She felt strong arms around her as she woke, and she snuggled deeper into the embrace. God, she missed being held like this; it felt so damn good. To be safe but not smothered the way she was so used to.
For a while her memory and mind were both empty; blank, and she simply enjoyed the silent comfort of feeling someone else’s breath against her cheek, lulling her back toward sleep.
She must be wearing the shirt, the one the vampire had given her all those days ago, because she could smell it again. The scent she’d often woken surrounded by. She could smell it, and it comforted her. Reminded her of safety, security, home.
She felt a hand brushing hair away from her temple and her eyelids fluttered open. Electric blue eyes met hers in a warm gaze, and she instantly jolted awake.
“Spike?” she asked, her mind still wonky.
“Shush pet, it’s alright.” he said, sitting up and bringing her with him. “You fell asleep s’all.”
Her hand instantly fell to her swollen belly and she sighed with relief as she felt the tiny bundle still growing beneath her splayed fingers. She looked down slowly, slightly embarrassed by the vampire’s presence; then she hastily remembered where she’d been laying just moments ago, and her face flared up a self-conscious red.
She’d been sleeping, not just in his presence, but in his arms. Sleeping like a baby in the arms of the vampire who’d proven himself to be so much more than just her mortal enemy, and on several different occasions.
She wondered why it had felt so very right.
“What time is it?” she asked, still unable to meet his eyes.
“Just gone noon.” he told her, “You hungry?”
She shook her head but he was already out of the chair and seeking out some left-over wheatabix.
“It’ll do you good.” he said, holding out the bowl of mushy brown-ness. “I normally mix it with blood. S’why I have it at all- but you really didn’t need to know that and- ah.”
Buffy smiled at him as he twittered on, and she almost laughed as she snatched the bowl off of him.
“Its fine Spike.” she said, spooning some into her mouth. “See- healthy meal for the pregnant lady.”
“It’s an attractive look.” Spike agreed as she shovelled the brown mush into her mouth.
“Hey.” she said, dropping her spoon and crossing her arms, “I know sarcasm when I hear it mister.”
He scoffed at her, and she smiled; enjoying the banter that was the exact opposite to the calm serenity they’d been sharing just a few moments earlier. This was what she was used to, and normality was what she was craving right now, following the cruel rejection she’d faced at the hands of her friends.
Spike noticed the sadness that suddenly permeated the air, and he stepped a little closer to where she was sitting, hesitantly putting a hand on her shoulder. When she didn’t immediately pull away, he hazarded the small indiscretion of sitting down beside her.
“Want me to take you to see your mum in a bit?” he asked, dropping his hand from her shoulder. “We could pick the Niblet up on the way.”
Buffy nodded emphatically as she spooned the last lumps of wheatabix into her mouth, then she wiped her lips and looked at Spike.
“Thank you.” she told him.
...........................................................................
Buffy embraced her sleeping mother, burying her face in her blankets as she closed her eyes, inhaling the comforting scent that was entirely her mom.
“Buffy.” asked a weary voice, and the young Slayer felt a hand in her hair. “Are you okay sweetheart?”
“Now.” Buffy said, her voice muffled by the blankets surrounding her face. “Had a sucky night yesterday is all. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine .” Joyce assured her, stroking Buffy’s golden hair affectionately, “Just in overnight for observation...” her voice trailed off as she urged her daughter to sit back and look at her. “I’m sorry I scared you honey.” she said. “I really am. It was the last thing you needed.”
“Mom,” Buffy said, “Don’t worry about it. Your only concerns should be about you right now. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine.” Joyce emphasised. “Perfectly healthy.” Buffy nodded. “Was Dawn okay when she got home?”
“She stayed around Janice’s.” Buffy said.
“Oh- You were home alone?”
Buffy’s eyes flicked away as she said, almost nervously, “Actually, I went to Spike’s.” she met Joyce’s eyes, and despite the smile on her motherly face, the young Slayer instantly felt the need to justify, “I... I was just lonely and crazy- my friends, they didn’t take the baby news so well- like, about as badly as they could have actually, and Spike... Well, you know; he doesn’t judge me. I mean sure, he’s been bad in the past, tried to kill me a couple of times, but at least he’s up front about it. And he’s never been anything but happy for me about the baby. So... So I just thought... Well, where else was I going to go? I needed to talk to someone and-”
“Buffy.” her mother interrupted, smiling as she shook her head. “It’s okay honey. Really. I’m just glad to hear you were safe. I wouldn’t have wanted you to be at home on your own.”
Buffy stared at her mother for a few moments. And then she smiled.
“Dawn and Spike would really like to see you.” she said eventually.
..............................................................................
Joyce returned home that evening, escorted back in Spike’s Desoto with her two daughters arguing over the front seat. In the end Buffy won on account of her pregnancy, but Dawn didn’t go down easily, and the teenager would have sulked all the way home, but Spike stopped for ice cream and bought her a huge tub of chocolate fudge brownie flavour all for herself.
While Dawn was happily scooping away at her ice cream on the back seat, occasionally offering some to her weary mother, the front of the car remained in a comfortable silence, with Spike concentrating on his driving, and Buffy absent-mindedly stroking her belly.
“You okay Slayer?” the vampire asked eventually, “Car warm enough for you and the little-un?”
“Sure Spike.” she replied, glancing over at him. “It’s fine.”
Spike turned to meet her eyes, and they both smiled; sharing a long moment of silence.
But then the tranquillity was shattered as Dawn screamed-
“Spike Look Out!” and his eyes flew back to the road, in time to see the attractive blond smashing into the front of his Desoto.
“Oh my God!” Buffy cried as the woman was thrown through the air. “Spike, stop; we have to call an ambulance!”
The car screeched to a stop and the three Summers women had thrown off their seat belts and departed the car in an instant, running towards the fallen body of the blond woman.
“My gosh, are you okay?” Joyce cried as they neared her, but Buffy was the first to falter as the woman began to rise, cursing to herself.
“Frickin’ Hell, what is wrong with these mortals. If I’ve broken a nail then I’ll be taking legal action.”
“Guys wait.” Buffy called as her mother and sister drew closer to the woman who was evidently becoming more and more agile. “Mom, Dawn; get back here now.”
“Ahh, Buffy Buffy Buffy.” the woman said, turning around with a flick of her curly blond hair. She smoothed her hands down over her dress and gave her nails a quick once over. “So I have a friend.” she finally stated, looking up at the Slayer, who had been joined by a vampire (who seemed to be oozing far too much protectiveness for normality) and the rest of her family.
“Really.” Buffy asked, trying to sound disinterested, whilst concealing her fear effectively.
“Buffy, who is this?” Joyce asked.
“It’s Glory.” Dawn quickly informed her in a hushed voice.
“Yes, I have a friend.” Glory said, rolling her eyes. “And his name is Ben.” she strolled over to the vampire’s car, enjoying the sense of power she was alluding as she splayed herself across the bonnet, crossing her legs slowly and seductively. Her eyes narrowed slightly to a glare when the vampire showed no signs of arousal what-so-ever at her little show.
“Ben?” Buffy repeated, confused.
“Yes. He’s a doctor. And he tells me...” Glory smiled, taking pleasure in drawing out her revelation, “He tells me the Slayer is pregnant. Almost six months gone.”
Buffy crossed her arms defensively, and didn’t protest as Spike moved to stand in front of her; his face set with determination. If this woman tried anything, she was as good as dead.
“Oh please,” Glory sneered, glaring at the stupid vampire. “Like you could-”
“If you touch her. I’ll kill you.”
The Hell bitch looked extremely pissed at having been interrupted, and she thumped her fist down on the bonnet of Spike’s Desoto, smiling with satisfaction at the flinch that crossed his face as she dented its vintage paint work.
“Well, if there was any doubt, you’ve just confirmed that little miss Buffy really is pregnant.”
“So what if I am?” the Slayer demanded, glaring defiantly at Glory from behind her vampiric protector. “You think I’d let you hurt my-”
“Ah ah ah.” Glory tutted. “Not yours girl. Mine.”
The Hell God smiled evilly at the look of confusion and evident fear that washed Buffy’s features.
“Do you know what else happened six months ago Buffy?” Glory asked, her eyes glinting with her superior knowledge. “Well, do you?”
Buffy stared at her.
“Monks. They took my key and they hid it. They gave it human form.”
Buffy’s hand fell to her stomach, and she frowned, her heart thumping in her chest. She knew it wasn’t true. She knew Dawn was the key. But the look of conviction on Glory’s face told her just how strongly the Hell God believed her own words, and the Slayer backed away slowly.
“You’re wrong.” the young woman said, tears collecting in her eyes. “She isn’t the key.”
“She’s not the key.” Spike repeated; fires blazing in his eyes.
Dawn made to take a step forward, ready to confess her true identity to the Hell-bitch who surly would kill her; but Spike growled, instantly sensing her movement and inconspicuously pushing her back behind him and pinning her there with strong arms.
“No.” he hissed.
Glory mistook Dawn’s movement as an attempt to protect her sister and the unborn child, and she laughed harshly.
“Little girl, I could crush you like an ant. You’re entire existence is meaningless to me.”
“Dawn- get out of here now. Mom; go with her.” neither of the women moved, and Buffy turned around, yelling “Go!”
“Slayer-” Spike started, but Buffy interrupted.
“Spike, I need you right here. Please.”
I need you.
“Right.” Spike agreed, maintaining his protective position in front of the Slayer. He raised his fists, and then spoke directly to Glory, “If you even try to hurt her-”
“Please.” Glory said sarcastically. “I need my key alive or it just won’t work, which means, until little key-face is born, you’re stupid Slayer is safe.”
Spike’s eyes narrowed into an intense glare and he prepared to-
But then she was gone from sight.
“Buffy...” Joyce said, “Are you okay sweet heart?”
“She thinks my baby is the key.” Buffy replied, not really answering her mother’s question at all. “She’s going to take her. As soon as she’s born, she’s going to take her.”
“Not going to happen.” Spike said.
And he caught the beautiful Slayer as she collapsed with her despair. Collapsed right into his waiting arms.
“We have to get her home.” he said absently. “Niblet, get the car door. Mum, make sure nothing’s broken.”
The two females nodded, beginning their assessment of the car, then helping Spike to place Buffy gently down on the front seat.
“Spike...” Dawn whispered as he stroked hair away from his Slayers face. “Glory’s so big and scary... What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to protect her.” Spike said. “There will be spells and... And...”
Buffy’s eyelids flickered a little, and she murmured. “And Spike is going to move in.”
.................................................................
None of the Summers women protested when Spike made a detour to his crypt on the way back to their home. And none of the Summers women were confused or alarmed when he ran back out to the car three minutes later carrying a bag, with his duster slung over his shoulder.
Nor did any of the Summers women question him when he got back into the car and drove on to Rovello Drive without saying a single word.
He moved into the basement that night, setting himself up a training room so he could get into better shape in anticipation of Glory’s attack. Somewhere along the line, a plan formed for Spike, Buffy and her family to get out of town just as soon as the baby was born, for fear of what the Hell God would do to them if they stayed. Buffy knew this meant possibly never seeing her high school friends ever again, but she had to put her family first.
If they couldn’t accept her daughter, then they were going to have to be left behind.
She and Spike were fully capable of protecting the baby once she was born, Dawn needed to be protected from Glory just as much as Buffy’s unborn child did, and Joyce could never be left behind.
So now Spike was spending his days and his nights, training in the basement in preparation for the coming battle.
A battle he knew he would fight to the death.
“Don’t you get tired?” came a voice from the top of the stairs, and Spike flinched as the surprise threw him off balance, causing him to slam his fist into the wall, which cracked upon impact. “Oh God, sorry!” Buffy cried, attempting to run down the steps to his side, but managing nothing more than a rather undignified waddle. “Are you okay?” she asked, catching his now bleeding fist in her hands and checking it over quickly.
“Slayer...” Spike said, and she dropped his hand in an instant.
“Sorry.” she said, backing away a little, as if she thought he was annoyed by her invasion of his personal space (which he really wasn’t), “It’s just my mothering instinct making itself known again. I tell you, my hormones are all over the place right now.”
Spike chuckled, running a hand through his hair and shaking the perspiration from his neck and face. “S’okay love. S’a little bit adorable.”
“Shut up.” Buffy said, pushing him in the shoulder, “You know that anyone this fat is completely incapable of being adorable.”
It was true, she really had gotten huge over the previous few weeks, and months of pregnancy had finally caught up with her. Not that it did anything to diminish her intense beauty.
“Adorable.” he mocked, dancing out of the way as she tried to hit him with angry fists. “Adorable and fat.”
“Shut up!” she moaned. “You big idiot.”
“Harsh.” Spike stated. “Anyone would think that I wasn’t putting my arse on the line for you and your little unborn one. Running away with you.”
Buffy, embarrassed by the mention of everything he was doing and had done so willingly for her, tried to make light of the situation as she said. “You’re not here by choice Spike.”
When he looked suddenly hurt by her words, she quickly realised how bad her sentence must have sounded, and she laughed as she said.
“I mean you’re not here by you’re own choice. You’re like a hostage.”
“A hostage?” he repeated, eyebrow raising as he realised she hadn’t meant to hurt him.
“Yep, you couldn’t leave this house even if you wanted to.” she said, smile tugging at his lips. “The Summers women aren’t letting you go that easily. Ever again.” then she tapped her fist gently against his arm in mimic of their many fights. “You’re a part of this family Spike.”
The feeling of her hot hand against his arm sent a rush of life through his veins, and his eyes lit up as she smiled at him with what looked like affection.
“Well I’m gonna leave you to the little sweat-pit you got goin’ on down here, but mom told me to tell you to just come on up if you feel like some cocoa, or a bit of a gossip with Dawnie.”
She smiled at him again, and then he watched her waddle back up the stairs adorably; a genuine smile of his own spread across his face.
Goddamit; he loved her so much.
................................................................
Buffy was in her eighth month of pregnancy when Joyce started feeling ill again. The older woman wanted to stay by her daughter’s side to ensure she was safe, but at Buffy’s insistence, she went back into hospital for further tests.
The doctors wanted to keep her in for longer, but the mother of two told them she had better things to do, and discharged herself, telling her daughters and Spike that the tests had come up clear, and she was perfectly healthy.
“That’s great mom.” Buffy said, wrapping her arms around the eternal comfort that was her mother, and feeling Dawn embrace her from the other side.
The three women stood in that close embrace for several moments, basking in the comfort and silence of family unit. And then they all looked at Spike, who stood a few feet away, gazing at them with something which looked a little bit like envy, though it was almost completely swamped by an intense look of love.
“Spike, come here.” Joyce said, holding her arms out to him.
“Glad you’re okay mum.” he said, looking down and allowing her to wrap her arms around him. Feeling nothing but love for each of the heartbeats he could hear within the four walls around them. “I love you mum.”
“I love you too William. We all do.” she held him a little tighter. “I know you’ll make an incredible father. I know you’ll never ever let my daughter down.
And one month later, Joyce was rushed back into hospital.
.....................................................................
After Buffy reached her ninth month of pregnancy, her temper seemed to be worn as thin as the punching bag Spike was practicing on, and her fear of what would happen to her daughter after she was born, mingled with concern for her hospitalised mother, had turned her into an angry overloaded hormone time bomb, which unfortunately, often seemed to explode all over Spike.
He got used to it quickly.
“Spike!” she yelled, throwing her hands up, “Just back off- I’m so not in the mood for you!”
“S’always gotta be about you pet hasn’t it.” he retorted, stepping away from her anyway.
“Don’t ‘pet’ me!” she yelled, her face red with rage as she glared at him. Spike noticed the look on her face slowly change as her sentence repeated itself in her head, and he wondered whether it was safe to go back to their usual joking.
“Don’t pet you?” he repeated, eyebrow raising surreptitiously.
The slight smile dropped from her face, and the glare reappeared with a vengeance.
“Shut up you stupid idiot.”
Spike raised his hands, deciding not to take any offence to her hormone-induced rage, and taking a step back from her.
She took another step toward him; a finger raised in accusation as she glared at him with a burning hatred.
“Do you know why I really hate you?” she asked, ignoring his slight flinch which he tried, unsuccessfully, to cover with a shrug. “Because you’re so gutless.” she declared. “And because you’re my enemy and you think you have the right to hang around. You think I want you here, just because I don’t have anyone else.”
“If you want me to go love, you know that I will.”
Slight panic flashed in her eyes, but she quickly tried to hide it, whilst reasoning; “No. You’re not getting away that easily, you worthless little crap. I need someone to scream at after all.”
Spike sighed. “Fine; you do what you like Summers.”
“I fully intend to.” she announced, crossing her arms. “If I want to stake you, then I will. If I want to punch you-” a fist landed square on his jaw, knocking him to the ground, “-Then I will.”
She stood over him, glaring whole-heartedly, when suddenly she grasped her stomach, her face contorting with pain as she whispered “Spike...”
Anger all but forgotten, he was at her side in an instant.
“Buffy love...”
They both glanced down at the puddle of water that had formed between her legs, and Buffy flushed with embarrassment.
“Hey now pet,” Spike said instantly, his hand raising without thought to her shoulder, “Don’t be embarrassed love. Baby’s on her way.”
“My waters?”
“Broken.” he swept the hair off her shoulder, the smile grand on his face as she allowed him to do this, “Come on Slayer. Let’s get you to my car. I’ll drive you to the hospital.”
When she didn’t move, he looked back at her, and was surprised to recognise the fear in her eyes.
“Slayer?”
“Will... Will you stay with me when we get there?” she asked, her eyes dipping down as if she feared he’d refuse. As if he wouldn’t do anything for her. “I don’t wanna be alone, and since mom’s in hospital and all of my friends are mad at me-”
“Not all your friends Buffy.” he replied, and she didn’t miss the significance of his comment. Silence surrounded them for a few moments, until eventually he said. “You know I’ll stay with you love. As long as you want me to.”
“I want you to. I do.” she grabbed his hand, “You know I don’t mean any of it. You know that Spike.”
“I know that.” he agreed, though truthfully he hadn’t known at all.
“I need you Spike; I really do. You know I would have died without your help; me and my baby, and more than once too.” her eyes averted once more and nodding at the door, she asked “Can we go now?”
..........................................................................
“Can you tell my mom?” she asked, looking at Spike as the nurse led her to the sterile looking bed, “Can you tell her my baby’s on her way?”
“Sure.” he said, taking her hand and helping her onto the bed, before turning to leave. “I’ll be right back love.”
She squeezed her eyes tight shut, nodding, and waiting for him to come back.
It didn’t take him long.
“She’s delighted love.” he told her, “Wouldn’t bloody stop kissing me.” he added, causing Buffy to giggle, then wince with pain as another contraction made itself known to her.
“Are you in much pain love?” he asked, kneeling by her side and taking her hand into hers. “Do you want to have something to make it go away?”
She shook her head, gripping his hand. “No. It’s almost...” she paused, then sighed with relief. “Over.” she smiled at him then, her hand loosening from around his, “I can handle it Spike. Don’t you worry about me.”
He smiled at her, ghosting his hand across her cheek, and he knew. It’d all be okay now.
“Can you call Dawn?” Buffy whispered. And he smiled.
“Already did it.” he told her. And her smile matched his.
“You realise you’re perfect, right?” Buffy asked, raising a hand to his neck, and pulling him toward her. “Perfect.” she added, letting her lips melt onto his cheek for the briefest second. Then, to his ear she whispered. “Promise me you’ll always be here with me.”