Chapter 67: Explanations
“Where’s my bra?” Buffy asked, hopping about the mat as she pulled her pants up over her hips. Spike couldn’t help but feel a stirring in his trousers at the sight of Buffy’s pert breasts bouncing about as she searched for her bra.
“Dunno.”
“You threw it over your shoulder, and…aha!” She found it draped over the Pomell horse. After she quickly retrieved it and fastened it, she pulled her shirt on. Spike lay there, arms folded behind his head, clad only in his pants. “Come on. Finish getting dressed.”
“Rupert won’t be here for another hour, luv.”
“I know,” she blushed, “but…”
“But what?” He stood now and crossed the gap between them, pulling her against him.
“I just got dressed,” she giggled.
“That’s what clothes were made for…taking off…”
“I think that’s pretty wrong,” she laughed, as his lips brushed against her pulse. “Oh, maybe not.” His arm snaked around her body, pulling her in closer. But just as his lips met hers, she let out a little yelp of surprise. “Oh!”
“What?”
“Did you feel that?”
“Feel what?”
“She kicked!”
“She…”
“The baby kicked!” She pulled back from Spike and placed both of her hands on her stomach. She jumped in surprise again when she felt the fluttering inside of her. “There it was again! Oh my God!” Spike’s eyes were wide with curiosity, and he placed his hand on Buffy’s stomach. She moved it to where she’d felt the movements herself, and when she looked up at him expectantly, he realized the baby must have kicked again.
“I don’t feel it,” he said a bit glumly. Buffy frowned.
“Well, the baby books say it could be a while. But I felt her. Oh wow. It was…I can’t even…I’ve never felt anything like that before.” She bit her lower lip and grinned down at her small but evident belly.
“Maybe she’s got her mum’s strength.”
“Let’s face it. She’s gonna be pretty strong. With the blood running in her veins…”
“Ah, I think you forget, pet. She’s got William the Bloody Awful Poet’s blood running through her veins. For all we know, she could be a super strong nerd with absolutely no social skills.” Buffy frowned.
“I don’t think so,” she laughed. She felt the little flutters, almost like nervous butterflies, once again. “This is so…wow. I can’t wait until you can feel her, Spike. It’s like she’s telling me she’s really here. That she’s ok.” Spike beamed down at his wife.
“Look at you. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, excited about a few gurglies in the stomach.” He was teasing, but she knew he was just as giddy about it as she was.
“Shut up,” she laughed. “I’m happy.”
“Me too, pet. Maybe more than I should be.” Buffy wrapped her arms around him and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him softly. She pulled back a little and cocked her head to the side.
“I like it when you’re happy.”
“Yeah?”
“Yep.”
“Good,” he murmured. “’Cause that’s all I’ll ever be when I’m with you.” Buffy grinned, and Spike rolled his eyes. “Sorry, luv. The bad poetry is gonna keep coming. It tends to happen without…” But she cut him off with a kiss. After she pulled back, he shrugged his shoulders.
“Like the poetry talk, do you, luv?”
“Maybe a little.”
“Oh, I’ve got a million poems, luv.” She smiled a little and pulled away.
“Good. I’ll remember that.” She giggled and scooted away and made her way into the main part of the store. She turned the lights on and looked around the place.
After Spike finished dressing, he joined her.
“You know, Rupert really needs to think about tightening security. Maybe in an ordinary town, nobody would care about the piddily earnings of a magic shop keeper, but on the Hellmouth?”
“Yeah, it was pretty easy to get in here.” Buffy shrugged.
“You know Giles. He’s probably got the place protected from unwanted ‘guests’ during off hours.” Spike rolled his eyes.
“If that were the case, pet, I wouldn’t be standing here would I?”
“Oh, shush,” she insisted. “As long as you’re my husband, you’re always wanted around here.”
“By Rupert?”
“Well, I don’t know about him, but as long as I’m here, I want you around.” She beamed at him.
“You know, I’m gonna have to start writing these down.”
“What?”
“See, I’ve got a theory,” he pointed out, hopping up to sit on the counter, spreading his legs a little as Buffy stepped between them and placed her hands on his thighs.
“A theory, hmm?” She kissed his neck.
“Careful, luv,” he moaned, waiting for her to pull back a little. With a little pout on her lips, she finally stepped back about a half centimeter. “See, my theory is that this pregnancy is making you all sweet and snuggly when it comes to ‘ole Spike.” Buffy raised an eyebrow.
“You’re kidding me, right? Have you forgotten about me locking you and Xander up together in the cabin? Or the other day when I threw something at your head.”
“It was a shirt. Hardly worth mentioning, pet.” Buffy rolled her eyes again.
“I’m nice when I wanna be. But who says things are gonna change when the baby comes? Sure, we’ll have an extra, albeit tiny person around who’s probably, if she takes after her daddy, going to want her mother’s attention twenty-four-seven, but other than that…”
“Hope she doesn’t mind sharing,” Spike pointed out, leaning in to kiss her softly. Just as Buffy was about to say something, the phone rang, and they both groaned in unison. “Who the bloody hell is calling before store hours?” Buffy rolled her eyes and shrugged, but she walked over to pick up the phone.
“Magic Box.”
“Buffy?” Buffy’s breath caught in her throat. Spike eyed his wife and slid off of the counter. “Is this Buffy?”
“Yeah,” she said quietly. “I…Angel?” Spike tensed, and Buffy held a hand up to warn him not to say a word. “What…”
“This is…I don’t know how to say what I’m about to say, so I’ll just…ok, here goes.” Buffy scrunched her brows together, giving Spike a confused look. He stepped over close to her. “I sent you the carousel.”
“What?” Buffy asked, eyes widening. “What the hell were you…”
“Buffy, listen to me, ok? Wesley accidentally let it slip that you were pregnant…with Spike’s baby.” Buffy closed her eyes, and Spike made a mental note to add Wesley to his list of people he would be tempted to bite if it wasn’t for the fact that he didn’t do that anymore.
“Okay,” Buffy said through gritted teeth. “So you thought you’d send me a creepy camera disguised as a gesture of congratulations? Hmm, no, that’s not it, seeing as you didn’t give any indication that you sent it. What the Hell is this, Angel?” She then remembered the carousel sitting in the training room, and she let out a groan. “Oh my God. You saw…”
“No, I didn’t. I just…Cordelia came in and thought it was time to…look, Buffy, I’m worried about you, ok?”
“Well, don’t be worried. Though you might want to warn Wesley that the next time I see him, he might want to turn and run the other way.”
That’s my girl, Spike said with an inward smile.
“Look, when I found out you were pregnant, I made Wesley tell me everything he knew.”
“And you thought that you’d spy on my baby? Make sure it wasn’t evil? Well, it’s not. He told you it’s human, right?”
“Yeah, but…”
“No buts. You had no right! I’m married, Angel.”
“I know. Cordy found out through some friends you went to high school with.”
“Cordy,” Buffy said slowly. “Oh…wow.”
“What?”
“Nothing. I’m just surprised. I didn’t think…”
“Buffy.” Spike cocked his head to the side, wondering why his wife was suddenly concerned about who her ex was or was not shagging.
“No. I just…”
“There’s a lot you don’t know.”
“Well, I thought there was a lot you didn’t know, but it turns out you’ve been spying on me.”
“I just wanted to know that you were safe.”
“I am safe. Spike and I are married, and we’re happy, and we’re doing everything we can to keep this baby safe. Everything’s fine. The baby’s not evil. Ok?”
“I’m not convinced. Maybe you’re not thinking…”
“Oh, I might be pregnant and emotional, but I’m thinking pretty straight. Believe me. I thought a lot about this, ok? I’m getting rid of the camera.”
“I was going to tell you to. I didn’t want you to get the wrong idea.”
“Oh, you have no idea what idea I was getting.” She took a deep breath. “Seriously? A camera? That’s beyond…I don’t even know. They make scary movies about this kind of stuff, Angel!”
“They make scary movies about your husband too, remember?” Buffy sighed.
“Ok, I’m not doing this. I appreciate that you were concerned, but to send a camera to me…to spy on me without even…you could have called! Ever heard of that? ‘Hey, Buffy. Wesley told me you’re pregnant. Congratulations. Oh, by the way, is your baby evil by any chance?” See? How hard is that?
“Buffy, I didn’t…I’m sorry, ok?”
“Yeah, well, you should be. And by the way? Cordelia? How did that…”
“It’s a long story.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve got time.” Spike rolled his eyes and moved back to the counter to pretend not to care but listen intently anyway. “I mean, she knows about the curse. She witnessed Angelus first hand. So…” There was an awkward silence between them, and finally, she heard him let out a slow breath.
“Perfect happiness doesn’t come with sex, unless it’s with…” Buffy felt her stomach twist into knots. “I care about Cordy. I love her. I just…she knows…she accepts what I can give her, and what I can’t. She loves me anyway.”
“Oh,” she said softly, trying to sort out the fact that her ex had just told her he was having sex with Cordelia, because his perfect happiness couldn’t be achieved with her, thought apparently, they were still working together as a couple. “Well, I guess you don’t want to write that in your wedding vows.”
“Who said anything about wedding vows?” he wondered.
“Hey, vampires can get married now, you know? Spike and I are legal. Maybe you and Cordelia…”
“Maybe,” he chuckled. Buffy glanced at Spike, who was watching her from the corner of his eye. He looked away, and she couldn’t help but smile.
“Just…don’t send me anymore weird gifts. I think it’s best from now on if we…you know, only contact each other on a professional level. If I ever need you for an apocalypse, I’ll contact you.”
“For parenting tips? Maybe just talk to Cordy.” Buffy’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“Yeah,” he said quietly.
“Cordelia’s pregnant?”
“No,” he said slowly. “I, uh…I have a son.” Buffy felt floored, and she sat down slowly. “His name’s Connor.”
“Oh…oh my God. I didn’t…”
“I know. I didn’t want you to know.”
“That little weasel.”
“What?”
“Wesley! That whole time I was making him promise not to tell you about me being pregnant, and he couldn’t let it slip that you had a kid?! But of course, he’ll tell you that I’m…”
“Buffy.”
“Sorry.”
“His name’s Connor. Darla…well, she got pregnant, and…”
“Darla?!” Buffy yelped.
“I told you it was a long story. Look, do you want to hear it all or…”
“No. God, no.”
“Ok. Well, she’s dead. Again. Cordy’s helping me raise Connor.”
“Oh.” Buffy thought for a moment and then cleared her throat. “So, you were worried that a half-human, half-vampire baby would mean the end of the world, but a baby born to two…count them, two vampires doesn’t scare you at all?”
“I was terrified. But…I found out he was human. I saw his heart beating on that screen, and…”
“So because he’s your son, you took it at face value that he was good. But you can’t believe that my baby is good too? Want me to send you the sonogram video so you can see the heartbeat for yourself?”
“Buffy, I’m really sorry.”
“Yeah, you said that.” She sighed heavily. “Look, Angel, I don’t need you to look out for me anymore.” She glanced over at Spike, and she practically saw him swell with happiness. “I’m not the girl you used to know. I’ve been through…well, I’ve been through a hell of a lot.”
“I…I know.”
“No. You don’t know. That’s just it. You left, Angel. You left, and that was the end of it. I’ve moved on, ok? I don’t need you rushing in trying to help, because I’ve got Spike now, and he’s all the help I need.”
The conversation went on for several more minutes, but Spike didn’t seem to hear any of it after that. All he could do was stare at her in amazement. They’d come a long way. She was actually ending things on a personal level with the one man that Spike had always carried some sort of jealousy toward when it came to Buffy. Angel had been there for Buffy during the hard times of her younger years, until he left her crushed and alone and scampered off to Los Angeles. Of course, Buffy had been a mere girl then. Now, she was a woman, and Spike felt honored to know that he had been the man she’d needed him to be just when she’d needed him the most.
When Buffy finally hung up, she turned to Spike and eyed him, waiting. He cleared his throat and gazed at her.
“What?”
“Go on.”
“Go on what?”
“Get it all out of your system. I can practically hear the Captain Boring or Captain Forehead comments floating around in your brain.”
“Not saying anything.”
“Oh come on.”
“Can’t believe the things you said to him.”
“Well, they’re true. If you don’t believe them now, after everything we’ve been through, I think we have a serious problem.”
“You know what I mean, pet,” Spike said softly, crossing the room again and taking her hands in hers. “S’just hard to understand sometimes.” Buffy shrugged her shoulders and snuggled up against his chest.
“Yeah, I know.” She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.
“So what’s this I hear about Angel having spawn of his own?” Buffy mumbled something before looking up into Spike’s eyes.
“Yeah. Darla gave birth to Angel’s son. I guess she gave birth. I didn’t want the details.”
“Bloody hell,” Spike murmured.
“Yeah. So apparently Wesley knew a little more about mystical pregnancies than I thought. He just didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut when it came to discussing our case with Angel. I think I can sue for that.”
“No matter,” Spike assured her. “S’over, right?”
“Yeah. At least we know who sent the carousel. But the big problem that remains? Where the hell is Quentin Travers, and why is he taking so long to make his move?”
“Hey, B?!” Buffy and Spike swirled around to see Faith rushing into the shop through the training room.
“Faith? What…”
“It’s Dana. She’s gone. I tracked her as far as I could, but she’s gone.” Buffy’s jaw dropped slightly.
“How did…”
“Looks like Miss Detox isn’t so coma-ish anymore.”
“Great,” Buffy murmured.
“And, she’s having a little trouble. For instance, she didn’t really seem to know who the hell I was, but she remembered Travers.”
“Perfect,” Buffy said quietly, moving toward the door.
“Buffy,” Faith called out. Buffy turned. “She knows Travers is dangerous. Something tells me she doesn’t trust anybody right now.” Buffy nodded.
“You coming with?”
“Yeah, why not. Two Slayers against one psychotic is better than one, right?” Buffy glanced at Spike.
“You’ll stay until Giles gets back? Let him know what happened?”
“Nowhere else to go, pet,” he explained, pointing to the window where early rays of sunshine were seeping in.
“Right,” she recalled. “Ok. We’ll be back soon.” With that, Buffy and Faith left the Magic Box in search of Dana.
[Reviews - 587]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 2323 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
Please be sure to read Chapters 65 and 66 before reading this one. I've updated them very quickly the past couple days.
Chapter End Notes:
Let me know what you thought! Thanks!