A/n yes i'm sorry this has been so long. my bad. i plead guilty with an excuse. (For those of you reading both stories you know what i'm about to say) Last week while visiting my uni I made the choice to join the Air Force ROTC. So next year september not only do i begin starting a new uni as a freshmen, (I skipped my sr year and did PSEO), I will also be training as a officer in the Air Force. I'll graduate uni as a Second Lt. needless to say this choice caused a lot of discussion among my family. hence less time to write. I promise to be better in the future. side note, yes dru's pregnancy seems exreamly fast. explanation in next chapter dont worry. read review adn all that jazz. enjoy

Chapter Fourteen

Buffy shifted her weight nervously as they waited for the nurse to call Drusilla's name. The vampire in question sat in the corner next to Spike on one side with the Scoobies flanking the other side leaving a chair open between them and Drusilla. Buffy, however, paced up and down the waiting room hall.

"Calm down pet," Spike said to her. "You're givin' me a headache."

"Oh, pardon me." Buffy snapped back. Spike raised an already cocked eyebrow at her. Buffy let out an ugh of frustration and let herself flop down into the open chair. "I'm sorry for being just a titch worried about brining an insane pregnant vampire into a hospital that's just full of bleeding people to bite. Of course I should just relax."

"Well when you put it that way," Anya said after a pause as she turned to Xander, "Why are we here?"

"Anya, we talked about this, Buffy is our friend and Spike," Xander seemed at loss for words for a moment, "Well I guess Spike's just part of the deal now."

"Well Buffy is more of your friend than my friend, after all I've only known her for less than two years and I'm not sleeping with her so there's no loyalty conflictions there," Anya said, "and while I do think Spike is agreeable I'm really not that close to him either. So why are we here?"

"We're here Anya and we're staying," was the only reply Xander had.

Before Anya could reply again an intern came around the corner.

"Drusilla Pratt?" He called out. Instantly the entire group stood up.

"Ok," said the intern looking confused, "Well with a group this large only family is allowed in I'm sorry."

"I'm the father," Spike said holding on to Dru's hand lying easily, "This here is me dad," he nodded in Giles direction, "and these two ladies," he indicated to Buffy and Joyce, "are the mother's aunt and cousin."

Buffy admired the way the words easily fell from Spikes mouth. She could lie her way out of sticky situations also, only when it was slayer type business or late homework due to slayer business, but in a tight spot like this she was at a loss. She also secretly celebrated the way Spike didn't refer to Drusilla as his wife or girlfriend. She didn't know why she felt this way nor did she want to. Shoving those emotions to the bottom of her mind she turned to face the intern.

Tall she noticed, and handsome. Both were good in her book. His brown hair was longer but not so long she wanted to take a scissors to it and hack it off. All in all he was an attractive man.

"Hi, I'm Buffy," she introduced herself after her mother did, "I'm Drusilla's cousin." She flashed him a full flirty smile, only partly meant to keep any suspicion at bay.

"Ben," He said shaking her offered hand. "I'm an intern here and I'll be performing the ultrasound."

Behind Ben's back Willow gestured frantically to Buffy and then to her pocket. Buffy remembered the spells they needed. Spells they couldn't do without the witches in the room.

Ok Buffy thought, you can do this. Just like that time in L.A. when you really wanted that hand bag and you got the clerk to extend the sale price. You can do this. She carefully didn't remind herself that the hand bag incident occurred almost five years ago, nor did she remind herself of her recent dating faluries.

"Ben," she started flashing him a smile she hoped was a bit flirty and at the same time sencire, she laid a hand on his arm and led him a bit further down in the hospital hall way, "I know that normally this many people don't go in but the two girls are the godparents and well it would mean a lot to us if they could go in to."

Ben looked unconvinced so before he could answer Buffy tired again.

"I mean after all," She babbled, "it's really important for them, being the first gay godparents in the family. What would you call them? Godmother's one and two? But anyway my point is do you really want to deny them this opportunity to see their godchild for the first time. This is a big moment for the family. Plus the mother, Drusilla, was rather secretive about the pregnancy so we don't really know when the baby is due so if you can imagine it's a whole mess. I mean I know we're only cousins, Dru and me but we're as close as sisters and…"

"All right, all right Buffy don't worry. You can all come in. it won't bother me at all." Ben cut her off with a smile.

"Really?" she asked smiling.

"Really, hey if you'll meet me for coffee sometime I'll even let the other two in also."

Buffy's mind flashed to Spike and his damn smirk flashing across at her from the other side of the kitchen. As she had been for so often now she shoved those thoughts to the bottom of her mind blaming it on a cheap passing faturation. She quickly recomposed her face and flashed yet another smile.

"I'd love that." She told Ben.

They walked back to the rest of the group.

"Hey guys," Buffy called out, "Let's go, all of us."

Willow and Tara instantly got up followed by Xander and Anya. The group followed Ben into the ultrasound room. Drusilla climbed on the examining table with help from Spike. Buffy could see Spike whispering something into Drusilla's ear to soft for her to hear.

"You're not who you seem you are." Drusilla turned to Ben as he prepared the ultrasound machine. "You're a naughty, naughty boy. Just like the star. It's unnatural it is. How wonderful."

Ben turned to the vampire confused.

"Hormones." Spike said. "They seem to be making her batty."

Ben nodded at this answer, unsuspicous. Buffy kept her attention on the vampires and intern in front of her. Giles stood by the door with Anya and Xander keeping an eye on the hall way and one in the room itself. The witches stood on the same side of the room as Ben, stationed a little behind him. Barely audible they began to recite the spell they adjusted to their needs.

Forget what is to be seen
feel what can't exist,
Forget the odd's
Reality fades to mist.

Willow took a bit of the confusion powder into her hand and blew it toward Ben. For a moment his eyes went out of focus before he shook his head and continued what he was doing. When he got the machine ready he turned to Drusilla.

"Now, I just have to check your heartbeat and pulse and we can get started." Ben said as he reached for Drusilla's wrist. Buffy saw Willow grab Tara's wrist as Ben touched Drusilla's. The witches had explained that the magic would channel through Willow and she could cause Ben to feel what she felt. Or in the case of the heart beat hear what Willow heard. When Ben finished taking "Drusilla's" pulse he reached for his stethoscope, As he put the stethoscope on Drusilla's chest Willow laid her head on Tara's. Once he finished Ben marked a few things on his clipboard.

"OK, your pulse and heartbeat are in the normal ranges. I'm going to put this gel on your stomach. It may feel cold for a moment." He squirted the gel into his gloved hand before gently rubbing it on the small mound on Drusilla's stomach.

Behind him Willow and Tara clasped hands and muttered "so mote it be." Ending the spell. Once again Ben's eyes came unfocused before refocusing, leaving him none the wiser.

"OK, let's see what we can find." Ben moved the ultrasound around on her stomach while looking on the screen. A blob began to appear on the screen.

"Is that…" Spike asked unable to finish his question.

"Yep, that's your baby." Ben confirmed.

"Wow." Spike said, for once lacking a snarky or sarcastic comment.

Drusilla merely stared at the screen unresponsive. Without noticing Spike reached for her hand and clasped it. At the same time he turned to Buffy, meeting her eyes his face unreadable.

"Well the CRL or Crown Rump Length is about 5 ½ centimeters. That puts her at about twelve weeks along. Does that sound right?"

"Um, what? Yes that's about right." Spike said tearing his eyes away from Buffy back to the intern.

"Yeah, I know it's overwhelming when you can see them this clear. Everything looks healthy. From what I can see Mr. Pratt your baby is healthy as can be expected. Do you have any questions? I can print these pictures if you'd like."

Spike nodded without saying anything his gaze now fixated on the screen.

"What prenatal care should she be getting?" Joyce spoke up. "My niece just moved in with us and it's been a long time sense I was pregnant."

"Well your niece is entering her third month of pregnancy, you should arrange a monthly check up with a doctor. I can give you some names if you'd like. They'll check for things like the top of the uterus, hemoglobin and hematocrit. They'll take a urinalysis test for infection and other things, weigh your niece check her blood pressure. You may be even able to hear a heartbeat. They'll also talk about any other test's they think you might need to take." Ben explained.

"What about vitamins?" Joyce asked.

"Your doctor can tell you better than I can." Ben said, "But as it is her pregnancy seems healthy normal prenatal vitamins should be fine."

The group asked a few more questions about the pregnancy before leaving. Before she walked Ben touched Buffy's wrist and stopped her.

"So coffee?" He asked hopefully.

She smiled, "Coffee." She agreed.

"Tuesday?" He asked.

"Mmhmm, Thursday," She countered, "Three o' clock?"

"Make it two." He said.

"OK, hard bargain but I think I can do it." Buffy said. She didn't have any afternoon classes and Spike could stay with Drusilla. It would be good for her to get out with someone new. Get Spike out of her head and the last bit of Riley out of her heart.

"Thursday at two than, the little coffee shop down town?"

"I'll see you there." She replied.

Buffy hurried back out into the hall and caught up with her friends. Willow and Tara both gave her significant looks and she avoided meeting Spikes loaded gaze.

Yeah, she convinced herself, this will be fun. It'll be good for me to get out a bit more.

Ben walked into the hospital bathroom to wash his hands. Suddenly he gripped the sink, his knuckles turning white under the pressure.

"NO! not now." he said. His hands elongated into thin feminine hands with the nails painted blood red. A musical laugh filled the men's bathroom.

"It's good to be back." The now female voice said.

I titted now you tat :)