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thank you to spikeskat for betaing!

Chapter 10

It took a lot to unnerve a century old master vampire, yet Buffy had managed to do just that. Her continued silence since leaving the clinic had managed to set his fangs on edge. Yet, her persistent dazed affect was familiar - because it mirrored his own.

It wasn't until he had unlocked their front door and disabled the sophisticated security system, allowing them to finally enter that Spike found he could not hold back a moment longer. Keepin' his mouth shut wasn't somethin' he was known for, after all.

"Aren't ya goin' to say somethin', pet?"

Buffy slowly brought her eyes up to meet the midnight blue that seemed to burn brightly with a gripping intensity, and she couldn't help the small shiver that rolled along her spine. Those beautiful blue eyes managed to shatter the self-absorbed world she had retreated to since leaving the clinic. Her slow, leisurely smile teased the vampire as much as her silence and he suddenly realized she was glowing.

"We're having a little girl, Spike." Her soft voice was a sharp contradiction to the radiant smile she was gifting him with.

Spike smiled broadly in response, and Buffy was once more struck by the sheer beauty of the man. This demon. With sudden clarity, it dawned on her that she wouldn't have wanted another man - and Spike was truly that - to have fathered this child she carried.

Not even Angel.

It was liberating.

And more than that... it was theirs. Their daughter.

"You gave me a little girl, Spike."

Feeling rather chuffed himself, Spike didn't dare mention that it was technically the military that had done the deed, knowing that without whatever drugs that had been pumped into his undead corpse, there would be no way he could have ever been capable of this little miracle. It was also the first time he was able to think of what had been done to them without experiencing a burst of homicidal rage.

Like a young child, Buffy began bouncing on the balls of her feet with newfound energy, giddily holding up the ultrasound picture that immortalized their baby. "See?"

He grinned indulgently, glancing down at the black and white photos that showed their baby and not some abstract picture of an alien life form. "I see that, pet. Was there for the whole bloody thing, remember?"

Her face settled into a mock pout. "Party pooper." She turned to make her way towards the kitchen. "Do we have any of that yummy chocolate cake left?"

Spike caught up to her in two strides, his fingers closing around her upper arm gently to still her forward progress. "I'll get it. You go set yourself down nice and comfy, yeah?"

Flashing him a grateful smile, she leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "Thank you," she murmured against his mouth before heading for her favorite spot in the living room.

Spike could feel the sweet burn of her lips against his as he made his way into the kitchen, a sappy grin on his face. After their new intimacy the night before, Spike had been nervous about Buffy's reaction to the next level their relationship had reached. To his surprise, however, she displayed no awkwardness or regret. In fact, she had become increasingly demonstrative with her affections as the day wore on.

And that suited him just fine.

Her good mood had lasted until it was time for her prenatal appointment. As they walked through the door that led them into the clinic's plush waiting room, Spike was sure the bones of his hand were slowly being crushed by the sheer force of her desperate grip.

But he'd suffered in silence.

After a very brief wait, the two had been led to an examining room, and Spike helped her to undress and change into the open-backed gown. Luckily, they had provided two gowns - one for the back and one for the front - and once garbed in the highly unflattering garments, Spike had settled the slayer onto his lap to wait for the doctor’s arrival.

Spike had never quite seen the particular look of fear upon Buffy's face as was present during her exam; her anxiety palpable, the dread in her expressive hazel eyes barely contained. Yet, the mere fact that the necessary pelvic exam had been conducted in such a different manner as her previous violations, allowed Buffy a small measure of comfort. Spike found the staff friendly - procedures were explained, questions were answered. Nothing like the time she’d been incarcerated by the military.


As promised, Spike had refused to leave her side, murmuring encouragement that had assisted in abating the waves of panic that had threatened Buffy's peace of mind. After it was over, Buffy found herself angry at the weakness she had displayed and vowed that her time for panic was officially over.

And again, that suited Spike just fine.

When it had come time for the ultrasound, Spike had steeled himself for disillusionment. However, Buffy'd managed to shock the hell out of him.

He had anticipated her first question to revolve around the presence of any demonic attributes that might be visible by ultrasound, but it was as if that thought had never crossed her mind. And the doctor had never mentioned it, concentrating, instead, on the baby’s sex and health.

The doctor and ultrasound technician had assured both of them that, as far as they could see, nothing was giving either a cause for concern. To their credit, they did not even mention the way the baby's heart rate kept in direct time with her own - when in actuality, the rate should have been beating at approximately double of Buffy's. If her baby had been entirely human, of course.

And now he was going to have a daughter. Unbidden tears blurred his vision as the vampire stood in the kitchen and stared down at the remnants of cake that Buffy had all but devoured the previous night. Worry began seeping through his hardened resolve. Buffy's body was getting ready to deliver, evidenced by the thinning and dilation of her cervix, and Spike found that he was bloody terrified. The clinic was sending over a midwife to assist with the home birth, but not even that small measure was doing much to alleviate his concern.

Like Buffy, he'd be damned glad when the wee one was born.

"You better not be in there eating my cake, Spike! Where is it?" Buffy whined playfully from the other room. "Both of your girls are hungry!"

Spike smiled at that. His girls. He liked the sound of that.
***
Giles had the choice of staying in London or returning home to Sunnydale - opting to choose the former. He reasoned that if the Council made a move, he wanted to be there to lend a hand.

And if they double crossed him, well... he'd be available for that, as well.

Knowing that he was most likely under some sort of surveillance, but this time by the Council, Giles executed his next move with extreme caution. His paranoia over being watched and overheard was increasing with each moment, and the watcher could only guess at what Buffy's life had been like these past months.

Excruciating, no doubt.

At the designated time, Giles moved to one of the Council's extensive libraries and situated himself in an unused, dusty corner. Palming the newly-obtained cellular phone, he turned the power on and waited for it to ring. He didn't exactly know why he was taking such strenuous measures, was merely following a gut feeling.

While he waited, he began to flip through the books he had pulled from the library’s shelves that made mention of personal relationships between a slayer and vampire. It didn't take long before he soon found himself engrossed in the material available. So much so, that he visibly started when the phone suddenly vibrated, alerting him that there was a call.

Fumbling to open the compact design, Giles put it to his ear.

"Yes?" He allowed a momentary pause. "Oh, yes... hello Joyce."

"Did I mention how much I hate this basement?" Angel grumbled on the other end, eyeing the steel walls of Willy's basement once more. His displeasure at remaining behind in Sunnydale was clear with every word he spoke.

"Yes, yes, of course," Giles replied dubiously. "Everything is just right as rain here. I had no problem with the flight whatsoever."

Angel sighed and shook his head. How he, the once great and powerful Angelus, had fallen. "Fine. I'll call again same time tomorrow night."

"Very well. I shall look forward to it." Giles stood up and prepared to leave. "I will talk to you on the 'morrow. Get some rest."

"Yes, dear," Angel replied mockingly, pulling out the piece of paper that Giles had written down the code phrases and what they meant. This was ridiculous. A brood was forthcoming, Angel could feel it. He'd just shaken off the last one.

Giles pushed the end button and returned to his room, taking with him the volumes he had retrieved. He felt rather like a dashing James Bond, and a spring suddenly crept into his step.

***

Buffy snuggled deeper into Spike's embrace, her body instinctively seeking the comfort of his as she wavered on the very cusp of waking and dropping back into a deep, peaceful slumber.

That deep oblivion where she didn't have to go pee every five minutes. Where her boobs didn't seem to suffer from some sort of growth disturbance. Where the Tums tablets weren't turning into her typical after-dinner mint.

Sleep had just won the tug-o-war, and Buffy's mind and body were just heading back to that blissful nothingness when Spike suddenly stiffened beside her, causing her eyes to shoot open in response.

But, by then it was too late.

Too late to scream.

Too late to fight.

Too late for anything, but regret, as she felt a sharp sting strike her arm. The last thing Buffy saw before a not quite-so-welcomed oblivion took hold was the terrified look in Spike's eyes as, he too, succumbed to the inevitable.
tbc..

*ducks and hides*





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