Car Trouble 14

Pairing B&S
Disclaimer – We own no characters, this is just for fun

Rating 15


And Baby Makes Three!


Chapter 1


“Are you out of your bleedin’ tree, you great poof?”

“What?”

“If you think for one minute, that I’m going to lead my eight months pregnant wife into a darkened room so you bunch of prats can suddenly put the lights on and yell ‘SURPRISE’ at her, then you’re sadly mistaken!”

Spike shook his head in disbelief at Angel’s suggestion

“Well what had you got planned?”

“It’s private – and nothing and nobody will get it out of me, safe to say, my wife will love it, it’s just what she wants”

“Well can we come over to you then?”

Spike rolled his eyes, honestly, he’d forgotten when talking to Angel instead of ‘adult’ he needed to switch to ‘special needs’ and talk to him like he was a three year old deaf foreigner.

“No, you bloody well can’t! Haven’t enough room for one thing”

“You’ve got a spare bedroom”

“Which is full of junk”

“You have three bedrooms!”

“And one is being turned into a nursery, hence the other one full of junk!”

“Oh yeah, I see. So we can’t see Buffy at all on her birthday then?”

“Not the actual evening, no, she’s mine – all mine!”

“Well, I think you’re being selfish!”

“And I think you’re a wanker – so what!”

“Well tell her I said hello”

“I won’t bye!”

************


Buffy yawned and stretched

“Who was that on the phone baby?”

“Nobody pet, just some idiot trying to sell insurance”

“You called him a wanker, was it Angel?”

Spike rolled his eyes

“Okay, it was the annoying poof, yeah”

“What did he want – is there trouble? He does know I’m eight months pregnant doesn’t he?”

“Yes pet, he knows, and no, there’s not any trouble. Idiot wanted me to take you over to Wolfram so they could yell ‘SURPRISE’ at you, give you a surprise party for your birthday”

“If somebody jumped out and yelled at me, I swear my water’s would break…I’d be forced to kill them!”

“Really, hold on, I’ll just ring him back, tell him it’s an excellent idea!”

Buffy gave her hubby an indulgent grin

“Nah, I told him – not in so many words though…”

“What did you say?”

With a grin Spike said,

“I asked him if he was out of his bleedin’ tree!”

Buffy smiled sat up straight and said,

“So, what HAVE you got planned?”

“Oh no missy, you get to find out on your birthday – needless to say, you’ll love it”

“Hmm…does it involve chocolate covered strawberries?”

“Might do!”

“And a long sensual bath with candles and scented oils”

“Could be!”

“And a foot massage and a back rub and-“

“And wait and see!”

“Ow – ow-ow ow!”

Spike’s face changed from a grin to looking worried

“What’s up pet?”

“Playing football with my kidney’s…can you – Thanks!” Spike gently lifted her to her feet, and she padded to the stairs

“Can we eat now… we’re starving!” She rubbed her ‘bump’

“Sure thing pet”

When Buffy came down ten minutes later, Spike had laid her tray, and put a bowl of mixed salad on the coffee table.

On a plate he put her one oven baked jacket potato, (not a microwaved one, as she liked the crispy skin), and two pieces of herby baked chicken in crispy crumb.

“Hmm yummy………”

“Here you go pet – have some salad too”

Buffy had been very good at eating during her pregnancy, the first couple of months she hadn’t known about it and had eaten everything in sight – but after she’d known the reason for her middle-of-the-night trips to the fridge, she’d begun to eat sensibly.

“More chicken pet?”

“Ooh yeah, gimme, gimme, gimme!”

Spike stood and went into the kitchen, he’d just opened the oven, when Xander walked in, looking like he’d been blown up………his hair was sticking up and all frizzy, his clothes were blackened and smouldering, his face was black and sooty

“Bleedin’ ‘ell whelp – you look like the creature from the black lagoon!”

“Oh ha-ha dead-boy! ‘S’cuse me while I split my sides laughing”

“What you do, piss off the witch?”

“Who are you talking to Spike?”

“Not sure pet, it could be the thing from the black lagoon, or it MIGHT be one of the black and white minstrels – Well Hello, Dolly!” Spike sang, waving his hands in the air.

“Who?”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s the whelp – he go boom!” Xander trudged to the archway between the kitchen and the lounge

“He go what- ooh what’s that smell – I can smell burn- GOOD GRIEF XANDER, what happened to you?” She had to bite her bottom lip so as not to laugh.

“Good question. I was minding my own business, when –“

“Huh, I find THAT hard to believe…here you go pet, eat it while it’s hot”

Xander ignored Spike’s comment and repeated,

“Minding my own business walking past the Magic Box, anyway – I thought I saw a flashlight, you know, somebody in there who shouldn’t be, so I try the door and it’s locked, so I go round the back, and this -this thing, looked like a pixie or something asked what I thought I was looking at, threw down his arm, there was a flash and a bang and when the smoke cleared, he was gone”

“Have you told Giles?”

“I thought he might be here”

“No, what made you think that?”

“Coz I’ve looked everywhere else. He’s not at home, the library and Willow hasn’t seen him either, so I thought he might be here”

“Bet you’ll find he’s home by now, probably making his way there as you were in between places”

Spike clicked his fingers

“I know where he is, he’s with Faith”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, Wesley’s having a week off, Giles said he’d take over as her watcher”

“Ah…I forgot about that, he did say”

“Well don’t let us keep you – you stink – probably polluting the atmosphere, and that’s not good for my baby son – so if you don’t mind mate – sod off – in fact I don’t care if you DO mind, still sod off!”

Xander gave Spike a sour look, turned and trudged out. Spike’s frown from looking at Xander turned into a smile when he looked at his blossoming wife.

“You made short work of that chicken, pet!”

“It was really yummy…what’s the secret ingredients?”

“Ah, THAT would be telling!”

“Is there ice-cream?”

“I think there’s some yes, or there’s cheesecake”

Buffy grinned

“Is there – ooh goody…what fruit?”

“Guess”

“Cherry?”

“Yup – as if I’d make you anything else when I know cherry is your favourite”

“Aww baby, you’re SO good to me, come here…my big grry vampire…”

Spike readily slipped into her arms and snuggled as close as her bump would allow.

“I was thinking…” Buffy began, brushing her lips on his forehead while gently twirling the soft curls at the nape of his neck – this always sent Spike ga-ga, and he had his eyes closed, a serene smile on his face.

“What’s that baby?”

“Is there a sort of vampire equivalent of a ‘God parent’ – and if so, who shall we choose without hurting those left out?”

“There’s an ancient family bond thing…but if you think for one split second I want my son to be bonded to anybody in my ‘family’

“Or daughter”

“What?”

“You keep on saying ‘your son’ – it might be a daughter”

“Nah, it’s a boy”

“How do you know?”

“I just do – it’s a father/son thing!”

“Spike…if it IS a girl, would you be disappointed?” Buffy’s luminous eyes shone

“Are you kidding? – If she’s half as beautiful as her mum, I’ll still be the happiest vampire in the world! Only thing is…”

“What?” Buffy asked worriedly

“Gonna have to blindfold the male population when she hits fifteen” Buffy grinned

“Well sort that out when the time comes!”

Chapter 2


“………Whole attitude is sloppy, I don’t know what Wesley is teaching you, or not teaching you, but you missed a third of those hits and quite frankly, I - I – Dear Lord!”

Faith looked up and saw Giles take his glasses off and he began to clean them fit to rub a hole through the lenses…

She sat up and grinned

“What happened to you?”

“Giles, something has broken into the shop – I just happened to be passing and I thought I saw a flashlight, I checked the main front entrance, that was fine, but when I went around the back, there was this pixie type thing
who asked me what I thought I was looking at – anyway, he raised his arm, drops a loud banging smoke bomb thing, and disappears”

“Faith, go change, come on, we’re going to the shop” Giles began to pack up his training kit.

Faith rolled her eyes and stood slowly.

“Well get a move on!” Giles chastised her

She still didn’t quicken herself and Xander and the watcher watched while she casually sauntered over to her clothes and sports bag. She wasn’t shy, that was for sure, and stripped off her training tee, she was naked underneath, and both Giles and Xander turned away as one. This made Faith smile – prudes they were! She wasn’t ashamed of her body, why should she be – she was toned and fit………

“Ready…so Xander…what exactly did this ‘pixie’ look like?”

“Well, it had brown skin, well brown-ish, kinda warty…hooked nose, long pointed ears that stuck out - about four foot high…”

“I have some books back at the shop, hopefully Xander you can look through them and show us just who we are dealing with”

*************************

“Still no good?”

Giles looked exasperated as Xander closed the fourth book.


“Looked nothing like anything in this book” Xander said.

Faith blew out her cheeks, she was thoroughly bored, teetering on the back two legs of her chair drumming restless fingers on the table – she fancied a drink, and she wanted a cigarette and OUT of the shop - being cooped up drove her mad – it was a carry over from being in prison…

“Can I go patrol – I’ll come back here in an hour, see if boom boy here has come up with anything – or you never know, I might just get lucky and cop the demon whilst patrolling”

Giles looked at his watch, it was 10.10pm.

“Yes go on, come back here after doing a sweep of the Peacefield, the Restful Vale and the military cemeteries – see if we have any news”

Faith was out the door before you could blink.

“Here, try this, and if there’s no joy with this one, then…we’re either dealing with something new, or you’ve got a lousy description of the demon in question” Giles said, passing Xander the last of the huge tomes on demonology. Ten minutes later, an excited Xander pointed to the book and said,

“That’s it, that’s the nasty little blighter, him there!”

Xander triumphantly pointed to an engraved drawing of the beastie he encountered behind the shop.

Giles quickly came and leant over Xander’s shoulder and began to read.

“Oh dear”

Xander looked up at Giles

“What, huh? – Why oh dear – is it bad, huh? Is it?”

Giles took his glasses off again and pinched the bridge of his nose and said,

“I’m afraid it is…you had an encounter with a Gassenbeek – they are first cousins if you like to Hellions, and their presence usually means trouble with a capital ‘T’.

“Is Faith up to it?” Xander asked

Giles looked down at Xander

“She’ll HAVE to be up to it, we can’t go bothering Buffy now can we?”

“No, course not…we could always get, you know – thingy to help”

“Thingy”

“Angel” Xander said reluctantly

“Yes well, lets not panic before we –“ Faith came bowling into the shop at full pelt before Giles could finish his sentence.

“GILES – MAYDAY – HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF PIXIE THINGS!”

“Oh dear lord, just what I was afraid of – Xander, you get on the phone to Wolfram and Hart, tell Angel we need him here like yesterday”

“Where did you see them Faith?”

“In the park, I cut through on the way back from the military cemetery.”

“They didn’t see you then, coz of the distinct lack of… ’boomy-ness’ “ Xander said, circling his finger in front of his face to indicate being blown up.

“Oh I did, I encountered three of them, I figured I could ‘take them’ – and they just disappeared, downwards, into the earth, vroosh – gone”

Xander frowned, opened the tome and pointed to the picture he’d shown Giles.

“Is that them?”

“Five by five – they stink too” Faith said, wiping her nose on the back of her hand and frowning.

“Giles said they’re related to Hellions, like first cousins. I wonder why they went underground on you, and blew me up?”

“It depends on what you’re standing on” Giles said reading from another book.

“Oh?”

“If you’re on soft ground, they just sink into the earth at the blink of an eye – if they’re on hard ground, like when YOU encountered them Xander, they have to create a diversion to get away – have you phoned Angel yet – time is of the essence here if we want him here before dawn”

“Oh terrific, just my luck! – I’m right on it – what’s the number?”

“Speed-dial 4”

“That’s Pizza Express”

Giles frowned

“Try 5 then”

“Okay………Harmony is that you? – We need Angel”

“Oh…Oh no. Oh dear Lord NO!” Giles clutched the book he was holding

“What is it?”

“This doesn’t look good at all!” Giles said with a worried frown, continuing to read.

“What doesn’t, what’s it say, huh?”

“They are usually only dispatched in any sort on number for a specific quest, to find an item, thing or being, usually highly prized.”

“So lock up your valuables!” Xander quipped

“…Thing most highly prized, such as an INFANT of rare birth”

“Rare birth – what does – oh god, they mean somebody like Buffy’s baby don’t they” Xander said, his eyes almost popping

“That’s EXACTLY what I’m afraid of!”

“We better get round there and tell her!” Xander went to stand up.

“Are you mad? – She can’t find out, not in her condition!”

“Why not – okay I understand why not, but don’t you think we ought to let Spike in on things?” Xander reasoned

“Actually…no, I don’t – him knowing could be just as bad as Buffy, he’d get all super worried and such”

Xander frowned and thought,

Bunch of Hellion type beasts wanted MY kid, I’d be super-worried………

“Get Willow, tell her we need a protection spell put on the house, but not to say anything………


“Phone here, get whoever…what are YOU doing Giles?” Xander griped

“I’M looking to see how we can vanquish them!”

“Right – good point, I’ll go get Willow then…”

Chapter 3


“Okay, what is it?” Buffy reached for the remote control and switched off the TV

“I was watching that!”

“Fibber, you’ve been staring off into space, and been angsty all night!”

“I – Oh all right then…truth? – I was wondering what it was that made Xander go boom”

“A pixie, so he said anyway”

“I KNOW what he said pet, but Pixie’s don’t, well they have no real need to make a quick getaway – they’re harmless – well one would be, even some soft sod like the whelp could handle a pixie”

Buffy frowned

“So you think – who’s that at this time of night?”

“Only one way to find out………” Spike got up to answer the door.

“Red – hi come in!”

“Hello…I was just passing!”

Spike frowned and Buffy looked surprised

“At 11 O’ Clock at night? – Not that you’re not welcome of course – want some tea?”

“Um, no. I mean yes – please!”

“Willow, are you okay?”

“Fine!” She beamed at her friend

“Babe, you want some tea?”

“Better not, I’ll be up and down out of bed all night as it is I’ve already drank nearly a litre of juice.”

Spike disappeared into the kitchen and busied himself with the kettle.

“So, have you been somewhere nice?”

“Me – no”

“Only you said you were just passing?”

“I mean, well (she swallowed, took a breath and glanced at the ceiling for inspiration) I went out – but it wasn’t nice. Well, it was nice enough - but not ‘nice’ nice, like ‘oooh, this is nice’ more kinda this is nice in an okay type nice and …(she took another huge breath, swallowed and continued) I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

“Just a little”

“Hey Red, you should have been here earlier – Xander went boom!”

“Did he – how?”

Buffy continued as Spike went to make the tea

“His hair was sticking up, he was all black, sooty and smoking…he looked like something out of a cartoon – he told us a pixie did it!”

“It wasn’t a pixie” Willow could have bitten her tongue…

“Funnily enough, we were just debating that – in fact, now you’re here, babe would you mind if I went out and did a patrol – see if I can see whatever it was for myself”

“NO! – I mean you mustn’t leave” Willow looked pained

“Willow? – Okay, what gives?”

“Nothing – I don’t ………oh goddess, Giles will kill me!”

Both Spike and Buffy looked at Willow, who had her patented ‘deer-caught-in-the-headlights’ look of panic

“Why, what have you done?”

“Was it a spell gone wrong Red?”

“No, nothing like that…Xander phoned me, he said Giles told him to phone me to come round here to put a protection spell on the house”

“Why?”

“Coz it wasn’t a pixie that Xander encountered”

“What was it then?”

“I don’t –“

“Red! Come on, spill”

“A Gassy-something or other, I didn’t quite catch the name”

Buffy and Spike exchanged a glance

“So why the big fuss, can’t Faith deal?”

“I don’t know, I just got my bag and came round here, I only spoke to Xander”

“Spike, what are you doing?” Buffy asked, as Spike had taken out his cell-phone.

“I’m phoning Giles”

“You can’t! You’ll drop Willow in it!”

“No I won’t, just listen” Spike pressed Giles’ number

“………Rupes – hi, s’me, look Red’s just dropped round, and while there’s somebody to sit with Buffy I was wondering whether you needed a hand – patrolling or I could hold the torch while you fix the shop’s back door or something……………………are you sure, it’s no problem…anymore on our pixie thing?…………No, oh well, I’ll leave you to it then old man, nighty-night”

Spike snap-shut his phone.

“Look…would you mind if I did this spell thing? – Thanks for not snitching on me by the way”

“You carry on Red…but I want to know what going on” Spike went into the hall and reached for his duster

“Spike, where are you going?”

“On a pixie hunt”

“Baby, be careful”

“I will – I won’t be long”

“Come and give me a kiss!”

Spike indulged his wife

“Don’t worry pet – I just want to know what’s going on that’s all – you’ll stay until I get back, won’t you Red, I don’t want Buffy left on her own”

Willow nodded her head and said, ‘sure’.

********************


Crouching behind one of the bigger mausoleums, Spike waited until the fledgling vamp began to walk backwards mouthing off to the slayer in front of him………

“………And then I’ll bathe in your blood, and” Spike stabbed him through the back

“And goodnight to you – huh…bit’s of bloody kids these days…no style! Hi Faith”

Faith grinned and twirled her stake and slipped it back into her waistband

“Hi Spike – what brings you out on a night like this?”

“Thought I’d have me a pixie hunt”

“Oh, so you know then…I KNEW Giles was wrong to try and keep it from you – I mean when Angel and co arrive later, how could you possibly fail to not notice them!” Spike frowned but played along.

“Yeah well – he’s been around the whelp too long – the stupidity begins to rub off on him I think”

Now Spike wasn’t thick, and there had to be a VERY good reason to call the poof and co for back up…he decided to try and get more info off Faith, without rousing her suspicions that he knew diddly squat except what Willow had told him………

“Yeah…so you left Buffy on here own?”

“No, Red there, doing the old (he twiddled his fingers) hocus pocus protection spell”

“Well that should keep them at bay for a while at least”

“Yeah…how many of them do you reckon there are then?” Spike asked as casually as he could

“No idea, but I saw HUNDREDS when I cut through the park – I went up to three of them, I mean they’re only this high, (Faith indicated shoulder height with her hand) I thought I could take three of them – and the bastards just went vroosh – and disappeared into the ground”

Spike looked at her and frowned, and then he smiled

“Must have liked you, they blew Xander up! – Have you seen him?”

Faith grinned too

“Yeah, I saw – Giles said something about it was the ground they were standing on – coz it was soft in the park, they can just drop through, but because Xander’s encounter was on the sidewalk, they have to make with a diversionary tactic to get away”

Spike’s mind was racing – he really wanted to get to the shop to get some research done…

“What did Red call them now…Gassy something or other”

“Gassy…gassy…hold on…Gassenbeek – yeah that’s it, took lame-brain ages to find it, there were books everywhere”

“Gassenbeek, that’s it…” Spike said

“Something about them being first cousins to Hellions… they stink, I know that much………you going this way, I’ve got to do the Dreamy Slumbers yet?” Faith asked

She stood, arms folded on the corner of the road.

“Actually pet, I better get back, see how Red is doing”

“Okay…remember, anytime you wanna patrol!” She winked at him and left

******************

Shaking his head from watching her wiggle her backside, Spike thought he better get his thoughts together………

He took out his phone and phoned home

“Are you okay?”

“Fine, Willow’s done all the upstairs rooms and that, she’s just got to do in here, and the front and back doors. Have you seen anything?”

“No pet, but I just want to drop by the shop okay?”

“Okay, remember, don’t drop-“

“I won’t pet, I won’t drop Red in it, don’t worry”

*******************

“…………And this one…and this…” Giles was up the ladder passing down heavy magic books to Xander

“Giles! I can’t hold anymore, let me take these to the - SPIKE! What are you doing here?”

Giles turned on the ladder to face the shop and saw a not very happy Spike standing there.

“Ah, Spike, hello”

“Never mind hello, would you mind telling me just what’s going on?”

Slowly Giles came down the ladder and smiled nervously. Spike screwed up his face at being in such close proximity to Xander.

“Haven’t YOU showered yet whelp – god you stink!”

“I’ve been busy!” Xander said with wounded feelings, Giles piped up,

“Actually, that’s a very good idea - go and use the shower in the training room, there are some tracksuits of mine in the locker, you can wear one of those, they are clean” Giles said and Xander went

“So when were you going to tell me we have an invasion of Gassenbeeks?”

“Ah…Willow told you then, she can’t lie that girl to save her-“

“Not Red, Faith, and I tricked her into thinking I knew more than I did – what’s going on mate, you’ve called in the poof and co, getting Red to do spells, it doesn’t take Einstein to work out that these Gas thingies mean trouble, I just want to know what to expect, that’s all – Buffy’s my wife, my heavily pregnant wife, and I’ve got to do EVERYTHING I can to keep her and our baby safe, so come on, spill”

Giles sat down slowly opposite the annoyed vampire

“Yes. I’m sorry, you’re right of course, but I did it like-“

“Giles, will you cut the crap, I KNOW I’m right, I don’t need you to confirm it, just tell me what’s going on! – What do these things want?”

“We think, your baby”

Spike’s fists clenched

“I wondered what it would be…”

“I’m sorry?” Giles asked

“Well I’m not stupid, I always knew that once it got out that the slayer was pregnant, some bleedin’ slimy little toe-rag of a low-life would want the baby for some despicable scheme or another”

Giles just raised his brows and then nodded philosophically.

“Right then, what do – “ Spike didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence, as Faith, Angel, Gunn and Cordelia came in

“Spike, I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you more worried around Buffy, I did it for all the-“

“Yeah, I know Rupes, look – I’ll try and keep Buffy in the dark as much as I can – I’ll be off okay, leave you to do the welcoming committee stuff for this lot – bye – ring or text me, okay” Spike slipped out of the back door and headed home.

“I will…Angel, Gunn, Cordelia, how nice – sit – would anybody like tea – or coffee………….

******************

When Spike got back home, Willow stood, Buffy was fast asleep

“I’ve done the spell, and here, take this, if something happens, I mean gets in, this will put a protective shield around you both for four hours, or around Buffy for eight, just break it in front of you” She gave him a glass ball about the size of a golf ball.

“Red, I’m going to try and keep her in the dark as much as possible – I know she’s not stupid, but I don’t want her worried unnecessarily, okay?”

“Sure, I understand”

“Look, why don’t you stay – there’s all manner of nasties out there, and I can’t walk you home coz then it’ll mean leaving Buffy on her own. You can have the couch, I’ll carry her to bed”

“Fine”

Chapter 4



Buffy struggled to sit up

“You okay babe?”

“I need to pee…baby is sitting on my bladder…”

She padded back into the bedroom

“Spike – who’s downstairs?”

“Willow, why pet?”

“I could hear snoring – I just wondered…why did she stay?”

“Coz she looked really tired, and I said just crash on the sofa if you like – and she did”

“I don’t remember coming to bed – I don’t remember falling asleep!”

“That’s coz I carried you up”

“Hmm…my hunky vamp…cuddle me?”

Spike turned to face her

“You got it babe…you rest pet – try and get some sleep hmm?”

“I’ll try, but just as I’m going to drift off, the little slugger starts with a knee or an elbow in the – OW!”

“I felt that! Hey son, don’t go hurting your lovely mum!”

Spike put his hand lightly on her bump and he quietened

“See, he knows his daddy has spoken!”

“Hmm mm – do you know what I fancy?”

“Besides me you mean?” Spike asked with a grin – this made Buffy smile too, she kissed his forehead and whispered ‘always’, and then she said,

“Fresh raspberries, strawberries and peaches in a big bowl with vanilla ice cream – hmm, yummy”

“I’ll see what’s at the supermarket, in the morning pet”

“Might not want it then!”

Spike leant up on his arm, and looked down into the face of his beloved wife

“Want me to go out and find an all-night supermarket, I think there’s one on the way to Merryvale”

“You’re SO sweet! No baby – let’s just snuggle”

Spike settled and pulled her close wrapping his arm around her, where she fell asleep in an instant.

******************

“Gassenbeeks – oh god, this doesn’t bode well” Angel said

“Why, what do they do?” Gunn asked

“They most likely want Buffy’s baby, this is what we’re thinking anyway – because of the numbers of them” Giles said

“How many have you seen?” Angel asked frowning

“Personally, none, but Faith said –

“Hundreds”

“Faith – hi!”

“Hi…just seen a load more by the Dreamy Slumbers, put them with the amount I saw at the park, and I reckon we could easily be talking a thousand here now”

Angel frowned and gave a low whistle

“They mean business then”

“Well obviously, yes – they’re not dispatched in those sorts of numbers for nothing” Giles said, thinking no wonder Spike got annoyed with Angel at times, he really could be a prat sometimes…

“So what does Buffy think about things, huh?”

“She doesn’t know – she’s eight months gone, she doesn’t need the worry”

“You mean you haven’t told her – boy, is she going to be-“

“Angel, the girl is eight months pregnant, with a couple of legions of Hellion minion slaves after her child, we’ve done all we can to protect her, we’ll work on things as a need to know basis”

“Is there a protection spell on the house?”

“Yes”

“Tell Spike not to leave her on her own”

“He doesn’t, Angel, I’ve just told you, we’ve done all we can to protect her so far”

“Tea up…right folks, pick your book – we’re looking for Gassenbeeks – how to kill them”

********************


Giles’ elbow slipped off the table, he knocked the glasses half off his face. Quickly he straightened up and put his glasses straight, but everybody else was the same, fast asleep. He looked at his watch and then heard the shop door rattle, it was 10.10 am

“Er, hold on…I’m sorry, we’re not going to open to-“

“Giles, let me in, it’s me!”

“Willow ah, um…” Giles quickly unlocked the door and let her in.

“How are things?”

“I did the spell, and provided Spike with an orb, if anything DOES get in the house, all he has to do is break the orb and it will put a protection bubble around them both for four hours or just Buffy for eight”

“Good girl” Giles took off his glasses and yawned

“Did you get anywhere with the – oh goodness!”

“Huh, wha – I’m up mom! – What oh, hi Will, Giles, must have dozed off there for…oh everyone else is asleep too!”

Xander sat back in his chair, rubbed the crick in his neck and yawned.

“Any luck?” Willow asked Giles, who busied himself in the little curtained off area that was the kitchen

“No…and Faith said she saw a lot more at the Dreamy Slumbers too last night – she reckoned that there could easily be a thousand of them here already”

Willow frowned

“Giles! We’ve got to DO something!”

“I KNOW – that’s why I’ve got Angel and co here – what else can we do?”

“I think we’re going about this all wrong” Both Willow and Giles turned and looked at Angel

“So what do you suggest then?”

“Well, it’s no use trying to kill them, there are millions of them – you kill one, another two will come in it’s place – no, I think what we should try and find is what ritual they want the baby for”

“That’ll take FOREVER! Do you realise just how many rituals call for innocents – virgins, babies, first born. Thousands, I’ve got tomes a foot thick on the very subject – dozens of them - there’s probably thousands we don’t know about too”

“Granted – well can we narrow it down to a time limit then – say three weeks time, when she’s due to give birth?” Angel suggested

“Angel, some infants are cut out of the womb, and –“

“GILES!” Willow looked horrified

“Sorry Willow, I’m sorry – it’s worth a try I suppose”

“We could also try and find the chief Hellion – no doubt as these Gassenbeeks are their slaves, he’ll know something about it all”

Giles looked thoughtful and shrugged

“We can try”

*****************


Spike got up, he was a little miffed that Willow had already left, he wanted her to sit with Buffy – or at least be in the house with her while he did a dash to the supermarket – but she’d already gone. Spike looked at his mobile. No missed calls and no texts either. Sighing he phoned the Magic Box

“Thought you were going to keep me informed!”

“Sorry Spike, but what can I say, there’s nothing to inform you of really”

“Might have know, you’ve got that bunch of useless wankers with you! So, research has pulled up nothing?”

“As Angel said, it’s not enough to kill them, as there are millions of them – so we’re trying a different tack, we’re trying to find what ritual it could be as regards time – anything that coincides with the baby’s birth, or the chief Hellion himself”

“Well if you find the bastard, leave him to me, I’ll rip – okay, I’ll see you later, bye”

Buffy padded down the last few steps

“Sounds violent”

“What does pet?”

“You wanting to rip somebody”

“Oh take no notice of me…just bluster you know – keep trying to think of myself as the Big Bad”

“Instead of a big puddle of soon to be a daddy goo!” Buffy said cuddling up.

“Why don’t you go back up to bed, and I’ll bring you some breakfast, what do you fancy?”

“Cocoa pops…but dry, I’ll drink the milk separate…and um, can I have a dippy egg and toast soldiers?” Spike dropped a kiss on the top of her head, thankful she’d forgotten all about her middle of the night fancies for fresh fruit – it would have meant a trip to the supermarket and Buffy being left on her own.

“Course you can poppet, now go back to bed!” Buffy gave him a squeeze and went padding back upstairs.

Chapter 5


“Oh this looks interesting………ah - sorry, no…it’s got to take place during the summer solstice…” Cordelia quietened

“This, is ridiculous!” Gunn said, slamming shut the rather large tome he was reading, causing a cloud of dust to rise into the air.

Willow, who was inclined to agree with him looked pained

“What else can we do?”

“I…I don’t know…but there’s just GOT to be something we’re missing!”

“Giles…Giles!”

“Hmm – won’t be a moment, I’m waiting for a fax from a coven in England” As soon as Giles stopped speaking, the fax machine whirred into life. Giles picked up the sheet of paper when it had finished printing…

“Anything?”

“No………they’re working on it. Best we can hope for really – what was it you were going to say?”

“Oh, when the first one was here, at the shop, the one that blew up Xander, well, it must have been here for a reason – have you found anything missing?”

“Such as?”

“ANYTHING!” Willow said, raising her arms and letting them slap back to her sides in exasperation.

“Anything like a, a book or a talisman, amulet – a potion, something that might tip the balance in our favour to find out what they’re going to do”

“Well, we haven’t opened since Xander’s encounter…the only way to find out what’s gone is if we do a complete inventory – a total stock-check against the record of sales”

“That’ll take FOREVER! – We need something more instant than that!” Willow said pained

“Unless…I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before!”

“What – think of-“

“A reveal spell!” Giles said excitedly, taking a packet of sage and some candles off the shelf.

Willow’s brows rose up thoughtfully – NOW they were getting somewhere!



***************


“Had enough pet?” Buffy nodded and Spike stood and took her breakfast tray.

“Baby…when you’ve taken that down, will you come and talk to me?”

“Sure”

**

“So pet, what do you want to talk about, hmm?”

“What’s after me?” Buffy looked him straight in the eye

Spike closed his and sat on the bed, pulling her gently towards him.

“Should’a known better than to try and keep things from you, shouldn’t we?”

“I know it’s coz you don’t want me worried and that – what with the baby n’all, but if there’s something after me, I’d rather like to know what, and I know enough from protection spells, it isn’t pixie’s were dealing with, is it?”

Spike gently shook his head and said quietly,

“No, it isn’t pixies, mores the pity”

“So – this thing got a name?”

“Thing –z, plural and there are quite a few of them – look pet, before I go any further – see this?” He pulled open the nightstand draw and took out the orb Willow gave him

“Uh huh”

“Well, if you’re threatened by anything, smash it in front of you, and you’ll be in a protective bubble for eight hours, or if I’m in there with you, four hours, okay – use it DON’T try and fight, you got that?”

Buffy nodded and handed back the orb. Spike slipped it back inside the drawer.

“Gassenbeeks – bastards they are – guardians to the seven gates to hell, minions to Hellions”

Buffy sub-consciously rubbed her bump and said in a small voice

“I suppose they want junior for something horrible”

Spike shrugged and said

“Giles’ and co are still trying to discover what – you might as well know, the poof’s here, with the cheer-leader and Gunn. Wind-bag’s on holiday”

This little alteration of Wesley’s name had her give Spike a little rueful smile.

Spike held her close and kissed her hair and whispered

“Don’t you get worrying pet, I won’t let anything hurt you or our son”

Buffy nodded and snuggled closer.

*****************

“That’s it? The Ars Daemonicus, volume 25, VE-WA?” Willow said frowning

“That’s what the spell has revealed as missing” Giles said

“But that doesn’t make sense – I mean, why that volume?” Angel asked

“Well I don’t know!” Giles’ said with exasperation.

“I mean it’s a book on demons, beginning with the letters from VE-WA…but that doesn’t involve ‘vampire’, coz that’s VA…or Slayer, or Buffy, or even William the Bloody – it doesn’t make sense!”

“I’ll look it up on the computer………it’s a thin volume thank goodness!” Willow said, opening her laptop.

**************


Back in Revello Drive, Spike answered the phone
“It’s okay Giles, you don’t have to speak I codes, Buffy isn’t stupid, she’s twigged that there was something up, it didn’t take Einstein to work it out anyway……………………you did, what? Uh huh…VE-WA? – And?…Well what use is…okay, okay, keep your knickers on! – Yup, keep me informed, bye”

“Baby, seems all this Gassenbeek took, was a volume of the Ars Daemonicus, volume 25, letters VE-WA”

Buffy looked mildly thoughtful, then puzzled

“What use is that, unless it was the demon thingy they want to call up?”

“Willow’s onto it now, reading up – Giles will keep us informed”

Buffy sighed

“I’d love to go outside for a walk in the sun – I oh, Oh - I’m sorry babe, I shouldn’t say such-“

“Hey now, no kitten, you’re right, you SHOULD be able to go out, just because I can’t doesn’t mean to say………look sweetheart, until we know what is happening…”

“I know, and I won’t put our baby in danger just for a walk”

“Good girl…now – what would you say to a mid-morning hot chocolate and a foot rub hmm?”

Buffy grinned and slipped off her flat mules and presented Spike with ten wriggly pink polished toes………


******************


“Eight in total, hmm?”

“Uh huh, Velassa – giant wormy thing that lives in the tropical rainforests, Vemalux, the Australian equivalent to a goat-sucker, Vengeance demon - well, we all know about those, don’t we? Next there’s V’gengia-waym’ fish, no, fash ia – anyway, something unpronounceable, but it only lives in sub-zero temperatures – found in Siberia and the south pole only, Voltaraine – Also know as the Hottentot Zombie, Wabbymaroo – that’s an Aboriginal name for a wicked version of the Easter Bunny, from what I can make out – it’s what adults used to threaten the kids with. Then we have Wan Zen, an ancient Chinese spirit that supposed to be invoked by ingesting opium somehow, and finally bringing up the rear, is Wattoo-Wattoo, an Egyptian bird that stands guard at the entrance to tombs, it’s the thing that curses you if you enter to pillage, apparently” Willow said smiling and she looked up at Giles who was reading over her shoulder.

“Well, I’m sorry to say, but the only one that makes any sense in that list, is the vengeance demon – everything else is either the wrong continent, temperature or needs drugs to bring it forth”

“Vengeance demon? Wasn’t thingy going to marry a vengeance demon – didn’t she try a sue Buffy for taking her wedding?” Gunn asked, and Angel clicked his fingers

“Yeah, you’re right! Anna wasn’t it, she was going to marry Xander!”

“Anya” Willow and Giles chorused together, correcting Angel

“That’s her! Have you seen her lately? – Anyone?” Angel looked from Giles to Willow, they both shook their heads no.

“But Xander might have…phone him Willow”

“Right on it”

Chapter 6


“So that’s another blank drawn then” Willow said sighing and drumming her fingers on the table.

“What’s that?” Giles asked coming from the kitchen with a tray of tea.

“Xander. He hasn’t seen Anya in months, I just phoned him”

“So what do we do now, huh?” Gunn asked

“Good question – I suppose we could, or rather Angel could trawl the demon bars see who’s new in town”

“But Spike would know that better than me, I wouldn’t know a regular from a - ” Angel began, until Giles interrupted him by saying irritably,

“ - But Spike isn’t available, is he – he needs to be with Buffy”

Angel rolled his eyes. Everybody sat round, not knowing what to do, or where to start looking for clues next.

The shop door rattled and Willow got up to open it.

“Who is-“

“It’s Clem”

Willow opened the door

“Clem! What brings you here?”

“Spike was telling about things, and I was in Willie’s bar earlier – there seems to be a great buzz about the place, seems several gangs of Hellions are on their way to Sunnydale, bringing their head of the clan with them”

Everybody sat up straight from slouching – this looked like it might lead somewhere………

“Come through Clem have some tea and cake – tell us exactly what you heard………” Giles said

******************


“And you said it was Clem that told you this? He’s a good bloke, well demon…nice one Clem…so what are you going to do?” Spike asked

“Well, observe for now, I’ve got a feeling once the big cheese so to speak is here, we’ll learn a lot more and be able to take appropriate action…how’s Buffy, by the way?”

“Resting…going stir-crazy being kept inside all the time, but she understands why”

“Give her our love”

“I will, and you know, thanks, for keeping me in the loop – if you find out what’s happening, perhaps Willow could come and sit with Buffy and I could help you lot or something, I feel so bloody helpless stuck here”

“Okay Spike, as soon as we know anything – bye”

Spike put the phone down and looked at Buffy. She was fast asleep curled up on the sofa, so he went into the dining room and opened the computer up and began tapping away………

*****************


“Orb of who?” Giles asked putting his glasses back on. Angel and Clem had gone to the demon bar to see what they could find out, and they’d scored immediately from Willie himself. He’s been moaning about lack of customers………


“Everybody, is out looking for that damned Orb! I swear if I hear another person say – ‘How do you spell Trimundifass’, I’ll scream – can I get you two guys another?”

“Actually Willie, no thanks. Incidentally, how DO you spell Trimundifass?” Angel asked and Willie gave him a sour look.

***************


“Triad…Tributary…Tri-candle spells…Triffids…Trigg demons…Trills and other noises…ah - here we are, got it!
Trimundifass. An ancient Orb, supposedly laid by the Gorgon, holds the essence of the evil being raised from hell, until the ritual is complete and then it shatters and permeates the host, in this case, the baby, and then boom – deed is done” Willow said.

Suddenly, the shop door flew open, and some scrawny looking demon stood there. He was surprised to see the people there and went to turn tail and run, but Angel was too quick for him and had his neck broken in a trice. The demon sagged to the floor and imploded to a none-existence.

“Think we should put a protection spell on this place too Giles, it’s the only magic supply shop in Sunnydale – and they’re all gonna come here first looking for this Orb thing” Angel said re-shutting the door and dead-locking it.

“Good idea, Willow you do the back door, I’ll do the front” Giles said, picking up his spell book.

The spells done, Willow and the others set about trying to find out all they could about the Orb and how it was used. Giles began a detailed search of his stock book to see if he had this orb in the shop………

After and hour and a half Gunn found something significant.

“Giles – look, it says here that the Gorgon Stheno, she laid these orbs, and they are also known as Gorgon eggs – does that help?”

“Oh goodness it sure does, I have several of those downstairs in the stockroom!” Giles stood immediately and went to fetch them.

Willow immediately switched to looking for rituals calling for Gorgon eggs, and found several…hundred.

“Here all take a dozen or so rituals, and see who can come up with the most likely one”

************

Two hours later


“Spike?”

“Hello Giles – what is it?”

“Well, breakthrough! The ritual, at least we think anyway, according to what Angel and Clem tell us needs an Orb of Trimundifass - also know as the eggs of the gorgon Stheno – problem is, there’s well over a hundred different rituals that could be used using these things………………………”

******************


Meanwhile, on Anya’s home planet

“I will be SO-OOOOOO glad when this is over… so tell me, is everything assembled on earth yet? – Hallie…Hallie………HALFREK!”

“Sorry sweetie – yes, don’t worry, everything is going according to plan!”

“Good………have the Gassenbeeks got the gorgon egg yet?”

“Ah that, apparently, that’s providing to be a little…difficult!”

“Difficult? Why – look this must NOT go wrong! I’ve told them – The Magic Box, it’s the ONLY magic supply shop in Sunnydale for all the hell-gods-in-Hades sake! I KNOW FOR A FACT that Giles had three of them in the stockroom – we need one, just one – what’s so difficult about that?”

“Getting into the Magic box for one!”

“It has a door – two in fact – three if you include the one leading from the tunnels…”

“There’s a protection spell around the shop”

Anya rolled her eyes

“Willow! When IS she going to give up the magic, huh? – There’s nothing else for it Hallie, you’ll have to zap in there and get it”

“Now hang on, it’s YOU that wants to-“

“Forget it, I’ll do it myself then – only I didn’t want to see any of the stupid Scooby gang because of-“

“Okay, OKAY! Keep your hair on, I’ll do it”

“It might be harder than I first thought…” Anya said, biting her bottom lip

“What might – but you said not a minute ago that is was easy, Giles had three of these things in the shop and-“

***********************


“Ah-ha! Come here you little…troublesome things you” Giles picked up the box and went back up to the shop.

“Here we are, found them” Giles said, lifting the lid on the box

Everybody peered into the box, lined with aging cotton wool, to three slightly bigger than a hen’s egg eggs, they looked like they were made of stone.

“That it, that’s them, that’s what all the fuss is about?” Xander asked, looking not in the least impressed………

Giles looked almost affronted

“Well very sorry to disappoint you Xander! – But yes, THOSE are what all the fuss is about!”

Giles put them on the research table

“Um, do you think it wise to have them...you know, hanging around the shop just casually like this?” Gunn asked

“There IS a protection spell around the place”

“I vote we destroy them” Xander said

“We do not destroy them!” Giles said

“Why not? Evil is their doing, so why keep them at all?” Willow reasoned, and Xander nodded

“Because not everything is evil that they can do! – And are we anywhere closer as to what ritual possibly be used yet?” Giles asked

“Well, I need a pee-break!” Xander stood up

“Ew, too much information there Xander!” Willow sat back wrinkling her nose. Cordelia too looked disgusted and stood up

“I need some air!”

“Cordy, don’t open the door!”

“Alright! I’ll just walk around then, all this sitting…”

“Anybody want some tea?”

“I’ll put the kettle on” Willow said, jumping up.

Gunn sat back in his chair, as did Angel, they both stretched………

It was at that precise moment that Halfrek decided to drop in with a flash. Before Angel could say,
“Who are you?”, Halfrek saw the gorgon eggs on the table and said

“Oh thankyou, just what I need, bye!” And was gone. There was a slight fluttering breeze and a few pieces of paper fluttered to the floor. Giles looked around, his eyes bulged when he saw, or rather DIDN’T see what he was expecting to on the table…

“What? What was - who was- WHERE HAVE THE GORGON EGGS GONE?” Giles stared at the table where they’d been sitting not two seconds previously

“She just zapped in and out – man, I’ve never seen anything like it!” Gunn said

“Who did – oh dear lord! Why didn’t you try and stop her?!”

“Because Giles, it all happened in a flash! Anyway YOU were closer to her than we were!” Gunn reasoned

Willow came out of the little kitchenette

“What’s wrong?”

“This weird looking woman just – kinda appeared out of thin air, took the eggs and vanished again – split second!”

“Took the – oh god oh Giles! – We must tell Spike!”

“Oh dear god I suppose we had better, hadn’t we – he’s not going to like it”

To say Spike ‘didn’t like it’ was the understatement of the year, after calling them all the incompetent idiots, going through the alphabet swearing, he slammed the phone down, waking Buffy

Biting his lower lip and screwing his eyes up Spike came over to her

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing pet, you rest”

“Don’t tell me nothing, you just called Giles a piss-balling, arse what was it?”

“I was calling them ALL that pet…honest to the gods, that lot they’ve only gone and let the enemy have the very thing they need for the ritual”

Buffy sat up, rubbing her bump and looking worried

“Perhaps they didn’t mean to” Buffy said in a small voice

“Well that’s debateable pet, they left the bloody things on the table, and bingo, someone zaps in and two seconds later, zaps out again, WITH the eggs”

Spike saw Buffy’s face crumple and immediately sat next to her gathering her up and holding her firmly

“Now don’t you cry pet, don’t you get yourself upset, I swear I won’t let anything hurt you or our baby, I promise, ‘kay?” Buffy nodded and sniffed Spike saw a few tears drip onto her hand and mentally cussed them at the shop – of all the stupid things they could do!


********************

Two hours later, Willow came round to the house#

“How’s Buffy?”

“Well how do you think she is, huh? A bunch of so-called friends let her enemy take the very thing they need to do this ritual, by leaving them unattended on the bloody table…guess how she feels!” Spike snapped

“Willow had her deer-in-the-headlights look

“I’m, we’re sorry, I was in the kitchen, Angel and Gunn were at the table, and Giles was standing, well he was…look, I’ll stay with you, all the time – I won’t get in your way I promise, but I might be more use here with you than there with them and did I say I’m sorry?”

Spike heaved a sigh

“I’m sorry too Red…come in, I shouldn’t have shouted like-“

“No, no, it’s quite understandable, I know you’re worried…does she um, you know, know?”

“Yes, Buffy knows all the latest developments, it’s only fair”

Willow almost crept up to the sofa and she could see for herself that Buffy had been crying

“I’m sorry!”

“Not your fault Will. So, any closer as to what ritual is going to be used?”

Chapter 7


“Hello-ooooooooooo, Anyanka, where are – Oh!”

“Well?”

“Surprise!”

Anyanka’s frosty countenance immediately disappeared and she grinned and impetuously threw her arms around Halfrek’s neck

“Um, Sweetie, you might want to stop crushing the eggs…”

“Oh my god – you got all three – was it hard?”

“They were on the table, just waiting for me! – Blinked and they missed me!”

Anyanka went to hug her friend again, but Halfrek drew back

“Little too human there sweet, all this hugging that doesn’t lead to sex, it’s… frustrating” Halfrek gave a sort of shiver and patted her hair, Anya let her arms drop and she blinked and went and sat down

“So, now we’ve got them, what happens next?” Hallie came and sat by her friend

“Well, we let the Hellions know…and the Gassenbeeks failed, so they will be slaughtered in their thousands and millions will be thrashed to within inches of their stinky little existences” Both vengeance demons grinned at this, then Anya continued

“We have five days left, the ritual MUST be done by then or there will be hell to pay, literally”

“You mean the birth will be in five days, or-“

“Heck if I know when the birth will be, if it’s not ready, then it’ll have to be induced”

“So why the time line honey?”

“D’Hoffran of course – while he’s still out in the Gamma quadrant. News travel slow in that part of the galaxy, he mustn’t hear of my plan, else he’d back here before you could spit and try and stop it”

“Too right he would!” Hallie agreed

“And I’ve had enough of my best laid plans going kerbluey for three lifetimes at least”

“So sweetie, what shall we do tonight – how about some hell-raisin’ – literally, we could both go tell Razor the great news about (she rattled the eggs) and-“

“You go - I’m a little tired. I want to rest and be in top form for the ritual, NOTHING must go wrong”

“Fine – sure I can’t tempt you?” Anya shook her head

“No, I will find a safe place for these, until the time comes…”

Hallie was not sorry that Anya didn’t want to come with her, she had a ‘thing’ for Razor…could prove a very interesting night.

*******************

Walking back from a patrol around the Military cemetery Clem said,

“Smell that?”

“What – smell what?” Xander asked

“That horrible, sulphur smell has gone – all I can smell is………pizza and cold night air”

They met Angel and Gunn on the corner by the Peaceful Vale cemetery

“Have you noticed the smell has gone?” Clem asked Angel

“Yes…surprised we didn’t see any Gassenbeeks either, yesterday, the place was crawling with them”

“Do you think it’s because the eggs have gone – that was their raison d’etre and now…” Gunn said, shrugging

Angel’s brows rose

“Most probably…”

“Well that means they’re one step closer to the ritual” Xander said and everybody looked uncomfortable

“We need to get somebody into that demon bar where Razor is” Gunn said.

“Yeah, but we have a big problem, don’t we…I can’t go, they’d immediately smell my soul, Clem is too mild-mannered plus, Hellions just love…” Angel flapped one of Clem’s ears.

“What do they love?” Xander asked

“They cut off our ears, and eat them” Clem said frowning

“Ew…go on – and Spike can’t go, he needs to be with Buffy”

“But they know it’s HIS baby, plus he has his soul, they’d smell it too, so they know he wouldn’t have a valid reason to be helping their cause…”

“We’ll just have to go to Willie’s, see what we can pickup from the gossip, that’s all”

“Is that all we can do?” Xander asked – They’d all started to slowly saunter towards the Magic Box.

“What else CAN we do – come on, lets see if they’re anywhere nearer to finding out what ritual could be used” Gunn said quickening his step.


************************

Spike looked out of the window and went to close the curtains.

“Don’t baby, it’s the only chance I get to see outside”

“Sorry babe…I won’t put the lights on, we can sit by the TV light, okay – can I get you anything?”

“Anything?”

“Sure – if we haven’t got it, and the 7-11 stocks it, I’ll got out and get it for you”

Buffy smiled

“So kitten, what is it?”

“Pineapple”

“What tinned – we have some in the-“

“No, fresh” Buffy swallowed and licked her lips, she was salivating at the thought

“Fresh pineapple” Spike repeated, and Buffy gave a big nod

“Okay, I’ll see what I can do…anything else?”

“Some peaches and raspberries – oh and some blueberries too, if you can get them”

Spike heaved a sigh, he’d do his best…

“I’ll go on my motorcycle, it’ll be quicker – I might drop in at the Magic B-“

“Not before you come home with my goodies!” Buffy said, holding her arm out to him

Spike smiled and came over to her and held her hand, leaned over and gave her a kiss

“Not before I’ve dropped off your goodies, I promise – you want anything Red?”

“Camomile teabags?”

“Are those the ones that taste like grass? – We have some in the cupboard” Spike said, and then added,

“You promise you won’t leave Buffy on her own now”

“I promise” Spike nodded, Gave Buffy’s hand a squeeze, and another kiss and he left.


*************************

Spike roared off and drove 12 miles out to the all-night supermarket, where he got his beloved a fresh ripe pineapple, six fresh peaches, and two punnets of fresh raspberries and two of blueberries. To be on the safe side, he also bought a large bar of chocolate and some more ice-cream too………

When he proudly entered the house again, Willow put her finger to her lips and Spike nodded and pointed to the kitchen

Willow followed him through

Spike was busy putting the ice-cream away and he then put the chocolate in the fridge.

“Giles called while you were out”

“Oh yeah, what’d he say?”

“He said that according to Angel and co, the Gassenbeeks have gone”

“Did you tell him I was going to drop by the shop later?”

“Yes – oh hey” Buffy came padding into the kitchen

“Any luck?”

She stood absently rubbing her bump, looking tired and vulnerable

“What do you think, for my best girl and my son, huh?” With a grin Spike carefully laid out exactly what she asked for on the table, and then he frowned when he saw her tear up and she dashed to him and flung her arms around his neck, squeaking something unintelligible.

Willow made a discreet exit back into the lounge to give them some privacy.

“Hey now come on poppet, what is it huh? – Did I get it wrong?”

Buffy clung to him

“No, it’s perfect…and you’re so good to me…and I don’t know why I’m crying…but I’m scared, and -”

“Shush now baby…come on, here sit on my lap…” Spike sat on one of the kitchen chairs

She did as she was told, resting her head against Spike’s shoulder.

“Now, don’t you go fretting my baby, Willow will wash and prepare this lovely fruit for you, and if you’re a good girl, well I might tell you where I’ve hidden some ice cream and a big bar of chocolate”

Buffy sat up and wiped her eyes, and looked at Spike with a small smile

“You bought chocolate?”

“I did, but it’s for none-fretting good little girls only!”

Buffy grinned and then said,

“Sorry…I don’t know what came over me”

“It’s your hormones pet, they’re all over the place at the moment, now are you going to let me up so I can go and see this bunch of reprobates at the shop so I can give them a right bollocking?”

“Not before I………Hmmmmm..mmmmmmmmmmmmmmwwwwwwwwwwwwwaaaaaaahhhhhh”
Giving Spike a huge big kiss, he grinned and shook his head

“Right, I’m ready for anything now!”

“Be careful baby”

“I will” Spike winked and went into the lounge

“Is she okay?” Willow asked

“Yeah, just hormones, you know, I’ll be back later”

********************


“Anything?” Giles asked Gunn hopefully, but Gunn just shook his head

Giles sighed; they were no nearer now than they were at the beginning………

The loud rapping on the shop door made them all jump, and Giles got up to answer it.

Spike strode in with a scowl, and nobody would meet his gaze

Angrily he threw his coat over the back of a spare chair.

“Right, are any of you reprobates any where nearer to finding out what ritual is going to be used?” A few murmurs of ‘no,’ ‘sorry’ and ‘not yet’ wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

“Gods, can you lot do ANYTHING bleeding well right?”

“Hey, that’s hardly fair, we’ve been here,- “ Angel began

“-Doing bugger all, letting demons swan in and take the very fuckin’ thing they need for the ritual right from under your very noses………well, am I wrong?” Spike glared at each of them in turn

“No…but it isn’t, wasn’t as simple as that!” Giles protested

“Oh wasn’t it? How fucking difficult was it then, huh? Gorgon eggs, on the table, demon teleports in, snatches said eggs, and fucks off quick as blink…I think they must have thought that you were on their bleeding side, for fuck’s sake! In fact, are you?”

“Don’t be so ridiculous!” Giles snatched the glasses from his face and began to clean them furiously

“Look Spike, I, I mean we know how you feel, but-“ Xander began

“Know how I feel? Bollocks you know how I feel – have you got an eight months pregnant wife stashed away somewhere you haven’t told us about, huh?

“No, but-“ Angel stepped in, but Spike cut him off too

“Well then, but nothing! – You couldn’t possibly even Begin to know how I feel”

“Why isn’t one of you at Willie’s gleaning info? Try leaning on Willie, threaten his person and you usually get somewhere, threaten his bar and he’s ALWAYS happy to oblige – do you know where Razor’s staying, have you seen Hellions out looking for possible venues for this ritual to take place – come ON people, this is basic stuff here, not bleedin’ rocket science!”

“We were just going to do that, we were talking about it earlier” Xander said

“Then get up off your lazy arses, and go and DO something then – instead of sitting here swilling tea and scratching your-“

“Spike that’s enough, ladies present!” Spike looked over to Cordelia

Spike did Giles’ bidding and actually did shut up

“I’ll go to Willie’s, somebody want to come with me?” Clem said standing

Both Gunn and Angel stood

“That’s good, Clem, you can sit in on a card game, that’s usually good for idle gossip – and you two, well keep your ears pinned back”

Angel didn’t say anything, he knew his childe was worried for Buffy and the baby – William’s baby after all, and Spike had every right to be angry, they had been pretty lackadaisical – and to loose the Gorgon eggs from under their very noses was pretty stupid………

Chapter 8


“Enough laughter!” Razor commanded, standing in the doorway, holding up his hand. Immediately the room fell silent, but the smile still played about Halfrek’s lips.

“Go!”

Halfrek watched as without question the dozen or so hellion demons left the room

“Razor”

“Halfrek” he came over and sat next to her.

“How is Anyanka?”

“A little tired…she’ll be glad when the ritual is over”

Razor nodded. To say he’d been extremely displeased that his minions, the Gassenbeeks hadn’t got the Gorgon eggs first was putting it mildly, and he’d decreed that every Gassenbeek that had left Hades would be slaughtered, and the first five hundred thousand in line be tortured to within an inch of their miserable existences.

Now that Anyanka held the gorgon eggs, she held the balance of power. Sure, it was to be a hellion ritual, but it meant that he, Razor, the head of the Hellions was still further down the pecking order than he’d have liked, he wasn’t going to be ‘head honcho’………

“So, have you got the ritual?” Hallie asked, running her finger down the leather of Razor’s well-worn biker’s jacket

“Sure – but she doesn’t get to see it before the day” Razor said, knowing, that if Anyanka got the ritual as well as the eggs, he could totally kiss goodbye to ANY rise in status whatsoever…

Hallie looked up at Razor through thick long lashes and smiled

“That’s cool – she told me…well, she said, the ritual………

“Yes?”

Halfrek shifted closer to Razor and kissed him – he was shaking! She smiled a knowing smile and continued, teasing him with light caresses and kisses. Razor for his part could have ripped the dress from her eager body and took her there and then – but it wouldn’t be appropriate, not for a Hellion of his standing, despite what her proximity was doing to his libido.

He put a very firm, restraining hand on her neck, showing her he meant business, and Halfrek acquiesced and stopped her seductive moves

“Let’s go somewhere…quiet, where we can be comfortable and alone, yes?”

Halfrek grinned and held up her hand, Razor growled and swiftly made a rough grab at her womanly curves, and she squealed in delight as he carried her off to his lair.

******************

“Well?”

“I’m sorry Spike, nothing, absolutely nothing!” Clem said holding his arms out to his sides and letting them slap against his legs.

Spike frowned and sighed, he was sure his friend Clem would have come back with SOME sort of tit-bit they could work on.

“I don’t believe, CAN’T believe it! NOTHING at all?”

“Just regular, boring everyday stuff – moaning about the price of blood and kittens, M’Fashlik was moaning that the styk demon was cheating at poker using his X-Ray eyes………the styk demon was protesting his innocence……...just your normal everyday stuff – I even tried to steer the conversation around, I said, ‘glad those Gassenbeeks have gone, aren’t you?’ – but most are too scared to say anything…so I continued ‘the ritual must be very close now’, and STILL nothing! – I guess Razor must have got there first!”

Spike blew out his cheeks, what Clem had just said, about Razor, ‘marking everyone’s card’ must have been true…mind you, there wasn’t a demon in existence that Spike could think of that would pit himself against Razor, except perhaps himself. And probably only then when he was three parts cut, he’d HAVE to be pissed to even THINK about taking on Razor and his posse…


Angel and Gunn entering the shop broke Spike’s reverie

Angel had an almost pained look on his face as he tore off his gloves and began to un-button his coat.

“Well, you wouldn’t think that there was ANYTHING going on, we’ve been, three demon bars, and we’ve scored a big, fat zero as regards information on to what’s going down”……………

Spike looked at his watch

“I’d better be getting back…there’s one thing, has anyone tried calling Anya?”

“I don’t know her number now she’s left the apartment” Xander said

Spike closed his eyes

“No, I don’t mean phoning, I mean…just yelling her name, to summon her”

“She wouldn’t come”

“How do you know, if you’ve never tried?”

“I did, I tried earlier”

“What about that mate of hers?” Spike clicked his fingers trying to think of Halfrek’s name…

“Allie, Hailey…Holly?” Spike screwed his eyes up…

“Halfrek?” Xander said, helpfully

“That’s the one!”

“No harm in trying I suppose…HALLIE………………HALFREK………HALFREK!”

Xander bellowed at the top of his voice, to no avail

Spike shrugged and slipped on his duster

“Worth a try anyway – keep me informed” he left the shop

“I feel useless” Gunn said

“Yes well, I suppose we all do” Giles concurred.


***********************

When he got in, Spike saw that Buffy and Willow were fast asleep in front of the TV. He carried on through to the kitchen and opened the fridge and found half a pineapple on a plate covered with cling wrap, five peaches and one and half punnets of blueberries and raspberries. He smiled and closed the door – she’d also found the chocolate, and if there was any on it left, well, there was no sign………

“Hey!”

“Oh, hi Red…did she enjoy the?” Spike jerked his thumb towards the fridge, meaning the fruit, and Willow smiled

“Never seen her enjoy something so much! Any news?”

“No – I don’t know if it’s a good thing, or a bad thing really”

“Why a good thing?”

“Well normally, when something is going down, the demon bars are awash with gossip, but according to Clem, there’s nothing, absolutely nothing, just the normal everyday stuff”

“Was Angel with him?”

“No, coz we all know what a party pooper he’d be – no Clem went and sat in on a poker game, usually the Oracle as regards what’s going down…either it’s something and nothing, or Razor’s marked everybody’s card”

“Spike”

“What?”

“Buffy’s going stir-crazy”

“I was afraid of that”

“So, I said that tomorrow, she can get into the boot of my car and we could go into town”

“NO! Sorry Will, but no, I absolutely forbid it!”

“But it’ll be daylight, and loads of people around, and I can put a protection spell on her and-she was crying earlier, it’s REALLY getting her down, not being able to go out”

Spike looked pained

“Let me sleep on it, okay? – I can’t protect her during the daylight hours outside”

“No, but I can”

Spike looked from Willow’s earnest face to the kitchen floor

“If anything happened to her or our baby………” Willow put her hand on his shoulder

“I know, you don’t have to tell me. Anyway, I’m going up to bed now you’re back, you are back, aren’t you?” Willow asked because Spike was still wearing his duster.

“Yes pet, I’m back”

“Night”

“Night Red, thanks for, you know”

“Welcome”

Spike hung his coat up with a sigh, and put the kettle on.

************************


Halfrek looked awful when she staggered into her room

Anya raised her head off the pillow and frowned, and then she sat up

“What happened to you?”

“I forgot just how rough Razor can play sometimes…that and we’re not exactly anatomically compatible, ow, ow, OW!” Gingerly, Halfrek perched on the edge of her bed.

“I bet he’s not happy that we got to the Gorgon eggs before the Gassenbeeks”

“You can say that again!”

“Don’t suppose you managed to get the ritual off him, did you?” Anyanka asked hopefully

Carefully getting undressed, Anya could see for herself some of Razor’s ‘handiwork’ with the bruises on her friend’s body.

Slowly lying down, Halfrek said

“No such luck, he’s keeping that WELL hidden, because he knows you’d cut him out of the hierarchy pecking order altogether if you had that, all I got was a list for the stuff needed.” Anya said nothing, she didn’t need to.

They were woken by a loud hammering on the door

“Anyanka – Anyanka!”

There was a groan from Halfrek’s bed and Anya sat up rubbing her eyes

“What, who is it?”

“It is me, Valeria – you told me to keep you informed of any-”

“Come in Valeria!” The girl appeared in a puff of smoke as Anya wearily lay down again

“Mistress Anyanka – I have news from the Gamma quadrant, D’Hoffran will return the day after tomorrow, he is worried about you and wants to get back here”

Anya sat bolt upright

“Are you SURE of this Valeria, I’ll flay you alive if you’ve got this wrong!”

“No mistress, I mean yes mistress, I haven’t got it wrong, my twin sister is his scribe at the conference his lordship is at”

“Thankyou Valeria, you may go”

“Mistress” The girl disappeared in a cloud of smoke

“Hallie…Hallie”

“Uh”

“Never mind ‘uh’, get up”

Halfrek mumbled something unintelligible, and pulled the covers up over her head

“HALFREK!”

“Okay honey I’m up, I’m up, where’s the fire! Geez my head!”

“What ARE you dressed as?” Anyanka asked, blinking at her friend’s very flimsy, risqué attire.

In her hurry Halfrek had magicked herself into her ‘Salome’ dance of the seven veils belly-dancers outfit.

“Whoops – da-dah! Is that better?”

She stood in jeans, a sweater and boots

“Much, come on we must get out of here, NOW!”

***********************



Spike couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned, trying to be careful about not waking Buffy. There just simply HAD to be something the gang were overlooking, it wasn’t possible that there wasn’t any information, especially when it was about the slayer…not every demon could be threatened by Razor anyway, some, like vengeance demon could teleport, handy trick if you were about to be split ear to ear or some such other fatal wounding…

Hearing a noise in the hallway Spike got up and whispered,

“Red”

“Spike?”

“Look after Buffy, I‘m going back to the shop, there MUST be something that lot are overlooking – probably staring them in the face if they but know it”

“I was thinking that, surely there would have been something”

“You’ll see she’s okay then, I’ll be back before sun-up, obviously”

Willow nodded and Spike quickly got dressed and left the house.

He could see the faint glow of one light on in shop through the blinds, and he went round the back entrance and down the steps, to his surprise, it was locked –as it should be of course.

Going round to the front, he prised up the man-hole cover 15 yards from the shop entrance and made his way via the tunnels to the doorway that lead to the stock room – which, no prizes for guessing, was unlocked………

Spike was just about to open the door and stride in when he heard a noise. He listened for a few seconds, and then silently opened the door. He was surprised to see the back of a woman, who after checking a piece of paper, moved of and began checking names on jars until she found the one ingredient she wanted, and reached up to get the jar from a high shelf.

Quick as a blink, Spike dashed in and snatched up the piece of paper

Smiling he saw it was a list on items needed for the ritual. He shoved it into his pocket and folded his arms, waiting for the woman to realise he was there, as she was still totally oblivious to his presence…

“Sage brush………copper bowl………mandrake root………mummified toads – OH! – WILLIAM!”

This threw Spike for a split second, but he knew this bird, she was Halfrek, Anya’s vengeance mate

Halfrek smiled awkwardly, patted her hair and hoped that she didn’t look half as bad as she felt

Spike was just going to ask what all this ‘William’ bollocks was, she’d called him that once before, but he knew he had other more pressing matters to be getting on with………

“Put those back you thieving little bitch!”

“I beg your – now William, is there any need to be like that? – Um, where’s my piece of paper?”

“Never you mind where that is, I should relieve your wrinkly neck from your festering carcass you evil low down, no-good-“ Spike caught her by the wrist

“Hey, HEY! Easy there tiger! Don’t bruise me anymore than – and what gives you the RIGHT to call me names, huh?” Hallie struggled

“You’ve got the fucking cheek to ask me that!”

“Yes! I think I’ve got EVERY right!”

“You want to come here, do a ritual that will kill MY baby, and you think I haven’t got the right to –

“Hold on mister! YOUR baby? What are you on about?”

“This wretched plot to raise whatever to take over the world and I know Razor’s got something to do with it too, I’ll be paying him a visit too, straight after I’ve killed you!”

“Now just a minute here, would you kindly tell me what you mean when you say YOUR baby?” Halfrek asked totally confused

“It’s a long story, I know it’s hard to believe, but there was time-travel and it happened before I got turned, but strictly speaking I was once William, and it is him that done the deed, but he’s still in me, so I can class the child as my baby, THAT’S what I mean!”

“But I don’t understand, Anya said-“

“Okay, if you value your skin, put your hands- Oh, Spike, it’s you!”

“Giles, Angel, Gunn………alert as ever I see!” Spike said sarcastically

Angel lowered the crossbow he had trained on Spike

“We didn’t know it was you, did we, we just heard voices”

“Don’t let this one out – oh SHIT!”

“She did that last time, blink, and boom, she’s gone” Xander said, leaning on the sword he’d bought down to the stockroom

Hallie had disappeared in a puff of smoke

“Right then, I suppose were still at stage one” Gunn said

“Not quite…the stuff needed for the ritual!” Spike produced the piece of paper Halfrek had been using like a ritual shopping list out of his pocket and gave it to Giles

“NOW we’re getting somewhere, this should narrow it down a lot!” Giles said with a grin.


****************************


“You dark horse!” Halfrek said with a grin

“What?”

“You, and Spike!”

“Me and Spike, what – and where’s the stuff for the ritual?”

“Oh we can get that later…so you lead me to believe…huh! You and William eh………was he………………good?” Halfrek asked with a grin

“Good?” Anya asked frowning

“Yes, good, you know, good in bed?”

“That was ages well…if you must know, yes, Very in fact, very, VERY good, far better than Xander, but then –anyway, what’s this got to do with-“ Anya’s question was cut short

Valeria appeared in the room without asking

“Sorry Mistress Anyanka, but his lordship is on his way RIGHT NOW!”

“Halfrek, quick, teleport – Sunnydale!” They both disappeared in a blink.

********************

“Oh, let me lie down…takes it out of me teleporting…” Anya said

“Well you can’t just sit there darling, come on, hold my hand” Halfrek took Anya’s hand and they disappeared again, to reappear inside a nice apartment

Anya approved and looked round smiling

“Hmm, nice…where are we?”

“Did a ‘favour’ for a girl a few weeks ago, she told me her parents were no better than animals…so, she’s now visiting them in the zoo, we’ll be okay here for a while” Hallie said smiling

Anya sat down and said,

“Hallie, get the stuff for the ritual, then tell Razor tonight, it’ll have to be tonight, coz once D’Hoffran gets wind of what I’m doing, he’ll be onto me”

“Yes darling…it’s…well SO you this is!”

“What is?”

“Going for the pain instead of the kill – D’Hoffran would be proud of you, if you wasn’t going to strip-!”

Anya stared ahead and said,

“Hallie, just go do as I said please”

“Okey-dokey!” She vanished with a smile and a flourish. Anya lay down and drew her legs up and lay in the foetal position on the couch.

***************************


“It looks like your average summoning spell, as far as I can see, herbs, resins, Gorgon eggs would be needed for transference, either from one being to another, or from one portal to another, it’s a shame we don’t have an incantation” Giles said

“One thing this vengeance bitch seemed to be having trouble with, was the fact that the baby was mine”

“Well strictly Spike, it isn’t” Giles began

“I know, I told her it was William’s, there was time travel involved, but she still looked shocked, and well amused almost, like I’d got two heads – do you think if they know the baby’s mine, it would make any difference to the ritual?” Spike asked

“Shouldn’t have thought so Spike – so look, I think the best thing we can do is to go back downstairs, and to get all this stuff that’s needed, and to lock it away in a case and for us all to sit on it…let her try teleporting it out with all of us on it!”

From downstairs in the stockroom there was the sound of breaking glass.

Spike tip-toed down and saw Hallie again, getting the ingredients together…

Everybody had followed Spike, and Giles quickly threw some dusty glitter over Hallie to keep her from teleporting

“Anchorus par de terre” Giles chanted


“Hey what – what was – ew, (cough, cough) what was………HEY! Why can’t I teleport?”

“Because we want you to stay put, that’s why”

“Let me go! I must get back to Anya, you don’t understand!”

“Oh we do understand alright, you want to get the slayer and Spike’s baby and do despicable things!”

“What? – What are you on about?” Hallie screwed her face up

“We know! We might not have the ritual itself, but we know this much, if you think for one split second that you’re going to –“

“Hallie for the gods sake, how long does it take you to get a bit of mandrake roo – oh!” Anya teleported into the stockroom, moaning until she looked around and saw everybody standing there

“Oh my god – An – Anya – you’re pregnant!” Xander said, looking at his former lover’s distended belly

“No shit, Sherlock, and here’s me thinking I’d eaten one too many Krispy Kreme doughnuts, of course I’m pregnant you moron, about nine months too, to be exact!” Anya said sourly.

Everybody’s attention had shifted to look at Anya’s belly

“Oh yes, and Spike’s the daddy! You were going to tell me about that!” Hallie said grinning and clapping like an excited child

Anya’s mouth dropped open in shock

“SPIKE’S baby, Hallie, what the hell are you on about, this is D’Hoffran’s baby, that’s why I’m doing the ritual – to defer all of D’Hoffran’s powers to my baby – so he will have to kow-tow to me, rather than the other way around”

“But William said it was HIS baby!” Hallie said

“Not THAT baby, MY baby, mine and Buffy’s!”

“Buffy’s pregnant -how come?” Anya asked confused

“Long story, it involves time travel and-“

“Hold on, just a minute here! So let me get this straight, you’re NOT after
Buffy and Spike’s baby?” Giles asked

“Didn’t know she was pregnant. Typical, she just HAS to try and copy EVERYTHING I do” Anya said pouting and folding her arms

“And the ritual is for YOUR baby to have all of D’Hoffran’s power deferred to your child, right?” Angel said

“If it’s any of your business, yes – “

There was a collective relieved sigh from Giles, Spike, and the others.

“…Although why it should bother any of you is beyond me!” Anya continued

“Because…we thought that you were after the slayer’s baby!” Xander said

“Slayer’s baby would be a mewling, puking little thing, and absolutely no use to me – what would I want THAT for?”

“Hey!” Spike narrowed his eyes in warning

“Just saying!” Anya said with a shrug

“Spike, go home and give Buffy the good news” Giles suggested and Spike nodded and left.

Chapter 9


Spike gently leaned over his wife, and kissed her face. Buffy stirred and smiled

“Baby…wake up” he gently nuzzled her neck, and Buffy’s eyes fluttered open.

“Hmm…love you” She mumbled, putting an arm around him and went to turn over, but Spike stayed where he was and Buffy opened her eyes to see him smiling at her.

“What’s the time?”

“It’s very early yet, but I have great news!” Spike lay down next to her, still fully clothed

Buffy raised her head to look at him

“What is it babe?”

“It’s not our baby they want!”

Buffy smiled and sat up

“No – how do you know, when did you find out? – Are you sure it’s-“

“Hey kitten, calm down. I couldn’t sleep so I went back to the shop. I got to thinking those bloody morons were missing something, more than likely under their very noses too!”

“And they were?”

“Pretty much, I caught that vengeance demon mate of Anya’s in the stockroom, helping herself, calm as you bloody like to the stock for the ritual!”

“And they didn’t hear anything upstairs?”

“Not a sausage until we started talking, then there was a bit of a mix up, Hallie and I were talking at cross purposes, I was still under the impression that it was OUR baby going to be used for the ritual, and Hallie knew different, she said what business was it of mine, but then she thought I was the father of Anya’s baby, coz I was going off at her how it was my business coz it was MY baby, well OUR baby – anyway in the confusion, she teleports out – but she comes back to get the stuff, and then Anya comes, and I’m not kidding you, she’s out here, (Spike made a semi-circle motion with his hand from his chest to his thighs, meaning Anya’s belly was huge) and looks ready to pop any moment!”

“Anya’s pregnant? – Do you know who by?”

“D’Hoffran, by all accounts, she wants to transfer all the power he has to the baby so she doesn’t have to answer to him anymore – or some such bollocks – who cares – it’s not our baby, and you can go to town with Willow later now!”

Buffy’s face lit up and she hugged her hubby

“I know you’ve been going stir-crazy pet…but I was so worried, and day time I couldn’t protect you, and-“

“Shush! I did understand, and I can go out now!”

“Spike, is that you?”

“Come in Red – great news!” he went on to tell Willow what had happened

“Excuse me, I must go do something” Willow went back to her own room

She summoned D’Hoffran, and told him of Anya’s plan.

“Sad to say Willow, I already know…the ritual she has is useless though, those Hellions…they should learn to read properly. I think the punishment is fitting though”

“P-punishment- but what about the baby – your baby?” Willow asked

“Well, I will bide my time and see my child eventually that is, time goes much faster in our dimension than in yours…the ritual she will do will not induce the birth and take my power and transfer it to the child, it will make it so that she is pregnant for 1000 years”

“A thousand – oh my goodness!” D’Hoffran smiled

“She hates it too, being pregnant, can’t have any fun………and a little something left over from being human, she feels guilty if she does something she shouldn’t, like partying and carousing………”

“What about Razor?” Willow asked

“I can’t decide… I really need somebody to make a wish on my behalf”

Willow’s smiled turned to a grin

“How about…I wish Razor would have a ‘sympathetic’ pregnancy? – You know, bloated stomach, milk engorged breasts…food cravings………”

D’Hoffran roared with laughter and said it would be perfect – and then he tried to enlist her again!

“It is a shame Willow, you would make an excellent vengeance demon!”

“Thanks, but no thanks, and um, you know, congratulations by the way on the baby – when you eventually get to see it!”

“Don’t worry, I have several hundred due before I see that baby – well I’m being summoned I must be off, bye!”

“Willow, what was that noise – the house shook!”

“Sorry…I thought I better warn D’Hoffran of Anya’s plan – he knew and it won’t work…Anya and Razor are in for a shock though!”



****************************


18 hours later

Anyanka, Halfrek and Razor tried to sit up amongst the ruins of Razor’s lair. Anya was still very pregnant, and by the looks of things with the size of his stomach and chest, so was Razor………

“You MUST have done it wrong YOU MORON!”

“Don’t shout at me!” Razor whined petulantly, then he frowned, felt his over-grown stomach and with eyes widening with horror, his chest area

“Oh for all the hell-dogs in Hades…what have YOU done to ME?”

Suddenly D’Hoffran appeared amongst the rubble of the blown-up spell

“ANYANKA!”

“Oh shit…um D’Hoffran, how was the Gamma quadrant?”

“Never mind that, for your deceit, you will remain with-child for a thousand years, and YOU, well YOU will have all the symptoms of being pregnant for the same amount of time – and I’m barring you all from the home planet – so the time will pass slowly for you Anyanka, maybe you can reflect on your wickedness during the long slow hours…”

“Wait, WAIT – D’HOFFRAN, I’M SORRY, REALLY, I’M sor-ry…!” Anya knew it was useless, her boss, father of her child had caught her out and now she was going to pay………


*************************



Three and a half weeks later………

“Push baby, one last time…”

Buffy, red faced and sweating let out a loud ‘AAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH’
And nearly broke all of Spike’s fingers as she held on tightly to his hand.

“AAAaaaaaaaaaaahhhh…um, th-that’s it baby…nearly – oh god, oh OH!”


“Good girl! There you are, hello baby, welcome to the world!” The midwife grinned and the baby let out a loud wail.

“There you are, let me clear his airway………cord clamped, would daddy like to cut the cord?” The midwife held the surgical scissors out to Spike, and shaking slightly he did just that. Wrapping him in a special towel, the nurse handed him to Buffy

“Oh god he’s beautiful…look Spike, he’s got your eyes!”

Spike gazed with awe on his baby son, words couldn’t describe how happy he felt, or emotional as the tears streamed down his face.

The midwife took the baby to wash and weigh him, and Spike splashed his face with cold water, and Buffy brushed her hair.

“Ready to face the mob?” Spike asked as the midwife placed the now clean baby boy back in Buffy’s arms

“There, six pounds three ounces, and he’s all present and correct, ten little fingers and toes…I’ll leave you to your visitors, only five minutes mind, you don’t want to be over-tired”

Spike moved the blanket away from his son’s face and couldn’t stop grinning. He leaned in and placed the softest kiss on his forehead, and then one on Buffy’s lips


“Thankyou, he’s…perfect!” Buffy smiled and said,

“See if you’re still saying that when he wants changing or has woken you twice in the night already!” But even joking, Buffy knew Spike wouldn’t mind one little bit.

“Are you going to get the others?”

Spike was rubbing his thumb back and forth over his son’s tiny fingers…

“Look at those tiny fingernails…”

“Spike…babe, the others – they’ve been here for six hours already”

“Hmm, what? Oh yeah, I suppose so…I just want you two to myself that’s all!”

“Plenty of time for that when we get home, silly!”

“Yeah, like we’ll get a minutes peace!” But Spike was grinning

He went over to the door and opened it, walked down the corridor. Angel stood and so did the others all looking at Spike with bated breath, holding helium balloons, teddy’s and all manner of flowers and fruit baskets…

“Born ten minutes ago, a boy, 6 pounds three ounces”

Willow and Cordelia shrieked and hugged Spike, Angel pumped his hand And Giles was shaking the other hand, Xander was slapping him on the back, all congratulating him

“Can we see them?”

“Just for five minutes, the midwife said she-“ Willow and Cordelia were off through the door before Spike could finish

“Well go on, granddad – Buffy’s dying to show him off!”

Giles couldn’t keep the grin off his face, to be an ‘honorary’ granddad just tickled him pink – he was overjoyed

“Can I go?”

“Course, go on whelp!”

“You’re very, very lucky you know Spike” Angel said

Spike turned to his grandsire

“Yes, I know…now is this where you tell me to take care of them or else?” Angel smiled

“I wouldn’t dare – besides…I know there’s no need”

Angel held his hand out to Spike, and Spike met him half way, but was suddenly pulled into a hug.

“If ever you need anything, you know” Angel began, but stopped

“Yeah…come on – come see him, he’s gorgeous – got my eyes so the Mrs says!” Spike held the door open and Angel, and Angel walked through saying something about he hoped he’d inherited Buffy’s looks instead, but it was all said in good humour.

There had been some discussion as to baby’s names, Spike had insisted all along that it was a boy, and Buffy had only thought of girls names, so when Willow asked what were they going to call him, Buffy said

“Well it can’t be Charlotte Louise Emily anymore…what did we say Spike, Cuthbert was it – or Sebastian?”

“Did we heck!” Spike said with a grin

Buffy raised her elbow so everybody could see the baby’s face, and she said,

“Everybody, I’d like you to meet baby William Henry Rupert Alexander, named after his lovely daddy, his two grandfather’s, and our bestest friend – but he’ll be known as Billy, isn’t that right, daddy?”

Spike couldn’t stop grinning and Giles was about to burst with emotion, as was Xander

Ten minutes later they all left

“So, William eh, you kept me waiting over that decision!” Spike said taking his son and lying him down in the crib next to the bed

“Well…better late than never! You’d better be going soon too, it’ll be sun-up”

“I know……there you sleep tight little one, and daddy will come and see you later, and your beautiful mum………”

As Buffy had had a text book delivery, she was allowed home later on that day, to a new family life in Revello Drive………


The End (for now!)