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Chapter 58: It’s Been a Long Time

“Everything looks great, Mrs. Pratt,” Dr. Jones said with a warm smile. “Congratulations on the wedding, by the way.”

“Thanks,” Buffy grinned, glancing over at Spike, who was mesmerized and obviously a little freaked out by the dilation chart on the wall. He formed a model of the ten centimeter image with his hands, turned toward Buffy with wide eyes, and looked back at his hands. He suddenly felt very sorry for the fact that she was going to have to go through something like that.

“I’d like to set up an appointment for another ultrasound next month.”

“Will we be able to find out what the baby is?” Buffy wondered, wiping the clear jelly off of her stomach with a paper towel. She lowered her shirt.

“Well, I prefer waiting until about twenty weeks to be safe, but we can try and determine the sex at sixteen weeks if you’d like.” Buffy smiled, nodding her head.

“He thinks it’s a girl, and he’s got me calling it a girl. I just wanna know, so that our baby doesn’t come out, you know, hating us for calling it a her all this time if it’s a boy.”

“I wouldn’t worry, Buffy,” Dr. Jones laughed. “Just be happy that you have a healthy baby, and focus on that. Your pregnancy is progressing very well. And you’re taking the prenatal vitamins.”

“Yep. Chock full of healthy.”

“When she’s not filling her belly with donuts and chocolate,” Spike pointed out. Buffy scoffed, dropping her jaw.

“Please!” she laughed. “You practically shoved the donuts down my throat.” She turned to Dr. Jones. “He thinks I’m supposed to gain seven hundred pounds just because I’m pregnant.”

“Well, I definitely wouldn’t recommend that,” the doctor grinned, “but cut him a little slack. I’m guessing this is his first baby too?”

“Oh yeah,” Buffy chuckled.

“Neither one of us really know what the hell we’re doing, Doc,” Spike murmured, making his way over toward the exam table. “We’re reading the baby books, but…” Dr. Jones’ eyes widened in surprise. “What?” She turned to Buffy.

“You actually got him to read the books?”

“Yeah,” Buffy laughed. “This morning, he told me that the baby was about the size of a shrimp. I just know I’m going to dream about shrimp cocktails, and it’s going to completely scar me for life.”

“What. Says it in the baby book,” Spike shrugged.

“Yes, well, the baby is about that size, but don’t worry. It’s far from being a shrimp.” Buffy smiled at that.

“Thanks, Dr. Jones.”

“Alright, if you don’t have any questions, you can meet the receptionist at the desk, and she’ll schedule your appointment for next month.” Buffy nodded and got up off the table. “Don’t forget these.” The doctor handed her the newest scans of Bitty Buffy. She didn’t look so much like a peanut anymore. There was a definite profile, and it looked like she had her daddy’s nose already.

“Thanks,” Buffy murmured, flashing the doctor a smile before heading out the door.

***

“Thought we were going to patrol?” Spike pointed out, as Buffy dragged him into one of the only little clothing shops in town that closed late at night.

“Shop first, slay later,” she pointed out. “I might be Chosen, but I’m also pregnant and in desperate need of new clothes.”

“What can I do for you?” a young shop girl asked, walking up to the couple. Buffy pulled back her coat to reveal her growing belly that was straining against the fabric of her shirt. “Oh, I see.”

“Yeah. Tell me about it.” She handed her purse to Spike and led him over to a chair. “You sit here, and I’ll model for you.”

“More pictures for our private collection, luv?” Buffy shot him a glare as the shop girl stifled a laugh.

“Not that kind of modeling, you big perv.” Spike sighed and slumped down in the chair, while Buffy went around picking out clothes that she would actually be caught dead in.

Smiling as she browsed, Buffy thought about how in about another month, she might know whether she’d be shopping pink or shopping blue. The thought of having a daughter all dressed in pink dresses with pigtails made her heart go pitter patter, but the thought of a little boy with his daddy’s smile and bright blue eyes was just as awe-inspiring.

Spike watched her rub her belly as she looked for a few nice outfits. He was speechless. The thought of the Slayer carrying his child, smiling at the thought of sharing this with him…well, it was still pretty hard to comprehend. But he wasn’t going to question in. No, sir. Everything was just perfect, and he couldn’t ask for more. He refused to ask for less. He’d had a taste of what was to come, and he wanted all of it.

Buffy finally made her way into the fitting room, and the sales girl flounced over to Spike, practically shoving her firm, round ass in his face as she bent over to pick something up off of the floor and return it to its proper place on the shelf.

“So, this is your first baby, I take it?” she asked.

“Why’s everybody say that?” he muttered.

“Oh, I know a first timer when I see one,” she giggled. Spike couldn’t see, but Buffy was rolling her eyes behind the fitting room door. “’Course, I don’t have any kids myself. Haven’t found the right man yet.” She turned around, batting her eyes at him. She might as well have squeezed her boobs together and rubbed them in his face.

“Yeah,” Spike muttered, groaning internally at the woman’s blatant disregard for the pregnant woman behind the fitting room door. “Well, keep looking. I’m sure he’s out there somewhere.” The woman frowned a little but went back to her work, eyeing Spike the whole time. “How’s it coming, luv?”

“You’ll have to wait and see,” she called. Spike frowned, stood up, and poked his head over the door, catching an eyeful as Buffy tucked her fuller breasts inside a low-cut but flattering maternity shirt. He whistled slowly and appreciatively, and she gasped looking up. Putting her hand over his face, she pushed him back, and he stumbled away from the door laughing.

“That’s what I call a hot mama.”

“Oh, clever. Think of that all on your own, did ya?” Spike was just about to say something, when out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of blonde hair rush by the shop window. He quickly looked in that direction to see another form rush by.

“Bloody hell,” he muttered.

“What?”

“I just saw…” The shop girl came waltzing back over, and Spike cleared his throat.

“Something I have to do. You know, for work.”

“Work? What…oh! Need my help?”

“S’alright, pet. Think I can take care of it. I’ll meet you here as soon as I’m finished.”

“Be careful.”

“Always, pet.” He tossed Buffy’s purse over the fitting room door and made a dash for the door. The shop girl, looking utterly bewildered, stared after him for a few moments before returning to her job.

***

Spike stalked silently through the cemetery, keeping an eye out for his prey. He’d followed the figure all the way to the gates of Restfield cemetery, but now there was no sign of the demon or its potential victim.

“Here kitty, kitty, kitty,” Spike murmured under his breath, sweeping his gaze around the darkened corner of the cemetery. He’d been walking about for a good half hour now, and all was still. He knew he should get back to Buffy, but the nagging feeling in his gut told him that danger was still afoot.

It was then that he heard the familiar grunts and guttural groans of battle, and he headed in the direction of the fight. It was then that the blonde wisp of hair he’d glanced early came into view. A young, blonde girl, probably about seventeen, came scrambling out of the bushes. She nearly bowled Spike over, and he caught her.

“She’s gonna kill me,” she cried. “Help!”

“Where are you, you little bitch?” Spike was surprised to hear the female voice as the figure emerged from the bushes. Tall, dark, and very fucking deadly. A stake in one hand, crossbow in the other, she looked ready to murder anything that moved.

“You gonna get out of my way?” she asked, cocking her hip out just a little. Spike stared at her, eyes boring into hers, wondering who the hell this woman thought she was. “I’m kinda in the middle of killing her.” Spike turned to see the blonde girl, this time, ready to play. Her face had changed, and her eyes had yellowed. Fangs bared, she leapt past Spike and at the other woman, straining to take a nasty bite out of her pretty little neck.

“Oi!” Spike growled, vamping out as he lunged at the blonde vamp. He pulled her off and spun her around. He reached for the stake in his pocket but realized it was missing. Bloody fucking perfect. “Stake!” He glared at the dark-haired woman, who stared back in astonishment.

“No fucking way, man!” Spike tossed the blonde vampire off of him, and she landed hard against the side of a crypt. Aiming her crossbow, the other woman directed the arrow at the vampire’s heart, and within seconds, nothing was left but a coating of dust on the ground and the two victors of the attack. However, when the woman turned toward him, he knew he was about to become her next target.

“Whoa, ok, I’m on your si…” He didn’t get another syllable in before the sole of her boot connected with his face. “Sodding hell!” He growled, unable to hold back his demon. He jumped up, lunging at the woman in order to disarm her. No way was he letting this little bitch take him out.

She fell to her back, pulled her knees up, lunging the peroxide vampire over her head, smiling when she heard him land against a tombstone with a satisfying thud.

“What the bloody hell is your problem, woman?” he growled, pulling himself up off the ground. “I tried to tell you I’m not your enemy!”

“Try saying that with a straight and less bumpy face,” she suggested, coming at him again with a roundhouse kick. He caught her ankle just before her boot could connect with his head again, and he twisted, sending her crashing to the ground. Groaning, she swiveled her hips and her legs in order to kick his legs out from under him, and he fell next to her, hitting the back of his head on an above-ground tree root.

Before he even had the chance to sputter in pain, she was crawling over him like a panther—a panther in tight, black leather pants straight out of the 90s—and her fist connected with his nose. He attempted to hit back, but he hesitated for only a brief moment when she saw that she was already pretty banged up. That half a second was all she needed to grab her stake and rip through the air toward his heart. However, before the weapon connected with his chest, a stylish yet affordable boot blocked the attack and sent the stake careening into a tree.

Spike’s attacker looked up in time to see the toe of the boot coming at her face. She lunged back, and the boot caught her in the chest, sending her flying backward and onto the ground.

Spike looked up to see the love of his life standing over him. She smiled at him and reached out. He took her hand and stood, brushing himself off.

“You ok?”

“Yeah. My hero,” he grinned.

“Hold this.” Buffy handed him her purse, and he glanced over to see several shopping bags piled on the ground. His kind of woman. Deadly and a fast shopper. He brought his hand to his nose and made sure it wasn’t broken before turning his attention back to his wife.

Buffy stood over the woman who’d been attacking her husband. The woman was laying face first on the ground, and when Buffy tugged at her shoulder and turned her over, her eyes widened with surprise.

“Faith?” Faith squinted up at the woman hovering over her. After the initial appearance of shock had worn off of her face, she smirked up at her old friend-turned-foe.

“Hey, B.” Immediately backing away from the other Slayer, Buffy eyed her warily. Faith stood up, rubbing the spot on her chest where Buffy had kicked her. “That’s gonna leave a mark. You hit a lot harder than you used to.”

“Yeah, well,” Buffy muttered. “I happen to hit a lot harder when the good guys are getting beat on. He’s with me.” Faith quirked an eyebrow and looked at Spike.

“You’re protecting vampires now?” She couldn’t help herself. “Are you the bad Slayer now?” She had to push it a little bit more. “Am I the good Slayer now?” Buffy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

“I don’t know what you are, Faith. And I don’t know what you’re doing here, but I don’t have time for this. What are you doing in Sunnydale…and not in prison?”

“Didn’t ya hear? I’m free.”

“Since when?” A smile spread over Faith’s face, and she shook her head.

“It’s been a long time, B.”


Chapter End Notes:
Ok, so I realize I said I didn't think I'd get another chapter up yet, but I didn't end up going to the hospital, and I don't THINK I'm going to have to. Still, it's been a really crummy day, and I could use a little feedback to cheer me up. So please, if you're still reading, leave me a little note...even an anonymous one. :) I'd appreciate it! Thanks!



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