and the freezer. Said a dirty word too, didn't she?"
Spike grinned wickedly.
"Never heard the witch curse before. She's surprisingly good at it, and she
blushes lovely afterwards too."
Xander had a flash of memory and in his mind's eye, he watched as a seven
year old Willow called Jesse a "poopyhead" and then slapped her own hand over
her mouth in utter shock that those words had come out of *her* mouth. He
grinned widely at Spike and wondered if he should share that memory with his
husband. Then... he figured he'd hold it in reserve in case Willow went over
board with this "take care of Xander's health thing". Then... armed with this
new knowledge of Willow's past, Xander would turn Spike loose on her. The
teasing would undoubtedly last for days.
"Any way... Willow said that we had to throw out all of the greasy frozen
food crap... Oh! and the twinkies and ding-dongs too. No more greasy,
fattening, high sugar content foods for you. Nope... just lots of veggies,
fresh fruits, pasta and low fat skinless *baked* chicken from now on Mister."
Xander felt his face go pale as the horrifying implements of that statement
sank into his all ready overtaxed mind.
No cookies?
No chocolate?
No cheeseburgers?
No burritos? Fried onions? Chili dogs?
He whimpered. It was bad enough that Willow thought he should eat better.
After all, he could promise to try and then charm his way out of a lecture...
usually. But she had gone and done the absolute worse thing she could do.
She'd told the paranoid-about-Xander's-health vampire. *Spike*! The insane
undead person that *lived* with him and was practically *glued* to his side
and who would never ever *ever* let him do anything that was even *remotely*
considered unhealthy without a major fight... and possibly stakeage! There
was no *way* he could get around *Spike*!
Willow was *so* dead for this.
"So, any way. Red took all of the unhealthy food you had in the fridge and
the freezer and went off to get that Tara chit to help her go shopping for
*real* food. Willow said they'd stop by later to drop it off.
Well, that decided it. No more Mr. Nice Guy. Nope... he's not here anymore.
Grinning maliciously, Xander slung an arm around Spike's shoulders and slowly
led him out of the kitchen and back into the living room.
"So... Spike. Did I ever tell you about when Willow and I were seven years
old and she said a naughty thing for the very first time?"
END
