" Buffy ? Do you hear me ?"

" She opens her eyes !"

" Make room, guys. She still needs to breathe."

Buffy's eyelids fluttered open. She was lying on the sofa in her living room.
What was happening ?

Dawn and Willow were surrounding her. They smiled at her when they saw she was awake. But she could see Dawn looked concerned. And Spike too.

Wait a minute…Spike ?

The vampire was kneeling beside her, and very close, brushing her hair with a caressing hand and a tender gaze. In front of everyone. Not that anyone seemed to mind.

" Are you ok, luv ?"

" Spike ?"

" Yes, baby, I'm right here."

" What…what happened ?"

" You don't remember ?" Willow asked.

" No"

" You got attacked by a very heavy book"

" What ?"

" We were cleaning the bookshelf and you received a very heavy book on your head. You were knocked off for a few
minutes."

" Can I get you something ?" Spike asked.

Buffy watched him then her friends. How come no one reacted to the fact he was all soft and tender towards her ? Not that she complained, but still…

" Yeah…a glass of water would be fine."

He stood up and went to the kitchen. Buffy turned to her sister and Willow.

" What is Spike doing here ?" She whispered.

Willow and Dawn looked at each other then at her.

" What do you mean ? He lives here. With us."

A look of clear shock appeared on Buffy's face.

" He…Here ? With us ? But…when…I mean, what happened to his crypt ?"

Willow frowned.

" His crypt ? It must be at least two years since he got back there. Buffy, are you alright ? You look, uh…confused."

Confused ? That was the understatement of the year. Then Willow's words sunk in.

" Two years ?"

" Yeah…I think. Well, since you and him got married."

Buffy started to laugh.

" Ok, I get it. It's a dream. I'm having a dream."

She pinched herself very hard.

" Ouch !"

Spike came back with her drink and handled it to her. She glared at him.

" You and I…We are married ?

" Well…yeah."

He frowned.

" You don't remember ?"

She put her glass on the table, getting scared now. She looked at Willow, Dawn and Spike. The worry was back on their faces.

" No…I don't remember anything."

" Oh my God ! Dawn said. She's suffering from amnesia !"

" Come on, let's not jump to conclusions" Spike said." Maybe the memories will come back in a few minutes…Just give her time."

He took her in his arms, and she didn't protest. In fact, she realized how much she had missed him. Missed his touch, his embrace, the way his hands were caressing her back soothingly. He kissed her forehead and she sighed with pleasure.

That's when she heard it.

A heartbeat.

Not hers.

Spike's.

" Oh my God !"

She stepped back, watched him as he had suddenly two heads.

" You're human!"

Spike smiled.

" Yes. You don't remember that either ?"

" No! How ?"

" Told you ! Dawn exclaimed. Amnesia. Shouldn't we take her to a doctor ?"

" Dawn, I'm right here so please talk to me directly. And I don't need a doctor. I'm fine. I just don't remember what happened to me during two years. No reason to panic", she said in a sarcastic voice.

Spike raised a hand.

" Alright, everyone, calm down. Buffy, you're sure you don't remember anything ? Anything at all ?"

" No!" she said in a desperate voice. I'm sorry…we are married, you're human…this is just a little bit too much."

He caressed her cheek.

" Don't worry, we'll sort this out. I'm going to tell you what happened then maybe you'll remember. But first I'll go check on Emma.

" Ok."

He left the room. There was a short silence then Buffy asked:

" Who's Emma ?"


A few minutes later, Buffy was sitting back in the couch, holding a miracle.

Emma. Her daughter.

Her daughter with Spike.

" I can't believe I don't remember her, she said, tears in her eyes. She's so incredibly cute…"

" Yes, just like her mum" Spike said, not even trying to hide how proud he was.

A rush of loving feelings for the tiny baby suddenly overwhelmed Buffy. Her own flesh and blood. And Spike's. She turned to him.

" Tell me."

Dawn stood up.

" Well, as I know the story already, I'll go. I have to meet Bryan."

" Tell the bloke to bring you back by midnight ! Not like last time, ok ? Or I will have a little conversation with him."

Dawn gave Spike an exasperated look but smiled nonetheless. She kissed him, Buffy and the baby.

" Bye, everyone."

" I'll go with you" Willow said "I have to meet Tara at the Magic Box. See you later, you three. But Buffy, if you still don't remember anything by tomorrow, maybe we should really go to the hospital."

" Yes, we'll see about that. First I want to spent some time with my little miss here."

" Ok. See you."

" Bye, Red."

The two girls left and Spike and Buffy were finally alone. He had put a protective arm on her shoulder and was watching the little Emma with a love she had never seen on his face before. Not even for her.

" So" he said" where do I start ?"

She looked at him, then at Emma. She had no clue how all that happened and in fact she didn't really care right now.

" First, I want you to kiss me."

He grinned. That oh-so-sexy devilish grin she loved so much. He kissed her and she lost herself in him. Why had she broken with him already ? She couldn't remember the reasons, thought it had happened a few days ago…or was it really two years ?

Reluctantly, she broke the kiss.

" Now you can tell me"

" What's the last thing you remember ?"

She concentrated.

" I remember having those delusions about that mental institution and trying to kill my friends. And also being really mean to you."

" You got that right. Well, after that I understood you and me could never be together unless I got rid of the chip. So that's what I did."

" How ?"

" It's kind of a long story. So let's keep that for another time. The important thing is that it worked. When I came back -I had left Sunnydale for that- it was total chaos. You remember Warren ? He had shot Tara, and Willow had gone completely mad about it. She thought Tara was dead. So she kidnapped Warren and tortured him. You and Xander went after her but she couldn't listen to reason. By all her spell she accidentally summoned a nasty Demon who almost killed Dawn and Xander. Anya and you saved Xander, and I saved Dawn. Then we finally succeeded to stop Willow before she killed the guy. Fortunately, Tara was not dead. Very badly wounded, but she survived.
It took some time to make things up. Willow was feeling so guilty that she had a depression. Tara helped her to cope…we all helped her. She hasn't touch magic stuff since."

" Wow…and Xander and Anya ?"

" Anya had been offered to get back to vengeance, but she finally refused. They talked and worked out their problems. They got married a little bit later. Without the family, this time. Just the Scoobies."

Buffy stayed silent for some time.

" What about us ?" she finally asked.

" Well, after all that happened, I had decided to leave for good. Start a new life somewhere else. Seeing you everyday, knowing you would never love me back…It was too hard. I came to say goodbye. You burst into tears and asked me not to leave. Told me you loved me. Then kissed me. And I stayed."

He was smiling and Buffy couldn't help but smiling too. She wished she remembered what seemed one of the happiest moments of their lives.

" Then it happened. The Powers-That-Be had an eye on me. They told me I had proven myself and deserved to be given back my humanity. Said something about a redemption…anyway, I became human again. We got married. Emma was born. End of story. For now."

Buffy shook her head, amazed.

" I hope I'll remember this soon," she said. "Oh, do we have picture of our wedding ?"

" I'll show them to you. But later. First, this little lady needs to go to sleep."

" Oh, right. I'll put her to bed."

" I'll wait for you here."

Spike took Emma in his arms, kissed her head and cheek.

" Goodnight, cutie. Have sweet dreams."

Buffy went upstairs. Dawn's room had been change into a nursery. Apparently, Dawn had taken Buffy's old room and Spike and herself were sleeping into her mom's room. She felt a shiver along her spine. She could picture Spike and her in that room, making love…real love, not the meaningless sex they had had at the beginning. She took care of her daughter, sang her a little lullaby. Then she hurried downstairs, suddenly impatient to see him. Touch him. Taste him again.

He was in the kitchen, cleaning some stuff.

" She's asleep ?"

" Yes…like the baby she is"

She watched him. He hadn't changed in those supposed two years. His hair was still bleached. He had caught a little tan, though. Which suited him just fine. And…

" We've been married for two years, and you're still wearing the same outfit?"

He laughed, looking down on his black t-shirt and jeans.

" Not really the fashion victim, am I ? You tried, though. But you failed on that one."

She came closer, put her hand on his arm.

" I hope I didn't failed you on anything else."

He smiled seductively.

" No, don't worry. You are still the bloody amazing girl I love. In and out of bed."

" Talking about bed…"

She slipped into his arms and they start kissing.

" I thought you wanted to see our wedding pictures ?"

" We'll have plenty of time tomorrow. Now, I want to make love to my husband" she added in a husky voice, savoring the words.

After all, she had two years to make up for. She still didn't know how all this happened. Maybe she was in an alternate universe, like that time with the mental institution. Only that was a really bad one.

But this, with Spike being her husband and doing all these naughty things to her…definitely a very, very good one.


When she woke up, she was pressed again her husband's firm chest. She smiled, turning her head in his neck. He was sleeping peacefully. She drifted back to sleep.

When she woke up the second time, she was alone. No Spike. No bed. Just a white, empty room. And she was standing in the middle of it, fully dressed.

Two persons appeared in front of her. A man and a woman, dressed like antique Romans.

Buffy sighed.

" Ok…What's happening now ?"

" Don't be afraid. We are the messengers for the Powers-That-Be. We could feel your distress and confusion the last few weeks…so we decided to show you a glimpse of the future. You are the Slayer. You need to be strong. Now you know there is still hope. A reason to live and fight. One day, you'll be rewarded for all that you've done."

" So that's why I didn't remember anything ? Because nothing had happened yet ?"

" Yes. And we showed you an example of what will be. Not the exact future. Because if you knew, that could be dangerous for you and your loved ones."

" Oh…then…my marriage…and my baby…"

The woman smiled knowingly.

" Don't worry, that will happen. We know this is one of your deepest desire."

" Oh really ? How…? I mean, * I * didn't know…until now."

" We know things that are beyond your imagination, child. Now you can come back to your own time. Use what you learned wisely."

They both disappeared. Buffy stayed alone.

" Hey, wait ! How do I get out of here ?"

She heard something like "oops, sorry" then everything went black.



" Buffy ? Do you hear me ?"

" She opens her eyes !"

" Make room, guys. She still needs to breathe."

Buffy slowly came back to consciousness.

" Emma ?" she said, before realizing she was back in her own time. Dawn and Willow were there. Spike too. Only this time he was staying at a respectable distance. But the concern on his face was the same. Buffy sat, grimacing. She
could feel a bump on her forehead.

" What happened ?" she asked, for the zillion times it seemed.

" You fell down the stairs. You were unconscious for a few minutes."

" Oh…it's that stupid ? Falling down the stairs, huh ?

" Uh, Slayer…"

She turned to Spike and was shocked by the contrast. Moments ago she had seen a happy Spike, who loved his girl and baby daughter and was loved and cherished in return. This one…looked hard. There was sadness in his eyes. Like life had been particularly unfair to him. Which was the case, she remembered. And she had played a bad role in that unfairness.

She suddenly felt like crying.

" Spike ?"

" Yeah…I had come to see if you wanted to do some patrol…but I guess that's off the menu now, so…I'll just go."

Since when had he become so insecure ? Probably since she had beaten him senseless…or treated him like crap every time she saw him.

" No, please…Stay."

She could almost feel his surprise. He shrugged in a false casual way.

" Ok."

Dawn got up.

" If you're feeling better, then I'll go to bed. Just call me, if…"

" Don't worry, Nibblet. I'll stay with her."

Dawn smiled, relieved, and left.

" Buffy, I have to meet Tara but if you want me to stay…"

Buffy shook her head.

" No, Willow,go. I'll be fine.

" Ok. See you guys later."

" Bye Red."

That sounded like déjà-vu. Buffy smiled to Spike. If only he knew.
He frowned.

" Stop smiling at me like that. You're scaring me."

" I'm sorry."

He took a chair, sat down in front of her.

" When you woke up…you said a name" he told her.

She feigned ignorance.

" I did ?"

" Yeah…you said 'Emma'. Why ?"

" I don't know" she lied. "No idea where that came from."

She couldn't really tell him what had happened. But she couldn't wait to see his face when it would happen…to finally be a part of all those memories she had thought she had forgotten.

Seeing a weird look on his face, she said :

" Why do you ask ?"

He shrugged.

" No reason."

" You lie. There has to be a reason. Tell me. I want to know."

There has to be a signification, of course. Considering that's how they had named their daughter…no, how they 'will'
name their daughter.

He hesitated, then said:

" Emma was my younger sister. She died very young. From pneumonia."

" I'm sorry" she said softly.

She hadn't expected that. Nor the fact that he still looked affected by it, more than hundred years later.

" Anyway…I told myself by then that if I had a daughter one day…I would call her Emma."

He made a dismissive gesture.

" I guess it doesn't matter now."

" Don't say that. You don't know what could happen."

He had a sarcastic laugh.

" Buffy ? Hello ? Still vampire here."

" Yes, I know. I'm just saying…"

She didn't know how to tell him without actually 'telling' him. To give him some hope like the PTB had done for her. She could tell him she loved him…but at this time, there were still anger and hurt between them, too much things unresolved. It was too soon. But somehow, she had to tell him something.

She got up, came closer to him. She sat down on the table in front of him. Like he had done after discovering she was back. When he had count the days. And probably the minutes too.

" What I mean…we live on the Hellmouth, Spike. We never know what will happen tomorrow, or next week. I just don't want you to give up."

" Well, Slayer, it's not like I have great achievement to…"

" You have. Believe me. You have."

He looked at her suspiciously.

" Is there something you know that I don't ?"

She shook her head.

" It's not that. I just want you to trust me."

He gave her an ironic glance and she felt hurt. But she deserved it, didn't she ?

Boldly, she put her hands on his chiseled cheeks.

" Please, Spike…Don't give up on life…but most of all…Don't give up on me."

He stood frozen, conflict on his face.

" Slayer…Buffy. Is this another of your bloody cold/hot shower game ?"

" It's not. I swear."

He nodded.

" Ok then. Because I don't think I can take it anymore. I told you what I want. You're telling me not to give up on life, but that's all you've ever done so far…since you came back."

" I know that. And I thought about what you said. You are right. You always were. I just need you to give me some time. I know it's a lot to ask…but please give me time."

He sighed. When she was looking at him like that, with promises in her eyes, there was nothing on this earth he could refuse her. Reluctantly, he agreed.

" Alright."

She smiled. Impulsively, she kissed him. A gentle kiss, full of tenderness.

" I think…I think Emma is a very lovely name" she whispered softly. "I love it."

He put his forehead against hers and smiled. His first smile in a long time.

" Well, just remember it, then. Just in case."

She smiled back.

" Yeah…Just in case…"

FIN

Spike walked into his crypt and closed the door violently behind him. He was totally lost.

These past few weeks, Buffy had been nothing but a horrible bitch, treating him like crap, beating the hell out of him. Then suddenly she fell down the stairs and was talking nonsense to him about the name Emma and not giving up.Well, he was bloody done with her. He couldn't stand to have his undead heart crushed one more time. Tonight she was all nice and sweet, and tomorrow it would be back to the 'Kick the Spike' game. That was too much to ask.

From now on, Buffy was History.

*************

"It was a good thing to show the future to the Slayer, but what about the Vampire? He looks even more desperate than she was."

The man looked at her sister questioningly.

"Mmm, you are right. I'm going to ask the Powers if we can do something."

"I'm afraid they won't allow it. We're not supposed to help demons."

She shot him a furious glare.

"A demon! You of all people should see it, brother. He has changed. The man in him surpassed the demon. He deserves it as much as her.if not more." The man sighed.

"Alright. I'll see what I can do."

*************

Spike sat suddenly in bed, awake.

The first thing he noticed was that he was not in his crypt.

He was in Buffy's room.

In her bed.

And she was lying beside him.

And the thing that had waked him up was the little hand of a blond little girl shaking slightly his shoulder.

"What the Bloody Hell.?"

The girl opened her eyes wide.

"Daddy! You said the B word. Mommy said you couldn't!"

Stunned, Spike looked at her. She was truly adorable. Blond hair like her mother. Big blue eyes like.her father? She had called him Daddy. So, it looked like he had a daughter and he didn't even know her name.

Unless.

Of course he knew.

"Emma?" he asked, not really believing it.

"Yes?"

"Uh.Why are you up?"

"I'm thirsty. Can I have a glass of water please, Daddy?"

"Of.of course. Go back to your room, I'll bring you one."

She nodded and left the room, skipping on her bare little feet.

Spike put her hand on his face. What the Hell was happening? Ten minutes ago, he was in his bed at the crypt. Alone. Now he was in Buffy's room, she was sleeping peacefully beside him, and he had a thirsty little daughter waiting for him outside.

Somehow, what had happened to Buffy earlier was happening to him now. And so far, he liked it. A lot.

He got up, went to the bathroom and filled a glass with water. Now, where was Emma's room? The door to what was normally Dawn's room was open. That's where he found her, sitting on her bed. The room had been transformed and was perfect for a little girl her age.probably around five years old, he estimated, handing her the glass and sitting beside her on the bed.

"There you go, Midget."

"Thank you, Daddy."

While she was drinking, he couldn't help but caress her silky hair. How come this pretty little girl was his daughter and Buffy's? He had never believed in miracles, but he was ready to change his mind.

She gave him the glass back and he put it on the drawers' chest. That's when he noticed the crib, in the corner of the room.

"When will the baby be here?" asked Emma, like she had read his mind. Well, maybe she had. She was his daughter. His precious, adorable little daughter.

"What? What baby?" he asked, without thinking.

"The one who is in Mommy's belly, of course!"

She giggled, watching him like he was the dumbest man on earth. For a moment, he felt like it. That was a little bit too much at the same time. Buffy, a daughter, a baby on the way.

"I, uh.Soon, honey. You should go back to bed, now." She crawled under the covers and held out her arms to him.

"Hug Daddy, please?"

He went to the bed, took her in his arms and held her tightly. She had a sweet baby scent. He hugged her tiny warm body, overwhelmed by feelings he didn't even knew he had in him. Holding this little girl, knowing she was his flesh and blood, was probably the closest thing to Heaven he would ever experienced. Reluctantly, he let go of her, putting her back under the covers and kissed her forehead.

"Good Night, Midget."

" 'Night, Daddy. Love you."

"Love you too."

She yawned and closed her pretty little eyes - his eyes, he thought with pride- and soon she was asleep again. He could have stay there all night, watching her. His little wonder. He must have done something incredibly good to deserve all this. That reminded him of Buffy.

He left Emma's room, closing the door silently, and slipped back in his bed. Shyly, because oddly enough, he had never done it before, he put his arms around her body. He felt the swelling of her belly.

And the miracles kept on coming.

He hadn't been mistaken by telling Emma the baby would be here soon. Apparently, the birth was close.

He snuggled next to her, inhaling her vanilla scent, thinking that if this was a dream he never wanted it to finish.

"Daddy?"

He turned around. Emma was back, a sheepish look on her face.

"I have to pee, now," she said in a whisper. He couldn't help but smile. Was he supposed to be mad at her for not staying in her bed? He really didn't care. He got up again, went in the bathroom with her and helped her, which was quite a unique experience. Afterwards they went back to her room and she asked for a hug again, which he gave her with pleasure. He could have hugged her all night, if needed be. But he also had a beautiful Slayer waiting for him in the next room.

Once again, he went back t his bed but kept his eyes opened. He didn't dare to fall asleep. If he did, he would wake up in his cold crypt, feeling miserable and lonely.

"Do you think she'll sleep now?" asked a feminine voice from under the covers.

He turned to her, smiled.

"Oh, so you're awake?"

She laughed.

"Of course. But I know how much you like to spend some quality time with your daughter in the middle of the night."

He pulled her to him, spooning his body with hers, putting his hand back on her belly. His mouth wandered on her neck and she shivered.

"How much time left?" he asked, caressing her belly.

"15 days. You asked me yesterday."

"Right. Sorry. I just can't wait."

She smiled.

"Can't wait to have two little midgets coming to wake you up every night for water and other needs?"

"Exactly."

"You're silly," she said, tapping slightly on his hand.

"But you love me," he said, not resisting to ask. At least he would hear it once in his life.

"I love you," she whispered, turning her head so her mouth met his.

He was not going to ask how all this happened. He preferred to enjoy it while it lasted. All of this was too good to be true, he knew it.

But he didn't give a bloody damn.

*************

He woke up in a white room. Dream is over, he thought, wincing.

"Hello, Vampire," said a feminine voice.

He turned around and saw two persons dressed like antique Romans.

"What am I doing here? Who are you?" he asked, angry at the loss of his cherished dream.

"We're the messengers for the Powers That Be. Earlier today, we showed the Slayer a glimpse of her future. We did the same for you. We know that you are going through hard times for the moment. It is important that neither of you give up hope. You have to go on fighting. And now you both know there will be the greatest reward in the end. Love."

"So, what I just saw.Buffy pregnant, my daughter Emma.it's really going to happen?"

The woman nodded.

"It will, in several years, yes. Every minute we showed you. Now you can go back to your own time. Use what you learned wisely."

She made a gesture with her hand and Spike disappeared. Her brother turned to her.

"Why did you show him a real moment? You know it can be dangerous. We're supposed to show only an idea of what it's supposed to be. Like we showed the Slayer." "He looked so sad. Now he has something to hold on to."

Her brother looked at her with a knowing look.

"You think he's cute."

She blushed.

"Well, he is. That leather coat really suits him."

"Yes, I heard that one already. I thought you had a thing for the fat brooding one with a soul?"

" He's in love with the girl he's working with, the one we send the visions to."

She sighed.

"What is it with vampires and girls from Sunnydale, anyway?"

**************

As expected, Spike woke up in his crypt, feeling miserable and lonely.

Then he remembered. All of this was true. Real. Well, it would be in a few years. God, he thought, don't let it be a cruel joke. Can Buffy and I really have this wonderful future together? Considering how things were going right now, it seemed rather unlikely. Then again, she had been shown the same thing, and had reacted so nicely towards him afterwards.

He had to see her. Talk to her. It was the middle of the night, but he didn't care.

He ran to Revello Drive, climbed the tree in front of her window and sneaked into her room. She was sleeping.

Now, the delicate thing to do was to wake her up without ending with a stake in the heart. After all, she had told him once that he was risking all his parts by showing up like that. He had to convince her it would not be very reasonable to stake the father of her two children. He smiled at the memory.

"Buffy?" he said out loud, staying at a respectable distance from the bed. She opened her eyes, leaned on her elbow. "Spike?" she asked, frowning. She rubbed her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I.Buffy, I had this dream. Only it was not a dream. They told me they showed it to you too.Buffy, I saw her."

"Who?"

"Emma."

She sat in her bed, wide awake now. Shock was written all over her face.

"You did? How.What did they show you?"

He came closer, sat beside her.

"It was the middle of the night. We were in bed. Emma came to wake me up, she was thirsty. She was so beautiful, Buffy. She looked exactly like you. But she had my eyes, though."

"Oh God.They showed her to me as a baby.it was so wonderful. They told me it was just a vision. That it would not be exactly like that."

"Well, the thing they showed me was true. A real moment."

"Oh.Why did they show one to you and not to me?"

He shrugged and smirked.

"I think that messenger girl had a thing for me."

She laughed.

"You're silly," she said, tapping slightly on his arm.

That part of the miracle was already happening.

"Do you think it's really.real, Buffy? Or are they messing with us?"

She entwined their fingers.

"I don't think they are. Like they said, we needed something to make us go on. They just helped us to see things a little bit more clearly."

"But I knew it already. All I saw, it was like my biggest dream come true. Being with you, and Emma.I still can't believe it's going to happen."

A part of him was so scared it would not. He would rather die -again- than knowing this was all a big scheme. She smiled sweetly, and he knew then that things would be right. If Buffy was smiling at him this way.it was like seeing the sun again.

"I'm sorry," she said finally.

He knew what she meant and nodded. There would be need for a good talk and a lot of explanations between them, but now was not the moment. Now was about tenderness and sharing. He pushed his luck a little bit more.

"Can I stay with you?"

She hesitated, but only a second.

"Yes," she said, pulling the comforter.

He undressed quickly, slipped beside her and encircled her body with his arms. She snuggled against him. Her stomach was flat, of course. He would have to learn not to be too impatient.

"You were pregnant," he said in her hair. "Really? Another baby." she sighed dreamily. "I can't wait to see them both. Emma and the baby."

He frowned.

"There's something that buggers me. I'm a vampire. How did we have children? I mean how will we have children?"

"Well, in my vision you were human."

"Oh.well, I didn't really pay attention. But I suppose I was in mine too." "Of course you were. Your vision is supposed to happen after mine."

"Right. Only your vision wasn't real. Mine was."

"My vision was real too! It was just not a specific one. And you should now better than to upset a pregnant Slayer."

"You're not pregnant yet, Buffy."

"I will be."

"Not if you piss me off."

"You like it when I piss you off. And I hope Emma will have my character. You'll have to deal with the two of us. Doesn't that make you want to run and hide?" she asked with a teasing smile.

He held her more tightly.

"Far from it, Sweetness. Far from it."

FIN.

Emma was crying, and Spike couldn't stand it. He had faced a lot of horrible things in his life, he had fight demons, a Hellgod. He had also done a lot of them, raising havoc for a hundred years all over the world.

But hearing his little Midget crying, that was too much too ask. A single tear from the little girl was generally turning the once feared Big Bad Vampire into a pile of mush.

"What's going on?" he asked, entering Buffy's previous room and casting a rapid glance at the scene.

His whole little family was there. Buffy was holding baby Tommy in her arms, obviously she was busy changing him. She had an annoyed face.

Emma was standing in front of her, sobbing like she had to wear all the misery of the world on her little shoulders.

Spike cast an interrogative look at Buffy who answered with a 'I don't know what to do anymore' one.

He kneeled down in front of Emma. "Why are you crying, Midget?"

"Mommy." sob "Doesn't love me." sob "Anymore!" More sobs. "She only loves the new baby!"

And to that another rush of tears appeared on her pink, smooth cheeks.

"Honey, you know it isn't true," Buffy said with a pleading look towards Spike. "I love you very very much. As much as Daddy and Tommy."

Still holding the baby, she tried to reach for Emma but the little girl took refuge in Spike's arms. He lifted her and held her tightly. She was drenching his shirt with her sobs, but he didn't care. If his precious girl needed comfort, he would be there for her.

"I'll take care of it," he said calmly to Buffy, before leaning towards her and giving her a tender kiss on her lips, as well as one on Tommy's forehead.

He took Emma downstairs, sat in the couch and installed the little girl comfortably in his lap.

Since she was securely locked in her father's arms, Emma's sobs started to slow down and turned into little hiccups and sniffs. Spike reached out for a Kleenex and wiped out her face tenderly.

"Now, Midget, what makes you think mommy doesn't love you anymore?"

"She didn't want to play with me," Emma answered, taking he Kleenex and starting to shred it into little pieces. "She said she had to take care of Tommy and she didn't have time."

Spike pulled a strand of hair that was still stuck to her face.

"Sweetheart, you know that Tommy is still a baby. He's not all grown-up like you. So Mommy has to take care of him all the time. That doesn't mean she doesn't love you. Mommy and I will always love you."

Emma nodded and Spike could feel she was calming down. He kissed the top of her head.

"Do you want to hear the story on how you were born?" he asked her. She nodded again, smiling this time. That smile that made him look at her like she was some miracle. Which she was, in fact.

"Ok. Once upon a time."

Her eyes grew wide.

"Like in a fairy tale?"

Right, he thought. With all the soddin' fairytale monsters, including me.

"Exactly, Midget. So there was that beautiful blonde princess living in a very charming town."

"That would be Mommy," the child guessed.

"What? The charming town is Mommy?" he teased her.

She laughed.

"No! Mommy is the beautiful princess!"

"Right. Which town would it be then?"

She frowned in concentration. She remembered the teacher talking about their town at the Kindergarten.

"Sunnydale!" she said suddenly, her face brightening.

"Very good, Sweetheart. Now, the blonde princess had a younger sister."

"Auntie Dawn!"

".and her best friend was a nice witch."

"Auntie Willow, Auntie Willow is the witch!"

".as well as a loyal mule."

Emma looked at him, confused. "Ok," he said, lowering his tone, "That would be Uncle Xander. But don't tell Mommy I said that, ok?"

Emma chuckled.

There was a time when Buffy could threaten to stake him when she was mad. Now that he was human, she was simply banishing him from the bedroom, which was ten times worse. Fortunately, Spike knew better than to piss her off.most of the time.

"Ok then. One evening, the blonde princess met a dark, handsome knight."

"That would be you, Daddy," giggled the little girl, all of her previous misery forgotten.

"Yes. So, at the beginning, the princess and the knight didn't like each other. They were fighting all the time."

Emma acquiesced.

"Like me and Bryan Latimer."

"Like Bryan Latimer and me," corrected Spike automatically. "Who's Bryan Latimer?"

"A boy in my class. He's always trying to steal my fluffy squirrel," she complained, showing the plush she was holding and that had absolutely no shape anymore. "He's so annoying. The other day, I had to punch him. His nose was bleeding," she added, very proud of herself.

Spike stayed stunned for a moment.

"Oh God. Emma.alright, let's save this conversation for later."

Let's save this conversation for Buffy, he thought.

"Yes. Go on with the fairytale, Daddy."

"Well, one day the princess and the knight realized that if they were fighting so much it was because they loved each other. At first the blonde princess was too bloody stubborn to." "The B-word, Daddy!"

"Sorry."

Damn. She wasn't letting anything slip. He cleared his throat.

"So, after a lot of fighting and saving the world, they decided to get married. And they were very happy. But someone was missing."

"That would be me!" she said, clapping in her hands.

He smiled.

"There were those powerful warlocks that had once shown the future to the princess and the knight, and they knew they would be blessed one day with a beautiful little girl named Emma. So, you see, we were very impatient to have you. And we already loved you even before you were born. And we'll never stop loving you, ever."

She nodded, wearing a serious face now. She put her head on the crook of his shoulder.

Cuddling time, he thought. One of his favorite moments. He caressed her hair, kissed her forehead.

"Are you feeling better now, Midget?"

She nodded again, but didn't move from the security and comfort provided by her daddy's arms. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

That night, Spike was holding his other girl tightly against him, putting soft kisses on her neck and shoulders.

"That was a cute story you told Emma," she whispered.

"You were listening? Well, that was our story, pet. In a fairytale kind of way."

" I just listened to the end. She's our little fairy."

"A little fairy that punch boy's nose to the point of bleeding." Buffy turned to face him.

"What?"

"Didn't you hear that part? She told me that boy, Bryan.something, had tried to steal her squirrel. She punched him in the nose. I bet the soddin' little git deserved it."

"But how come her teacher didn't tell us anything?"

"She probably doesn't know. And I doubt the boy has been bragging about it."

"Emma must have punching him hard."

"Like mother like daughter," he said in a teasing tone.

She tapped slightly on his forearm.

"Don't joke about that. She's only five. We can't let her running around and punching people. Do you think.do you think she could have inherit our strength?"

"Why not? You're not the Slayer anymore, but your strength is still intact. And when the Powers made me human they left me my capacities as well. So it's possible that some of it was transmitted to her. Then again, I don't think it's a strength problem, Buffy. If she punched a five year old boy in the nose, I guess it's pretty normal he was bleeding."

Buffy sighed.

"Yeah, you're right. I guess we'll just have to keep an eye on her."

"And in the meantime," Spike said pulling her to him, I'd rather have an eye on you."

She put her arms around his neck and they started to kiss, first slowly and tenderly, then more and more passionately. Buffy's leg encircled Spike's waist, pressing herself against him and moving suggestively.

Spike broke the kiss and asked in a hoarse voice,

"Didn't the doctor said something about 6 weeks?" "Well, the doctor doesn't know about Slayer healing. Like you said, I may not be the Slayer anymore, but I kept all the advantages. And right now I want my lovely husband to show me how much he loves me," she added in a seductive tone.

Spike didn't need to be asked twice.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Spike woke up and it took him some time to realize that it was Emma 's little body snuggled against his that had cause the disturbance in his sleep. He slightly kissed the top of her head, putting a protective arm around her. She was sucking her thumb and holding her squirrel, the one that evil Bryan tried to stole from her. Very uncharitably, Spike hoped the boy's nose was still hurting.

Next to Emma, little Tommy was sleeping as well. One of Buffy's hands was lying on his stomach. She probably had woken up a little earlier and taken them both into their bed, like she did sometimes when one of them had had a nightmare.

Buffy opened her eyes and met his. They smiled to each other. Their hand joined on the pillow above the two precious little head.

They both drifted peacefully back to sleep.

FIN


Part 4 coming soon...