Chapter Five
Truth In Revelation
Spike sat at the front of the large glass conference table in his practice, he listened to the trade negotiations of the two large companies he represented. He didn’t really listen to the people around him as they ranted and raved over each other, trying to forge the deal that was here to be constructed. His mind wandered back to ‘home’, and the situation with Buffy. They had in a strange way resolved some of their conflicting interests, the conversation about Lily had only been the beginning. They had come to agree that Spike could be involved in every aspect of the pregnancy and impeding arrival of their child. Somehow he had even gotten her to agree to allow him to come to her prenatal classes, and any investigation she may need for the pregnancy. That was something he was really looking forward to, as in a few weeks he would be able to actually ‘see’ the baby. Buffy had consented to him paying for a special ultrasound that would give them a 3-D image of the child.
So lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice his secretary duck her head around the door that led to the conference room from his office, or her drastic attempts and frantic waves to catch his attention. She had no option, as the people around the table began to mumble to themselves and each other that Spike apparently had his ‘head in the clouds’. Opening the door, she walked in with an “Excuse me”, moving straight towards her boss, she leant in and whispered something to him. He immediately stood, buttoned his suit jacket and walked to the door. He turned to look at the people in front of him, and not even saying a word he closed the door behind him.
In his office sat a young man clutching a briefcase, he was nervously playing with its handle. Spike could tell he was extremely uncomfortable being in the office, as it imposed the importance of the owner onto the visitor. Moving to the desk, Spike himself sat, as his visitor stood and attempted to greet him. He plainly rejected the greeting, making the man even more uncomfortable. Taking a pen in hand, Spike mentally summed up the young man, he could smell the fear running off him. He had no ‘balls’ at all, as Spike would put it.
“What do you want?” Spike’s request was simple and straight to the point.
“Ummmmm…….I…um”, he fumbled to open his briefcase to retrieve some papers, predictably, with his state of being, he dropped most of the content of his papers onto the floor, “Sorry……..sorry”.
“Just pick up your papers, tell me what you want, and get the fuck out!”
His visitor was a bit taken back by Spike’s use of language, not once that he’d been in his presence before had he heard him swear, he’d always been the perfect gentleman. Spike looked like he was about to bite the mans head off. Moving as quickly as he could, he picked up the papers and dumped them on the table. He arranged them into as neat pile as he could, then handed Spike the top few papers. Looking at them, he immediately understood what he was holding in his hands. He threw them straight back onto his desk, barely glancing at them. A small smirk filled his face, as he began to swing slowly in his office chair.
“So Warren sent you to do his dirty work?” Spike questioned the man before him, “Not man enough to face me?”
“Mr Freemantle, I am just doing my job, okay!” Finally he spoke, his voice broken with his obvious discomfort.
“So Andrew, explain it to me. What exactly is your job? Lackey boy?”
“Well usually I just handle the easy stuff, you know like conveyancing……..things like….” Andrew stopped as he thought he heard a very quiet “stupid wanker”.
“Well today it’s messenger boy!” Spike leant over and looked ominously over the desk at his guest, “Tell your boss, that the message has been received, and it will be a cold day in hell that she gets anything!”
“But you haven’t even looked at the papers!”
“I don’t have to, you git!” Spike picked up the top paper, “I bloody well know what this paper is, I can read you moron!” Spike hurled the paper back at him. Andrew could not but read the ‘Notice of Legal Separation, and Notification of Impending Divorce’, spelt out on the forms, “You’ve done your job, now get out!”
“I’m just doing my job, Mr Freemantle! You will be hearing more from us, I am sure!”
“Don’t make idle threats to me that you cannot back up!” Spike spoke in harsh tones, “And tell your client to contact her sister, she has some news to share.”
“News?”
“Yes! Happy news. But then that depends on what your client will think as happy.” Spike got up out of his chair.
Taking the hint, Andrew quickly removed himself from the room. Sitting down again, Spike picked up his phone and dialled the number of the best damn divorce lawyer in town. He was not about to let Lily get off scott free, and take everything that he’d worked for. He read the list of her demands that now lay in his other hand. She had just about demanded everything that they owned from the house, down to the damn silverwear, she might have as well have asked for his soul. He was not about give her everything, not after what she’d put him, and Buffy through.
Thinking of Buffy, he just wondered how she was going to react to the news of her sister filing for divorce. Deep down he hoped that she would in someway support him. Fate had dealt him some bad hands lately, but Buffy and the baby had been the only pleasant thing in his life. It had given him a reason not to fall apart, as much as he wanted to just crawl somewhere, and disappear for a while. He knew that he couldn’t, he had responsibilities now to people who mattered in his life.
He frowned at the trail of his thoughts, he’d never would have even considered this situation at all, it was so contradictory that it just seemed inconceivable. Yet conceivable it was, especially the life that lay in Buffy, and he couldn’t just separate the two. In a way they had become so entwined in his life and future, it was hard to think of one without the other, or his future without either of them. He picked up the legal papers again, still waiting on the phone for someone to pick it up, he finally realised that yes he’d be contemplating what was going on, but in fact he’d actually had something even deeper…………………..
A revelation.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Buffy sat in a café across town with her best friends since childhood, drinking coffee and making small talk. Willow, Tara and Xander talked about life and their latest happenings, but still Buffy remained quiet amongst them, just watching and listening. She contemplated telling them what was going on, as the obvious truth would make itself apparent in a few weeks or more. Buffy knew that her friends would support her no matter what, but it niggled at her that she knew that they probably wouldn’t understand what, or why she had done what she’d done. Being a surrogate in the first place, after what had happened, or deciding to keep the baby. Trying to explain what was going on with Spike just made her feel ill, she didn’t know if she could stand what they might say about that.
However, holding back would get her nowhere, telling them later would only put off the inevitable, and probably make things more complicated than they are. She knew that they would probably be hurt she hadn’t even told them anything from the beginning, but she’d had her reasons and what they were she just wasn’t ready to share. Looking at her friends, she silently summed up what each would probably think, Willow and Tara would probably be happy for her, considering that they both were a couple and could understand the need to have an unconventional pregnancy to have a child.
Now Xander would be another thing all together, ever since they were kids he’d never really let go of the hope that they would get together, as much as Buffy had put him off the idea, it had never really sunk in. If the truth didn’t then nothing would. Buffy smiled with this idea, her friends stopped their conversation as a small laugh erupted from her. They looked quizzically at her, Buffy stifled anymore laughter and had a quick sip of her tea and took a deep breath. With some courage, she looked at each of them, and decided to get on with the task.
“Okay folks time for a little newsflash.” Buffy tried to make light of the situation that would surely erupt.
“News Flash Buff?” Xander spoke first, “What get a new job, promotion or man?”
“Xander!” Both Tara and Willow spoke at the same time.
“No, no and no.” Buffy nervously played with her cup, “Ummmm a bit bigger piece of news than that.”
“What then?” Willow excitedly asked her friend, she had noticed Buffy’s lack of enthusiasm for anything lately, “Come on I’m dying to know!”
“Umm okay”, Buffy hesitated to tell her friends, she could feel their anticipation build up, “How do I tell you guys?.........Um………..okay…….um…………..I’m pregnant”
“Pregnant!” All three spoke together this time, united in being dumbfounded.
“Yep, as in with child, up the duff and knocked up!” Buffy laughed half heartily.
All three just sat there, it was the last thing that they expected their friend to say. Buffy usually lived a very quiet life with no sudden surprises, like the one she’d just presented them with. Willow and Tara just looked at each other, and Xander just looked at his coffee, Buffy watched on, as they struggled to find something to say.
“Who’s the father?” Xander asked quietly.
Buffy was stunned for a moment with the question, she began to have second thoughts about telling her friends those details. Even with the cat out of the bag, metaphorically speaking, she felt the sudden urge to clam up, and not say anything. Xander let out an ‘ouch’ as Willow kicked her friend under the table, and side stared at him to keep silent.
“It’s okay Willow! You guys were bound to find out anyway………but you need to understand that it’s not what it seems. It’s very complicated, and there is a lot you don’t know, so don’t get on you high horse till I get the facts all out, okay!”
“Hey Buffy, not all ‘judgy’ here!” Xander back peddled quickly.
“Yeah Buffy, no judgement passed! Juries still in!” Willow tried to reassure her friend.
“Let’s just say it keeps it in the family.” Buffy tried to keep her composure, “It’s Spike’s”
“What!!” Xander exploded knocking his coffee cup over, its contents going all over the table in different directions.
“Oh my god!” Willow’s look of disappointment was written all over her face.
“It’s not what you guys think!” Buffy tried to tell them.
“What isn’t Buffy! You’re pregnant by your sister’s husband!” Xander tried to comprehend the thought, she could see the distain on his face, “I think it’s called cheating, not pregnancy!”
“You think that I’m capable of that!” Buffy’s angry voice filled the air.
“Well it wasn’t an immaculate conception, was it?” Xander sarcastically asked.
“No Xander, it actually was an insemination!” Buffy threw back at him.
“Are you that desperate for a child that you had that done to you?” Xander accused her, “With your own brother in law? What’s that Buffy? Wasn’t an anonymous donor good enough? You could have asked me!”
“This has nothing to do with me having a child Xander! This was for Lily and Spike! You half brain! This was me being a surrogate for them!”
The ‘ohh’s’ and ‘awwhs’ signalled that it was finally getting through to the group what Buffy was trying to tell them. Especially from the girls, Buffy had always told them what had been happening with Lily’s infertility problems, but Xander had never been interested so never paid much attention, until now. He quickly settled down, apparently happy with the explanation, and tried to begin to clean up his mess of coffee. Buffy tried to reason with herself about not telling them the rest, but couldn’t come up with a good enough rationale not to continue.
“Guys, there’s more.” Buffy quietly continued, “Lily and Spike have split.”
The ‘oh my god’ returned, as Xander remained silent over Buffy’s revelation, it was just too incredible for them to comprehend. Buffy proceeded to tell them the truth about what had happened, from Lily leaving, her letter to both her and Spike, to Spike taking up residence in her house.
“Do you think that’s wise Buffy?” Tara asked her friend.
“What other choice did I have? He’s part of this child’s life.”
“This is just too weird Buffy!” Xander had to put his two cents in.
“Maybe, but it’s the way things are, and it’s the best thing we could think of.” Buffy tried to explain, “Xander, I know you care, but it’s my life and this way I have some control over it.”
“How can you have control over it with that man in your house?” Xander pushed the boundaries even further.
“It’s none of you business Xander! This is up to me and Spike! If you cannot live with that, it’s been nice knowing you!” Buffy made herself clear to her friends she hoped, that she wouldn’t accept any interference from them, she could only hope they would come to support her.
“Okay I hear you!” Xander backed down.
“I need you guys to be with me on this one!” Buffy pleaded with them, “It’s hard enough, can’t you just accept things the way they are, and just be there for me when I need you?”
All three just looked at each other again, each remained quiet as they tried not to air their conflicting resolve about the matter. They could at least agree that they would be there for her, if and when she needed them. Buffy could still feel the shock and uncertainty hanging heavily in the air. Not wanting to continue this discussion, she stood and said her farewells, leaving her friends to digest the news.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy came home to find Spike sitting on the sofa, with papers spread all over her coffee table, she could tell by looking at him that something was deeply troubling him. Putting her bag in the hallway, she went to the kitchen to put on the kettle. She asked him did he want a coffee, or ‘something’, and with a tart reply of ‘no’, she made herself a cup. ‘~well someone’s got the poops~’ Buffy thought to herself. She took her drink into the living room and sat on the sofa opposite the T.V. Spike looked up from his papers, with a ‘do you mind!’ look on his face, trying to dissuade Buffy from even contemplating turning on the television, not amused Buffy threw the remote onto the sofa by her side.
“What’s bothering you!?!”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing sounds interesting.” Moving around to his side of the living room Buffy put her cup down, and scanned the papers in front of him, Spike immediately began to pile the papers together, “Don’t.”
Taking the papers from his hand she looked at the top sheet, she could see that it was something about ‘Legal Separation and Notice of Impending Divorce’, it was clear what the papers were about. Flicking through the others Buffy caught her breath as she spotted the Surrogate Contract amongst them. She felt her chest tighten in anticipation, as her heart rate sped up with the adrenaline rushing into her blood stream, she gasped holding her breath.
“So Lily filed for separation?”
“So it would seem.”
“Is Lily the only one in need of a lawyer?” Buffy separated the two papers, holding up the contract she had come to despise, “Can you recommend anyone?” Buffy laughed at the irony.
“Buffy!”
“Well Spike do I?”
“No Buffy, you don’t.” Spike moved the paper out of her hand, and placed it back onto the coffee table, “You have no reason to. I promise you.”
“So…………………’ Buffy was unsure what to say next.
‘In other words sweetheart, you have no reason to worry Luv. We agreed that we’d both be here for the baby.”
“Did we?” Buffy looked confused, “When?”
“The first night. Don’t you remember?”
“No!”
“Then be assured Buffy, no one’s going to take the baby from you………………no one!” Spike guaranteed her.
‘I don’t understand?” Buffy looked absolutely lost.
“Then understand this Buffy, it doesn’t matter how the baby was made, no one will take him, or her from you. Like you said you’re their mother. I won’t take the baby from you.”
“But you still have the contract! Who’s going to say that you won’t change your mind once the baby’s here!”
“Look I said I won’t!”
‘Maybe I should see a lawyer.” Buffy’s voice lacked the confidence his had, she just didn’t know if he’d keep his word to her.
“Not necessary Luv!”
Spike shuffled through the paper’s until he came to a purple folder, with the name ‘Summers’ on it, taking out another bunch of papers he put them in front of her. Taking the hint Buffy looked over them to discover that Spike had indeed meant what he said, the papers stated that he would waver the previous document, and that they would share parental rights between the two of them, being the biological parents. Yet one factor was left out, she could believe that he hadn’t thought about it, the obvious of course being Lily. She had signed the papers stating that she would accept parental rights to the baby.
“What about Lily?”
“She has no rights luv.”
“Are you sure?”
“No.” Spike was so quiet in his response, that Buffy felt herself shatter into a million pieces, “But I’ve sent her copies of this Buffy, she will sign them, I know that she will!”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because, she doesn’t want anything to do with either of us, and especially the baby. I’m sorry to be blunt Luv, but she said as much in both our letters. She told you to get rid of it! “
“I know, but………….”
“No buts!” Spike looked at her directly into her gaze, “Buffy I need a copy of your letter.”
“Why?” Buffy looked suspiciously at him.
“Ammunition.”
“No!”
“Buffy I need that letter!!” Spike almost began to plead with her
“No Spike! I can’t she’s my sister for god’s sake!”
“Buffy I want the letter just in case!”
“Of what? You not getting a quick enough divorce!” Buffy spat at him
“No, stopping her from taking action against you or me for parental rights and visitation!” Spike bellowed, but quickly looked away as he continued, “But yes, if I have to use it in the divorce I will!”
“I don’t know Spike, I just don’t know?”
“I do understand Buffy, but you have to understand that I will protect everything that is mine! Including this baby! Lily gave up that when she left!’ Spike stood up and extended his hand as he looked down at her, “I’m offering you that same protection now, with a promise that we will work this out Buffy, but you have to trust me. You have to decide whether we are a united front or not?”
Buffy sat flabbergasted at his little speech; he’d thrown down the gauntlet, and made his intentions clear. He wanted her loyalty and trust, at the cost of her possibly giving him what he needed to crucify her own sister in her divorce. Conflicting emotion rushed through her mind, despite his words of a united front, she never felt so alone in her life. Everything had come to this point. It was like walking to the edge of the cliff and being told there is a bridge in front of you, you cannot see the bridge, but you’re being asked to step onto it, and maybe fall to your death. Uncertainty flooded her every cell, she was scared to make a choice, and she just had to go with her instinct as she made her decision.
Reaching out she took his hand, she had made her choice, just as he had made his.
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