Chapter 6

Buffy approached Spike's crypt with some trepidation. She really didn't know what to expect from him these days, or from herself either. As she crept closer, she noticed a strip of muted light beneath the closed door, which might mean that he was actually there. She hesitated at the entrance, not wanting to barge right in as had been her usual habit, but feeling foolish about knocking, somehow. Before she could act either way, the crypt door swung open and Spike was there. He regarded her coolly and gestured for her to come in. He took a swig from the bottle of bourbon he was holding and put it down on table and switched off the television. Buffy found herself momentarily at a loss for words. Spike, never a one for silence, filled the conversational void:

"So, how's the sanity?"

"Good. I'm good," Buffy answered.

Spike raised his eyebrows, "Glad to hear it. Did you tell them yet?"

Damn, thought Buffy, he's still on that hobbyhorse. "Spike…" she began.

He interrupted her, "No need to answer, pet. Every night when I step out of my crypt and don't see Harris out there, leading a mob of villagers with stakes and torches, I know you haven't told them."

"Well, is that what you want?" Buffy replied angrily.

"What…are you askin' if I am willing' to sacrifice Xander's friendship, his respect and his gratitude for all I've done for him over the past year? Well, it's a big loss but I can manage, I think. I figure you'd probably keep him from stakin' me, but if not, well, it's been fun." Spike sighed in frustration, "It's for your sake, Buffy, that I want you to tell them, not mine!"

"Spike, I do not understand you at all!"

"Oh...and after puttin' so much effort into it too." Spike's anger and bitterness filled the small room.

"Look, Spike, I'm not here to talk about you and Xander. I need answers about something. Something important."

"Oh, and would you care to search my crypt while you're at it? What's left of it, that is."

"This isn't an interrogation, Spike. I don't care what you're up to. What do you know about vampires conceiving babies?"

Spike stared at Buffy in surprise. After a moment he replied, "All I know can be summed up in two words. We can't."

"Are you sure?"

Spike's look grew cold, "Listen pet, if you've been throwin' up mornings, maybe you'd better go talk to Soldier boy. Wherever he is these days."

"What?"

"Or maybe that wanker was at your party...what was his name again? Oh yeah…Richard. I'm sure he's the type would want to do the right thing." Spike picked up the bourbon bottle and took a drink, "Oh…But wait a minute. Maybe you're the reason Harris backed out of his wedding. Now wouldn't that add a nice soap opera twist to the whole Scooby gang dynamic?"

Buffy was furious, "Spike Stop it! First of all, I haven't done anything with…with any of those people! And secondly, this isn't about me!"

Spike's face immediately shifted to concern. "It's not Dawn is it?"

"No! God forbid. Just listen to me, Spike. I just got word from Cordelia. In LA. It seems that Angel and Darla had a baby. A human baby. And I just want to know how that's possible."

Spike looked totally stunned, but he answered contemptuously, "It's not."

"Well Cordelia wouldn't go to all the trouble of calling me up just to lie to me. She says it happened, and nobody knows how, or why."

"It's just not bloody possible. We're dead. And you can't get life from a dead thing. Maybe our dust can fertilize the ground a bit, but that's the extent of it."

"Well, then maybe it's a miracle."

"Bollocks! A miracle! For Peaches and Darla! Well, isn't that the bloody limit!"

"The Powers That Be, maybe they have some plan…"

"You mean Angel's bloody pet gods? The ones think he's so special? They've certainly never done a thing for me!"

"Me neither. Personally, I think they followed Angel to LA. I mean, I certainly could have used a little help this past year, and where were they?"

"Just stuck with us, I guess." For the first time since she had arrived, Spike and Buffy's eyes met. "At least Red's no slouch when it comes to miracles. She brought you back."

"Yeah, "Buffy sighed, "and we all know what a rousing success that's been."

Spike's eyes softened, "I'm not sorry she did it, are you?"

"No. Not really. Not any more."

"Good." Buffy looked away, "So Darla's a miracle mum, eh? And she hasn't tried to eat the tyke?"

"Darla's dead. According to Cordy, she dusted herself in order to have the baby. Something like that."

"Doesn't sound like the Darla I knew. She wasn't exactly the maternal type. So that leaves Angel to be Bachelor Father."

Buffy looked puzzled.

"Old TV series, before your time, love. Bet he is a really soppy father, too, all sentimental and gooey." Spike looked disgusted.

"Well, I don't know. What I do know is that Connor's been kidnapped."

"Connor. That the baby?"

Buffy nodded.

"Well, this just gets more and more interestin' doesn't it? Bet that's why Cordelia called you, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. Angel kind of forgot to tell me about the baby until now."

"Ha. No surprise there. Big wanker. Well, how can you help? Don't they have a whole team for that sort o thing?"

"Actually, it's Dawn they want. In her key capacity. The kidnapper took the baby through a dimensional portal."

Spike looked horrified, "Well bugger that! You told 'em to go to hell, right?"

Buffy shook her head. "It's not a blood thing, Spike. They just want her to recite an incantation."

"Oh right, and when that doesn't work, whadda ya bet it will be, 'well, we only need a little blood!' And, If it comes down to choosin' between your sis, who he hardly knows, and his son, who do you think he'll pick?"

"I'll be there, Spike. I won't let anything happen to Dawn."

Spike frowned, "So how are you plannin' to get there?"

"Drive," Buffy answered, trying to sound nonchalant.

"You?!" Spike snorted.

"Hey! I drive. I have a license."

"Yeah. So I hear. You really think you can get yourself and Dawn to LA in one piece?"

Buffy considered this for a moment. "Okay, we'll take the bus."

"You're not takin' The Nibblet on any bloody bus. I'll drive you."

"You! I thought you hated Angel. And he hated you!"

"Well...we did have a minor squabble about that ring of Amara you stole from me and gave to him. But I'm sure he's forgiven me, what with him having a soul and all."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that."

"Well, if he doesn't want my help, screw him. I just want to make sure that Dawn's okay. Plus, I want to take a gander at my new...what the hell is he?"

Buffy laughed, "What…do I look like Jerry Springer? Don't ask me to figure out vampire relationships!"

"Well, let's see. Darla sired Angel, Angel sired Dru, Dru sired yours truly, but then Dru also re-sired Darla, if I remember the story correctly. Which would make Connor my Uncle…and my nephew."

"You can write a country Western song about it on the way to LA, "Buffy turned serious, "On one condition."

"Wait…don't tell me. Let me see if I can guess this one. Don't mention a word about us to Angel or you'll be bringing me home in a Dustbuster. Am I close?"

"Spike. It's just not the time or the place, okay?"

"Never is, is it? When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow at sunset, I guess."

"I'll pick you up."

"Oh no. We are not going in that car of yours. I mean, has that thing ever even been registered, or inspected or insured?"

Spike shrugged. "Next you'll be expectin' me to have a drivers license."

Buffy groaned, "We'll take my mother's car. And I'll forget what you said about the Driver's License. Just don't speed."

"Who me? I'll drive like Giles."

"Good…I've got to go. Willow and Dawn are expecting me back. And Spike?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." With that, Buffy was gone.