Start part Nine. I own nothing. Hand THAT platter to Joss. Sorry if this
is... different. Plot bunnies when you SHOULD be sleeping are such a
bitch. Anyway, enjoy and review. Tell me of any ideas you might have.
I'll see if I can use them.
Always.
Tequila Sunrise
The days passed, and the Scoobies were pissed off that Angel and Druscilla were under the Summers' roof. But Spike being there made it seem safer. Everyday changes were occurring. Buffy's body grew bigger, and Spike's more human.
One night, lying together on Buffy's bed, Buffy spoke quietly. "Spike... I have a secret."
Not wanting to be serious yet, he grinned. "Won't be a secret if you tell me, will it?"
Buffy sat up. "There's a new prophesy, Spike."
"I know."
"No, you don't. It's a new danger, and it-"
"Involves the baby, and me being a mortal and answerin' for my sins. Angel and Dru are the enemies, and my soul should come back." He looked up into her eyes. "That 'bout cover it?"
"You were listening??"
"I have a right to know, don't you think??" He looked at her, incredulous.
She stood. "I couldn't think of the right way to tell you. I just..." she grabbed her light cotton jacket and a stake. "I'm going out. Leave me alone."
Angel heard the door slam and Spike kick the upstairs wall, and frowned. Why did he miss all the GOOD entertainment? He glanced at Dru.
"His heart and soul beats her name..." She petted her doll. "Miss Edith would like some cake for her tea."
"He doesn't have either of those, Dru... Can you explain?"
"I can only explain what Miss Edith tells me... And she wants cake for her tea, Angelus..."
Grabbing his coat, he started up the basement stairs. "I'll see what I can do, Dru... I'll be back."
Walking outside, he sniffed once, then started off in the direction of Spike's cemetery.
And came across Buffy beating the shit out of a fledgling vampire.
"-And why is he so... CALM about this?? I'm scared." She punched it's stomach. "Ya know? How can- What if- Ugh... You're just really great at listening to me. Thanks." She went to step away from the fledgling, but it grabbed her wrist, and walked into the stake.
Staring disgustedly at the pile of dust at her feet, she said snidely, "It wasn't *that* bad. Geez..."
"Hey, Buffy." Angel striding up behind her was the last thing she needed.
"Go back to the house. I don't want you. Go away."
"Spike told me about the prophesy. Buffy, he's-"
"Mad I didn't tell him?? Proud of his eavesdropping skill? I don't *care*, Angel. I want five fucking minutes to myself to be properly angry, without someone saying, "Ooh, Buffy. The baby. Ooh Buffy. Be careful.' Ugh! I am the Slayer. The chosen. THAT'S ME!! They RESURRECTED me for that, but now I can't WALK by MYSELF for fifteen minutes without needed an UNDEAD baby-sitter?? You get paid by the hour now, Angel? Hmm?"
Angel simply sat on the nearest headstone. "Did you ever wonder, Buffy? Why we couldn't... why we never..."
"Got pregnant? Maybe because you turned evil so quickly, the sperm didn't know what to do. Tried to suck my egg's blood."
He winced. "That's... not quite what I was searching for... But more like, maybe we can't be together, because of this prophesy? That we're destined to fight together... but love apart? Spike loves you."
She snorted. "Because you're around soooo much, you know."
Angel stood, his nose curled in disgust. "I hope this is a mood- swing pregnancy thing, Buffy, because you were NEVER this big a bitch when we dated. I've seen William love. I've seen Spike love. It's the real deal with him. No holds barred, hands down, not going anywhere kind of love. It's not ideal, but it's genuine. If I didn't think Spike was good for you, I wouldn't be here. I'd be staking him. As things stand, I'm sure your bitchiness is more a punishment than a hell dimension would be."
This time, she winced. "Angel-"
"I'm not DONE, Buffy. Do you think this is EASY for me? Knowing you're lying upstairs in Spike's arms, sleeping? Wearing HIS ring, bearing HIS child? Knowing HE will be enjoying mortality? That HE will get to grow old with you? To smell you, to taste you, to love you with every ounce of who he is for eternity? To be able to hold your hand in the sunshine?" He looked deeply into her eyes. His painfilled, and hers confused. "He's better at loving you. I know that. He's better FOR you. I know that, too. That doesn't make it any easier to swallow."
Buffy turned to go, not ready to deal with this. Angel stopped her with a hand gripping her forearm.
"But what hurts the most, Buffy... Is the way you deny it. That you shove him away, into the darkness, instead of bringing him into the light. What are you afraid of?" He repeated his question sincerely. "What are you afraid of?"
She looked into his eyes, braced her shoulders. "Every man who knew that I loved him, left Angel. What I feel for Spike... It scares me, because I've never felt it before. With you, I felt scared, and exultant, and in love. Riley... I felt so safe. Spike... I can't... There are no words, Angel. Not one. Cherished. That's not right either. Because when you cherish something, you coddle it, protect it. He lets me fight, but he'll hold me when I'm weak. He hits back, when I hit first. He doesn't pretend to understand, he just listens... He holds me when I need it, and tell him I don't. And he lets me stand. What word is there for that??"
She swiped at a stray tear, and Angel gently pulled her forward to hug her tentatively.
"I think it's love, Buffy, but I'm not sure."
And for once, the two looked at eachother, not even once wishing for what might have been.
"We were bad for each other, Angel," Buffy said softly. "But Spike's not bad for me. He doesn't hurt me. But I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't leave. I couldn't take it if he did, but if he didn't...? What if I hurt him? What if I wasn't enough?"
Angel shook her shoulders softly. "You were never not enough, Buffy... You were too much. We didn't know how to handle you. Spike does, so let him."
Buffy nodded, thinking about it.
When Buffy was settled in Dawn's room for the night, Spike joined Angel on the porch. "I told you not to touch what was mine."
"Scared, Spike?"
"No, wanna know why?"
The taller man regarded him curiously. "Yeah, actually, I do."
"Because I'm the best she's ever had. And I'm in her blood now, pumping through her veins. And she's carrying my baby. I know that. You had better remember it."
Angel stiffened. "I'll remember everything I need to, Spike. Don't worry... Buffy is yours. Even without the claiming. Followed us, hmm?"
"You think I'll let a pregnant slayer out of my sights just because she says so? No." He ran a hand through his hair, looked at his grandsire, suddenly frightened.
"Angel?"
"Yeah?"
"I think my heart is beating."
Dum da dummmmm... More sometime this week... Maybe Wednesday. I know the updates are a couple days apart now, but y'all got everything last week. Seriously, that all took me like, three months to write, and I posted it in about 3 days. So.. times are a changin'. Anyway, any ideas? Dreams? Let me know. Keep reviewing.
Always.
Tequila Sunrise
Always.
Tequila Sunrise
The days passed, and the Scoobies were pissed off that Angel and Druscilla were under the Summers' roof. But Spike being there made it seem safer. Everyday changes were occurring. Buffy's body grew bigger, and Spike's more human.
One night, lying together on Buffy's bed, Buffy spoke quietly. "Spike... I have a secret."
Not wanting to be serious yet, he grinned. "Won't be a secret if you tell me, will it?"
Buffy sat up. "There's a new prophesy, Spike."
"I know."
"No, you don't. It's a new danger, and it-"
"Involves the baby, and me being a mortal and answerin' for my sins. Angel and Dru are the enemies, and my soul should come back." He looked up into her eyes. "That 'bout cover it?"
"You were listening??"
"I have a right to know, don't you think??" He looked at her, incredulous.
She stood. "I couldn't think of the right way to tell you. I just..." she grabbed her light cotton jacket and a stake. "I'm going out. Leave me alone."
Angel heard the door slam and Spike kick the upstairs wall, and frowned. Why did he miss all the GOOD entertainment? He glanced at Dru.
"His heart and soul beats her name..." She petted her doll. "Miss Edith would like some cake for her tea."
"He doesn't have either of those, Dru... Can you explain?"
"I can only explain what Miss Edith tells me... And she wants cake for her tea, Angelus..."
Grabbing his coat, he started up the basement stairs. "I'll see what I can do, Dru... I'll be back."
Walking outside, he sniffed once, then started off in the direction of Spike's cemetery.
And came across Buffy beating the shit out of a fledgling vampire.
"-And why is he so... CALM about this?? I'm scared." She punched it's stomach. "Ya know? How can- What if- Ugh... You're just really great at listening to me. Thanks." She went to step away from the fledgling, but it grabbed her wrist, and walked into the stake.
Staring disgustedly at the pile of dust at her feet, she said snidely, "It wasn't *that* bad. Geez..."
"Hey, Buffy." Angel striding up behind her was the last thing she needed.
"Go back to the house. I don't want you. Go away."
"Spike told me about the prophesy. Buffy, he's-"
"Mad I didn't tell him?? Proud of his eavesdropping skill? I don't *care*, Angel. I want five fucking minutes to myself to be properly angry, without someone saying, "Ooh, Buffy. The baby. Ooh Buffy. Be careful.' Ugh! I am the Slayer. The chosen. THAT'S ME!! They RESURRECTED me for that, but now I can't WALK by MYSELF for fifteen minutes without needed an UNDEAD baby-sitter?? You get paid by the hour now, Angel? Hmm?"
Angel simply sat on the nearest headstone. "Did you ever wonder, Buffy? Why we couldn't... why we never..."
"Got pregnant? Maybe because you turned evil so quickly, the sperm didn't know what to do. Tried to suck my egg's blood."
He winced. "That's... not quite what I was searching for... But more like, maybe we can't be together, because of this prophesy? That we're destined to fight together... but love apart? Spike loves you."
She snorted. "Because you're around soooo much, you know."
Angel stood, his nose curled in disgust. "I hope this is a mood- swing pregnancy thing, Buffy, because you were NEVER this big a bitch when we dated. I've seen William love. I've seen Spike love. It's the real deal with him. No holds barred, hands down, not going anywhere kind of love. It's not ideal, but it's genuine. If I didn't think Spike was good for you, I wouldn't be here. I'd be staking him. As things stand, I'm sure your bitchiness is more a punishment than a hell dimension would be."
This time, she winced. "Angel-"
"I'm not DONE, Buffy. Do you think this is EASY for me? Knowing you're lying upstairs in Spike's arms, sleeping? Wearing HIS ring, bearing HIS child? Knowing HE will be enjoying mortality? That HE will get to grow old with you? To smell you, to taste you, to love you with every ounce of who he is for eternity? To be able to hold your hand in the sunshine?" He looked deeply into her eyes. His painfilled, and hers confused. "He's better at loving you. I know that. He's better FOR you. I know that, too. That doesn't make it any easier to swallow."
Buffy turned to go, not ready to deal with this. Angel stopped her with a hand gripping her forearm.
"But what hurts the most, Buffy... Is the way you deny it. That you shove him away, into the darkness, instead of bringing him into the light. What are you afraid of?" He repeated his question sincerely. "What are you afraid of?"
She looked into his eyes, braced her shoulders. "Every man who knew that I loved him, left Angel. What I feel for Spike... It scares me, because I've never felt it before. With you, I felt scared, and exultant, and in love. Riley... I felt so safe. Spike... I can't... There are no words, Angel. Not one. Cherished. That's not right either. Because when you cherish something, you coddle it, protect it. He lets me fight, but he'll hold me when I'm weak. He hits back, when I hit first. He doesn't pretend to understand, he just listens... He holds me when I need it, and tell him I don't. And he lets me stand. What word is there for that??"
She swiped at a stray tear, and Angel gently pulled her forward to hug her tentatively.
"I think it's love, Buffy, but I'm not sure."
And for once, the two looked at eachother, not even once wishing for what might have been.
"We were bad for each other, Angel," Buffy said softly. "But Spike's not bad for me. He doesn't hurt me. But I don't know what I'll do if he doesn't leave. I couldn't take it if he did, but if he didn't...? What if I hurt him? What if I wasn't enough?"
Angel shook her shoulders softly. "You were never not enough, Buffy... You were too much. We didn't know how to handle you. Spike does, so let him."
Buffy nodded, thinking about it.
When Buffy was settled in Dawn's room for the night, Spike joined Angel on the porch. "I told you not to touch what was mine."
"Scared, Spike?"
"No, wanna know why?"
The taller man regarded him curiously. "Yeah, actually, I do."
"Because I'm the best she's ever had. And I'm in her blood now, pumping through her veins. And she's carrying my baby. I know that. You had better remember it."
Angel stiffened. "I'll remember everything I need to, Spike. Don't worry... Buffy is yours. Even without the claiming. Followed us, hmm?"
"You think I'll let a pregnant slayer out of my sights just because she says so? No." He ran a hand through his hair, looked at his grandsire, suddenly frightened.
"Angel?"
"Yeah?"
"I think my heart is beating."
Dum da dummmmm... More sometime this week... Maybe Wednesday. I know the updates are a couple days apart now, but y'all got everything last week. Seriously, that all took me like, three months to write, and I posted it in about 3 days. So.. times are a changin'. Anyway, any ideas? Dreams? Let me know. Keep reviewing.
Always.
Tequila Sunrise