AN: so here's another chapter for you all, i hope you like it!!! please review, because i love to hear your opinions on the story...any way, on with the story...remember i am happy to receive PM about my story and any questions and suggestions you may have...ENJOY!!!
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Disclaimer: Joss owns all things Buffy and Angel...
Normal is Never an Option
Chapter Two
Having Second Thoughts
And The Pickle Problem?
Previously...
But what he didn't realise was that by the time he had finished his sentence, he had stopped fighting. It took a moment to sink in, but when it did, it was incredible. They were all dead. The Circle of The Black Thorn were all dead. Around him lay hundreds of demon corpses. They'd won, or at least for now.
"We bloody did it" Spike shouted happily, "Bloody good plan of yours"
"Thanks" Angel smiled brightly.
But then his smile faded and he simply looked confused. This was followed by the heavy rain stopping and the clouds above parted. A heavenly white beam flowed down and highlighted him like a spot light. Spike took a step back, not sure what to make of this, as he did so, he noticed Cordelia now by his side.
"Oh my god" she gasped. "But i thought..."
Then the light was gone. Angel fell to his knees and began to breath deeply. And yes he really was breathing.
"The Shanshu" he panted "I got my Shanshu" he slowly staggered up and smiled, his hand over his beating heart.
"Looks like your a real boy after all" Spike commented. But Angel was lost for words. "Any way, I'd love to hang around and all...but i made a promise to a lady...so, good luck with the human thing" and with that Spike smiled at Cordelia and nodded at Angel.
Spike had a family to get back to...
Three Days Later...
She wasn't happy. She wasn't happy at all. She pulled every contents of the cupboards out and still they weren't there. She searched every inch of the fridge and she couldn't find them. She wasn't utterly sure when it had happened, but it sure wasn't normal. She needed help. She needed him.
"SPIKE!"
The bleach blonde ran around the corner. The normally highly polished kitchen, with it's shiny white surfaces and stainless silver appliances, were covered in food packets and utensils.
"Buffy, luv..." he paused for a moment, letting the full impact of the mess kick in "...what the bloody hell happened in here?"
She gazed around guiltily.
"I cant find the pickles" she mumbled.
"Pickles?" he raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know what's wrong with me. I hate pickles, but lately, i really want them..." she began to rummage around again. Knives, forks and food flying in all directions.
Spike moved from the door way and held her by the arms, stopping her from destroying the kitchen in the guest house Giles had given them.
"Luv...stop. The apocalypse was less messy than this."
"Sorry" she hung her head and he released her arms.
There was a steady knock from the front door. Buffy sighed and walked past Spike. She opened the front door and the British sun poured into the hall. She smiled at her guests.
"Angel, Cordelia...come in. The kitchens a mess. We had a pickle problem" the pair looked at her oddly "...it's a pregnant thing" she sighed.
After the big fight in LA and Angel got his Shanshu, Cordelia, Angel, Wesley and even Illyria realised there was nothing left for them there. They had rung the Watchers Council and Giles had offered them all a room in the Manor in Kent. Spike had got there the day before along with Willow and the slayers and now all were settling down to their new lives. Spike and Buffy had the guest house and the others stayed in rooms around the manor.
"So, Angel, hows the human thing working out for you?" Buffy asked handing him a cup of tea.
"It's great" he said, just a bit too enthusiastically.
"I detect a bit of sarcasm there mate" Spike said, smirking "The whole Shanshu bugger-boo not as great as you thought"
"Well you know, turns out exercise is more hard work, what with the actual need to breathe...and i freckle in the sun" he added embarrassed.
"It really doesn't suit him" Cordelia added shaking her head.
"Cant you...i don't know...give it back?" Buffy asked sitting on the bar stool after tiding some bits and pieces up.
"Don't really think that's an option" Angel sighed.
"Oh i know" Cordelia said excited, "Why doesn't Spike kill you"
"What?!" Angel asked.
"I like this bird...so this is what I'm thinking...maybe begin with some torture, you know, get in the mood and such..." Spike began.
"Spike, there will be no torturing or killing Angel" Buffy said sternly. Spike pouted and Buffy rolled her eyes. "Cordy, please tell me you meant something else"
"Well, Angel's having second thoughts about being human and maybe Spike could vamp him"
"I am not biting him" Spike said sternly.
"And what about my soul" Angel pointed out.
"OK, so it wasn't the best idea" Cordy said defensively.
"We'll get Giles and the others on research, maybe there's a way to reverse the prophecy...if that's what you really want?" Buffy asked.
Angel sighed and put his head in his hands. "It's just i like the things that come with being human...you know being able to go out in the sun, taste human food, have a family" he quickly glanced between Spike and Buffy and then to Cordelia who looked away sadly.
Though Cordelia understood that Angel wanted to be a vampire again, she couldn't deny she would like to have a normal family.
"But it really hit me last night just how normal i am. The slayers went out to fight some vampires, and i couldn't even help with that. For years i helped the innocents, but now..."
"You are an innocent." Buffy finished for him.
"Gonna take some time to get used to" Spike assured him. Although he didn't know why, but he sort of felt sorry for his grand sire. He wouldn't want to be human because it would take away a part of who he was and he knew better than Buffy and Cordelia what Angel must be feeling.
The ex-vampire was having serious second thoughts, but maybe it was too late and the reward would become a punishment. Angel's the hero, not the victim. And the sort of world he lived in made him one or the other, he never realised how much of a change getting the Shanshu would be, but now he felt useless. He knew what was in the world and he had fought for years to save it from harm and now he was helpless and what stung the most was, he should have known. You can take the man out of the vampire, but you cant take the vampire out of the man.
"Me and Cordy have gotta go...good luck with the pickle thing" and with that he and his girlfriend waved good bye and they headed out into the rare British sunshine.
The kitchen fell quiet for a few seconds, before Buffy started squirming uncomfortably on her seat.
"Ow" she said bluntly.
"What luv?" Spike asked blankly, revealing a jar of pickles from the back of a cupboard. He shook his head and placed them on the counter.
"Ooh pickles, yum" she said, popping the jar open and going to take one. But she stopped again and placed her hand on her stomach. "Ow" she repeated in the same tone.
Spike noticed her hand on her stomach and stood beside her. "Is something wrong, luv?" he asked, obvious concern.
Except she took him by surprise and she smiled brightly, taking his hand and placing it under hers. He raised an eyebrow, as his rested on the slight bump that had already appeared. But then his icy blue eyes widened.
"Weird isn't it?" she asked him, taking a bite from a pickle.
"I'd say bloody amazing luv," the babies seemed to be moving and kicking.
"I spoke to Giles yesterday..." she informed Spike, "He said that they might develop quicker than most babies, making the pregnancy a bit shorter. I think he said it's because we have such strong blood or something..."
"Well, that's a good thing" he said, sitting beside her drinking his chocolate with little marshmallows.
"Whys that?" Buffy asked, pulling a second pickle from the jar.
"Means we get to meet them a bit sooner, dunnit luv" he said.
"Meet them?" she echoed, smiling. "You really have become a big softie."
"I bloody have not" he objected.
"I mean it's cute really" she teased.
"You wouldn't have called me cute when i was slicin' and dicin' demon chunks in LA" he told her.
"Yeah, but you only did it to get back to your little family...you family man, you" she smiled cheekily.
"That's it" he growled.
"What you gonna do?" she asked playfully. "You big cute softie"
He growled before smirking. Well that was never a good sign. Buffy eyed him suspiciously. He only ever smirked when he was up to something. She followed his gaze to the counter. The pickles.
Before she could blink he had them in his hands.
"Now, take it back" he said.
"Spike, leave the pickles out of this" she said sternly.
"Or what?..." he grinned cheekily "...Shorty"
"Oh no. You did not just call me short" she folded her arms.
"Two can play this game luv" he remarked, placing the jar on top of the large fridge.
The rest of the afternoon was spent exchanging harmless insults. In the end Buffy did get her pickles, but only because Spike made her confess that he was not cute and cuddly, but indeed a bad ass.
Meanwhile...
In the Watchers Manor was a room. Upon it's door lay a plaque reading, Mr. R. Giles. The large heavy oak door allowed no sound to pass through it, it was designed to keep the rooms secrets. So this is where things were to be discussed if something big was happening.
Giles had made it a miniature library, there were books stacked from floor to ceiling. In the middle of the room was his highly polished desk and either side of it were two chairs. One of which Giles now found himself in and in the other, Faith.
"Faith, i thought you were training tonight" he said, cleaning his glasses.
"So did i G, but turns out i got something i need to tell you" she replied gloomily, putting her hands behind her head.
"Good lord, is everything OK?"
"Yeah at the moment. I took the new girls out last night. You know, show around the area, never thought we'd run into anything. I mean look around us, it's just fields" she explained.
"Yes, it is tranquil" he smiled.
"No" she leant forward and leaned against the desk, "It was tranquil" she corrected him.
"What do you mean?" he too leant forward, so they were practically nose to nose.
She lowered her voice.
"We dusted ten maybe twenty vamps last night, man. It was hectic, like Sunnydale hectic"
"Good lord"
"I hate to say it G, but i think there's a new Hellmouth, and i think we're sitting on it"
To Be Continued...
AN: OK, so this was so hard to write...i wanted fluff, with drama and a bit of action, i hope you liked it...if you have any questions then please PM me! I have so much in store for this story, but it is going to be really hard to write, so if you like this, i would really appreciate positive reviews to help me write :) Also, as you know Buffy is pregnant, but i don't know a lot about the subject, so if there's any thing i should know about it then let me know because that would help me write...any way thanks for reading another chapter, i love you guys!
Please Review!
thanks x
