The Fallout
Ch. 12: Alaina
They'd been at the mall for almost an hour and all Buffy had to show for it was a Sex Pistols lunch box. Why did she always have to be emotionally-unavailable-girl? Her feelings toward Spike were changing. She wanted to tell him that, but she wan't so good with words….which left gifts. But, she had no idea what Spike even liked. Outside of kitten poker, booze and 80's Punk bands…Spike was a Rubik's Cube. Too much time in the gift shop is messing with my reasoning skills.
Dawn wasn't faring much better. So far she'd picked out a 'World's Greatest Dad' mug and new zippo.
"Why don't you just write him a really nice card?" Dawn suggested as she browsed through some books on a display.
"Because writing a card is the same as telling him how I feel. Both involve words. Buffy and words are un-mixy. I'll wind up putting my foot in my mouth."
"That might still be better than a Rubik's Cube."
Buffy quickly set down the items in her hands.
Dawn said, "Why do you have to get him anything? You have the ultrasound pictures. I think, that's all he'd want."
The pictures…of course.
"Dawn, you're the best. Come on!" Buffy grabbed her sister's hand and pulled her toward the door.
Giles walked into the Antique Shop, feigning nonchalance.
"Bonjour. Can I help you find something?"
Giles looked up, surprised to hear another accented voice besides his own or Spike's. Foreigners were a rare commodity in Sunnydale. The Watcher followed the voice to its source…and stopped in frozen horror. Jenny. His mind played the name on loop like a prayer. It couldn't be. Giles studied her patient expression. There was no recognition in her green eyes. Giles heard Travers's voice in his mind, "The Powers-that-be aren't as holy as they let on."
Giles fumbled over himself deciding how to begin, "Hello—" he waited for it, the moment when she would see him. See him and understand. But it never came.
"I'm um—Rupert Giles. I heard there was some trouble here last night." Jenny's look-alike was slowly moving away from him. Giles added, "I own The Magic Box, just on the block over. Call it concern over a fellow shopkeeper."
Relief washed over her. She gave him a knowing smirk, "Your concern is appreciated, but unnecessary. The police are looking into it, but they seem to think it was a random burglary. They said that whoever did it is unlikely to come back to the same street." Her smile was so gentle, it was hard to imagine her shooting Spike…a sight Giles was sorely disappointed to have missed.
"So, you think it was a burglar then?" Giles said, he meant to say "I've missed you every day."
She shrugged. Such a simple gesture. No meaning behind it..and yet a dagger in his English heart.
"You didn't see anything—strange?" Giles prodded, as much to keep her talking as to gather information.
She tilted her head, studying the Watcher intently. She seemed to come to a decision and glanced around to be sure they were alone. She lowered her voice and leaned toward Giles. "A man came in after the burglars. He said it was a…demon." She laughed at herself, "I'm sure that sounds crazy."
"You'd be surprised." Giles fought the urge to pollish his glasses. "I do run a magic shop after all."
"I suppose you do. I'm so sorry, Rupert, did you say? I'm Alaina Burne." She held out her hand, "Forgive my rudeness. I'm still a bit shaken."
"Not at all." Giles forced a smile. It all made sense. The Powers were mocking him. Sending Jenny back as someone else. Hell, maybe she was the demon they were after. Wouldn't that just be the last nail in the coffin. Willow had no idea what she'd done…every day that was becoming more clear.
Giles said, "Well, if the police don't find anything…or if you have any further trouble. The Magic Box door is always open."
There was that gentle smile again, making Giles fidget. "And if I wanted to drop by…for a non-demon related chat? Shopkeeper to shopkeeper?"
The glass-polishing could no longer be avoided, "Well, yes—I mean, of course. I'd love to chat." What was he saying? Why was he inviting torture? Talking to her face, seeing her eyes void of any emotion…
The bell on the door chimed as a young couple walked in. "I'm sorry, but I need to—"
"By all means." Giles gladly walked to the door. "Pleasure meeting you Ms. Burne."
"Alaina." She said and waved goodbye.
Buffy could hardly contain her excitement when they reached her house. She bounced through the door and raced into the living room…only to find it empty. "Spike?" she called to an empty house.
By the time Dawn came in, Buffy was in full Slayer mode. "That sneaky, peroxided, British…sneak!"
"Maybe he just got bored here all by himself." Dawn suggested, noticing the empty couch. "I bet he just went out to buy some more blood—or drop by the crypt."
"Innocent optimism…that's what I love about you Dawn." Buffy sighed, "I'm not even upset that he's gone. I just wanted to give him our present while we had the chance. You know, before the whole gang convenes."
Dawn gave a conspiratorial smirk. "You know, there is a simple solution to this problem. You could tell them the truth. Besides, at twelve weeks, it's not like you can go on hiding it much longer."
"Don't remind me." Buffy said. She walked into the kitchen a noticed an ungodly bright orange post-it on the counter.
Summers girls. Magic Box—5:00pm.
—Xan Man
"We've been summoned." She said.
"See, I bet that's where Spike went."
Buffy still grumbled, "Injured Vampires don't belong at research parties." The slayer opened the front door and marched out.
Dawn's grin widened, "Awe, look at you…you're worried about him."
A chorus of "Am not!" and "Are too's" followed the sisters down Revello Drive.
As did a black car, gleaming in the sunlight.
Willow knocked on the training room door for the hundredth time that afternoon. "Come on Giles. At least give us some sign that you're alive."
"What's going on?" Xander asked, walking into the shop.
"We're not sure." Tara said, going to sit at the research table beside Anya.
"Giles came back from the Antique Shop at lunch, grabbed a bunch of books and locked himself in the training room." Anya said frankly.
Willow tried again. "Giles, come out. You're sorta freaking us all out here."
Anya glanced at her fiancé and mouthed, "He's finally lost it." And went back to her bridal magazine.
Xander sat down beside his bride-to-be. "This is very un-Giles-like behavior. I wonder what's gotten into him?"
Willow looked up as the bell over the door chimed. The color left her cheeks. "I bet I can answer that question." She said.
The others looked up in unison. Tara and Anya saw an attractive forty-something with dark hair and green eyes. Willow and Xander saw a ghost.
"I'm sorry. Is this a bad time? I can come back later." Said the new arrival in an unfamiliar accent.
"Miss Calendar—" Willow began, but Giles appeared in the doorway, as if summoned by the new voice, and cut Willow off.
"Miss Burne." He emphasized the name with a hard glance at Willow and Xander. "By all means, come in."
Xander and Willow looked at one another, even more confused.
"Alaina, please." She corrected with a smile.
"Of course," Giles turned to the stunned faces at the research table. "Everyone, this is Alaina Burne. She is a new employee of the Antique Shop down the block. She's the woman who was attacked."
Xander perked up at that. "You're the one who shot Spike?" He burst out laughing.
"Yuck it up, Whelp." Spike melted out of the shadows near the back of the shop, making them all jump.
"Good Godfrey Cambridge, Spike. How long have you been lurking there?"
The vampire dropped into an empty chair and swung his combat boots up on the table. "Just got here in time for meet the teacher."
Giles cleared his throat, "Alaina, this is Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya…and, er, Spike."
Green eyes locked on the vampire, she said, "How…but…I shot you. How are you—"
"—Healed?" Spike sniffed, "Vampire, here, Pet."
"What!" She gasped. "Look, I'm sorry I shot you. I thought you were with—those men. But, I would appreciate if you didn't mock me."
Spike's face quickly morphed, his demon coming forth. "Not mocking."
With another weary sigh Giles ushered her to a seat. "Why don't you make yourself at home. This is going to be a long conversation."
At Sunset, Angel parked his car at Giles's flat and headed out on foot toward the Magic Box. He walked a few blocks, constantly glancing over his shoulder. He couldn't pinpoint why, but he'd felt a presence with him since his arrival in Sunnydale.
Maybe it was his past, rearing its ugly head. The name Merit Albright brought up a host of unpleasant thoughts. Yes, he knew Merit Albright, because he'd killed her, the first time. The question was, who brought her back and why?
There is was again, that sense that something was there. Breath on his neck making his skin feel like ants were scurrying across the surface.
"Who's there?" Angel barked, looking this way and that.
"Don't you remember?" said the invisible voice.
Angel opened his mouth to respond, but he choked on the words. A rush of air flowed into his mouth and down his throat. It burned like fire. When he again opened his eyes, Angel was no where to be found…
Buffy and Dawn walked in just after sunset. Buffy was relieved to see Spike sitting at the table in one piece. Then, her eyes found a dark haired woman and froze. Sitting there, amongst her friends, was none other than Jenny…or Alaina…or whatever she was calling herself these days. It didn't matter…the only thing that mattered was that Jenny/Alaina knew her secret.
The Slayer tried to catch Spike's eye. If she could get him to distract everyone, she could just run…but it was too late. The stupid bell gave them away. Buffy hated that bell.
"Ah Buffy, we've been waiting for you. Now, that we are all here, I think we have some new developments to discuss."
Buffy took a backwards step toward the door, but Dawn blocked her path. The teen arched a brow and placed her body in the doorway, making it clear that Buffy wasn't going anywhere.
Alaina looked up at the Slayer, "Joan! What a small world."
"Yep, the smallest." Buffy said. She clapped her hands together, "So, research mode. What have we got?"
"Wait, you two know each other?" Xander asked.
"Why did she call you Joan?" Anya curled her lip with clear distaste at the name.
Alaina and Buffy spoke at once.
"We met this afternoon at the Doctor' office."
"We're old friends." Buffy pushed Spike's feet off the table and sat beside him. "Anyone seen Angel?"
Clearly no one was buying it. The all shared suspicious glances.
"Why were you at the doctor? Are you sick?" Giles began.
"Why didn't you tell us?" came from Xander.
"Western Medicine. Shwestern Shmedicine. I could whip up a cure." Willow.
Anya's, "You're pregnant aren't you. I thought so with all the gut spewing," was what brought on the silence.
Spike quickly jumped in to rescue his Slayer, "She just went to get checked out s'all. Wouldn't you if you'd recently clawed your way up from six feet under? Post-mortem check up's are vital, you know."
It was a good cover. One that would've worked if Alaina hadn't asked about the stupid Ginger candy.
"Did it help with the nausea? I have more." She smiled, completely unaware of what she'd just done.
There was a long pause. The longest in the history of Scooby Research Parties. Buffy studied her fingernails in her lap. Spike studied her.
"Buffy?" Giles's voice was unsure.
Xander once again commenced awkward laughter. "Pregnant. The Buffster? That's just…that's not…is it Buffy?"
"Oh my goddess." The words left willows mouth in one soft whisper.
"Was I not supposed to say anything? Joan, I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I'll just stop talking now." Said Alaina.
Every nerve in her body screamed "Run!" Try as she might, she couldn't get her legs to move. This was probably the best intro she could've asked for…it was already lying there in the open, all she had to do was nod her head yes.
The Slayer's shoulders slumped. "She's right. I was at the doctor today."
"And it turned out to be a nasty stomach bug…right Buff?" Xander's eyes pleaded.
She shook her head. "I'm pregnant."
A litany of "HowWhoWhyWhen?" followed.
"Slow down." Dawn said firmly, "One question at a time."
Buffy placed a hand on Dawn's shoulder. "Thanks, Dawnie. I can take this from here." She fixed her hazel eyes on her friends, her family. "It happened before Glory…Will's spell kinda got things moving again and now—wham. Baby Buffy." She gave a nervous laugh. She wanted to look at the vampire on her left for support, but she knew what she'd find written on his handsome face. She could feel the tension rolling off him in waves. He was just as eager to hear where her explanation would go.
"So that's the When, and the How." Xander counted on his fingers. "That just leaves, Who, and Why?"
Now or never. Buffy told herself as she took a deep breath…and laced her fingers through Spike's, pulling him to stand beside her.
It took a moment for realization to make its rounds, as, one by one, their eyes shifted from confusion, to realization, to horror—in some cases.
The next sound heard was that of Xander's chair clattering to the floor as he tumbled backwards, unconscious.