Title: Midnight Sun
Author: MSKBSwedish
Rating: Mature
Summery: Set after season 6 episode "Smashed" - After Buffy and Spike have sex in the abandoned building. Buffy thinks the reason she slept with Spike was because of something mystical. What if the slayer is right? There is a prophecy that she is destined to fulfill - with the help of the blond vampire. Set as M for heavy adult themes at times.
Note: I own nothing of the Buffyverse.

Chapter Ten – Counting Bodies Like Sheep

It took hours before the blond finally fell asleep from exhaustion. She had cried herself to sleep in her vampire lover's arms. It was the first time that Spike had ever witnessed Buffy so distraught. He thought after losing Joyce, Buffy was oddly rather calm. Now her child that she bore merely hours ago was gone from their grasp. She had come so close to having the child against her skin and like sand, slipped right through without even a chance. They knew it was coming but did they like it? Not one single solitary bit.

Spike slowly slipped out from beneath the sleeping Buffy. He felt guilty the moment she let out a whimper as he stood. He couldn't just lay here. He wanted to be there for her. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to promise that he could fix everything and make it all better. Truth was, he didn't believe he could at all. They were doomed. The fate of their child was set and before sunrise, he had a feeling his child would take it's last breath.

He was going to fight this.

Kneeling down, Spike reached out, moving some of Buffy's tangled locks from her forehead. He took one good look at the slayer before placing a soft kiss upon her forehead while taking her hand in his. He pulled away and pressed his lips to her hand as she slept. "I told you that you wouldn't have to give our baby up didn't I, pet?" Spike felt his tears wetting his cheeks once again as he whispered to Buffy's sleeping form.

The vampire sniffled and took a deep breath. His voice was uneven and cracking as he spoke each word. "Well you're not going to have to. I'm going go get our baby." Spike said before planting one last kiss on Buffy's forehead and standing up.

He tucked his lover into bed so that she would stay warm, hoping it would deliver some comfort in her dreams. Spike didn't want to leave Buffy. In fact, he dreaded it. But he knew that if anyone could bring their baby home it was him. Buffy was in no shape physically or mentally to be out there searching for a way.

When Spike walked out of the bed room, he shut the door quietly behind him before proceeding to go downstairs. He pulled his duster over his shoulders before turning to the others in the living room.

"Where are you going?" Dawn asked from her seat on the couch next to Giles. Her cheeks were stained with streaks from her tears.

"I'm going to go find out a way to get my child back." He said simply while grabbing some of Buffy's weapons from her bag laying by the door.

Giles stood up and walked toward Spike. "There's nothing you can do, Spike. You know this." Giles sighed. "We are all upset by this but you have no idea what you're talking about." The watcher continued even while Spike didn't listen to his words, continuing to sift through the bag of weapons. "You are talking about going against the natural order of things. You are talking about suicide. The powers that be pay no mind to the thoughts and feelings of others. They only care about the balance. You-" Giles was suddenly cut off by the father.

Spike stood up quickly and pointed a stake at Giles. "You have no bloody right in hell to tell me what I can and can not do, watcher!" Spike shouted. It made Dawn jump. She hadn't seen Spike so angry in a long time. Spike swung the stake to point to the stares. "You go up there and explain to that poor woman up there that there is nothing that anyone can do. That no one can bring her baby back. If you do, it's a damn lie!" He bellowed out. "I'm going to fight. If not for the woman that lays in that bed in pain who I love more than any creature or being I have ever loved before in my human or my undead existence, than for the child that we mourn." With that Spike stormed out of the house.

Xander took a deep breath and ran out after Spike.

"Spike! Spike!" Xander called out but Spike didn't stop. "SPIKE!" Xander shouted causing the vampire to finally turn around. "Wait up!" Xander ran forward to catch up to him. Spike stopped and watched him run toward him.

Xander put his hand on the back of Spike's shoulder when he reached him and gave him a look of reassurance. It shocked Spike just a bit especially seeing that Xander wanted nothing to do with any of this from the beginning.

"Thanks, mate." Was all Spike said. He handed Xander a sword and gestured for Xander to follow.

Spike had an idea of what he could do to help the situation. It was going to be a fight but he was going to do what was in his power to not only break the curse of his family but to also bring his child home to it's waiting family.

Coming to the mountainous area, the sun was going to be coming up shortly. Spike could smell it. He and Xander had been searching for the opening to the cave for almost an hour and if they didn't go inside soon, Buffy wouldn't just be losing a child, but Spike as well. Spike was determined to see that it wouldn't happen like that.

They ran into the opening to the mountain once their eyes laid eyes on the cave entrance. There was an eerie silence within the cave that both Spike and Xander had noted to themselves. There were no bats chirping, no sounds of life. Not even a simple water droplet. Just... dead silent.

"Do you know what you're doing here?" Xander asked while following Spike still, once his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Thankfully Spike had brought a flashlight and flicked it on once inside the cave completely.

"I found this cave once when I had first come to Sunnydale." Spike began to speak. "Dru and I debated on making it a home of our own away from the living. Enough time to go to and from the city to feast and return home." He said honestly.

"What stopped you?" Xander swallowed past the lump in his throat, unsure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"I'm too bloody high maintenance." Spike had no emotion in his voice. It wasn't a lie but it was somewhat meant to be a joke. Spike could never live in a cave.

Xander relaxed, exhaling when he realized that it was a bit of a joke. He didn't laugh but he appreciated Spike's somewhat sense of humor.

"Plus... this..." Suddenly, they came to a large boulder that looked man made. "Give me your hand." Spike turned and put his hand out.

Xander stared at him for a moment. Spike scoffed at him and grabbed his wrist, pressing the palm of Xander's hand against the boulder.

Suddenly, like a blast of wind, there was a power that flowed through Xander. It made him gasp and jump. It was unlike anything he had ever felt before in his life. It hurt but at the same time, it felt kind of good.

"Wha-what is that?" Xander was dumbfounded.

"I'm not sure but I believe it's a portal." Spike's eyes drifted from the boulder to lock onto Xander's. "Push your hand hard against it. I'm going to do it with you. On the count of three." Spike explained. Xander nodded his head.

"1." The two said at the same time. "2." Spike put his hand up, inches from the boulder. "3!" Both men pushed the boulder until suddenly falling through the portal. Spike was right!

When they stumbled out of the other end of the portal, they weren't in Sunnydale anymore.

Xander looked around along with Spike. There was a house that looked like an ancient log cabin. Xander spotted a woman that resembled Willow walking toward the house.

"Spike." Xander said, nudging Spike. "Look. It's Willow." Xander pointed his finger out to the red head walking almost in a trance.

"Let's go. Be quiet. We don't have any bloody clue as to where we are or who is nearby." Spike explained.

Xander simply nodded and the two slowly stalked behind the red head that was already quite a few yards from them.

When they got closer to the cabin, they followed around the back of the cabin. A fire could be seen and beside the fire stood a woman. She had the look of death on her face. Her skin was so white, it was almost gray. Her hair was silver and long. She wore a dress that was black and looked very tattered, torn and dirty.

Xander and Spike stood behind a tree. They watched as Willow approached the woman. They could hear the cries of the infant in her arms. It was the first moment they were hearing the child.

Words were being spoken back and forth in the language that Xander didn't understand. He tried to hear and understand but it was no use.

"What are they saying?" Xander whispered over at Spike.

"The lass in black is greeting Willow." Spike waited to hear the next few words spoken. "She is asking about the bit." Spike said once more until more words were being spoken. "I don't know what that was." He said honestly. "Something about the fire."

Xander watched on, wishing he could understand so he could help further.

"Oh bloody hell, no." Spike suddenly said aloud once the next few words of Swedish were spoken. Xander quickly turned his head to look at the vampire beside him. "She's going to throw the kid in the fire." Spike had to think quick.

"What are we going to do?" Xander asked worriedly.

"No time to think. You focus on Willow and the baby. I'll focus on the hag." Spike said before walking out behind the tree and walking toward the woman.

"Ladies, ladies, ladies." Spike called out causing both women to wrench their heads to the side and glare at Spike walking toward them. "Willow. You did a very naughty thing back there, love." Spike knew it wasn't Willow's fault and that it was the soul that had taken over her body. He looked over at the hag and pointed the sword at her. "And you, ya old decrepit cow." He let out a devilish laugh. "You won't lay a hand on that, sprog. That's mine and I'll be leaving here with it pronto." Spike growled at the last instance.

The hag shouted at him in Swedish.

"Don't feed me bollocks, granny. Just let me leave with the kid and you can go about your business." Spike began slowly inching sideways toward Willow and the baby.

The raven haired lady began chanting in Swedish causing the fire to roar and the baby to cry a blood curling cry.

Suddenly, Xander came out of no where and wrapped his arms around Willow's body, dragging her further away from the fire. Willow struggled against him and cried out words in Swedish.

"Yeah, no. I can't understand this language, Will. You're still coming with me." Xander said as he struggled to pull her away even as the baby cried in fear. He knew that if he could just keep Willow and the baby out of Spike and the hag's reach, they stood a chance.

The raven haired hag began to charge at Spike. In turn he charged back at her, grabbing her by the throat and slamming her down against the ground. She cried out in pain. Spike hit her a few times with the hilt of the sword in his hand which only emitted more cries of pain from the hag but she didn't pass out like a normal human would have.

Somehow she slipped her hands up and grabbed Spike by his duster. Using her feet she kicked him, flipping him back onto his back and causing the sword to slip from his grasp.. Quickly she stood and went to make a run for Willow, Xander and the baby when Spike's hand caught her foot. She tried kicking him in the fact but Spike was too fast.

Swiftly, Spike pulled a dagger from his pocket and sliced the woman's Achilles tendon. The hag cried out in sheer pain and fell to her knees.

Meanwhile, Xander continued to fight with Willow. She continuously tried to go closer to the fire, needing to burn the baby.

"I must burn her soul!" Willow's voice was distorted. It sounded like Willow but evil. "Her soul must burn so Mistress may take her soul before the burial!" She cried out once more.

Xander took a deep breath and jumped in front of Willow. "Sorry, Will. You'll forgive me." With that he landed a punch into Willow's stomach and somehow managed to pull the baby from Willow's grasp. The baby wailed into the night as Xander made a run for the way they came.

"GET HIM!" The hag shouted at Willow in Swedish.

"I don't think so, bitch." Spike said before he grabbed for the sword. The hag took one look at Spike before the sword was swung around and sliced right through her throat. Her head fell from her lifeless body and rolled onto the ground.

Suddenly the eyes were open and glaring at Spike. Spike quickly grabbed the head and flung it into the fire before standing up and tossing the body in behind it.

The hag's cries could be heard, echoing through the trees.

"Spike?" Spike looked to see Willow on her knees. She was herself again. He rushed to her and helped her up.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry, Spike. I knew what was-" Willow tried to explain.

Spike shook his head. "Shh. I know, red." Spike turned his head as he and Willow concentrated their eyes on the fire which once burned bright orange and red had turned blue and purple.

Once the hag's cries stopped suddenly there were little ghostly souls of children running from the fire which was quickly dying out.

Spike felt a sense of relief. He knew what had happened. He had broken the curse by killing the hag and in turn released the souls of his dead family members.

Willow looked up at Spike. "The baby."

Spike nodded and the two turned to go back the way they came.

When they passed through the portal, they could hear the baby's cries.

Behind them, the portal turned to stone completely.

Once they emerged from the cave, Xander stood with the baby in his arms, trying to calm her. He looked up at Spike and Willow as they came from the cave.

"Give her to Spike." Willow demanded to Xander.

Xander walked over to the two of them and softly laid the baby into Spike's arms. "Here you go daddy." Xander couldn't help but smile.

Spike finally laid his eyes upon his daughter for the first moment. A daughter. His eyes wandered down to see indeed the baby was a girl.

"Your mummy is going to be so happy." Spike whispered before placing a kiss on the infant's forehead. She seemed to calm down in Spike's arms. "Let's take you home to your mum before the sun comes up and burns me to a crisp." Willow and Xander chuckled at Spike.

Willow leaned against Xander as they made their way back home with a surprise in store for those waiting at the house.

...TBC...