Three months after Faith's death Buffy returned. Nothing more was ever said about the situation.
She didn't come and see Spike. He had thoughts of her time with Angel. He drove himself nuts with the fantasies of what he thought could be. However he didn't go to her. He waited. He waited for her.
He kept his schedule and attempted not to think about her.
Any more than possible.
***
She came to him one night. She entered his dark crypt after a patrol one night. She didn't knock. She never did.
She wore his duster. It had been the only thing that had kept him sane. She had a reminder of him with her always. He didn't need a reminder. All he had to do is look at Sunnydale. She was the queen of the place
Spike said nothing. He braced himself for the worst. He braced himself for punches, for anything.
Instead she stood before him in his duster and looked.
"You stayed."
"Where would I go?"
"They've always found a reason to leave."
"I stayed because you would be back. Dawn needed some one to watch over her while you were gone. I promised."
"That was two years ago."
"I made a promise."
"You stayed even if I didn't hold your hand ."
"Yes."
"Sit."
He followed her command.
"I've learned some things while I was gone. Most I can tell you later, but there are a few that can't wait. First Sunnydale is now not on a hell mouth. Things here are somewhat normal. Second another Slayer has been called. I trained her for a month. The council has partially retired me. Third.."
Buffy swallowed hard.
"Well there's one thing before the third. What was your wish that night."
He remembered back to the night under the moon.
"I…I wanted you to see me as a man, for just one moment."
"Why?"
"Because I have always been firstly a vampire in your eyes. I just wanted you to see that I'm the same with or without fangs."
Buffy closed her eyes.
"I thought so."
She opened the duster and rested her hands on a slightly rounded stomach.
"The Powers That Be gave you a little more than you asked for."
Spike was glad that he was sitting.
"Is that what I think it is?" he asked staring at her stomach, hypnotized.
Buffy nodded.
"This can't be," he whispered.
"You got your wish."
He stood up and Buffy thought he was going to run away. She had prepared herself for his anger and flight. She had even prepared a long speech to ensure him that this baby was his and not someone else's. he had no reason to trust her.
His reaction was completely shocking.
Instead he knelt in front of her. He looked at her stomach and touched it.
"Hello Bite-Size," he whispered.
She couldn't fathom that he already knew. Not knowing in the understanding sense, but he knew. The baby was part of him. He knew without a doubt that this child was his.
Buffy had never seen a vampire with tears in his eyes. She didn't' think it was possible. However she was proven wrong.
He looked at her. He looked as naked as a child.
"I've got nothin' to offer you Buffy," he said honestly, "I don't have money. I don't have a soul. 'ell I can't even give my baby a name. But you said once when you thought you would die that I meant something to you. Give me the next six months to prove to you that I can be something to you. Just give me one chance and if you think that you two will be better off without me then all you have to do is say the words and I'll leave."
"You will stay until I tell you to leave?" she asked.
"Yes. I'll do whatever you need."
"What if I asked you to stay. How long could you take knowing there was no chance that you'd get to take her to the park or see her leave for school."
"Buffy love if you give me the chance I'll be happy to just protect her from the things that go bump in the night. I'll love her because she is an impossible part of you and me. That is enough."
"Well that is the third thing Spike. I don't think that I'm getting any older. I think the resurection spell kind of made it so I don't change in years. If you promise me this, I think it is going to be more than the normal span of time."
The implications of what she was saying sank into his head. She wasn't going to curse him with her presence if he wasn't sure. He almost laughed. Dru had been by her side for over a hundred years. In the end it wasn't even him who tired first. As menacing as he could be, he loved and he loved forever.
"That is more than I can ever hope for."
Tears welled up in her eyes. All the drama that had built up in her head evaporated. She should have known that this was a being that lived by his heart. He was perfect.
"I love you Spike."
Spike knelt on the floor and kissed her belly. His hand felt the silky fabric. He could feel a heartbeat. Part of him and part of Buffy lived.
Buffy watched the vampire. His face was hidden from her, she was unsure if he was happy or unhappy at the curse she had jut laid on him.
"I'm having a baby?"
He asked her hoarsely.
"We're having a baby," she replied.
"Laura Joyce, meet your father. Daddy meet your daughter."
"Laura Joyce?" he asked, "You named her?"
"She was named before she was conceived."
"You don't like?" she asked unsure.
He looked at her incredulously.
"I, dead soulless vampire, am having a child and you said you love me. There isn't anything I don't like right now.
She looked up at him trying to be able to speak, "I love you too."
In the end it was just that simple.
She didn't come and see Spike. He had thoughts of her time with Angel. He drove himself nuts with the fantasies of what he thought could be. However he didn't go to her. He waited. He waited for her.
He kept his schedule and attempted not to think about her.
Any more than possible.
***
She came to him one night. She entered his dark crypt after a patrol one night. She didn't knock. She never did.
She wore his duster. It had been the only thing that had kept him sane. She had a reminder of him with her always. He didn't need a reminder. All he had to do is look at Sunnydale. She was the queen of the place
Spike said nothing. He braced himself for the worst. He braced himself for punches, for anything.
Instead she stood before him in his duster and looked.
"You stayed."
"Where would I go?"
"They've always found a reason to leave."
"I stayed because you would be back. Dawn needed some one to watch over her while you were gone. I promised."
"That was two years ago."
"I made a promise."
"You stayed even if I didn't hold your hand ."
"Yes."
"Sit."
He followed her command.
"I've learned some things while I was gone. Most I can tell you later, but there are a few that can't wait. First Sunnydale is now not on a hell mouth. Things here are somewhat normal. Second another Slayer has been called. I trained her for a month. The council has partially retired me. Third.."
Buffy swallowed hard.
"Well there's one thing before the third. What was your wish that night."
He remembered back to the night under the moon.
"I…I wanted you to see me as a man, for just one moment."
"Why?"
"Because I have always been firstly a vampire in your eyes. I just wanted you to see that I'm the same with or without fangs."
Buffy closed her eyes.
"I thought so."
She opened the duster and rested her hands on a slightly rounded stomach.
"The Powers That Be gave you a little more than you asked for."
Spike was glad that he was sitting.
"Is that what I think it is?" he asked staring at her stomach, hypnotized.
Buffy nodded.
"This can't be," he whispered.
"You got your wish."
He stood up and Buffy thought he was going to run away. She had prepared herself for his anger and flight. She had even prepared a long speech to ensure him that this baby was his and not someone else's. he had no reason to trust her.
His reaction was completely shocking.
Instead he knelt in front of her. He looked at her stomach and touched it.
"Hello Bite-Size," he whispered.
She couldn't fathom that he already knew. Not knowing in the understanding sense, but he knew. The baby was part of him. He knew without a doubt that this child was his.
Buffy had never seen a vampire with tears in his eyes. She didn't' think it was possible. However she was proven wrong.
He looked at her. He looked as naked as a child.
"I've got nothin' to offer you Buffy," he said honestly, "I don't have money. I don't have a soul. 'ell I can't even give my baby a name. But you said once when you thought you would die that I meant something to you. Give me the next six months to prove to you that I can be something to you. Just give me one chance and if you think that you two will be better off without me then all you have to do is say the words and I'll leave."
"You will stay until I tell you to leave?" she asked.
"Yes. I'll do whatever you need."
"What if I asked you to stay. How long could you take knowing there was no chance that you'd get to take her to the park or see her leave for school."
"Buffy love if you give me the chance I'll be happy to just protect her from the things that go bump in the night. I'll love her because she is an impossible part of you and me. That is enough."
"Well that is the third thing Spike. I don't think that I'm getting any older. I think the resurection spell kind of made it so I don't change in years. If you promise me this, I think it is going to be more than the normal span of time."
The implications of what she was saying sank into his head. She wasn't going to curse him with her presence if he wasn't sure. He almost laughed. Dru had been by her side for over a hundred years. In the end it wasn't even him who tired first. As menacing as he could be, he loved and he loved forever.
"That is more than I can ever hope for."
Tears welled up in her eyes. All the drama that had built up in her head evaporated. She should have known that this was a being that lived by his heart. He was perfect.
"I love you Spike."
Spike knelt on the floor and kissed her belly. His hand felt the silky fabric. He could feel a heartbeat. Part of him and part of Buffy lived.
Buffy watched the vampire. His face was hidden from her, she was unsure if he was happy or unhappy at the curse she had jut laid on him.
"I'm having a baby?"
He asked her hoarsely.
"We're having a baby," she replied.
"Laura Joyce, meet your father. Daddy meet your daughter."
"Laura Joyce?" he asked, "You named her?"
"She was named before she was conceived."
"You don't like?" she asked unsure.
He looked at her incredulously.
"I, dead soulless vampire, am having a child and you said you love me. There isn't anything I don't like right now.
She looked up at him trying to be able to speak, "I love you too."
In the end it was just that simple.