Family

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

A/N: All right guys I have had no… I repeat no reviews. I have never had a story un-reviewed. As you can see I am quite upset by this fact. I realize this isn't a Buffy/Spike story but darn it I think it's a good story. PLEASE REVIEW.

Spike challenged Will to see if he could direct them to his crypt. Will did a fairly good job getting there but once they got to the door he froze. "I can't," he whispered. He clamped his eyes shut and worked his jaw.

"Look at me," Spike whispered putting his hand on the back of his son's head. "Everything that you have seen that has hurt you…all the words that have been spoken…all of the awful things I have done are mine. They have nothing to do with you. Buffy's words were to me…not you. You aren't a monster or disgusting."

Will stared into his father's eyes. "You weren't a monster either when she said them. Cocky, yes…Monster, no."

It was Spike's turn to close his eyes to regain his composure. "Thank you," he said in the barest whisper. "If you don't want to go in that is fine. Nothing really bad happened on the first floor."

Will chuckled, "That is a matter of opinion… I'd say having sex with that twit on the sarcophagus ranks as a really bad thing."
            Gabriella had Joy on her hip as she turned to glare at Spike. "Hey kid, give me a break please. This soul is kind of new. I really would rather your mum not be apprised of all of my shortcomings at once," Spike whispered.

"Don't worry. She's been apprised of your shortcomings all the way along. Mum did her best to explain to me half the things you did in the bedroom as I was growing up so I wouldn't be warped for life," Will snickered. "I'm not going to lose my cherry for a while just so I can learn some control. I really don't want my tastes to mimic yours."

Spike slightly glared at his son sideways, "Watch some telly." Will just smirked.

Gabriella was already getting blood for Joy and herself. "Do you need some?" she asked holding two packets.

Spike's breath caught in his throat. Home. Family. Love. Something domestic like getting blood was so… Spike just opened and closed his mouth. "She's not going to sleep with you," Will said in his father's ear. "Don't go pushing it."

Spike shook his head. "Yeah Brie I could use some food." She grabbed a third packet and closed the refrigerator door with her hip.

"Don't!" Will hissed. Spike looked at him in confusion. "I'm in your head remember. I see what you see. I feel what you feel… Right now you are having serious nesting feelings for mum. We can't afford that right now."
            "Do you feel that I love your mum?" Spike inquired.

"Hey…Not the issue. I knew you loved her before we got here."

"Why didn't you tell her that? She's believed that I didn't."

Will smirked, "Would you believe your twelve year old son if he said that his biological father loved you when he was already back together with his sire when you tried to see him?"

"She tried to see me?" Spike questioned.

"Yeah you prat! She was six months pregnant when Druscilla stopped chasing her. By her seventh month she gathered the courage to make you believe it was your baby she was carrying and you were with Druscilla. If memory serves she walked on you two having sex. After seeing that she never looked back."

Spike felt hollow inside. "Spike?" Gabriella called. He looked up quietly. "Go get your stuff," she chided. "And your blood is in this mug." She hummed as she filled an ice chest to take some blood with them.

"Get your stuff," Will said quietly. "You can regret and feel guilty when we're on the road."

Gabriella climbed down the latter to the lower level of the crypt. "Spike?" An explosion had occurred in the lower area she remembered Will saying but Ella was unprepared to see Spike sitting on his charred bed with his head in his hands. "Spike?" He looked up sadly. "What's wrong?" she whispered sitting down beside him.

"Just the last eighteen years of my life," he grumbled. She looked at him queerly. "I should have felt you somehow… I shouldn't have believed her. I should never have taken up with her again… To know how close I came to having you and Will in my life and yet missing it because I was too stupid and lonely to resist…" he growled. Spike sunk his head back in his hands. "I could have…"

Gabriella tentatively reached her hand out to stroke his hair. Spike closed his eyes relishing the feeling of her touch. He leaned into it and purred. "Ella please…" he whimpered raising his eyes to hers. She saw all the love Will had told her Spike had for her and acted. She leaned in slowly resting her hand on the side of his face before kissing Spike lightly.

He held her hand to his face and reached to her stomach with his other hand. "I missed seeing you grow big with my child," he whispered stroking her stomach. "I didn't get to hold your hand and take your curses as you gave birth. And more than anything I didn't get to see that boy grow up."

"You're here now," she whispered intertwining their fingers on his face.

He stared at her hard. "I love you Gabriella. That didn't stop just because you were dead."

"I know…I know that now… I…" she stopped. "We need to go."

Spike held onto Brie for all his worth. "Please…I desperately need to hear you finish that statement," he said with pleading eyes. "You think you need to not love me because of being in the shadow of another woman…but there is no shadow. I need for a woman I love to love me back."

"That was never a problem with me. I always adored you."

"But how do you feel about me now?"

She could see how much he needed her affirmation. "I love you Spike. I have from the moment you collected me in your arms and tended to me…And I never stopped loving you either."

He wrapped his arms around Gabriella's middle and held her to himself. He made no move to up the intimacy only holding her tightly. As the tension in his body subsided so did the strength of his grip. With his head in the crook of her neck he heard her say, "I have videos and pictures I kept for me…and you… if you ever wanted to see them." He looked up. "I have Will's first step on camera and his first word…"

It was more than he could take. Spike put both hands on Gabriella's cheeks and kissed her, not terribly hard but not soft either. One hand slipped to behind her head and the other to her hip. For her part, Ella was becoming wrapped up in the moment. Spike began to urge her to sit in his lap, which she did willingly sliding her fingers in his hair. Their mouths kept meeting over and over nipping at each other's lips. When Gabriella deepened the kiss Spike groaned. He pulled away much to her confusion. Their eyes met, "Marry me?"

"Excuse me?" she said quickly licking her lips.

He could see this would be a tough sell. "You know me. I am faithful. If I pledge eternity, I mean it. I'm not going to let you go again, not without a fight."

"You are insane…You're still in love with Buffy," she insisted.

"I'm still in love with you…that predates anything else. You saw me tonight. I went directly for you. I didn't hesitate because Buffy was in the room. You were my focus…only you… Buffy and I aren't a thing. It was a proposition that hurt us both. I told you before I was trying to make her you…not the other way around," Spike claimed.

Gabriella shook her head to clear it. "I'm sorry you're lonely Spike but…"

"Damnit this has nothing to do with being lonely. Yeah I've been lonely and I have made some really stupid mistakes because of it…but this isn't one of them." He paused holding her loosely around the waist. "They say confession is good for the soul so here is mine: I was going to claim you…if you would have let me."

"What are you talking about?" Gabriella questioned.

Spike sighed, "The night you disappeared I had this whole big fancy thing made up for us. I was going to take you to that play you wanted to go to. Nice normal human date…flowers and all. I was going to tell you I wanted to be your mate not just your lover. But you didn't come home. Hours went by and I was so scared that something had happened. I searched till dawn then had to wait to search again until the next evening. I went nuts looking for you…"

Brie nodded, "I used the light of day to my advantage to get the hell out of dodge… Maybe that's why she came. She knew your were going to claim another."

"Probably…She did try to push the topic with me but…I didn't," he said looking down at Gabriella's lap.

There was a very long period of silence where only the TV upstairs could be heard. "I still want you to be my wife…I still want to be Will's dad."

"It would need to wait until…" her words stopped as Spike's shocked expression met her. "What?"

"I can't believe you're agreeing…" A thought struck him, "You would marry me to give your children a father again."

She almost laughed out right. "That's why you're asking isn't. I mean you haven't seen me in twenty years. I've changed a lot. You were wanting to be a father," Gabriella stated clearly.

His face contorted in pain. "You don't love me…you just want a father for your children."

She smirked and shook her head knowing his ego was too fragile but needed him to understand. "It was good enough for you before when I told you about marrying Charlie!" Spike growled and went to push her off his lap. She didn't let him budge. "What do you want?"

"I want you to love me," he said angrily.

"I do…What else do you want?"

"I want you to love me… But you don't."

Gabriella rolled her eyes, "Stop whining… Lord help me." At her words the silver cross that hung around her neck began to glow. Spike looked at it suspiciously then into her eyes; they were glowing as well.

"What's going on Ella?" Spike whispered.

"Shh…" she hushed. "Kiss me."

"The cross will burn me," he exclaimed in fear.

"Kiss me."

Spike leaned in and kissed Gabriella lightly. A cool tingling sensation swept over his whole body. He felt the silver make contact with his skin but it didn't burn. In fact it felt cold. Gabriella ran her hands down Spike shoulders and then up his neck. "Breathe," she whispered and he gasped for air.

Just as when he gained his own soul he saw all the acts he had committed in his life…he saw Gabriella's life. He saw her human life and its untimely death at the hands of an intoxicated Angel. Spike cringed as he watched her body be beaten and violated as she fought for her life. And then her life slipped away. Angel departed and Spike, himself appeared on the scene to take pity on the broken girl.

Images flashed of their first few months together, the discovery of her soul and the night they first made love. Memories of the three years they shared came and went before Spike's eyes. Suddenly he saw himself and Gabriella making love very slowly and deliberately. Over and over Spike told her how much he loved her and wanted to be with her forever. He remembered that night…It was during those moments that Spike had decided to claim Gabriella. The scene shifted to the instant she first heard Will's rapid heartbeat inside her womb. He saw the minute that Druscilla began to chase Gabriella away from him and around the world. Life continued to change as he watched his love grow around with child, whispering to it about him. He saw her battles with Druscilla and then peace. Spike watched as Gabriella gathered courage over four weeks to come back to him only to walk in on him and Dru having sex. Spike felt the heartbreak she had felt as well as the grief that her son would never know his father.

The year progressed as Will was born growing fast, small canines biting at his mother. Bottles of warm blood to feed him. Temper tantrums and fear. Spike saw Gabriella's breaking point on her knees in her old Anglican Church in front of the cross. He witnessed the absolute surrender of self. Gabriella spoke with Oracles about the strength of their son. A great silver light wash over her body as the Yellow beings traced hands around her. Gabriella's eyes were anointed. The scene shifted again as Gabriella handled a five year old Will after he had bitten a playmate with his baby fangs. People ran them out of town. Suddenly Will had nightmares about his father's life. Another trip to the Oracles teaching Will to control the images as best he could.

Spike observed as time past quickly bonding the mother and child. Then moment came when Will and Gabriella met Charlie. He saw their wedding and his son fall in love with his new dad. Spike ached for what he had missed but continued to watch. A couple months of trust and family were built up before the marriage was consummated. He saw Gabriella's body grow with child again. Joy was born. Will loved his little sister doting on her. There were moments of martial peace and bliss. Joy levitated toys in her crib and changed the temperature in rooms. The nightmares began and press upon the little mind as they had her brother. Another trip to the Oracles, this time with much confusion and fuss. Joy was not an expected visitor. Once again the child was taught to shut out thoughts and memories as best she could.

Years past of happiness. Subtle conversations about himself were had with Will and Gabriella on the teen's request. He saw his son research him in the Watcher journals. Spike was ready to scream as he beheld Will get sick over things he had done. Such shame both William and his father suffered in that moment.

Will began to have more visions and nightmares as did Joy. Church organs and falling objects were particularly terrifying. Joy saw dead fish and drawings. The child watched her mother be beaten, raped, and murdered as if she were committing the acts. She would try to scratch out her eyes to stop the images.

Will started to see things he didn't understand when life to came to an abrupt pinnacle as Spike got his chip. It seemed was almost unable to filter his father's thoughts from his own. His body bore wounds that were never inflicted…and it kept on like that. There were slight reprieves when Will would be happy. Spike had been thinking about Gabriella.

Joy began to vacillate between grown up in a child's body and a little girl. She observed life with a newness that was enviable and an agedness that spoke heavy of her young heart. And of course the nightmares and visions continued.

Will took a turn for the worse when Spike and Buffy slept together. Spike saw his son sitting on his bed rocking back and forth chanting Buffy's words. Then the self-mutilation started as well as the water burns. Gabriella and Charlie tried their best to help him deal but the teen completely withdrew.

The Council slowly closed in on the family. Spike saw Gabriella holding Charlie's head as he took his last breath. Unbeknownst to the Watchers the family was in the process of moving so making a run for it wasn't as hard as it could have been. The trip winded down as Spike observed the family traveling across the United States.

Spike gasped once again seeing Gabriella in front of him on his lap. "Beats words doesn't it?" she said softly. "You've seen it all now… Is there ever a minute in that whole period that you couldn't feel my love for you?"

The vampire sat quietly. Whatever Gabriella had done he could think back on moments as if it were he that experienced them. On her wedding day she imagined it was Spike she was vowing her life to. And the night the relationship was consummated Gabriella lay on her back with Charlie asleep on her chest playing with his hair while she remembered the night she and Spike had created Will. Gabriella had made the best choices she could and learned to love her husband.

With a cleansing sigh Spike said, "I love you Gabriella…" He gazed at her a second. "It was right eighteen years ago and it is right now. I want to be your mate. I'll take you anyway I can get you."

"What will you tell Buffy?" Ella said pointedly.

"She and I talked about the fact that my commitment to you predates my commitment to Dawn and she. Buffy has given me her blessing," Spike stated diplomatically.

"We will have to talk to the kids before anything happens."

"Sure…"

Gabriella nodded a bit, "Okay then…pack! We need to get back to the Magic Box."

Before she got too far away Spike gripped Ella's sides, "I won't push our relationship past where you're comfortable."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I won't be asking you into my bed… I will simply ask you to add me to your family."

"Your already family Spike," Gabriella insisted.

"But I want to be your mate…more importantly your husband in the eyes of everyone," he found himself saying.

"We'll talk to the kids."

"Lead the way."

"Packing first!"

Spike smirked, "No…this first."

At the top of the latter waited Will as his parents came up. "You… I told you not to push," the teen addressed Spike.

"Will?" Gabriella got her son's attention. They stared at one another for a long period of time before Will nodded.

"What did you just do?" Spike whispered.

Gabriella smirked, "Used one of the gifts I was given to manage our son."

Joy came skipping up to Spike and tugged on his pants leg harshly. "Yes?"

"Do you want to be my new daddy?" she asked quickly.

"Alright guys…I know you know how much I loved your dad," Gabriella addressed her children, "but I do love Spike as well. I believe that had a few things not happened we would have all been a family anyway." Joy and Will both nodded. "So…Spike has asked to marry me and join our family."

"Dad just died," Will insisted.

"That is why I started with 'you know how much I loved your dad.' Will I can't guess how things would have been different if I had either stuck around or told Spike immediately I was pregnant. The more time I spend thinking about the past the more I realize your father would have known I wouldn't cheat on him. For one thing he was the only man I had ever slept with and that was a huge deal." Spike smiled. She knew he wouldn't have hurt her or questioned her. No human man had ever touched her nor could she have been pregnant by Angel. He would have taken it as a crazy miracle. Spike would have put an ear to Gabriella's womb and heard his miraculous child.

"The point is had things been different we, Spike and I, would have been married. He was going to ask me the day I took off. Now the timing is psycho and such but… Guys I need your support on this…I know it may not seem connected but I really want to leave him in the bottom of the ocean. It makes me feel safe."

Will looked at his mother and sighed, "You're terrified of him aren't you?"

"He killed me Will. It's hard not to be."

"You are stronger than every other vampire we have ever faced. You have to know you could pop his head right off if you chose to Mum."

Gabriella shook her head; "This is beside the point… The situation will be very awkward. I would really like to have a united front when we see him. I really don't want to crumble."

Will stood next to his mother and put his hand on her shoulder, "You won't crumble. You have the fire of hell that burns behind your eyes. I have watched you lay waste to those who have hurt children. I have seen you enact justice when the courts have failed. I have watched you pummel abusive men into the ground to show them what it felt like. But more then anything I remember what you have done to child molesters…This man caused that rage to be in your soul. And more often than not you have used it well, but Mum you can't be scared of him. You can't give him that power over you."

Ella sighed and let her son hold her close. Spike envied his son's relationship with Gabriella. They were a pair. Always together…Will had seventeen years that Spike didn't.

"Alright…Are we talking you will claim each other tonight…cause I really need to find a way to shut your thoughts out before you two go at it. That is just something no teen should ever have to imagine or see," Will commented.

"Now that I know you're there I should be able to close the door between us," Spike stated. He looked at his son and whispered in his mind /Can you hear me?/

"Of course I can hear you!" Will snipped and then there was silence. No internal monologue, no other thoughts. "Hey…cut it out. I'm used to you being in my head. Just butt out when you're having sex or something." Spike smirked.

"We need to get back to Buffy," Joy said thoughtfully. "You need to pack. Once we get the great man then we'll get married." To the child Spike was marrying her family not just her mummy.

Back at the car Spike threw his duffel in the back and made his way to the driver's window. He had his patented smile smirk thing going. Carefully he took Gabriella's left hand and kissed her knuckles. Slowly he slipped a beautiful aquamarine ring on her ring finger. Ella looked at him confusedly. He shrugged, "United front you said. Angelus will recognize the ring as my mother's. He will know what it means."

Gabriella gave him a small smile and kissed him briefly. "Oh bloody hell! Just get in the blasted car ya Wanker. You can seduce mum at another time…not in front of me," Will griped.

"He has quite a temper," Spike chuckled.

"You have no idea," Ella responded as Spike went round the car to sit in the back with Joy.

TBC…

A/N: Do I need to change the summary?