"Spike are you going to come?"
"Fine but before we go let me tell you they may not know that I am alive. Andrew might have told them but I'm not sure," Spike said.
"I'm going to take Emmi to my room so she can get cleaned up." Angel pressed a button on his desk and waked me over to another elevator. It opened right into what I would say was a small apartment.
"The shower is on the right. I'll have some clothes brought up to you. In the meantime I'm going to calm Spike down."
"Thanks." I murmured. He left me alone. In the full mirror against the near wall I looked at my changed profile. Nothing was ever going to be the same. I looked as big as a house. I couldn't believe that I was pregnant. It's not like I even had a say in what was happening to me. She had changed me without consulting me. Now I would have to protect and raise two kids who I didn't even know if they were human. The hot water felt so good on my sore body. I hadn't been able to take a shower like this in a very long time. When I was finished there was a set of clothes lying on the bed. I dressed in the cute outfit. There was a black peasant top that flowed neatly over my stomach. Then there were really low jeans so they would close beneath my belly. I brushed my hair, which dried leaving my natural curls in. I went down stairs feeling like I had when the potentials at Buffy's had given me a makeover. Angel was turned away from me talking to Spike when I came down. Spike smiled and pointed at me. I watched Angel slowly turn and a smile expanded across his face.
"Hey, How are you feeling?"
"Better. Thank you."
"Great I'll be right back. Meet you by the car," Angel said.
"Guess that means I get to pick which one we take," Spike said. I followed him feeling content. He picked out the SUV so that I would be comfortable. I sat in the passenger seat and Spike was behind me. We watched as Angel joined us a few minutes later. He was carrying something dark over his arm. When he slid into the driver's seat he handed me the item.
"It's a cloak. You can hide your new condition under it until we see Willow that way everyone won't be asking questions."
"Thanks." We drove in an awkward science. I kept thinking of things I wanted to ask one or the other but not both at the same time. Then along the way I fell asleep.
I was gently shaken awake when we arrived. We had pulled in front of a new house in a town I did not recognize. They had taken up residence here after the last hell mouth had exploded. I put on the cloak preparing for the un-welcome I knew was coming. Angel boldly walked up to the door ringing the doorbell while both Spike and I were fear full of what was to come. Dawn opened the door.
"Oh my god. Emmi where have you been? Angel and holy crap Spike you're alive?" she shrieked.
"Can we come in?" Angel said.
"Geez I don't know. Let me get Buffy." She bounced off before we had a chance to argue whom she was getting. This was not going to be a happy reunion. Buffy came to the door with a grim look on her face. She marched right up to me and punched me hard. I fell backwards landing in a sprawl on the pavement. My cloak had blown open in the action. Both Angel and Spike rushed to my side while she began spouting off at the mouth.
"Traitor! You have no right to come here. And as for you boy's Angel I thought we agreed no seeing each other again. And Spike I thought you were dead." Then she saw my stomach. "What is going on?"
"You need to get Willow she is who we came to see. Then things will be explained." Angel said. He turned to me.
"Are you all right?"
"I think so." I touched my cheek tentatively. I was bleeding. Angel pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and gently placed it against my cheek. I held it in place while Angel helped me up. My ankle gave out beneath me and Angel had to put his arm around me.
"Any other injuries?" Angel asked.
"No, I don't think so. Just the cheek and ankle," I replied.
"And the babies?" I smiled it had been a long time since anyone had cared enough about my well being.
"They are fine." As we walked back up to the front door Willow appeared there, waiting for us.
"Come on in," she said. As she led us into the living room she kept talking. "Sorry about Buffy we never really knew what happened at the battle and when we found Vi's body and the axe had been left there we assumed the worst. Then when you hooked up with all those demons we thought you snapped like Faith."
"Then why choose me if you thought I had snapped?"
"Xander started telling me about you." We sat down on the couches.
"She needs some ice for her ankle and a bandage of some sort for her face," Spike said. Willow nodded and got it for us. When she came back Spike put my leg into his lap and held the ice in place.
"I assume you haven't told the others," I said.
"No, not even Kennedy."
"Please explain all of this to us," I said.
"Yeah and who is the father?" Spike said.
"I'm not sure. I had no idea that you were alive Spike, so the spell was done with a vampire with a soul in mind. It all depends."
"Depends on what?" Angel asked.
"Who the spell chose."
"Start at the beginning and tell us everything," I said.
"I'd be glad to but I think everyone should be told this," Willow said.
"Fine get them," I said. She left us and was gone for a long time. I was trying to hold back the tears. What was I going to do? I wish I even knew who I wanted to be the father. Both of them were being so kind to me. I just wanted it all over with.
Willow came back later with a group of people entering after her. Xander gave me a smile as he walked through the doorway. Kennedy took her place next to Willow; glaring at me the whole time. Giles came in and promptly began cleaning his glasses. Lastly Buffy came in, she just looked plain mad.
"Before Willow explains why she brought us all in here I think Emmi owes us an explanation," Kennedy said voicing what I knew was on everyone's mind.
"You are right. Let me start at the beginning. When we first entered that room and there were so many of them against us. I was so afraid. I tried to act as if I wasn't because Vi was standing next to me shaking like a leaf. At first fighting, for me was clumsy and I was amazed that I could even avoid being hit. Then the spell hit us and I began seeing the battle in a different light. I felt like I had been fighting my whole life. I was making kill after kill each of them easy. My blade went through them like butter and I felt significant. Then I sensed something behind me. I spun around whipping my blade as I went and Vi was dead before her body hit the floor. I fled fearing what you all might do to me. I felt tarnished like someone had but a black spot on my record. I hated myself, I still do. I didn't think I deserved to be in society so I hid. When the demon found me he could tell that I was in a state that could be easily swayed. He messed with my mind convincing me that helping him would be the only way to survive." My eyes filled with tears and Angel spoke up.
"Now, are you happy? Leave her alone she has been through enough." Willow took over and starting saying all the things I already knew.
"I have gathered you here to explain what has happened to Emmi. When we were doing the research to try and stop The First I found a spell. At the time it wouldn't have been helpful. But now we can stop future attacks. The spell talks about taking an evil changed to good and a good changed to evil who become parents. This child will be able to destroy The First after it's 13th birthday. I chose what I thought would have been Angel, but at the time I didn't know that Spike was alive. So I was vague and said a vampire with a soul. I chose Emi because she was a good changed."
"So in all reality you know as much as we do," Spike said.
"I suppose," she replied.
"You don't know everything. First of all I am caring twins. One boy and one girl. I believe that one of them will take over after The First is gone. Then other will be the embodiment of good. Then if one is good and the other evil they will be battling against each other their whole lives. This dooms me to raise a child that is pre-determined to become evil. Also I have vampire skills. They started after I was hit by this spell. Will they go away after the babies are born or will I stay this way? Is that what the spell means when it says be cautious of the mother turned she will be neither one nor the other?"
"Perhaps it is I am not sure. I can get on it as soon as we are done here," Willow said.
"Don't worry about it. I have people at Wolfram and Hart on it," Angel said.
"Twins?" Giles said astounded.
"Yes, Angel's company did an ultrasound on me just before we left."
"What exactly did the spell say at that part?" he asked.
"To stop the first, born a child from each, the good and evil turned. On the thirteenth year evil, will reign no more. Evil will only touch, those whom evil, was intended for, by means of the weaker one."
"I do believe that you are right Emmi. It does sound like the spell meant for two. One to rule for good and the other for evil," Giles said.
"How did you come back Spike?" Buffy asked quietly.
"That medallion I wore during the fight was sent to Angel. When they opened it, boom there I was," Spike answered.
"Do you know who sent it?" Giles asked.
"This dude named Lindsey he sent it in hopes to cause this big rift between Angel and Me because they say that only one of us can do the heroic thing and save the world yadda yadda yadda."
"So you just thought that it sounded like a good idea to destroy The First so you just did it." I said to Willow.
"Yes."
"You never thought about all of the repercussions of this and what it can cause. You have changed my life forever."
"She was trying to do a good thing. Leave her alone," Kennedy said. I wanted to get up and leave but my ankle wouldn't allow it. I turned to Spike.
"Make them leave, please," I begged. Spike moved my foot off of him and stood up.
"All right everyone out, give us a minute." He waved his arms like he was shooing flies. They left, a few of them begrudgingly. Angel watched me with worry filled eyes.
"Could we go back? Do we even need to be here?" I said once Spike had resumed his place.
"Yeah, we can go back," Angel said.
"What about the father thing?" I asked.
"I'll be here for you regardless if I am the father or not," Spike said.
"As will I," Angel said.
"I think maybe I have a way to tell which one of you it is."
"Really how?" Spike asked.
"I think Willow could do a spell to figure it out."
"Ok," Angel said. Spike was jumping at the bit to be the first to find out. I smiled at his eagerness. He ran off to get Willow. She came back saying a few words and had some weird incense burning. All they had to do was touch my stomach it would glow for the true father.
"Spike why don't you?" He put his hand ever so gently on my stomach. His face fell from the happy smile when nothing happened.
"Angel, you try," Spike said watching intently. Angel leaned over and placed his hand on my stomach. The warmth seeped into my skin and I wanted to make him stay there. Then a flash of light went out emitting from the point where Angel was touching me. By the time I looked up Spike was gone. I called after him unsure where he had gone, to no use. Angel's face was full of pure shock. I tried to get up gently applying weight to my ankle. It seemed to hold so I kept going.
"Where are you going?" Angel asked.
"After him," I replied. I went out the still open front door.
"Spike," I called into the empty night. As I passed the house I could see Angel watching me from the window. "Stay!" I mouthed to him. I thought if Angel came Spike would just get more upset. I knew I would only be able to walk so far before the pain became too much. I came to a crossway and spotted a cemetery in the distance. It was only a couple of blocks away. I knew it would be my best bet to find him. I wandered around thinking about the irony in the situation. I a half vampire now had never crawled out of the earth. It made the cemetery less like a home as it was for so many of my kind but more of a comfort that I had not become that yet.
I found Spike hidden in an alcove of a mausoleum. It was his hair that allowed me to see him. He waved me off dropping a cigarette butt into the dirt.
"Spike please. I walked all the way here on a gimp foot. Least you could do would be to talk to me."
"You shouldn't have followed. You'll just injure it further," he said.
"I couldn't just leave you."
"You have Daddy why do you need me?"
"Because you can relate to me in ways he can't." He stopped walking away from me at this point. I leaned against a headstone and faced him.
"How is that?"
"You have fought for her love like I am going to have to fight for his."
"You care about him don't you?"
"How could I not?" I smiled.
"How is that the Powers That Be give him everything? He had the girl, now you. He already has a son. They couldn't give me something?"
"I'm sorry. I wish I could change it for you but I can't."
"What will you do?"
"Next? I'm not sure. I feel like I have placed a burden on him. Something he doesn't want. If I go on I don't know what is going to happen."
"If he ever gets too much for you or if you need anything just ask. His dark and brooding-ness can be a handful."
"Thanks, it's strange to have someone on my side. I have been running for so long."
"I know the feeling, love."
"Do you still love her?"
"Yes."
"Then go to her. She cares about you. It was in her eyes." He gave me a grim smile.
"I think I will. Come back with me."
"Tell them I will be back soon. I need a moment to think."
"What if Angel asks about you?"
"Tell him what you please." I watched as Spike walked away from me. He turned back once then he kept walking. I wandered deeper into the cemetery. There were so many things I had no control over yet they were happening to me all the same. I hoped Willow felt bad. I hope that she realized what she had done. It's not like she could say oops and reverse the whole thing. In my heart I had wanted Angel to be the father. I knew that now. But having Spike as the father wouldn't have been bad either. I wasn't exactly sure why but I felt like he and I had something in common. Yet after seeing Angel give Buffy that look I didn't want to go back there and see it again.
I found a small mausoleum that caught my interest. The name over the mausoleum was LeBaughn. I broke the chain over the door with the newfound strength I had been given. The door gave away with a small shove. I waited for a moment for my eyes to adjust to the light. I couldn't imagine what it might have been like to dig myself out of one of these. Inside were the graves of various family members. I sat on the bench at the opposite end from the door and gazed out the stained glass window. In that moment I wondered if I would ever again get to see the light stream through it. Behind me I could hear someone's soft footfalls. With my new senses I could tell it was Angel that was standing behind me.
"Hello Angel," I said calmly without turning to see him.
"Emmi, you all right?"
"Yes, just needed some time to think." He sat beside me on the bench. The silence spread between us.
"What was it like to rise from the dead?" I asked blatantly.
"Frightening," He said softly.
"What am I Angel? I have a heart beat, a reflection and I could obviously be killed easily."
"Emmi come on. Let's go back. You don't need to dwell on that," he said it like he was speaking to a child.
"I know I shouldn't but I can't help it." He stood up beside me.
"Come home," he said holding out his hand for me.
"Home?"
"LA. We will figure all of this out together."
