Ladybard chapter 10, by Slayergirl
Some months after the previous chapter…!
*** *** *** ***
"Angel?"
"Buffy!" said the familiar voice on the other end of the line. "How are you?"
"Uh – okay. Well, that is, sort of okay. I mean, I'm okay, but…"
"Out with it. What's up?"
"I'm pregnant," she blurted out.
There was a small pause. "Well! Congratulations!" There was another small pause. "At least, I assume it's congratulations?" he queried.
"Uh – you're okay with that so far?"
"Well – yes. Look, Buffy, you know I'll always love you. But – things change. People move on. That's what I wanted for you – a proper life. Something I couldn't give you… so, who's the father? I thought you were still with Spike?"
"Uh – well, there's the thing, I…"
"She is still with me," he said over her shoulder at the phone.
"Oh! Spike – uh – Buffy, pass me over, would you?"
She handed Spike the receiver. "Uh – Angel…"
"Well, lad, what's the deal?"
"The child's mine," he said, totally failing to keep the pride out of his voice.
There was a long, shocked silence. Then, to their surprise, Angel burst into laughter. In their minds they could both see Angel wiping tears of laughter off his face. "Well, Spike, welcome to the club!" he managed to gasp out finally. "Never thought I'd see you a father! That's the funniest thing I've heard all week!"
Spike growled down the phone at his sire. "It's not funny! This is serious! And unplanned…"
Angel calmed down a little. "Sorry, sorry… look, I'm due some time off… I'm guessing you'll need some extra help around. If you want I can come and help?"
"Uh…" He looked at Buffy, who nodded. "Sure. That'd be great."
"Okay if I bring Connor?" This time Buffy and Spike were silent, stunned.
"But – I thought – he was…" began Buffy.
"So did I," said Angel lightly. "But strange things do happen. Prophecies included."
"Uh – yeah, sure, bring him along…"
They hung up. "Okay, can this get stranger?" she asked Spike.
He shook his head dazedly. "No, love, I don't think it can!"
*** *** *** ***
Angel arrived a fortnight later, highly amused at their predicament, but helping willingly. He seemed to enjoy being the expectant uncle figure, bringing some baby clothes and flowers from him, presents for the baby from Cordelia, and best wishes from Wesley. 'He seems happier than I've ever seen him,' thought Buffy. 'Being a father suits him.' Strangely – or perhaps not so strangely – she felt no jealousy that he wasn't the father of her own child.
He and Spike took it in turns to patrol, though there was little demon activity.
One evening, when Spike was patrolling, Buffy sat with Angel. She felt a little awkward about asking, but… "Are you really okay about me and Spike?"
He looked at her, smiling quietly. Then he answered her. "Yes, because I can see he loves you. No, he adores you, worships you. You're everything to him. He'd never do anything to hurt you. And…" he paused, as if unwilling to say the next part, "he's a better man than me."
"How do you mean?"
"I am what I am because of the soul. You know what I am without it. Spike… has no soul. Apart from you – you're his shining light, his conscience, his hopes, his dreams. He loves you and respects you, and won't do anything to hurt or upset you if he can avoid it – even without the chip. He hasn't killed since he had it taken out. He told me so."
"Really? All of that?"
He smiled. "All of it. That's why he's better than me. I need a soul to be noble and good and tender and loving and caring. He doesn't. He is by nature – now!" He laughed. "Buffy the vampire tamer, they should call you!"
She laughed with him, knowing he was right. She had tamed Spike in a way… although the chip had done most of the work. 'Although…' She remembered Halloween when he'd tried to kill her, drain her… 'He was gentle, even then – no quick, sudden, violent movements, no actual pain, apart from her fear… just gently laying her down and bending over her, pulling her head back slowly, gently. And the first time he'd tried to kill her, he'd said it wouldn't hurt…'
"Must be soon now," he said, breaking in on her thoughts.
"Any time now," she said proudly.
"Nervous?"
She chewed at her bottom lip. "Try terrified?" She laughed self- consciously. "God. I've died, faced the Master, the Judge, Glory, countless other demons… and I'm still afraid of – of giving birth, of having a child… it's ludicrous, isn't it?"
"No," said a gentle, familiar voice behind her. "No, don't get up. Sorry it took me so long to get here."
"Giles!" she cried, reaching up her arms to him for a hug. "It's so good to see you! How was your flight? Would you like some tea? I can…"
"Sit down, Buffy!" he laughed. "You should be taking it easy!" Angel was already on his way to the kitchen to make Giles some tea. "So, how are you feeling?"
"Okay. Nervous. Everybody's been great, though."
"Talking of everybody, where's Spike?"
"Patrolling. He and Angel take it in turns. He'll be home soon."
"Living here, then?"
"Well – yeah. We use the basement. No sunlight, you see. He likes to be close at hand, just in case something happens. And I feel safer knowing he's there, too."
Giles nodded, having come to accept their relationship. "Taking it very seriously, isn't he?"
"Very… Speak of the devil!" as the door opened.
"Demon, love, don't exaggerate!" he grinned. "Hello, Watcher, long time no see!"
"Yes, well – wringing information out of the council is like bleeding the proverbial stone. I came as soon as I could."
"Well, you made it in time, anyway."
"Yes. Everything okay with it?"
"Her, Giles," laughed Buffy. "Yes. No problems. She has a heartbeat. Therefore, human, not vampire. I'm guessing that's what you mean?"
"Er – well, yes, I – um…" he said as he polished his glasses.
"Relax, man, she's human," laughed Spike as Angel brought in the tea. "As human as Buffy is."
Giles relaxed a little. Then he asked, "How's Willow?"
"Delightfully obedient!" grinned Spike. "Seriously, though. She's upstairs. Dawn's sitting with her. No magic since you called – must be about eight months, I guess. Pretty good going."
Giles nodded. "Still no other information. We just have to hope."
"Hope what? That I can keep her in check?"
"That, and that she stays off magick. And that she never comes across Arkalima demons."
"Uh – what demons?" asked Buffy.
"Arkalima demons. They feed on magick. Otherwise harmless, if unintelligent."
"So – they'd kill her?"
"No. She'd be triggered into doing some magick by their presence, and they'd consume it. But the consequences of her using it…"
He left it unspoken, but they understood.
Their minds were soon diverted, however, as Stella Joy decided that it was an auspicious time to start making her way into the world.
TBC…
Some months after the previous chapter…!
*** *** *** ***
"Angel?"
"Buffy!" said the familiar voice on the other end of the line. "How are you?"
"Uh – okay. Well, that is, sort of okay. I mean, I'm okay, but…"
"Out with it. What's up?"
"I'm pregnant," she blurted out.
There was a small pause. "Well! Congratulations!" There was another small pause. "At least, I assume it's congratulations?" he queried.
"Uh – you're okay with that so far?"
"Well – yes. Look, Buffy, you know I'll always love you. But – things change. People move on. That's what I wanted for you – a proper life. Something I couldn't give you… so, who's the father? I thought you were still with Spike?"
"Uh – well, there's the thing, I…"
"She is still with me," he said over her shoulder at the phone.
"Oh! Spike – uh – Buffy, pass me over, would you?"
She handed Spike the receiver. "Uh – Angel…"
"Well, lad, what's the deal?"
"The child's mine," he said, totally failing to keep the pride out of his voice.
There was a long, shocked silence. Then, to their surprise, Angel burst into laughter. In their minds they could both see Angel wiping tears of laughter off his face. "Well, Spike, welcome to the club!" he managed to gasp out finally. "Never thought I'd see you a father! That's the funniest thing I've heard all week!"
Spike growled down the phone at his sire. "It's not funny! This is serious! And unplanned…"
Angel calmed down a little. "Sorry, sorry… look, I'm due some time off… I'm guessing you'll need some extra help around. If you want I can come and help?"
"Uh…" He looked at Buffy, who nodded. "Sure. That'd be great."
"Okay if I bring Connor?" This time Buffy and Spike were silent, stunned.
"But – I thought – he was…" began Buffy.
"So did I," said Angel lightly. "But strange things do happen. Prophecies included."
"Uh – yeah, sure, bring him along…"
They hung up. "Okay, can this get stranger?" she asked Spike.
He shook his head dazedly. "No, love, I don't think it can!"
*** *** *** ***
Angel arrived a fortnight later, highly amused at their predicament, but helping willingly. He seemed to enjoy being the expectant uncle figure, bringing some baby clothes and flowers from him, presents for the baby from Cordelia, and best wishes from Wesley. 'He seems happier than I've ever seen him,' thought Buffy. 'Being a father suits him.' Strangely – or perhaps not so strangely – she felt no jealousy that he wasn't the father of her own child.
He and Spike took it in turns to patrol, though there was little demon activity.
One evening, when Spike was patrolling, Buffy sat with Angel. She felt a little awkward about asking, but… "Are you really okay about me and Spike?"
He looked at her, smiling quietly. Then he answered her. "Yes, because I can see he loves you. No, he adores you, worships you. You're everything to him. He'd never do anything to hurt you. And…" he paused, as if unwilling to say the next part, "he's a better man than me."
"How do you mean?"
"I am what I am because of the soul. You know what I am without it. Spike… has no soul. Apart from you – you're his shining light, his conscience, his hopes, his dreams. He loves you and respects you, and won't do anything to hurt or upset you if he can avoid it – even without the chip. He hasn't killed since he had it taken out. He told me so."
"Really? All of that?"
He smiled. "All of it. That's why he's better than me. I need a soul to be noble and good and tender and loving and caring. He doesn't. He is by nature – now!" He laughed. "Buffy the vampire tamer, they should call you!"
She laughed with him, knowing he was right. She had tamed Spike in a way… although the chip had done most of the work. 'Although…' She remembered Halloween when he'd tried to kill her, drain her… 'He was gentle, even then – no quick, sudden, violent movements, no actual pain, apart from her fear… just gently laying her down and bending over her, pulling her head back slowly, gently. And the first time he'd tried to kill her, he'd said it wouldn't hurt…'
"Must be soon now," he said, breaking in on her thoughts.
"Any time now," she said proudly.
"Nervous?"
She chewed at her bottom lip. "Try terrified?" She laughed self- consciously. "God. I've died, faced the Master, the Judge, Glory, countless other demons… and I'm still afraid of – of giving birth, of having a child… it's ludicrous, isn't it?"
"No," said a gentle, familiar voice behind her. "No, don't get up. Sorry it took me so long to get here."
"Giles!" she cried, reaching up her arms to him for a hug. "It's so good to see you! How was your flight? Would you like some tea? I can…"
"Sit down, Buffy!" he laughed. "You should be taking it easy!" Angel was already on his way to the kitchen to make Giles some tea. "So, how are you feeling?"
"Okay. Nervous. Everybody's been great, though."
"Talking of everybody, where's Spike?"
"Patrolling. He and Angel take it in turns. He'll be home soon."
"Living here, then?"
"Well – yeah. We use the basement. No sunlight, you see. He likes to be close at hand, just in case something happens. And I feel safer knowing he's there, too."
Giles nodded, having come to accept their relationship. "Taking it very seriously, isn't he?"
"Very… Speak of the devil!" as the door opened.
"Demon, love, don't exaggerate!" he grinned. "Hello, Watcher, long time no see!"
"Yes, well – wringing information out of the council is like bleeding the proverbial stone. I came as soon as I could."
"Well, you made it in time, anyway."
"Yes. Everything okay with it?"
"Her, Giles," laughed Buffy. "Yes. No problems. She has a heartbeat. Therefore, human, not vampire. I'm guessing that's what you mean?"
"Er – well, yes, I – um…" he said as he polished his glasses.
"Relax, man, she's human," laughed Spike as Angel brought in the tea. "As human as Buffy is."
Giles relaxed a little. Then he asked, "How's Willow?"
"Delightfully obedient!" grinned Spike. "Seriously, though. She's upstairs. Dawn's sitting with her. No magic since you called – must be about eight months, I guess. Pretty good going."
Giles nodded. "Still no other information. We just have to hope."
"Hope what? That I can keep her in check?"
"That, and that she stays off magick. And that she never comes across Arkalima demons."
"Uh – what demons?" asked Buffy.
"Arkalima demons. They feed on magick. Otherwise harmless, if unintelligent."
"So – they'd kill her?"
"No. She'd be triggered into doing some magick by their presence, and they'd consume it. But the consequences of her using it…"
He left it unspoken, but they understood.
Their minds were soon diverted, however, as Stella Joy decided that it was an auspicious time to start making her way into the world.
TBC…