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Chapter 10

Buffy burst through the emergency room doors, cursing herself for taking the extra time to get to her mother's side. She shouldn't have listened to Giles when he had suggested a set up, but knew he had a point. Her son had been safe though, of that Buffy was sure. And now she had her son with her, exposing him to god knows how many germs that lingered on every surface in the hospital. Ugh, how she hated hospitals.

"Joyce Summers?" She said to the admitting clerk at the registration desk. Luckily, she was dealt with in a timely and efficient manner, and it was long before they were directed back into the main hub of the emergency room, a massive influx of perpetual motion. Joyce was in a private room, and Buffy rushed in. Her mother opened pain filled eyes in her direction and encompassed them all in a weary smile. She looked pale and tired, but Buffy was just happy to see her awake.

"Mom! What happened?"

"It was so stupid. I tripped."

Giles stepped forward and asked something he was anxious to get cleared up. "So, Joyce, can you tell me if Spike had anything to do with this?"

Joyce shook her head wearily. "No, he didn't. He was downstairs. I tripped on one of Blake's toys."

A doctor entered the room at that time, flipping through a chart, thus halting any further conversation in that direction. "Ah good, you must be Ms. Summers family. I'm Dr. Kimball."

"Is she going to be ok?" Buffy asked anxiously, finding herself relieved Spike wasn't implicated in this.

The doctor nodded, looking up at Joyce and smiled. "Yes, I believe she is going to be just fine. She's rather a lucky woman. I believe it safe to say that in this case, quick medical intervention saved her life."

This did not seem to shock Joyce, she'd obviously already heard it, but Giles was stunned by this news. "Perhaps you could elaborate on that?"

"Oh, sorry. Thought you knew. When Ms. Summers fell, she severed her brachial artery on a piece of glass. It's quite possible for a person to bleed out and die as a result, especially since Ms. Summers apparently was unconscious as a result of her fall. But because pressure was quickly applied, it slowed the bleeding down, and allowed it to clot. The other injuries are mostly surface stuff, they've already been sewn up. But that laceration to her arm was a nasty piece of work. There is a possibility of a concussion, so we will be keeping her here overnight for observation, and she does have a fracture of her ankle. One of our orthopedic surgeons will be consulting later today. All in all, she's a lucky woman, it could have been a lot worse. A blood transfusion wasn't even necessary. Yes, quite fortunate. " After giving an encouraging nod to Joyce, he stepped out of the room.

The silence that pervaded the room after the doctor left had Giles and Buffy exchanging shocked glances. "So what happened after you fell, mom?" The concern in Buffy voice was in high evidence.

"I really don't know. I think I was mostly unconscious. I remember waking up at one point, and seeing Spike there. I think it was Spike, he was all fangy and I remember being scared." Joyce replied in a slow slightly slurred voice.

"But he didn't hurt you?"

Joyce shook her head. "No, I don't think so. He said sorry, and his face went back. I think he bandaged me up, then I think I passed out again."

Buffy looked at Giles, who had a pensive look on his face. "How did I get here?" Joyce asked, confusion coloring her voice.

"Spike called 911, I believe." Giles responded.

"Oh. Ok." At that, Joyce closed her eyes and fell asleep, the pain medication she had received finally taking affect.

"Giles, she could have died." Buffy said softly.

"I know"

"Spike saved her."

Giles ripped off his glasses and began polishing the lenses. Heaving a pained sigh, he admitted, "I know. However it's entirely possible that he's trying to lull us into a false sense of security here."

Buffy shook her head. "No, I don't think so. This morning I told him that mom was nervous around him, and he told me he wasn't going to hurt her. And I'm sure he meant it, Giles."

"Dada help gwanma" Blake piped in from his spot in a chair across the room.

"I take it by this change of heart that you and er, Spike, came to some sort of reconciliation last night?"

Looking down at her mom, Buffy nodded. "Yeah, we did. We talked a bit." Looking up at her Watcher, she announced, "Giles, I want to research this claim thing. Can you help me with that?"

Giles nodded hesitantly. "It might be a bit disturbing for you."

"What disturbs me is having Spike be able to throw those little surprise curveballs my way. I need to know what he did to me."

"I have the books at the library. As much as I hate to say this, I have to return to work. As it is, Snyder is sure to investigate the reason I pulled you out of class and closed the library doors during school hours. Will you two be all right?"

Buffy nodded, then looked over at her fidgeting son. "Giles, can you do me a favor?" Giles nodded his agreement. "Can you take Blake back home?"

Giles opened his mouth to argue, but Buffy cut him off. Her body was set with determination as she spoke. "No Giles, so not going to argue with you about this one. It's not fair to Blake for him to be here all afternoon when he could be at home. Spike wanted to watch him, and it was a judgment call earlier that made me say no. Well, now my judgment is saying yes. I didn't grab my diaper bag, I have nothing here for him. I'm asking you to please take him home."

Giles stared at her, wanting to argue, but seeing the steely resolve on her face, he changed his mind. He nodded his consent. Buffy turned to Blake and informed him that Uncle Giles was taking him home.

"With dada?" Blake asked excitedly. Buffy nodded, unable to help the smile at his youthful enthusiasm. It turned into a happy grin when he begin to clap his hands at the thought of being back in his father's presence. Her son was uncannily insightful, and had a strangely good judgment of character for one so young, and Buffy was relieved to see that Blake did not seem to perceive Spike as a threat. Blake had had the misfortune of being with Buffy when they were accosted by a pair of vamps, and Blake had immediately whispered "bad men" to Buffy. She didn't know how he knew, but he did.


With one last glance at the sleeping Joyce, Giles hoisted Blake into his arms, and said to Buffy "I hope you're not going to regret this."

Strangely, Buffy knew she wouldn't. "Giles, it's ok. Really."

Giles gave her a skeptical look, but moved to do as she had asked. He knew he couldn't take him to the library, the one time they had tried that, that bastard Snyder had tried to make Buffy feel like unwed white trash. And now that Blake was able to understand more of what was being said around him, more than he should really, Giles was not willing to put either one of them in that situation. Plus, the library was not set up for a highly inquisitive toddler.

So Giles took the boy home. To his father.

Spike had tried to lose himself in TV, to no avail. He was staring blankly at it, his brain working frantically around itself, when he heard a car in the driveway. Turning the TV down, he waited to see who was here. There was no knock, just the sound of a key being inserted into a lock at the front door, and then what sounded like music to his ears.

"Dada!"

Spike looked over to see his son burst through the door as fast as his little chubby legs would carry him, and a welcoming smile spread across his face. "Hey there, little one." Blake stopped at the couch and raised his arms up expectantly. Spike leaned down and swooped him up, causing an eruption of giggles to commence. He set his son down next to him, and turned to look at Giles.

"How's Buffy's mum?"

"What? Oh, er... she seems to be all right. They will be keeping her overnight for observation." Giles announced, feeling slightly tongue tied, knowing that the vampire deserved some sort of recognition for his deed, but the words did not want to spring forth from his mouth.

"Good. Had a nasty fall, she did."

"Yes, well. It seems we owe you a bit of gratitude." Giles mumbled.

Spike laughed, amused. "That hurt a bit, did it, Watcher?"

"Yes, quite, as a matter of fact." Giles admitted. "Buffy was hoping you'd watch the boy for her."

"Course I will. Already told you I would." At the look on Giles face, Spike felt compelled to add, "Don't worry, he's safe with me."

"Well, you'll have to excuse me if I have a bit of trouble believing that."

Spike shrugged. "Believe what you want. It's the truth."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why the big change?"

Spike directed a piercing looking at Giles. "Because I want what's mine."

Ah, now we're getting somewhere, Giles thought. Sitting down on the chair opposite Spike, he asked. "And what, pray tell, do you consider yours?"

Spike didn't respond, just continued to study the Watcher with that piercing look, making Giles feel slightly uncomfortable. "Ok, since you won't answer, I'm assuming you are referring to Buffy and Blake. Is this correct?"

Spike nodded in confirmation. Giles continued, "So, this whole thing is an elaborate set up so you can take what is yours?"

Spike scoffed at that. "No, you git. I don't want to take them. I want them to take and accept me."

Giles tipped his head to the side, studying the vampire in front of him. "Ah well then. And how do you propose to manage that one?"

Agitation was striking Spike hard, and he tried to quell it. "Dunno, Watcher All I know is that two days ago, I would have ripped you to shreds for daring to speak to me the way you have. But now? Now I'm just willing to sit and take it, and hope that it gets better. Dunno quite what's happening here, but I do know for the first time in my bloody undead life, it's something good. It's something that's not evil."

Giles sat and thought about his words. "So, you're saying you're not as evil as you were two days ago?"

"Thought you were a quick one, Watcher, but that's not what it looks like from my end."

"Were you tempted by all the blood Joyce had lost?"

By the slightly horrified look that flashed across Spike's face, Giles had his answer, and was strangely reassured by it. He got up to leave, saying good bye to Blake, who was fully engrossed in whatever god awful TV program Spike had been watching. "Buffy's at the hospital, don't know when she'll be home. I'll be at the library if you need anything." Then he was gone, and Spike knew that was as close to acceptance he was going to get from Giles at this time. The fact that he had left without issuing any sort of threat spoke volumes, and Spike found himself strangely placated by that fact. Yeah, he was turning all touchy feely all right. But he didn't really care. especially when his son crawled up into his lap and snuggled, and Spike wrapped his arms around him and drew him close. They sat like that, father and son, watching TV, until both fell asleep not long too after.

And that was how Buffy found them an hour later Spike sprawled on his back along the length of the couch, her son, no correction, THEIR son laying face down on his chest, deeply asleep. It was a strangely domestic scene, and that along with the heightened emotions that the day had brought, caused Buffy to fight the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

Spike opened his eyes at the sound of sniffling in the room, and saw Buffy standing there, obviously upset, as she fought a valiant battle against a pool of tears that slid down her cheeks. Scooting over a bit, he extended his arm out to her. "Come 'ere" He told her in a sleep roughened voice.

Buffy started a bit, so caught up in her little emotional trip, she hadn't realized he was awake. She looked down at him warily, but saw only concern on his face. He grabbed her hand pulled her to the side of the couch. "Lay down." he ordered gruffly. She stiffened a bit, causing him to growl a bit in displeasure. Then he said something that shocked her. "Please. Lay down with us."

She looked like she was going to bolt, but finally allowed herself to curl up next to him on the small space he had provided for her on the couch, her arm flung over Blake where he lay sleeping on Spike's chest, Buffy's head pillowed on his shoulder. Her body was stiff at first at the intimate contact, but she finally allowed herself to relax. When Buffy felt the lips press gently against the top of her head, it all became too much, and the tears came again in earnest. This time though, they were for her mother.

"Shhh, it's ok." Spike whispered against her hair.

"Oh god, Spike. I almost lost her."

"You didn't though. She's going to be ok, right?"

Buffy nodded her head, adding in a whisper, "Thanks to you."

Spike ignored her words, and continued with his reassuring words. "She'll be home soon, good as new. You'll see."

His voice was so soothing that Buffy felt herself drift off to sleep. She had only intended to come home to check on how things were here, but she was so tired, and right now, she was so comfortable, pressed against Spike and Blake. Strangely, she felt safe. Ok, how weird was that?

It might have been hours later or just minutes before they were awakened by the sound of voices. Loud and accusing voices that had Buffy cringing.

"Oh merciful zeus, please tell me I'm not seeing this."

"Sorry Xander." Willow's voice was apologetic, but curious. It was actually kinda sweet. Well, if one of the three on the couch wasn't an evil vampire and everything.

"Willow, Xander, that's quite enough." Giles voice sounded through with its usual authoritative presence. He too was a bit taken aback by the curiously domestic scene on the couch, and Spike's earlier words about wanting to be be accepted by them sounded through his head. He hadn't had the time to do any quality research, to see if anything could be found that could explain the supernatural conception of Blake's existence. Buffy had been insistent prior to this that she didn't want him delving into possible prophecies, she'd rather not know. But now, it seemed remiss on his part to have listened to her requests.

"What do you sods want?" Spike grumbled, elation going through him that Buffy had not leapt from the couch or from his arms at this intrusion. He knew she was awake and irritated.

"We came to check and make sure Buffy and Blake were still among the living, you bloodsucker." Xander remarked heatedly.

Buffy opened her eyes at that point and looked at Xander. "I'm fine, just tired. And try to keep your voice down ok? Blake's still asleep."

"I knew it! He's got you under that thrill thing again, doesn't he?"

Spike snorted. "It's thrall, genius. And no, she's not under anything."

"Yeah, like I believe that one." Xander retorted, ready to stalk over to the couch.

"Xander, cease." Looking over at Buffy, he added, "We went to the hospital, but you weren't there." Before Buffy had a chance to ask the question, Giles answered it for her. "Don't worry, your mother is quite well. We just came by to see if you needed anything."

Buffy shook her head wearily, her red rimmed eyes prominent on her too pale face. "No, I'm fine."

"Well then, we'll be on our way. Give us a ring if you need anything." Giles told her, as he headed to the front door.

"We're not leaving them here with that murderous thing, are we?" Xander asked in an incredulous voice.

"Yes, Xander, we are. Buffy is the slayer, after all. If she has a problem with him, I am quite sure she knows what to do about it." With that, they were out the door, and Buffy and Spike were alone again. As alone as one can be with a sleeping child thrown in the mix.

"Your mate Xander is a breath of fresh air." Spike commented dryly.

"I don't want to talk about him." Buffy announced, closing her eyes again and sighing lightly. She felt Spike's arm tighten around her, and snuggled closer.

tbc...
yeah yeah, so i'm evil. What else is new?
Please let me know what you think of the direction of this story! I'm paranoid here. Yep.





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