Eternally Yours by Spikeslovelysweetheart

“Buffy, don’t be so nervous, I don’t even think that we will be around Angel that long anyway. I mean we are going to be there to check on Dana, and to seek out our newest additions to our slayer school. That is the main focus of our trip.” Giles said trying to reassure Buffy, and ease her fears of having to see her past love again.

“I’m sorry Giles, it just feels like with us going to LA, and the fact that I will see Angel makes me feel guilty. I feel like I am cheating on Spike even though he is gone. Another thing, Angel doesn’t know about these two yet.” Buffy said, as she motioned to the two carriers. “I am just really sure that they would go over real well with Angel. He’ll go nuts when he finds out that they are Spike’s. You know that Angel hated Spike with a passion.”

“Well if that prat so much as touches a hair on my grandchildren’s heads, out of anger, he will bloody well regret it. Mark my words, I mean it, Buffy.” Giles roared at the thought of it.

This made both Buffy and Liam jump in their seats, they were a little surprised that usually calm Giles, let his anger show like that. It had been a long time since Ripper had made an appearance. The last time she really remembered him doing so, it was when the Mayor decided to walk in to the library during one of their meetings. He told Giles that he was going to kill her; Ripper appeared and stabbed the mayor with his sword. Of course, the mayor was invincible, but Ripper let him know he meant business.

“Wow, look at Grandpa Ripper making an appearance.” Buffy said smirking at Giles, now that she was over her shock. Buffy was interrupted, and before she could say anything else, one of the bundles in the carriers had started to cry. Buffy got up out of her seat, and picked up the bundle wrapped in a pink blanket.

“Shhh…mommy’s got you, I know, grandpa let out a noise that scared you, didn’t it?” Buffy asked the bundle, not really expecting an answer. She shot Giles a glance, and saw him duck his head in embarrassment.

“Buffy, I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to make my sweet girl cry. Here give her to her grandpa, he always makes her happy.” Giles said smiling, reaching for the little girl. Tara had stopped crying as soon as she entered Giles’ arms. It always surprised Buffy that she calmed down as soon as she heard Giles or, was touched by him.

Buffy sat down in her seat, and let out a deep sigh, and closed her eyes, she was tired. The twins seemed to be more of a drain on her energy than long nights of patrolling, or the nights of research when they were in high school had been. She wouldn’t give up her wonderful twins for anything, they were her life, her everything, her precious gift from Spike and she loved them.

Buffy was starting to fall asleep in her seat, when she heard William start to fuss, a groaning Buffy got up to tend to him. Liam got to William before she did putting a stop to her.

“My sweet sister, go lay down on the bed back there, Rupert and I will take care of Tara and William. You look like you could use the little rest.” Liam said glancing at Buffy, walking back to his seat.

“No, Liam I couldn’t leave you two to take care of the twins, I am fine really.” Buffy lied, she could feel the energy draining.

Liam gave Buffy his no nonsense look. “Sister, I know that you are going to need your energy, because in three hours we will be in LA. You need your strength when you go to see Angelus. I will be with you when you go, but you need to be rested. So go now before I have to drag you in there!” Liam said dismissing her, looking back at William.

Buffy’s body was screaming at her to rest, but her mind wasn’t paying any attention. Her mind drifted off to her children, and how Spike wasn’t ever going to get to see his children grow up. Buffy had shed tears several times over this fact. She was constantly reminded of Spike when she looked at William. He was going to look exactly like his father; Buffy knew this in her heart. William had Spike’s deep ocean blue eyes, and the sandy brown hair that Spike had told her he’d had. Tara was going to look like her with the exception to the eyes; they were the same color as her father’s. She remembered the day that she found out she was pregnant.

Flashback August 23, 2003

She had cut herself while they were moving boxes around; she blamed her clumsiness on lack of sleep, and nausea she had been experiencing. Liam had taken her upstairs to help her take care of her cut, he walked away to get the kit, and when he came back he had a smile on his face. Buffy looked at him and wondered what he was smiling about.

“My dear Buffy, I am so happy for you, why did you not tell anyone?” Liam asked the smile on his face growing as he spoke.

“Liam, what the hell are you talking about?” Buffy asked puzzled, she had no idea what he was talking about.

“Buffy, you being pregnant, is what the hell I am talking about!” Liam exclaimed, his smile faltering a little.

“Pregnant? What do you mean pregnant, Liam?” Buffy was starting to freak out, how could she be pregnant? She hadn’t been with anyone since that wonderful night with Spike.

“Seriously, you didn’t know?” Liam asked, he didn’t believe her, she could tell by the look on his face.

“No, I didn’t, but it would explain how I’ve been feeling lately. How did you know? It’s got to be wrong, it’s impossible.” Buffy was trying to reassure herself, that it was indeed impossible.

“Buffy, I know you are, because I can smell the hormones in your blood. I smelled it before, but I didn’t know what exactly it was. Now I do.” Liam said, laughing at the look on Buffy’s face, she was cute when she wrinkled her nose like that.

“Liam, has anyone told you the whole vampire smelling thing is gross? I can’t believe that I am pregnant; the only person I know could be the father was Spike. He couldn’t have children, because he was one of you.” Buffy said, she was on the verge of tears. She knew that they had to be Spike’s, she was sad that he would be missing their entire lives. The tears she was trying to hold back were falling now.

Liam had finished bandaging her up, when she started crying, he drew her into his arms and held her tight. He wanted to cry with her. He knew that he had a closer bond with her than the others, except for Dawn, whom he was enamored with. He and Buffy had bonded instantly. He felt all of her emotions, and he was often the one she came to now.

“Shhh… my dear heart, it will be okay, I know you are sad that he is gone, but think he gave you a wonderful gift. You won’t be alone, you have us, and I will not leave you, not ever. I love you too much to, and I love this unborn baby, I am here to protect you.” Liam said, rocking her, rubbing her back.

“Thank you, Liam that means a lot to me. I love you too, you are such a sweet man, and how did I end up with a great friend like you? I am sad that Spike is not here to share in this joy with me. I am so happy, really I am shocked too." sighing, she continued. " I am just sad; I get to enjoy a child in my life, and he doesn’t.” Buffy was leaning in to his hug; they always comforted her, but not as much as Spike’s had.

Buffy and Liam pulled apart, Liam handed her a tissue. He tenderly used one to wipe away her tears. It hurt him to see her cry like this, which she had done with him so many times in the last month and a half. She couldn’t tell Willow, Xander, and Giles about how she was feeling. Liam knew that she was still upset about what they had done to her. She was still trying to forgive them, it was coming, but she still needed time.

“Liam, I am sad, because Spike and I had a conversation once, he told me that he really wanted to have a child. He knew that he couldn’t but he was going to find a way for it to happen. It happened and now he’s gone. I feel like I am keeping his child from him. I know I am not, but I just feel really guilty for it.” She said, as the tears started flowing again, uncontrollably.

“Shhh… don’t feel that way, he would want you to raise his child, keep his memory alive for the child, and tell the child all about him. You know that, Buffy. We’ll do that, I have an idea, sweet Buffy; we will take pictures from those boxes downstairs, and create a scrapbook for the child. In the mean time we will get through this, all right?” Liam smiled as Buffy nodded. “Now let us, go and see Dr. Brady to get you checked out.”

Buffy nodded, Liam placed his arm over her shoulder, and they walked toward Dr. Brady’s office, down the hall. He was the doctor they kept on staff; Giles had known him for a long time. She agreed with what Liam said, they were going to tell the child about Spike, and create a scrapbook for the child.

She had gotten her confirmation later that afternoon. She was pregnant, and she couldn’t be happier.

She had gone through her pregnancy, and on the day before her 23rd birthday, she went into labor. Liam was there by her side like he promised, and on January 19, 2004, Buffy gave birth to Tara Anyanka Hartley and William Alexander Hartley, and on the birth certificate, the parents were Elizabeth Anne Hartley and William Gabriel Hartley.

Back to Present

Buffy had changed her name to Buffy Anne Hartley; she figured that he wouldn't mind. She also thought that it would be easier for the sake of the children when they grew up.

Buffy thought about the time she found out his last name.
Spike had left Buffy a box of his stuff, he'd been sneaky, he had put in a box that Buffy had sent to LA, for Angel to hold in case something happened. The box that it had been put in to was a box of photos, and mementos of Buffy's life. Liam had brought the box upstairs, when he and Buffy were going to start on the scrapbook. Liam opened the box and got a surprise.

On the top of the box the initials W.G.H, were written in a fancy cursive, and gold paint. Inside the box, the first thing on top was a wedding invitation. It was from when Willow had done that 'will be done spell', It had caused problems for everyone. She and Spike had been engaged. The invitation was written on in beautiful cursive:

You are cordially invited to the marriage of
Elizabeth Anne Summers
To
William Gabriel Hartley
At home of Joyce Summers
The Twenty Fourth of June Two Thousand
Nine o’ clock in the evening

It brought tears to her eyes, looking at the invitation, when she moved it; she found a ring box underneath. Buffy pulled it out of the box, she opened the box, and nestled inside was a 24 karat white gold ring with a heart shaped diamond. Buffy pulled the ring out of the box, on the inside of the ring she read:

Buffy and Spike Forever June 24, 2000

It made her cry even more, but once she put it on her finger, it wasn’t removed, ever.

Buffy was brought out of her train of thought by Liam.

“Sister, we’ve landed, let us go and see Angelus, I will be there with you so don’t worry. I am your support; I love you, my dear sweet sister. Rupert has taken Tara and Will, to the limo; he is waiting on us, sister.” Liam smiled at Buffy taking her hand in his.

Buffy smiled back at him, took his hand, letting him lead her.

“Thank you, Liam, I appreciate this, I love you too, dear brother. I guess I need to get my courage to see him, it is now or never.” She said looking at him.

He felt her anxiety, and gave her a hug to assure her. “Buffy, it will be fine, I promise you.”

Buffy sighed, in his arms, accepting his assurance. “I just feel that there is something going on, something he’s hiding from me.”

“For your sake, sister, and his, I hope he is not. Come let’s not keep Rupert waiting.”