Title: Hope

Author: Joy

Email: SleepingBeauty2@ziplip.com

A/N: Alright guys, I posted three chapters and got very few reviews… If you don't like a chapter still review. My feelings don't get hurt. Please review!

Tara crossed over to her crying friends on the floor after a few minutes of silence from them. "Buffy," she addressed detangling her from Spike. "Listen to me…" Buffy nodded. "We have to keep hope… Instead of dwelling on how the Council might interfere, think of the ways the Powers are making this possible… We had no idea why Wolf would transform when he did since he wasn't staying here. Now we know… Wolf and Dawn can easily patrol for you while you're pregnant. We've seen what they're capable of. I doubt that the Powers would go this far out of their way to protect us and transform Wolf if there wasn't a reason… They want this child. Who would be the best vampire slayer… another vampire except with a soul and conscience. What is a dhampire? A vampire with a soul and conscience."

Buffy blinked a few times trying to comprehend what she was hearing. "Tara's right," Willow said quickly. "The prophecy says Spike will father a slayer… not a baby that is supposed to be a slayer and is killed in infancy… Besides with the lot of us around to protect you and the baby you got no worries. No measly watcher, no offense Wesley, is going to keep my future god daughter from being born." Wesley smiled at the witch.

Spike held Buffy close trying to gage how she was feeling. He kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear. "I'd die to protect you both. We can do this Buffy. We can raise a slayer to have as normal a life as possible. We can also train her better then any watcher could. We just have to keep hope alive." He knew it was a cheesy line but in the end he figured she would probably get hormonal soon and cheese was good for making things sound nice.

She looked him in the eye and brought his hand to her stomach. "That's exactly what we have to do: Keep Hope alive." He considered her a moment. "Hope is what I want to name her."

Spike smiled like a proud father should. "We don't even know she's in there yet pet."

"I can find that out quickly," Tara said. "There's a spell…"

"Oh no… No spells near my wife's stomach. Besides that would take the fun out of trying to get Buffy pregnant," Spike smirked.

"What do you mean 'trying to get Buffy pregnant'?" Dawn said from the stairs long hair still wet from her shower. Wolf was still getting dressed.

"While you were mating, Wesley discovered a prophecy that said Spike would father a dhampire slayer," Anya explained. "By the way what does it feel like to mate as an animal?"

"Anya… Age appropriate material," Xander said firmly.

"But she did it," Anya objected.

"For me… I don't need to think about my practically little sister mating in any form, okay? I still have a hard time with the fact she's married," Xander replied.

"Okey dokey…Back to impregnating Buffy, please," Dawn said with a frustrated sigh. "Another prophecy… Can't they take a break on our family for a while? We've been a little over run with prophecies lately."

"Well right now Nibblet, we're just concerned what the Council will try to do to the baby," Spike responded.

Dawn's brow knit together in a look of absolute hostility. "Ah nothing… They've done enough damage already. They don't get to take her away, or train her, or kill her, or get her killed…" Confusion took over, "Wait a dhampire slayer… Won't that mean she'll be like Connor and want blood and grow fast?" Dawn asked.

"Probably," Spike answered.

"Will Buffy's pregnancy go faster too?" she asked.

"I don't think so," Cordelia responded. "Darla was pregnant for nine months with Connor… I'd be more worried about Buffy needing blood to sustain the pregnancy."

"I don't actually think that will be a problem," Wesley ventured. "If Buffy is to be the mother of the dhampire then it should proceed normally since she has a body that is quite resilient. As for the Council, as far as I know none of them know Spike is 'the seventh of seven,' which I'm not sure I grasp the meaning of anyway. It isn't in the literature on him as a vampire… It would be safe to say they might encourage you to abort the child when they found out you're pregnant for the sake of your calling but I doubt they'll assume it's a dhampire. We'll just need to keep the claim hidden from them as best as possible…that would mean not telling Giles. He may no longer be official but they keep more then a small watch on him because of his connection to you."

"What are you saying Wesley? That they spy on him," Buffy asked.

"Let's just say if what they asked me to do is any indication of what they would be willing to do…then no form of communication with him is safe," Wesley admitted.

"So the Council knows I was dead and in heaven and anything else I've told him… Like I'm living with Spike!" she yelled at the former watcher. "How are they not going to guess that if I'm pregnant its Spike's kid."

"Well, you didn't think it was possible before this conversation love… They'll probably assume you cheated on me…but they probably will look into it," Spike answered. "I doubt we could hide it for long."

"If I might make a suggestion," Father Gabriel said joining the group. "I don't know this Council but I can offer how things were presented with Wolf's conception." All eyes turned to the man. "Ulrich had chosen a wife outside of the clan…a white witch. This marriage was non-traditional in our clan but was accepted because he was our Ulrich. However when Wolf was conceived the threat against our clan grew primarily because during the pregnancy Ulrich was on guard for his wife rather then the clan. Ulrich tried to hide it from of elders, which only made the situation worse, because it proved the fears of our members that the Ulrich had divided loyalties… My suggestion is to come to your Council with the cards on the table, at least for the pregnancy. Tell them the precautions you will take to guard your Hellmouth and slayer. Also say up front abortion is not an option. Later when they realize the calling of the child it will be a non issue because the child has already arrived." The thick Romanian accent flooded the room.

"I didn't know that there were issues with the clan over Wolf's conception," Lorn said briefly.

"My green friend, we do not tell you everything," the Father replied.

Wolf stood at the top of the stairs. "My father chose my mother and me over the clan?"

"Yes…just as you chose your bride over the clan…but I can see now that there are powers at work here that are beyond my arguments. We will find another solution," Gabriel said. "I will tell the elders of your calling to this Hellmouth. It will be good enough…"

Spike looked the priest over, "Still think you should look into taking the position. You obviously care very much for your clan."

"Yes but if I were to pass whom would care for the souls of our clan?" Gabriel answered. "I will return later to tell you of the elders thoughts. Perhaps they will wish to see you Young Ulrich."

"Don't call me that," Wolf pled. "Dad just died… I've always been Wolf before." Gabriel smiled. Suddenly Wolf looked confused; "Does this mean our church is made up of the members of my clan?"

The priest smirked, "Never would have guessed would you?" Wolf shook his head. "That is how it should be…We are just people trying to live out lives. I will take my leave now," the gentleman said and left the room. "Good luck slayer…I look forward to the reign of your Hope. I'm sure she will be splendid… Dhampires have classically been the best vampire hunters because past a certain point they don't age or weaken… Be well."

"I didn't catch that last part," Wolf said.

"While you were mating…"

"Anya!" the room erupted.

"Buffy and Spike are going to have a baby girl. The prophecy says it will be a dhampire, like Connor, and a slayer. A lethal combination for the undead variety," Dawn explained.

Wolf looked confused and worried, "Who will protect the Hellmouth while you're pregnant?"

Spike and Buffy looked at each other. "I suppose I would patrol along with the Scoobies…" Spike said eyeing Willow and Xander, "but it would certainly help if you and Dawn would patrol too."

"Really?" Dawn asked obviously overjoyed. "You'd let me patrol!"

"Well… I'll go out there for appearances sake occasionally but… you've proven that you're up to the task," Buffy said calmly. "We don't even know if I'm pregnant or even if I'm the person Spike would have the baby with… I…"

Spike gave her a stern look. "You were on board a minute ago… Watcher boy thinks that we have the potential to have this baby." He turned to Wesley, "Under what circumstances have other dhampires been born?"

Wesley raised an eyebrow then sighed, "Like with wolves, natural witches and warlocks have the most luck at producing children to vampires… I have no idea about dark magics. It seems that most commonly natural witches can tame vampires, demons, or shape shifters. It's a gift to see beyond the surface of the evil and into what else is there. Certainly we wouldn't have Dracula's children alive if not for such a woman."

"Since when does Dracula have kids?" Xander asked. "You never mentioned kids when you talked about dating him Anya!"

"That's because I didn't have them. Besides I think only the one Vampire Hunter still lives of his children. Once his wife died he had no other children."

"Dracula… Same guy that bit Buffy…'Want to suck your blood' dude from the movies has a vampire hunter as a kid…" Gunn said exasperated. "I swear I don't need to learn any new fun vampire facts today."

"Back to what I was saying… The mothers must be supernatural in some way themselves and the vampire must claim them. I knew none of this before I found a debunked watcher's journals. His slayer became pregnant with a vampire's child something he had been taught to believe was impossible like the rest of us. Only the vampire's sire seemed to know it could happen. The dhampire was killed in womb, when the sire slayed the slayer. He felt certain a child with the strengths of a slayer and vampire combined could end his species. The watcher then made a study of the mythical creature he knew could exist," Wesley stated. "Why the conception of Connor is so strange is Darla and Angel never claimed each other and vampires mating still should never be able to produce a child…"

"Chalk that up to the Powers," Buffy said.

"So this has happened at least one time before but the slayer was killed before the baby was born…" Cordelia said thoughtfully. "Don't mean to upset you Buffy, but what if there are other vampires out there that know this prophecy? That one vamp took out a slayer over this?"

" 'The seventh of seven' is a description of my human lineage…which may mean I can't impregnate Buffy until I have my soul back…" Spike paused at the confused look on Cordelia's face. "The point is as far as I know the only person that knew I was called that in life was Angel. He loved destroy families so he researched mine…" Spike said very calmly in very polished English.

"But what does it mean?" Willow asked.

"It's been a bloody long time since I thought about this so give me a minute to remember how it goes…. Legend says that there were seven brothers given the secrets to the earth by Queen Mab herself. Each man was given one and if they worked together they could ensure that mankind would always be provided for and survive. The secrets were of land, water, wind, fire, plants, animals and the breath of life. Well as you can tell they did not work together and the secrets were lost. My family was supposedly the seventh family: the keepers of the breath of life… Strange concept I know for a vampire that doesn't have to breathe. My grandfather believed great things were ahead for me because I was the seventh son in a lineage of seven first-born sons…the seventh of the seven. I died before I found out what that truly meant. But seven slashes are marked on each side of my headstone. When I rose, my grandfather believed it was Mab that raised me for my calling…" Spike stated eyes glassy with remembrance. "I believe that if the watchers knew about the legend they would have at least written something since they write so much about everything else in my history."

"I'll look into the myth. That maybe the link to the puzzle we're missing… I do agree with Tara on the seemingly random acts that occurred in the last twenty-four hours do have an ultimate reason. I'm just not convinced the dhampire is that reason," Wesley said adjourning to his office.

"Folks don't mean to be an unhappy prom-queen but could we get on that spell you've been working on?" Cordelia asked. "I'd like to get Angel back soon."

"Not a problem," Dawn said and strolled to the witches in her life. "Did you work out the bugs in the spell?"

"Yeah…but Dawnie…" Willow started to say.

"How do you know what to do?" Buffy asked.

Dawn considered her sister, "Remember after you died the first time, and you had a closer instinct of what you were capable of? That's what I have now. All the parts of the transformation are in place." Her friends and sister just looked at her. "That place that Wolf and I fade to the back of when our beasts are in control touches the Ether. Together Wolf and I can handle the soul but I'm the conduit to infusing it into the person… Give us the words and we'll get it done."

TBC…