Again, Thank you for all of your comments. Thank you Sun for the beta’ing and suggestion. Love you hon.

*****

Buffy headed home around five. She didn’t want to be pregnant, yet she still was upset that she wasn’t. She went to the doctor to be put on birth control, but knew that they would give her a pregnancy test. When the doctor came into the room and told her that she wasn’t pregnant, she got upset. She thought she would be fine with it but when she heard the news she got bummed out.

Buffy walked through the front door and hung up her jacket. She just wanted to go upstairs and sleep.

“Buffy?” Joyce asked from the other room, “Is that you?”

“Who else would it be Mom?” Buffy sighed and walked into the family room. “What’s up?”

“Oh, nothing. I was just wondering if you were staying home tonight. Maybe we could have a nice family dinner.” Joyce suggested. “Maybe you could invite William and his son over as well. I would like to meet them.”

“I don’t know, maybe another time.” Buffy began to walk away.

“Are you alright?” Joyce was concerned. Buffy didn’t look happy.

“I’m fine.”

Joyce nodded then stood up and walked to Buffy. “Good.” Joyce hugged her, “Call William and invite him over. I’m cooking lasagna. Kids love that stuff.” Joyce smiled.

“Mom, not tonight.”

“Why not? I’m sorry, but you’re spending a lot of time over there and I would like to meet the person that is stealing my daughter away.” Joyce said with a hint of a smile.

“Fine, I’ll call.” Buffy pulled away, “Happy?”

“Very. I’ll get right on that lasagna dinner.” Joyce gave her a kiss on the cheek and went to the kitchen to get dinner ready.

“Your boyfriend’s coming over?” Buffy heard from behind her.

“Shut up.” Buffy walked past Dawn and headed upstairs.

Dawn followed her, “Is he cute?”

“Shut up!” Buffy slammed the door in Dawn’s face and grabbed the phone to call Spike.

He picked up the phone on the first ring, “Hello cutie.”

“How did you know it was me?” Buffy asked.

“Oh. Who is this?”

“Spike!”

“Just kidding; have caller id. Want me to come and get you?”

“Well my mom came up with the bright idea of you and Matthew coming over for dinner. Just say no, I’ll tell her and …”

“Ok. We’ll be over there soon.” Spike interrupted her rambling.

“What?” Buffy said surprised, “You really want to?”

“Sure, why not? I was just about to order take out dinner anyway. Good thing you called.”

“Are you sure?” Buffy asked again. “You don’t have to.”

“If you don’t want us coming over there Buffy, just tell me.”

“No, it’s not like that. Of course I want you to come over.”

“Fine, we’ll be over soon.”

“Fine.”

They hung up.

“Great.” Buffy muttered and instead of her night of sleep, she grabbed her robe and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

*****

“Change of plans; we’re going to Buffy’s.” Spike said as he grabbed Matthew’s shoes and dropped them in front of him.

“Do we have to?” Matthew asked.

“Well,” Spike sat next to his son, “It would be a bit rude if we didn’t go over there. Buffy’s mum asked us over for dinner and Buffy has told me she has a younger sister around your age. You’ll get along fine.”

Matthew pouted and put on his shoes.

“It’ll be okay, I’ll be right there with you.” Spike told him.

“Okay.”

*****

Spike knew something was up. He had finally put two and two together on why she was going to the doctor and then her attitude on the phone. She was pregnant. He was upset at first with her and then himself. How could he be so dense? He knew he should have used a condom with her, with anyone if that were the case. Spike had told her that he didn’t want anymore children but yet he was careless. Now he was going to meet her mother.

He loved Buffy, even though he hadn’t said anything to her. He didn’t want to scare her, but now with her being pregnant she needed to hear it. She needed to hear that he would be there for her through anything. Even this.

*****

There was a knock at the door.

“I’ll get it!” Dawn yelled and ran for the door. Buffy was still upstairs and Joyce was in the kitchen. Dawn opened the door.

“Hi.” Dawn smiled.

“Hey …” Spike said looking at the younger girl. The hand he had rested on Matthew’s shoulder squeezed and Matthew looked at the girl.

“Hi.”

“Come in!” Dawn said enthusiastically.

They walked inside and Matthew stayed at Spike’s side. Spike looked around the house, getting a feel for it.

“Would you like something to drink? We have water, soda, kool-aid, juice …” Dawn trailed off with a list of beverages.

“Uh, well,” Spike looked down at Matthew, “What would you like?”

“Kool-aid.” Matthew looked at Dawn, “Please.”

“Okay, he’ll have kool-aid and I’ll have soda. Thanks.”

“No problemo.” Dawn smiled and made her way back to the kitchen.

“Hey you.” Buffy greeted him as she walked downstairs. She smiled down at Matthew and squatted down to be at eye level, “Hi Matthew.”

“Hi.” He said.

Buffy straightened up, “You guys wanna sit?” She nodded to the couch.

“Sure.”

The three of them sat down.

Joyce then came out of the kitchen with Dawn holding a glass for Matthew. She smiled, “Okay who had kool-aid?”

“That would be him,” Spike said and patted Matthew’s leg. Spike took his glass from Dawn and said thank you. Matthew reached for his glass from Joyce, “Thank you.”

“Oh, you’re so very welcome,” Joyce replied then sat in the recliner next to them and pulled Dawn in her lap. “I’m Joyce and this is Dawn, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

“You too, I’m Will, but you can call me Spike and this is my son- Matthew.” Spike smiled.

Buffy just sat there watching them.

“So? How did you two meet?” Joyce asked.

Spike looked at Buffy wondering if she wanted to explain this or if she already had. Buffy just shrugged so Spike went ahead and told her. “I come into the diner most mornings and one day Buffy sat down and we started talking. That’s how we met.” Spike smiled. “Pretty simple, eh?”

“I’d say so.” The ‘ding’ of the timer sounded and Joyce gently stood Dawn up. “Sounds like dinners ready.” She went back to the kitchen, “Dawn, set the table!” Joyce said over her shoulder. Dawn rolled her eyes but did it anyway.

*****

Dinner had gone by well or as well as it was to be expected. Joyce and Spike had conversed about topics such as art all the way to the Wheel of Fortune. Dawn kept on making comments to Matthew, trying to talk to him. He opened up towards the end of dinner and was now upstairs in Dawn’s room. Joyce and Buffy finished cleaning the kitchen and now Buffy was on the backporch with Spike while he smoked his cigarette.

“Things went smoothly tonight.” Buffy said.

“Yeah, they did. Are you okay?” Spike had hoped that she would at least say something about the doctor’s appointment.

“Fine.” She shrugged and starting playing with a loose string on her shirt.

“Buffy, are you sure? You can tell me.”

“Tell you what? I’m fine, just a little tired.”

Spike sat down with her on the steps and put an arm around her, “What I said before, about me not wanting children …”

Buffy leaned back and looked at him, “What are you talking about?”

“I’m just telling you, whatever is on your mind … you can tell me.” Spike pulled her close and kissed the top of her head, “I do love you.”

Buffy stiffened in his arms, and then slowly looked up at him, “You do?”

“Yes, I do … You don’t have to say …”

“Good, cause I love you too.” Buffy rested her head on his shoulder.

“Will you tell me what’s going on? I know about the appointment.” Spike said as played with her hair.

“My … what? How’d you know?”

“Faith.”

“Oh.”

“We’ll deal with it. I mean, no matter what, we’ll get through it. I’ll be there for you.”

“Um … okay. Thank you.” Buffy said.

“Thank you?” Spike lifted her chin so he could look at her face and kissed her, “I know maybe it’s not the right time, but I am looking forward to you,” he grinned, “having my baby.”

“What?” Buffy sat up and looked at him, “I’m what?”

“Well, you’re pregnant. I’m just telling you …”

“Spike, I’m not pregnant.” Buffy continued, “Is that what you thought?”

“Well … yeah. You’re not pregnant?” Spike tilted his head and looked at her.

“No, I’m not. I went to the doctor to get birth control and they gave me a test.”

Spike took out another cigarette and lit it. Obviously he had made a mistake.

“Don’t tell me you’re disappointed.” Buffy sighed and looked at him, “Are you?”

“No, I mean, I don’t know. I thought you were. I’m sorry.” He said then took a drag of his cigarette.

“You do want kids?” Buffy asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Well, you seemed okay with it about five seconds ago.” Buffy told him as she looked at him.

“Well, that’s when I thought you were.”

“What about what you also said?”

“Said what?”

“Nothing.” Buffy sighed. She then got up and turned to go inside.

“Buffy, wait.” Spike crushed out his cigarette and grabbed her arm, “What are you talking about?”

“When you just … Spike you just told me you loved me. Was that just because you thought I was pregnant?” Buffy took her arm away from him and crossed it with her other arm.

“No … I said it because I meant it.” He tried to hold her hand but she pulled it away again.

“Right then and there of all times?”

“Well … yeah.”

“Whatever.”

“Whatever?” Spike tilted his head and looked at her.

“Yeah, whatever.” She exhaled and turned her head back to the house then back at him, “It’s getting late. You should go ahead and go, Matthew has school tomorrow.”

“You coming with?” He took her hand again and she let him, “I’ll take you to work tomorrow.”

“I don’t know.” Buffy pouted. She was still upset at the fact that Spike only said he loved her because he thought she was pregnant.

“I’ll rub your feet and try not to tickle you.” Spike bent his knees to be at her level and kissed her. “Please?”

“You’ll be rubbing more than that.” Buffy grinned and headed back inside.

“I like that plan much better.” Spike said following her.

TBC