Buffy’s Point of View
The next morning I wake up and curl the warm blanket up around me. I turn my head and yawn. The blanket smells good, it kind of smells like… Spike? My eyes snap open and sure enough, there he is, wearing the same clothes he wore last night.
I feel much lighter today because I know I don’t have a secret to be spilled. I know that I can’t randomly blurt out that the baby is his. He knows, and here he is holding me. I would love to stay here and take advantage of the fact that he is sleeping. Just because I would like to, doesn’t mean I can.
“Baby, you make me pee too much.” I whisper as I extricate myself from the warmth. Before I got pregnant I never had to pee as much as I do. Never. Now, it’s making me get up and leave Spike behind. I have only slept in the same bed with a man once before, and that was the time that I left Spike.
“Buffy?” Spike mumbles, rubbing his eyes.
“Yeah?”
“What are you doing?”
“I have to use the bathroom.”
When I get back Spike is still laying on my bed. His eyes are closed with his head resting on my pillow. He looks uncomfortable. “You okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, my neck is a bit sore though. Slept on it the wrong way is all.” He sits up, rubbing his neck. I know that it is because of me. He kept me company and now he’s paying for it. I motion for him to come sit at the foot of the bed.
He moves towards me and I make him turn around. “I have magic fingers when it comes to massages.” I begin to work on his neck and shoulders and he relaxes. “So, I know this must still be a shock to you. Is there anything you want to know? Is there anything I should know?”
“What do you mean? Like family diseases and such? No. Nothing that I can think of. Buffy, you should have told me sooner. Simple as that.” He quiets down for a minute then begins again, moving away from me. “It is just one baby, right? No twins or anything like that?”
I start to laugh, not because it is funny, but because I could only picture the stress I would have been going through had there been more than one. “No, just one.”
“You don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl?” I shake my head. “Why? Don’t you want to know? To prepare?”
“No, I want it to be a surprise.” He looks kind of disappointed. “Do you want to know?”
“Could I find out? I swear I wouldn’t tell you. I’m not good at the waiting game.”
“You could always go with me to my next appointment. You can have a look for yourself.” His face contorts in a way that I can not discern whether he is happy or sad. “Or not. It was an offer.”
“’s not you, pet. I don’t know. I haven’t had as much time to think this out yet. What’s on the agenda for today? Going to take advantage of the weekend?”
“I was going to go for a walk, but it seems the world does not want me to do that today.” I motion towards the window. The sun is hidden behind some clouds casting a shadow over the town. As if to make their point the clouds begin to release rain. The water pelts the window, taunting me.
“No need to go outside, pet. We can have a perfectly good time in here. Let’s go, I’ll make you banana pancakes.”
“You can’t possibly be giving up this easily, Miss.”
“Oh no, Miss Edith. You know me much better than that. I am not letting my William go without an attempt to save him from that… girl.” I may not be sexually exclusive to my William, but he is mine. I let the pen drop from my hands onto the packet of papers. Last night we set up the papers, I signed a paper that declared that I was an adulteress and all that. The final papers for me to sign were delivered this morning.
Miss Edith cocks her head as she focuses, looking at me. “William will not be easily swayed from his newly found ray of sunshine. It will take much more than a delay in paperwork to get him back. We both know that child is his, whether he has figured it out or not.”
“That is why I have my plan!” I yell excitedly and clap my hands together. “With any luck this child is his.” Placing a hand on my stomach I look down. “I’m not showing yet, my child. Will you be my ticket back into William’s good graces? Will you do that for your Mum?”
I was more than promiscuous during my marriage. That was absolutely no secret to anyone, however once William moved out he still came back as “Spike” to engage in some naughty-and-nice encounters. As “Spike” he believes he has the upper hand, his confidence boosts. The sex becomes more aggressive. It made me feel alive again.
Once he moved out I could feel my financial stability slipping through my grasp, I had to save it and protect myself. Ironically, to do that I needed to let go of some protection. I stopped taking my daily birth control, I want to still have some hold over William.
Miss Edith draws my attention back to the table, to the papers that allow me minimal access to the company. I want more. She and I discussed stalling this procedure extensively into the night. We have decided to wait and let Buffy tell him about their bundle of joy. When that happens he will have to admit to having sexual relations during our marriage, entitling me to an even larger portion of Giles and Pryce. I will fight adultery with adultery.
Sure enough, three months ago I found out I was pregnant. I never really wanted a child, but it is something that I am willing to go through. I know that my William is too smart to just believe me when I tell him that the baby is his, he will want a test. I went in two days ago for a prenatal paternity test, if this child is not William’s then I have no ground to stand on. I have at least one more week before the test results come in. Then I can move forward.
“Seven days until the answers unfold.” Miss Edith sings aloud.
I can’t believe I am sitting here. Buffy asked me if I was uncomfortable, but I find that to be the bloody understatement of the century.
I agreed to go with her to the ultrasound and check-up. I know that the baby is there, and is mine, but I don’t believe it. I am more of a man of science than speculation. I need to see it to believe it. So, now I find myself in the waiting room of a sodding OBGYN. This is not a place for a man, let me tell you that much. I am sitting here listening to them swap stories, horror stories, about their pregnancies and such. I have to listen about the fact that they are glad they don’t have their monthlies anymore, but once I heard the word hemorrhoids I needed to tune out. I busied myself with an available magazine and buried my nose in it. I open it to a random page and the headline hit me like a truck, “Brand-Spanking New Sex Position!” Interesting.
“Buffy Summers? We can take you in room one now.” The woman smiles at me and holds the door open.
Turning to Spike, I try to get his attention. Looking at the cover of the magazine I chuckle to myself, he reads Cosmopolitan. I wave my hand over the top of the magazine and he looks up. He quickly places the magazine back in it’s place and does not attempt to even defend himself from the laughs and inquiries made by some of the other women.
I shimmy my way on top of the examination table and Spike takes a seat in the corner of the room, trying to take up as little space as possible. Things have been odd between us lately, not bad, but odd. Right before I told him about the baby he mentioned he wanted there to be an “us”. It seems that line of thinking has been put on the back burner. I completely understand that our situation is not ideal, I just keep hoping for a sign as to what he wants.
There is a knock on the door before Doctor Burkle lets herself in. She introduces herself to Spike and we do the usual routine before the ultrasound. Spike stays in the corner as she lifts up my shirt and squeezes the gel on my belly.
“You have an outie.” Spike blurts out.
“She didn’t have one before. The baby caused this.” The doctor explains. Spike has a funny look on his face but slowly moves closer.
She starts moving the wand around searching for the heart beat.
“Would you like to know the sex of the baby?” She asks.
“I don’t, but he would like to.” I say.
“Okay then.” She reaches for a pad of paper and a pen.
The baby comes up on the screen and I’m in love all over again. I can feel the baby move but it is different to see the baby move. It always seems so much more real to see and hear the baby. The doctor writes on a piece of paper and hands it to Spike. He looks at the paper for a second, then looks up at me, and over to the screen. He turns his head to the side as if trying to figure something out. The look in his eyes is unmistakable. He is in awe. Justifiable awe.
I could not agree with a person more.
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