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MAKE HER OWN WAY


Chapter 21: ‘Oh Canada!’


A/N: I decided to submit this tonight, I could’t wait, don’t ask me why. Anyway, please read it, love or hate it, please review and thank you for sharing your time with me. Luv, Spuf


“WHAT!” Spike shouted, shocked as he leapt from the couch, over the coffee table and spun back around to face Xander. “Damn, man,” Xander chuckled with a smirk, “you ever thought about taking up Ballet? That’s a pretty good leap, not that I’m much of a dance expert, but Cordy loves ballet and…..”

Spike stalked back around the coffee table and nearly grabbed Xander by the shirt to pull him up off the couch, “quit the fuckin’ gab, Harris,” he growled just inches from Xander’s face, “where is Buffy?’ Xander kept his cool, you had to give the guy that, he was a great poker player just because of his ‘poker face’ but right now, Spike and Xander weren’t hosting boys poker night. “Where is she?” Spike screamed at the dark haired man.

“Sit the fuck down and light another cigarette, Giles,” Xander chuckled again, obviously enjoying this moment of power, “first off, I said ‘we think’ we know where Buffy is. But, frankly, I’m betting we’re right on target.” Spike flopped down on the couch and dropped his head in his hands in defeat, “okay, Xander,” he sighed with a strained voice, “tell me everything you know, I won’t bother whoever you got it from, though I’ve finally got a pretty good idea who ‘we’ might be.”

Spike looked up from his hands, “well?” he asked, trying to sound patient even if he was ready to rip Xander a new one. Xander cleared his throat, the one Spike was tempted to tear out, and began. “Willow has been ‘concerned’ about Tara and their relationship for a while, Spike.” The blond man raised his left eyebrow, “Red?” Xander nodded and continued, “don’t interject, friend, this is harder for me then you know, for Willow and Cordy too. It’s not like any of us think you handled ‘Runaway Buffy’ real well or anything, so just sit there and shut the fuck up for once in your life, okay?”

Spike nodded, but his jaw was clenched so tight that it was somewhat painful to him. “Anyway,” Xander continued, “Willow, for a while has felt ‘suspicious’ of Tara and her love for her. Wills is a complicated, intelligent woman, but you know how damn insecure she is. For a while now, she’s suspected that Tara might be involved with or toying with the idea of becoming involved with another woman. And Tara, well if she even knew what Willow did to check up on her, she’d leave her, Willow knows that. This is why I can’t have you running over to Tara and Willow’s place, asking questions, grilling either one of them, I’m counting on you to keep your word, right?” Again, Spike nodded slowly, wishing that Xander would cut to the bloody chase and tell him where Buffy was.

“Okay, so yesterday, I guess Tara forgot her cell phone at home when she went to work. Like I said, Wills noticed that Tara hasn’t been herself for a while, acting odd, secretive about something. Anyway, after Tara left for school, her cell phone rang, it was sitting on the girl’s breakfast bar. Willow, being Willow and believe me, Spike she is ashamed that she did this, but she impulsively grabbed the cell phone to see who was calling. I guess she thought it was this possible ‘other woman’ Tara might be interested in.”

“When Wills answered the phone, nobody responded right away, but finally, a familiar, if somewhat altered voice asked ‘Tara is that you?’ Wills was shocked and didn’t answere, even through the obvious disguised voice, she could tell it just had to be Buffy.”

Spike stood up again and began to pace around the living room, lighting another cigarette as he went. He felt lightheaded, the whiskey, cigarettes and lack of food was catching up with him; add that to this breakthrough news about Buffy and Spike felt like passing out. “Did Red find out for sure?” he stopped pacing and asked Xander, hopefully.

“Well, that’s just it, Spike,” Xander shook his head, “she couldn’t be absolutely sure it was Buffy on the cell phone, so,” he hesitated, “so she did a little snooping around and kind of put two and two together and finally got four. Willow started thinking about just when Tara began to act really weird, about three months ago, when Buffy dissapeared. Then, she got real creative and started going through the old apartment phone bills, something she doesn’t handle is paying the bills, so she never even considered this before. Anyway, she found a couple of phone calls to a phone number in, and Spike, I swear to God if you go ballistic, I’ll walk out of here!”

Xander glared at Spike sternly, “don’t even freak out on me and throw something or start ranting or I’ll walk, I mean it!” Spike stood stark still, his eyes narrowed into slits, “okay, mate,” he growled with a smirk, although there wasn’t anything funny about this, “cross my heart and hope to die, I won’t go ballistic.”

Xander chuckled and rolled his eyes, “cross your heart and hope to….” “Just fucking tell me, Harris,” Spike ordered evenly. “Okay, Willow found records of a couple of calls to Victoria, Canada.” ‘Canada!’ Spike roared, in his head that is, keeping his promise to try and keep calm in front of Xander, ‘hell, he could rant later when he was alone!’

“Yeah, man, Canada,” Xander confirmed, “then everything clicked into place to Willow. She remembered that Tara has some married cousin, Wilbur, Wiley, something like that, he and his wife manage some Art Gallery up there in Victoria. I guess Tara grew up with this guy and Willow remembers her mentioning him once or twice. Thing is, Willow knows that Tara isn’t that much in touch with him or his wife now, so the two phone calls in one month?”

“ That was like a smoke alarm going off to Willow. She even debated calling the numbers, seeing if Buffy or this cousin of Tara’s answered, but she chickened out, afraid it might cause Buffy to get nervous, maybe run off someplace else.” Spike was shocked into silence, at least momentarily, “Canada!” he rasped, shaking his blond head, “I never even thought about Canada,” then he finished with a mutter, “but I don’t think much, do I Harris? Just react like a complete arse.” Xander shook his head this time, “no brother, you don’t think sometimes, but I spose it’s natural for you, look who your old man is?” Spike could only nod silently, if he said anything else, his friend would surely hear the sob of relief in his voice.


Buffy sat down at her lonely little kitchen table to eat her dinner for the evening. She had hoped to really ‘talk’ to Will earlier, but Warren’s interruption had caused Will to overreact and Buffy chickened out. “Damn him,” she muttered, taking a bite of her salad, “he still can’t stand to have any other man within a mile of me. When will that ‘boy’ grow up!”

After the little mix-up phone call of yesterday, when Buffy accidently got Willow instead of Tara, she had reconsidered staying out of touch with William. ‘As much as Will deserves it,’ she reasoned, ‘I know he’s suffering as much as I am and deserves to know everything from me.’ Of course, it had helped when Buffy found out the truth behind that ridiculous APB mess from a few weeks before, funny how Tara got that so mixed up, thought it was Will’s idea.

‘Good thing someone set me straight about that one, gave me some hope that Will’s changing more.’ Starting on her rare steak, Buffy thought about how Will would get such a big kick out of how much she was eating now, “probably thinks I’m skin and bones,” she had to chuckle. Then she remembered what her other contact to SunnyD. Had told her, “he’s as skinny as a rail, Buffy, or so I’m told. Everyone’s worried, just call and let him know you’re still okay, it’ll help, I hope anyway.”

Spike kept his promise of not storming over to Tara’s and Willow’s to grill the two on Buffy’s situation. He was so grateful to Buffy’s beloved red-haired friend, so thankful that she had broken down and run to Xander and Cordelia to tell them everything. No matter what her reasons, Willow had done Spike an enormous favor and he would never forget it, how could he hurt her by betraying her secrets to Tara?

However, once Xander left his and Buffy’s apartment, he had called Charles Gunn and told him everything, instructing his employee to send someone really reliable to every bloody Gallery in Victoria, Canada to check out this new turn in events. Spike would have gone himself, but he reasoned that if Buffy got any ‘sense’ at all that he was anywhere near, she would indeed run again and he could not take it anymore.

“Gotta’ get her back, mate,” he told Mr. Gordo who just stared at him quietly, “I love her. She’s my Queen, My Goddess, my soul-mate and if this turns out to be a false alarm, well,” he chuckled ruefully, petting the tabby gently, “I guess I’ll just have to jump off that bridge when I get to it.”

It didn’t take long for Charles Gunn’s ‘reliable man’ to return his contact’s call with the information that Spike had been waiting on for three months. The very next day, while Spike sat at his office desk, Mrs. Kruger rang the intercom to tell him that Mr. Gunn was impatiently waiting to see him. “Send him in,” Spike barked at Mrs. Kruger, sorry he was such a bloody grouch, he had not slept well the night before, or for every night previously the three months before and he was pretty much on his last nerve now.

Charles sauntered into Spike’s office, a huge grin on his face, but something ‘off’ in his eyes. “What is it, Charles,” Spike stood up and approached his employee with determination, “is it Buffy?” Gunn nodded, thought a minute then said evenly, “I think you better sit down, Spike, this is going to be quite a fucking shock.”

Spike actually did as he was told, Charles looked hesitant, like this was bad news, but Spike couldn’t be sure. He was fairly certain that Buffy was indeed in Victoria, but Charles seemed so uncertain about what he had to tell him. “It is Buffy, isn’t it Charles?” Spike asked uneasily, “is she alright? Just fucking tell me, Gunn, don’t fuck around here, I’m….”

Charles Gunn raised his hand as if to tell his boss to can it and try for once to be patient, “yeah, man, it is Buffy. She is living in Victoria, Canada, working for this Warren and April Meers, just like your source said. Some mediocore place called The Victory Gallery.”

Spike was not a patient man, never had been, except where Buffy was concerned, or so ‘he’ thought. Right now, Charles Gunn was beginning to really piss him off with his cryptic crap, “tell me,” Spike finally roared at the man standing before him. “Okay, okay, chill, Spike, it’s good news, really, just a bit weird. Okay, it is Buffy, definitely, this guy I sent up there, he’s the best, really. Went to about six galleries before he hit pay dirt, this Victory Gallery and actually laid eyes on Buffy.”

Spike sat up in his chair, a sense of panic had hit him, “I told you not to let anyone near her, I don’t want her frightened any more!” Gunn shook his head abruptly, “no man, my guy didn’t let her know anything, just wanted to really lay his eyes on her, make sure it ‘was’ her. He pretended to be some ‘art buyer’ or some such crap, Buffy isn’t really visible in the Gallery, she has her own office in back. You know what I mean, not up front where the public can see her. Anyway, my guy, his name is Rack, by the way, got all business like in a suit and tie, went to these galleries and finally, like I tried to say, found ‘the gallery’ that Buffy is working at.”

Spike felt tears of relief and euphoria hit him, all at once, “is she all right, Gunn?” he asked weakly, not even trying to hide his emotions, “is she okay. You’re being a real fucking prick here, mate, just tell me. What’s wrong with my Princess?”

Charles averted his dark eyes for a moment, then looked his boss straight in his blue ones, “Rack says Buffy looks great, Spike. Just gorgeous, all happy and radiant and everything, but he also says,” the man paused, took a deep breath. “He also says that, man Spike, I shouldn’t be the one here to tell you this news, Buffy….”

Spike stood up walked around his desk slowly and got in Charles Gunn’s face, “just fucking tell me, Charles,” he growled, his fists clenched by his side, his blue eyes dark and dangerous. “What’s wrong with Buffy? I’ll find out anyway, when I go up there and drag her home, like as of yesterday! So just let me in on it, lessen the shock, shall we say?”

Gunn dropped his head, averting his eyes again, “Spike,” he began softly, “Rack says that your Buffy ‘looks’ at least five months pregnant.” Spike’s mouth dropped open, silent for once and he stood frozen in shock, glaring at Gunn in disbelief. “Preg….Pregnant!” he finally gasped, stunned. “Yeah, man,” Gunn mumbled, “Rack says Buffy is definitely pregnant, in fact, she’s pretty well, huge. I’m sorry to be the one that….”

William Giles swallowed hard, trying to keep the burning white light that threatened to overtake him from turning his shock into rage. “Thank you, Charles,” he finally said calmly, seemingly frightening his messenger with his uncharacteristic behavior, “thank you. I’ll handle this from here.”

Gunn looked at Spike is disbelief, probably expecting Spike to go completely ballistic after dropping this little bombshell on him. However, Gunn simply nodded a ‘your welcome’ and left Spike’s office as quickly as he had entered it. Spike actually couldn’t walk, he was paralyzed with shock and something else, anger. Anger at Buffy for running off in the first place, and now to find out she was pregnant at the time, took his baby with her, no matter how happy he was about the little Gile’s coming.

Finally, Spike stumbled back around the desk to his chair, pulling out a cigarette and then a bottle of Jack Daniels from the drawer. Oddly calm, probably numb from shock and anger, Spike lit the smoke and took a drink of whiskey, staring out the window of his office.

When he could think ‘clearly’ finally, he could only say out loud these words, “better be ready, Princess,” he growled deeply in his throat, “Big Bad’s comin’ to bring you and our child home. You give me any trouble this time, baby, I’ll drag you both back kicking and screaming!”

Once he’d decided what he was going to do, Spike picked up his phone and dialed his parents house in England, hoping that his Father was there. Sometimes a bloke just needed to talk to his Dad. The maid answered, assured Spike that Mr. Giles was in and went to get him.

“William?” Rupert Giles answered the phone, sounding surprised that his son was actually calling him back now, especially after that last faux pas with the APB mess. “Dad,” Spike began firmly, but soon his voice weakened, fraught with pain and threatening tears. “Dad,” he began again, unable to say anything but that ‘title’ more meaningful now to him, more then ever.

“William? What is it son? Is it Buffy, have you found her? Is she all right, son?” Spike swallowed hard, trying not to cry in front of his strong, tenacious Father, “yeah, I’ve found Buffy, Dad,” he choked out. “Dear God, William!” Rupert Giles cried with concern, “is she all right, what is it?”

The son hesitated for a moment, then finally told the Father the truth, “Buffy’s in Canada, Dad,” he choked out, “and Dad, she’s pregnant, with my child.”

Rupert Giles didn’t hesitate for even a heartbeat, “your Mother and I are flying over, tonight, William,” he announced fairly calmly for a Giles man. “We’ll come tonight, be there by morning your time. Don’t do a thing until then, once we get there, we will ‘all’ go to that God Forsaken Territory up north and bring Buffy and my grandchild home to Sunnydale. In fact, maybe we should just all come back to England, I want my family here with us, your Mother and I. But don’t do a bloody thing, don’t make a move for her until I get there. Buffy’s confused right now, if you and I go up there, show a strong front, she’ll not be able to refuse coming back. Just do this for ‘me’ son, and for yourself. Don’t run up there until I’m there to go with you, and your Mum can be very persuasive, I’ll talk to her, convince her to help us with this. She adores Buffy, will be desperate to get her home with our Grandchild and your child.”

Spike nodded, not even thinking that his Father could not actually ‘see’ through the phone line, after all, Rupert Giles could ‘do’ anything, couldn’t he?’ Instead of answering his Father right off, Spike broke down and cried like the small boy he once was, not the least bit ashamed to be sobbing to his Dad.


A/N: Okay, before you village of readers grab the torches and pitchforks (led by pj no doubt!) and come after me, please try to understand. From day one of this tale I had intended to have Buffy pregnant when she left William/Spike, I never meant to write it any other way. But……there’s a reason, please bear with me, this gives Rupert and Jenny even more of a reason to come to California for their son’s sake. I just threw all of the red herrings, etc. in there to add some twists to the fic, I’m a mystery writer at heart so….Also, I think it gives Buffy even more of a sense of independence to decide to raise the baby by herself, that is if Will/Spike doesn’t come around by the end. So, here’s to procreation, hope I don’t lose readers over this one and hey, only a couple of more chapters left! Thanks, please read and review! Luv, Spuf





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