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NA GRACH CROI


Chapter 26: ‘Turradh!’ (Surprise!)


“I do not want to go,” Buffy mumbled, sullenly, as she packed a little suitcase. “I want to stay, with my Will,” she added stubbornly. Her sister-in-law, Tara O’Hara, watched Buffy as the little blond pouted and sulked.

“My place is with my husband,” Buffy repeated for the tenth time, in a hushed voice. “Why should ‘I’ leave our home? I…”

“Your place is in a safe haven,” Tara interrupted Buffy, firmly. “That’s what your husband, my brother wishes, sister,” she finished with a scowl. “He wants both of us to be safe. Angel will home soon, he’ll stand with William. Please don’t be cross or stubborn sweet Buffy. Do as Will says and be safe. Your child’s health depends on it, also.”

“I guess,” Buffy grumbled under her breath. She picked up her shawl, the one that Tara had knitted for her and tossed it into the suitcase, then shut the luggage tight.

“I still think,” Buffy began, matter-of-factly, “that we have time to at least stay the night.” Buffy hated the whine in her own tone, but she couldn’t help it. She truly wanted to stay on the farm, with Will, her husband.

“Bastards,” Buffy hissed angrily as she thought of the Finn-Raynes. “They make me so mad,” the little blond kicked at the bed frame in frustration.

It was the day after William and Buffy had been warned by Xander that Ethan Finn-Rayne was planning to take over the farm. The old pirate’s last resort was to have William O’Hara taken and delivered to the law, in Coleraine. Some trumped up charges by the old devil and his family.

“Sinn Fenn, indeed,” Buffy snorted as she flung the suitcase onto the floor. “I hate the Finn-Raynes,” she sighed, little tears began to slip from her green eyes.

“I know, dear,” Tara cooed as she picked up Buffy’s luggage and placed it back on the bed. “However,” the O’Hara sister continued quietly, “it’s still best for you to be in Balleycastle for a while. Just until this mess is over. I must be near you, sister,” Tara advised wisely, “to take care of you and my neice or nephew.”

Buffy smiled softly, “I think it’s a boy,” she murmered happily, forgetting, for a moment their troubles. “We’re going to name him Patrick, for your father.”

Tara smiled gleefully, “I’ll like that, Buffy,” she replied warmly. “Father was such a kind, good man and…”

Suddenly, Buffy’s face contorted in pain and she cried out, sharply. Her huge green eyes were wide with shock and fright.

“Tara!” Buffy yelped as she grabbed her tummy in anguish. “It hurts!” she groaned.

Buffy glanced, anxiously, at Tara, who was staring at the floor beneath her sister-in-law’s feet. When Buffy gazed down below her, to the floor, she saw what Tara did. A widening pool of water was flowing between Buffy’s feet and away from her.

“Oh Buffy,” Tara whispered in fear as she realized just what this meant. Buffy’s water bag had broken, signalling the impending birth of the baby. It was more then two fortnights too early for the babe to be born, but now?

“Tara,” Buffy gasped, weakly, “you better call Will in, please? Tell him that we have a surprise,” she whispered, her face pale starkly white, with fear.

When Spike heard his sister’s frantic tone, he didn’t wait to hear all of what she had to say. He rushed from the barn, where he’d been with Xander, into the house.

Finding his wife, lying on their bed, her little face pinched in pain, Spike felt like crying. Instead, he crawled onto the bed and took his Buffy in his arms, clutching at her, desperately.

“Well at least I will not be going anywhere, Will,” Buffy smiled weakly at her husband.

“Oh, baby,” William groaned as he nuzzled her neck with his mouth. “I’m so very sorry,” he whispered, his own fear was showing.

‘He knows this isn’t quite right,’ Buffy realized, ‘he’s trying to be brave for me.’

“Xander’s already on his way to Balleycaste, Princess,” Spike said, his voice a harsh whisper. He had begun to pepper his Buffy’s pale face with little, soft kisses. “He’s gone to fetch Mrs. Chase and Cordelia here. They won’t be long, promise, can you hold on, til then, sweet?”

Buffy gazed deeply into her husband’s gorgeous blue eyes and saw the fear and worry there. She knew she had to be strong, and good and very brave or Will would lose it completely.

“I can wait,” she replied, simply with a brave little smile. “I’ll be fine, Will, honest. Women have been having babies for thousands of years and will for a thousands of more years. I’ll be fine, darling,” she finished strongly.

Spike stayed, laying beside his wife, holding her tightly to him. Tara had come into the room and sat next to the bed, watching Buffy intently. His sister appeared to be timing the time between each of Buffy’s strong pains. He could feel his Buffy tremble, then cringe with each passing tremor in her body and it cut him to the core.

‘I can’t help her,’ Spike thought sadly, ‘in the end, she’d got to do this, mostly by herself.’ This realization saddened him so much, that he had to fight the traitorous tears that threatened to fall from his blue eyes.

Well close to two hours had passed, and Buffy had a few strong labor pains. By this time, Spike was terrified, but he tried very hard not to show it.

Tara kept looking out the bedroom window, apparently off down the road to Balleycastle. Finally, when the air in the room had grown so tense and thick, Tara cried out softly and ran from the room. “They’re here!” Tara squealed as she headed out of the door to meet the group that was approaching.

Buffy sighed in relief, but not near as loudly as her Will did. She looked into his blue, worried eyes and saw some peace there, momentarily.

Mrs. Chase hurried into the bedroom, with Cordelia right behind her. Tara followed up behind them, a brilliant smile on her lovely face.

“William,” Tara said softly, “come out now. Cordelia and Mrs. Chase will take it from here.”

“No,” Spike replied with a frown. “My wife needs me,” he finished and held Buffy to him.

“There’s some others here, William,” Tara countered, her voice sounded odd. “Some that you need to greet, brother,” she added somberly.

“Go, Will,” Buffy urged, “please go with Tara. I’ll be all right, don’t want you to see me like this. Please.”

“Buffy, I…” Will shot his wife a pleading look, but relented and shrugged in defeat. “All right Princess,” he sighed sadly, “I’ll go out to the front. But I’m right close by, if you need me, sweet,” he leaned down to kiss her mouth with his. “I love you,” he whispered as he followed Tara out of the room.

“I love you,” Buffy cried out to him, weakly.

“It will be fine, William,” Mrs. Chase nodded, gently pushing him out of the bedroom. “Best go and greet the others, leave this to us women.”

“I should have stayed with her,” Spike mumbled, miserably as he followed Tara into the front living room. He had his head hung low, in some kind of shame, so he did not notice, right off, the dozen or so men who stood in the large room.

“She’ll be fine, lad,” Father Giles murmered to Spike as he placed a strong arm about his shoulders. “We must make sure of it and our being here is part of the plan. I’ve some bad news, William.”

“Father?” Spike asked, a little confused when he saw who it was. “Aye, son,” the priest said softly. “I’ve come to be with you, stand with you boy. The Finn-Raynes, they’re headed here, now. Old Sean Fitzgerald there, he got wind of their plan. Seems they’ve moved the day up a bit, no idea of Buffy’s situation, I suppose. But then again?”

Spike glanced about the room and saw the other men, there, for the first time. He was stunned at the amount of faces he saw in his living room.

Old Sean Fitzgerald, his son Sean Jr. and grandson, Seamus were there, in Spike’s living room. The three men wore serious faces. As did Mr. Chase and Mayor Wilkens and his oldest boy, Thomas. They were there too, as was Willie O’Toole, the bar keep at Corrigan’s Pub in Balleycastle.

“More are coming, son,” Father Giles assured Spike, eagerly, “Xander’s in Balleycastle, putting the word out about old Ethan’s plot. I swear,” the priest continued through gritted teeth, “I’ll excommunicate the old devil, Ethan, myself for this.”

“Xander’ll make sure there are at least a dozen more men, to stand with you William,” Mr. Chase chimed in with a firm nod. “He had to stay in town, get the word out about Ethan’s mischief.” Mr. Chase frowned in disgust when he mentioned Finn-Rayne’s given name.

“Corrigan will be here soon, Spike,” Willie grinned at his old friend. Spike noted that Willie looked almost giddy with excitement, but the little man always did enjoy a good fight.

“My friends,” Spike began, almost too choked up with emotion to speak. “I, I don’t know what to say,” he stammered. Then he thought of his Buffy, their child’s impending birth, his own sister and the Chase women.

“The women,” Spike gasped, “I can’t believe that even old Ethan and his reprobate family would ever try this, now?”

“He would, and they are,” Father Giles hissed in disgust. “That old sot, Ethan Finn-Rayne, has little or no respect for any human, William,” he spat. “Not even a woman having a child. He’ll burn for this one, I know it.”

Spike blushed, thinking about Buffy in the next room, suffering all that pain to bring their child into the world. To what? What if the Raynes took him and turned him over to… Worse then that? What if something happened to Buffy, or the baby? To all of these fine men and women who were here to help him?

The front door of his home opened and the distraction broke into Spike’s morbid musings. He stared at the tall, dark-haired figure that made his way into the living room and up to Spike.

“Angel?” Spike whispered in shock.

“I hope you include me in that, Will,” Angel O’Hara said, quietly. “When you called ‘us’ all your friends that is.”

Spike didn’t hesitate, he broke from Father Giles’ strong hold and flung himself into his younger brother’s outstretched arms. The older O’Hara fought the tears of relief that tried to slip from his eyes.

“Oh, Angel,” Spike whispered in a cracked voice. “I’m so glad you’re here,” he rasped.


A/N: This is going on way too long, sorry. Two more chapters and then, I promise, maybe a short epilogue and that’s the finis!
I want to finish A Murder in Sunnydale, like tomorrow, then maybe this one, next day or so. Then I can start my knew Spuffy fic. Thanks for reading, please review. Luv, Spuf





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