Ladybard chapter 9, by Slayergirl
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The phone rang, waking Spike immediately, Buffy waking a few seconds later, feeling slightly disorientated. 'My bed. My phone… answer phone…' she instructed herself. She grabbed it. "Yes? Hello? Buffy Summers speaking," she said groggily, glancing at the clock. 'Early morning – who the hell…?'
"Buffy, hello, it's Giles. Sorry if I woke you up."
"Yeah, you did. So, what's up? Found a way of stopping Willow yet?"
He sighed. "No, not yet. Hypnosis under thrall will buy more time, if Spike's willing to do that. But just stopping her from using it is the only way I can see at the moment. Don't worry, I'm still working on it. I'm trying to get more information from the Council, as you asked. And about the mutual claim," he added. "Since you're interested. But you know how long that could take."
"So, is this a progress report, or was there something else?"
"Well, actually, I have some news for you and Spike. Is he there?"
"Uh – yeah."
"Put the phone on speaker." He sounded excited.
"Well?"
"While I was researching to find a way to help Willow, I came across a prophecy, in a very old, obscure book. I think it may talk about you – both of you."
They exchanged glances. "Good or bad?" asked Spike carefully.
"Oh, good. Well, not bad. At least, it depends on your point of view."
"Giles, stop talking in riddles, you're sounding like Angel," warned Buffy.
"Oh, yes, right. Well, if you translate the Sanskrit, it says that a slayer will give birth to a vampire's child. The child is referred to as lady-bard. Ladybard. And she will bring great good on the earth. She will have great power, and from her and – it says here – the souled vampire's child, will spring a great line of warriors who will protect the earth. Well, that's the gist of it, anyway… Buffy? Spike? Are you still there?"
"Uh…" Buffy squeaked.
"Uh…" muttered Spike at the same time.
"Hello?"
"Uh – always wanted kids," said Spike weakly.
'Oh God… I thought my period was a bit late…' thought Buffy.
'You never told me!'
'You didn't notice?'
'Notice what? I don't count the days in between them! Yeah, I know when you're in the middle of one, obviously – vampire senses – it always registers. You know, Buffy having period, must buy chocolate. But I don't know exactly when they start, or anything! You could have told me!'
'Well – it didn't seem important at the time. I mean, I just thought it was stress or something. Y'know. I kinda assumed you couldn't get me pregnant!' she thought irritably.
'Sure it wasn't someone else?' his eyes twinkled.
She just looked at him. 'Claimed, remember? You'd know. You know it's yours…'
He wrapped his arms round her, and finally spoke. "I know. Don't worry. I'll take care of you. Both of you," he whispered.
"Spike? Buffy? Hello?"
They turned to the phone. "Giles? I think I'm already pregnant."
"Ah – oh!"
"Um. What do I do?"
"Um. Find out for sure. Um. Hospital? Doctor's?" He sounded panicky. "I'm coming back over… I'll fly out as soon as possible, though it might be a while."
"Right. Good. Um, bye then."
"Goodbye, Buffy, Spike. Take care, won't you?"
"Sure thing."
"Bye, Watcher."
They waited until Giles put down the phone. Buffy burst into tears. "I'm not ready for this!"
"And you think I am? Kind of a surprise to me, too!"
"What do we do?"
"You," he said firmly, "do what Giles says. And I'll look after you, patrol… whatever needs to be done."
"But – but work, and…"
"Sh, love," he said, kissing her neck. "It's my fault you're in this mess. I'll take care of you."
"But…"
"I've got money. Not vast amounts, but enough to tide us over. Giles'll probably help when he arrives, looking after things… Dawn will help too, when she can. She'll be a great little auntie," he said soothingly.
"I just…" her hands fluttered helplessly as she tried to explain. "I don't feel ready."
"Not happening yet, though, is it? You've got time to get used to the idea before the sproglet's born. We both have. We'll work it out together."
She looked at him tremulously. "I – I'm scared."
He cuddled her close. "Me too," he admitted. "I don't know what to do and it's totally unexpected. But I'm not going to run away from it," he reassured her. "I'll be here for you." He placed his hand reverently on her stomach. "For her."
She wrapped her arms around him, and sat silently with him for a while. Finally, she asked, "what shall we call her?"
"Any ideas?"
"Well – I don't know. Never really thought I'd live long enough to have children, so I never thought about it." She paused. "What was your mother called?"
"Stella."
"Stella Joy? Your mom's name, and – well, Joy's close to Joyce. Like, bringing joy to the world… and to us."
He smiled at her. "Sounds good. Pretty name."
"Wonder if she'll look like you or like me?"
"Hope she looks like you!"
"But with your eyes… beautiful, blue, soul-searching eyes…" she murmured as she caressed the side of his face. "Um. How are we going to tell Angel that his ex-girlfriend is carrying his childe's daughter, who's destined to marry his son… who's already dead?"
Spike bit his lip. That was a tough one. Put like that, it also sounded like something out of a bad slapstick comedy. Which was not at all how he felt about it. "Want me to break it to him? Or want to do it yourself?"
She looked apprehensive. "How about both together?"
He nodded. "Later, love," he whispered, "When you know for sure. You need to sleep, now. Get your strength up."
She nestled into his arms, using his chest as a pillow, smiling as she realised he was purring softly. "Love you," she murmured.
"Love you, too," he whispered. But she was already asleep.
TBC…
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The phone rang, waking Spike immediately, Buffy waking a few seconds later, feeling slightly disorientated. 'My bed. My phone… answer phone…' she instructed herself. She grabbed it. "Yes? Hello? Buffy Summers speaking," she said groggily, glancing at the clock. 'Early morning – who the hell…?'
"Buffy, hello, it's Giles. Sorry if I woke you up."
"Yeah, you did. So, what's up? Found a way of stopping Willow yet?"
He sighed. "No, not yet. Hypnosis under thrall will buy more time, if Spike's willing to do that. But just stopping her from using it is the only way I can see at the moment. Don't worry, I'm still working on it. I'm trying to get more information from the Council, as you asked. And about the mutual claim," he added. "Since you're interested. But you know how long that could take."
"So, is this a progress report, or was there something else?"
"Well, actually, I have some news for you and Spike. Is he there?"
"Uh – yeah."
"Put the phone on speaker." He sounded excited.
"Well?"
"While I was researching to find a way to help Willow, I came across a prophecy, in a very old, obscure book. I think it may talk about you – both of you."
They exchanged glances. "Good or bad?" asked Spike carefully.
"Oh, good. Well, not bad. At least, it depends on your point of view."
"Giles, stop talking in riddles, you're sounding like Angel," warned Buffy.
"Oh, yes, right. Well, if you translate the Sanskrit, it says that a slayer will give birth to a vampire's child. The child is referred to as lady-bard. Ladybard. And she will bring great good on the earth. She will have great power, and from her and – it says here – the souled vampire's child, will spring a great line of warriors who will protect the earth. Well, that's the gist of it, anyway… Buffy? Spike? Are you still there?"
"Uh…" Buffy squeaked.
"Uh…" muttered Spike at the same time.
"Hello?"
"Uh – always wanted kids," said Spike weakly.
'Oh God… I thought my period was a bit late…' thought Buffy.
'You never told me!'
'You didn't notice?'
'Notice what? I don't count the days in between them! Yeah, I know when you're in the middle of one, obviously – vampire senses – it always registers. You know, Buffy having period, must buy chocolate. But I don't know exactly when they start, or anything! You could have told me!'
'Well – it didn't seem important at the time. I mean, I just thought it was stress or something. Y'know. I kinda assumed you couldn't get me pregnant!' she thought irritably.
'Sure it wasn't someone else?' his eyes twinkled.
She just looked at him. 'Claimed, remember? You'd know. You know it's yours…'
He wrapped his arms round her, and finally spoke. "I know. Don't worry. I'll take care of you. Both of you," he whispered.
"Spike? Buffy? Hello?"
They turned to the phone. "Giles? I think I'm already pregnant."
"Ah – oh!"
"Um. What do I do?"
"Um. Find out for sure. Um. Hospital? Doctor's?" He sounded panicky. "I'm coming back over… I'll fly out as soon as possible, though it might be a while."
"Right. Good. Um, bye then."
"Goodbye, Buffy, Spike. Take care, won't you?"
"Sure thing."
"Bye, Watcher."
They waited until Giles put down the phone. Buffy burst into tears. "I'm not ready for this!"
"And you think I am? Kind of a surprise to me, too!"
"What do we do?"
"You," he said firmly, "do what Giles says. And I'll look after you, patrol… whatever needs to be done."
"But – but work, and…"
"Sh, love," he said, kissing her neck. "It's my fault you're in this mess. I'll take care of you."
"But…"
"I've got money. Not vast amounts, but enough to tide us over. Giles'll probably help when he arrives, looking after things… Dawn will help too, when she can. She'll be a great little auntie," he said soothingly.
"I just…" her hands fluttered helplessly as she tried to explain. "I don't feel ready."
"Not happening yet, though, is it? You've got time to get used to the idea before the sproglet's born. We both have. We'll work it out together."
She looked at him tremulously. "I – I'm scared."
He cuddled her close. "Me too," he admitted. "I don't know what to do and it's totally unexpected. But I'm not going to run away from it," he reassured her. "I'll be here for you." He placed his hand reverently on her stomach. "For her."
She wrapped her arms around him, and sat silently with him for a while. Finally, she asked, "what shall we call her?"
"Any ideas?"
"Well – I don't know. Never really thought I'd live long enough to have children, so I never thought about it." She paused. "What was your mother called?"
"Stella."
"Stella Joy? Your mom's name, and – well, Joy's close to Joyce. Like, bringing joy to the world… and to us."
He smiled at her. "Sounds good. Pretty name."
"Wonder if she'll look like you or like me?"
"Hope she looks like you!"
"But with your eyes… beautiful, blue, soul-searching eyes…" she murmured as she caressed the side of his face. "Um. How are we going to tell Angel that his ex-girlfriend is carrying his childe's daughter, who's destined to marry his son… who's already dead?"
Spike bit his lip. That was a tough one. Put like that, it also sounded like something out of a bad slapstick comedy. Which was not at all how he felt about it. "Want me to break it to him? Or want to do it yourself?"
She looked apprehensive. "How about both together?"
He nodded. "Later, love," he whispered, "When you know for sure. You need to sleep, now. Get your strength up."
She nestled into his arms, using his chest as a pillow, smiling as she realised he was purring softly. "Love you," she murmured.
"Love you, too," he whispered. But she was already asleep.
TBC…