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Chapter 25

Days passed, and then a week, and then they were pulling up outside of a little house on a quiet street, in a small town in Ohio. It wasn’t the most exotic of places, but a Hellmouth was about an hour away in Cleveland. Buffy decided if she was going to bring her children up in a home and be a slayer at the same time, it wouldn’t be directly over the mouth of Hell.

“You’re sure about this, luv? Living together?”

“Like you said, we’re a family,” Buffy said quietly, getting out of the car and standing to look at the house. It was a little smaller than the house in Sunnydale, but considering neither one of them were employed, and both were living off of a certain portion of the money the slayer army was making from private donors in their efforts across the seas, it wasn’t too shabby.

Spike walked around the car and drew Buffy into his arms. “What do you say we go have a rest, and then we go out to patrol tonight?”

“Are you feeling up to it?”

“Never better, luv,” he replied, knowing she was referring to the incident in the hotel lot last week. He gave her a soft kiss on the forehead, and then he pulled her into his arms. “This is really what you want?”

“Oh my God, Spike, how many times do I have to say it? Yes. I want this. I want our family. I want you.” She laced her fingers through his and squeezed his hand. “We’re not the same people we were before. I don’t care about the past, and you know that. I care about right now, and I care about the future.” She moved his hand to her belly.

“In that case, luv,” he whispered, leaning in to caress her lips with his, “let’s go home.” He whisked her up into her arms. For being in her third trimester with twins, she was still surprisingly light. Buffy laughed, throwing her arms around his neck, and she let him carry her up onto the porch, where he fumbled with the keys, all the while holding onto her, and finally crossed the threshold into their new home.

***

“It’s too quiet.”

“That’s a good thing, pet.”

“No, I don’t like it. It means they’re lurking. You were a lurker. I’d turn a corner, and there you’d be.”

“Hey, I wasn’t hiding there, waiting for a chance to kill you…well, most of the time.”

“Thanks. Makes me feel so much better.” She rolled her eyes.

This was their first night patrolling in Hollows, Ohio, the sleepy town that came alive at night with vampires and demons that camped out far enough from the Hellmouth that they felt safe. Well, no more. Buffy had seen a Troth demon lurking outside of their house a couple of nights ago, but he’d been gone before she could get out to him. Apparently, they were drawn to her. Maybe Slayers have an extra strong scent after all. Maybe that’s why Spike could always smell her.

They started up a path at the back of the large cemetery. Despite the small town, the cemetery was twice the size of any they’d patrolled in Sunnydale.

“Come out, you stupid, lurky….lurkers.” Buffy’s patience had plummeted lately, and Spike knew just to give her some space. Spike pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket. He placed a cigarette between his lips, and Buffy just stared at him.

“If you smoke that, I’m not kissing you tonight.”

“It’s my last pack, I promise.”

“You said that four packs ago.”

“Last one, I promise. If I buy one more, then…then you can…” Buffy turned and folded her arms.

“I can what?”

“You can….”

“How about this. If you buy one more pack of cigarettes, you have to…” She strained to think of something good. “God, why is this so hard? Just stop smoking, or I’m not having sex with you anymore.”

“You can’t wait forever, pet.”

“Oh, but I can get mine without you.”

“You’re not gonna find another bloke, I can tell you that.”

“I could if I wanted, but I don’t want to. I’m saying, I have other options. They come in nice packages you find in novelty stores.”

“Right, like that’ll do it,” Spike laughed.

“Two words. Energizer. Batteries.” Spike smirked and took Buffy into his arms, pressing her against the wall of a crypt. Without warning, he pressed his lips against hers, and within moments, she was moaning into his mouth, her hands rubbing up and down his back, as he moved his hand along her side, down her thigh, and finally pressed it against her center, feeling how hot she was for him.

“Two words,” he teased, nipping at her neck. “Yeah right.” Buffy moaned softly as be began to rub her, and she closed her eyes, sucking in a sharp breath.

“Spike,” she moaned. “Oh God.” She closed her eye, trying to pull him closer. He made quiet humming noises as he kissed her neck, tasting her sweet skin, and seeking out her lips again. Buffy slowly opened her eyes, only to see a vampire slowly stalking his way toward them. “Spike!”

“That’s right, pet…”

“No! Spike! Vam…oh God…pire. Vampire!” She pushed him away, and he spun around in time to throw a punch into the vamp’s face.

“Bloody hell.” He fumbled for the stake in his pocket, but the vampire was already running off. Buffy, trying to compose herself along the way, headed off in pursuit. Spike ran after her.

“Buffy?!”

“It’s fine, Spike! Stay there!” Buffy exclaimed, rushing around one tomb in order to get the advantage on the vampire, as Spike stuck behind, watching her do all the work as he finally retrieved the stake out of his coat. But when he heard a grunt from her, and then a thud, he ducked around the tomb to see her pinned against the wall. Sneaking up behind the oblivious vampire, who was presently trying to strangle the pregnant slayer, Spike suddenly ripped him away, tossing him backward to land on the ground. In one fluid motion, he swung back, staking the vamp right through the heart, while Buffy looked on in surprise.

“Ashes to ashes,” he muttered. He looked at Buffy, and by the look on her face, he knew he had some explaining to do, but he didn’t have time to start, as another vampire rushed at him, and he rushed at him, hitting the vampire in the gut, causing him to fall backward, hitting his head on a large tombstone. Spike stepped on the vamp’s midsection and plunged the wooden stake through its chest.

Realizing the patrol was over for the night, Spike moved to kneel beside Buffy.

“Are you alright?” He helped her stand.

“What the hell was that, Spike?”

“I was…saving you.”

“Yeah, I noticed. What’s with the vampy strength?” Spike cleared his throat and looked away. “Spike? What the hell did you do?” Something was wrong. Her head was starting to spin. But she was confused, demanding answers, and she was going to get them.

“Buffy, I can explain.”

“You’re not a…”

“No. No, this has been…since before we left California.”

“What?”

“Red…Willow. I talked to her…”

“What happened?” Buffy asked, crossing her arms again. He wrung the stake in his hands, as if attempting to strangle the life out of it, as he sought out the right words in an attempt to not piss her off.

“I asked her to do a spell. She gave me my strength back.”

“And you…you didn’t even think to tell me about it?”

“Luv, this was our first night out patrolling, and…”

“And you’ve had plenty of time to tell me. Spike, what made you think that you needed…”

“This. Right here. This is why.” He motioned toward the wall she’d been pinned against and then toward the pile of vampire dust. “No matter how good you are, Slayer, mistakes are made. They can always be made, by you or by them. When they make the mistake, they get dusted. When you make the mistake…” He shook the thought away from him. “It’s happened before, and I don’t want it happening again. I want you to be safe, and even though I know you can take care of yourself, I want to take care of you too. And take care of me. I don’t want to feel like…like Riley felt when he went out with you.”

“You’re not Riley.”

“Damn straight I’m not. But I just wanted the strength that I had back. No other perks, I promise. Just wanted to be able to hold my own on patrol.” Buffy sighed heavily, placing her head against her forehead, as the world started to slowly spin around her. “Buffy? Luv, are you alright?”

“I think so. I think we should get home.”

“Eight months pregnant with twins? I think that’ll take it out of you, luv.” He pulled his arm around her. “You’re not mad?”

“I’m too tired to be mad right now, Spike.” She closed her eyes, and suddenly, she gripped his arm. He groaned in pain, and Spike held onto her, as she leaned forward, leaning her head against his chest.

“Buffy?”

“Uh…I think we need to get to the hospital.”

“What is it?”

“I think…I think my water just broke.”





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