YOU NEVER CAN TELL
Chapter 22: ‘You Send Me’
Spike watched his wife, Buffy, as she slept quite soundly in her little hospital bed. Their daughter, little Jennifer Joyce, was safe and sound, in the new baby nursery right down the hallway. When he wasn’t watching over his wife, or making calls to Jesse and Winnefred, or even to Mr. Green, Jesse’s dad, Spike snuck away to see his beautiful daughter. Buffy and his own little miracle, sleeping contently in the baby bassinette that the hospital provided.
‘Thank you, again,’ Spike raised his eyes up to look at the ceiling above him. ‘If it hadn’t been for you? I might have lost her,’ he glanced over at his sleeping wife, lovingly. ‘Or our little lady,’ Spike sighed, thinking of the baby, safely slumbering in the nursery. ‘Or, God forbid, both of them,’ he shuddered violently, the old fear rising inside of him.
“Mr. Giles,” the day evening shift nurse stepped into the doorway of the room and gave Spike a ‘what the heck’ look.
“There are several people here, out in the floor waiting room,” Nurse Nancy mumbled, a little overwhelmed, no doubt. “They claim to be your family, from California?”
‘Oh bloody fuck it all to hell!’ Spike gasped, silently, for the most part. ‘The shit is going to hit the fan now!’
Checking on Buffy, one more time, Spike walked out of the little room, slowly, and went to face the wrath of Sunnydale.
“Son!” Rupert Giles and his wife, Jennifer, exclaimed, excitedly, when Spike came into their view. “Dear God, boy,” Rupert continued, solo, “we’ve been worried sick about you and Buffy!”
Spike looked about, in the the little waiting room, to find his Dad, Mum, Hank and Joyce Summers and Dawn, of course, staring at him. As if he’d grown two heads, overnight.
“I’m a Dad,” Spike managed to mumble, weakly, unable to say much else. At the moment, anyway. “Buffy and me, we’ve got a little girl. She’s beautiful Dad, Mum, Mr. and Mrs. Summers. We named her…”
“Where’s my baby?” Hank cried, pushing past Spike and storming towards Buffy’s room.
“Hank for God’s sake!” Joyce hissed, grabbing her husband’s arm. “Has it occurred to you that you daughter is worn out. From all of this?”
“Buffy’s sleeping,” Spike offered, already going into defense mode over Hank’s reaction to his good news.
“She better be all right,” Hank hissed at Spike, his eyes full of menance and accusations.
“She is,” Spike sighed, his relief still new and very apparent to everyone in the room.
“It’s so cool!” Dawn interjected, eyeing her stepfather, warily. “You and Buff, parents!”
Hank shot poor Dawnie a murderous look, but Joyce stepped in between him and Spike.
“Why don’t we go see the baby?” Jennifer chimed in, after hugging her son, tightly.
“Yes,” Giles piped up, “let’s go see our Granddaughter, shall we Hank?” Rupert patted Spike’s shoulder, all manly like and winked, kind of at his son. Or so Spike thought anyway.
Hank gave everyone a kind of ‘mopey’ look, but when Joyce nodded at her husband, he shrugged and followed them to the nursery.
“There she is!” Spike gushed, proudly, pointing at the fair headed, rosy cheeked newborn girl, lying in her little bassinette. “Isn’t she something though?”
Jennifer clapped her hands together and began to weep, softly, “oh, honey,” she clasped onto Spike’s arm. “She’s the most beautiful little thing I’ve ever seen!”
“We named her Jennifer Joyce Giles,” Spike intoned, his voice almost reverent as he joined the others in watching his beautiful daughter sleeping, peacefully.
“She is!” Joyce agreed quickly, taking Jennifer’s arm in her own. “Little Jennifer is just gorgeous!”
“Quite lovely,” Rupert Giles nodded in agreement with the two ladies. “A real little lady if I ever saw one,” he added, proudly.
“She looks like Winston Churchhill,” Dawn muttered with a scowl. “Except little Jennifer has more hair then him and…”
“Buffy,” Hank whispered as he maneuvered himself even closer to the window of the nursery. “Little Jenny looks like my baby girl, when she was born,” the older man mumbled, in near awe, his head tilted to one side, slightly.
Little Jennifer Joyce Giles was sound asleep, apparently unaware, at least at present, of the awe inspiring comments she was causing from the family.
“Her eyes,” Spike whispered again, barely able to form words at this point. He watched the rise and fall of his daughter’s chest from her gentle breathing, still in awe at this mircacle of new life.
“My daughter’s eyes are indigo blue,” Spike added, with a smile, placing his left hand on the nursery window and leaning his head into it at the same time. “She’s got my eyes,” he grinned with proud sigh. “But she’s her Mum, through and through, otherwise,” he finished, even more proudly.
“Mr. Giles, family?” the nurse from before broke into the bragging fest, quietly. “Buffy’s awake, now and asking to see you all. Eventually. First she’d like to talk to her husband and father, privately?”
Spike felt a sudden sense of doom rush over him, but he followed the fast walking Hank Summers into his wife’s room. When the two men got into the room, Spike gazed at his Buffy, fearfully.
‘What if she let’s Hank talk her into leaving me and the baby?’ he asked himself, his insecurity overwhelming him. ‘What if…’
“Hey, Daddy,” Buffy held out her arms to her father, who fell into them and hugged his daughter tightly to him.
“Hey, Baby Girl,” Hank whispered, hoarsely, as he clutched his Buffy to him, desperately.
Spike shuffled about, feeling quite inadequate, at the moment, and quite sorry for himself and very afraid that his beloved wife just might run off and follow Daddy home and...
“Hey you,” Buffy motioned to Spike, making it clear that she wanted her husband to come sit beside her, on the tiny bed.
After he sat down next to Buffy, Spike took her tiny hand in his and kissed it, possessively. He only hoped that old Hank noticed that move and understood what he meant by it. Under ‘no’ circumstances, ‘none’ that is, would Daddy Hank be allowed to spirit his darling Buffy off. Or convince her to give up the precious baby in the nursery, or him, Spike, or…
“Daddy,” Buffy began, carefully, holding her father at somewhat of an arm’s length and staring into his eyes. “I love you, you know that, right?”
Hank nodded, but said nothing in reply.
“William, I love you,” Buffy continued, putting her husband’s hand to her lips and kissing it, tenderly. “You know that, right? I mean, you send me, you know that? Right?” She giggled, delighting Spike to no end.
All of a sudden, Spike felt almost euphoric, for the tenth time that day, that is. He realized, in that one, brief moment, that his wife, his beloved Buffy, had made her choice. Pure, clear and simple. Buffy had chosen him, Spike Giles and their daughter, and their life together.
“This is how it’s gonna’ be, Daddy,” Buffy whispered, stroking Hank’s hand with her free one, lovingly. “I’m in this, with Will and little Jenny, for the long haul. Just like he’s in it, with us, right Will?” She smiled when Spike nodded, enthusiastically back at her.
“And as much as I love you, respect you and really to want you in our lives?” she smiled up at her young husband, lovingly, but spoke to her father.
“It’s going to be Will, little Jenny and whatever little future rugrats that we have together. First, foremost and always. Do you understand that, Daddy?” Buffy whispered at the end, perhaps a bit overwhelmed, herself, by all this drama going on about her.
“Yes,” Hank replied simply, nearly in a whipser, shocking the hell out of Spike, briefly. “When did you grow up so much?” Hank asked his daughter, his voice was full of wonder.
“A while back,” Buffy giggled, but finished off with a very ‘mature’ motherly grin.
“I understand, little Mama,” the Summers’ patriach leaned in and kissed his daughter, tenderly, on her cheek.
With that ‘understood’ Hank stood up and surprisingly slapped Spike on the back, all manly like. “You did good, William,” Hank mumbled in a strained, tearful voice. “You did too, Pumpkin,” Hank added with at wink at Buffy. “Little Jennifer is the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen, except for you,” the father added with a chuckle.
“I’m going to bring Joyce, Jennifer, Rupert and even Dawn in,” Hank stated, immediately in an aurthoritive tone, again. “I don’t give a rat’s ass what the rules are in this hospitals. They all want to see you, Pumpkin,” he grinned at his daughter, who now had a daughter of her own.
After Hank went to retrieve the rest of the ‘clans’ Spike snuggled into his wife’s side. He began to chuckle, softly, illiciting an odd look from his beautiful Buffy.
“What’s so funny?” Buffy asked, with a raised brow.
“Your Dad,” Spike replied with a snort, “he’s pretty cool. Your Dad I mean,” he added with a smirk.
“Dad?” Buffy gasped. “Cool!” she gasped again, fairly confused by now. “My Dad is the most uncool guy in the world,” Buffy snorted, snuggly into her William’s strong arms.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Spike laughed, good-naturedly. “I think he’s pretty all right,” he finished by placing a much deserved kiss on his Buffy’s funny little nose.
Joyce and Jennifer rushed into the little room, followed by Hank, Dawn and Rupert Giles. The two women flung themselves onto Buffy’s bed.
Spike was pushed aside, almost off of the bed, in the excitement for the two woment to hover over the new Mama.
“It’s like this,” Rupert chuckled, patting his son on his back, “the women will come in, take over and…”
“Did you tell them?” Joyce blurted out, excitedly. “About the ‘plan’ that is?” She grinned up at Hank and Rupert, then back at Buffy and Spike.
“Plan?” Buffy asked, warily, “what plan?”
“Dad has this wonderful idea,” Joyce gushed, getting caught up in the moment. “How you and William can return, to Sunnydale with us. Get your GED’s and finish High School. A job, a future with…”
“Joyce, please,” Hank muttered, blushing bright red from just everything.
“What’s this about, Hank,” Spike asked, in his best deep, fatherly voice. The blond teen hoped that ‘Mr. Summers’ noticed how he had used his familiar first name this time.
“Well, William,” Hank stammered, “I discussed some options, for you and Buffy and of course little Jennifer, now,” the older man just beamed with pride over his Grandbaby. “Thought maybe you and Buffy would like to go home, to Sunnydale and set up house there. There’s a perfect job for you, son,” Hank continued, “at the factory. A bright young man, such as yourself. Sky’s the limit, if you’d like that is,” Summers dropped his eyes away from his son-in-law, almost shyly.
“Buffy, baby?” Spike gazed at his wife, who was just beaming herself, with love and happiness and inner peace.
‘Like a bloody torch of contentment,’ Spike thought to himself, happily. ‘My Buffy is happy and settled,’ he realized in relief. ‘It’s going to be okay, really, okay,’ he sighed, pretty darned contented and happy himself.
“The ball’s in your court, baby,” Buffy murmered, a soft, very feminine, knowing smile on her lips.
“Okay,” Spike responded, simply, “but only if I give you a fair day’s work, for a fair day’s wage,” he stated, firmly, to his father-in-law.
“Agreed,” Hank blurted, taking his son-in-law’s strong left hand in his own. He shook it, firmly, and held it for just a moment.
“Oh goody!” Joyce Summers and Jennifer Giles squealed in delight! “We’re Grandmothers!” Jennifer almost jumped up and down in her glee.
“Grannies!” Joyce cried in delight, throwing her arms around Jennifer first, then Dawn, then Hank then Rupert.
Spike hugged Buffy, Buffy hugged Spike. Everyone else hugged each other, except Dawn. She was too busy standing in the doorway, glancing down the hallway, a confused expression on her cute little ten-year-old face.
“Mr. Giles?” Dawn whispered at the proud Grandpa. “Really,” she continued, eyeing the affectionate display in front of her, suspiciously. “Don’t you really, really think that little Jennifer looks just like Winston Churchhill?”
‘You Send Me’ (by Sam Cooke)
‘Darlin’ you, you, send me
I know that you, you send me
Ohhh, you, you send me…
Honest you do, honest you, honest you do.
“Ohhh, you, you, thrill me,
I know that you, you, thrill me,
Yes, you, you, thrill me…
Honest you do, honest you do, honest you do.
A/N: Another chapter, maybe, after this one, but definitely, an epilogue. Thanks for reading and please review, luv Spuf
[Reviews - 181]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 2717 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you, thank you!