I watch the Slayer and her gang from a distance. If she senses me close by, she doesn't show it. Too busy with the bloody big troll standing in front of her.

I'm ready to spring in at a moment's notice; ready to put myself between her and the latest danger this sodding Hellmouth has decided to throw at her. I've been doing it since she told me to piss off, and I'll keep doing it until she probably drives a stake through my heart. She yells and she screams, but that doesn't make a little bit of difference. Actually, I find it bloody hilarious that the Slayer doesn't know me well enough by now to realise that she can't keep me away for long.

But bloody hell, is she trying.

At least Joyce is nice enough to keep me updated. And she tells me she's trying to talk Buffy into letting me back into her life again. That woman deserves a Sainthood, and I don't care how many priests I have to eat in order to make that happen.

Inevitably, the troll roars in anger and starts swinging. The Slayer prepares to fight him, and is she really that stupidly stubborn? One hit from Tall, Dumb and Ugly could end the Bit's life before it's even begun. Using vampire speed, I shoot across the room and stop by her side. I smoothly grab her around the waist (ignoring her protests), spin and deposit her behind a pillar.

"Spike!"

I turn and throw several punches at the troll. He doesn't bother to dodge them, because he's big enough to actually take the hits. Wish the same could be said for me – one swing from his hammer and I'm sent sailing across the room.

With me out of the way, Buffy jumps in to take her turn fighting him.

"Don't let him hit you!" I call to her.

"I know what I'm doing, Spike! Leave me alone!" she yells back, and her momentary distraction almost causes the troll to hit her, but she rolls out of the way. I wanna yell at her some more, but I don't want her to divide her concentration. We can have our screaming match after the fight's over.

She's taken my advice, though. Instead of throwing herself right into the fight, she mostly plays the evading game, only risking getting a hit on the troll when she's absolutely sure he won't hit her back. But this game leads to him knocking out the support beams of the balcony overhead.

I only just manage to drag her out of the way before pinning her against the nearest wall and shielding her with my body.

When the danger's passed – the troll gone, the collapse settled – Buffy pushes me away and slaps me in the face. "What the hell were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking you were gonna be crushed under all that!" I gesture at the great big pile of rubble in the centre of the Bronze. "Could at least get a thanks, you ungrateful bint."

"You don't get thanks for basic decency!"

"No, all I get is the person I saved screaming at me for saving her! I can't bloody win with you!"

She throws her hands in the air. "Then stay away from me!"

"If you think I'm gonna stay away from you when you're carrying my kid, you're dafter than Dru!"

"Guys!" Harris gets our attention and points at the rubble. "We need to help. And the troll's gone."

"I'll go after him," says Buffy. "Xander, you and Tara help out here. Willow, Anya, go back to the Magic Box and find something that can actually hurt this guy."

She storms out of the Bronze, probably thinking I won't follow her. Well, she's got another bloody thing coming. Not only do I follow her, I hurry to catch up to her and walk by her side.

"Can you at least be a bloody grown-up about this and talk?" I tell her. "I've seen toddlers who throw less tantrums than you."

Buffy at least has the decency to stop, but if looks could stake… "I'm so not in the mood to talk about custody. But just so you know, I'm thinking day visits will be better, because I'm not having my daughter sleep over in a crypt in the middle of a cemetery!"

I roll my eyes, but then what she says registers and those same eyes widen. "Daughter? We're having a girl? Joyce didn't tell me that."

"I only found out today." She sighs. "Why do you even care, Spike?"

"Because she's my kid, too," I tell her. "But something tells me this isn't about me. You were fine letting me help before we found out the truth. Why does me being the father of the Bit equal you pushing me away?"

I've asked her this question many times, and every time she's punched me in the nose and run off into the night. But tonight, she just stares at nothing; like she's asking herself that same question for the first time.

"You're right," she says at last. "This isn't about you. Well, maybe a little bit. It's about you being the daddy when… someone else wasn't."

"Cardboard?" I question. "I already told you before, why would you want that sod to be the dad-?"

"No, not him." She shakes her head. "I was… I was talking about Angel."

And that's just worse, and makes my heart drop. Cardboard I could take; she never loved him. But Peaches… Her past relationship with my wanker of a grandsire is a mile-wide roadblock standing in between me and her, for more reasons than one.

I can't even find it in me to fly off the handle about it. Instead I just say, "Why? The sod left you."

"Giles thinks that maybe you were chosen to be the daddy because you're strong," she explains. "You're the only other person besides me who actually stands a chance against Glory. But then, why would the monks choose you when they could've chosen a vampire with a soul? And he's one who… who loves me."

Fuck, she was hoping the sod would come back if they were having a baby together. I bite back my words about how he probably doesn't truly love her, or else he would've still loved her without his soul. She's talking to me again; I can't have her throwing up her walls again.

So instead, I say, "Maybe the soul was the problem. One moment of happiness, and it's gone. Doubt one night together is the only way to achieve that. What if he got too happy at the prospect of becoming a dad, especially with the love of his life? Whoopsie! There goes his soul. And not only would you be dealing with Angelus and Glory, he'll probably go and tell the bitch exactly where she can find her Key."

Buffy's eyes widen. "I never thought about that."

"It's food for thought, but back to my point," I continue. "You're blaming me for something that was out of my control."

"I know." She sighs again. "I'm sorry."

What? I must have not heard her right. "Could you repeat that for me, Slayer? I could've sworn you apologised to me, but I can't be sure."

She slaps my shoulder, smiling. "I'm not repeating myself. Now come on. We've got a troll to hunt down."