[Reviews - 638]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 2743 times

- Text Size +




Chapter 30

Never in Willow’s wildest imagination did she think she would ever be so happy to see Spike, the one vampire who possessed the capability to scare the living heebie jeebies out of her.


Because having Spike there meant that maybe her friend was there also – and that was a very good thing.


“Red,” Spike greeted them, giving a slight acknowledging nod to Joyce.


“Spike, is Buffy here?” Willow asked anxiously, grabbing his arm, before hastily dropping it. Manhandling Spike was probably not such a good idea. She hadn’t seen the vampire since he had tried to kill Buffy on Halloween the previous year and during that time, he had been heavy with the scary. Terrifying, actually. Mentally, she knew this Spike had to be a fluffier version because she couldn't see Buffy putting up with the same scary Spike he'd been, but her brain didn’t seem to want to cooperate with that concept. Nope, better to not provoke him in any way.


The vampire nodded, not seeming to notice Willow's mental lament. “Yeah, she’s here. Actually sent me to find out if you lot had arrived yet.”

“So, Buffy is alive?” Joyce rushed to ask, almost afraid to get the answer.


Spike looked surprised at the question. “Well, yeah. Didn’t the Council of Wankers tell you that?”


Willow shook her head emphatically. “Nope, they have been all about the tight lips and not wanting to tell us anything. They just stuck us in a stuffy room and said Mr. Travers was in a meeting.”


“Bloody pillocks,” Spike muttered, shaking his head.


“Where is she?” Joyce questioned, finding tears springing to the corner of her eyes. Her baby girl was alive! “Is she ok?”


Spike nodded. “She is a bit knackered out about now, but she’ll be ok. And the lil bit.”

Joyce gasped. “The baby is ok too?”

Spike nodded proudly. “Born yesterday and is a fighter, just like her mum.”


****


Relief flooded Joyce at the news that her daughter and granddaughter were alive. She took a brief moment to study the vampire that Willow had already identified for her.

Spike.

According to Angel, he was a vampire without a soul who had previously been intent on ending her daughter's life. Something had obviously changed and gratitude flooded her. It was clear from his demeanor that he cared a great deal for Buffy. And even from Angel's own lips, Spike had taken care of Buffy during a very vulnerable time in her life. When she had first learned that her daughter was with child and the father was a vampire, she hadn't thought much past getting her daughter back safe and sound. But now there was definitely other things to consider – especially the fact that Buffy would most likely not be returning alone.

Well, she'd cross that bridge when she came to it.

Sticking out her hand, she introduced herself. “I'm Joyce.”

The surprised look the vampire gave her didn't escape her notice. The cool hand that gently shook hers was reassuring. “Spike.”

“Oh sorry, guess I should have made with the introductions,” Willow apologized, biting her lower lip.

“Can you take us to Buffy?” Joyce asked, finding her heart pounding at the impending reunion. Tears of relief were already threatening to fall, but she insisted on beating them back. There would be time for tears later, now she just wanted to see her daughter.

Spike nodded and turned on his heel, striding back the way he'd come, obviously more than eager to return to Buffy's side. Joyce and Willow followed impatiently, both anxious to see Buffy again.

The corridors seemed to be without end, Joyce lamented, nodding absentmindedly to the Council employees that they passed. It didn't escape her notice that William the Bloody was given a wide berth, but having a vampire running amuck in their headquarters had to be something of a novelty, since their entire existence revolved around the extermination of his kind. The fact that her own daughter was the one girl in all the world chosen to fight the vampires had given her a bit of pause when she had first learned the truth, after Buffy had been abducted. Her daughter played a huge role in this organization.

Again, that was something else that would have to be addressed once she got Buffy home.

Her heart pounded with apprehension when Spike halted before a heavy door and slowly pushed the door open, entering the room.

It was a beautiful sight that greeted her when Joyce found the courage to step over the threshold.

Buffy.

The tears that she had held back refused to be denied and spilled down her cheeks at the confirmation that her daughter was truly alive.


***
Buffy had just about dozed off when she heard Spike enter the room again. “Did you find anybody?” she asked wearily, reaching for him as he approached the bed. He grabbed her hand and settled himself next to her.

“Buffy?”

She hadn't heard them enter, too engrossed on her returning vampire, but her eyes lit up in recognition.

“Mom!”

“Oh Buffy!” and it was a mere seconds later and Buffy found herself enveloped in her mothers arms.


Spike took possession of their daughter and took a step back, allowing for the mother/daughter reunion to take place. These kind of touchy-feeling emotions were still a bit hard for him to swallow, but if it meant keeping the happy and content look on Buffy's face intact, he'd endure. He'd known she'd missed her mum and mates.

More tears followed when Joyce was introduced to her granddaughter and he couldn't help but watch proudly as she was fussed over. She was a beautiful baby, even if he might a wee bit biased.

And she was his.

It still boggled his mind at times, to know that he was responsible for her existence. He may not have willingly been the ideal donor, but it had all worked out in the end. He'd gladly suffer a million times over if the outcome was the same.

He now had a family.

TWO WEEKS LATER


Buffy looked out the window of the luxury jet and sighed heavily. There was a world of difference between this flight and the one that had brought her over the pond.

She was going home.

Another flood of relief settled over her. Home was not something she thought she'd be seeing with the military looming in the background. She'd been hunted for months, palpable fear a living part of her everyday life. They'd taken everything from her.

Her freedom.

Her life.

But by the same token, they'd also given her as much as they'd taken away. She was going home as a part of a family.

A cool hand covered hers and gave it a tiny squeeze and Buffy turned to the vampire at her side and gave him a small smile.

“Watcha thinkin' about, luv?”

She leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to his lips, sighing in contentment. Resting her head against his shoulder, she replied easily, “Just... you know... us. And how weird this year has been.”

Spike nodded his agreement. Weird didn't even begin to cover the past year. A year ago, he and his dark princess had been cutting a deadly swath through Sunnydale. To him, the slayer was a dish best served dead and it wasn't for any lack of attempt that she hadn't graced their supper table, her blood flowing free into their waiting cups.

That was all changed now though.

Now the slayer was his entire life.

It was going to be a bit of a change heading back to Sunnyhell. Thanks to Peaches and Joyce's help, they had a home to call their own once their plane landed. He hadn't shared that little bit of info with his slayer yet, wanting that to be a surprise. Years of living and investing had provided a nice chunk of change to dip into to buy a very nice piece of real estate not too far from the Summers residence. Being a homeowner for the first time in a millennium should have had his demon howling in displeasure, yet there was little resistance.

He'd do just about anything for his girls.

One thing that had come as a pleasant surprise had been the Council of Wankers. Travers had given Spike his word that he wouldn't be harmed and had shockingly, kept it. Of course, it had been to Travers benefit, since the Council got their history updated and Spike had been roped in to rewrite the Slayers Handbook. He'd taken one look at the current one and had laughed through the entire thing. He couldn't help but think that it was a very good thing that his slayer had never gotten the handbook since it probably would have gotten her killed in the first month of active duty.

Being sucked into writing a how-to on the best way to effectively kill his kind was an experience but one he found strangely intriguing. Peaches had contributed a bit and they had shockingly been able to work together without any of their previous antagonism and dislike. It had been entertaining watching the big Poof pursue a relationship with the soldier girl. Spike secretly hoped it worked out for the two, knowing that GI Jane could use something positive in her life. And Peaches needed something to unbroodify his unlife, since Buffy was no longer on the menu.

A whimper from the seat next to him brought him quickly back to the present. A set of beautiful blue eyes were focused on him and Spike couldn't help the smile that transformed his face.

“Is she hungry?” Buffy asked, reaching over him to peer at their daughter as she sat in her flowery car seat next to Spike.

“No, think maybe she had herself a bit of a bad dream,” he informed her, not wasting any time unbuckling the straps and bringing her into his arms. As part of his deal with the Council, he'd allowed the wankers to study his precious girl. It had been concluded that she the majority of her make up was human in nature, with a few little extra attributes that resulted from having a vampire for a dad and a slayer as a mum. One thing Spike knew – she was something special.

He was one lucky vampire.

The End.



A/N – yes, this fic is finally finished! So sorry for the delay in getting here. After years out of the fandom, it has been hard getting into the Buffy mindset again and I almost left this fic unfinished rather than end it with something not as 'good' as the beginning. But I think it deserved to be finished, so here it is. Did I rush the ending? Yes, I did, and I'm sorry about that! Thanks for reading and I hope this gives this fic some closure.





You must login (register) to review.