Chapter 5- What’s In a Name?
Buffy ran her fingers in her hair and tossed it quickly into a ponytail. She kicked her swollen feet up on the coffee table before she pressed the play button on the remote. She had not been looking forward to watching the parenting tape her mom had left for her. Joyce had already watched it, and Buffy was sure that she was going to get a lecture about it when she got home.
She hand glided over her swollen belly. It was getting harder and harder for her to deny that she might be carrying demon spawn inside of her. After all, she looked like she was ready to deliver, but she only had her first ultrasound six months ago. She prayed to the Powers every night that it was not true. At one point, she had begged Willow to check her spell to ensure it did not include anything about making vampire sperm fertile.
As soon as Buffy pressed play, she fell asleep. With a Slayer’s dream that included Spike.
** **
“Slayer, why don’t you want me to take care of our child?”
“She is my child Spike, mine.”
“I told you I’d protect you, always. I told you I love you.”
Buffy placed her hands on her hips. She glared at Spike as she reminded him of who he was.
“You’re evil. You’re a dead evil murderer. This baby will not grow up with that. This is my baby and I will protect it no matter what!”
Spike threw his hands up in frustration.
“I can smell the little one is made from you and me. It’s not right that you would keep me away.”
Buffy looked around the cavern of the cave she was trapped in. She was there with her baby held closely to her chest.
“You have no soul.”
“I have the chip; I can’t hurt either of you even if I wanted to.”
“But I can.” Angelus sung as he came forth from the shadows of the cave.
“And so can I.” Drusilla mimicked from the other side.
** **
Buffy woke up with a start. She quickly hit the rewind button so she could at least try to watch some of the video before her mom came home.
Better yet, she had better get her notepad down and start writing down some of that Slayer’s dream she just had. The last thing she remembered from her dream was Spike turning to her in game face. She suddenly dropped her pen and paper when she remembered the other important part.
Spike was the baby’s father. The Slayer’s dream said so and Slayer dreams were never wrong. That also meant that Angelus and Dru would make an appearance.
Damn it as much as she hated it, she knew she had to call Riley. There was no way she would be able to protect herself and child from three master vampires.
That threw another monkey wrench into things, as Riley still thought he was the father. So did she. Maybe the Slayer’s dream was wrong. That would be a first, but she firmly decided that would be the better thing to believe.
Having regained her confidence to pick up the phone, she was ready to call Riley, the father of the baby according to her, for help.
“Arrhhh!” Buffy cried holding herself tightly.
She took a few short breaths, to try to ease off the pain; moments later, another pain tore through her as she felt water gush down her leg.
“Fuck!” She cursed. Rather than dial Riley, she knew she better dial someone who could help her here and now. Willow.
** **
Willow rushed over to Buffy’s house as fast as she could. She burst through the door to find Buffy lying back on the couch. There was sweat beading off the Slayer’s forehead, and her face was bright red.
“Willow.” Buffy weakly acknowledged her friend.
“Oh my goddess! Buffy I’m here, but I think we’re going to need to get you to the hospital. You’re in labor!”
“Yeah Will, that’s kinda why I called.”
“Buffy, you’re going to deliver this baby now. You can’t wait for the hospital.”
“Arrhh! I don’t fucking care what we do. Get this out of me. NOW!” Buffy screamed.
Willow paced back and forth, trying to think of something useful to do. She certainly could not deliver the baby. She also knew that Buffy hated the hospital, passionately. Therefore, she did the next two best things. First, she called a midwife from the coven to come over. Second, she called Tara.
Willow jolted back to reality as she heard Buffy’s cries again, along when a pillow hit her in the head.
“Willow! Help me now. I hurt!”
Willow walked over to Buffy. She pulled a few herbs out of her pocket. As she scattered them around her friend, she murmured several incantations to the Goddess, all Buffy heard was “So mote it be.”
“Will thanks, I feel so much better now. So who’s going to deliver this baby?”
“Alexandra, the midwife from our coven. Tara is coming too.”
“Oh good. No hospital. I didn’t think I’d make it.”
Just then, Joyce walked through the front door with her packages. She did not notice Buffy’s condition at first and neither did she see Willow.
“Buffy. I hoped you watched that video tape and didn’t just sleep through it.”
Joyce placed her packages down, and then turned to shut the front door. It was then that she noticed two people about to come in behind her and her daughter’s distress.
“What’s going on here?”
Alexandra was the first to speak up. “Oh you must be Buffy’s mom. Willow’s told me so much about you. I’m Alexandra, a…” she used her judgment when she saw the look on Willow’s face, and opted to keep things simple, “…friend of Willow’s and a midwife.”
“Buffy called me.” Willow explained. “She called about her pains. When I came over I saw it was too late to take her to the hospital, and Alexandra lives a few doors down.”
“Arrhh! Willow I thought that the pain was supposed to go away!”
“No, no it only helps make it easier.”
“What does?” Joyce said, wondering how Italian seasoning got all over her couch.
“Oh the pain. I told Buffy if she thinks happy thoughts the pain will go away.”
“That was so kind of you Willow. But that’s crap. I had to tough it out and so will she! Let’s get her off the good couch and up to her bed.” Joyce directed to the girls.
“Good idea Joyce,” Alexandra voiced in. “Tara, could you please set aside a basin of hot water and wash cloths next to the bed?”
“S…S...sure.” Tara stuttered.
Willow and Alexandra helped lift Buffy up, and together they carried her up the stairs into her bedroom. Joyce stripped down the bed and covered it with several layers of beach towels to keep it clean.
As Buffy’s contractions came closer and closer together, Willow took her hand away from Buffy before she crushed it. She replaced her hand with Mr. Gordo, hoping the precious pig survived tonight’s ordeal. Tara continued to wipe the sweat off Buffy’s head.
In the midst of all of this, Buffy’s cell phone started ringing.
“What a time for that thing to start! Wills, can you answer it?”
“Sure.” Willow grabbed the phone off Buffy’s nightstand. “Hello?”
“Hi Willow. It’s Riley. Is Buffy there?”
Just then, Buffy let out another earth-shattering scream of pain.
“Yeah she is, but she really can’t talk right now.”
“Is she okay?”
“Yeah, but she’s about to have the baby.”
“Willow, I can’t call back tonight. I finished my assignment and I am on my way home. I’ll be by to see her and the baby as soon as I get back.”
”Ok Riley. Thanks.”
** **
Riley sat down for the last time in the South American heat. He chugged the last of his beer.
“So Finn. What’s going on with Buffy?”
“She’s having the baby as we speak.”
“Aww, that’s great man. So, are you going to visit her when we get back?”
“You bet. I picked up some handmade baby clothes from some of the village people. At least the little one will have some unique clothes.”
“Well then what are you waiting for, let’s go pack and get home Finn!”
The two men quickly rose from their seats at the bar, and threw the bartender a $100 in cash.
“Thanks for everything during our stay. We appreciate it.”
They quickly left. Immediately, an additional $100 landed on top of the other money.
“Thanks mate for keeping their asses alive.”
“No problem Spike. Where are you going now?”
“Gonna go get my girl and see our child.”
Spike threw on his jacket, lit up his cigarette and walked into the night air.
** **
“Push Buffy! Push!” Alexandra calmly directed.
“I can’t fucking push anymore!” Buffy cried back.
“Oh Goddess! Is that the head?” Willow questioned.
“Yes it is. That means you’re almost done Buffy.”
“Thank fucking God!”
“Language young lady!” Joyce knew the pain her daughter was going through, but she still was not going to allow her daughter to use such atrocious language.
Buffy threw Mr. Gordo across the room at her mother. Joyce went to reprimand her daughter, but she could not help but laugh when Buffy stuck her tongue out. Buffy prepared herself to push one last time. She grasped onto the sides of the beach towels and pushed with all the Slayer strength she had.
That push was enough. The baby and afterbirth came out in one quick whoosh. Joyce used the warm clothes to clean off the baby, while Alexandra took care of the umbilical cord.
“Care to give your grandson a quick smack on the butt?” Alexandra asked.
“I’d love to.” Joyce replied. Within seconds, the sounds of the baby’s cries filled the room.
“Can I hold him?” Buffy asked.
Joyce wrapped him up in towels before she handed her grandson to her daughter. She felt almost ashamed in thinking the little one looked a lot like Spike and nothing like Riley. Joyce wished it were so.
“Mom?” Buffy said as she disrupted Joyce from her thoughts.
“Oh. Sorry.” Joyce carefully handed her grandson to her daughter.
Buffy looked down into her son’s face and eyes. She knew right away. Spike would be here soon for his son.
Joyce noticed the pensive look on her daughter’s face, as did Willow. Willow took one look at the baby and knew exactly what Buffy was thinking. She also felt it would be a good opportunity to bring up a very good question.
“So Buffy, what is his name?”
Buffy looked down at her son in admiration. Spike would be coming for him, and although she was unsure how she would deal with it, from her Slayer dream she knew one thing. She could not keep him from Spike forever. The best place to start with would be his name. ‘What’s in a name little one? For you, it is the name of your father.’ She lowly whispered to her child.
“William. His name is William.”
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~Opal