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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you to everyone reading this and reviewing.
I 'm helping to chaperone a bus load of 12,13 and 14 year olds tomorrow to Magic Mountain...oh Help!
Anyway, I wanted to get this submitted tonight.
Thanks
YOU NEVER CAN TELL



Chapter 11: ‘Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree’


A/N: Please don’t let the ‘frivolous’ title of this chapter fool you. This is not a fun type chapter, nor is it a Holiday plotline, not really. Thanks, luv Spuf


‘Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree’ (by Brenda Lee)


‘Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree
At the Christmas Party Hop
Mistletoe hung where you can see
Every couple tries to stop

Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree
Let the Christmas spirit ring
Later we’ll have some pumpkin pie
And we’ll do some caroling

You will get a sentimental feeling
When you hear
Voices singing: Let’s be jolly,
Deck the halls with boughs of holly

Rockin’ around the Christmas Tree
Have a happy Holiday
Everyone dancin’ merrily
In the new old fashioned way.


Buffy sighed in frustration as she tossed the green bean casserole into the oven. She grit her teeth and tried to control the volume of her voice as she screamed rather loudly, “Dawn! Will you please quit playing that darn song!”

Immediately, Buffy felt guilty for screaming at her beloved little sister. It was Christmas day, for Heaven’s sake and Dawn had every right to play the stupid song. Even if it was the hundredth time that day, that the singer sang ‘rockin’ around the Christmas Tree’.

The younger girl must have heard Buffy’s tirade, because the volume of the record player went way down after that. Buffy immediately felt like crud for ruining Dawn’s Christmas cheer and she wanted to just crawl under the table and disappear, forever.

“Sorry Dawnie,” Buffy mumbled as she checked the table settings. Spike and his parents were coming for Christmas dinner and Buffy wanted everything to be just right.

‘How the heck can everything be just right,’ Buffy thought sadly as she stared out the kitchen window. ‘I could be pregnant! Now, wouldn’t that be just a great Christmas present for Spike?’ Much less appealing then the ‘Complete Works of Shakespeare’ set of books she’d bought him over a month ago, she was sure.

When she had realized, around Thanksgiving, that she was a few days late on her period? Buffy really didn’t think that much of it. A seventeen-year-old girl? Stress from school, the holidays and other things in life? Being even a week late on a period was no big deal, that was for sure. Yup, denial girl, Buffy Summers had come up with every excuse in the book, for her missed period, that is. All but one excuse, the most obvious one.

Now? It was December 25th and Buffy had missed her monthly by almost a month. Buffy was past concerned about this, she was frantically worried and the effects of that worry were beginning to show.

Buffy snapped at everyone these days, especially Spike, even though he deserved it the least. She had not told her lover about her concerns, going so far as to ‘fake’ a period, a couple of weeks before Christmas. The ruse had not only served to ‘fool’ everyone, with Buffy wrapping clean pads and discarding them, meticulously. It had also eased, at least in Buffy’s head, Spike’s mind that all was well with her. And them. But it wasn’t well. Buffy wasn’t well at all, especially since she was beginning to show signs of morning sickness.

Again, this very morning, while Joyce was stuffing the turkey for dinner? Buffy felt the dizzy feeling of nausea overcome her and she had to excuse herself from the kitchen. She had barely made it to the first floor bathroom before she threw up, as unobvious as she could, of course.

“Uck!” she hissed as she emptied her tummy into the toilet. “Raw turkey! Yuck!” Buffy washed her face and brushed her teeth, twice, to cover the signs of her ‘illness’.

The front doorbell rang and Dawn ran to answer it, her youthful enthusiasm lost on Buffy, for once. Spike must have entered the house and immediately headed towards the kitchen and her, because he was staring at Buffy, even now.

“You’re pale, Princess,” Spike murmered, brushing a long golden lock from her face. His brows were scrunched together in concern and this proved to be Buffy’s undoing.

“Well,” Buffy snipped, sarcastically, “that’s a fine how do you do about my looks! And on Christmas? Thanks boyfriend,” she quipped, defensively. “I mean, I get all dressed up in my best cashmere sweater, red even and you…” she grabbed a plate of rolls and headed towards the dining room, ending the conversation abruptly.



“Buffy,” Spike called softly behind her. He finally joined the Summers and Giles family at the dining room table, quietly sitting next to his beloved girlfriend.

After the grace, the adults toasted everyone and everything for Christmas and the feast began. Spike watched his beloved girl as she merely ‘moved’ her food about her plate and never really ate much of it.

‘What the bloody hell?’ he asked himself. ‘Buffy ususally eats like a truck driver. She’s sick,’ he reasoned with a silent nod. ‘I’ll make sure she gets some rest, after today. She’s just tired, worn out from the Holidays and maybe has a bit of flu?’ He reassured himself, firmly, ‘that’s it. My baby’s got the flu and needs to rest more.’

“So Faith took off for New York, last week,” Rupert Giles announced with a relieved sigh. “Of course,” he added, regretfully, “she’ll be back at our house, before the New Year. She’s staying with us until after the New Year,” Giles frowned in disappointment.

“Liam convinced her to join her husband, Ethan Rayne, in NYC. Try to make amends I suppose. It’s sad really, don’t you think dear?” He glanced at Jennifer, his wife and Faith’s older sister.

“Yes,” Jenny sighed sadly, “but I suppose you are right, dear,” she smiled gently at her husband. “When my little sister makes up her mind? It’s made up. Her marriage is probably over and she’ll be back in Sunnydale before December 31st. Liam’s big New Year’s Eve Party will be too much of a temptation for her. She’ll have to attend and since my big brother’s made it clear that Faith is to stay with us until then?”

“I think it’s very nice of you to offer a haven for your sister,” Joyce interjected, kindly. “Poor thing,” she whispered, ignoring Hank’s scowl.

Buffy listened, intently, to the grown ups talk, even though she pretended to ignore it. Everything that Spike and she had discussed, over a month before, about his Aunt Faith? It all came back to Buffy now.

‘Faith,’ Buffy said to herself, the name itself beginning to sound like a solution to her ‘problem’ of the moment. ‘Maybe Faith can help me? She knows a lot, right? I’ll talk to her, ask her to help and maybe, just maybe, she will.’ Buffy put the whole thing out of her mind, at least for the moment.

After dinner, Spike asked Buffy to go for a walk with him. He noticed that she almost had to convince herself to go, or at least he thought so. Spike had been so proud of the gift he’d bought Buffy, for Christmas. It was a beautiful necklace of pure 14 karat gold. The pendant he’d attached to the chain was a drop emerald and Spike had saved up all of his earnings just to buy it for her.

Of course, Spike loved the books Buffy had bought him for his present from her. He loved reading Shakespeare, although only Buffy really knew about that.

As they walked down the block of her street, Spike noticed that Buffy rubbed the emerald, nervously. She’d been so quiet and distant lately, he thought. Then, it hit him, like a brick, right in his face.

‘She’s scared,’ he realized, somewhat scared himself. ‘Oh fuck!’ he screamed in his own head. ‘What if she wants to break up with me?’

This thought made him physically ill and he clasped her tiny hand, even tighter in his. She didn’t pull away, he noticed as they strode, slowly to a nearby small park.

Once they got to the park, Spike and Buffy sat on a bench, her head resting on his shoulder. Spike began to stroke Buffy’s shoulder, gently with his hand, trying to soothe the tenseness he felt there.

“I’m not going to sleep with you tonight,” Buffy suddenly blurted out.

“I,” Spike stammered, stunned, “I didn’t expect you to, tonight,” he offered defensively. “It’s…”

“I’m about to start my period,” Buffy blurted out, again, lying through her teeth. And she just knew it.

Spike looked confused, momentarily, “Buffy?” he pulled her chin up so that he could look into her beautiful green eyes.

“You just had your period, didn’t you, luv?” He was so confused by now that he wondered if he’d heard wrong, just a couple of weeks before. Buffy certainly kept him at arm’s length at ‘that time of the month’ so he didn’t understand what the hell was going on.

“Right,” Buffy muttered under her breath. “It’s just that, I think I’ve got the flu, or something,” she stuttered, her face bright red with embarrassment.

“Thought so,” Spike nodded and held her tightly to him. “You’ve not got a fever, I don’t think. But you seem a bit off lately. You need to rest, baby,” he gazed at her with a serious expression.

“Yeah,” Buffy whispered, “rest,” she finished simply. Before either of them knew it, Buffy buried her head into Spike’s shoulder and burst into tears.

“I love you, Will,” she sobbed, clutching him closer to her body.

“I love you, baby,” he echoed as he tried to comfort her, best he could. He stroked her long blond hair and nuzzled his mouth into her forehead.

“You’re my sweet Buffy,” he purred, running his hand up under her little jacket. Even though this was California, it was still damp and cool at this time of year.

As quickly as Buffy broke into tears? She calmed down and dried them on her jacket sleeve. “Are you going to work, at the store during the rest of winter break?” Buffy asked carefully of her boyfriend.

“Yeah, fraid so,” Spike sighed, now completely puzzled by his girl’s odd behavior. “But at least I’ll only work days, mostly that is, so we can be together at night.” He smiled at her, tenderly, hoping this news would please her. It seemed to.

“Oh,” she smiled softly, “that’s good,” she finished, thoughtfully. “I mean you can make some money and save, right?” She added abruptly, trying to save the day.

“Right,” Spike drawled, still unsure as to what the hell was going on here.

“Spike,” Buffy murmered softly, as she ran her warm little hands down her boyfriend’s leather clad arms. “Is there somewhere we can go, privately? Tonight? You and me? I want…”

Buffy didn’t finish, because Spike had pulled her head, forcefully, to his and was kissing her mouth, hungrily.


Three days after Christmas, while Spike was at work, Buffy trudged up the long walkway of the Giles’ home. It was about 10:00 AM when Buffy knocked on the Giles’ door and she knew, without a doubt, that Spike’s Aunt Faith would be here, alone, in the house.

Sure enough, the brunette, wild child, answered the door of the house and eyed Buffy up and down, carefully.

“Well, well, well,” Faith chuckled warmly, “little Buffy Summers is all grown up now, eh? Come in, sweetie,” the older woman motioned Buffy into the house.

“Your boy’s at work,” Faith grinned as she lit up a cigarette and again eyed Buffy up and down. “But you knew that, didn’t you?” the dark haired woman smiled again, knowingly.

‘The Giles’ hate smoking in their house,’ Buffy mused as she watched this once beautiful woman taking long drags on her cigarette. Buffy was well aware that even Spike was not allowed to smoke in the house, ever. The Aunt was asking for upheaval, that was for sure, but then again, maybe that was what the jaded woman lived for?

Buffy remembered seeing pictures of Faith Crawford-Rayne, well at least a few of her. At Angel’s house, on the fireplace mantel that is. Of course, the pictures were from earlier, happier days, when Faith had been a younger, a more care free woman and a bit more respectable, Buffy suspected.

Now? Buffy saw a woman who was hardened past her thirty-two years. A bitter woman who was still pretty, yes, but who had lost some of that exotic beauty that had been so attractive once. Now, Buffy thought sadly, Aunt Faith’s eyes held the look of a lonely, haunted woman.

“You’re quite the little catch now, aren’t you Buffy Summers?” Faith asked with a smirk. “You dumped my one nephew, for my other one, right? That’s how I heard it. Of course,” Faith grinned at Buffy, “I do think that William’s more your type. All British genteel, huh? Angel’s a cocky little shit, isn’t he?”

Buffy was stunned, briefly, at Faith’s obscene words. The blond teen shook off her shock and just nodded, silently. She looked about the large living room, at anything but Faith. Odd, really. Faith was the real reason Buffy was here.

“I need your help,” Buffy blurted out, then blushed brightly at her forwardness.

“My help?” Faith frowned in puzzlement. “Why would ‘you’ need my help?” she asked, almost genuinely concerned.

“First,” Buffy stammered, stumbling over her own words, “I need you to promise me something, please Faith?”

“Buffy,” Faith began carefully, her voice had suddenly lost all of it’s bravado. “What’s wrong?” the dark haired older woman asked, gently.

“Please promise me,” Buffy began to plead, tiny tears spilled from her green eyes. “Promise me you won’t tell anyone I was here, today. To see you? Especially Will?”

“Promise,” Faith said automatically as she stubbed out the cigarette and walked over to where Buffy was standing. The older woman held out her hand and took Buffy’s tinier one in it.

“What is it, Buffy?” Faith asked, genuinely concerned now. Buffy could tell sincerity and Faith had it by this time.

“I think I might be pregnant,” Buffy whispered in a barely audible voice. “With Will’s baby, of course,” she assured the woman. “I need help Faith,” she murmered, ashamed to be spilling this news out to a virtual stranger.

“Can you, will you help me?” Buffy asked Faith, her head hung down in shame.

“Yes,” Faith answered immediatley. “I’ll help you.”

Faith led Buffy to the couch and sat down next to her. The brunette took Buffy’s clammy hand in her own and held it tight.

“How far?” Faith asked simply, all business like.

“Not far, if at all,” Buffy replied, sullenly. “Maybe six weeks? I’m not sure, we used things, but…”

“Sometimes ‘things’ don’t work,” Faith mumbled, a bitter tone in her voice.

“Have you told my nephew?” Faith asked, even though Buffy could tell the knowledgeable woman realized that she had not told Spike.

“No,” Buffy shook her head as she answered with a whimper.

“He’d marry you, in a heartbeat,” Faith assured Buffy.

“We’re too young,” Buffy sighed, the sorrow in her voice cut through the air like a knife. She began to cry, softly and buried her face in her hands.

“I see,” Faith nodded. “I know someone, up north,” she added in a mechanical voice. “He works at a clinic, a private one. His name’s Lorne and we go way back. I’ll take you up there, tomorrow,” Faith continued, almost talking to herself. “He’s not a Doctor, yet. Lorne that is. But he’s a tech and he can give you a test, figure out if you’re pregnant or not. It’ll all be hush hush, I promise.”

Buffy sat, wide-eyed, in shock, as this woman planned her entire next day out for her. Almost like she was planning an inpromtu dinner party.

“Can you make up an excuse to be away, from home, for most of the day tomorrow?” Faith gazed into Buffy’s eyes, compassionately.

“Yes,” Buffy whispered in reply. Her lower lip began to temble, even as Buffy tried to halt it.

“Good, then I’ll drive you there,” Faith finished with a nod. “I’ll have you home by early afternoon. Don’t worry,” she patted Buffy’s hand with hers.

“What if…” Buffy left the question unfinished.

“What if you’re pregnant?” Faith asked quietly, her brown eyes, dark and bitter.

“Yes,” Buffy replied, biting her lower lip, gently.

“Then maybe I can help you with ‘that’ too,” Faith mumbled, her eyes avoiding Buffy’s.

“Thank you,” Buffy whispered, sadly, as she lay back into the couch.


A/N: I can see that this fiction is going to get out of hand (like the rest of my stories!) It’s already going on too long, at this point, but I feel like I have to add all the details I can.

In the next chapter, tentively titled ‘Too Young’ Buffy will find out the answers she’s looking for.

Thanks for reading, please review, luv Spuf





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