The ringing of the phone dragged him reluctantly from his safe warm place. His girl was snuggled against him, her legs tangled with his. Looking of at the clock he groaned.
"Bloody Hell."
"Phone…ringing…too soon,” Buffy grumbled as she shifted so she could reach over to pick it up.
"Do you think they'd just let us stay another week?" Spike asked, causing her to giggle as she picked up the phone.
"Love to, baby. But I have to get back to work." Buffy sighed as she heard the automated voice telling her this was their wake up call. "What happened to, 'good morning Miss Summers this is your wake up call'? Nope, now just some freaky robot sounding speaking generic, 'this is your wake up call'. Just takes the personal out of being woken up."
Spike chucked as he watched her hang up the phone. He waited for the right opportunity to strike. As she positioned her self where he could get to her neck he leaned up and suckled right behind her ear. "Good Morning, Miss Summers, love ya."
Buffy turned so she was looking down at him with a glowing smile. "That's more like it. Can you be my wake call every morning?"
"Every morning, and on some mornings I can wake you with more than words,” he teased as he leaned up to gently kiss her lips. They both knew they really didn't have time for anything more.
"Shower, breakfast, and then snuggle time, while we wait,” she whispered as she pulled back.
"You first, no room for two, well safely that is,” he teased. “Plus would run out of warm water by the time I was done with you."
Buffy rolled her eyes as she gave him one last quick kiss before getting out of the bed. "Leave my panties alone, Mister."
"I have the pair I want, thank you very much." He chuckled as he lay back and reflected on his week.
Never in a thousand years would he believe he'd be leaving here with the woman of his dreams beside him. The thought of waking up like this every day for the rest of his life made him think he needed to pinch himself, ‘If this is a dream, please, Lord I don't want to wake up.’ The knock on his door announcing their breakfast brought him back from his thoughts with a smile. Her luggage was still here, so either it was real, or he was still dreaming.
*******
Harmony loved it when her status as a celebrity served her special perks. She stood where she could see when her blondie bear would disembark off the ship. Watching the muscular men as they unloaded the luggage gave her some kind of entertainment and a few fantasies.
Her hand fluttered down to her stomach as she smiled like the cat who ate the canary. She couldn't wait to see his face when she told him she was pregnant. The plans played in her head of them taking the rest of the time he had off before filming. They'd go to Vegas and get married. Come back and look for a house in the best part of Beverly Hills.
"Oh, Spikey, we are so going to have a good two or three years of wedded bliss,” she whispered, knowing he'd put his child first.
*******
"The plan is I'll meet you at your gate." He sighed as he lay with her in his arms.
"Then we go to your place so you can repack,” she added, enjoying lying with him as they waited, talking about their plans for the rest of the weekend.
"Go to your place, shag like bunnies in between cycles,” he teased.
"Do I look like a bunny?" she asked with a giggle.
"You're all cuddly and cute like one. Love to watch your nose twitch when you talk,” he replied, as he leaned in and kissed said nose.
"Oh! My nose twitches,” she mocked as she tired to jump off the bed. "I gotta see this."
"Trust me, my nose twitching bunny." He laughed as he pulled her back down beside him. "No getting out of bed until they announce our color, remember the rules."
"My bad, forgot first rule, no off the bed until they call our color. Snuggle the most important ship event this morning." She playfully sighed as she wiggled back in to position against his chest.
"I can't believe you forgot the major rule you made."
"I'm blonde"
"Not by nature, Kitten."
"Oops, forgot you'd know that minor detail." She blushed, as she laughed.
"Well, don't forget you know the same about me now," he added as he chuckled. "Summers, would you move to L.A. if you were asked to?"
"I think I could be persuaded if the right guy offered to be my friend there, so I wouldn't be lonely."
"Buffy, will you think about moving in with me? I don't think I could spend another night alone without you." He turned so he could look her in the eyes.
"But my house, my job…you're asking a lot so quickly." She so wanted to be like Willow and just jump, but she'd been on her own for so long.
"The house we could keep, it will be our home when I'm not working. You can find a job closer to where we'd live. We can make it work, I know we can."
Buffy reached up and gently cupped his face, seeing the insecurity and anxiety in his expression, "We will work it all out, honey. I'm just having issues right now of giving up so much control of my life. I've been on my own for so long, I just need some time to adjust to having someone else to consider. Plus, I don't want to rely on you to pay my bills."
Spike relaxed as he realized what she was saying was true. "Sorry, baby, I'm a bad rude man."
"No, William, you are a man with a beautiful soul and a loving heart. The fact you risk so much of your heart to be with me only makes me love you even more,” she said before kissing him with everything she had to give. They both choose to forget the rule of no sex, as they made love for the last time while on board.
******
The Giles' family was the first of their group to leave the ship, soon followed by Wesley and Willow. It was Jenny who first noticed Harmony standing off to the side and tugged on her husband's shirtsleeve. His look of anger that flashed across his face made her fear for the girl.
Rupert kissed his wife's cheek before he approached Wesley and pulled him aside. "Excuse me Willow, I need to speak with Wesley for a moment."
Harmony's eyes followed the redhead that accompanied Wesley with a sense of dread. She noticed the familiarity the couple shared, and it shocked her. She was sure that Mr. Pryce was gay, and secretly in love with her Spike. Making her think again, just where was her blondie bear.
Lost in her thoughts she didn't see the hateful glares directed at her by Spike's co-workers.
Darla and Colin joined the group who'd noticed the appearance of Miss Kendall as well.
"Oh shit,” Darla whispered. “I think I will handle this one."
"Are you sure?" Wesley asked. “I wouldn't mind giving her a moment of my time."
"I know." She rolled her eyes, giving him a knowing look. "That's why I'm going over to talk to her and get her the hell out of here before Spike and Buffy join us."
"I think that would be best, my love,” Colin agreed. "The last thing any of us need is her acting out here."
Willow looked at Wesley with a questionable look, "Wes, who is she?"
"She's Spike's ex, thankfully ex,” he said harshly before he realized he had.
"You don't like her, do you?" she asked.
"No, I think she is a user and is only here to cause trouble."
"Oh, and Buffy, she's going to make trouble for her and Spike."
"Not if I can help it." Wesley promised. “If Darla can't handle her, I know I can."
"Oh." Willow sighed, feeling the anger coming from her fiancé and it scared her.
"I'm sorry, my love. I guess you're seeing my overly protective side,” Wesley said as he pulled her close. "She has only given him grief, and I won't stand by and let her do anything to hurt him. He's family, he's the brother I should've had."
"I understand, I feel the same about Buffy,” Willow replied. “So if she leaves do we say anything?"
"Not until we get home."
"Okay, can do that. If you have to deal with her, can I come and give her my resolve face. It might scare her to leave and not come back,” Willow offered, loving it when he chuckled and answered, "Yes, I would love for you to be my back up."
"Good, together we'll make her run for the hills…are there any hills in Florida?"
"I'm not sure, but I do know there are some further north, say in Tennessee."
"That would be good, she’d be too tired to come back."
"Willow, you, my dear, can make a gray day feel like it's the sunniest of all." He sighed as he kissed the top of her head. "I'm the luckiest bloke on the planet to have found you."
"Bloke?"
"Guy."
"Okay," she said as she snuggled closer as they waited who would arrive first, Darla, or Spike and Buffy.
*******
Darla nodded as she walked over to talk to young woman and made sure she was aware of a few things. She really liked Buffy with Spike and after what she'd done, she owed it to them to try and avoid a face to face with Harm.
"Hi, Darla. Did you miss me?" Harmony greeted the woman she thought of as her friend.
"Hello Harm. Can we go somewhere and talk, there's something you should know,” she said deciding a direct approach would be needed.
"No, I'm waiting to see Spike. I thought we might spend some time here before going back to California."
"Harm, we need to talk and we need to now. So please don't make a scene and come with me,” Darla said as she firmly took the girl's arm and led her away.
"But, Spike."
"It's about Spike and you, so just come with me or it will be Wesley or Giles coming to talk to you and it won't be pretty. I don't know what you did to piss them off, Harm, but right now you don't want to find out,” she informed her as she dragged her out of building.
*******
"I could buy some manly boxers or briefs if you like,” he teased as they gathered their belongings, since their color was just announced.
"Nope, no manly wear needed right now. I got this,” she replied as she waved their ring in his face. "I wear it openly and proudly."
"I could wear your pretty panties if you'd like."
"No, you just keep them in your pocket, no out to play time for them either, Mr. Perv."
"Your Mr. Perv."
"Yep, all mine. Pervy and all." She giggled.
"I'm going to miss you." He sounded serious as he took her hand in his.
"It's only a couple of hours and then it's all us and time together."
"Will you love me after tomorrow
Will our love continue to grow
For I love you oh so deeply
You are the color in my world."
"Oh, pretty poem, who wrote it?" she asked, feeling her heart flutter.
"I just did."
"Then write it down and I want more." She leaned in to kiss his lips. "We will love come tomorrow and it will grow for in my heart I love you so."
His smile grew in to a look of awe as he quickly kissed her lips and moved to the desk. Grabbing a pen and paper, he wrote the words they just said to each other. Then he folded it up and put it in his back pocket thinking to himself, ‘They'd make beautiful wedding vows.’
"Got it all copied down my handsome poet?" she asked, enjoying the look of happiness her words brought to face.
"You’re pretty good yourself."
"I was inspired by greatness and true love." She gently stoked his cheek. "Something tells me you have a gift with words and should pursue it."
"Buffy, you will never know how much that moves me. I think I just fell in love with you all over again." He sighed. “Please never leave me, I think you have the power to kill me if you did."
She could tell yet again he was giving her his heart and soul, taking the jump she thought she was too afraid to take. Pulling him down she kissed him and decided she was ready.
As they pulled apart she whispered, "I will move in with you William. Maybe Wednesday we can see about me looking for a job."
Spike swept her up in his arms. "I promise you Buffy, you won't regret it."
"I know, the regret would've been not moving in," she replied as they used a few more minutes to absorb what just happened, before gathering their things to join their friends.
*******
"So what is it you need to tell me?" Harmony asked.
"No need to beat around the bush, but Spike met someone on the cruise and it's pretty serious,” Darla informed her. "They are coming off the ship together."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me, he's found someone, and I like her. She fits him and he fits her. I just didn't want you got get hurt by seeing it,” Darla explained.
"I'm pregnant!" Harm said out of the blue.
"You're what?" Darla asked, feeling her head spin. "Is it his?"
"How could you ask that? I thought you were my friend."
"Harm, I've heard rumors, never thought too much about it, but it’s enough for me to ask if the baby is Spike's," Darla said, noticing a twitch from the other blonde, it made her realize, her comment hit a nerve.
"It's…"
"Harm, if you can't lie to me, how will you be able lie to him,” Darla snarled as she stood with her arms across her chest. "I like Spike a lot, Harmony Kendall, and I will not let you trap him with another man's bastard, is that clear."
Harmony could feel all her dreams start to crumble. Tears formed, not of sadness of being the user she was, but the fact she just got caught. She knew that Darla would make sure she told Spike what she suspected to be true and that there'd now be a paternity test done. Something like that would prove him not being the father of her child.
"Harmony, go home and think about what you need to do. I won't let you come between Spike and Buffy with this lie of yours. I truly believe this baby is not Spike's."
"Why?"
"God wouldn't punish him so." Darla snorted as she turned to leave with one last parting shot, "Don't come back in here Harmony or I will sic Wesley or Giles on your ass. Go home and figure out who your baby's daddy is and go after him for the money."
Darla calmed herself before reaching the others. She'd keep the pregnancy thing out of the picture unless Harmony forced her hand. Standing up for Spike just now gave her a new found confidence that she can stand on her own if needed. No one would ever over power her again.
"Ready my dear?" Colin asked, as his wife joined them. He noticed her look of accomplishment, and it warmed him she was getting back to being the strong woman she was before he left her.
"Yes, and don't worry about Harmony. I don't think she’ll be making another appearance and Spike needs not know she was even here,” Darla responded as she gave Wes and Rupert a knowing wink.
"I still wish I could've had a few words with her," Wesley mumbled as he patted his carryon that held the tape of her and Angel.
*******
Harmony walked to the cabstand and hailed a cab. She was sure she'd still be able to make this pregnancy profitable. Everyone loved a good ‘who's the daddy’ in the tabloids. This wasn't over by a long shot…she'd have her day. She would just have to wait and have a talk with Angel. He'd know what to do.
*******
Spike noticed the others waiting for them as he and Buffy walked in the departure area. Everyone was now present and accounted for except Angel.
"Leave it to the mighty Peaches, to be late,” he mumbled.
"Who?" Buffy asked.
"Angel! The prat has to make the grand entrance, the mighty poof." Spike snorted, as he led her closer to the rest of the cast.
"Great, now everyone is here and we can get on the road." Lorne smiled.
"Where's O'Conner?" Spike asked.
"Changed his flight plans,” Lindsey informed him, as he took Cordy's hand and started to walk out to where their shuttle was waiting.
"Oh, we made room for your girlfriends." Cordy said as she looked back to give Spike a wink. "So Buffy, your luggage is piled in with the others. Willow picked them out, but make sure we didn't forget anything."
Spike blew her a kiss and shouted, "I knew there was a reason I liked you."
"Yeah, yeah,” Cordy replied as she turned to Lindsey and say, "I kind of like you best, fella."
"Feelin' mutual darlin'" Lindsey replied, with a grin.
"So did we miss anything?" Spike asked and wondered why everyone looked at each other and said, no at the same time. "Well, fine, see we didn't miss a thing." He looked at Buffy with a confused expression.
Both missed the looks the others passed amongst themselves. Xander and Anya also were confused, since no one informed them of Harmony's visit. The others felt the less who knew the better.
Darla just hoped she was doing the right thing about not telling Spike about Harmony's claim of being pregnant. She was sure if it were true the blonde would've marched in and not cared if he was with someone else. The look on her face said it all. It was all lies that came out of her mouth. She even started to wonder if Harm was even with child.
"Well, people, let's get a move on here. We've got some planes to catch,” Lorne addressed the cast as everyone made their way to the shuttle buses that would take them to the airport.
*******
Malcom Hunter, the second in command pounded on the door, "Mr. O'Conner, if you are in the room please open the door."
He looked over at the captain as he pulled out the master key and opened the door. They walked in and noticed the semi packed luggage. The also noticed the open liqueur bottles scattered about the room. The bed was still made, not looking like it had been slept on. Both men became worried, and knew their day just went from good to worst.
"I will start a full search of the ship."
"Mr. Hunter, I think that will be a wonderful idea,” Captain Picard said. "I will notify the port authority of the problem. Please stop all departures, and give me a list of those who have already left the ship. I know the officers will want them."
"Yes sir!" Malcom said as he walked out to use the steward's phone to stop the rest of the guests from disembarking.
The captain knew this was going to be something he notified the main office about right away as he turned and left to go to his office. His gut was telling him they would not be leaving port today.
"Do not let anyone enter this cabin unless it's by my order." Picard instructed the steward.
"Yes sir."
*******
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Author's Chapter Notes:
LOL, no more posting for me after a long tiring night at work......Takes for all the reviews that where sent on 36 that was really for 37....LOL