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Epilogue

“It’s your dime,” Spike answered his cell phone, continuing to work on the car engine that was his current project at work. It was a fun little hobby that paid the bills until he could get his teaching certificate. He’d had to drop down to part-time, but he was almost finished, and he’d start his student teaching next semester.

At the sound of his father’s voice, he suddenly dropped everything and came to full alert. He wouldn’t be calling him in the middle of the afternoon unless...

“What? Now?! Why are you…Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, I’ll meet you there,” Spike finished, clicking off the cell phone and yelling at his boss on the way out the door that Buffy needed him. The old man just nodded an acknowledgment that Spike didn’t even bother to check for. It didn’t matter if he had permission or not, he had to go.

Several minutes later Spike’s motorcycle came to a sliding stop just outside the door to the ER. Knowing glances followed his progress through the corridor to the elevators and again down the hallway of the hospital wing. He was met near the waiting room by his very anxious father, who was holding a sleepy looking Michael while Dawn very animatedly spoke to the nurses at their station.

“What the hell happened? Is she ok? Where is she?” Spike fired off in rapid succession.

“Spike, calm down,” Giles placed a firm hand his shoulder. It helped more than he would ever admit to his father. “Buffy’s water broke, Dawn immediately brought her to the hospital, where she called me. However, the doctor said Buffy’s labor was too advanced to stop and they took her back for immediate surgery,” Giles finished, still having not removed his hand.

“NOW?! They’re... now??? I.. I have to get in there. I have to…” He rambled, but the hand on his shoulder firmly kept him from moving anywhere.

“Spike, they’ve already begun, and apparently once begun, no one is allowed to accompany her,” Giles informed him.

“She’s alone?!” He shouted, causing a worried frown from Michael. The young boy began to squirm and reach for him. He easily took the boy into his arms and settled him down. “Why didn’t you or Dawn go in? At least she wouldn’t be alone. She must be…” His voice choked off.

“Actually, she was quite calm the entire time according to Dawn. And you know as well as I do that Dawn is too young to be allowed back during such a procedure. I didn’t go because truthfully we were all hoping you would make it in time,” Giles explained.

He was trying to get a hold on his obvious agitation, knowing Michael would pick up on it, and he proceeded to pace several angry steps up and down the hall before finally coming to a halting stop as Dawn blocked his way. Dawn simply rolled her eyes as she pried Michael from his arms.

“Go, Spike,” She ordered, as she handed him a pack of cigarettes and gave him a rough shove towards the elevator. “Go on, I’ll call you as soon as they come out, I promise,” Dawn assured him.

Spike offered a token objection, which was met with Dawn’s palm held up to his face, as she ordered him yet again to go. Spike took the offered pack and stomped to the elevator, taking only a brief notice of the knowing smirks that followed him back down the ER corridor. He blew through the doors and out into the afternoon sun and proceeded to pull out his zippo and light up a cigarette. God bless the little bit for knowing exactly what he needed.

After a few angry puffs, he looked at the pack in his hand. Dawn shouldn’t have known. She shouldn’t have been through similar scenarios so many times before that she knew he’d want these. Too many times they’d rushed through this door. Too many times they’d anxiously waited for whatever fate decided to deal them. There had been Buffy’s bout with the flu and subsequent pneumonia that had him carrying a yet again semi-conscious girl to the ER when he’d woken up, and could barely rouse her. Her skin had been so clammy, with a sickly grey color, and her fevered body practically burned him. There was Michael’s gash in his head from when Dawn had become distracted and let the child climb, and fall from, a tree. And there were several trips during this pregnancy for innumerable problems. Too many times, for too many things.

His anger came toward a boiling point as he roughly crunched the pack in his fist and threw it at the ashtray that was sitting neatly outside the ER doors. He took a few breaths, trying to calm himself, but it didn’t work. He’d been here, in this spot, doing exactly this, too many times. Rage overtaking him, he proceeded to pick up the big metal ashtray and gave it a toss for good measure.

“I take it the ashtray offended you in some manner?” Giles asked with bemusement. He answered the question with a fiery look that told him to tread carefully.

“It’s too early! She’s too damn early!” He pleaded before adding, “She’s only 34 weeks!”

“Which is a month further than she was with the twins. You’ve been prepared for this eventuality, and the doctors have done all they can to make sure the baby is ready,” Giles offered in encouragement.

“We were damn lucky with Michael, and you know it,” He retorted, as he leaned back against the wall, his eyes closed and as a deep sigh escaped him.

“Yes, but Buffy’s been having preterm labor for weeks now and the doctors have prepared both her and the baby for this. You have to have faith, Spike. It’s been your most abundant trait, don’t tell me you’ve suddenly run short?”

“I just don’t…I don’t understand why? Why her, why us, why now? I was hoping we’d used up all our bad karma already,” Spike’s voice rose in anger again.

“Son these things happen…” Giles began.

“Yes, and always to Buffy!” Spike pointed out.

Long moments of silence reigned. Until he finally asked, “What happened anyway?”

Giles gave him a measured glance before proceeding to answer. “Dawn said that Buffy simply walked in the kitchen holding Michael and rather calmly announced that her water had broken.”

“She picked up Michael?” He shouted, incredulous. “She knows damn well she’s not supposed to pick him up. Hell, she’s not even supposed to pick up a milk carton! I’m gonna wring her head right off her neck, stupid….”

“Yes, because we all know that both you and Buffy are famous for explicitly following instructions so well,” His father’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Spike, we don’t know which occurred first. She may have simply gathered Michael up after the fact….” He was interrupted by his cell phone ringing.

He glanced at the display, before taking off at a run, back through the ER corridor. His father just barely caught up with him before the elevator doors closed. He paced nervously back and forth the two steps it took to cross the elevator until it finally came to a stop, then he shot out of the elevator like a cannonball. He came to a sliding stop in front of the nurse’s station, unable to even form the questions weighing so heavily on his heart and mind.

He managed to take a moment to compose himself, wiping his nervous hands on his jeans. Finally, the cotton clogging up his mouth seemed to dissipate as his father placed a familiar steadying hand on his shoulder, and he asked the nurse if his girls were ok.

“Your wife is fine. She’ll be in recovery for a while and you’ll be able to see her soon. Your daughter is doing quite well, and as soon as the pediatrician clears her, she’ll be joining you and your wife,” The nurse smiled.

Dawn was practically bouncing up and down with what he assumed was excitement over her new niece.

“Well?” She looked expectantly at Giles, who offered a half grin.

“Ashtray,” He answered with clear amusement.

Several choruses of ‘yes’ and ‘darn’ were heard to ring from everyone assembled at the station and from the phone, which apparently was on the conference call setting.

He watched as Dawn quickly fished a piece of paper from behind the desk, which looked suspiciously like a betting pool, before announcing that Dr. McCarty, Nurse Eliza, and the ER janitor Rusty, and herself, of course, had won the pool and that all payouts were available from Betty in maternity.

He processed all that for a moment, before looking at Dawn. “Bit, I have two words for you….scary, and genius.”

“I know,” Dawn replied, clearly proud of herself as laughter rang throughout the hall and again from the phone.

“Am I really *that* predictable?” He asked.

“Don’t feel bad. Buffy bet it would be the trash can, and Giles bet on one of the waiting room chairs,” He supposed she was trying to cheer him up, but he could only answer with an embarrassed groan.

At that moment, Buffy’s doctor came striding down the hall. He quickly glanced around, before settling on Dawn. “Well?” He asked.

“Ashtray,” Dawn responded.

“Aw, I was so sure it would be the trash can. Buffy’ll be disappointed,” The doctor grinned.

“I swear the lot of you are insane,” He announced. “Can I see them?”

“Yes, you can see them. They’re both doing fine, but I suggest you hurry because Dr. Elzbet is anxious to get her back into a warmer for a while and do a more thorough exam,” He replied as he turned to escort Spike to the recovery room.

The sight that greeted him was the most amazing moment of his life. He’d thought that his wedding would always top the list, or possibly the day they found out that this little joy was on the way. Or the first time she’d said she loved him and he knew she’d really meant it. Michael was definitely on the list, but his birth had been so overshadowed by the losses that accompanied it, and the anxiety that both he and Buffy would also be lost. But this moment, seeing a beautiful Buffy, holding a little bundle in a pink blanket and smiling down at it, was his new top moment.

He didn’t realize he’d stopped at the door until Buffy looked up at him and proclaimed that they wouldn’t bite. It was enough to shake him out of his awe-inspired stupor and carry him the rest of the way to greet the newest addition to his family. He quickly kissed Buffy on the forehead, another reassurance to himself that she was really ok and releasing all his pent up worry that something would go wrong. His throat closed off with emotion, and he couldn’t say the words, but Buffy seemed to see them in his eyes, because she looked at him so certainly and responded, “I love you too,” with a smile.

He reached over and pulled down the edge of the little pink blanket to be met with the sight of a little round face, ringed with curls, including one little light brown curl that rested securely against her forehead. The little bundle opened her eyes and blinked her blue eyes up at her father.

A moment later, the pediatrician scooped the infant up with an apology but promised to return her once assured that all was well.

“I missed you,” Buffy whispered.

“Sorry, love. Next time, give a bloke a little more warning, yeah?” He teased, gently stroking her hair. “Speaking of…” His voice dipped with a hint of frustration.

“It just happened. I promise. I was standing there reading the mail and… Oh! I got it, Spike!” Buffy beamed.

“Really?” He asked. He was rewarded with an enthusiastic nod.

“I was accepted for that Child Social Worker internship,” Buffy announced proudly.

“Knew you would, love. Told you a long time ago that there had to be some bloody reason your life went the way it did,” Spike smiled.

“I see that now. I don’t think I would have ever made it without you, or Giles, or Jenny, or…” Buffy trailed off as tears began to fill her eyes.

“It’s ok, luv, I miss them too. Your mum is probably bragging already. Angel is probably grumbling that his niece is a bit of alright, even if she is mine, and secretly adoring her. And I’m betting Gabriel’s mighty proud of that baby sister of his,” Spike faltered a moment.“But you’re wrong, luv,” He insisted, earning a confused look.

“Spike?” Before she could begin to argue, he continued.

“You’re the one who brought us all here, luv. Your kindness and your strength, your stubbornness and your heart. Even at your best and your worst, it was never more clear,” Spike paused, ensuring that she was listening. He kissed a lone tear that began to slide down her cheek and then settled back to look at his wife. “You are one hell of a woman, Buffy.”

She leaned up as much as she could and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly to her like she was clinging to a lifeline.

“Is this real, Spike? Tell me this is all real and not some dream,” She begged him, tears choking her voice.

“What’s the matter, pet? A little too much on the happily ever after side?”

She squeezed him even tighter, making him worry a bit. Had he said something wrong? He pulled her arms from around his neck and held himself back just enough to see her face.

“Buffy?”

“You remember?” She asked him, with a hint of both surprise and awe.

“What? That you used to think happily ever after was just a fairytale?”

She nodded.

“Told you I’d spend the rest of my life making sure it wasn’t, didn’t I?” He grinned.

“Thank you,” She smiled back at him. “For helping me realize that we make our own happily ever after. And Spike?” She paused, her voice seeming to catch as a few new tears escaped her eyes.

“What is it, luv?” He cupped her face, his thumbs gently stroking the tears away.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better one.”

He bent down, placing his forehead against hers, the sheer joy of it all overwhelming him.

“Feeling’s mutual,” He whispered out.

He closed the gap between their lips and locked on hers. It was a kiss of deliverance. A prayer, a plea, and a promise, that for the rest of their lives, be that a day from now or a hundred years from now, they would each make sure that happily ever after wasn’t just a fairy tale, but a story written on and by their hearts, together, in love, forever.

~fin~





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