By Heather Martin

Spoilers- Set during and after Smashed. I borrowed a few lines from Wrecked as well. Has spoilers for everything up to that point. Goes AU after that

Summary- B/S T/W A/X Something goes funky with Spike and Buffy after their coupling in the abandoned house. Meanwhile, a demon and a mysterious girl come to Sunnydale from the future.

Chapter Ten- Harsh Realities

Buffy was able to make it home without puking. As soon as she entered, however, she couldn’t keep it in any longer. She ran upstairs to the bathroom, not having time to shut the door. She flung up the toilet seat, throwing up her stomach’s last contents.

She collapsed to the cold linoleum. Her stomach still hurt, but there was nothing left for it to refuse.

“How long has this been happening?”

Buffy’s head snapped to the side. Alexis stood in the doorway. She had her arms crossed, looking like she had authority.

“I don’t know,” Buffy confessed. “It seems like forever, but probably two weeks.”

“I know what is wrong, Buffy,” Alexis informed.

Fear crept into Buffy’s green eyes. “Am I dying?”

“God, no!”

“What then? It sure feels like I am.”

“Come on, Buffy,” Alexis said, harshly. “I know what is wrong and deep down so do you!”

The slayer shook her head.

“In the future, you have a daughter.”

Tears spilled down Buffy’s cheeks. She kept shaking her head, not wanting to believe it.

A smile came to Alexis’s face. “She turns out great. Or at least that’s what her parents say. You love her, Buffy. And so does Spike.”

“No,” moaned Buffy.

Alexis came into the bathroom. She knelt down before the blonde.

“I can’t be a mother,” Buffy choked out. “I’m a slayer. Slayers don’t have children. They can‘t. What kind of environment can they provide?”

“There aren’t any demons or vampires in the future. I cleanse the world, remember?” Alexis reminded.

“I’m not the slayer in the future?”

“You’re the slayer. You just don’t have to slay anything.”

A sob escaped Buffy. “I don’t want this right now.”

Alexis looked stricken.

“And Spike? Oh God . . .”

Alexis softened. “Sometimes good things are disguised as bad things. What you think you don’t want now may turn out to be exactly what your heart craves in the end.”

Buffy met her gaze, water blinding her vision. Alexis reached out and hugged her. She barely knew Alexis, but right then she seemed like someone she could lean on. She held onto the girl, crying until there were no more tears.

**************************

It was morning. Another day in 2001.

I can make it through, Alexis assured herself. She was rather proud of herself. She hadn’t slipped up once. Nobody suspected that she wasn’t telling the truth. The more she evaded the truth, the easier it became.

She actually felt like what she said. Just a girl that knows the slayer and her Scoobies.

**************************

She bought a home pregnancy kit. She believed Alexis, but she had to be sure.

The procedure was easy. She stuck the stick up inside her, and then sat on the toilet to wait for the results. No big deal, right? Yeah . . . no big deal.

When it was time, Buffy couldn’t look at it right away. Finally, she mustered enough nerve. She picked up the stick.

A pink plus sign stared back at her.

The stick fell from her fingers. Her eyes landed on the wall. Numbness spread through her. She couldn’t feel anything. Anything at all.

**************************

Buffy came to a halt before apartment 52B. She stared at it a long time before raising her foot and kicking the door open.

“Jesus, slayer!” Spike exclaimed, rushing over. “This isn’t the bloody crypt! I‘m liable for any damage.” He went over to examine the door, relieved to find it still on its hinges. He shut it before facing the emotionless slayer.

“How could you do this to me?” she questioned.

Confused, he asked, “Do what?”

She slammed him into the wall. His head smacked against it and he winced.

“How could you?” she asked again.

“Okay, Buffy, you’re scaring me.”

The expression on her face was chilling. Cold and vacant.

She stared at him with empty eyes. She was so close, her hands pinning him in place. All of a sudden she became aware of something poking her. She rubbed against him, discovering in full what it was.

“Buffy . . .” Spike tried to push her away. This wasn’t right. He knew it. She wasn’t herself. It was the basement all over again.

Buffy held him firmly, preventing him from moving. She smashed her mouth down on his. She devoured him, her tongue leaving no place untouched.

She hauled him into the bedroom. She threw him down on the black bedspread, jumping onto his middle.

“This isn’t right. Buffy, we should . . .”

She silenced him with her mouth. She moved against him, his bulge bringing her delight.

“Make me feel,” she begged. “Please, make me feel so I can escape. Make me forget.”

It wasn’t long before they had shed all their clothing. Spike pleased her not once, but twice. And they were about to embark on their third trip.

Spike slipped down her slick surface. His tongue found her tummy, licking her bellybutton. Then it darted back inside his mouth, his lips placing tender kisses all over her abdomen.

“Yum,” he said with a smile.

Buffy forcefully lifted his head away by the hair. “No! Don’t ever touch me there again!”

She rolled them over, taking dominance. She thrust him inside her.

“I want you one place and one place only. Do you understand?”

He couldn’t speak. He was overcome by pleasure and pain all at the same time. She lowered over him over and over again. She rocked like crazy, demanding release. They both came, screaming.

When they were through, Buffy turned away, her back facing him. He reached out to wrap an arm around her, but she swatted it away.

“Buffy?”

She didn’t answer.

“You have to stop this!” he commanded. “If you don’t want all of me please stop. I wish I could push you away myself, but I can’t find the will.” He snorted. “I love you. You know that. And I could never deny you. But, Buffy . . .”

She remained silent.

Giving up, Spike rolled over, going to sleep.

Sunlight streamed through the window. Spike winced. It took him a while for him to be able to open his eyes. Memories of last night flooded through his brain. His eyes fell on the unoccupied pillow beside him. He sighed.

This was the end. He couldn’t allow this to continue.

Spike reached for his discarded black jeans. He reached into the pocket, drawing out a small piece of paper. He grabbed the phone, dialing the numbers it had written on it.

“’Ello, is this Mandy?”

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You probably hate me all about now. Yes, this is one of my darker fics. I usually am more of a fluffy person, but I wanted to try a season 6 story that stayed true with the Buffy of that time. And don’t worry, I am a Spuffy shipper to the bone. I would never end a story without some tenderness.