So this is your warning that Buffy will do something really really really worthy of you wanting to throw stuff at your pc.
Fear not...the challenge required me to put you through this angst!
OK folks...the standard warning for this story continues....This is AU...Alternate Reality...so I am bending reality for this ficcie....it means some of the things characters would normally do in Buffyverse probably won't hold true in this fic...
Just reminding folks...not trying to beat this down...but experience tells me folks kinda skip over the AU warning...
So still having fun with this alternate reality according to Opal! Great! After this chapter...Buffy will come to her senses and you will be justly rewarded for your patience..! :)
*hugs*
Opal
Thanks to everyone for taking the time to leave a review. Additional thanks to Meli for taking the time and effort to beta the chapter! :) **Hugs** ~ Opal
*Banner By Ariel Dawn*
Thanks AD! Hugs~Opal
Story Dedicated to Meli!
Thanks for being a great Beta. Hugs~Opal
Chapter 7 – Eyes of a Child
Riley noticed the dusk was beginning to fall across Sunnydale. He was genuinely concerned what would happen if Hostile 17 came to claim his child. Riley was also concerned that Hostile 17 may try to take the life of little William’s mother for keeping that child.
He would not let that happen to his friend. They may not be lovers anymore, but she was still his friend.
“Buffy, do you still patrol?”
“Every night. Usually Mom or Wills will watch William for me.”
Buffy held sleeping William closer to her chest. She placed a gentle kiss onto his head.
“So you haven’t run into Spike yet on Patrol?”
“No. Why do you ask?”
Riley was starting to get frustrated that Buffy was not being very cautious on her patrols. He knew better than to lecture the Slayer, so he took the position of concerned friend, hoping to get through to her.
“I just think you need to be extra careful. I’m sure word will spread in the demon community about the Slayer’s child.”
“I try to vary the time I patrol now, so I don’t have an easily recognizable pattern.”
Riley could see he was not getting through to her.
“But Buffy, it’s not just…” Riley’s phone began to ring, interrupting him. “Sorry, it’s Forrest on the line. I have to take the call.”
“Sure.”
William seemed to have woken up at the sound of Riley’s phone ringing. He began to wail very loudly, which was uncharacteristic of the little guy. Buffy was trying everything she could to calm him down.
She noticed that Riley’s face had shifted from one of concern to one of extreme panic. He began pacing back and forth, making wild hand gestures.
Whatever the issue was, it was not good. Further, she had tried all of her tricks to calm William down. She tried his pacifier, favorite blanket, a little honey on her finger, and even her breast. Yet none of these things would satisfy little William.
He continued to scream bloody murder, piercing his mother’s eardrums.
****
Spike could sense his child as he approached the house. He was pleased that the familiar link passed down to his son. Now that he had established the bond’s link for the first time, he would always be able to find his son from now on.
Abruptly, Spike bounced away from the perimeter of the Summers’ property. He could hear his son crying for him inside the house. Spike knew that surely, Buffy would not realize that their baby was crying because of the awakened bond. Spike tried again to pass into the yard, only to bounce back and land smack on his ass.
Growling in frustration, he opted to fixate on the room he sensed his son in. There for the first time with his own eyes he saw his little son, wailing in his mum’s arms. Spike could have sworn his dead heart warmed for a moment watching her try to pacify the little sprog. She turned around, holding her son to her chest with his little head peaking over his shoulder.
At that moment, Spike’s eyes met with those of his son for the first time. His son’s blue eyes flashed emerald when they connected. The baby quieted for a moment, sinking in his father’s face before him. Through the family tie, he felt his son’s love for him and Buffy’s love for their son.
Spike was pleased he was able to feel both mother and son’s feelings through the family tie, and even more pleased that he could tell the difference between the two.
Suddenly, he was able to feel her panic. He watched her move away from the window, which rendered William unable to see his dad. Little William was quick to renew exercising his little lungs, as he let out wails that his dad could easily hear.
Spike had been so preoccupied with his son; he had not noticed someone else was in the room with Buffy. Unable to see, he concentrated an inhaled deeply.
“Fuck!”
His nostrils had captured the scent of the soldier boy he had so despised. He fisted his hands by his side, hoping that the bastard was not the reason for Buffy’s fear. He saw Buffy hand off William to the wanker, run upstairs to her room, and throw her light on. It appeared she was getting ready to go somewhere in a hurry.
Spike groaned in fury, seeing his boy in someone else’s arms. Spike would not let Captain Cardboard play daddy to his William. No way, no how.
****
Buffy grabbed two bags out of her closet. Quickly she filled the larger of the two with all of little William’s needs. The second bag she filled with the bare minimum of her own clothing. She used the rest of the room in her bag to pack weapons.
She worked as fast as she could to get things together. From what Riley told her about their situation, time was of the essence and they had to leave fast. She thought of his chilling words to her only a few moments ago.
“Buffy, how fast can you pack?”
“Very. What’s wrong Riley.”
“Well it looks like the shit’s hitting the fan now. Forrest just called to inform me that Walsh found out about your baby from a hostile they captured.”
“So?”
“Forrest said that she has made it the Initiative’s top mission to bring in the Slayer and her baby.”
“She doesn’t know the baby’s father is a vampire.”
“Yes she does. Apparently, William the Bloody is back in town. Seems he got himself in a tiff with a Fyarl demon and mouthed off to him that he didn’t have time to fight; he had to go the Slayer’s to see his baby.”
“What are we going to do Riley? I’m scared. I don’t want Walsh getting my kid! I don’t want to find out if Spike is all fangy with no chip!”
“Like I said Buffy, pack your bags and pack them fast. Were gonna do the only thing we can do.”
“And that is?”
“Run.”
Buffy zipped up her final bag. She ran downstairs and gently took William from Riley’s arms.
“Thanks for holding him. I don’t know why he is still screaming like this, he never does this.”
She carefully placed him into his car seat, and then tucked his blue blanket, with little piggies similar to Mr. Gordo adorned on it, into the sides of the car seat.
“Ok Riley, ready to go.”
Riley grabbed Buffy’s bags, while Buffy carried the still wailing William. They were concentrating so hard on rushing; they did not even notice Spike was waiting for them across the street.
Luckily, for Riley and Buffy, Riley had parked his black SUV in the Summers’ driveway. This allowed them the safety of the barrier Alexandra had erected all those months ago, the barrier that would not protect them from Maggie Walsh’s evil intentions.
As Buffy gently placed her crying son into the back seat of the car, she was startled when she heard the sound of tires screeching down the road and the sound of growling from the other side of the road.
‘Growling?’ Buffy thought.
She looked up to see Spike across the street, looking angry and ready to strike. She could sympathize with him; after all, there was this barrier keeping him from his own son. However, right now the possibility of him being chip less was the least of her priorities.
He son was her number one priority.
“Buffy get in. Maggie’s team is barreling down the street we have to get out of here!”
Riley had noticed the Initiative on the move, but not Spike. Not until he went over to push Buffy into the car.
“Fuck!”
Spike was right on the edge of the property trying to get to his son and the mother of their child. He had become aware very quickly, something else was seriously wrong. The Slayer would never run from him.
Of course, he was dead wrong. She was just as much running from him as the Initiative. As Riley pulled the car out of the driveway, Buffy rolled down the window and yelled to him.
“Spike, run! The Initiative is after me and William!”
Spike took off as fast as he could. There was no way he could be effective in getting to his son if he was stuck in some military compound. He ran off towards the woods as fast as he could, while Riley drove his vehicle as fast as he could away from the vehicles that were just pulling up into the Summers’ driveway.
“That was close.” Buffy said.
“Too close.” Riley replied. “Why did you warn Spike?”
“Because it isn’t right what the Initiative did to him. Besides who knows what would happen if they took him back into custody.”
“Yeah but you wouldn’t have to worry about him trying to confront you with William.”
Buffy thought about Riley’s words. She was not sure if he made sense or not.
“Riley, I’m more scared about Spike not having the chip than I am about if he would willingly hurt me and William.”
“I’d be scared for both Buffy.”
“Well William seemed to have calmed down when he caught a glimpse of him, there may be more to this than we understand. Maybe that’s why Maggie wants us so bad?”
“Maybe Buff, I still don’t understand why you did the hostile a favor.”
“Do you want the truth Riley?”
“Yeah.”
“I did it because in my heart, I knew I had to do it for our son.”
Riley thought about her words, which made sense to him. He admired her devotion to putting her son’s interest in his dad before her duty as a Slayer.
“We still have to keep running through. No telling when or where Maggie will try to get us.”
Buffy was getting very tired at this point. She turned her head over to him, and nodded in approval.
Riley let loose a sigh of relief. He was glad he would not have to fight her on going anywhere.
“So Buffy, have you ever been to Iowa?”
**Opal is ducking from projectiles***
Remember, I said no Biley!! I mean it! Trust me!
For all of you that stuck with me on this story and had faith, I so appreciate you. Things start to turn around from Buffy's POV from here.
Thanks to AD and Wulfie for being cheerleaders for me on this fic! I appreciate it.