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Buffy’s POV
Ahhhhhh yes. The wonderful work. Whiny, tired, happy, rebellious, and most of all SICK children. Maybe I should have said that with more of a sarcastic tone. “Sick” children. You know, the kids who sneezed and the parents think they are going to die. Yeah. We get tons of those. Doesn’t help that the doc is a babe. I’ve noticed a few ladies come into the office to make an appointment instead of letting the receptionist do it over the phone. No, they find it necessary to make an appointment to come into the office and speak with the doctor about setting up the necessary appointments for their children. People make me laugh.
“Buffy, it’s almost time for lunch, would you mind setting up room three before you go?”
“Not a problem, Riley.” Dr. Riley Finn. He’s the typical corn-fed all-American man. He’s perfect… for someone other than me. He’s tall, blonde hair, blue eyes, polite, chivalrous, and a one woman kind of man. I don’t know why we never lasted. We tried… for two months. We went on dates, double dates, met the parents, none of it seemed to make a difference. Faith says it’s because he was too predictable. I need a streak of pure unadulterated ruggedness in my man. Or so the legend goes.
I quickly grab the chart for the next patient and slide it into it’s holder next to exam room three, recover the bench with new paper, and wipe down the door handles and countertop with our nifty all purpose wet wipes. 11:59. I’m good.
One hour of Chinese food to sink my teeth into. The office is piling out the door nodding to the boss man. I say my “See ya later” and am on my way to the morgue. I used to find it disturbing that there was a morgue located a mere hop, skip, and a jump away. However, since Faith started working there it is mighty convenient. Faith’s boss Davis is insanely nice. Not just nice, he is one of the good guys too. Faith always orders us food to be delivered at exactly 12 so that we have a good hour to eat and chat. Davis sits there and eats but he seems a little scared around girls. It’s adorable.
I turn down the outside walkway and enter the morgue. I’m greeted by Drew, our designated Chinese delivery man. I smile and take a large breath. Mmmmmmm…. Chicken fingers.
Why am I doing this? Why do I care? Why do I feel compelled to do such a thing?
Why the hell am I bringing Buffy lunch?
This morning I noticed that she left the house without grabbing anything to eat. I can’t let her go hungry. That’s why I’m bringing her food.
I’m such an ass. I’m head over heels for a tiny blonde woman and there is nothing I can do about it. I made sandwiches for the both of us along with mini salads. I remember that she said that she worked for some tiny tot doctor with a poofter name. I can’t quite remember it though. So here I am staring at a board with little white letters spelling out names looking for one that sounds familiar. Albert Bernstien? Nah…. Reginald? Nope but getting closer. Riley? Yeah, that’s it. Riley Finn. I take the elevator and walk down to the door.
The office looks dark and empty. I can pretty much assume that everyone heads out somewhere to eat lunch, but I go in anyway. I knock lightly and open the door.
“One second!” Some guy yells. I’m gripping the paper bags like they are going to jump out of my hands. Then my phone rings, and they do. It’s so quiet in the office that the sudden ringing of my cell phone makes me jumpy and the bags fall to the floor. I sigh and check the caller ID. I told the office not to call me unless if someone died, even then it had to be someone that mattered to me.
“Can I help you?” asks the man. Well, well. What do we have here? Buffy works for Captain Hero. “Are you here to make an appointment for your child?”
“No, not a father… not to my knowledge anyway. I was actually looking for Buffy. She does work here, right?”
“Yes. She does.”
The doc just stands there staring at me. Almost as if he is sizing me up, willing to scrutinize my every move.
“Is she not here now? I just came by to drop off some stuff for her.”
I’m trying not to get irritated but he isn’t answering me, and in a little less than an hour I have to be back at the office.
“She’s uh… she’s in the morgue.”
“The morgue?” The morgue, is that the best he can come up with?
“Yes. You go out through the first door on your right, follow the outdoor path to the adjacent building, and there will be a sign.”
“I swear to god that if this is some sort of lame prank you are pulling I will come back here and kick your nancy boy ass.”
The doc just looks at me and shakes his head before heading back into wherever he came from.
To the morgue it is. What Buffy could possibly be doing there, I have absolutely no clue.
“So, Davis, then there was this one time that B and I went to some carnival after this really long and boring fireman’s parade-”
“You know Faith, the point to the parades aren’t to be short and merely pleasing to the eye, they are so you can come out and show your appreciation.” Davis interjects.
“But Davis that is not the point. The point is that while we were there Buffy and I went into this haunted house thing they had going on.”
Oh come on! Faith tells this tale to everyone. She finds the need to point out my shining moment. “Faith? Leave me a little dignity please?” I ask, I don’t know why though. She never listens to my pleas.
“No chance. So there we are walking through this plain metal caging. The only thing that haunted it was the disappointment from all us trusting fools. All it was, was a pitch black maze that lead to a door that said exit. Well, we get out the door and there was this spinning barrel type thing you had to walk through to leave. Well, I trudged my ass out and I turn around and call for her to come through. She takes a few steps slowly, which was her mistake by the way, and she started to fall to the side. Then she overcompensated and threw herself to the other side and she wound up on her ass. She couldn’t get up, and everyone there saw her flat on her back kicking her feet up in the air trying to turn. Eventually the carnie running the gimmick had to turn it off before she started taking out the kids that were coming out behind her.”
Faith bursts into a fit of giggles, and I can’t help but follow in her steps. Although I am embarrassed about the situation it is still freaking funny.
“So that’s what you’re doing here.” I turn around and there is Spike hovering near the doorway. “Let me guess Faith works in this fine yet morbid and quirky establishment.”
“You pegged it.” Faith grins.
I stand up and walk over to Spike. “What are you doing here?” Not that I am not happy to see him but it doesn’t explain how he found me here and the whole nice big question of why.
“Well…” He looks over to the table with the food on it, then he looks down at he bags in his hands. “I, uh, I saw that you didn’t pack a lunch this morning so I thought that I would be nice and drop off something… for you… to eat.”
I get little butterflies flittering about in my stomach and smile.
“Can I have that?” I ask and hold my hand out for the bag of goodies he packed.
“Oh, you already have stuff, I’ll just be going.”
“No you don’t.” I grab his arm as he begins to turn away. “It’s mine, now gimme.”
Reluctantly he hands over the bag and I peek inside.
“Oooooh. I got turkey and a Caesar salad? I must be special.” I grin. Again with the butterflies. “Thank you. I suppose I should be eating healthier than Chinese food anyway. Come join us.”
“Hey! Did you bring enough for everyone?” Faith asks.
“Nope, but you can have mine. I kind of need to head back to the office soon.”
He smiles and I get that fluttery feeling again.
“Where is it that you work exactly?” Davis finally speaks up.
“I work under my dad’s rule. He is kind of a jack of all trades. He runs a law firm and owns a construction company. I run the construction part.”
Faith and Spike keep talking and I am busy dealing with my stomach. I know Spike is one hot man but I have a serious case of butterflies and he’s not even doing anything. Wait a minute.
“OOOHHHHH!” I squeal. Yes, I squealed. I have been kicked. I start bouncing up and down on my feet giggling. Not like a mad woman, mind you. More like a pregnant woman. “Faith! Come here!” Faith rushes over but I think it is because she is unsure what is going on. Spike places a hand on my lower back and is looking all concerned and such.
“What? B, what is going on?” I grab her hand and place it on my tummy. “Is the baby moving? Hun, I can’t feel anything.” She pouts.
Now I feel bad. I wanted Faith to feel the baby move, but it isn’t moving anymore. Yes, I said it. I don’t want to know if it is a boy or a girl. I like the element of surprise. Faith calms down and takes her seat again.
“Thanks for the false alarm.” She quips.
“Is it the first time that has happened?” Spike asks.
“Yeah.” Oh god. I want to tell him. I want to just fess up and tell him the baby is his. I want to be able to tell him that I feel HIS baby moving around inside me.
Spike’s Point of View
“Awwww….. I want a kitten.” Buffy says.
“And deal with a litter box?” I ask.
“Good point.”
“Awwww….. I want a puppy.”
“And deal with training it?”
“Yeah, good point.”
“Awwww….. I want a-”
“Buffy, don’t even say you want a bear.”
“What are you talking about? Why would I want a bear?”
“Why? Because first a cat food commercial came on and you wanted a kitten, then there was the flea commercial and you wanted a puppy.”
She looks at me from the other side of the couch. “What does that have to do with me wanting a bear?”
Lord help her she really doesn’t see it.
“A toilet paper commercial came on… with little bears…”
Oh hell. It’s a lost cause.
“Start your baby off right with Healthy Start.” God that looks so fake. You expect anyone to believe that she just gave birth and is smaller than some teenagers? Her tits would be larger than that. Quickly, I sneak a peek at Buffy’s chest.
“Awwww… I want a baby.”
Holy mother of god. I turn to yell at her for being just plain ridiculous and find Buffy quietly chuckling to herself, waiting for me to say something.
“You, girl, will be the death of me.”
I laugh at the aggravated look on Spike’s face. I guess I can be a pain every once in a while.
Earlier, after Spike left to go back to work, I was discussing with Faith about the whole baby situation and Davis caught on to my little secret. Boy did I take advantage of that. It is unanimous that I need to tell Spike. However, looking at him now he seems comfortable with his life at this point. He seems fine with a pregnant friend, a nice airy uncluttered house. He’s just slouching into the couch with his muscles nice and… rippling under his tight black tee, his legs up on the coffee table resting in his black fitted jeans. No matter, he needs to know.
“Spike?”
“Pet?”
“You uhhhh… I need to tell you something.” Oh, here goes.
“I need to tell you something too.”
Oh.
“Oh? Well, you can go first. I won’t forget.”
“Are you sure?” He asks.
I pat the round bulge that is my belly.
“Trust me I will definitely not be forgetting anytime soon.”
“Okay. Well, see… my pops is going to be coming out here to drop off some papers and such and well…”
Where the hell can this be going? “Spit it out. Are you asking me to be nice?”
“No, I know you won’t be inappropriate or anything. I was just giving a heads up because he doesn’t quite know about you.”
“About me or my condition?”
“He just wasn’t expecting me to be living with anyone just yet.”
And that’s a curve ball. Was he dating someone? Is he dating someone? Oh, god. Do I have the right to ask?
“Oh. Well that’s fine. Do you want me to make myself scarce?”
“No, I would never ask that of you. This is your home for as long as you would like. Yours and the baby’s.” Do I tell him?
It’s official that I am going to drive myself crazy. To tell or not to tell, totally the question of my life.
I can see a torn look displaying itself across Buffy’s face. Would I be egotistical if I thought it was all about me?
“You had something to say, luv?” I ask. She opens her mouth to say something but quickly closes it. “Cat got your tongue?”
“Something does.” She says and gets up and walks upstairs.
Please, Lord let this work out. Let what work out, you may ask? Why am I freaked out about my dear old dad coming for a nice little visit? That is a story for another day.