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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you for all the awesome reviews!!!
Thank you to Spikeskat for beta'ing and Megan for keeping me focused
Chapter 9

There was a decidedly ominous feeling in the air that soured the next couple of days. Buffy's nerves were strung tighter than eve,r and the added mix of her volatile pregnancy hormones added up to one very miserable slayer. Spike escaped gratefully at dusk each night, eager for a spot of violence to calm his own anxieties.

Four days after he had placed the call to Angel, Spike returned home to find Buffy engrossed in a child birthing book; her pose relaxed as she sat on the overstuffed couch with her feet propped up on the coffee table. When he heard her muttering under her breath, he smiled and settled in to eavesdrop.

He watched as one hand idly rubbed tender circles on the large expanse of abdomen she’d just exposed. Her face suddenly scrunched up in disgust, and he realized she wasn't talking to herself, but to the baby.
 
"Ew! It says here that there is normally between 2.1 to 5.9 cups of amniotic fluid for a full-term baby," she commented, her hand ceasing its motion as Buffy looked down at her belly sternly. "But since you're spawn of Spike, you'll probably double that, won't you? Just to increase the major ick factor for me." Buffy felt the kick that answered. "Yeah, that's what I thought." Her hand began the soothing motion again as she buried her nose back in her book.

"Talking to yourself, eh, pet?"

Buffy jumped at the sound of Spike's voice. "You jerk! You totally scared the crap out of me! Don't you know you're not supposed to go around scaring pregnant women?"


"Sorry," he remarked, although his smirk told Buffy that he was anything but as he joined her on the couch. "What are you doing?"

"I was having a conversation with your spawn. What does it look like I'm doing?" she teased, her head lolling over to rest against his welcoming shoulder.

Spike's larger, cooler hand covered hers, and together they watched as her abdomen rolled and shifted by unseen feet and limbs.

"Spike, I'm scared." Buffy quietly admitted

Spike sighed heavily. "Yeah, I know, pet."

"I know I didn't say it before, but thank you for making that appointment for me. I'm just... gah! I'll just be so happy when this baby is born, you know?" Buffy posed, not expecting a reply. "There are just too many unknown variables right now, and that just gives me the wiggins. I don't LIKE unknown variables."

Buffy struggled to her feet and began to pace in an ungainly waddle. "I mean, I've got the whole birth thing to get through, and we are so totally not even prepared for that. Then there is the whole 'is it good or is it evil' theme going on..."

Spike got to his feet and blocked her path, his arms going around her to draw her close. "Hey, evil here, and you're not that bad off."

Buffy nestled the side of her face against Spike's chest, inhaling the utter maleness of him. "And that is what I'm counting on."

Spike pressed a kiss to the top of her head, relieved to hear her talking about the baby as if it was a reality that would be impacting their day to day life, knowing that she had finally come to terms with the forced pregnancy. She was accepting them both and that was more than he had ever expected.

Her prenatal appointment was the next day and Spike was eager to see how Buffy fared through it. One thing he knew; he would be right there by her side for the entire thing.

*****
Seated across from Quentin Travers, the head of Watcher's Council, Giles found himself experiencing a profound sense of relief in addition to his ever-present trepidation. While he’d made his travel plans to return to London, the continued threat of inadvertently alerting whoever it was that had them under surveillance that his slayer had made some type of contact, and that he – as well as a few others - were aware of what had been done to her. Fear of being found out, and thus subjected to capture themselves, had stretched taut their already frazzled nerves. Now, a continent away, Giles could only hope that the others were still managing to hold up under the strain.

After learning from Spike what had been done to the slayer and the vampire, and the lengths the military would no doubt go to secure their recapture, the three decided that to share any news with Xander and Willow would be inviting sure disaster. And while Giles felt a small measure of guilt in that regard, he would do whatever was necessary to make sure Buffy's fragile hold on anonymity was not compromised.

Due to the excellent security at the Council headquarters, Giles felt fairly comfortable disclosing the information he had flown halfway across the world to impart.

While he and Travers had not seen eye-to-eye on quite a few things regarding the current - albeit missing - slayer, Giles prayed he was not making a grievous error by taking the matter to the Council. However, the watcher felt he had no other option. Something had to be done and the Council had the means to accomplish it.

As expected, Travers did not take the news well.

"So, you are telling me that some secret branch of the US military had the very nerve to abduct our slayer?" Travers summed up, his flaring nostrils the only indication of his rising fury.

Giles nodded carefully. "It would appear so."

"And you believe this to be true?" Travers questioned, to which Giles did not hesitate to nod his head. "Yet, by your own admittance, the source of this information is highly suspect. If I recall correctly, one of the demons involved was even implicated in Miss. Summers disappearance."

Again, Giles nodded. "I realize that. However, from what we witnessed firsthand of William the Bloody, he is rash and compulsive. Even the numerous volumes that refer to him all depict a vampire who is not known for his patience. Waiting almost ten months to contact us does not fall under that category of reckless and impulsive. No, I am inclined to believe it is the truth... until we are presented with facts that state otherwise."

Travers nodded thoughtfully. "And Angelus?"

"You know he was cursed with a soul. He has... feelings for Miss Summers, and I simply cannot see him orchestrating something of this nature. He has proven himself an ally, aiding us while we have been without a slayer these past months. The Hellmouth would be quite overrun if we’d not had his assistance."

Travers' face gave nothing away. The reports he had received matched this information, but Mr. Giles did not need to know that. "So you trust that this an accurate account?"

Giles nodded. "As sure as I can be, yes."

Finally, there was a break in the composed British mask, and Travers' eyes darkened with anger. "This will simply not be tolerated. I will not have my Slayer line compromised by the United States government, of all people." It was said with a sneer, and Giles knew it was time to drop the other shoe.

"There is more."

Travers placed the phone he'd just lifted in his hand back down in the cradle, and gave him a pointed look. "Well?"

This was the tricky part. "Before I continue any further, I must insist that no harm come to any of the parties involved until we know exactly what we are dealing with here."

It was on the tip of Travers' tongue to argue that fact when he realized that there was more to Rupert Giles than meet the eye. A sliver of apprehension passed through him at the cold and savage look on his employee's face; a look that promised a slow and painful demise if crossed and Travers found himself reluctantly agreeing to Giles' demand.

Giles nodded, wishing he could keep this part to himself, but instinctively knowing that the Council would be hard-pressed to eradicate the threat without this information. Taking a deep breath, he announced, "Apparently, Buffy was used as part of a breeding program, and the military found a measure of success in their, er... breeding attempt."

That caught Travers attention, his eyes widening as the implication hit him. "Ms. Summers is with child?"

Giles nodded.

"Am I correct in assuming that this is the true reason as to why you are here?" Travers questioned.

The watcher didn't bother trying to deny it. "It is. Her mother wants her home. The Hellmouth needs the slayer. That is just not possible with the threat of recapture following her. Spike informed Angel that, for now, they were someplace safe, and that he was taking care of her."

"Spike?"

Giles smiled as he realized he'd saved the best news for last. "Yes, Spike. A.K.A William the Bloody. The self-professed slayer of slayers. Apparently, he was the one used to father the child."

"Good lord..."

It gave Giles a small sliver of reassurance to see anger and outrage on the face of the Council head, rather than the calculated cunning he'd expected, upon receiving the news that the slayer was pregnant with the child of a vampire.

Travers appeared thoughtful, then picked the phone up once more. "I have some phone calls to make. We shall reconvene in oh... let's say, an hour's time, shall we?"

"Very well." Giles stood up and turned towards the door, before turning back to regard his employer. "Oh, and Travers?"

An eyebrow was lifted in silent acknowledgement.

A sinister smile transformed Giles' face. "Believe me when I tell you that you don't want to double-cross me." With that parting comment, the watcher left Travers alone to make his phone calls.
++++

Giles returned to his superior's office at the appointed time, and could tell immediately by the grim set of the other man's face that there was news to be shared.

"We have confirmed your report," Travers began without preamble. "Our contracted team in California found the presence of multiple high tech surveillance units at your flat, your place of employ, and the home of Joyce Summers..., as well as various other locations. In light of this, I have authorized our teams of investigators to drop all projects and focus on locating this secret laboratory. Once we have an exact location, we will begin our own counter-surveillance."

"And Buffy?" Giles couldn't help but ask, a confrontational tone creeping into his voice.

Travers' eyes gave nothing away. "Once this military operation has been pinpointed, we will focus our efforts on her whereabouts. Beyond that, I am not prepared to share any more with you at this time."

"And the child?" he asked dangerously.

"Mr. Giles, you have to realize that I cannot give you my word when I do not know what, exactly, it is we are dealing with here. I assume you are not in possession of all the fact either. What I can tell you is that my priority includes getting our slayer back home... and in one piece. Anything beyond that, well... I just don't have an answer for you."

Giles nodded, not hearing what he would have liked to, but appreciating the frankness. "Very well. You will keep me informed?" 
 
       
"Of course."

Giles left Travers office with a resigned air, the sanctuary of his room a welcomed relief. At least there, he could manage to lose himself in research and not have to think about Buffy for a short time.

He sent out a silent prayer that Spike was doing what he had claimed - taking care of her.
tbc..

Oh no! The Council! *laughs like a mad woman*





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