~~~~~
"When wonderfully...beautifully
Suddenly it happens
To you...."
~~~~~
Buffy smiled at the hunger in his eyes, the desire
written so plainly on his heart stopping face. "I'd
love to make love to you," she said, bending down
to press her lips against his. "Open up for me."
Spike tried to contain the smile that curved his
own lips, but he couldn't quite manage it. They
parted beneath the pressure of her's, allowing her
little tongue to creep in and explore his mouth.
He purposely kept his hands off her, shoving them
beneath the pillow on either side of his head.
Her mouth continued it's hungry assault on his,
alternating between hard, fierce kisses, and long,
lingering ones. She found his tongue with hers,
and played with it, coaxing it to follow her's back
to it's point of origin.
When she finally pulled back, he protested and
lifted his head to re-establish contact.
But she placed herself out of his reach by moving
down his body, leaving moist kisses on his skin.
He gasped when she circled his nipples with the
point of her tongue, then hissed through his clenched
teeth when she swirled it around his navel.
Playfully, Buffy pressed her lips to his firm abdomen
and blew a 'raspberry' on it. This made him laugh,
and he finally brought one of his hands into play,
caressing her hair with it.
"Brat," he murmured, watching her as she slipped
farther down.
Buffy pushed his thighs apart, and knelt in the open
V of his legs.
"I'm not either," she insisted. "See...I'm about to be
very nice to you." His shaft was standing at attention,
as it always did when she was around, and she took
it in her hand and squeezed it. "Very...VERY...nice."
Spike's eyed widened briefly, and he grinned, push-
ing his tongue against the back of his upper front
teeth, a gesture that never failed to excite her.
Keeping her eyes trained on his, Buffy extended
her tongue and licked the underside of his cock
from the base to the tip. This move wrenched
a soft groan out of him, along with a slight upward
lunge of his hips.
"Settle down," she scolded, pinning him to the
mattress with her free hand.
"Oh, sure," Spike
rasped. "You have my
dick in
your mouth and can say a thing like that?"
"Technically," Buffy said, "it hasn't been IN my mouth
yet."
"Well, I was hoping...."
She cut off whatever he'd been about to say by
dipping her head and taking him where he wanted to be.
"Oh...FUCK!" he yelled sharply.
"Shhh."
"Sorry."
"I don't want Dawn interrupting us when I'm having my
way with you," she whispered, licking her lips.
"Me, either," he said, panting unnecessarily. "Keep
having your way....please, baby...you...ohhh..yeah.."
His voice trailed off into a strangled moan, as his
fingers slid into her hair.
Buffy enveloped him completely in the wet heat
of her mouth, her tongue circling around the tip
of his erection. Then she slid her mouth down as
far as she could and began to suck slowly and
rhythmically.
Spike's entire body quivered from head to toe, his
eyes glued to the magical meeting place of
her mouth and his cock. Wild with lust, he held
her still and began to lift his hips in shallow thrusts,
being careful not to push in too deeply.
After only a half minute of the exquisite torture,
he had to push her away. He knew he wouldn't
be able to hold off ejaculation, and although she
wouldn't mind this, for some reason he didn't want
to come in her mouth. He had to be buried inside
of her tight little pussy when he expelled the huge
load of semen he knew was building up.
He pulled her up, and sent one hand down between
them to check for her readiness. When he felt the
slick moisture she had produced, he grabbed her
around the waist and slid her down onto his raging
hard on.
Placing his feet flat on the bed, Spike arched his
hips, lifting her and then lowering her back down.
When he was firmly sheathed inside her, he tugged
her down and fastened his mouth on hers. Thrusting
his tongue in between her lips, he swept it around the
moist inside of her cheeks, tasting again the faint
flavor of peanut butter.
Buffy returned his kiss whole heartedly, grinding her
pelvis down so that he was rubbing her in just the
right spot to drive her mad with pleasure.
Spike moved his hands down and took a firm hold
of her rear, pushing her down even harder as he
returned the pressure.
Needing air, Buffy broke their kiss and lifted her
head. Looking into the heated blue depth of his
eyes, she whispered the words he loved hearing
more than anything else..."I love you, I'll always love
you...just you..."
Nothing more erotic than that, but when SHE said
it, it drove his passion sky high.
With a wicked smile, Buffy placed her hands
on his chest and sat up. Getting her knees in place
beneath her, she began to raise and lower herself
along his shaft. Slowly at first, then faster and
harder until she was creating a burning friction for
them both.
She gave it everything she had, wanting it for him,
doing it for him....making love to him.
Spike kept his hands on her waist for a moment,
then when she had no further need of them there,
he sent them up to hold and fondle her soft breasts.
He stroked her and squeezed her, massaging
the warm flesh with his cool hands. His fingers explored
the hard tips, teasing them with gentle pinches and
tugs. This was doubly arousing for him; not only did he
have the pleasure of playing with her breasts, but every
time he touched her nipples, her sex clamped down in
a tight spasm around his cock.
But she wanted more....
Leaning forward, she pushed his hands away and
lowered herself until her breasts were no more than
an inch from his mouth.
"Suck them," she demanded, thrusting herself for-
ward.
Spike was more than happy to oblige. He gripped one
soft mound in his hand and opened his mouth, letting
her push it inside where he could suck and lick it until
the twelfth of never, if that was her pleasure.
He gave both her breasts an equal amount of attention,
suckling hard and then soft, licking and kissing, even
gently biting at them.
Buffy's head dropped back. "Feels good," she moaned.
"Tastes good, too," he said briefly, then resumed his
task.
After a moment, he suddenly sat up and wrapped one
arm around her waist. Placing his free hand slightly
behind him, he began thrusting up into her with powerful
jerks of his hips.
"Come on, baby," he groaned. "Come for me. Do it hard.
Oh, yeah....tighten that pussy...that's how I like it...tight
and wet...so fucking hot....unh...yeah...my girl...my sweet
little...girl...oh, fuck...yeah...yeah..."
Buffy was close to the edge. It wouldn't take much more
to send her over it. Staring into Spike's eyes, she
gorged herself on the beauty she found in him, sparing
only a brief moment of regret for having taken so long to
see it, and wasting so much valuable time.
"That's my girl...that's my baby...so good...gonna make
me come, baby...do it...do it to me, babe...fuck me...hard."
"Yes," she whispered fiercely. "Oh, yes...I will....I do...oh,
Spike...I'm...I'm..."
"....Buffy.."
"...gonna...gonna come...oh, now...now..."
He doubled his efforts, lifting her halfway to the stars
and back, his cock sliding smoothly in and out of her
ravenous sex.
Buffy dug her nails into his shoulders as he drove
in high and hard, and deep...possessing her heart
and soul as well as her body.
They came together one last time, their bodies
convulsing in the perfect bliss of simultaneous
orgasm.
***********************************************
When they were all the way through it, and it
was beginning to rob them both of their strength,
Spike turned and placed her on the bed, stroking
her thighs until they relaxed their hold on him.
He arranged her on her back, waiting until she
opened her eyes and smiled.
"I think," she said, regaining the power of articulate
speech, "that's the best it's ever been. And that's
really saying something."
"I think you're right," he replied, stretching out beside
her and laying one hand on her tummy. "That was the
best...and I love you very much, baby. Very...very much."
One month later
Buffy slapped the alarm
button off before the raucous
noise woke up the man sleeping beside her. She
climbed out of bed, yawning, and stumbled into the
bathroom.
She was very surprised to see that the counter was
clear of it's usual clutter of make up, hair clips,
and bottles of nail polish. The only item left was a
white oblong box about six inches long and three inches
wide.
When she picked up the box, she saw a small piece
of paper beneath it, covered in elegant handwriting.
As I said, your latest heart felt wish was simply too
delightful not to grant. You may feel free to use what
I've left for you, but rest assured that the outcome is already
a certainty. Be happy, dear one. Everything you've always
wanted is right around the corner. Accept it with open
arms and a loving heart, and you shall have the "happily
ever after" you've heard so much about.
Sometimes, the storybooks get it right!
With deepest affection,
Abigail Potter, (Mrs)
Shaking her head at the cryptic message, Buffy
examined the box.
White all over, with no indication of the manufacturer
anywhere on it, the box had one small line of print
down at the bottom: Home Pregnancy Test/Inspected
by #12
As she she read these words, her heart began to
gallop in her chest and her eyes widened in shock.
The meaning of the note became clear, and a slow
smile began to curve her lips. Laughter bubbled up
inside of her, followed by amazement, then complete
and utter wonder.
At that moment, Buffy knew that her fairy godmother
had been right about this being a heart felt wish, albeit
a subconscious one.
It was heart felt, because she never...ever..allowed
herself to long for the clearly impossible...the desire
to bear a child for the man she loved, to give him some-
thing that no one else ever had.
Knowing that she could never do it, would never have
the chance, was painful. Most of the time she could deal
with it, but once a month...every time she menstruated...the
longing became a little stronger, and the disappointment
was a little worse.
Falling in love with a vampire meant, along with the obvious
benefits, that she'd had to surrender a lot of her hopes and
dreams; Walking down a church aisle on her father's arm,
dressed in white lace and satin...leaving her childhood home
to make one of her own for her and her new husband...having
baby...or two.
These were more facts of her particular life. Not pleasant,
but realistic...
Until now.
With her hands shaking slightly, she performed the test.
As she had expected, the result was a great big positive
plus sign in the little window.
**I'm pregnant...I'm going to be a mother...**
She stared at herself in the bathroom mirror, searching
for any sign that she was "different". All she was really
certain of was that the face smiling back at her, was
happier than it had been when she'd walked into the
bathroom.
That happiness was muted by a sudden worrisome
thought.
They had never discussed anything like this, not even
hypothetically. What if he didn't want this child, if he
became angry with her for making it happen?
Even worse, what if he wanted her to get rid of it?
**Oh, God, what if he hates the whole idea of it...hates
the baby...hates me...**
Firmly, she pushed her dark imaginings away. This
baby was a miracle they had created together in an
act of love. Spike would never ask her to destroy it.
Clutching the test stick in her hand, she took a deep
breath and went back to bed.
As the mattress dipped beneath her weight, Spike
stirred and opened his eyes, regarding her with a
lazy smile. "Morning, baby," he murmured, his voice
a little slurred from sleep.
Buffy smiled at his unknowingly prophetic words. Re-
turning his intent gaze, she wondered if their baby
would have it's fathers lovely dark blue eyes, or her own
light green.
"Hmm." He looked amused.
"What?" she asked.
"You're looking very kitten-who-drank-the-cream this
morning," he said.
Feeling...for some odd reason...shy with him, she
glanced away. "I am?"
"Mm-hmm." Kicking off the blankets, he stretched.
Buffy watched him, her mouth slightly open and her
eyes a little glazed at this display of masculine beauty.
The tightening and relaxing of his muscles, the arching
curve of his back, briefly diverted her attention.
**Just look at that beautiful creature. And he's mine. He
belongs to me..**
She shook her head to clear up her scattered thoughts,
trying to return her focus on what she had yet to tell
him.
"Since you brought it up...I sort of do have something
we need to talk about."
Spike began to sit up, but she prevented it with one
hand on his chest.
"Don't," she said. "It's probably better that you're lying
down."
Head cocked slightly to one side, he regarded her
with narrowed eyes. "Well, it can't be something bad"
he said. "You're all smiling and...glowy looking. Al-
most...radiant."
Buffy turned her smile and glow down a notch. "It's
not something bad."
Spike waited for her to continue, finally having to
prompt her. "So? You gonna tell me or not?"
It was now Buffy's turn to hesitate. All her previous
doubts about his possible reaction came back with
new found intensity, the "what ifs?" returning with a
vengeance.
Again, she beat the unpleasant thoughts down.
"Okay," she finally said. "But, before I tell you what
it is, I have to explain how it happened."
As she began her story, she was surprised
to learn that Spike was already aware of the
existence of fairy godparents.
"What?" he asked, seeing the look on her face. "Did
you think it was all made up by the Brothers Grimm?"
"Well...yeah!" Buffy nodded. "I never once thought
fairy tales were real. Not even when I was a little kid."
He shrugged. "You didn't think vampires were real,
either...until you met up with one."
She paused. "Okay...that's true," she admitted.
"Or witches," he continued.
"You're right. I totally see your point."
"Werewolves...zombies...hell hounds...demons of all
shapes and sizes...the Easter bunny..."
"Okay, I..." When her brain caught up with his words,
her eyes became as round as tea saucers. "THE
EASTER BUNNY IS A DEMON?" she squealed.
Spike laughed and ruffled her hair, affectionately. "No,
I just slipped that one in to watch your eyes spin
around."
Buffy pushed his hand away. "Very funny."
"Yeah, I thought so. Now, get on with your story."
He smiled when she reported the scolding she'd
received about her grammar and her penchant for
junk food; then, nearly applauded Mrs. Potter's
comments regarding Buffy's inability to sometimes
see what was right under her nose.
"I've been telling you that for years, love."
"Oh, shut up," she replied, giving him a playful
shove. "Let me finish and we'll play 'I told you so'
later."
"I'm all ears, Princess."
Buffy related the rest of her story, all the way up to
the 'heart felt wish' mystery. When she was finished,
he asked her if she'd figured it out yet.
"Yep," she nodded, staring down at her closed
fist and the treasure it contained. "Just a few minutes
ago."
Spike placed one finger beneath her chin and tilted
her face up. "And...?"
Suddenly tongue-tied, she answered him by slowly
opening her hand.
His eyebrow arched. "What's that?"
Buffy sighed. "It's a..." She cleared her throat. "A
pregnancy test."
Spike's gaze snapped back to her. "It's a what?"
"A pregnancy test," she repeated, a little louder. "I
just took it, and..."
"And...what?" He stared at her in wide eyed
shock. "AND WHAT?"
"And....it was positive," she shrugged. "I'm pregnant."
He was so completely flustered by this that he didn't
seem to know what he was doing. Almost leaping
from the bed, he stood before her stark naked.
If he'd needed to breathe, he'd have been hyper-
ventilating himself into unconsciousness.
Buffy watched him carefully, hoping that this wasn't
a horrified reaction on his part. "Are you all right?"
"Am..am I all right?" he stammered. "Am I all right?"
Sitting down next to her, he took her hand. "Buffy...never
mind about me. Are YOU all right?"
She nodded reassuringly. "Yeah, I'm fine," she
said, squeezing his hand. "Stay calm, okay?"
"Stay calm?" He rolled his eyes. "Stay calm, she
says..."
"Spike..."
"You tell me that you're going to have a baby...MY
baby...and you expect me to stay calm." He shook
his head. "Calm isn't an option for me right now," he
said. "Manic!" he then suggested. "There's an option.
THAT I can do without even trying."
Buffy's brow furrowed. "Okay...but is it a 'I'm so happy
that I can't stand it?' kind of manic, or a 'When's
the next bus out of town' kind of manic?"
She sounded worried, and Spike cupped her face
in his hands, his thumbs brushing back and forth
over the curves of her cheeks.
"The first one," he replied, with the tenderest smile
she'd ever seen on his face, even in the afterglow
of sex, when he told her how much he loved her.
Rising to his knees on the bed, he slid one arm
around her waist and pulled her close, then tangled
his fingers in her hair and tugged her head back
until she was looking up at him.
"You're gonna give me a baby, baby," he said,
grinning widely.
Immensely relieved, Buffy's mind conjured up the
image of a little boy with light brown hair, bright
blue eyes, and a mischievous smile that carried
it's own one-two punch...his father's smile...the
smile that had won her heart so completely.
Spike's thoughts took an opposite direction as
he pictured a tiny girl...a miniature duplicate of
her mother...a princess dressed in pink, with
Buffy's wide eyes and knock out smile.
"I'll bet it's a girl.."
"I'll bet it's a boy..." They said in unison.
"Boys are too much trouble," Spike said. "Way
more than girls."
"Oh, yeah?" Buffy countered skeptically. "If my
mother was here, you could ask her how much
trouble I wasn't."
He brushed off her words. "That's different. You're
a slayer. You don't go out looking for trouble, it
just finds you."
"Frequently."
"Boys are always out looking for it, though. And
ordinary boys are bad enough," he chuckled. "Can't
you just imagine how OUR boy would be?"
Buffy's hands crept up his chest and over his
shoulders, her fingers lacing together behind his
neck.
"Our boy will be wonderful," she said with complete
conviction. "He'll be strong and brave, and impetuous,
with a wild heart...just like his father. And when he
grows up, he'll be so handsome that all the girls will
be crazy about him."
Spike shook his head in denial, playing with her
hair. "I'm telling you, it's a girl. A beautiful little
girl. She'll be clever and quick...sassy as hell...with
her mother's gentle heart. And when SHE grows
up, she'll be so pretty that all the boys will..no,
wait," he frowned. "I don't like the sound of that."
Buffy was having a hard time keeping a straight
face. He looked so serious...like this was a
problem they'd have to tackle tomorrow.
"Never mind," he said, quite seriously. "Let's
just forget all about that last part, because
it's never gonna happen. Not with MY little
girl."
"Never?" Buffy asked, biting her lip.
"Never ever!" he said forcefully. "There's no way
that I'm gonna sit still and watch some boy.."
The word "boy" was spoken in the same 'ick'
tone that was usually reserved for moldy food
found in the back of the refrigerator.
"...try and the put the moves on my daughter."
"Oh," Buffy said, nodding thoughtfully, "You mean
like the way you didn't try and put the moves on
her mother?"
"Oh, please," he scoffed. "That's not even...you
can't compare...it's not the same thing as...stop
laughing." He gave her an irritated look. "It's
not funny."
She finally released the mirth she'd been struggling
to keep hidden. "Yes, it is," she gasped. "I mean,
just imagine you...giving a boy...oh, God, my side
hurts...the...the 'what are your intentions towards
my daughter' ...third degree?"
Bonelessly, she slipped out of his arms and
collapsed on the bed, giggling madly. "You'll go
right...into vamp...mode...and he'll...drop dead at
your...feet."
Spike folded his arms across his chest and sat
back on his heels, waiting for her to pull herself
together. "Ha-ha," he said, looking supremely
annoyed. "You about through, then?"
Brutally beating back her giddiness, Buffy
pressed her lips firmly together and nodded
'yes', then immediately shook her head 'no'
and the laughter exploded out of her.
When she was finally laughed out, she looked
at him and smiled. "That was fun," she said,
sighing deeply. "No one can make me laugh the
way you do."
"Yeah," he replied. "Court jester or village idiot.
Take your bloody pick."
Despite his words, her amusement wasn't entirely
one sided. He smiled back at her as he stretched
out beside her. "Look, I know how my mind worked
when I was an adolescent, and the times weren't
nearly as free and immoral as they are now."
Buffy shot straight back up in bed. "Immoral?" she
said in disbelief. "Did I just slip into an alternate
universe or did YOU just use the word immoral?"
She stared at him, apparently amazed by the
thought of a vampire decrying the lack of present
day morality.
"Oh, my God!" she squeaked. "I can't believe you
didn't just get struck by a bolt of lightning."
"Hey," he protested. "I've got morals. Just cause
I don't take 'em out and polish them up every day
doesn't mean I don't have 'em."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yeah! Even when I was a practicing vampire, I
had morals."
"I don't remember that," Buffy said. "Give me a
hint."
"Well..for instance..." He snapped his fingers. "Children!
I never attacked children and I didn't let anyone
who worked for me do it, either."
"Okay," Buddy said agreeably. "That's a good one. Got
any more?"
He thought for a moment. "I never forced myself on a
woman," he said, then grinned a bit arrogantly. "Course,
I never HAD to...but I wouldn't have, anyway," he added.
"Matter of pride, it was, not having to resort to force."
Buffy arched her back when she felt his hand slowly
stroking it. She believed him utterly, since she couldn't
imagine a sane woman turning him down.
"Some vamps get off on it," he said quietly. "Not enough
to drain and kill a woman, they gotta torture them as
well."
He didn't tell her that particular trick had been one of
Angelus' specialties, and he had practiced it often.
"I was never interested in that," he said, winding a
lock of her hair around his finger. "I liked the seduction.
The chase. And I was damn good at it, too."
"I'll just bet you were," Buffy said, having had plenty
of first hand experience of just how good he was.
Spike looked up at her, his eyes dark with new
desire. "I knew all the right things to say...all the
right things to do...exactly where to touch...and
tease."
He sat up beside her and brushed her hair off
her shoulder. "I never had any trouble getting what
I wanted," he whispered, kissing the side of her
neck. "Until..."
"Mmm...until what?" she asked.
He smiled. "Well, I met this girl. She was a beauty,
and a real smart ass. Sexier than anything I'd ever
seen before. Just a little thing...but she fought like
a tiger."
Buffy shivered at the touch of his fingertips on her
bare skin.
"Something about her just drove me wild...in one
way or another...from the minute I saw her."
She knew exactly what he meant, because she'd
had more or less the same reaction when she'd seen
him for the first time.
The memory was etched in her brain....
Dancing at the Bronze...running outside and forgetting
her weapon...the terrified screaming from the girl in
the alley...the fight...the confusion about who the vampire
had been begging for help from...mocking applause...turn-
ing around...seeing him...the thrill of instant attraction...the
disappointment when she'd realized what he was...anger
at the cosmic unfairness of that face and form being
wasted on a demon...the frustration of knowing that both
of the men she'd found most enticing had turned out to
be vampires.
She'd had one brief and wildly improbable thought
that maybe he was an 'Angel' type of vampire...one with a
soul, but a little quicker on the uptake than Angel was
turning out to be.
Of course, Spike's subsequent behavior had pretty much
made it a non-issue.
"Did I ever tell you," he asked, using that deep 'bedroom'
tone of voice she loved, "the first thought that went through
my mind when I saw you moving that gorgeous body of
yours around the dance floor, teasing every man in there?"
She turned to look at him. "I was not!" she protested.
"Yes. You were," he stated firmly.
Dropping her gaze, Buffy shrugged. "Well...I wasn't
trying to."
"I know." Spike leered playfully. "It just comes
naturally to you. That's why it's so damn sexy."
Briefly distracted by the pout on her lips that he
absolutely loved, he said, "The first thought I had
when I saw you was...that's mine. That's for me."
Buffy looked at him. "What about your girlfriend?"
she asked sarcastically.
He was always surprised to hear the jealousy in her
voice whenever the subject of Drusilla came up, even
after all this time.
Spike knew it was a tone she'd picked up from him,
something she'd heard whenever Angel was mentioned
in even the most offhand and casual way.
"I can honestly say that, for a few minutes, I forgot
all about her."
Part six......
Ten months later...
Buffy
groaned and buried her face in her pillow.
"She can't be hungry again," she whined, irritably.
Spike leaned over and kissed her bare shoulder. "I'll
go," he whispered. "Try and go back to sleep."
"I knew there was a reason I love you so much,"
Buffy mumbled, pushing away a twinge of guilt
for not jumping out of bed to provide maternal
comfort to the daughter she'd nursed less than an
hour ago.
Sleep was a precious commodity these days. She
couldn't even remember the last time she'd had
a full night's worth.
Motherhood was turning out to be more difficult
than she'd imagined. The tiny life that had been
entrusted to her was a demanding little soul that
needed constant attention.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Katherine's needs were few and quite basic; frequently
changed diapers..a full tummy...and an unending
supply of love.
Spike handled most of the diaper duty, and
never complained about it, even when the job
was a particularly smelly one. In his eyes, every-
thing his baby girl did was wonderfully clever.
Everything.
He was recording every day of their child's life
in a 'baby book' that he'd found in the store where
they'd gone shopping for cribs, car seats, and
strollers.
Every tiny yawn, every burp, every wave of
her little fist...all of it went into the book, cap-
tured for posterity. Nothing was too small or
insignificant, and he'd taken it to the ridiculous
extreme of writing down the time and date of
the baby's first soiled diaper.
Buffy was in charge of the 'full tummy' require-
ment. Her healthy young body was producing
enough milk for two babies, so much so that
Katherine would drift off and leave her mother
with an uncomfortably engorged breast.
She hated using the pump that the hospital had
provided, prompting Spike to offer her the relief
she sought.
Once the baby's needs had been satisfied, he'd
change her and return her to her crib. After
climbing back into bed, he'd gather up the
heavy mound of Buffy's swollen breast, nursing
at it until it was empty.
It caused a curious combination of feelings
within her that ranged from nurturing tender-
ness, to raging sexual arousal.
The unending supply of love and devotion was
something they shared equally in providing.
But, while Buffy loved the baby completely,
Spike worshiped her. As far as he was con-
cerned, she was the most beautiful baby to
ever draw a breath, and no one had best try
and tell him differently.
He was endlessly fascinated by her, and spent
countless hours just holding her, studying
every nuance of her sweet face.
Buffy would sometimes stand in the open door-
way of the nursery, watching him as he walked
their daughter around the room, introducing her
to all her stuffed animals, and talking to her as
though she understood everything he said.
In fact, Spike doted on the baby so completely that
Buffy would feel an occasional pang of envy and
sadness knowing her own father had never loved
her the same way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Still half asleep, Spike leaned over Katherine's
crib and scooped her up, wrapping her in a thin
cotton blanket. "What's the matter, princess?" he
asked, pacing around the room with her. "Tummy
bothering you?"
"If she could speak," a chipper voice informed
him, "she would tell you that she feels quite well,
but merely wanted some company."
Instinctively clutching the baby closer, he whipped
around and found himself face to face with...
"Mrs. Potter, I presume?" he said, relaxing his
hold on Katherine's small body. He had no trouble
recognizing the woman. Buffy had described
her perfectly.
"I am indeed," the woman replied. "And most
pleased to meet you at last." Placing her tapestry
bag on the floor, she moved closer and placed one
hand on the baby's back.
Katherine immediately quieted, snuggling her little
face against her father's shoulder.
Spike was amazed...and grateful. "You should come
around more often."
Mrs. Potter smiled. "I've always had a way with
babies. May I?" she asked, holding out her arms.
"Oh, yeah. Sure." Spike transferred the infant
into the woman's arms without hesitating.
Cradling the baby securely against her bosom,
Mrs. Potter walked over to the antique rocking
chair and settled down in it.
"Well, just look at you," she murmured, setting
the rocker in motion. "I must say, your mother and
father did a lovely job." She looked at Spike. "She's
quite perfect, isn't she?"
He nodded in whole hearted agreement. "That's
what I keep saying, but everyone else tries to tell
me that nobody's perfect."
"Well, shows what they know, hmm?" She looked
back down at the nearly asleep baby. "She's a
beautiful, healthy and very happy little girl. If that's
not perfection, then I can't imagine what is."
"Of course she's beautiful," Spike said. "She
looks like her mother."
"Yes, she does. But, she has her father's eyes,
doesn't she? Such a lovely shade of blue. I've always
thought so." She glanced up at him. "However, I must
tell you that she's also inherited your temper and impulse
control problem."
Spike frowned. "I don't have an impulse control...."
Mrs. Potter cleared her throat sharply, raising her
eyebrows.
He backed down. "I'm working on it."
"This child," Mrs. Potter said, "is a very special
gift, given to you two because you have proved
yourselves to be worthy and deserving of her. I
expect no less than your most sincere efforts." She
gave him a stern look. "Is this understood?"
Spike felt put on the spot in a way he hadn't
been since being called on the carpet by his
mother for some transgression. "Yes...ma'am."
Returning her gaze to the baby in her arms, Mrs.
Potter lifted her and pressed a gentle kiss to
her forehead. "There now, darling," she said
quietly, "safe as houses you'll be. Your mother
and father will take wonderful care of you." She
cut another quick glance at Spike, who nodded
in reply. "They'll make sure you're warm in the
winter and cool in the summer...that you have
plenty of NOURISHING food...they'll play with
you, and read you lovely stories...and someday,
much sooner than they would like, out the door
you'll go to school. And I will always be close by,
you have my promise."
Rising to her feet, she gave the baby back to
her father, and picked up her bag.
"Now," she said briskly, "remember...to the
dentist every six months, and the doctor at least
once a year. Make certain she eats properly...not
too many sweets, and that she's well bundled in
cold weather. She'll be prone to ear infections, the
poor darling, so keep a sharp watch for them. See
to it that she's always restrained snugly in an
automobile, and that she wears a safety helmet when
you teach her to ride a bicycle. Try not to panic
when she's learning to walk. Every baby gets a
few bumps and bruises when they start toddling.
Fix the lock on the basement door...swimming
lessons before she goes anywhere near a body
of water larger than her bathtub....oh, and when
she's four, she'll want a kitten. Let her have one."
Wishing he had a piece of paper to write all this
information down, Spike just nodded at every
pronouncement.
"I shall be checking in from time to time," Mrs.
Potter continued. "and Buffy knows how to get in
touch with me if necessary."
Although she was ready to take her leave, she
paused another moment and took in the sight
before her. "You know...you're going to be just
fine, all of you," she said, her mouth curving in a
tender smile. "I always knew you'd be a wonderful
father, William. I'm very proud of you."
Before he could gather his wits to respond,
the woman was gone, leaving behind a faint
scent of lavender....the fragrance his mother
had been so fond of. His.....
"Nah....can't be," he said to the baby, shaking his
head. "Besides...my mum's name was Anne Penmar,
not...not Abigail...Potter...."
His words trailed off when he felt the ghost of a kiss
whisper across his cheek.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As tired as she was, she wasn't drifting back
to sleep. After fifteen minutes of trying, Buffy
kicked off the blankets and went to the bathroom.
On her way back to bed, she paused at the
nursery door and looked in.
Spike was standing in the middle of the room,
wearing nothing but a pair of black silk pajama
pants and holding a tiny bundle, wrapped up in
a pink cotton receiving blanket, against his
shoulder.
And a fussy little bundle it was.
"S'all right, princess," he murmured, gently
patting her back. "Tell Daddy what you want,
and he'll get it for you."
Buffy smiled and leaned against the side of
the door. She could watch this particular
scenario for hours and never get tired of it.
It was such a kick to watch Sunnydale's most
notorious "big bad" soothing a cranky baby.
Not that his behavior had surprised her. Spike
had always had a nurturing side when it came to
the women in his life, a facet of his personality
that could probably be traced all the way back to
his relationship with his invalid mother. Buffy had
noticed it first with Drusilla, and then...to a
slightly lesser degree...with Dawn.
"What's that song you're humming?" she
asked, joining her little family in the middle of the
room. "It's pretty."
Spike smiled and cuddled the baby closer as
her fussiness calmed and she fell back to sleep.
"Just an old folk song," he murmured. "Something
my mother used to sing to me."
Buffy leaned against him, stroking the baby's
soft cap of light brown hair. "I think she likes it."
Spike nodded. "I always did."
~~The End~~