This part is dedicated to the kitty Ashes, who passed away yesterday. She was my friend for nine years and I will always love her. I give her a story about birth.

Chapter Thirty- Five- Hey, I’m Having a Baby Here! Part II

Spike carried Buffy into The Magic Box.

“You can put her down there,” Anya said. She pointed to a spot on the floor.

“I need to cover her with something,” Spike answered. “Do you have a blanket?”

“I don’t . . .”

“Argh, fine!”

He put Buffy down and shed his leather duster. He helped Buffy remove the gray sweatpants she wore before draping it over her lower half. He knew that the coat meant death. He had taken it off his second slayer. But it seemed all right. Alexis’s purpose was to bring things to life. She spread light wherever there was darkness. Maybe she could transform the old thing into something new. A piece of material that brought good memories along with the bad.

“Do you mind, luv?” Spike asked Buffy.

She glanced up at him with incomprehension. “Huh? What?”

“My coat?”

She shook her head. “No. Not really caring about anything except getting through this.”

They lit a few candles. The light was dim and cast shadows over the room. Buffy was glad. She didn’t think she would have liked the bright lights of the hospital.

It wasn’t long before Xander entered. Giles, Willow, and Tara followed suit. They rushed to Buffy’s side.

Willow knelt by her best-friend. She took her hand. “Wow. This is it, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“You ready?”

“I don’t know,” Buffy confessed.

Buffy suddenly squeezed Willow’s palm as a contraction hit.

“Um, Buffy. . .” Willow winced. “Buffy! Don’t break my hand, please.”

Buffy released her hand. “Oh, sorry.”

It was then that all hell broke lose. Vampires flooded the store.

“Oh God!” Buffy cried. “They can’t do this! This can’t be happening.”

A vampire in game face made its way toward Buffy. “Slayer,” it said.

“Hey, I’m having a baby here! Leave me alone!” She swung her leg when he came up, knocking him aside.

Tara held out her hands. “Aback!”

A stream of power poured out of her outstretched palms. The vampires shied away. “Hurry, get stakes. I can‘t keep this up for long,” she shouted.

Spike, Xander, and Giles gathered weapons. Tara let her guard down and a battle began.

Anya ran over to a corner of the store. She took something off a shelf and then returned. In her clutch was a necklace. A crystal pendant dangled from it. She gave it to Willow.

“Put it on her,” Anya ordered. “It’ll protect them.”

Willow nodded. She looped the string over Buffy’s neck.

Time passed. How long nobody could be sure. The guys were busy staking vampires. It seemed like a new one showed up every time they dusted one. Buffy continued to go through labor. If a vampire came too close Willow and Tara would grab hands and chant ‘elluminat¢
e’, and they would explode into nothing.

Buffy closed her eyes. She was really tired and she hadn‘t even started to push yet. “I can’t do this,” she complained.

“Oh, stop it,” Anya snapped.

“Anya, don’t be mean. She’s in a lot of pain,” Willow pointed out.

“The book I’ve read said that child birth isn’t a big deal. And she’s the slayer. This should be a breeze.”

Buffy’s eyes shot open. She glared at the other woman. “Shut up! You really don’t know what you are talking about. When you go through it, you’ll know.”

Another contraction ripped through her body. She moaned, clutching Spike’s duster.

“Spike, this is your last and only kid! Got it!?”

Spike was currently busy with fighting and didn’t acknowledge her announcement.

A few moments went by. The contractions were really strong, hardly giving Buffy a chance to recover. She didn’t know how much more of this she could take.

Buffy’s eyes widened. She all of a sudden noticed what was next to her.

“Fertility statues!” she shouted at the store owner, incredulous. “You put me near fertility statues!”

“I know you don’t feel that way now, but after this is all over you are gonna want another kid.”

“No, I’m not! This is it!” Her eyes got dark and scary. “Get me away from these statues!”

Willow and Tara helped Buffy move away from the fertility Gods. She was now by a shelf of candles and herbs.

The slayer’s breathing changed. There was a hesitation before exhaling.

“I wanna push,” Buffy stated.

Tara rubbed Buffy’s arm. “All right, honey. I think it’s time. Don‘t use too much force at first, all right?”

Bring her knees up to her body, Buffy placed her hands behind them. She nodded at the blond witch. She pushed, giving a small grunt.

Spike came into view. “How is she doing?”

It was realized then that the vampires were gone. A layer of dust covered the floor.

“She’s doing fine,” Tara assured him.

Buffy reached for her boyfriend. “Spike, don’t leave me again.”

He took her hand. With his other one he smoothed down her sweaty hair. “I’m going to stay right by your side, pet.”

He had spoken too soon.

The shop’s door opened and a figure stepped in. It was a vampire. Buffy could feel a warning tingle run down her spine. His face was disfigured, charred and red. She studied the vamp intently, knowing there was something about him. And then the alarms went off. She gasped.

“Judas!”

I have to stop, her mind cried. I can’t have my daughter now. Not when he’s here. She clutched her stomach. Stay inside, she begged. You can’t come out yet. It was useless and she knew it. Another urge to push overcame her that she couldn’t fight.

Spike rose. Buffy wouldn’t let go of his hand.

“No! You can’t leave me again! No! You promised to stay.”

“I have to. You know that. I can’t let him hurt you or Alexi again.” He looked down at her and met her eyes. She released his hand, knowing he was right.

“You are going to pay, slayer!” Judas said. “You and your little spawn. Look what you’ve done to my face?”

The burns were awful, covering his entire face and arms. Buffy knew that the fire must have gotten to him good. Vampires healed fast too. She hated to think of what the damage had looked like when it had been fresh.

Spike stepped forward. He smirked. “You’ll have to get through me first.”

The sounds of combat mingled with Buffy’s cries.

Buffy’s eyes kept fluttering closed.

“How can she fall asleep at a time like this?” Xander asked. “I mean, shouldn’t she be wide awake? She’s having a baby.”

“She’s conserving energy for the last part of the birth,” Anya replied.

“Oh. Got it.”

Spike rushed over. He grabbed a stone statues of an Egyptian god. He ran at Judas, lifting the statue high. He smacked the idol hard at the vampire. The object hit Judas’s wounded face making him holler with agony.

“Watch the merchandise!” Anya yelled. “You break it, you buy it, mister.”

“I have to stop,” Buffy whispered wearily.

“Stop? Buff, I don’t think that’s possible,” Xander commented.

“Buffy, dear, are you scared? You’re doing just fine,” Giles added encouragingly. “It’s almost over.”

“I know. That’s why I have to stop,” Buffy informed.

“Um, not really making sense here,” Willow said.

“I have to wait for Spike.” She looked at them, pleadingly. “Help me to not push.”

“It’s not really a choice, Buffy,” Giles said.

Tears formed in her eyes. “I don’t want to have this baby without Spike.”

He was only across the room, but it seemed as if he were miles away.

Buffy struggled not to push.

“Don’t fight it,” Tara soothed. “It isn’t good on the baby. You don’t want to hurt her, do you?”

The soon-to-be-mother shook her head.

It was inventible. Buffy couldn’t stop her baby’s decent. She reluctantly continued to push.

Tara lifted the leather duster and examined Buffy’s progression. She could see the vulva bulging between her legs. Buffy pushed again and a dark something came into view. It disappeared when the contraction receded.

“I think I saw the head!” Tara said in triumph.

“No!” Buffy screamed. “Spike, get your ass over here!”

“Just a moment, luv. Let me dust this nasty and I’ll be right over,” Spike answered from across the shop.

“No! You can’t.”

“What!? Not comprehending here.”

“You can’t dust him,” Buffy protested.

“He’s a baddie, Buff,” Willow commented.

“I know. But it suddenly occurred to me that. . .” She paused to push. “Uhhhh. . .” She panted. “If he isn’t around in the future then Alexis would never have a reason to come back here. And . . . Uhhh. . .”

“Don’t talk, Buffy. Concentrate on pushing. ” Willow said. She looked up at the rest of the gang. “I think I know what she’s saying. History will change if he doesn’t survive and become human. Alexis wouldn’t travel through time.”

“And there’s no guarantee I’d have gotten with Spike,” Buffy managed to get out.

“Right then,” Spike said. He kicked the vampire in the side. “What we going to do with the bugger?”

“I can send him away!” Willow offered. “Remember that spell I did for Glory? Well, I improved it. I can pinpoint where he’ll end up. How does the artic sound?”

“The head’s completely out!” Tara announced.

“Spike, get over here now!!” Buffy shouted at the top of her lungs.

Giles and Xander went over to Judas, making sure he stayed unconscious on the floor. Spike sprinted to Buffy.

He took a peek at his daughter. “She’s beautiful.”

Willow gave him a raised eyebrow. In reality the baby’s head was covered in fluid and a reddish color. Spike was looking through a parent’s eye.

“Come on, one more push,” Tara urged on.

Buffy clutched Spike. “One more push,” she breathed.

“You can do it, Buffy,” Spike told her.

She did. The tiny body slid out of her, making its way into the world. Tara caught the infant. It was hot, wet, and very slippery. The two witches stared at it with concern.

Buffy noticed their expressions. She pushed herself up. “What is it? What is wrong?”

The slayer saw that her daughter wasn’t moving. She was still as death.

“NO! God, no!”

“Give her to me!” Spike demanded.

“Spike. . . “ Willow began.

Just then there was a draw of breath. Then there was another. The baby opened its eyes to reveal clear blue orbs.

Buffy collapsed against Spike in relief. Tears streamed down both their faces.

“Thank God,” Tara muttered.

Buffy had one last contraction, doing away with the placenta. Then everything was over.

Willow gathered a pair of scissors and brought them back. She handed them to Spike. He gaped at them, his brain not comprehending their purpose.

“The cord,” Willow said. She pointed to the umbilical cord that still connected mother to daughter.

“Right,” Spike said, doubtful. He knew he had read how to do this, but all knowledge left him.

He made a tentative, small slice. He eyed his baby and slayer, noting neither winced. He sliced it in two, thankful when it was done.

The baby was given to Buffy after being cleaned up. The child lay on her mother’s chest, while Buffy sank back, exhausted.

Spike huddled close. His girls. His precious girls.

Love enveloped the family. They had never known warmth like this.

“I’m so proud of you,” Giles said to Buffy.

She simply grinned at him.

Someone burst into the store. Heads turned to see Dawn.

“Where were you guys!? I searched everywhere. The hospital. The house. Giles’s house. Willow and Tara’s. Xander’s. And then I had to hide because there were vampires everywhere. What happened?” Then she saw Buffy, Spike, and the baby between them. She was at a loss for words.

Anya rolled her eyes. “What does it look like? Buffy had her baby.”

“Come here, Dawnie,” Buffy requested. “See your niece.”

Dawn came over. She knelt, looking down at the perfect little girl. “She’s so cute. I can’t believe I missed it.”

“There wasn’t much to it. Just some moans, groans, and pushing,” Buffy said. She smiled, her face aglow.

Laughter spilled out of Dawn. “Yeah right.”

“Better get you two to the hospital, luv,” Spike told Buffy.

“In a minute,” Buffy said.

Silence spread over the store. Light spilled in from outside. Spike glanced from the rays outside to the sun held in his daughter’s eyes. He knew he was finally forgiven. The sunshine bathed him and he let it soak into his skin. And it felt right.

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I read a baby book to write this. So it should be pretty accurate. I wanted to make the birth as real as possible.