Spike fumbled nervously with the cap and mask that the nurse had given him to wear. He looked sheepishly up at Buffy, "I don't know about this, Love. Are you sure I won't frighten her, looking like this?"
Buffy stood on tiptoe to help him pull the sterile cap over his ears and to whisper to him, "Love," she brushed her lips against his ear, "there are so many things that she's worried about right now, seeing those bright blue eyes of yours," she stood back to be sure everything was in place, "well to be honest, I'm a little jealous. How could she be scared of you when the cap matches those eyes?" she shrugged turning him and giving the mask tie one last check, "Now, why don't you and she get acquainted," she said as she opened the nursery door and let him step through once she was certain his feet were covered with plastic booties.
Spike felt like an alien stepping into that room. Never had he felt more like a bull in a china shop then he did at this moment. He was never more afraid to move a muscle. Rows and rows of paper dolls, and they all looked so breakable. He searched the room for a friendly face, someone to show him what to do. He found his savior in the nurse in the pink smock that smiled at him with her eyes, she had to, the eyes were the only part of her face that was uncovered, and showed him to the baby girl's bassinet.
His knees were shaking as he sat in the rocker next to the child as she lay in her incubator. He was unsure of what to do next. He wasn't even sure if he could touch the sides of the glass cradle that held her without causing her harm.
The nurse noticed and said kindly, "Mister Dustin?" she asked sweetly, "Do you see the holes on the side of the isolet, the ones that have the elastic stretched across them?"
He nodded.
"Good. You can put your hand through that hole. The other side is kind of like a windbreaker with elastic around the cuff. It will stretch to fit your hand," her eyes smiled again, "You can put your hand through, as long as you're wearing gloves," at his alarmed look she added, "I'm sure she's just fine. But considering that her arrival was a little bumpy, we want to make sure her immune system is strong. It is pretty weak right now. But she's getting better. And she'll get better faster if she knows her father's touch," she nodded encouragement, "Go on, touch her."
He looked up at the nurse, "You're sure it's all right? I don't want to hurt her."
The nurse's eyes smiled again as she looked down at the cradle, "Well, would you look at that," she seemed astonished, "You may not be sure, Daddy, but she is," she pointed a finger at the baby, "Look," she said, "I think she heard you. And I think she knows who her Daddy is. She's looking right at you."
Spike turned in time to see two little brown eyes staring at him as if to ask him all the questions in the world, starting with the one every child seems to ask, "Are you my Daddy?"
He blinked. This little baby was looking at him as if he were her world. Which Spike knew would work out nicely, because at that very moment she was his entire world.
His vision was eclipsed by the smallness of her. Everything about her was small, too small, and it brought tears to his eyes to see her struggling. To see her tiny feet as the kicked weakly at the air, her hands, that were so tiny that Spike was sure that the whole of her hand could fit through the wedding ring he wore on his finger, balled up into wee fists, as if to take on the world. And her heart; Spike could actually see her heart fluttering in her chest with the speed of a Hummingbird's wings.
He was so in awe of her that when that hand, that tiny, little hand was actually pressed up against the walls of her cage, he audibly gasped. She was trying to reach for his finger as it ghosted up against the barrier between them.
In that instant he knew what to do. His cautiously slid the fingers of one hand through the opening to touch her lightly with his fingertips. He started with the top of her head, and slowly made his way down to the soles of her feet. Spike was careful to use just the tips of his fingers because his palm alone would have covered her completely.
As his fingers felt the tiny bones in her hands and fingers desperately trying to gain purchase as this giant suddenly invaded her world, all the muscles seemed to come under her command at once and she closed her fingers around the tip of his index finger, and would not let go. He felt the pressure of her fingers around his and was amazed. For someone so small, she was exerting strength that was the equivalent of a vice just trying to hold on to him.
Right then his heart melted, "Oh, hello cutie," he whispered, as he felt the pressure of tears building up, "It's me. I'm your Daddy. I don't really know why you chose me. I think you might not know what you've gotten into, Dove," the skin of her forehead seemed to crease a little. It was as if she were asking him if he'd lost his mind; of course she knew what she was signing up for. Would there be any other person, any other family worthy of her time?
He chucked as the pressure around his finger increased, "Oh, so I'm the daft one, am I? Well, if you insist. You know, with all due respect to your Mum, I think you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen," Spike winked at her, "And believe me when I tell you, I've seen more than my fair share of beautiful women. I promise, I may not always do it right," he smiled to himself, "and sometimes it may look like something else, but I'll try to protect you. Can you hear me, Jonina?"
Spike cocked his head to the side, scrutinizing every detail of her, committing her to his memory. He took note of the velvet feel of her skin, and the brassy timbre if her blood as it rushed through her little body.
Spike detected a slight hitch in her breathing. It was so slight that the machines that she depended on hadn't even picked it up. Perhaps he was being over vigilant. He tried to dismiss it. But, he began to notice a slight discoloration on her left cheek and called the nurse over, thinking that it might be a sign of something threatening. He was so unnerved by the sight that he had to make sure he had full control over his baser instincts, so as not to alarm anyone, before voicing his concerns, "Nurse, there seems to be a variation in her skin tone, around the arch of her cheekbone," he tried to keep his tone calm, his eyes flicking toward the gages that monitored the oxygen content in the isolet. The monitors indicated nothing amiss. But, he could sense something was off, and if it wasn't remedied soon, the baby could suffer brain damage, or worse. "Nurse," Spike stuttered nervously, "I'm no expert but, her skin seems a bit blue. Is there something wrong with the oxygen flow to her cradle?"
The woman in the veil of pastel pink came rushing over, her brows furrowed with cautious worry. She checked the monitors and let in an involuntary breath while pushing buttons. Her voice tried to sound calming, but Spike knew he'd been right. He knew it.
"Everything checks out. Why don't you let us examine this little princess," she said as she quickly ushered him from the nursery, "We'll keep you informed Daddy. Don't worry," she said as she closed the door, effectively cutting him off from the only person who truly loved him, without question.
He was alone again. Set adrift.
Then, as if by some miracle, Buffy appeared. And, he held tight to her, for dear life.
Buffy quickly undid Spike's face mask as she watched tears roll down his cheeks and tried to comfort him, "Let's go home," he whimpered in protest, his body stiffened in sympathy for the pain the child was going through with strangers swarming all around, "Just for a few hours," Buffy was saying, "I can bring the car into the underground parking lot," she peppered his tear-streaked face with kisses, "Meet me there. We'll both get some rest. Then we'll be back. I promise."
*************************************
IN THE INTERREGNUM-HOME OFFICE
Holland slammed his fist on his desk, in a rare show of temper. He had worked too hard and for too many years to let a child ruin the Senior Partners' plans.
Every contingency was planned for, and countered. He had the right mix of envy, fear and of course, the extra dose of Angel's paranoia only made it sweeter.
He looked at the figures again. He must be missing something. What was he missing? Why was he losing? He knew it wasn't the Angelus angle. No, it couldn't be that, he had Angelus so spun, so lost in a miasma of displaced guilt, that Holland was sure he actually had him convinced that the child was an agent of destruction.
He was sure that Angel had no idea the power she actually wielded. He'd made sure of that. So what was thwarting his plans?
It was miniscule, Holland knew that, and as he looked at the reports that were strewn across his desk, he knew he had to find it.
The blur of words on the paper melted into focus on the one factor Holland hadn't considered. And he hadn't considered it because in the Home Office it didn't enter into the picture.
"I don't know how, but I have to find a way around this."
*******************************
Angel watched, from the safety of shadow, as Spike peered down at the infants in the intensive care unit. He looked exhausted, and perhaps that was the reason he was able to get this close to his target without being noticed. Spike was too focused on the newborn to notice him and that was good.
He had waited for hours for his opening. And it finally came in the guise of a caring wife.
As Buffy led Spike to the parents' lounge, Angel drew the mask up over his face, completing his camouflage. Angel silently made his way into the sterile room. He knew his disguise was perfect because no one questioned his presence near the children. If Spike were watching, he would only see another nurse in a sea of nurses.
He strode up to the monitors that watched over the little girl, pushed a few buttons, and walked away. No one even blinked as he left the room and then the hospital, and took refuge in the sewer tunnels beneath the city.
Now, all that was left to do was wait.
**************************
Buffy led Spike past a very worried looking Georgina, "Close down for a while George," Buffy mumbled as they went by, "No calls. Tell people that there's been a family emergency or something."
George nodded, "Already done. We've been closed down for three days now."
"Good. If you hear anything...
"I know where to find you."
As Georgina Roberts watched them go up the steps, she put the finishing touches on her letter. She knew it wasn't much, but maybe it would help them through the hard times.
She hit the last few keystrokes, then reread it before hitting print:
Dear Spike and Buffy,
I know I'm just a secretary here, and right now there are bigger things to think about than my opinion. But,
since the baby can't speak for herself right now, I'm sure I speak for her when I say that she's strong, and
she'll make it.
I say this from experience. I was a baby who was in such a rush to be in this world that I came even earlier
than she did, and I'm still here. All that little girl needs to survive is time and a little love. And you both
have those things, in excess.
That is a very lucky little girl, and I think I might be a little jealous.
Georgina
She pressed print and placed the letter where she was sure they would find it, made sure to forward all the dojo's calls, and left for home.
**************************
Spike finally drifted off to sleep. He didn't want to sleep, but his body had taken over and wasn't listening to him anymore. Vampire or not, going three days without sleep would shut down anyone's system. And Buffy was glad that the lines on his face had finally smoothed out. The blood he'd taken did help, but not much.
She lay down next to him and he seemed to melt into her embrace. He purred softly as her scent invaded his sleep, "She'll be all right, Spike. I know she will. With you in her corner, she's already a winner."
[Reviews - 202]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 1485 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
Please review