Chapter 1

“You’re breaking up with me?” Buffy Summers said as she was staring at her boyfriend, shock and hurt written on her face.

“I think it’s for the best. We both want different things and I think we need to take some time off.”

Buffy still couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “I don’t understand this, Riley. You want to take a break from us?” she wondered in confusion.

Riley took a deep breath. “I just can’t be in a relationship right now. I don’t think I can commit to one person. I’m really sorry, Buffy,” he explained.

Buffy tried to hold her tears back. “We’ve been dating for two years. How long have you felt this way?”

He took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “For a while now. Things were great in the beginning, but lately you’ve been a bit distant. I feel like I can’t talk to you anymore and it would be best if we saw other people. We have to experience what else is out there. I hope you can understand that.”

Buffy pulled her hand out of his grasp. “Yeah, I understand fine. I hope you have a nice life.” She stood up and walked out of the restaurant, tears streaming down her face.


* * * * *


“I just don’t understand what went wrong. I thought things were going well,” Buffy explained to her friend the next day.

“You’ll be okay, Buffy. It just wasn’t meant to be,” she replied, rubbing Buffy’s back in comfort.

She stopped crying and looked at her friend. “I’m sorry for getting all weepy on you, Willow. It’s probably the damn hormones.”

Willow nodded in understanding. “Did you tell him that you were pregnant?”

Buffy sighed and shook her head. “I couldn’t tell him. He probably would have done the right thing and decided to stay with me because of that, but I don’t want that to be the only reason he’s with me. God, when did everything get so messed up? I just finished college and I had a great boyfriend. Now, I’m pregnant and my baby doesn’t even have a father,” she commented, more tears falling down her face. “I’m so scared, Will. I don’t know how to raise a baby by myself.”

Willow gave the blonde a friendly hug. “You won’t be doing it alone, Buffy. I’ll help you out anyway I can.”

Buffy graced her with a small smile now. “Thanks, I really appreciate it.” She let out a sigh and stood up. “I guess I’m gonna have to tell my mom. That should be a fun conversation,” she said sarcastically. Buffy then took a deep breath and left the apartment that she shared with Willow. It was time to face her mother.


* * * * *


“I’ll kill him! How can he leave after getting you pregnant? That bastard!” Joyce Summers spat as she paced back and forth in her living room.

Buffy tried to calm her down. “Mom, he doesn’t even know I’m pregnant.”

Joyce glanced back at her daughter, calming down enough to sit on the couch. “That still doesn’t make this right. Have you thought about what you’re going to do?”

Buffy shrugged and sat down next to Joyce. “I don’t know. I just know that I’m keeping the baby. Even if I have to raise it without a father.”

Joyce felt for her daughter and knew how hard it was to raise a child alone. “Honey, you don’t know how difficult that will be. We’ll just have to find you someone. There’s this nice man that works at the gallery. I think he would be perfect for you.”

“I just got out of a relationship. I’m not looking to date anyone new right now. I appreciate the help, but I’m going to be fine.”

Joyce looked like she was about to say something else, but Buffy didn’t let her.

“I should get going. Don’t worry about me, Mom.” She placed a kiss on her mother’s cheek and walked out of the front door. “I’ll visit next week!” she yelled and then headed to her car. She was soon driving away from the house.


* * * * *


Buffy was walking the streets by herself later that night. She was busy thinking about everything that happened. She noticed all of the happy couples around her and felt a twinge of sadness. She met Riley in her sophomore year of college and they were so in love, or so she thought. She didn’t understand when things started to change for him. She wrapped her arms around herself when she started to feel a chill. She then looked in the distance and saw a young couple with a little girl. She felt tears prick her eyes when the man picked up the child and swung her around. She shook her head and looked away. She wouldn’t let that happy family affect her. She was going to have a child and everything was going to be okay, with or without a father.


* * * * *


A black car road toward town and smashed into the ‘Welcome to Sunnydale’ sign. The car stopped and a man in a leather duster, with bleached hair stepped out. He had a cigarette hanging from his mouth and a smile on his face. He left Sunnydale years ago after he graduated from high school. He never knew that he would one day be coming back to a town that caused so much trouble for him. He had problems in England when he was younger and was sent to live with his uncle in California to keep him out of trouble. Of course, the trouble didn’t stop there. His mother passed away recently and he didn’t care for being in England anymore, so he decided to see what his uncle was up to.

He took the cigarette out of his mouth and flicked it to the ground, stepping on it in the process. He took a deep breath and looked around at his surroundings. “Home sweet home,” he said to himself, then got back into the car and drove to his destination.

Chapter 2

Four months later...

“This would be so cute, Buffy,” Willow said, holding up the little outfit that she found.

Buffy scrunched up her nose at the choice. “It’s very pink. We don’t even know if I’m having a girl. I think we should look for something blue just incase.”

Willow nodded and browsed through more baby clothes.

Buffy stopped when she felt a pain in her stomach. A smile then formed on her face. “Willow, the baby just kicked!” she exclaimed, placing her hand over her abdomen.

Willow looked just as excited and put her hand over Buffy’s, only to feel the baby kick again.

They both had huge smiles on their faces now.

“Wow, she’s gonna be a tough one.”

Buffy nodded in agreement. She decided not to correct Willow again about the fact that she didn’t know if she was having a girl. “Yeah, but she’s doing a number on my bladder at the moment. I’ll be right back,” she said and left to find a restroom.

Willow went back to looking at the baby clothes.


* * * * *


“Oh, bloody hell!”

Buffy heard once she exited the bathroom. She wondered why that voice sounded so familiar. She then noticed a man looking at a shelf that held baby blankets and other baby things. She got a good look at him and saw that he had very blond hair that was obviously fake. He was also wearing a long, leather coat. She couldn’t see his face, but she would know that profile anywhere. “Well, what do we have here?”

The man turned around at her voice. His eyes bulged out when he recognized the familiar blonde girl. A smile formed on his face. “Buffy Summers, well, I’ll be damned,” he commented, looking her up and down.

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. “Spike Reynolds, what brings you back here?” she wondered.

He shrugged. “Needed a change of scenery. You’ve put on some weight there, Summers,” he said with his trademark smirk.

Buffy dropped her arms back to her side, glaring at him. “I’m pregnant, if you must know.”

Spike knew that she was pregnant, but he missed annoying her. That was one of the things that he loved most about being in Sunnydale. “So, I see Peaches finally knocked you up. Didn’t know the ponce had it in him.” He tried not to let the anger show in his voice.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I haven’t been with Angel since high school. He went to college in New York and I decided to stay here.”

Spike nodded and couldn’t believe everything that he missed. He didn’t even know that Buffy wasn’t with Angel anymore. They were high school sweethearts and were so in love. It was enough to make him want to gag. He always hated Angel with a passion, which was why he never got along well with Buffy. “So, there’s a new boy then?” he asked, trying not to sound jealous. He didn’t even know why he would be jealous. He could never stand the gorgeous blonde. He may have been gone for a few years, but Buffy was still just as gorgeous as ever.

Buffy looked upset for a moment and shook her head. “No, it’s just me. We broke up and I’m dealing with having the baby by myself. I can handle it.” She was surprised that she told him that much. She never liked the bleached moron. He always tried to make her life a living hell in high school. She may have always found him attractive, but he was too cocky for her taste.

Spike felt bad when he noticed the look on her face, but he would never admit that to her. “You sure you can handle that? Seems like a lot of responsibility.”

“I’m an adult now. It’s not like I’m having this baby when I’m some teenager that doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing.” She then decided to change the subject. “So, why are you here? Did some girl actually let you get her pregnant?” She stopped when she noticed an angry expression on his face, wondering what she could have said that was so terrible.

“I’m here for my uncle’s wife. She’s due in a few weeks and I decided to help out.”

Buffy seemed a little surprised by his confession, but she didn’t say anything else about it. “So, you’re staying with Giles then? I haven’t seen him since high school. How’s he doing? I didn’t know his wife was pregnant.”

Spike shrugged. “Well, you’ve had things on your mind. He’s doing fine. He would probably really like to see you,” he told her and wondered where that came from. He suddenly realized that he was hoping to see her again.

“Yeah, I might just do that. Is she having a boy or girl?”

Spike took a deep breath to try and calm himself. Being around Buffy again and all of this baby stuff was really starting to get to him. “She’s having a boy,” he responded.

Buffy nodded and gazed at the baby blankets that had his attention earlier. She smiled when she found one that would be perfect. “Here, give her this one.”

Spike looked at the blanket that Buffy handed to him. It was blue, with white clouds all over it. He nodded and gave her a small smile. “Thanks,” he said.

Buffy smiled in return. She rarely saw this side of Spike. “I should be getting back now. Good luck with everything.”

Spike looked just as surprised as she was, but he only nodded. “Yeah, same to you.”

Buffy was about to turn away, but his voice stopped her.

“How far along are you?”

She was caught off guard by his question. “I have about five months left.”

Spike took another deep breath and moved closer to her. “May I?” he asked.

Buffy didn’t even have to wonder what he was talking about. She nodded and gave him a smile.

Spike smiled as well, then placed his hand over her belly. He smiled bigger when he felt the baby kick.

Buffy noticed that he had tears in his eyes, but she figured it would be best not to say anything about it.

He just pulled his hand away suddenly and took a step back. He grabbed the baby blanket that she chose for him and walked away, without giving her another look.

Buffy watched him go for a moment and thought about how much he has changed. She shook her head and made her way back to Willow, actually hoping that she would see him again.

Chapter 3

“He’s so cute, Mrs. Giles,” Buffy claimed as she held the baby in her arms.

“Please, call me Jenny. Looks like you’ll soon be having your own bundle of joy.”

Buffy nodded. “Yeah, in a few weeks. I’m really nervous about it.”

Jenny graced her with a warm smile. “You’re going to do fine, Buffy.”

Buffy hoped that was true and gazed at the sleeping baby in her arms. She hadn’t seen Spike since that day in the baby store months ago. She decided to finally pay them a visit. He was out with Giles at the moment, but Jenny let her in and was happy to show her the baby.

“You wait here; I’ll put Charlie to bed,” she said, taking the bundle from Buffy and then heading up the stairs.

Buffy was sitting there patiently after that.

The front door suddenly opened and two male voices could be heard.

They found her in the living room.

The older man’s face lit up when he noticed her. “Buffy, it’s great to see you,” he stated, giving her a hug.

“It’s good to see you, too. I decided it was about time I paid a visit. Your baby is beautiful, Giles.”

He smiled and released her from the embrace. “Yes, he is. Is Jenny upstairs?”

Buffy nodded.

Giles gave her one more smile before going upstairs to join his wife.

Buffy then looked at Spike, who had been silent since he saw her there. “Okay, I have never known you to be this quiet. What’s up?”

Spike only shrugged. “Nothing, I just still can’t believe you’re pregnant. You look like you’re about to pop any minute now.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Thanks, that’s really sweet of you,” she commented sarcastically and tried to stand up.

Spike was by her side in an instant to help her off of the couch.

She looked into his eyes and was amazed to see genuine concern there, but only shook that thought off and gave him a grateful smile. “I should get home.”

Spike nodded and watched her walk out of the house. He let out a sigh and plopped down on the couch. He still acted like a nancy boy whenever he was around her. He always knew she was beautiful, but her being pregnant only made her more beautiful. Yeah, he was definitely in trouble.


* * * * *


Buffy was feeling intense pains in her stomach and she was really worried about what they could mean. Her mother was away and she was alone in the house. She didn’t know what to do, when she then heard a knock on the front door. She opened it and was surprised to see Spike standing there.

He gave her a shy smile. “Hey, I don’t really know why I’m here.”

She moved out of the way to let him into the house.

“I guess I was wondering if you needed help with anything.”

Buffy was surprised again, but didn’t have time to think about it. He seemed to be the answer to her prayers right now. “Do you have your car here?” she wondered.

He raised his eyebrows at the question. “Yeah, it’s outside.”

Buffy nodded and took a deep breath. “That’s really good. I need you to drive me somewhere.”

Spike agreed without any hesitation. “Sure, where do you want to go?”

Buffy felt another contraction shoot through her. She clutched at her stomach. “I need to go to the hospital. I think I’m having the baby.”

Spike’s eyes widened at that realization. “Are you sure?”

She nodded again. “Pretty sure, my water just broke.”

Spike glanced down to see a puddle on the floor, then focused back up at her. “Aren’t you early?”

“The baby doesn’t care about that. She wants out now.” Buffy released a piercing scream and grabbed her stomach again.

Spike went to her side and helped her out to his car. He let her in on the passenger side, then went to his side. He got in and looked at Buffy. “It’ll be okay, love. Just keep taking deep breaths. I’ll get you there as soon as I can.” He started the car and headed to the hospital.

Buffy just rubbed her stomach and did as he said. She hoped everything would be okay and little did she know, Spike was thinking the same thing.


* * * * *


Buffy was screaming as she was rolled into the delivery room.

The doctor hurried over to Spike. “Are you the father?”

Spike didn’t even get a chance to say anything as the doctor handed him hospital scrubs to put on, so he could join her in the delivery room. Spike couldn’t believe he was doing this, but he put them on and followed the doctor into the room. Buffy was screaming bloody murder when he walked in there. He took a deep breath and went over to her side.

She looked up at him and seemed to be really relieved that he was there, holding her hand out.

He didn’t hesitate and took her small hand in his. The doctor was saying stuff that Spike wasn’t really paying attention to. This whole thing just brought back too many painful memories for him.

“You’re doing great, Buffy. This baby really wants to come out. Just give us one more big push.”

Buffy looked beyond exhausted and tried to listen to what the doctor told her. “I don’t think I can. It hurts so much,” she said in a defeated tone.

Spike gave her hand a comforting squeeze. “You can do it, love. Just one more push and you’ll have a beautiful baby in your arms.” There was no doubt in his mind that Buffy’s baby would be anything but beautiful.

She nodded and grasped Spike’s hand tighter, pushing with everything that she had in her. It took away a lot of her energy and she lay back in the bed once she was finished. The sound of a baby crying brought tears to her eyes. The baby was cleaned off and wrapped in a blanket before being placed in her arms.

“Congratulations, Buffy. You have a beautiful, baby girl.”

Buffy had tears falling down her face as she stared at the gorgeous baby in her arms. “I guess you were a girl,” she whispered and couldn’t remember ever feeling so happy. She glanced up at Spike and could see that his hands were shaking. He also had tears in his eyes and Buffy wondered if he was okay.

He then turned to look at the doctor. “They’re okay, right? There were no problems?”

The doctor shook his head. “They are both going to be fine.”

Spike sighed in relief and gave the doctor a small smile.

Buffy wanted to ask him why he was so concerned, but she figured it wasn’t the right time. She only turned her attention back on the little angel that was in her arms.

Spike was really happy for Buffy, but he couldn’t help feeling a little bit sad. A part of him really wished that he was looking at his family, but he knew that Buffy never belonged to him and that the child belonged to another man. Even if that man wasn’t in her life at the moment. He pushed all of those thoughts away and just gazed at Buffy and her daughter. He decided that he would do whatever he could to help her out. And maybe someday, they would be his family.

Chapter 4

“You’re going to stay in bed and get some rest. I’ll handle everything,” Joyce told Buffy as she made her more comfortable.

Buffy ended up moving back into her mother’s house because Joyce wanted her and the baby to be closer. “Mom, I’m fine. I gave birth days ago. They wouldn’t have let us leave the hospital if they didn’t think we were ready.”

Joyce shook her head. “You can’t be too careful. I still can’t believe I missed it. I should have been here,” she admitted and sat down next to her daughter.

“I don’t blame you for not being there. You have a business, you can’t always be here. Besides, it all worked out. I got to the hospital okay.”

Joyce nodded and gave her daughter a smile. “Well, I guess it was a good thing for William then. I’m still surprised by everything you told me. You and William hardly ever got along in the past.”

Buffy shrugged and still couldn’t believe everything that happened, either. “He probably wouldn’t like to hear you call him William. It’s all so weird, though. He hated me years ago and now he managed to take me to the hospital, so I could bring Katie into this world. He even helped me stay calm. We must be in an alternate universe or something.”

“I still don’t understand it even after all of this time, but why did he hate you?”

Buffy let out a sigh. “I don’t even know. He just never liked me. Maybe I was too perky for him or something. Spike was the bad boy of the school. He rarely hung out with the popular crowd. I hung out with other people, though. It’s not like I was such a bitch and only cared about popularity, but I guess that’s what he saw.” She heard the baby cry and was about to get up, until Joyce stopped her.

“You stay in bed; I’ll take care of her,” she said and made her way into the nursery.

Buffy lay back in the bed and stared at the ceiling. She still couldn’t believe everything that happened. She was a single mother now and she really wanted her baby to have a father, even though she said she could handle it on her own. She was even willing to go back to Riley and hope that he would change his mind, but she shook that thought away. He couldn’t even commit to a relationship, so she didn’t know how he would commit to being a father. Buffy would have to get out there and start dating again. She was determined to find the perfect man to be Katie’s father. No matter what it took.


* * * * *


Spike was sitting outside his house and smoking a cigarette. He had a lot on his mind. He threw the cigarette to the ground and stepped on it, then noticed a pair of feet standing in front of him. He looked up at the person and smiled.

“Hey, Harris. It’s been a while.”

The man sat down next to him. “Feels like a lifetime, Spike. What? You don’t let me know that you’re back in town?”

Spike shrugged. “Nothing personal, Xander. I was just trying to keep a low profile.”

He nodded in understanding and decided to change the subject. “So, I hear Buffy had the baby.”

Spike nodded as well and gazed up at the sky. “Yeah, about a week ago. I was with her at the time. It was a bloody nightmare.”

Xander was finding that hard to believe, but he didn’t say anything.

“So, you two are still friends then?” Spike asked him.

“Of course, me and the Buffster go way back. You don’t end a friendship just because high school’s over. We’re not as close as we used to be, but I still see her every now and then. I witnessed most of her relationship with Riley. If you thought her time with Angel was nauseating, you should have seen her with him. It was enough to make me want to gouge my eye out.”

Spike smiled a little at Xander’s attempt at humor. “So, why did he leave her then?” he wondered, not feeling right about asking Buffy.

“He just couldn’t handle it anymore. Buffy doesn’t like to talk about it much.” Xander grinned and patted Spike on the back. “Now’s your chance, man.”

Spike raised his eyebrows. “My chance for what?”

Xander rolled his eyes at how dense his friend could be sometimes. “Your chance to get with Buffy. And don’t even deny that you have feelings for her. That won’t work anymore.”

Spike sighed again and decided that he was right. “I don’t have a chance with her, mate. Girls like Buffy don’t go for blokes like me. I tried to forget about her the whole time I was in England, but it never worked. I knew coming back here would be a bad idea, but I just had to see her again. She made high school fun,” he said with a smile, remembering some of the times that they had.

“Yeah, that was because you liked to torment her.”

Spike shrugged and bowed his head. “You always torment the ones you love,” he whispered.

Xander didn’t know what to think about that.

Spike glanced up at him after a few seconds. “It just killed me to see her with Peaches. I took out a lot of my anger on her and I regret it now. I shouldn’t have treated her the way I did, but the damage is done. She hates me.”

Xander shook his head. “I don’t think she hates you. You should just talk to her.”

Spike knew that his friend was right, but he would never admit it. He just decided to change the subject. “I still can’t believe she has a kid now. The baby is bloody gorgeous, too. Just like her mum.”

Xander saw the look in his friend’s eyes and let a smile grace his lips. “Yeah, you have it bad.”

Spike smacked him on the back of his head. “Shut it, Harris.”

Xander rubbed his head and kept the smile on his face. He had a feeling they would get together soon enough.

Buffy and Spike were both very stubborn. They were a perfect match. If only they would realize it.

Chapter 5

“She has your eyes,” Spike told her.

“Yeah, but she has her daddy’s nose. Good thing for that.”

He smiled. “You have a cute nose, Summers.”

Buffy was surprised by what he said. Spike really has changed. “Thanks again for doing this. My mom is away and I really need to get out of the house for a bit.”

Spike nodded as the baby started to fall asleep. “Where are you going, anyway?” he wondered.

“Just out with Willow. She has a friend that she wanted me to meet. I’m not a fan of blind dates, but I think I’m pretty much desperate at this point.”

Spike felt pained at the thought of her going out with another man, but he only gave her a smile. “Well, have fun.”

Buffy smiled in return. “You know what, Spike? I really like this change in you. It almost seems like you care about me.”

He was about to tell her that he did care, but she grabbed her coat and headed to the door before he got a chance to.

She kissed Katie on the top of her head and after giving him one more smile, walked out of the house.

Spike sighed and looked down at the sleeping infant in his arms. “Come on, princess. It’s time for all little girls to be in bed,” he whispered and carried her upstairs to the nursery. He placed her into her crib once he got up there. He gazed in awe at the sleeping child and again wished that she was his. Spike wanted Buffy to be happy, but a part of him hoped that her date wouldn't work out.


* * * * *


Buffy met Willow at the Bronze and she noticed a tall man next to her. She put on a smile and headed over to them.

“Hey, sorry I’m a little late,” she said.

Willow just shrugged it off. “Don’t worry about it. Buffy, this is Owen. He’s the guy I was telling you about.”

Buffy smiled at the attractive man standing next to her friend and gave his hand a shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Owen graced her with a smile of his own, returning the hand shake. “Same goes to you. It’s great to finally meet the friend that Willow’s always talking about.” He let her hand go after a moment.

Willow ushered them both over to a table. “I’m just gonna get some drinks. I’m sure you guys will get along great,” she stated in a cheery voice, then left them alone.

Buffy gazed at the man across from her and gave another smile. She definitely had a good feeling about this.


* * * * *


She was bored out of her mind about an hour later. Willow never returned and she was stuck listening to Owen talk about his football days in high school. Buffy now knew more about the sport than she ever would have liked. She hardly got any words in. She would only smile and nod, hoping that the night would just end already.

“I wonder where Willow is,” she finally blurted out.

Owen shrugged. “Don’t know, maybe she met up with someone. Oh, I have to tell you about the time I scored three touchdowns in one game. That was awesome!" he exclaimed.

She rolled her eyes as he told her another one of his many football stories, finding it hard to stay awake at this point. Willow was so going to pay for this.


* * * * *


Buffy finally got rid of Owen when she told him that she had to go to the restroom because she was having cramps. That seemed to get him very quiet all of a sudden and she couldn’t get away fast enough. Buffy then found Willow chatting with a brunette by the bar. She went over to them.

“There you are. We really need to talk.”

Willow knew that look on her friend’s face. She turned back to the girl that she was talking to. “I’ll see you later, Tara.”

The girl nodded and walked off.

Willow then went to join Buffy. “So, how’d it go?” she wondered, even though she had a feeling it didn’t go so well.

“It was a disaster. The only thing he seems to know about is football. You had to know this wouldn’t work out.”

Willow looked upset and nodded. “I’m sorry, Buffy. I was just trying to find you a nice guy. I really didn’t know he would be so dull.”

Buffy sighed and knew that she shouldn’t take it out on her friend. “It’s not your fault. You were only trying to help. I guess I just need to keep looking.”

Willow nodded again and put her arm around the blonde’s shoulders. “The right guy is out there, Buffy. You’ll find him.”

Buffy gave Willow a small smile and really wished she could believe that.


* * * * *


Buffy arrived home later that night to find Spike asleep on the couch. She smiled at how innocent he looked and went to wake him.

Spike opened his eyes when he felt someone poking him. “Hey, how was the date?” he asked her, hoping that he wouldn’t regret it.

She let out a sigh and sat down next to him. “It could have been better.”

Spike didn’t say anything else when he realized that she didn’t want to talk about it. “Well, I guess I should go. Katie was sleeping pretty much the whole time. Easiest babysitting job ever, not that I’ve done a lot,” he told her with a smile.

“Thanks again, Spike. I really appreciate you watching her for me.”

Spike shrugged and stood up. “No problem, I’m available if you need me. Goodnight, Buffy.” He walked out of the house, without waiting for her to say anything else. He sighed once he was outside. He said he would help out anyway he could, but he didn’t think he could continue being her babysitter while she went out with other men. Spike just hoped he knew what he got himself into.

Chapter 6

“I liked Episode Two. It was much better than Episode One, but nothing can compare to the original saga. What was your favorite Star Wars movie?”

Buffy raised her eyebrows at the whole conversation. She was on yet another date and it could not be going any worse. Andrew seemed like a decent enough guy, but he was a little too out there for her. “I must have missed those.”

He had a look of complete shock on his face now. “Wow, I don’t know of anyone who hasn’t seen Star Wars. You don’t know what you’re missing,” he said, taking a bite out of his chicken sandwich.

Buffy definitely felt a headache coming on. She was about to excuse herself to go to the restroom, but something made her stop. A man walked by and she briefly caught Andrew checking out his ass. She laughed at the thought of her date being gay. Perfect, that was just what she needed to make her night even worse.

He looked at her in confusion.

Buffy only gave him a smile. “It’s been fun,” she said, then stood up and walked away. This just kept getting better and better.


* * * * *


“A woman’s place is in the home. They should be cooking and cleaning, not out working with the real men. Their only job should be taking care of the kids. The world would be a much better place if they would just stick to what they’re supposed to do.”

Buffy glared at the man across from her. Warren Mears was a pig that obviously knew nothing about women. He was still living in the seventeenth century. Another date from Hell, but this time, she was sick of being polite. “You know what? You’re a disgusting pig. Incase you haven’t noticed, women are the superior sex. We can do anything a man can do, if not better. There are a lot of men out there that prefer taking care of the kids. You need to get your foot out of your ass long enough to take a look around. This is the twenty-first century. No one thinks like that anymore and now I’m realizing why you don’t have a girlfriend. Asshole!” she spat, then got up and stomped away from the bastard, leaving him to stare after her in shock.


* * * * *


“I was arrested for dealing drugs, but I swear it wasn’t my fault. I didn’t even know that guy was a cop. It’s really not very nice of them to trick people like that. Then my girl dumped me. I was only basically just keeping her around for the sex, anyway. Chicks are only good when they’re under me, if you know what I mean,” Parker Abrams said with a wink.

Buffy gave him a look that could kill. This was unbelievable. Someone up there must really hate her. She only raised her hand to get the waiter’s attention. “Check please,” she said, then buried her face in her hands. Things were really starting to suck beyond the telling of it.


* * * * *


Buffy entered her house after another horrible date. She couldn’t believe her bad luck. She was starting to think that there were no good men left in the world. Her mother was working late at the gallery and she really needed someone to talk to. She stopped when she walked into the living room. Buffy was greeted by the sweetest sight that she had ever seen.

Spike was asleep on the couch and Katie was lying on top of him, also asleep. He had his arm around her like he didn’t want to let her go.

Buffy smiled and moved closer to the couch, wishing that she had a camera to capture the moment.

The movement caused Spike to open his eyes. He gave her a smile when he noticed her there. “Sorry, got kinda tired.”

Buffy shook her head and took the baby from him, being careful not to wake her. “It’s okay, I’m just gonna take her up to bed. I’ll be right back,” she whispered.

Spike nodded and watched Buffy head upstairs. He glanced around the room to keep himself busy. His eyes landed on a picture by the couch. He picked it up and smiled when he saw that it was a picture of Buffy from high school. She was in her cheerleading outfit and she looked bloody gorgeous. Of course, Spike always knew she was gorgeous. She literally took his breath away from the first moment he saw her.


Flashback

Spike hated Sunnydale the moment he stepped into it. He was looking at his new high school and just knew that he was going to hate it there. He missed his life in England and all of his friends. He would never fit in at this place. He sighed and started to walk up to the school, stopping suddenly when he saw a girl get out of a car and head in his direction. She was blonde, petite, and the most gorgeous creature he had ever laid his eyes on. He found it hard to breathe as she moved closer to him. No girl ever affected him like that before.

She walked right by him and gave him a small smile.

He stared after her as she entered the school and he was soon following her inside.

She stopped in front of a locker and started to put her things in.

Spike couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of her, when he heard a voice come from behind him.

“You must be new here.”

He turned at the voice to see a dark haired boy standing there.

“Is it that obvious?”

The guy nodded. “Yeah, my name’s Xander,” he introduced himself.

“Name’s Spike.”

Xander nodded again and didn’t comment on the odd name. He only looked ahead to see what had Spike so interested.

Spike saw that the girl was still in his view.

Xander noticed the expression on the blonde’s face and sighed. “I would give it up, man. She’s not someone you wanna be interested in. That’s Buffy Summers. Pretty much the most popular girl in school, and she belongs to Angel Hart. They’re the hottest couple around here and you should be careful. He doesn’t like it when other guys look at her.”

Spike took in everything he said, then noticed a tall brunette walk over to Buffy and put his arm around her.

She smiled and walked away with him.

Spike frowned and continued to watch them, until they were out of sight. Just his luck. Of course she would have a boyfriend. He figured she could do better than that ponce, though. He was clearly a jock and Spike hated jocks. They always tormented him. He figured that Goldilocks must be a cheerleader if she was popular and dating that bloke. She was probably stuck up then and he was better off. Spike had dealt with girls like that before and no good ever came out of it. He finally looked away and turned back to Xander. “Who said I was interested? Come on; tell me more about this sodding town.”

End Flashback


“Spike, are you in there?”

He broke out of his reverie when he noticed Buffy in front of him, trying to get his attention.

“I thought I lost you for a second there.”

Spike shook his head to clear his thoughts. “Sorry about that, love. I was just thinking. So, how was the date tonight?”

Buffy let out a sigh and sat down next to him. This seemed to be a pattern with them lately.

“Yet another disaster. I’ve had it, Spike. I can’t do this anymore,” she told him, burying her head in her hands.

Spike wondered if she was crying. He wished he could wrap his arms around her, but didn’t dare try.

She looked up at him after a few seconds.

He was relieved to see that her eyes were dry.

“I swear, there are no normal men out there. I think I’m gonna become a nun. They can’t date, right?”

Spike smiled and shook his head. “You don’t need to become a nun, Buffy. It has only been a few weeks. Finding the right person takes time.”

Buffy knew he was right, then wondered about something. “Spike, why did you come back here? I thought you hated this place.”

He had a feeling she would ask that eventually. “Well, this place can grow on you.”

She raised her eyebrows.

Spike figured he would have to say more than that. “I don’t know. I guess I just didn’t have anything in England anymore. My mum was ill for a while and I left a little after she passed away. I just couldn’t stand to be there after that. At least I have family here.”

“I thought you didn’t like Giles. You called him a poncy git, if I remember correctly.”

Spike laughed at her attempt of a British accent. God, this girl was adorable. “We have an understanding now. Jenny’s a great woman and I like helping out with the baby. It feels nice to be wanted. I haven’t felt that in a while.”

Buffy didn’t know what else to say.

Spike took the silence as his cue and stood up. “I guess I should head home now. You know you can call me, if you need help again.”

“Don’t worry; I don’t think I’ll be going on another date anytime soon,” she admitted.

Spike seemed a little disappointed. He didn’t like her going on dates, but that was the only time that he would be able to come over and watch the baby. The only time he would really get to see Buffy. He figured that needed to change. “Right, well, maybe we can just hang out or something. You know, whenever you want to.”

Buffy looked surprised, then gave him a smile. “I would like that. I guess I’ll see you later, then.”

Spike smiled in return and walked to the door. “That you will,” he said before leaving the house.

Buffy smiled again and watched him go. She thought about everything that had changed between her and Spike. He seemed to actually want to be around her, but she figured he liked being around Katie and was just trying to be nice. He was so sweet to her these days that she couldn’t believe this was the same guy that used to torture her in high school. She always thought Spike was very attractive, from the moment she first saw him. He managed to get even hotter as the years went by. He seemed to like kids and would probably be a good father. A thought formed in her head, but she quickly shook it away. He may have changed a lot since high school, but there was no way he would ever be interested in her.

Chapter 7

Flashback

“So, what’s a pretty thing like you doing here by yourself?”

Buffy turned at the voice to notice an attractive man standing next to her. He was wearing a long, leather coat and had bleached blond hair. She didn’t know why he seemed so familiar, but she didn’t think much about it. She was sitting at the Bronze and waiting for Angel. “Excuse me?”

He moved closer to her. “Why are you here alone?”

Buffy crossed her arms over her chest and suddenly felt cold. “I’m waiting for my boyfriend. Who are you?”

He gave her a smirk. “I’m Spike; you’ll be getting to know me real well.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Somehow I doubt that. You shouldn’t be here when Angel arrives. He’s the jealous type.”

Spike laughed and shook his head. “What kind of poncy name is Angel, anyway?”

Buffy glared at him. “Right, because your name is so classy. I know who you are now. You’re the transfer student from England. I heard you got into a lot of trouble. Now that I’ve met you, I can see why.”

Spike matched her glare with one of his own. “You don’t know anything about me, sweetheart.”

Buffy stood up and stared right into his blue eyes. “I don’t intend to.” She tried to walk away, but Spike grabbed her arm. She turned back to look at him and saw an angry expression on his face. Buffy actually felt scared for a second there, then sighed in relief when she saw that Angel finally arrived.

Spike let Buffy go once Angel made his presence known.

“What’s going on here? Is he bothering you, Buffy?”

She looked at Spike one more time before addressing her boyfriend. “No, everything’s fine. Let’s just dance.”

Angel nodded and led her to the dance floor.

End Flashback


“Buffy? Are you alive in there?”

She broke out of her reverie at the sound of Spike’s voice. Buffy glanced up to notice that he was staring at her, concern written on his features.

“You okay? I’ve been trying to get your attention for the last few minutes.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I was just thinking.”

Spike sat down next to her on the couch.

“What were you thinking about?” he wondered.

Buffy thought about what to tell him. “I was thinking about the first time we met.”

Spike raised his eyebrows, clearly not expecting that. “Why would you want to relive that?”

Buffy shrugged. “I don’t know. I just keep thinking about how everything’s changed since then. You seem so different.”

Spike let out a sigh. “I am different. I did actually manage to grow up.”

Buffy nodded in understanding. “I know you have; I just still can’t believe that you’re being so nice to me. I figured you would always hate me.”

Spike was silent after that and didn’t know what to tell her.

“Can I ask you something?”

He nodded and waited for her to continue.

She took in a deep breath. “Why did you hate me so much?”

Spike wasn’t ready to answer that. “Why did you hate me so much?” he asked instead.

Buffy looked away from his gaze. “I don’t think I ever really hated you. You annoyed me and everything, but I never hated you. I kept wondering what I could have done that made you hate me so much. It seemed to always be there since we first met. I just never understood it. I never told you this, but I overheard you talking about me to your friends. You said that I was a snob and a half-wit. That I didn’t have any brains in my pretty, blonde head. I remember feeling so hurt after that. I didn’t understand how someone could say such hurtful things when they didn’t even know me,” she explained and glanced back at him, confused to see a smile on his face.

“You heard that?”

Buffy nodded and still wondered what he found so amusing about it.

He decided to clarify for her. “I wasn’t talking about you, love. I was talking about that bird, Harmony Kendall. She used to follow me around everywhere and call me these bloody annoying names. She wouldn’t leave me alone and I got so irritated that I said some bad things about her.”

Buffy was embarrassed now. “Oh, okay then. Let’s just pretend I never said anything.”

Spike agreed. “It’s forgotten, but you were right. I did judge without really getting to know you and I’m sorry about that. You’re obviously not the girl I thought you were.”

Buffy smiled a little, then got back to her earlier question. “You still never said why you hated me.”

Spike took a deep breath before he answered her. “I never hated you, Buffy. It’s all so stupid now that I think about it. I was just pissed about everything. I was pissed that I had to move and bloody jealous of Peaches. I hated the git and I envied him. I was just frustrated and I took a lot of it out on you. I’m sorry about that.”

Buffy wasn’t expecting him to say that. She felt even more confused. “Why would you be jealous of Angel?”

Spike ran his fingers through his hair. “Because I wanted you. From the first moment I saw you, I wanted you. You were all I bloody thought about, Buffy. I hated seeing you with him. I tried to hide my feelings by fighting with you all of the time. I have to admit that it was lots of fun,” he told her with a grin. “I decided to head back to England after graduation because I just couldn’t be in Sunnydale anymore. I couldn’t be around you and not have you, so I left to try and forget about you.”

Buffy took in everything that he said, still finding it hard to believe. “Did it work?”

He shook his head. “No, it didn’t work. You were still all I thought about and I guess that was one reason I decided to come back. I knew I couldn’t stay away anymore. Not to mention that things got worse in England. I just couldn’t deal with it any longer.”

Buffy took his hand in hers and hoped that he would open up to her more.

He looked surprised by the gesture.

“What happened?”

Spike stared at her and realized that he would tell her anything. “My mum passed away recently, which you already know about. She was the only person that I really had. There was also a girl.” He closed his eyes and took another deep breath before he gave her the rest of his story, then opened his eyes again and saw nothing but concern on her face. “I met her at a bar and we were drawn to each other. I just wanted to forget about you and knew that she would be a distraction. We both agreed that we would have fun and nothing else. No strings attached. We ended up sleeping together that same night and it was nice. I think it was something we both needed. We parted the next morning on good terms and I figured I would never see her again.” He looked down and felt tears cloud his vision.

Buffy grew even more concerned now. “Spike, what is it?”

He couldn’t hide the tears when he gazed back up at her. “I screwed up, Buffy. I saw her again about two months later and she told me that she was pregnant with my child. I saw how scared she was and I knew that I couldn’t let her deal with it alone. I decided that I was going to be there for her and the baby. I was with her through everything and we formed a close friendship, but we knew it would never be anything more than that because both of our hearts belonged to someone else.” A pause. “I took her to the hospital when she went into labor and I was with her during the birth, but there were complications. She...She died after the baby was born. I got to see my child for a little while after that. She was so tiny, Buffy. I’ve never seen anything so small. She only lived to be a few weeks old.”

Buffy gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. “God, I’m so sorry.”

Spike wiped at his eyes. It was still a hard memory to relive.

“Is that why you were scared when you were in the hospital with me? You thought the same thing would happen?”

Spike lowered his head and nodded, looking back at her after a moment. “I was bloody terrified. I never wanted to go through that again. You don’t know how relieved I was to find out that both of you were okay.”

Buffy nodded as well and started to feel tears in her eyes. He really did care about her. She then knew what she wanted to do and moved closer to him. She caressed his cheek and brought his gaze back on hers. Without giving any thought to her actions, she pressed her lips to his.

Chapter 8

Spike pulled away and looked at Buffy, with a confused expression on his face.

“What was that for?”

She suddenly felt nervous under his stare. “It seemed like the right thing to do.”

Spike shook his head. “I don’t want you to feel sorry for me, Buffy. I didn’t tell you all that for pity.”

Buffy took a deep breath before answering him. “It wasn’t because of pity, Spike. I’ve wanted to kiss you for a while now. I just figured that you wouldn’t want me to. I never thought you actually liked me.”

Spike nodded and felt relieved that she really wanted to kiss him. “I’m sorry for everything,” he told her sincerely.

“I’m sorry, too. We both made a lot of mistakes in the past. This is our chance to start over.”

Spike nodded again and gave her a smile. “I think I can do that,” he said, then placed a soft kiss on her lips.

Buffy smiled as well when he pulled away. “So, let’s do this right. How about we go out tomorrow night? I can’t take another date from Hell, but I have a feeling that you’ll be different.”

Spike agreed, still finding it hard to believe that any of this was happening. “Well, you’re right about that. Does eight sound good to you?” he wondered.

“Sounds like a plan.”

Spike smiled and stood up. “It’s a date, then. I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”

Buffy stood up as well.

A thought suddenly occured to him. “What about Katie? Who’s going to watch her?”

She waved her hand in the air. “Don’t worry, my mom can watch her.”

Spike seemed to be okay with that answer and headed to the door. He turned back to her one more time and planted a kiss on her cheek, then graced her with another smile as he walked out of the house.

Buffy closed the door and rested her head against it. She had a feeling that it was definitely going to be a date to remember.


* * * * *


“I don’t have anything to wear,” Buffy claimed as she browsed through her clothes, feeling beyond frustrated.

“Buffy, you need to calm down. Spike won’t care what you wear. I still can’t believe you guys are actually going out. This is so great,” Willow replied, the excitement evident in her voice.

Buffy groaned and plopped down on her bed. “I don’t know, Will. If you told me a few years ago that I would end up going out with Spike, I would have probably laughed in your face. I just want this to go well. I really care about him; I think it might be more than that. He’s been really great to me and Katie these last few weeks and I just want things to work out.”

Willow nodded in understanding and went over to Buffy’s closet. She then pulled out a silk, beige dress and showed it to the agitated blonde. “What about this one?”

Buffy raised her eyebrows at the selection. “That’s the dress I wore to Prom.”

“I know that, but it would be perfect. Spike loved you in this dress.”

Buffy didn’t know about that. She hardly talked to Spike at all at Prom. She was still surprised that he went. “What if it’s too fancy? I don’t even know where we’re going.”

Willow placed the dress on Buffy’s bed. “It’s not too fancy. You will look great, and it’s not like you have anything else to wear.”

Buffy sighed and grabbed the dress. “Okay, I’ll wear it.”

Willow smiled and gave her friend a hug. “I think I should go now. I want all the details tomorrow,” she said with her resolve face.

Buffy nodded. “Thanks for the help.”

Willow flashed her friend one more smile, then left the room.

She turned her gaze back on the dress, hoping that it was a good choice.


* * * * *


Buffy finished fixing her hair when the doorbell rang. She took one more look at her reflection, then went to answer it. She was shocked when she got a look at Spike. He was actually wearing a nice suit instead of his duster. She couldn’t remember ever seeing him without it.

He gave her a soft smile.

She could definitely tell that he liked what he saw.

“You look amazing, love. Is that your Prom dress?”

Buffy was stunned that he remembered. Maybe Willow was right, after all. “Yeah, it seemed like the right choice. You look really nice.”

Spike blushed a little at the compliment, then handed her the bouquet of roses that he was holding. “These are for you.”

Buffy smiled and took the flowers from him. “They’re beautiful, I’ll be right back,” she told him, heading into the kitchen to put them in a vase. She then went back to join him, grabbing her jacket before leaving the house.

They walked over to his car in silence.

Spike opened the door for her.

Buffy wondered where this sweet guy had been hiding all of this time, but only smiled and got into the car.

Spike walked to his side. He got in as well and started the car, then took off to his destination.


* * * * *


Buffy and Spike were talking and laughing later at dinner. They were at an elegant, Italian restaurant.

She almost coughed on her water because she was laughing so hard. “I can’t believe you did that,” she said, trying to control her laughter.

Spike shrugged. “It was a dare. I’m not one to back down from a dare.”

Buffy shook her head and took another sip of water. “I still can’t believe you ran around school naked. No wonder you were kicked out.”

“I wasn’t kicked out for that. There were a lot of things I got in trouble for, but I’m not like that anymore.”

Buffy grasped his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. “I know you’re not. I’ve seen you with Katie and I can tell how much she means to you.”

Spike held her hand tighter and gazed into her eyes. “She means as much to me as her mother does,” he responded softly.

Buffy felt touched and leaned closer to him, giving him a chaste kiss on the lips. She pulled away and saw the surprise on his face. “Thank you,” she replied.

Spike smiled at her, knowing that she was talking about more than what he said.

They got back to their dinner after that.

Buffy thought about everything that had changed between them, knowing that she finally made the right decision.

Chapter 9

Months went by and Buffy and Spike were taking things slow. Both not quite ready yet to take their relationship to the next level.

They were out walking along the beach because it was a beautiful night, and they both loved it there.

“So, you never told me why things didn’t work out between you and Angel. He finally come out of the closet?”

Buffy laughed and smacked Spike on the arm. “Sorry to disappoint, but he’s not gay. We just had too many differences. He wanted to leave and I wanted to stay. We knew that long distance relationships never worked out, so we just agreed to be friends. Of course, I don’t really know how good of friends we are. I haven’t heard from him in over a year.”

Spike grinned and put his arm around her. “Well, his loss is my gain.”

Buffy found herself blushing at the comment.

“What about the other bloke? What was his excuse?”

She shrugged. “I was with Riley for two years and I thought things were great. He just realized that he couldn’t commit to one person. The day he broke up with me was when I was going to tell him I was pregnant, but never got around to it.”

Spike raised his eyebrows. “He doesn’t know?”

Buffy shook her head. “I couldn’t tell him. I think it’s better this way.”

They continued their walk in silence.


* * * * *


They got back to the house an hour later and headed to the baby’s room.

Joyce was already asleep and they walked in the nursery to find Katie awake in her crib.

Spike went over to the child and picked her up.

She giggled a little.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Buffy smiled at the display, then heard something that made her heart skip a beat.

“Dada,” Katie said.

They were both shocked.

Spike then had a huge grin on his face when he looked at Buffy. “Did you hear that?”

Buffy nodded and moved closer to them. She had tears in her eyes at Katie’s first word, and that she thought Spike was her father. It made sense since he was around her so much.

Spike tried to get her to say it again, but with no luck. He saw how tired she was getting and placed her back into her crib, then left the room with Buffy.

They didn’t say a word, until they were alone in Buffy’s room.

Spike gave Buffy a huge hug, letting her go after a few seconds. “She called me Daddy. Well, it was close enough.”

Buffy had to smile at his excitement.

His expression suddenly turned serious. “This is okay, right? You won’t get freaked out by the fact that she called me that?”

She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to her bed.

They both sat down.

Buffy took a deep breath. “I’m definitely not freaked,” she whispered, placing a tender kiss on his lips.

Spike held her closer as the kiss grew more passionate.

They pulled away when breathing became an issue and lay down on the bed.

Spike had his arms wrapped around Buffy.

She rested her head against his chest.

It didn't take them long to fall into a peaceful sleep.


* * * * *


Buffy was up making breakfast the next morning. Her mother left for the gallery early and Spike was still asleep. She knew he was finally awake when she heard someone come down the stairs, then wrap their arms around her waist.

“Morning, love,” he purred in her ear.

Buffy felt shivers down her spine. She turned in his arms and gave him a kiss. “Morning, did you sleep well?”

He nodded. “Best sleep I’ve ever had. It was even better because you were there.”

Buffy blushed a little, even though she should have been used to his comments by now. It was still really good to hear. She was about to reply, when someone knocked on the back door. Buffy was going to say it was open, but didn’t get a chance.

Xander just let himself in and graced her with a smile. “Hey, Buffster. Something smells good.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “Did your nose carry you all the way over here?”

Xander shrugged. “It could have, but I actually need to borrow your boyfriend for a second.”

Spike raised his eyebrows.

“Oh, I guess you can have him. As long as you promise to bring him back in one piece.”

Xander agreed and grabbed Spike’s arm, pulling him outside. He closed the door behind them and looked at Spike, suddenly more serious.

“So, what do you want?”

Xander took a deep breath to calm his nerves. “Okay, I guess I should just say it. Spike, I’m getting married,” he explained in a rush.

That was the last thing Spike expected to hear. “Are you serious? You’ve only known Anya for a month. It is Anya, right?”

Xander nodded and couldn’t help the smile that formed on his face. “I know I haven’t known her that long, but it’s enough for me. She’s amazing, man. I’ve never met anyone like her before. I wanted you to be the first one I told because whether you believe it or not, your opinion means a lot to me.”

Spike was surprised and felt a little touched at what his friend said. “Thanks, that means a lot. I’m happy for you, Xander. If this is what you really want, you know I’ll support you.”

Xander sighed in relief and gave him a pat on the back. “I knew I could count on you. Now, I have a favor to ask. I was wondering if you would like to be my best man.”

Spike smiled. “Yeah, you can count on it.”

Xander smiled in return. “Great, I should get back to Anya now. Oh, she wants Buffy to be her maid of honor. You think you can ask her for me? I’m already running late as it is.”

“Sure, I’ll tell her. Congratulations again, mate.”

Xander gave Spike a quick hug, then got into his car and drove away.

Spike couldn’t believe that his friend was getting married. Life was just full of surprises. He then headed back into the house.

Chapter 10

“Wow, I can’t believe Xander is getting married,” Willow commented to Buffy.

“Yeah, I can’t believe Anya wants me to be the maid of honor. She hasn’t even known me that long.”

Willow shrugged. “She doesn’t really have a lot of friends. You’re probably the closest one to her.”

Buffy thought about it and nodded. “I guess it makes sense. So, what did you wanna tell me?”

Willow suddenly felt nervous. “What do you mean?”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “I know you, Will. You have a worried look on your face, which means you have something to tell me and you’re not sure how. You should know by now that you can tell me anything.”

Willow let out the breath she was holding and knew that it was time. “Okay, there is something. You have to promise me that you won’t wig out.”

Buffy was really curious now. “I promise, what’s on your mind?”

“Well, you remember Tara? You’ve met her a few times already.”

Buffy nodded again. “Yeah, what about her?”

Willow took a deep breath and decided to just tell her the truth. “We’ve been kinda close lately. She started out as a really good friend, but now it’s more than that.”

Buffy wasn’t sure what Willow was talking about, until realization hit her. “Oh, are you guys together?”

Willow nodded. “We’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks now. I was really scared to tell you about it, but I really like her. I think it could be more than that. I hope you won’t be freaked by it and would still wanna be my friend,” she claimed, with a worried look on her face.

Buffy couldn’t believe she would think that. “Of course I’ll still be your friend. I think it’s great that you found someone. Tara’s really nice and if she makes you happy, then I’m all for it.”

Willow let out a squeal and attacked her in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay with this, Buffy. I didn’t wanna lose you as a friend.”

Buffy returned the embrace.

They both broke away after a little while.

“You never have to worry about that.”

Willow was beyond relieved now.

They then continued to talk about Xander’s upcoming wedding.


* * * * *


“This is so wrong. I’m being punished for something,” Buffy said, staring at the dress that Anya picked out for her to wear at the wedding. The dress was bright green, with ruffles on the sleeves. It was the most hideous dress that she had ever seen.

“I don’t know, love. I think you look quite fetching.”

Buffy rolled her eyes at Spike’s attempt to cheer her up. “You’re really not helping. This dress has to be radioactive or something. She can’t be serious about this.”

Spike wrapped his arms around her waist. “Radioactive or not, you’re still the most gorgeous creature in the world.”

That got a smile out of her. She turned around to look at him better. “Well, it’ll all be worth it when I see you in a tux.”

Spike rolled his eyes this time. “I bloody hate those things. I look like a ponce.”

Buffy smiled and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “Yeah, but a cute one. What is a ponce, anyway?” she wondered.

“Soon to be your boyfriend.”

Buffy shrugged and gazed back at her reflection in the mirror. “Okay, I think it’s time to take this dress off now.”

Spike gave her his trademark smirk and trailed his eyes over her body. “I can help you with that,” he told her huskily.

She shook her head. “Don’t even think about it. The dress may be hideous, but Anya won’t be happy if you damage it.”

Spike pouted.

“That won’t work with me. I invented that.”

He let out a sigh, knowing that it would be pointless.

They both suddenly heard Katie crying.

“I’ll get her,” he said and left the room.

Buffy stared at the dress. She scrunched up her nose and decided to change into something a little less green and repulsive. What was Anya thinking?


* * * * *


Buffy entered the nursery and saw Spike sitting in a chair, bouncing Katie on his lap.

She was giggling and having the time of her life.

Spike glanced up when he noticed her there.

Buffy only gave him a smile. “I love watching you with her.”

Spike blushed and looked away from her gaze.

Buffy didn’t think he could possibly be anymore perfect. Where had this Spike been hiding all these years? They had a lot of time to make up for.

“She just wanted to be held.” He got up and handed Katie over to her mother.

Buffy noticed that the child was starting to fall back to sleep and placed her in the crib. She turned back to Spike and gave him a kiss on the lips, then pulled away to see the smile on his face. “You are the cutest thing.”

He felt his cheeks heat up at her comment. “Been called many things in my life.”

She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room.

Spike still couldn’t believe that any of this was happening to him. He never imagined it could happen.


Flashback

“Hey, Reynolds? I would like a word with you.”

Spike stopped at the familiar voice and turned around to see his least favorite person. “What do you want, Peaches?”

Angel clenched his fists at the name, but didn’t say anything about it. “You know what I want. I want you to stay the hell away from my girlfriend. You got that? I see the way you’ve been looking at her.”

Spike grinned and moved closer to the taller man. “Did I hit a nerve? Afraid of a little competition, mate?”

Angel wasn’t amused. “Right, like you could ever compete with me. Buffy would never want a freak like you. She’ll always be my girl, and you better get that through your thick head. If I see you looking at her again, there will be hell to pay.”

Spike laughed. “Are you actually threatening me? I’m not scared of you, Peaches. Newsflash; I could care less about your sodding girlfriend. If you ask me, you both deserve each other. You’re an arrogant wanker that thinks he’s better than everyone else, and she’s a snob that only cares about cheerleading and fashion. She’s not my type. I’ve been watching her, so I can think of new ways to annoy her. It’s what I live for these days,” he finished with a smirk.

Angel felt like wiping it off of his face. “You don’t know anything about her,” he spat instead, then walked away.

Spike stared after him and realized that the ponce was right, but he couldn't really find it in him to care.

End Flashback


Spike broke out of his reverie and gazed at the young woman next to him. He couldn’t imagine ever feeling anything but love for her. Everything he ever told Angel was out of jealousy. Spike realized that he really didn’t know anything about Buffy. He smiled and caressed her cheek. That was all about to change. She was his now and he would never let her go. Angel was a bloody idiot for walking away. Spike knew that this was the girl that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Nothing else seemed to matter.

Chapter 11

“You’re so handsome in your tux. I could definitely get used to this look,” Buffy said as she fixed Xander’s tie.

“I don’t think it’s something I would be getting used to. Shouldn’t you be saying that to Spike?”

Buffy shrugged. “I haven’t gotten a chance to see him yet. He’s being a baby, as usual.”

Xander nodded in understanding.

Buffy stepped back to look at him better.

He noticed her eyes start to tear up. “No, not the waterworks. I hate to see you cry, Buff.”

She rubbed her eyes. “Don’t worry, these are good tears. I’m just so happy for you.” She gave him a hug and pulled away a few seconds later. “You and Anya are going to be great together.”

“I hope so; I wouldn’t want to screw this up.”

Buffy shook her head. “You won’t, Xander. You’re one of the good ones.”

He was about to reply, but didn’t get a chance.

A young girl opened the door and entered the room. “Are you coming out yet? I can’t handle this crowd by myself. I didn’t realize our family was so crazy.”

Xander laughed. “I’ve known for years.”

Buffy smiled at the girl. “Doesn’t your brother look great, Dawn?”

She nodded and let a smile grace her lips. “Yeah, who knew you could clean up so well?”

Xander rolled his eyes at his younger sister. “We’ll be out in a second. You just keep making sure that Dad stays away from the bar.”

Dawn copied her brother and rolled her eyes as well. “Why do I get all of the hard jobs?” she mumbled and left the room.

Buffy turned back to Xander. “I feel her pain. Your dad is seriously creepy. I feel like he’s undressing me with his eyes whenever he sees me.”

Xander had to smile at how oblivious Buffy could be. “Sweetie, I think every guy has undressed you with his eyes.”

She slapped him lightly on the arm. “Hey, none of that. You’re about to be married, mister.”

Xander gave her a wink. “I still have time for a quickie if you’re up to it.”

“You have your own girl, mate.”

Xander held his hands up in surrender when Spike walked into the room. “Just a little pre-marriage humor.” He took a deep breath and looked at both of his friends. “Okay, let’s get me married,” he claimed, then headed out of the room.

Spike was about to follow, but Buffy grabbed his arm and turned him to look at her.

“You are definitely looking hot in that tux.”

Spike grinned. “You’re not so bad yourself, Goldilocks. Shall we, then?” He held his arm out for her.

Buffy smiled and put her arm through his. “We shall,” she replied.

They both then walked out of the room.


* * * * *


It was a beautiful ceremony.

Xander and Anya were now having their first dance as husband and wife.

She was laughing at something he whispered in her ear.

Buffy smiled as she watched them.

“Penny for your thoughts, love?”

She shook her head. “I just like seeing people happy.”

Spike nodded and also watched the now married couple, then gazed back at Buffy after a few seconds. “Care to dance?” he asked, holding his hand out to her.

She nodded and took his hand in hers.

Spike wrapped his arms around her once they got on the dance floor.

Buffy placed her arms around his neck.

They moved slowly to the song that was playing.

She rested her head against his chest, pulling away after a while to look at him. “Spike, do you ever think about getting married?”

He raised his eyebrows at the unexpected question. “I never really thought about it. I know it’s something that I would want; I just don’t think I’m quite ready yet.”

Buffy agreed. “Yeah, I’m not ready either. I guess we have plenty time for that.”

Spike ran his hands down her back. “That we do, love. We have all the time in the world,” he whispered in her ear.

She rested her head back on his chest as they continued their dance.


* * * * *


Spike grew angry when he saw the boy put his hands on her, even angrier when their lips touched. He wouldn’t stand for that and stomped over to them. He grabbed the boy and pulled him away from her. She didn't look happy.

“Spike, what the hell are you doing?” Dawn said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Watch your language, nibblet. I’m sure Xander wouldn’t appreciate you snogging this bloke at his wedding.”

Dawn rolled her eyes and was really sick of everyone treating her like a kid. “This is Connor, he’s a friend from school and Xander already knows about him. Stop trying to act like my brother.”

“I’m only looking out for you,” he explained.

That seemed to make her even angrier. “Incase you haven’t noticed, I’m over that crush I used to have on you. I’m almost seventeen now. I’m allowed to make my own decisions.”

Spike was about to reply to that, when he felt someone pull him away. He noticed that it was Buffy.

“Spike, leave her alone. She has a point.”

He wanted to protest, but figured that it would be useless. Spike noticed that Dawn went back to kissing the boy and he just turned away, so he wouldn’t have to look at it. “It’s just hard to picture her grown up now,” he said sadly.

Buffy nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist. “You’ll make a great father. I can already tell that you’ll give a hard time to any boy that Katie brings home.”

Spike pulled away from her. “She won’t be dating at all, if I have anything to say about it.”

Buffy rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of a smile on her face. “I don’t think you’ll be able to stop her. She is my daughter, which means she’ll be very stubborn.”

Spike calmed down a little and put his arm around Buffy, pulling her closer to his side. “No boy will ever be good enough for my little princess.”

Buffy felt tears in her eyes at the fact that Spike thought of Katie as his. She realized that even if Spike didn’t help make Katie, she was just as much his as she was Buffy’s. He would be the perfect father and Buffy wasn’t worried about being alone anymore. She knew that Spike would always be there.

Chapter 12

Flashback

“Just look at them, mate. Have you ever seen such a disgusting display?” Spike commented at lunch as he watched Buffy and Angel snog in the distance.

Xander rolled his eyes. “What annoys me is the fact that you can’t seem to talk about anything else. If it bothers you so much, you could always stop looking.”

Spike knew his friend was right and finally turned away. “I just wanted to see if one of them would choke on the other’s tongue. That bloke is a bloody pain in the arse. She’s just as irritating; the bitch thinks she’s so special and everyone should worship the ground she walks on.”

Xander couldn’t take anymore and decided to give Spike a piece of his mind. “You know what? I’m not gonna sit here and listen to this anymore. You may be my friend, but you don’t really know anything.”

Spike was surprised by his tone. “Just what don’t I know?” he wondered with raised eyebrows.

“Buffy’s not a bitch. She may be popular and everything, but she doesn’t let it get to her head like most girls would. She cares about people, and she doesn’t look down on them just because they’re different. Look at me, man. I’m nowhere near popular and she’s still my friend. She stuck up for me once when the jocks thought it was funny to pants me in front of everyone. She told them off and they haven’t bothered me since. She’s a really nice person and deserves to be treated like one. I don’t know what your problem is with her, but I really don’t care. You need to get your facts straight before you judge her like that. I’ll see you later,” he finished, then got up and walked out of the cafeteria.

Spike felt even worse now. He really didn’t know what his problem was, but he knew the problem wasn’t Buffy.

End Flashback


Spike gazed at the sleeping girl next to him and thought back to everything that happened with them the last few months. He couldn’t believe that his jealousy of Angel led him to treating this amazing girl like she was nothing. Xander was right; he had no right to judge her. He felt horrible thinking about everything that they had now. Spike didn’t deserve it and lightly caressed her cheek.

The movement caused her to open her eyes. “Are you okay?” she wondered, noticing the expression on his face.

“Yeah, I just can’t believe that any of this is happening. I don’t deserve you, Buffy.”

She became worried and sat up. “What are you talking about?”

Spike ran his fingers through his tousled hair and thought about what to tell her. “I was horrible to you, pet. You didn’t deserve that. I see what an amazing woman you are now, and it makes me regret that I didn’t get a chance to know you in the past. Xander tried telling me how great you were, but I wouldn’t listen. I just kept seeing you with Angel and nothing else seemed to matter.” He started to feel tears in his eyes and tried not to show them. “I love you, Buffy. I’m so sorry for everything.”

Buffy wrapped her arms around him and guided his head to her shoulder. “It’s okay, Spike. It was all in the past, we’re different people now. You’ve made up for it by being here and helping me with Katie. We both love you.”

Spike glanced up at her and didn’t care to hide his tears anymore. He leaned closer and planted a kiss on her lips, then moved his lips to her forehead and closed his eyes. “I’ll never let you go, love. I’ll always be here. You and Katie are my whole world.”

Buffy felt tears of her own and held him tighter. “I know,” she whispered.

No more words needed to be said after that.


* * * * *


They were at the park the next day. Katie was in her stroller and they were sitting on a bench, watching the children that were running around.

Buffy hoped to have more kids in the future. She wanted one that was both hers and Spike’s, but had plenty of time for that. Right now, she was happy with what she had.

Spike took Katie out of the stroller and placed her on his lap, so she could also watch the other children. He started to bounce her on his knee.

A young woman headed over to them. She smiled at what looked like a happy family. “You both make such an adorable couple.”

Buffy smiled up at her in gratitude. “Thank you,” she replied.

The woman nodded and walked away.

Spike could tell that Katie was getting tired and placed her back in the stroller. He was too busy with her to notice the other woman. “I think it’s time for someone’s nap.”

Buffy agreed as they stood up and made their way home.


* * * * *


They got back to the house and put Katie down for her nap.

Spike then followed Buffy into her room.

She closed the door and stared at him, a devious look in her eyes as she pushed him onto the bed.

He gazed up at her, with awe and lust.

Buffy got on top of him. She gave him a hard kiss and slipped her tongue into his mouth.

Spike wrapped his arms around her and held her tighter, eagerly returning the kiss.

She pulled away when they both needed to breathe.

Spike tried to control himself before he spoke. “So, do you ever think about getting a place of our own?”

Buffy grinned. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” she said, then got back to kissing him. She loved living in her mother’s house and Joyce was really helpful with the baby, but they could both use the privacy of their own home. It was definitely something to think about.

Chapter 13

“I can’t believe we’re living together now. Did you ever think this would happen?”

Buffy and Spike were sitting in their new house. It didn’t take them long to find one that was perfect. It was only about a ten minute drive from Joyce’s house.

“Can’t say that I did, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

She couldn’t keep the smile off of her face.

Katie was asleep in her new nursery and they were both enjoying their time alone together.

Buffy then started to laugh.

Spike looked at her in confusion. “Care to let me in on the joke?”

She shook her head and tried to control herself. “I just keep thinking about everything in high school. If someone told me that I would end up living with you, I would have thought they were crazy.”

Spike smiled a little at that. “I would have to agree with you, love. If you remember correctly, there was a time when we were actually somewhat decent to each other.”

Buffy smiled in return as she remembered.


Flashback

Buffy was waiting for Angel at the Prom. It was the most important night in a senior’s life and he had to work, so he told her that he would have to meet her there later. She knew that everything with Angel wasn’t as good as it was at the start of their relationship. They wanted too many different things and she had a feeling they wouldn’t last after high school. Buffy was brought out of her reverie when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

“Well, what is Cinderella doing at the dance without a date?”

Buffy rolled her eyes and turned around to glare at Spike. “He should be here soon. I never expected you to show up. I thought you hated all school events.”

Spike shrugged. “I was bored, figured I would see what all the fuss was about,” he said, looking her up and down. “You look good, Goldilocks.”

Buffy was surprised at the compliment. She decided to let his nickname for her go. “Thanks, so do you. It wouldn’t kill you to wear a tux, though.”

He shook his head. “I refuse to dress like a pansy.”

Buffy nodded. “Right, of course. So, do you actually have a date?”

Spike laughed. “Yeah, like I would wanna be seen with any of the twits at this school. I’ll be sure to save you a dance, though,” he told her with a wink.

Buffy rolled her eyes again. “You wish, bleach boy,” she claimed with a hint of a smile on her face. This was probably the most civilized Spike ever was to her. She suddenly saw Angel walk in and glanced at Spike one more time. “I should go now.” She started to walk away, but Spike prevented her from leaving.

He took a deep breath. “You do look really nice tonight, pet.”

Buffy gave him a genuine smile. “Thanks,” she replied and headed over to Angel.

Spike watched her go with a sigh, then turned in the other direction. He decided that he would be going back to England after graduation. There was nothing for him in Sunnydale.

End Flashback


“See, I was nice to you and everything,” Spike commented.

“I guess you could say that. I was starting to see you as more than a jerk and you just ended up leaving town. I didn’t even get to see you at graduation,” she said with a pout.

Spike felt like nibbling on her lower lip, but remained focused on the conversation. “I didn’t think anyone would miss me. I never actually planned on coming back, but you know what happened. I couldn’t exactly stay in England anymore and knew that Jenny had a baby on the way, so I figured I would use that as my excuse to come back. I was also hoping that you would still be around. You think a girl that was born and raised in this town would want to leave it one day.”

Buffy shook her head. “Nope, I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. My whole life is here.”

Spike smiled and placed a tender kiss on her lips. “Yeah, so is mine.”

Buffy rested her head on his shoulder. She could definitely get used to this.


* * * * *


Spike entered his house the next day to hear voices coming from inside. He frowned when he saw Buffy laughing with a man that he didn’t recognize. The same man was holding Katie and he didn’t know what to think about that, wondering if the bloke could be Riley.

Buffy stopped laughing long enough to notice him standing there. She graced him with a smile. “Spike, this is Lorne.”

Spike sighed in relief when he realized the man wasn’t Riley, but he was still another man that was holding the child that Spike considered to be his own.

“So, this is Spike,” Lorne said as he looked him over.

Spike felt uncomfortable under the other man’s gaze.

“Buffy has told me quite a bit about you.”

Spike gave a small smile and still wondered how this bloke knew his girlfriend, but didn’t have to wonder for long.

“Lorne is a friend from college. I haven’t seen him in months,” she explained.

Spike nodded and didn’t like the way Buffy’s face lit up when she was around another man.

Lorne could sense the awkwardness in the room and handed the baby back to Buffy. “I should probably get going now. It was great to see you again, sweetie,” he said, placing a kiss on Buffy’s cheek. “You’re still as gorgeous as ever. Thanks for letting me see the little darling. She’s just the cutest thing.”

Buffy smiled at his compliments. “I really missed you. Feel free to stop by anytime.”

Lorne nodded and returned her smile. “I’ll keep that in mind. It was nice to meet you,” he said the last part to Spike, then walked out of the house.

Buffy could tell that Katie was starting to doze off and took her back to the nursery. She closed the door and looked at Spike, who had yet to say anything. “You okay?” she wondered.

He was brought out of his thoughts by her voice. “Who was that, Buffy? Is he just a friend?”

Buffy was surprised by his outburst, then exploded into laughter.

Spike was confused and a little hurt.

“Are you actually jealous of Lorne? Trust me; you really don’t have to be.”

Spike crossed his arms over his chest. “Why the hell not? I come home to find a somewhat attractive man flirting with my girlfriend and holding my daughter. I think I’m allowed to be upset.”

Buffy stopped her laughter when Spike called Katie that. She always knew that he felt like Katie was his daughter, but that was the first time he ever said it. She moved closer to him and took both of his hands in hers. “Lorne is just a friend, Spike. I’m not exactly his type, so you don’t have to worry.”

Spike raised his eyebrows. “What? Beautiful women aren’t his type?”

Buffy shook her head and smiled. “No, but beautiful men are. You’re more his type than I am.”

Spike felt embarrassed when he realized what she was implying. “You mean he’s gay?”

Buffy nodded. “Yeah, big time. I can’t believe that wasn’t obvious.”

Spike shrugged and suddenly looked shy. “I don’t know. I just saw him with you and I guess I got a bit crazy. Forgive me?” he said with a pout.

Buffy couldn’t resist that. “Of course I do. It’s cute that you were jealous, but you really don’t have to be. You’re the only one I want.”

Spike felt relieved and kissed her on the lips. “That’s good to know,” he said, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer.

Buffy rested her head against his chest and knew that everything would be okay. This was the man that she was going to spend the rest of her life with.

Chapter 14

Six years later...

“Remind me to never have children. It’s like a zoo out there,” Dawn commented, rubbing her tired eyes.

Buffy smiled at her. “Trust me; you’ll want kids someday.”

Dawn wasn’t convinced.

It was Katie’s sixth birthday and the house was filled with all of her little friends.

“I think I’m gonna lay down for a bit,” she said and left the kitchen.

Buffy got back to decorating the birthday cake.


* * * * *


“What do you think, nibblet?” Spike asked the little girl as he showed her the object in his hand.

“It’s shiny,” she replied.

Spike smiled and put it back in his pocket.

They were sitting outside, away from all of the chaos.

“Do you think your mother will like it?”

A bright smile lit up the girl’s face. “Mommy likes shiny.”

Spike smiled again and picked up the child, placing her on his knee. “Well, your mum deserves the best.” He pressed a kiss to Katie’s forehead.

The girl gazed up at him with her big, green eyes. “Daddy, is it time for presents?” she wondered in a sweet voice.

Spike shook his head. “You are your mother’s daughter. I think she wants to do the cake first, princess.”

The back door opened and a dark haired boy ran out of the house. “Come on, Katie. We’re playing games,” he said, grabbing her hand.

Spike stopped him before he could pull her away. “Charlie, is that frosting on your face?”

He nodded. “Aunt Buffy let me taste the spoon.”

Spike rolled his eyes. “Of course she did. Go clean up before you play anymore games. I’m sure your father doesn’t want you to have too many sweets.”

Charlie nodded again and ran back into the house.

“Can I go play, Daddy?”

Spike smiled at her. He seemed to do that a lot around her. “It’s your birthday, bit. Just be careful.”

Katie nodded enthusiastically and ran into the house as well.

Spike decided to get a few more minutes of quiet before he went back in to join everyone else.


* * * * *


Buffy and Spike were lying on the couch after all of the kids left. They were beyond tired and it looked like Katie was, too.

She was passed out on the floor and snoring lightly, surrounded by all of her now opened presents.

Buffy smiled at her little girl, then turned to Spike. “I think we should put her to bed.”

Spike agreed. “Yeah, I’ll do it.” He got up and walked over to Katie, picking the child up gently and carrying her to her room.

Buffy stood after a moment and started to clean the house a bit.


* * * * *


She found Spike in their room after putting away all of the leftovers.

He was pacing back and forth, seeming a little nervous.

“You okay?” Buffy asked after closing the door.

Spike nodded and stopped his movement. “Yeah, nothing for you to worry about,” he responded with a smile.

Buffy figured that it was time she told him her news. She couldn’t wait any longer. “Spike, there’s something I have to tell you.”

He looked concerned now. “What is it?”

Buffy moved closer to him, taking both of his hands in hers. She took a deep breath and just decided to get it over with. “I’m pregnant,” she revealed.

His eyes widened in shock, then a huge smile formed on his face. “You’re pregnant?”

Buffy nodded to confirm it.

Spike grabbed her in a hug and flooded her face with kisses. He pulled away after a moment. “We’re having a baby?” He had to make sure that he wasn’t hearing things.

“Yeah, we’re having a baby. I take it you’re okay with this.”

Spike couldn’t believe that she thought he wouldn’t be. “Hell yeah, I’m okay with it. I love you, Buffy,” he said with so much emotion in his voice.

“I love you, too.” She pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss.

Spike pulled away and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. He felt nervous again. “This now makes what I have to say even more perfect.” He then reached into his pocket and pulled a small, black box out.

She gasped when he opened it to reveal a beautiful, diamond ring.

“Buffy, will you marry me?” he asked and awaited her answer.

She looked into his eyes and wondered about something first. “This isn’t because I’m pregnant, right?”

Spike smiled and shook his head. “I’ve wanted to ask you for a long time now. I just had a hard time doing it. I can’t imagine being with anyone else, Buffy. I love Katie, and we’re going to have a child together. You’ve made me the happiest man in the world, and the only thing missing is getting to call you my wife.”

Buffy felt tears cloud her vision, but she didn’t hesitate with her answer. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

Spike felt tears of his own in his eyes and placed the ring on her finger. He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “I’ll spend the rest of my life making you happy,” he whispered to her.

“You make me happy every day, Spike. You’re the best thing that could have happened to me. I don’t know what I would have done if you never came back into my life.”

Spike wiped away some of the tears that were falling down her face, planting a kiss on the tip of her nose. “You never have to find out.” He kissed her sweetly on the lips, then held her until she fell asleep. He watched her for a while longer, placing his hand on her stomach and smiling when he thought about his baby being inside of her. Spike wrapped his arms around Buffy and held her tighter as he soon followed her in slumber.

Chapter 15

Buffy woke up when she heard voices in the living room. She got out of bed carefully and walked out of the room. She married Spike a few months ago and it was a gorgeous ceremony. Buffy wanted them to be married before she started to show too much. She was due to give birth any day now and was very uncomfortable. Katie was out with Dawn and she wondered where her husband was, but didn’t have to wonder for long. She found Spike in the living room talking with another woman. She recognized the woman as Winifred Burkle, who worked at the Bronze with Spike. He was the bartender and she was a waitress.

Spike stopped the conversation when he noticed her there. “Buffy, you should be in bed.”

“I couldn’t sleep. What’s going on?” She looked back and forth between them.

“I was just helping Fred with something. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

Buffy couldn’t help the worried feeling that she had been having. She was practically as big as a house now and he was always surrounded by beautiful women at the club. She only gave him a smile, even though she wasn’t feeling it. “Anything I can help with?”

Spike shook his head. “It’s really nothing,” he told her.

Fred stood up and grabbed her purse. “I should get going. Thanks for listening to me, Spike. It was nice seeing you again,” she said to Buffy, then left the house.

“What was that really about, Spike? What did she need your help with? Are you having an affair?”

Spike could have burst out laughing at that implication, if she didn’t look so upset. “How could you think that I would have an affair?”

She shrugged. “What am I supposed to think? You’ve been spending a lot of time at the Bronze, and most of the time you’re not even working. I know I’m not much to look at right now, but this is your baby I’m carrying. If you’re going to leave me, you should just say so.”

Spike wrapped his arms around her round belly. He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I will never leave you, Buffy. You’re the only one I could ever want. You will always be beautiful to me. Just the fact that you’re carrying my child makes you even more beautiful.”

Buffy was starting to feel better at his words. “Sorry, I just tend to get emotional a lot these days.”

Spike nodded in understanding. “Well, you don’t ever have to worry about me leaving you. Fred was only here to talk about Wesley. She’s interested in him and was just hoping that I could set something up. That’s all it was. She’s just a friend,” he explained to her.

Buffy sighed in relief. “Right, I knew that.”

“Sure you did. Now, you should get back to bed.”

She was about to do that, but something made her stop. “That might not be such a good idea right now.”

He raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

Buffy took a deep breath. “I think the baby’s coming,” she said, looking down at the puddle that was now on the floor.

Spike tried not to panic. “All right, let’s get you to the hospital.” He grabbed her hand and helped her outside. He went back for her bag, throwing it in the back of the car and getting in himself after getting her situated. “I’m feeling déjà vu here,” he said, remembering the last time he took her to the hospital.

Buffy was breathing heavily now. “Just shut up and drive.”

Spike nodded and started the car. “I can do that.” He then headed off to the hospital.


* * * * *


“You are never touching me again!” Buffy yelled as another contraction went through her.

“You know you don’t mean that.”

Buffy glared at him. “You wanna bet?” She let out a scream at the intense pain. “God, I can’t take anymore,” she said, lying back on the bed.

“You’re almost there, Buffy. You have to give us one more push,” the doctor told her.

Buffy could hardly hear him at this point. She only shook her head. “I don’t think I can,” she replied in a weary voice.

Spike gave her hand a squeeze. “You can do it, sweetheart. Just one more push and you’ll have a beautiful baby in your arms.”

Buffy remembered the last time he told her that. She took a deep breath and nodded, then pushed with everything that she had in her. She lay back in the bed once she was done, completely exhausted. She smiled at the sound of her baby crying.

“Congratulations, you have a boy.”

The baby was cleaned off and placed in Buffy’s arms.

Spike had tears in his eyes when he saw the little one. He couldn’t believe that he had a son. “You did it, love,” he told her, kissing her sweaty head.

“We did it,” she replied. “What are we gonna name this little guy?”

“It’s your choice, pet.”

Buffy smiled and gazed down at the bundle in her arms.

He opened his eyes after a moment to reveal how big and blue they were. Just like his father.

“How about William?” she said suddenly.

Spike felt touched at the thought of her naming their son after him. “That sounds good.” He looked at his family, with a soft expression on his face. He had a beautiful wife and two beautiful children now. Spike didn’t think life could possibly get any better than that.

Chapter 16

Buffy and Spike were out at the Bronze a few weeks later. They could both use some time alone, and Joyce was happy to watch the kids. It had been an exhausting few weeks, but they wouldn’t have it any other way. They were smiling when they noticed Xander and Anya arguing in the distance.

“I saw you looking at her, Harris. You are only allowed to give orgasms to me.”

Xander looked embarrassed at her outburst. “Anya, you’re the only woman I notice.”

She rolled her eyes. “I may be a beached whale right now, but that doesn’t mean you should stop loving me.”

Xander wrapped his arms around her. “You always look beautiful, honey. There is nothing in this world that could make me stop loving you.”

Anya felt better at his words and grabbed his hand. “Well, there are ways to make it up to me,” she said with a grin, pulling him out of the Bronze.

Buffy shook her head as she watched them leave. She had a pretty good idea about what they were going to do. Anya was pregnant with her third child now and she never seemed like she wanted to stop. Buffy then noticed Willow and Tara walking over to them and she smiled at the couple. “Hey, you guys finally made it.”

Tara gave a shy smile in return.

Buffy wondered about why they were late.

They both sat down.

Willow glanced at Buffy. “Yeah, there was lots of traffic.”

Buffy knew that was just an excuse, but only nodded. “I’m sure there was.”

Tara just looked nervous.

Buffy found it sweet that she still got like that, even after all of these years.

Spike didn’t have a comment and just gave Buffy a smile to let her know that he knew exactly what they were doing.

She squeezed his leg under the table.

Willow noticed how uncomfortable Tara was looking and smiled at her girlfriend. “You wanna dance, sweetie?”

Tara felt relieved and nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good,” she finally said.

Willow took her hand and pulled her to the dance floor.

Spike glanced around the club after they left and spotted Fred and Wesley. They were snogging on the dance floor and he had to smile at the display. He was glad they finally got together, then felt Buffy stiffen next to him suddenly and wondered what could have caused the change in her mood. “You all right, love?”

Buffy didn’t look away from what had her attention as she answered him. “I just saw someone.”

Spike noticed what she was staring at and saw a man that wasn’t familiar to him, with a blonde woman. A blonde woman that looked way too familiar. “Is that Harmony?” he wondered.

She nodded. “Yeah, and that would be Riley she’s with.”

Spike raised his eyebrows when he finally saw what the other bloke looked like.

Buffy hadn’t seen him since he broke up with her. She figured that he left town after that. She was surprised when she saw the two of them kiss, turning away to look at Spike. “Well, at least he found someone,” she said, still finding it hard to believe that he was actually with Harmony. She was popular in high school, but Buffy never got along with her. She wondered how they met, but then realized that she didn’t even care. She just took Spike’s hand in hers. “Can we go home now?”

Spike nodded and pulled her up.

Buffy took one more look at Riley, then smiled and walked away with Spike.


* * * * *


They got home a little while later and thanked Joyce for watching the kids. They checked on William first to find that he was sleeping peacefully in his crib.

Spike walked over to the crib and placed a kiss on the baby’s forehead, being careful not to wake him.

Buffy smiled as he left the room, then headed over to Katie’s.

They found her awake when they went in there.

Spike sat on the edge of her bed. “You should be asleep, princess.”

She nodded and let out a yawn. “I was waiting for you to tuck me in.”

Spike smiled and did just that. He covered her up and made sure that she was all snug. “There, now you’re all nice and comfy. Sweet dreams, baby,” he whispered and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“I love you, Daddy,” she said quietly, then dozed off.

Spike never got tired of hearing that, brushing the hair out of her face. “I love you, too.” He got up and walked over to Buffy.

She smiled and took his hand, pulling him into their room. Buffy loved seeing him with the kids. She closed the door once they were inside. “You are so adorable, you know that?”

Spike blushed.

Buffy found it even more charming that he could still manage to do that.

“I guess this is all still new to me. I never thought any of this could happen.”

She pulled him onto the bed. “I’m just grateful that I get to share everything with you. I was so scared and confused when I first found out I was pregnant. I was worried that I would have to handle everything alone; having you come back to town was the best thing that could have happened. You’re my savior, Spike. I love you.”

Spike felt himself tear up at her declaration and wrapped his arms around her.

She hugged him back and laid her head on his shoulder.

“I love you so much, Buffy. You’re my whole world now, you and the kids. I’ll never let any of you down. I promise you that.”

Buffy nodded and held him tighter. “I know you won’t,” she whispered.

They both held each other for a while longer before deciding to get some sleep.

Spike once again wrapped his arms around Buffy.

She rested her head against his chest and felt content for the first time in her life. Spike really was the answer to her prayers. Buffy knew that he would always be there. That was a comforting thought as she finally let sleep claim her.

The End


This came out a lot fluffier than I wanted, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I’m usually better at the fluffy stuff than I am at the angst, anyway. I’m still working on another story right now and I’m not really sure when I’ll get around to putting it in, but make sure to look out for that one. Thanks to everyone that reviewed this. I appreciated all of your comments=)