Title: Unexpected Blessings
Author: Pattyanne
snapkik@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: Not mine
Feedback: I really need it!
Rating: Varies chapter to chapter
Summary: Buffy and Spike have
a baby.
Unexpected Blessings
Stolen Away....
(Okay, so maybe there's
a LITTLE bit of angst)
~~~~~~~
"Hey! Where's my daughter?"
"In here with me!"
Buffy glanced up as her husband came into the
living room and scooped Katie up in his arms.
"Happy Birthday, Princess," he said, kissing
the baby's cheeks.
"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked. "It's
nowhere near her birthday."
"Is so," he insisted. "She's nine weeks old today,
aren't you, m'love?"
"Oh, brother. "Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, she's
really getting up there, isn't she? Seems like it
was only nine weeks ago that we brought her home
from the hospital. Where DOES the time go?"
Spike stretched out on the sofa with the baby
on his chest. "Your mother has a very sarcastic
way about her sometimes," he said, patting Katie's
back. "And it's not very attractive."
Buffy couldn't stop herself. "She'll be asking to
borrow the car any day now."
"Hmm...not bloody likely," he mumbled.
"S'cuse me?"
"No one," he stated firmly, "except for me will be
driving her anywhere!"
"What about me?"
"YOU?" Spike laughed. "Least of all, you!"
Buffy knew better than to open THAT can of worms
and run down mailboxes, so she decided to take
another tack. Folding her arms across her chest,
she sat down on the end of the sofa.
"All right...how about when she starts dating?" she
asked, then sat back to wait for the explosion.
He didn't disappoint her.
"Dating? Are you...you're out of your...I will
NOT..." He shook his head vehemently, clutching
the baby closer. "No!"
Buffy had to bite her lip until it nearly bled, just
to suppress a smile. "What do you mean, no?"
she asked, when she could speak without laughing.
"She never gets to date? Ever?"
He thought it over for about three seconds. "No."
'You know, honey," Buffy said. "I think she may
fight you on that." She patted his knee. "You're
being over..pro..tec...tive."
"Well...I don't care," he replied, stroking Katie's
soft cap of light brown hair. "If you think that I'm gonna
stand around and watch some..boy..put his sweaty
hands on my baby, you'd best think again."
"My, my, my," Buffy said. "That IS a brand new you,
isn't it?" Standing up with a sigh, she reached down
and took the baby.
"Hey!" he protested. "I'm not done yet!"
"Too bad," she called over her shoulder. "Nap time,
doncha know?"
"It is not." Spike followed her upstairs. "You're just
saying that."
"Am not."
"She's not tired."
"Is so."
Five minutes later, they came back down.
"Told you so," Buffy said. She went into the kitchen
and stared balefully at a sink full of dirty dishes. "Why
do we use so many dishes?" she asked, looking at
him as though she expected him to answer.
"What do you mean, we?"
As she stood at the sink scraping dried food off
her mother's china, Spike crept up behind her and
slipped his arms around her waist. He nuzzled and
growled against her throat, making her laugh.
"Hey, ya know what?" he asked suddenly. "Let's
go out tonight, just you and me."
She turned in his arms. "Yeah? Like where?"
He shrugged. "You choose."
"What about Katie?"
"Dawn'll be home soon. Instant baby-sitter."
She thought it over for a moment, then smiled. "Okay,
you talked me into it," she said returning his em-
brace.
"Then you put on your prettiest dress," he instruct-
ed. "I'm going to take you out and show you off!"
Pushing her up against the sink, he kissed her long
and hard.
****************************************
"You ready to go, gorgeous?" Spike called out,
standing at the bottom of the stairs.
"I am very, very ready," Buffy said. She practically
skipped down the stairs, with Dawn following behind
her.
"Look," she said to her sister. "I know that YOU know
where everything is, but let me give you the little
speech anyway, okay?"
Dawn nodded. "Fire away."
"The number of the restaurant is on the pad next to
the phone. So's her pediatrician's number. I fed her
about two hours ago, and she'll probably want to eat
before we get home, so there's a can of formula in the
cupboard. She doesn't mind the bottle."
Spike took her hand and began tugging her towards
the door. "Come on, Slayer. Night's not getting any
younger."
"Okay, okay...I've got my cell phone...you know that
number, right?"
"Yup," Dawn said.
"What else....Oh, I forgot...Xander and Anya might
drop by later."
"How come?"
Buffy pulled her coat on. "Anya wants some diaper chang-
ing practice, as long as they're just wet that is."
Spike looked surprised. "Is she...?"
Buffy smiled and shook her head. "No. She just wants to
be ready for it when it happens."
He snorted. "Yeah. Good bloody luck."
Buffy narrowed her eyes at him. "What's THAT sup-
posed to mean?"
Reclaiming her hand, he led her down the porch
steps to the driveway. "Nothing terrible," he explain-
ed. "Just that...no matter how ready you THINK you
are...you're not!"
He opened the car door for her, then came around
and climbed into the driver's seat. Before turning the
key, he turned to look at her. "Am I right?"
Buffy opened her mouth to speak, closed it again
to think, then said, "I can't argue with you on that
one."
Wearing that same smirk that used to make her
fingers itch to smack off his face, Spike stated
the car and backed out of the driveway.
**************************************
Dawn heard the doorbell ring as she was closing
the door to the nursery.
"Shit," she muttered under her breath, descending
the stairs as quietly as she could. She opened
the door halfway, to find a man and woman she
didn't recognize standing there.
The woman spoke first. "Hello," she smiled. "You
must be Buffy's sister, Dawn."
She had a soft voice and spoke with a cultured
English accent, a sound Dawn was familiar and
comfortable with.
"Rupert described you perfectly," the woman added.
"You know Giles?" Dawn asked.
"Oh, yes," the woman nodded. "We're old friends. I've
been out of the country for a while, but we had a lovely
visit this afternoon and he told us all about Buffy's
baby. I just had to come and congratulate her...oh,
and I brought a little gift."
She handed Dawn a small box, wrapped in pink
paper, with a white and pink bow on top of it.
Dawn smiled. "Buffy's not home right now."
The woman looked disappointed. "Oh, that's a
shame."
The man cleared his throat. "Darling," he said
softly. "We're going to be awfully late."
"Yes..I know, but.." The woman sighed. "Would
you mind terribly if I borrowed your phone to let
our friends know that we're on our way. It'll only
take a moment."
Dawn shrugged. "Sure. Come on in."
*********************************
"Did you have fun, baby?"
"I did," Buffy smiled and laid her head against
Spike's shoulder. "I'd almost forgotten what it's like
to eat a meal without providing one at the same
time."
"Sure you don't want to go somewhere else?" he
offered. "It's early yet."
She shook her head. "Uh-uh. Things are getting un-
comfortable," she said, gesturing at her breasts. "I
just hope she's hungry."
"Well, if she's not," he said, pulling into the driveway
behind Xander's car. "I could eat."
Shutting off the engine, he slid one hand behind
her neck and pulled her closer to kiss her.
After a few seconds, Buffy broke away. "I sure do
appreciate all the sacrifices you make for ....the
front door's open."
They opened their doors and got out of the car.
"They're probably just ready to leave," Spike
suggested.
"Yeah, maybe," Buffy nodded. "But it's kind of
cold out."
He reached for her hand. "I'm sure it's nothing, love."
She stared at him. "Then why do you look nervous?"
Simultaneously, they both began to walk faster.
Spike was the first one through the door, and he
stopped so abruptly that Buffy ran into him.
"What's..." she started to ask, then followed his
gaze to the living room sofa. "Dawn? Dawn...what
happened?"
Her sister was sitting on the sofa, her eyes red and
swollen from crying. Anya sat beside her, holdng a
plastic bag filled with ice against the side of Dawn's
face.
She turned in the other direction, and saw Xander
in the kitchen doorway, punching numbers on the
phone. As he hit the final number, he turned and
saw them.
Before he could speak, the cell phone in Buffy's
purse began to ring.
Xander hung up the phone. "I was just calling you."
Spike held up one hand. "The baby's not here. She's
not in the house."
Buffy didn't ask how he knew. She felt it too. Their
child was gone, and the house felt...different.
Panic began to take a stranglehold on her throat, as
she did her best not to break down and scream, not
to fly out of the house and start kicking in people's
doors.
"B-Buffy.." Dawn's voice was soft and frightened. "I'm
so...I'm so...." She began to cry.
Buffy clenched her fists to keep from tearing the
house apart.
Spike sat down beside Dawn and pulled her hands
away from her face. "Dawn." His voice amazingly
controlled. "Tell me everything that happened."
When she lifted her head to speak, he saw the
marks on her neck. Two small punctures, smeared
with blood.
He closed his eyes briefly, shaking with rage.
A vampire had done this. Had come into his home, and
taken his child. And it had to be someone he or Buffy
knew. Dawn had to have invited them in.
"Spike?" Buffy's voice was nearly inaudible with fear.
Opening his eyes, he looked at Dawn. "What did he
look like? Have you ever seen him before? Dawn,
honey, listen to me...this wasn't your fault. Just try
and remember...tell me everything that happened."
Anya placed the ice bag on the table, revealing a
huge bruise and swelling on the side of Dawn's face.
"Oh, Christ," Spike bit out angrily. "Buffy? Come here,
love."
On shaky legs, Buffy crossed the room and sat
down in the armchair near the sofa. "Dawn...tell us
what happened."
In a quiet voice, Dawn described everything.
When she mentioned the part about Giles, Xander
went back to the phone and dialed the watcher's
number. Their conversation was brief.
"He hasn't spoken to anyone, from anywhere,
about you and the baby," he told them. "He's
on his way over." Xander stood in the doorway,
arms folded, staring at the floor.
While Dawn continued, Spike rose to his feet
and reverted to old habits, pacing the room with
his fists clenched.
"I...I let them in to use the phone. I thought you
guys knew them. She seemed to know about
you. And...and when they came in...he grabbed
hold of me and started to...to bite me. But she
told him to stop. She...she said that she wanted
me alive..so that I could tell Buffy that she was
being...being punished for stealing from her. She
started to go up the stairs, and I tried to stop her!
I tried to make her stop! And she...she hit me!"
"She knocked her out cold," Xander added. "Anya
and I found her laying at the foot of the stairs. By the
time we woke her up...God, Buffy. We didn't know
the baby was gone. We went up and checked the
nursery, but we thought she was with you. I..I guess
we weren't thinking clearly."
Anya's voice was soft and hesitant. "We thought maybe
you forgot that we were coming over. We didn't see
the bite marks at first."
Buffy was almost nauseous with fear and guilt. This
was HER fault. These vampires had come to punish
her, to punish the slayer...and her baby was going to
suffer because of it. Her little girl.
The thought of her helpless baby in the cruel and
uncaring hands of a vampire, was the blow that finally
brought the slayer to her knees. Sliding out of the
chair, she buried her face in the cushion and began
to cry harsh, painful tears that made her entire body
tremble.
Spike crossed the room in three strides and picked
her up off the floor, then carried her upstairs.
He sat on their bed, holding her on his lap as she
cried. He didn't even try to make her stop. He knew
there was no way that she could.
But, he also knew that he had little time to spare.
Five minutes crawled by, and Buffy's sobs turned to
soft, silent weeping.
"Listen to me," he said quietly. "I am going to find
her, I promise you. I'll bring her home."
Buffy took a deep breath. "You can't promise me
that...and you know it."
"Buffy..."
"Oh, God...this is all my fault," she whimpered. "My
fault.."
"What are you talking about?" He pulled back and
looked into her eyes. "Baby...this is not..."
"A vampire took her!" She cut him off brutally. "They
took her...because she's MY child! The slayer's
child. They couldn't get me...so they took her." She
began to cry again. "They took our baby, Spike...our
little girl."
"Sweetheart...don't do this to yourself."
Buffy was gasping for air. "I didn't think anything could
hurt this much," she said, holding her hand over her
heart as her chest heaved. "I don't think I can survive
this, Spike...I can't...I just can't."
Burying her face against his shoulder, she sobbed
brokenheartedly.
After a few minutes, he shifted her off his lap. "I'll
be right back, honey."
Buffy clutched at him. "Where are you going? Spike...
please....I need you."
"I know, love," He took hold of her hands and kissed
them. "I'll be right back, I swear it."
Anya spoke from the doorway. "I'll stay with her."
Spike glanced at her and nodded. "Thanks." He kissed
Buffy's forehead. "I just need to talk to Dawn, okay?"
He walked quickly downstairs, briefly distracted
by the sound of a car stopping in front of the house
with a scream of brakes and tires.
Looking out the window, Spike watched as Giles
leapt from his car and sprinted for the house.
"How's Buffy?" he asked, panting for breath.
Spike shook his head. "Not good. She's upstairs."
Halfway up the staircase, Giles stopped and turned
his head. "Spike?"
"Yeah?"
"How are YOU doing?"
A little surprised, Spike didn't reply.
"I'm sorry," Giles said. "She's your daughter, too. You
must be out of your mind."
Spike nodded. "Nearly."
"I should have asked."
"You did. Now...go see Buffy. Tell her I'll be up
in a few minutes."
Back in the living room, Spike knelt in front of Dawn
and took her hands. "Tell me what they looked like. Did
they give you any names? Did they call each other by
name?"
Dawn shook her head. "No. He called her darling...but she
didn't call him anything. I..I thought they friends of Giles'.
She sounds just like him."
Spike had been staring at the floor, but this comment
caught his attention. "What do you mean...sounds just
like him? You mean she was English?"
"Yes."
He closed his eyes. "What..what did she look
like?"
"She had long dark hair...I think her eyes were brown. And
she was wearing a long dress...sort of fancy and old
fashioned looking."
"Oh, God." Xander had been standing by the window
listening, and went pale with shock. "That's...you
think it's..."
Spike looked up and met his eyes. "Yeah," he said
curtly.
Dawn wiped her face on her sleeve. "What? Who do
think it is?"
Spike didn't answer her. The anger that had been
building in him since he had come home to find his
daughter missing was fast turning into a raging fury
that he was almost afraid to unleash.
**DRUSILLA!! YOU BITCH!! GODDAMN YOU, YOU
FUCKING...PSYCHOTIC...BITCH!!**
He clenched his fist so tightly that his nails dug
in to the palms of his hands.
**If you hurt her...if you hurt my little girl...I swear
before Christ Almighty that I will kill you so
slowly...so painfully...that you will BEG FOR THE
FUCKING FIRE!!**
Jumping to his feet, Spike threw open the door
to the weapons cabinet, Xander right behind him.
Grabbing a monstrously huge axe, he tossed it
to Xander, who caught it in one hand. They each
armed themselves with several stakes. Xander took
a full sized crossbow, while Spike took a smaller
one that he concealed beneath his coat.
"Spike?"
He turned to see Buffy standing at the foot of the
stairs, watching him. Dropping the weapons in his
hands, he held out his arms. "Come here, sweetheart."
"Where are you going?" she asked, pressing her
cheek against his chest.
"I'm going to get our daughter...and bring her home."
She reared back, staring at him with wide, hopeful
eyes. "You know where she is? Who took her?"
Spike placed his hands on his shoulders and and
lookd directly into her eyes. "I know who took her..and
she won't be hard to find. She's just as stupid as she
ever was."
"Who is? Who are you..."
"Buffy," he said urgently. "Listen to me. This whole thing
has nothing to do with you being the slayer. That's not
what it's about at all."
She looked at him, confused. "But...Dawn said that SHE
said...it was to punish me."
Spike shook his head. "But not for being the slayer."
"Then for what?"
"She's punishing you...because I love you. Because I
fell in love with you...and left her."
He watched the terrible knowledge dawn in her eyes.
"You..you mean Drusilla? Drusilla took our baby?"
"Buffy..."
"Spike!" She clutched his shirt frantically. "Spike...she's
insane! You know it as well as I do! God...God only knows
what she'll do to...." She began to cry again. "Oh...oh, no.
No...please."
He felt her shaking, and knew she was about to collapse.
Wrapping his arms tightly around her, he sank down with
her to the floor.
"Buffy...sweetheart. Listen to me, now. I'll bring her
home. I swear...I SWEAR to you...you'll have your
baby in your arms again soon."
"OUR baby," she sobbed.
"Yes," he said softly, "Our baby." Spike looked up at
Giles and sent him a silent message. The watcher
nodded.
"Buffy." Giles' voice was calm as he knelt beside
her. Placing his arms around her, he slowly raised
her to her feet. "Come and sit down for a moment.
Dawn needs to see you. She's..she's almost hys-
terical."
"No," Buffy protested, trying to pull away. "I have
to go..my baby needs me...she needs me, Giles."
"No, Buffy,' Giles said sternly. "Let Spike deal with
this...with Drusilla. You're not in any shape for it
and..." He frowned, hating to say such words. "You
might endanger Katie. You're not thinking clearly...and
who could blame you?" He walked her into the living
room.
Spike stood up and retrieved his weapons. "Are you
ready?"
Xander nodded grimly. "Beyond ready."
Without a backward glance, they both walked out
of the house.
TBC....
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