Four weeks had passed since the baby shower and Buffy and Spike put all the stuff they got in the nursery Spike made in his apartment. A few days after the shower, Spike had asked Buffy to move in with him. After discussing it with her mother and Faith—she discussed everything with her twin—she decided it would be easier to live with him, that way they wouldn't have to buy four of everything for the babies. Besides, she loved him and wanted to live with him. Joyce, though not the happiest about her now seventeen-year-old daughter—Buffy's birthday the month before—living with the guy that got her pregnant at sixteen, knew how much they loved each other and she knew that it would indeed be easier for them to be under the same roof with their children. Buffy had moved into Spike's apartment two weeks ago and, so far, was loving living with the love of her life; Spike was more than thrilled Buffy agreed to move in.
Buffy stood in the girls' room, looking at the almost finished product. The only thing they had left to do was put their names above their cribs in those little wooden letters like Spike wanted, but first they would have to choose their names. They had been thinking intently about it, but still hadn't made any final decisions.
"What are you doin, luv?" Spike asked as he came into the nursery.
"Thinking" Buffy said plainly, staring at one of the cribs. Spike came over to her, placing a hand on her back.
"About what?" he asked, rubbing her back soothingly. She looked at him and then down at her belly, placing her hands over it lovingly.
"About how we still don't have names for these two" Buffy told him, looking back at him with a sigh. "We really have to come up with them, Spike."
"I know, baby" he agreed. "Have you narrowed any down yet?"
"Kinda, narrowed my list down to three" Buffy said. "Haylee, Oliva and Averianna. What about you?"
"I think I've narrowed it down too" Spike told her. "Either Arianna or Amber."
"Okay, well, that's good. It'll be easier to pick from there" Buffy said, taking his hand and heading toward the living room. With Spike's help she sat down, putting up the foot rest to take pressure off her aching back; Spike sat next to her.
"Which one do you like best from your list?" Spike asked her.
"I think I like Averianna, call her Averi for short?" Buffy suggested and Spike smiled.
"I like that a lot, luv."
"What about your list?" Buffy asked.
"Well, I think either one would go with Averianna" Spike said. "But I think I like Arianna best."
"Averianna and Arianna; Averi and Ari. I think they go cute together" Buffy smiled back at him. He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips.
"So, we finally have their names then?" he checked with her and she nodded.
"Yep. They do need middle names though."
"Oh, balls" Spike groaned, he hadn't even thought of that.
"Well, I did have a thought on that" Buffy continued. "I wanted to give them Faith and Elizabeth as their middle names." Spike smiled sweetly at her.
"I think that's a great idea, pet" he told her. "But which middle name goes with which first name?"
"Well, Averianna's a longer name so I think that Faith should go with that one, and Elizabeth should go with Arianna. Y'know, balance them out a little" Buffy said and Spike nodded.
"Averianna Faith and Arianna Elizabeth, sounds just perfect." Buffy once again smiled at the father of her children, leaning over and snuggling into him as he put his arm around her.
"I just can't wait to see their little faces."
"Me either, luv" Spike told her, kissing her forehead.
The next day, Buffy was at her mother's house hanging out with her, Faith and Dawn. She hadn't seen her twin in a few days and missed her terribly, not being used to not seeing her every day.
"So, we decided on names for the girls" Buffy told her mother and sisters as Joyce handed her a glass of lemonade.
"Really? That's great, honey" Joyce told her, sitting down next to Buffy and Faith on the couch; Dawn was seated Indian style on the floor in front of them.
"What are they?" Dawn asked eagerly.
"Averianna Faith and Arianna Elizabeth" Buffy told them. Faith looked at her and smiled.
"Really? Wow, that's… I'm honored" Faith told her and Buffy smiled back.
"What do you think, Dawnie? We're calling Averianna Averi for short" she told her.
"Like my middle name" Dawn said happily. "That's cool. Are you spelling it the same as my middle name is spelled?"
"No" Buffy told her. "We're spelling Averianna, A-V-E-R-I-A-N-N-A and Averi is gonna be spelled A-V-E-R-I, not with a Y" Buffy told her.
"Still, I'm happy you're naming her that" Dawn said, getting off the floor and hugging her sister. "Thank you!" Buffy chuckled, patting her baby sister on the back. Dawn let her go and took her seat back on the floor and Buffy turned her attention to her mother.
"So, what do you think, mom?" Buffy asked.
"They're beautiful names" Joyce smiled, taking her daughter's hand. "And I think it's so sweet you're naming them after your sisters." She kissed Buffy on the forehead and then stood up, heading for the kitchen. "So, who's hungry? Lunch?"
"Definitely" Buffy said, standing up with the help of Faith and Dawn. "I'm starving, as always."
"Okay, come into the kitchen and I'll make my girls some sandwiches" Joyce told them and they followed her into the kitchen. As Buffy stepped into the kitchen, she stopped abruptly, causing Dawn to bump into her back.
"Hey, watch it, preggerz" Dawn joked.
"Dawn Avery Summers" Joyce scolded, then turned her attention to Buffy who was looking at her feet. The look on her daughter's face told her something was wrong. "Sweetheart, what's the matter?" Buffy looked up at her, a look of worry on her face.
"I think my water just broke" Buffy said, her voice a little shaky. Joyce looked down and noticed the puddle of fluid at her daughter's feet.
"Oh, my" Joyce said, going over to the blonde's side. "Okay, we need to get you to the hospital."
"The babies are coming?" Dawn asked excitedly. Buffy cringed in pain.
"Ah!"
"Yes, the babies are coming" Joyce told her youngest, taking Buffy's hand and helping her to the door. "Faith, grab the keys and my purse, please. We gotta go."
"Someone call Spike, please. I need him and he can't miss this" Buffy pleaded.
"On it" Faith said, grabbing Buffy's cellphone as they left the house. Joyce helped Buffy into the front seat of her minivan and everyone else piled in after. Joyce drove quickly, but carefully in the direction of the hospital. On the way, Faith dialed Spike's number.
"Hello?" she heard his voice on the other end after just two rings. Being that she called from Buffy's phone, Spike answered quickly like he always did.
"Spike, it's Faith" Faith said.
"Hey, pet, why are you calling from Buffy's—" he began to ask, but Faith didn't let him finish.
"B's in labor" she said quickly. "We're on our way to the hospital. Can you get all the stuff she and the babies are gonna need and meet us there asap?"
"Oh my god, is she okay?" Spike asked hurriedly.
"She's in a bit of pain, but she's okay" Faith said and Spike heard Buffy's cries on the other end.
"Oh, god! More than a little pain!" Buffy yelled to the back. "Tell him to hurry!"
"I'll be there as soon as I can, I'm leaving now. Tell Buffy it'll be okay and I'll be there shortly, and tell her I love her" Spike said in one breath and then hung up.
"He said he's leaving now and will be there soon and he loves you" Faith told her as Joyce pulled into the hospital parking lot. She dropped Faith and Buffy off at the door and then quickly went to park as Faith helped her sister into the emergency room.
"Woman in labor here!" Faith called as they made it up to the front desk.
"Full term?" the woman behind the desk asked.
"I'm… I'm 36 weeks—ah!" Buffy tried to say, but cried in pain as another contraction hit her.
"Okay, wheelchair, please" she called to another nurse behind the desk and the nurse brought a wheelchair over to Buffy and she sat down. "Wheel her to labor and delivery, she's in labor" the nurse told the other who nodded. Joyce and Dawn hurried into the emergency room as the nurse began to wheel Buffy away. Joyce, Faith and Dawn followed the nurse as she wheeled Buffy to the elevator and up to the labor and delivery floor. After letting the nurses up there know about her, they took over, taking Buffy into one of the empty rooms and getting her changed into a gown and helped her into bed.
"Where's Spike?" Buffy asked once she was settled in bed. As another contraction hit her, she began to cry, feeling scared and emotional.
"It's okay, baby" Joyce told her daughter, giving Buffy her hand to squeeze until the contraction subsided. "He'll be here soon." Just as her mother finished her sentence, Spike ran into the room, out of breath.
"I'm here!" he almost yelled as Joyce moved out of the way so he could take her place at Buffy's side. "I'm here, baby, how are you?"
"Just freakin dandy" Buffy said sharply. Spike smiled at his girl, kissing her on her now sweaty forehead.
"We're gonna meet our daughters today" he told her sweetly and she smiled at him.
"Okay…" the doctor said as she came into the room. "Hello, Buffy. How are you feeling?"
"Okay between contractions" Buffy said as she felt another contraction hit. "Oh, god, ow!" Spike took her hand, letting her squeeze it as she cringed in pain. "Ow, ow, ow, OW! "
"Just breathe, baby, breathe. It'll be over in a few seconds" Spike assured her. After a few moments, she loosened the grip on his hand and breathed with relief, laying her head back down on the pillows.
"Okay, it's gone" Buffy said.
"Well, why don't we check you to see how far along you are" the doctor said. "Can we have everyone but the father step out for a moment, please?"
"Okay, we'll be right outside, honey" Joyce told her daughter and she, Faith and Dawn left the room. The doctor did her internal exam and then removed her gloves.
"Okay, well, you're already 6cm dilated. At this rate, you should be pushing in no time" the doctor told her.
"Okay" Buffy said.
"I'll be back in a half an hour to check you again. What did you want to do for pain? If you want an epidural, we need to do that very soon before it's too late" the doctor said.
"Yeah, I want an epidural" Buffy said and the doctor nodded.
"Okay, I'll get a hold of the anesthesiologist. If, in the meantime, you feel pressure down by your bottom and the urge to push, let us know, okay?" the doctor said and Buffy nodded. The doctor gave her a smile before leaving, allowing her mother and sisters to reenter the room.
"You okay, baby?" Spike asked, seeing the apprehensive look on Buffy's face.
"Just nervous" Buffy told him. "I've obviously never done this before; I don't know what it's gonna be like."
"Once you get the epidural it'll be okay, sweetie" Joyce assured her.
An hour later, Buffy had gotten her epidural and was feeling much better. The doctor had checked her a couple minutes earlier and she was now 10cm and it was time to push.
"Well, Buffy, I have to say you've had the quickest labor of any first-time mother I've ever seen" the doctor told her with a chuckle. "Are you ready to push those babies out?"
"No" Buffy said and got chuckles from her mother and Spike. "I think the epidural's waring off, it's hurting again."
"Okay, but the sooner you get them out the sooner you'll be out of pain, honey" Joyce told her. Buffy suddenly felt pressure and the sudden need to push.
"Oh, god!" Buffy said, pushing without even meaning to. "I can't help it."
"It's okay, Buffy, keep pushing" the doctor said and Buffy pushed to the count of ten. "Good."
"Good, baby, you're doing great" Spike said, reaching for her hand, but she pushed him away.
"Don't touch me! This is all your fault, you did this to me, dammit! You're never touching me again—ughhh!" she ranted, but was interrupted by having to push again. Feeling the overwhelming pain, she suddenly felt the need to hold Spike's hand again. "I'm sorry, Spike. I love you, please hold my hand!" Spike smiled lovingly at her, wiping the tears out of her eyes and then taking her hand.
"It's okay, baby, just breathe, I'm right here" he told her, kissing her hand. She squeezed his hand tightly as another contraction hit her.
"I can see the first baby's head, Buffy. Push now, sweetheart" the doctor told her and she did as instructed, not really having a choice as the contraction was making her body push the baby out.
"Oh, fuck!" Buffy yelled through gritted teeth as she pushed hard and then collapsed on the pillows again.
"Okay, give me another good push, Buffy" the doctor said. Buffy panted, exhausted.
"I don't know if I can" she said, tears streaming down her face. "It hurts so bad" she cried, looking at Spike. Spike kissed her forehead, still holding on to her hand.
"You can do this, baby, for our daughters" he told her and she nodded, pushing as hard as she could.
"Okay, head's out, Buffy. Stop pushing for a moment" the doctor said and Buffy stopped. The doctor quickly suctioned out her nose and mouth. "Okay, give me one more, tiny push." Buffy pushed lightly and the rest of the baby came out.
"She's here!" Spike almost shouted happily. The doctor put twin A on Buffy's chest. Crying happy tears, Buffy put her arms around the tiny little girl as the nurse cleaned her off with the blanket she was laid on.
"She's so gorgeous!" Buffy exclaimed through tears, kissing the baby on her forehead. As she did, she felt another contraction hit her hard. "Oh, god!"
"Okay, Buffy, twin B is wanting to come out sooner than we thought so you're gonna have to push again" the doctor told her as the nurse took the first twin off of her chest to clean her up, weigh her and wrap her in a clean blanket. Buffy nodded and pushed through the pain.
"Oh, god, it hurts."
"I know it does, push through the pain, sweetheart" the doctor told her and she pushed with all she had. The baby's head came out shortly after her second push. "Okay, head's out, stop pushing for a second." She suctioned the baby's nose and mouth as she did with the first twin. "One more small push, Buffy." Buffy did as instructed and the baby came out and was quickly placed on Buffy's chest.
"Oh, look at her!" Buffy said.
"She's as beautiful as her sister" Spike said, tears now falling down his own cheeks. The baby was taken over to where her twin was and she was cleaned off as well, weighed, and wrapped in her own blanket and a hat was put on her head. Both babies were wailing, the most beautiful sound Buffy had ever heard.
"How much do they weigh?" Buffy asked as the babies were brought over to the new parents. Baby A was placed in Buffy's arms and baby B was handed to Spike. As soon as they were placed in their parents' arms, they stopped crying, as if they knew they were safe and loved.
"Twin A, born at 4:42pm, weighs 5lbs 13oz and is 19in long; and twin B, born at 4:46pm, weighs 5lbs 9oz and is 18 ½in long" the nurse told her. Buffy couldn't help the tears that were streaming down her cheeks. She looked over to Spike and noticed he had tears in his eyes as well. She smiled at him as he looked at her and he smiled back, leaning over and kissing her lightly on the lips.
"I love you so much and I'm so proud of you, baby" Spike whispered to her, kissing her forehead.
"I love you too" Buffy smiled and they turned their attention back to their new babies.
"Okay, you have to deliver the placentas now, Buffy" the doctor told her and Buffy nodded, still holding on to twin A. She quickly pushed out both placentas, barely noticing because of the bundles she had just brought into the world. "So, do you have names for your girls?" the doctor asked as she fixed Buffy up. Buffy and Spike looked at each other and then down at their little bundles of joy and smiled brightly.
"Yeah, she's Averianna Faith" Buffy said, looking down at the baby she was holding.
"And this is Arianna Elizabeth" Spike said, smiling down at the baby he had in his own arms.
"Beautiful names and beautiful babies" the nurse smiled.
"They sure are" the doctor agreed.
An hour later, Buffy was all fixed up, the babies were looked at by the pediatrician and given a clean bill of health and Buffy and Spike were resting happily with their daughters. No one had seen them yet, but Joyce, since there was only one other person allowed in the delivery room. Buffy's sisters and friends were dying to see the little girls and, finally, were allowed to go back.
"Can we come in, sweetie?" Joyce asked, knocking on the door and peeking her head in. Buffy smiled brightly.
"Of course, come in" she said to her mother. Joyce entered, Faith, Dawn, Willow, Tara, Xander and Cordelia right behind her.
"Oh my gosh!" Dawn squealed, rushing over to her big sister to see her new nieces. "They're beautiful!"
"Thank you" Buffy smiled.
"Who's who?" Faith asked, sitting on the edge of her twin's bed.
"I have Averi" Spike smiled, looking down at the sleeping baby in his arms.
"And I have Ari" Buffy told them, smiling proudly as well.
"Can we hold them, Buffy?" Dawn asked.
"Ooh, yeah, I wanna hold them too!" Willow said happily, Tara smiled at her girlfriend.
"Of course, everyone can have a turn" Spike told them.
"Well, as grandmother, I get first dibs" Joyce smiled. Buffy smiled back at her mother and handed over Arianna to her.
"And being the twin sister, I do too" Faith beamed, going over to Spike who handed her Averianna. Joyce and Faith sat on the couch that was in the room and everyone else gathered around them, leaving Spike and Buffy alone by Buffy's bed. Spike looked over to his girl and noticed she had her eyes closed and her head was laid on her pillows.
"You okay, luv?" he asked her, stroking her head. Buffy opened her eyes and smiled weakly at him.
"Yeah, just exhausted" she told him. He smiled back at her, leaning down and kissing her lips.
"Do you know how much I love you?" he asked her. "I'm so unbelievably proud of you, baby. You were amazing today."
"I just did what I was hold" Buffy said modestly and Spike shook his head.
"No, you were incredible" he assured her. "You made me the happiest man on Earth, you know that, right?" Her weak smile became full on as her eyes filled with tears.
"You're gonna make me cry" she told him and he kissed her lips again.
"So, who was heavier?" Willow asked and Buffy and Spike looked over to the group, realizing they had forgotten they were even there.
"Averi weighs more at 5lbs 13oz and Ari weighs 5lbs 9oz" Buffy told them.
"They were only 4 minutes apart too" Spike added. "Averianna was born at 4:42pm and Arianna was born at 4:46."
"They look so much alike for being fraternal twins" Cordelia piped up.
"Yeah, I thought that too" Buffy said with a yawn.
"Okay, my turn" Dawn said, reaching for Averianna and Faith gently handed her over to her little sister.
"Can I hold Ari, Joyce?" Willow asked and Joyce nodded, handing over the baby to the read head. Joyce and Faith got up off the couch so Dawn could sit to hold the baby easier.
"You wanna sit, Will?" Faith asked, but Willow shook her head.
"Nope, I'm good" she said, walking slowly around the room, gazing lovingly at the baby girl in her arms.
After about an hour, everyone had gotten a turn to hold the babies. Spike had taken Arianna and Joyce was holding Averianna, bouncing her lightly as she began to cry a bit. Joyce looked over at her daughter, noticing she had fallen asleep.
"Maybe we should go and let the new parents get some rest" Joyce suggested to the group of teens.
"Well, I'm not getting any sleep any time soon, too wired, but Buffy's exhausted" Spike told her.
"Okay, we'll be back later" Joyce told him, handing Averianna to him before grabbing her purse and coat. "Come on, Dawnie. Faith, we'll meet you at home." Faith nodded and Joyce and Dawn left.
"See ya, Spike" Faith said.
"We'll talk to you guys later" Willow whispered.
"Okay, thanks for coming, you guys" Spike said. Willow smiled.
"Of course" she said, kissing him on the cheek and leaving with Tara.
"Congratulations, man" Xander told him, shaking his hand and he and Cordelia left. Faith was the las to leave the room after giving Spike a hug and kissing her baby nieces.
Once everyone had left and Spike was left alone with his three girls, he sighed, the day's events catching up to him. He looked down at the sleeping bundles in his arms and smiled, retiring to the couch to make himself more comfortable.
"Hey, Averi, hey Ari. I haven't really had the chance to introduce myself" Spike whispered to his daughters. "I'm your daddy and I love you two and your mother more than anything in life." Buffy, who was awake now, pretended to be asleep so as to not disturb Spike's talk with their babies. "Your mommy is an amazing woman" he continued. "She's the most incredible, strong, loving woman I've ever met and I couldn't be luckier to be able to share you two with her. I promise you that I'll only treat you two and your mother with kindness and I'll do nothing but love and cherish you three for the rest of my life." He kissed them both on the forehead and continued staring at his little miracles. Still silent, Buffy felt tears in her eyes as she now turned to face the father of her daughters. Noticing her, Spike smiled. "Oh, hey, luv. I didn't know you were awake."
"Just woke up" Buffy lied, not wanting him to know she had heard everything he had said. Spike came over to her, handing over Arianna and Buffy sat up slightly so she could take the infant.
"How are you feeling, pet?"
"Amazing" Buffy told him, a smile still glued to her face. "How are you?"
"I couldn't be better, luv" Spike told her. "We're a family now. I just can't wait to take our girls home and live our lives together…forever."
"Me either" Buffy told him and he leaned down, kissing her lips lovingly.