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Author's Chapter Notes:
hope you have enjoyed this story, only the epilogue to go...it was originally only supposed to be three chapters long.
Buffy was curled up comfortably in Spike’s arms watching TV, or at least watching the shadows flicker across the screen. The lights were dimmed and all she could feel was his hand rubbing slow, comforting circles on her back. Buffy was nearly asleep, safe from the nightmares and dreams that had plagued her before she had taken the potion. No nightmare would dare attack with William the Bloody on guard. She dozed quietly, knowing the one place a slayer shouldn’t feel safe was in the arms of a vampire, but it was the one place in all the world she did feel totally secure.

She thought back to the previous week, ever since she woke up to find Spike with her. They had spent the whole week just getting to know one another again, most of it in bed, making love. Buffy loved the two sides of Spike’s personality: part strong warrior, fierce, strong, passionate, and part gentle, loving considerate poet. He had catered to her every physical need, giving her comfort as well as love. Merrick had kept them supplied with food and drink, and plenty of ice cream and occasionally they had ventured from their room long enough to actually talk with Joyce and the old watcher about what was happening.

Dawn and Giles were left to stew literally in their own juice. Basic supplies of food and water were left just inside the room, but no-one went to help them. They weren’t allowed to. The pair had to suffer the complete loneliness and helplessness Buffy had suffered for years, but they had to suffer it in just one week.

Over a bottle of a rather nice burgundy one evening - who would have guessed that Spike knew his vintages and his vineyards?- Joyce and Merrick started talking about the mess that had brought them back to earth.

‘I missed you when you arrived in heaven the first time Buffy, I’m sorry about that,’ Joyce said, looking deeply into the red wine.

‘Why did you? And where were you?’ Buffy asked. She had loved seeing her mother again and they had spent time catching up with one another; Spike had been out four times for supplies to make hot chocolate and pancakes.

‘I was getting debriefed about my time on earth, and you weren’t expected: you shouldn’t have jumped,’ her mother started to explain, sipping at her wine and watching her eldest daughter’s reactions to what she was saying.

‘Well I wasn’t going to sacrifice Dawn, was I?’ Buffy sounded a little annoyed: why did everyone think she could kill Dawn? She was her sister, for heaven’s sake!

‘No, but neither of you needed to die. All Spike needed to do was drink deeply from the pair of you and jump through the portal; it was the blood that closed it, Buffy, not one of you two dying.’


‘What? All I had to do was bite ‘em?’ Spike asked, putting his glass down on the table in front of Buffy. His hand was shaking and Spike wasn’t sure if it was shock or anger.

‘And drain a good bit, but unfortunately Travers didn’t pass on all the information he had: the stupid Council of Watchers and their outdated and outmoded attitudes, they always thought they knew better than the Powers. It’s one of the reasons we were sent back.’

‘To sort out the council?’ Buffy asked. ‘But I thought Giles was doing that.’

‘Ah yes, Rupert Giles,’ Merrick said coldly, ‘the same Rupert Giles that thought putting you through the Cruciamentum was a good idea? Or the one that tried to have the best warrior who ever fought at your side killed, winding up the son of another slayer to do it for him? Or the one who left a very powerful witch untrained and alone when she was coming into her gifts? Just the sort of person who should be in charge don’t you think?’ Merrick snorted and was about to rant again when he saw Buffy’s face. ‘He did and does love you, Buffy, he just needs a slight attitude adjustment,’ Merrick added, softening his approach a little.

‘That’s what the initiative did to Spike, attitude adjustment… I’m not going to be a part of torturing my friends.’ Buffy sat up straight, looking from her mother to her first watcher and back.

‘Buffy!’ Joyce snapped, ‘how could you think I would be a part of something so evil?’

Buffy started to feel a little guilty, but still nervous about the plans that the people in front of her had for her friends.

‘And no one wants you to,’ Merrick answered at the same time. ‘They are just being made to see what their actions really meant to you, how it added up to a lot of trouble and heartache; it’s what normally happens when you reach heaven, only this time it’s being done before they leave this life.’

Buffy snuggled back into Spike’s embrace and reached for her wine. Taking a sip she enjoyed the rich, full-bodied taste before putting the glass down again and closing her eyes. She could feel the eyes boring into her.

‘What?’ she looked around at Spike.

‘You’ve just drunk my blood, pet,’ Spike said slowly, not wanting a pissed-off slayer so close to his nose.

‘That was my wine, I know I don’t drink very often, but it was my wine!’ the pleading need was obvious in her voice.

‘No pet, it was my blood, honestly,’ Spike answered quietly.

‘It’s ok baby,’ Joyce was smiling, ‘you occasionally will need extra blood, especially when you get pregnant.’

‘I’m pregnant? How?’ Buffy sounded almost panic stricken and Spike felt his heart sink: she didn’t want his child. He could hear her heart pounding in her chest and he cursed his preternatural hearing. Spike lowered his head and turned his face so that she couldn’t see the tears in his eyes.

‘No you’re not, well as far as I know anyway, but your slayer side needs the odd transfusion… you used to get them from Giles, and before you ask he didn’t know, it happened when you were asleep and magic gave you some of his blood; it was why you felt so weak when he was away from you,’ Merrick continued to explain.

‘Magic? I hate magic,’ Spike growled, ‘there is always a cost.’

‘Well the cost has always been the same, locking watcher and slayer together. Giles didn’t know about it, few did, and those that did weren’t telling. And as for getting pregnant…well, it’s the same way any other woman would,’ Joyce smiled at her daughter.

‘But vampires can’t have children,’ Buffy stuttered out.

‘I would love to know who started that rumour off because vampires are quite capable of fathering a child, provided, and I’ve said this before, they don’t eat the mother,’ Joyce explained very patiently.

‘But Angel?’ Buffy had to know.

Spike choked at the brooding one’s name being mentioned: he hated the thought that Angel was first in Buffy’s thoughts.

Joyce just laughed. ‘When he died he had gonorrhoea and syphilis as well as herpes and genital warts: just be grateful the idiot was dead and incapable of passing on any disease to you - and he was incapable of fathering a child long before Darla got her fangs into him. I have a good memory, dear, and I know I talked to you about safe sex…’ she tried to hide the laughter at Buffy’s face.

‘Ewww, and to think I was stupid enough to think I even liked him and I thought I was being safe; how much safer can you be than your other half being dead?’

‘Obviously a lot safer: female vampires have difficulty in conceiving, their body normally rejects the foetus because it draws strength from the mother. But Darla had Connor, even if she had to die to give him life, and Spike, you are the only family that poor young man has left now, it might be nice to track him down and see if he needs any support.’

Spike nodded, it was a good thought, and something he should have considered already.

‘But back to you Buffy,’ Joyce continued. ‘Yes you can get pregnant by Spike, the resulting child is called a dhampir, and has been well known throughout history. They are mentioned regularly, they have souls, and all the strengths of their fathers with none of the weaknesses; they are day walkers, live very long lives, and can even take communion, crosses, holy water, none of it affects them. They do tend to be boys, although girls have been known and are considered a particular blessing.’

Buffy had tears in her eyes. Spike could see them when she turned to face him, his heart breaking; she was upset at the thought of having his child. He tensed his muscles, ready to stand up and move away from her.

‘You realise what this means Spike? We can have children, a real life, with kids that are really ours! A little boy with brown curls and blue eyes, just like his daddy…’

‘You want children? I didn’t think you ever did. You asked about Angel, and I thought…’

‘Stupid vampire,’ she said, her voice full of love, ‘I only want your children, lots of them, boys and girls who look like their daddy.’ God he can be so insecure, she thought to herself as she started dreaming of a houseful of kids running around, making their lives so complicated.

‘And their mum, she’s a beauty their mum,’ Spike added, looking down at Buffy before kissing her gently, his tongue stroking the crease of her lips, begging for entrance. Even his demon thought that breeding with Buffy was a good idea, a strong woman in every sense, his equal, his Queen. William adored her, every hair on her head, every inch of her body, he worshiped her totally and completely.

Merrick and Joyce left the couple alone and went into the kitchen to fetch more snacks. They could see the tears falling down Spike’s cheeks and certainly didn’t want to embarrass the poor man; little did they know or even suspect that it was not the man, but the demon that had broken down. It was only the soul that kept him from howling and taking her there and then.

Spike kissed her softly, butterfly wings brushing over her lips. Buffy deepened the kiss, sucking his tongue deep within her mouth, completely ignoring the audience they had, not realising that they had already left the room. Spike kissed her deep and hard, needing the contact.

‘When do you want to start on this family then?’ His eyes were full of mischief.

‘Tonight seems like a good idea,’ Buffy smiled as Spike swept her up into his arms and made for the stairs.


Chapter End Notes:
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